Questions on Kings and Chronicles 1.1–1.30
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1.1PG 80 80:529
῾Ο Σαμουήλ ἱερεὺς ἦν, ἢ Λευΐτης, Τριῶν ὁ Λευί γεγένηται παίδων πατήρ τοῦ Γηρσὼν τοῦ Καὰθ, καὶ τοῦ Μεραρή. Τοῦ δὲ Καὰθ ἐγένοντο παῖδες Ἀμβρὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰρ, καὶ Χεβρώμ, καὶ ᾿Οζιήλ· τοῦ δὲ Ἀμβρὰμ Ααρών, Μωσῆς, καὶ Μαριάμ. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰσαὰρ ἔκγονος μὲν ὁ Κορὲ, ἀπόγονος δὲ Ἑλκανὰ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ὁ πατήρ. Ὁ τοίνυν Σαμουήλ πέμπτος καὶ δέκατος μὲν ἀπὸ Λευῖ· τῆς δὲ Καάθ ἦν πατριᾶς· ἡ τῶν ἄλλων προεκέκριτο, τῷ τοὺς ἀρχιερέας ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡνθηκέναι· διὸ δὴ καὶ φέρειν αὐτοῖς ἀπενεμήθη τὰ σκεύη τὰ ἅγια.
῾O Samouēl hiereus ēn, ē Leuïtēs, Triōn ho Leui gegenētai paidōn patēr tou Gērsōn tou Kaath, kai tou Merarē. Tou de Kaath egenonto paides Ambram, kai Isaar, kai Chebrōm, kai ᾿Oziēl; tou de Ambram Aarōn, Mōsēs, kai Mariam. Tou de Isaar ekgonos men ho Kore, apogonos de Helkana tou Samouēl ho patēr. Ho toinyn Samouēl pemptos kai dekatos men apo Leui; tēs de Kaath ēn patrias; hē tōn allōn proekekrito, tǭ tous archiereas ex autēs hēnthēkenai; dio dē kai pherein autois apenemēthē ta skeuē ta hagia.
Was Samuel a priest or a Levite? Levi became the father of three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. To Kohath were born sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel; to Amram, Aaron, Moses and Miriam. From Izhar descended Korah, and from him in turn Elkanah, the father of Samuel. Samuel, then, was fifteenth from Levi, and he belonged to the clan of Kohath, which was preferred above the others because the high priests had sprung from it; for this reason it was also assigned to carry the holy vessels.
1 Chr 6:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 6:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Chr 6:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Num 4:15 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Theodoret traces Samuel's descent from Levi through Kohath, Izhar and Korah: he was a Levite, not a priest.
- The printed question ends with a comma rather than a question mark, which is why the staging flagged a possible lost question; the question is present. A displaced passage from the preface (on translation into another language and on when the books of Kingdoms were written) had been printed inside the genealogy and is removed by a logged correction. The genealogy follows 1 Chr 6:1–3, 22–28 and Exod 6:16–21; the duties of the Kohathites, Num 4:4–15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (lines displaced from the preface (and a stray fragment) printed inside the genealogy): Χεβρώμ, γλώττης εἰς ἑτέραν μεταβολή καὶ τὸ σπουδάσαι τοὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς περὶ πόδα τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι. τοῦ Σαούλ, ἢ καὶ τῷ Δαβὶδ συνηκμακότα τὰ ἐπὶ Ἐζεκ. καὶ Ἰωσίου συγγράψαι. 5ὲ στρατιὰν καὶ τὸν ἀνδρακαὶ ᾿Οζιήλ → Χεβρώμ, καὶ ᾿Οζιήλ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.1 (PG 80 80:529; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.2PG 80 80:531
Διατί ὁ Ἑλκανὰ δύο εἶχε γυναῖκας; Οὔτε ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ νόμος δυσὶν ἢ πλείοσι γυναιξὶν ἐννόμως συναφθῆναι, οὔτε μὴν ἐκώλυσε - συγχωρῶν τὸ ἔλαττον, ἵνα κωλύσῃ τὸ μεῖζον. Τῇ δυνάμει γὰρ τῶν δεχομένων ἐμέτρει τοὺς νόμους. Τοῦτό φησι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος· Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος.
Diati ho Helkana dyo eiche gynaikas? Oute epetrepsen ho nomos dysin ē pleiosi gynaixin ennomōs synaphthēnai, oute mēn ekōlyse - synchōrōn to elatton, hina kōlysę̄ to meizon. Tę̄ dynamei gar tōn dechomenōn emetrei tous nomous. Touto phēsi kai ho theios ᾿Apostolos; Ouden gar eteleiōsen ho nomos.
Why did Elkanah have two wives? The law neither permitted a man to be lawfully joined to two or more wives, nor did it forbid it: it conceded the lesser thing in order to prevent the greater. For it measured its laws by the strength of those who received them. The divine Apostle says this too: “For the law made nothing perfect.”
1 Sam 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 7:19 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The law tolerated Elkanah's two wives as a concession to weakness, neither permitting nor forbidding it.
- Theodoret treats the law's silence on polygamy as a concession to weakness, not an approval; translated as written. Quotation: Heb 7:19.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR and a stray syllable): γυν ναιξὶν ἐννόμως σε συναφθῆναι → γυναιξὶν ἐννόμως συναφθῆναι.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.2 (PG 80 80:531; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3PG 80 80:531
Τί ἐστι τὸ, ( ᾿Απέκλεισε Κύριος τὰ περὶ τὴν μήτραν αὐτῆς; Διδάσκει τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας οὗτος ὁ λόγος, μὴ τῷ γάμῳ θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ποιητὴν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν καλεῖν. "Ωσπερ γὰρ ἴδιον μὲν τοῦ γεωργοῦ τὸ καταβάλλειν τὰ σπέρματα, τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ τὸ τελεσιουργεῖν τὰ σπειρόμενα· οὕτως ἴδιον τοῦ γάμου μὲν ἡ κοινωνία, τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ τὸ νεῦσαι τῇ φύσει, καὶ διαπλάσαι τὸ ζῶον. Τοῦτο ἡ Ἄννα σαφῶς ἐπισταμένη (πολὺν γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ συνοικήσασα χρόνον, καρπὸν οὐκ ἐβλάστησε), πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔδραμε τὸν Δημιουργὸν, καὶ τῇ σπουδαίᾳ προσευχῇ, καὶ τοῖς δάκρυσι, τὴν πεπηρωμένην ἐθεράπευσε μήτραν, καὶ κεκλεισμένην ἀνέωξεν. "Αξιον δὲ αὐτῆς θαυμάσαι καὶ τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν μετριότητα. Παροινουμένη γὰρ ὡς μεθύουσα πράως ἤνεγκε, καὶ τὴν ὑποψίαν ἀποσκευασαμένη τὴν ἐψευσμένην, τὸ πάθος ἐδίδαξε, καὶ τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἔτυχεν εὐλογίας. Ἤκουσε γὰρ, Πορεύου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ δώη σοι πᾶν αἴτημά σου, οὗ ᾐτήσω παρ' αὐτοῦ.» Οὕτω δὲ πιστῶς τῆς εὐλογίας ἐπήκουσεν, ὡς πᾶσαν ἀποῤῥίψαι ἀχθηδόνα, καὶ μετὰ θάρσους ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ παραυτίκα συνελθεῖν, καὶ κυῆσαι. Καὶ τεκοῦσα δὲ πεπλήρωκε τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. Ἐφύλαξε γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν κόμην, καὶ τὴν ὑδροποσίαν ἐδίδαξεν. Οὗτος γὰρ τῶν Ναζιραίων ὁ νόμος. Εὐθὺς δὲ μετὰ τὴν θηλὴν αὐτὸν προσενήνοχε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ μόσχον ὁμόχρονον, τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ σφαγὴν καὶ ἱερουργίαν δεξάμενον. ᾿Αντέλαβε δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παῖδας ἑτέρους· τρεῖς μὲν υἱοὺς, θυγατέρας δύο. Φιλότιμος γὰρ καὶ μεγαλόδωρος ὁ Κύριος περὶ τοὺς μεμνημένους τῶν προτέρων χαρίτων. ᾿Αξιάγαστος δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ ὑμνῳδία. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐφ᾽ οἷς ἔλαβεν ἀνύμνησε τὸν δοτῆρα, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητείᾳ τὸν ὕμνον ἐκέρασε, καὶ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς μετέλαχε χάριτος. Κυήσασα γὰρ προφήτην, προφητεύει μετὰ τὸν τόκον. Τὸ γὰρ, Κύριος ἀσθενῆ ποιήσει τὸν ἀντίδικον αὐτοῦ, προδηλοῖ τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου κατάλυσιν· καὶ τὸ, Κύριος ἀνέβη εἰς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ ἐβρόντησε,, τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνάληψιν προθεσπίζει, καὶ τὴν τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἐπιφοίτησιν, καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν κηρυγμάτων τὸ μεγαλόφωνον. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν δευτέραν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ Δεσπότου προαγορεύει Χριστοῦ· Αὐτὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, κρινεῖ ἄκρα γῆς δίκαιος ὧν Προλέγει δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα γεγενημένους προγόνους, οἱ ἀπὸ Δαβὶδ μέχρι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας διήρκεσαν. Δώσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἰσχὺν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἡμῶν. Καὶ διδάσκουσα τὴν αἰτίαν, δι᾽ ἣν ἐκεῖνοι τῆς θείας ἀπήλαυσαν προμηθείας, ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ ὑψώσει κέρας Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ἐδίδαξε μὴ πλούτῳ θαῤῥεῖν, μὴ σοφίᾳ, μὴ δυναστείᾳ, ἀλλὰ μόνῳ τῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ ζωὴν χορηγεῖν, καὶ θάνατον ἐπάγειν, καὶ τὴν εὐπραξίαν μεταβάλλειν εἰς δυσπραγίαν, καὶ τὴν εὐκληρίαν εἰς δυσκληρίαν. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ, Στείρα ἔτεκεν ἑπτὰ, τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προκηρύττει πολυγονίαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἑπτὰ ἀριθμὸς τοῦ πλήθους δηλωτικός. Ἐν ἑπτὰ γὰρ ἡμέραις ἅπας χρόνος ἀνακυκλεῖται, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας οἱ παῖδες τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπλήρωσαν. Ἡ δὲ πολλή ἐν τέκνοις ἠσθένησε. Πολύπαις γὰρ οὖσα ἡ Ἰουδαία, καὶ πολλοὺς προφήτας καὶ δικαίους γεγεννηκυῖα, νῦν ἀκαρπίαν νοσεῖ.
Ti esti to, ( ᾿Apekleise Kyrios ta peri tēn mētran autēs? Didaskei tous entynchanontas houtos ho logos, mē tǭ gamǭ tharrhein, alla ton poiētēn eis epikourian kalein. "Ōsper gar idion men tou geōrgou to kataballein ta spermata, tou de Theou to telesiourgein ta speiromena; houtōs idion tou gamou men hē koinōnia, tou de Theou to neusai tę̄ physei, kai diaplasai to zōon. Touto hē Anna saphōs epistamenē (polyn gar tǭ andri synoikēsasa chronon, karpon ouk eblastēse), pros auton edrame ton Dēmiourgon, kai tę̄ spoudaią proseuchę̄, kai tois dakrysi, tēn pepērōmenēn etherapeuse mētran, kai kekleismenēn aneōxen. "Axion de autēs thaumasai kai tēn tōn ēthōn metriotēta. Paroinoumenē gar hōs methyousa praōs ēnenke, kai tēn hypopsian aposkeuasamenē tēn epseusmenēn, to pathos edidaxe, kai tēs archieratikēs etychen eulogias. Ēkouse gar, Poreuou en eirēnę̄, Kyrios ho Theos Israēl dōē soi pan aitēma sou, hou ę̄tēsō par' autou.» Houtō de pistōs tēs eulogias epēkousen, hōs pasan aporrhipsai achthēdona, kai meta tharsous epanelthein pros ton andra, kai parautika synelthein, kai kyēsai. Kai tekousa de peplērōke tēn hyposchesin. Ephylaxe gar autou tēn komēn, kai tēn hydroposian edidaxen. Houtos gar tōn Naziraiōn ho nomos. Euthys de meta tēn thēlēn auton prosenēnoche tǭ Theǭ, kai syn autǭ moschon homochronon, tēn hyper autou sphagēn kai hierourgian dexamenon. ᾿Antelabe de para tou Theou paidas heterous; treis men huious, thygateras dyo. Philotimos gar kai megalodōros ho Kyrios peri tous memnēmenous tōn proterōn charitōn. ᾿Axiagastos de autēs kai hē hymnǭdia. Ou gar monon eph᾽ hois elaben anymnēse ton dotēra, alla kai prophēteią ton hymnon ekerase, kai tēs tou paidos metelache charitos. Kyēsasa gar prophētēn, prophēteuei meta ton tokon. To gar, Kyrios asthenē poiēsei ton antidikon autou, prodēloi tēn tou diabolou katalysin; kai to, Kyrios anebē eis ouranous, kai ebrontēse,, tēn tou Sōtēros hēmōn analēpsin prothespizei, kai tēn tou panagiou Pneumatos epiphoitēsin, kai tōn apostolikōn kērygmatōn to megalophōnon. Kai mentoi kai tēn deuteran epiphaneian tou Despotou proagoreuei Christou; Autos gar, phēsi, krinei akra gēs dikaios hōn Prolegei de autou kai tous kata sarka gegenēmenous progonous, hoi apo Dabid mechri tēs aichmalōsias diērkesan. Dōsei gar, phēsin, ischyn tois basileusin hēmōn. Kai didaskousa tēn aitian, di᾽ hēn ekeinoi tēs theias apēlausan promētheias, epēgage; Kai hypsōsei keras Christou autou. Pros de toutois, edidaxe mē ploutǭ tharrhein, mē sophią, mē dynasteią, alla monǭ tǭ dynamenǭ kai zōēn chorēgein, kai thanaton epagein, kai tēn eupraxian metaballein eis dyspragian, kai tēn euklērian eis dysklērian. Kai mentoi kai to, Steira eteken hepta, tēn tēs Ekklēsias prokēryttei polygonian. Ho gar hepta arithmos tou plēthous dēlōtikos. En hepta gar hēmerais hapas chronos anakykleitai, kai tēs Ekklēsias hoi paides tēn oikoumenēn eplērōsan. Hē de pollē en teknois ēsthenēse. Polypais gar ousa hē Ioudaia, kai pollous prophētas kai dikaious gegennēkuia, nyn akarpian nosei.
What is the meaning of “The Lord had shut up her womb”? This saying teaches its readers not to trust in marriage, but to call the Maker to their help. For as it belongs to the farmer to sow the seed, but to God to bring what is sown to maturity, so the union belongs to marriage, but to God belongs the assent to nature and the shaping of the living creature. Hannah knew this clearly: though she had lived with her husband a long time, she had borne no fruit; so she ran to the Creator himself, and by earnest prayer and by tears she healed the barren womb and opened what had been shut. Her gentleness of character also deserves admiration. When she was insulted as though drunk, she bore it mildly; she removed the false suspicion, explained her grief, and obtained the high priest's blessing. For she heard, “Go in peace; the Lord God of Israel grant you every request you have asked of him.” And she received the blessing with such faith that she threw off all her sorrow, went back confidently to her husband, at once came together with him, and conceived. And when she had given birth, she fulfilled her promise. She kept his hair uncut and taught him to drink water, for that is the law of the Nazirites. As soon as he was weaned she brought him to God, and with him a calf of the same age, which received the slaughter and sacrifice on his behalf. In return she received other children from God, three sons and two daughters; for the Lord is generous and lavish toward those who remember earlier favors. Her hymn too is admirable. For she did not only praise the Giver for what she had received; she also mixed prophecy into the hymn and shared in the grace of her child. Having conceived a prophet, she prophesies after the birth. For “The Lord will make his adversary weak” foretells the overthrow of the devil; and “The Lord went up into the heavens and thundered” foretells the ascension of our Savior, the coming of the all-holy Spirit, and the loud voice of the apostolic preaching. And she also foretells the second appearing of Christ the Master: “He himself,” she says, “will judge the ends of the earth, being righteous.” She also foretells his ancestors according to the flesh, who lasted from David until the captivity: “He will give strength,” she says, “to our kings.” And teaching the reason why they enjoyed God's providence, she added, “and he will exalt the horn of his anointed.” Besides this, she taught people not to trust in wealth, or wisdom, or power, but only in him who can both give life and bring death, and turn prosperity into adversity and good fortune into misfortune. Further, “The barren has borne seven” proclaims beforehand the many children of the church. For the number seven signifies a multitude: all time revolves in seven days, and the children of the church have filled the world. “But she who had many children has grown weak”: for Judea, which had many children and had borne many prophets and righteous men, is now sick with barrenness.
1 Sam 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 1:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 6:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 1:24 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:6 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God, not marriage alone, gives children; Hannah's prayer, meekness and faith are praised, and her song is read as prophecy of Christ and the church.
- Quotations: 1 Sam 1:6; 1:17; 2:10 (LXX, “The Lord went up into the heavens and thundered”); 2:5. The Nazirite law, Num 6:1–5. “Calf of the same age”: Theodoret's reading of 1 Sam 1:24. The reading of “she who had many children” as Judea is Theodoret's own; translated as written. Stray marks and split words are corrected (logged).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR doubled letter and Latin look-alikes; stray bracket; stray footnote mark; stray letters; word split by the OCR): και λεῖν → καλεῖν; ἔτυχεν οἱ εὐλογίας → ἔτυχεν εὐλογίας; τὸν τόκον 6*. → τὸν τόκον. ; ΚKal μέντοι → Καὶ μέντοι; ἑπτὰ ( ἀριθμὸς → ἑπτὰ ἀριθμὸς; ἡμέ ραις → ἡμέραις; Ἰου δαία → Ἰουδαία.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.3 (PG 80 80:531; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.4PG 80 80:533
Ἡλεὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐκ ποίας ἦν πατριᾶς; Ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἰθάμαρ· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν παίδων πονηρίαν, ἅπαν αὐτοῦ τὸ γένος τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἐστερήθη τιμῆς. Ἡλίκας γὰρ ἐτόλμων παρανομίας, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει.
Hēlei ho archiereus ek poias ēn patrias? Ek tēs tou Ithamar; alla dia tēn tōn paidōn ponērian, hapan autou to genos tēs archieratikēs esterēthē timēs. Hēlikas gar etolmōn paranomias, hē historia didaskei.
From which family was Eli the high priest? From that of Ithamar. But because of the wickedness of his sons his whole line was deprived of the high-priestly honor. The history teaches what lawless deeds they dared.
1 Sam 2:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 2:22 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Eli descended from Ithamar, and his line lost the high priesthood because of his sons' wickedness.
- Eli's descent from Ithamar is inferred from 1 Chr 24:3 and 1 Kgs 2:27; his sons' sins, 1 Sam 2:12–17, 22.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.4 (PG 80 80:533; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.5PG 80 80:533
Τί ἐστιν Ἐφούδ, Ὁ Ἀκύλας ἐπένδυμα ἐξαίρετον τοῦτο κέκληκεν. Εἰρήκαμεν δὲ ἤδη, καὶ τὴν Ἔξοδον ἑρμηνεύοντες, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς Κριτὰς, ὡς διὰ τούτου πλεῖστα προεδήλου τῶν ἀγνοουμένων ὁ Δεσπότης Θεός. Ἐλισάβετ δὲ τῆς Ἰωάννου μετέλαβε χάριτος, καὶ ἡ Μαρία τῆς Ἰησοῦ. τ. θείας ἔτυχον χάριτος.
Ti estin Ephoud, Ho Akylas ependyma exaireton touto keklēken. Eirēkamen de ēdē, kai tēn Exodon hermēneuontes, kai mentoi kai tous Kritas, hōs dia toutou pleista proedēlou tōn agnooumenōn ho Despotēs Theos. Elisabet de tēs Iōannou metelabe charitos, kai hē Maria tēs Iēsou. t. theias etychon charitos.
What is the ephod? Aquila called it “a special outer garment.” We have already said, in interpreting Exodus and also Judges, that through it God the Master made known beforehand very many things that were not known. [Elizabeth shared in the grace of John, and Mary in that of Jesus; … they obtained divine grace.]
1 Sam 2:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 1:41 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The ephod, which Aquila calls a special outer garment, was a means by which God revealed hidden things.
- The printed question ends with a comma; the question is present. The bracketed last sentence does not belong to this answer: it is a fragment that appears to continue the remark in question 1.3 that Hannah shared in her child's grace; it is translated here where it is printed, and its last words are incomplete (“…”). Aquila was a second-century Greek translator of the Hebrew Bible; Theodoret refers back to his own Questions on Exodus and Judges.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.5 (PG 80 80:533; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.6PG 80 80:535
Τι δήποτε Λευΐτης ὢν ὁ Σαμουὴλ τῷ ἐφοὐδ ἐκέχρητο; μόνῳ γὰρ ἀφώριστο τῷ ἀρχιερει. Εἰκὸς δὲ τὸν Ἡλεὶ, τὴν θείαν αὐτῷ χάριν ἐπανθοῦσαν ἑωρακότα, καὶ παραδόξως τεχθέντα, καὶ πρὸ ὠδίνων ἐπαγγελθέντα, καὶ ἔνδον τρεφόμενον ἐν τῇ θείᾳ σκηνῇ, ὡς ἁγίῳ καὶ Ναζιραίῳ, καὶ θεαιτήτῳ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐρμηνεύει τοῦ Σαμουήλ τοὔνομα καὶ κομιδῇ νέῳ μεταδοῦναι ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς. [Διοδώρου.] Οἰκονομίας δὲ Θεοῦ ἦν, τὸ τὸν Σαμουὴλ καλούμενον ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ἀπιέναι πρὸς Ἡλεὶ οἰόμενον ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καλεῖσθαι, καὶ ἅπαξ, καὶ δὶς, καὶ τρίτον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤμελλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ τῷ Ἡλεὶ κακὰ προλέγειν διὰ τοῦ Σαμουήλ, ἵνα μὴ νομισθῇ πλάσαι ὁ Σαμουήλ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, ᾠκονόμει ὁ Θεὸς ἐκεῖνον οἰηθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡλεὶ καλεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπιέναι· ἵνα ὅτ᾽ ἂν ὁ μὲν Ἡλεὶ νοήσῃ ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν ὁ καλῶν τὸν Σαμουήλ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ διαγγέλλων, μὴ ὑποπτευθῇ, ὡς πλασάμενος τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν· ἀλλὰ πιστευθῇ, ὅτι ἀληθῶς ὁ Θεὸς ἀποκάλυψιν ἀνήγγειλεν.
Ti dēpote Leuïtēs ōn ho Samouēl tǭ ephoud ekechrēto? monǭ gar aphōristo tǭ archierei. Eikos de ton Hēlei, tēn theian autǭ charin epanthousan heōrakota, kai paradoxōs techthenta, kai pro ōdinōn epangelthenta, kai endon trephomenon en tę̄ theią skēnę̄, hōs hagiǭ kai Naziraiǭ, kai theaitētǭ; touto gar ermēneuei tou Samouēl tounoma kai komidę̄ neǭ metadounai tautēs tēs timēs. [Diodōrou.] Oikonomias de Theou ēn, to ton Samouēl kaloumenon hyp᾿ autou, apienai pros Hēlei oiomenon hyp᾿ autou kaleisthai, kai hapax, kai dis, kai triton. Epeidē gar ēmellen ho Theos to tǭ Hēlei kaka prolegein dia tou Samouēl, hina mē nomisthę̄ plasai ho Samouēl tēn apokalypsin, ǭkonomei ho Theos ekeinon oiēthenta hypo tou Hēlei kaleisthai pros auton apienai; hina hot᾽ an ho men Hēlei noēsę̄ hoti Theos estin ho kalōn ton Samouēl, ekeinos de meta tauta ta hypo tou Theou diangellōn, mē hypopteuthę̄, hōs plasamenos tēn apokalypsin; alla pisteuthę̄, hoti alēthōs ho Theos apokalypsin anēngeilen.
Why did Samuel, though a Levite, wear the ephod? For it was reserved for the high priest alone. Probably Eli, seeing divine grace blossoming in him, and that he had been born wondrously, promised before the birth-pangs, and brought up inside the divine tabernacle as holy, a Nazirite, and “asked of God” (for that is what the name Samuel means), gave him a share in this honor even though he was very young. [Of Diodorus.] It was God's arrangement that Samuel, when called by him, went to Eli thinking he was being called by him, once, twice and a third time. For since God was going to foretell through Samuel the evils that would come on Eli, he arranged that Samuel should go to Eli thinking he was called by him, so that when Eli understood that it was God who was calling Samuel, Samuel, when he afterward announced what God had said, would not be suspected of having invented the revelation, but would be believed that God had truly made the revelation known.
1 Sam 2:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 1:20 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 3:4 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Eli probably let the gifted Nazirite boy share the ephod; a note ascribed to Diodorus explains why Samuel thought Eli had called him.
- The paragraph headed “[Of Diodorus]” is marked in the edition as an extract from Diodorus of Tarsus inserted into Theodoret's text, not Theodoret's own answer. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 3. Samuel's ephod, 1 Sam 2:18; the threefold call, 1 Sam 3:4–8. The meaning “asked of God” follows 1 Sam 1:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; stray mark): Εἰκὸς σὲ τὸν → Εἰκὸς δὲ τὸν; Σσμουὴλ → Σαμουὴλ; καὶ δὲς, καὶ τρίτον → καὶ δὶς, καὶ τρίτον; διαγγέλλων ", μὴ → διαγγέλλων, μὴ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.6 (PG 80 80:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.7PG 80 80:535
Τίνος χάριν ὁ Ἡλεὶ δίκας ὑπὲρ τῶν παίδων ἔτισε, καὶ ταῦτα παραινέσας αὐτοὺς τὰ προσήκοντα; Οὐκ ἠπίων ἐδεῖτο φαρμάκων ἡ τῶν παίδων παρανομία, ἀλλ᾽ αὐστηροτάτων καὶ δριμυτάτων. Ἔδει τοίνυν μετὰ τὴν πρώτην καὶ δευτέραν παραίνεσιν τῇ πονηρίᾳ προσμείναντας ἐξελάσαι τῶν ἱερῶν – περιβόλων. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον αὐτοὶ παρηνόμουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐγίνοντο παρανομίας ἀρχέτυπον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προτετίμηκε τοῦ πεποιηκότος τὴν φύσιν, τῆς θεοσδότου χάριτος ἐγυμνώθη. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου δεδήλωκεν ὁ Θεός· Ἱνατί γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπέβλεψας ἐπὶ τὸ θυμίαμά μου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν θυσίαν μου ἀναιδεῖ ὀφθαλμῷ, καὶ ἐδόξασας τοὺς υἱούς σου ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ, ἐν εὐλογεῖσθαι ἀπαρχὴν πάσης θυσίας Ἰσραὴλ ἔμπροσθέν μου; Διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ Εἶπον, Ὁ οἶκός σου, καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου, διελεύσονται ἐνώπιόν μου ἕως αἰῶνος. Καὶ νῦν οὐχ οὕτω φησὶ Κύριος, μηδαμῶς ἐμοὶ, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ τοὺς δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, καὶ οἱ ἐξουθενοῦντές με ἐξουθενωθήσονται Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ἡ πρόῤῥησις τὸ τούτου γένος τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης γυμνοῦν αἰνίττεται δὲ πάσης τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἱερωσύνης τὸ τὴν παῦλαν. Φησὶ γὰρ, Ὁ οἶκός σου, καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου, διελεύσονται ἐνώπιόν μου ἕως αἰῶνος. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ τῷ Ἰθάμαρ ὑπέσχετο, ἀλλὰ τῷ ᾿Ααρών. Οὐκοῦν κατὰ πάσης αὐτῶν ἀπεφήνατο τῆς φυλῆς. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τὰ ὁρώμενα. Ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ὁ Δεσπότης ἐσταυ - ρώθη Χριστὸς, καθῃρέθη μὲν αὐτῶν ὁ ναὸς, ἔρημα δὲ γεγένηνται τῶν ἁγίων τὰ ῞Αγια, καὶ ἀρχιερωσύνης καὶ προφητείας ἐστέρηνται. Τοῦτο δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσω τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται σου πρεσβύτης ἐν οἴκῳ . Καὶ ἐπιβλέψει κραταίωμα ὃν ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἀγαθύνει τὸν Ἰσραήλ Καὶ οὐκ ἔσται πρεσβύτης πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου. -- Κραταίωμα δὲ ὂν, τοῦ ὄντος λέγει Θεοῦ. Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι, φησὶν, ὁ ὤν. Καὶ Ἱερεμίας, Ὁ ὢν, Δέσποτα Κύριε. Τούτου κραταίωμα κέκληκε τὴν ἱερωσύνην, τὴν κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ. Τοῦτο δὲ σαφέστερον μετ᾿ ὀλίγα δεδήλωκεν. ᾿Αναστήσω γὰρ, ἔφη, ἐμαυτῷ ἱερέα πιστὸν, ὃς πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ μου ποιήσει· καὶ οἰκοδομήσω αὐτῷ οἶκον πιστὸν, καὶ διελεύσεται ἐνώπιον τῶν χριστῶν μου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας. Ταῦτα δὲ ἁρμόττει ἀνθρώπων μὲν οὐδενὶ, μόνῳ δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ὃς ἀρχιερεὺς ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὠνομάσθη. Ἔχοντες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀρχιερέα μέγαν διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν. Καὶ πάλιν· Οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν· πεπειρασμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθ' ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας. Καὶ τὸ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, οὐ προσῆκεν ἀνθρώποις θνητοῖς ὀλίγον βιοτεύουσι χρόνον. Χριστοὺς δὲ αὐτοὺς κέκληκε τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ τοὺς τὴν ἐκείνων διαδεξαμένους διδασκαλίαν. Οὐκοῦν ἡ πρόῤῥησις κυρίως μὲν ἁρμόττει τῷ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ· κατὰ δὲ ἱστορίαν τῷ Σαδοὺκ, ὃς ἐκ τοῦ Ἑλεάζαρ κατάγων τὸ γένος, τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην διὰ τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἐδέξατο
Tinos charin ho Hēlei dikas hyper tōn paidōn etise, kai tauta parainesas autous ta prosēkonta? Ouk ēpiōn edeito pharmakōn hē tōn paidōn paranomia, all᾽ austērotatōn kai drimytatōn. Edei toinyn meta tēn prōtēn kai deuteran parainesin tę̄ ponērią prosmeinantas exelasai tōn hierōn – peribolōn. Ou gar monon autoi parēnomoun, alla kai tois allois eginonto paranomias archetypon. Epeidē de protetimēke tou pepoiēkotos tēn physin, tēs theosdotou charitos egymnōthē. Touto gar autǭ kai dia tou prophētou dedēlōken ho Theos; Hinati gar, phēsin, epeblepsas epi to thymiama mou, kai epi tēn thysian mou anaidei ophthalmǭ, kai edoxasas tous huious sou hyper eme, en eulogeisthai aparchēn pasēs thysias Israēl emprosthen mou? Dia touto tade legei Kyrios ho Theos Israēl Eipon, Ho oikos sou, kai ho oikos tou patros sou, dieleusontai enōpion mou heōs aiōnos. Kai nyn ouch houtō phēsi Kyrios, mēdamōs emoi, all᾿ ē tous doxazontas me doxasō, kai hoi exouthenountes me exouthenōthēsontai Kai dokei men hē prorrhēsis to toutou genos tēs archierōsynēs gymnoun ainittetai de pasēs tēs Ioudaïkēs hierōsynēs to tēn paulan. Phēsi gar, Ho oikos sou, kai ho oikos tou patros sou, dieleusontai enōpion mou heōs aiōnos. Touto de ou tǭ Ithamar hypescheto, alla tǭ ᾿Aarōn. Oukoun kata pasēs autōn apephēnato tēs phylēs. Kai martyrei ta horōmena. Ex hou gar ho Despotēs estau - rōthē Christos, kathę̄rethē men autōn ho naos, erēma de gegenēntai tōn hagiōn ta ῾Agia, kai archierōsynēs kai prophēteias esterēntai. Touto dēloi kai ta epagomena. Idou gar hēmerai erchontai, kai exolothreusō to sperma sou, kai to sperma tou oikou tou patros sou, kai ouk estai sou presbytēs en oikǭ . Kai epiblepsei krataiōma hon en pasin hois agathynei ton Israēl Kai ouk estai presbytēs pasas tas hēmeras en tǭ oikǭ sou. -- Krataiōma de on, tou ontos legei Theou. Egō gar eimi, phēsin, ho ōn. Kai Hieremias, Ho ōn, Despota Kyrie. Toutou krataiōma keklēke tēn hierōsynēn, tēn kata tēn taxin Melchisedek. Touto de saphesteron met᾿ oliga dedēlōken. ᾿Anastēsō gar, ephē, emautǭ hierea piston, hos panta ta en tę̄ kardią mou, kai ta en tę̄ psychę̄ mou poiēsei; kai oikodomēsō autǭ oikon piston, kai dieleusetai enōpion tōn christōn mou pasas tas hēmeras. Tauta de harmottei anthrōpōn men oudeni, monǭ de tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn Iēsou Christǭ, hos archiereus hēmōn kata to anthrōpinon ōnomasthē. Echontes gar, phēsin, archierea megan dielēlythota tous ouranous, Iēsoun ton Kyrion hēmōn. Kai palin; Ou gar echomen archierea mē dynamenon sympathēsai tais astheneiais hēmōn; pepeirasmenon de kata panta kath' homoiotēta chōris hamartias. Kai to pasas tas hēmeras, ou prosēken anthrōpois thnētois oligon bioteuousi chronon. Christous de autous keklēke tous hierous apostolous, kai tous tēn ekeinōn diadexamenous didaskalian. Oukoun hē prorrhēsis kyriōs men harmottei tǭ Sōtēri Christǭ; kata de historian tǭ Sadouk, hos ek tou Heleazar katagōn to genos, tēn archierōsynēn dia tou Solomōntos edexato
Why did Eli pay the penalty for his sons, even though he had given them the proper advice? The lawlessness of his sons needed not gentle remedies but very harsh and sharp ones. After the first and second warning, then, he ought to have driven them out of the sacred precincts when they persisted in their wickedness; for they not only broke the law themselves but became a model of lawlessness to others. But because he honored nature above its Maker, he was stripped of the grace God had given. God made this plain to him through the prophet: “Why,” he says, “did you look on my incense and on my sacrifice with a shameless eye, and honor your sons above me, so that they are blessed with the first portion of every sacrifice of Israel before me? Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: I said, Your house and your father's house shall pass before me forever. But now the Lord says, Not so, far be it from me; but those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be despised.” The prophecy seems to strip only his line of the high priesthood, but it hints at the end of the whole Jewish priesthood. For he says, “Your house and your father's house shall pass before me forever.” He promised this not to Ithamar but to Aaron. So he pronounced sentence against their whole tribe. And what we see bears witness. For since Christ the Master was crucified, their temple has been destroyed, the Holy of Holies has become desolate, and they have been deprived of high priesthood and prophecy. What follows also shows this: “Behold, the days are coming, and I will destroy your seed and the seed of your father's house, and there shall not be an old man of yours in the house. And he will look upon the strength of the One Who Is in all the good he does for Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house all the days.” By “strength of the One Who Is” he means the God who is, for he says, “I am the One Who Is,” and Jeremiah says, “O One Who Is, Master, Lord.” He called the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek the strength of this One. He showed this more plainly a little later: “I will raise up for myself,” he said, “a faithful priest, who will do all that is in my heart and in my soul; and I will build him a faithful house, and he shall walk before my anointed ones all the days.” These words fit no human being, but only our Lord Jesus Christ, who was named our high priest as man. “Since then we have,” he says, “a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus our Lord”; and again, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” And “all the days” does not suit mortal men who live a short time. By “anointed ones” he meant the holy apostles and those who succeeded to their teaching. So the prophecy properly fits Christ the Savior, but historically it fits Zadok, who traced his descent from Eleazar and received the high priesthood through Solomon.
1 Sam 2:29 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:30 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:31 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:32 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 3:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 1:6 (quotation, medium confidence) · Ps 110:4 (109:4 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 2:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 4:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 4:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:35 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Eli was punished for honoring his sons above God; the prophecy against his house points to the end of the Jewish priesthood and to Christ, the faithful priest, and historically to Zadok.
- Quotations: 1 Sam 2:29–30, 31–32, 35 (LXX); Exod 3:14; Jer 1:6 LXX (“O One Who Is, Master, Lord”, rendering the Hebrew interjection); Heb 4:14–15. The application of the prophecy to the Jewish priesthood after the crucifixion is Theodoret's own reading; translated as written. A displaced fragment (a garbled form of the question “Why did Samuel, called by God, go to Eli…?”, see 1.6) printed in the middle of the answer is removed by a logged correction. Zadok, 1 Kgs 2:35.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; displaced and garbled lines (a variant question from elsewhere) printed in the answer; restored the connective; stray letter; stray marks; word split by the OCR with stray letter): Ἴατί γὰρ → Ἱνατί γὰρ; τὴν παῦλαν. Εἱχάριν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ καλούμενος Σαμουὴλ ἀπῄει πρὸς Ἡλὶ, οἰόμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καλεῖσθαι; Ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐξελάσαι λοιπὸν τούτους. σε ἐν πον γὰρ, φησὶν, → τὴν παῦλαν. Φησὶ γὰρ,; χω- ε ρὶς → χωρὶς; Καὶ τὸ ι πάσας → Καὶ τὸ πάσας; Χριστῷ τ8· → Χριστῷ·.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.7 (PG 80 80:535; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-7) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.8PG 80 80:537
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, ῾Ο λύχνος τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὶν ἢ κατασκευασθῆναι ; Αἰνίττεται ὁ λόγος, ὡς εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν ἑσπέραν, ἀρξαμένων τῶν ἀνθρώπων καθεύδειν, ἐπεφάνη τῷ Σαμουήλ ὁ Δεσπότης Θεός. Ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ γὰρ τὸν ἱερὸν λύχνον ἅπτειν εἰώθασι· περὶ μέσας δὲ τὰς νύκτας ἐπέβαλλον ἔλαιον. Τὸν καιρὸν τοίνυν ὁ συγγραφεὺς δηλῶσαι θελήσας, ἔφη μηδέπω κατασκευασθῆναι τὸν λύχνον.
Pōs noēteon to, ῾O lychnos tou Theou prin ē kataskeuasthēnai ? Ainittetai ho logos, hōs euthys meta tēn hesperan, arxamenōn tōn anthrōpōn katheudein, epephanē tǭ Samouēl ho Despotēs Theos. En hesperą gar ton hieron lychnon haptein eiōthasi; peri mesas de tas nyktas epeballon elaion. Ton kairon toinyn ho syngrapheus dēlōsai thelēsas, ephē mēdepō kataskeuasthēnai ton lychnon.
How should “before the lamp of God was trimmed” be understood? The saying hints that immediately after evening, when people had begun to go to sleep, God the Master appeared to Samuel. For they used to light the sacred lamp in the evening, and around midnight they added oil. Wishing, then, to show the time, the writer said that the lamp had not yet been trimmed.
1 Sam 3:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 27:21 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The note on the lamp dates Samuel's vision to the early night, before the lamp was refilled.
- 1 Sam 3:3 (LXX). Several displaced lines from the surrounding columns (fragments of 1.7) had been printed inside the sentence about the sacred lamp; they are removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced lines from neighbouring text split the word ἱερὸν): τὸν ἱεοὐ προφητεία, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἔρημοι. Τοῦτο δὲ δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ ἑπόμενα. ἀποστόλους καλεῖ. το Χριστῷ μὲν οὖν κυρίως προσῆκεν ἡ πρόῤῥησις. δι ἀρξ. αὐτῶν καθεύδειν. ρὸν λύχνον → τὸν ἱερὸν λύχνον.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.8 (PG 80 80:537; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-8) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.9PG 80 80:539
Τί δήποτε κομιδῇ νέῳ ὄντι τῷ Σαμουὴλ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ὤφθη Θεός; Εἰς ἔλεγχον τοῦ γεγηρακότος ἀρχιερέως τὸ μειράκιον ἠξιώθη τῆς θείας ἐπιφανείας. Οὕτω γὰρ ἦν ἄγαν νέος, ὡς τὴν περὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ διδασκαλίαν μηδέπω δύνασθαι δέξασθαι. Αὐτίκα γοῦν ὁ Ἡλεὶ μετὰ τὴν τρίτην κλῆσιν συνεὶς ὡς ὁ Θεός ἐστιν ὁ καλῶν, ἔφη δέ Ἐὰν καλέσῃ σε δ καλῶν, ἐρεῖς, Λάλει Κύριέ μου, ὅτι ἀκούει δι δοῦλός σου. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ὅμως καὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ἡλικίαν τῆς πολιᾶς προτετίμηκεν ὁ Θεός καὶ τὸν ὀκτὼ καὶ ἐνενήκοντα ἔτη βεβιωκότα, καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη ἀρχῆς ἀξιωθέντα διπλῆς (καὶ κριτὴς γὰρ ἦν, καὶ ἀρχιερεὺς) καταλιπὼν, τῷ σμικροτάτῳ διειλέχθη παιδίῳ διδάσκων ὅσῳ πολιᾶς ἀμείνων νεότης ἀρετῇ κοσμουμένη. Ὁ μέντοι Ἡλεὶ δῆλός ἐστιν οἰκείοις μὲν κοσμούμενος κατορθώμασι διὰ δὲ τὴν τῶν παίδων πονηρίαν τῆς πανωλεθρίας τὴν ψῆφον δεξάμενος. Δηλοῖ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὰ ῥήματα. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἠσχύνθη παρακαλέσαι τὸν νέον μηνῦσαι τὰ θεόθεν ἀπαγγελθέντα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅρκοις αὐτὸν κατέδησε καὶ ἀραῖς, ὥστε μηδὲν ἀποκρύψαι τῶν δηλωθέντων. Εἶτα τὴν ἐξενεχθεῖσαν ψῆφον μαθὼν, τὴν ἀξιέπαινον ἀφῆκε φωνήν· Κύριός ἐστι, τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιήσει.» Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν υἱῶν τὴν σφαγὴν ἐγνωκὼς, οὐκ ἀγεννῶς ἤνεγκεν ὁ πατὴρ καὶ πρεσβύτης· τὴν δέ γε κιβωτὸν δορυάλωτον γεγενῆσθαι μαθὼν, κατέπεσε μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ δίφρου, τῇ δὲ τῆς ἀθυμίας ὑπερβολῇ τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος ἐδέξατο.
Ti dēpote komidę̄ neǭ onti tǭ Samouēl ho tōn holōn ōphthē Theos? Eis elenchon tou gegērakotos archiereōs to meirakion ēxiōthē tēs theias epiphaneias. Houtō gar ēn agan neos, hōs tēn peri de tou Theou didaskalian mēdepō dynasthai dexasthai. Autika goun ho Hēlei meta tēn tritēn klēsin syneis hōs ho Theos estin ho kalōn, ephē de Ean kalesę̄ se d kalōn, ereis, Lalei Kyrie mou, hoti akouei di doulos sou. ᾿All᾿ homōs kai tēn toiautēn hēlikian tēs polias protetimēken ho Theos kai ton oktō kai enenēkonta etē bebiōkota, kai tessarakonta etē archēs axiōthenta diplēs (kai kritēs gar ēn, kai archiereus) katalipōn, tǭ smikrotatǭ dieilechthē paidiǭ didaskōn hosǭ polias ameinōn neotēs aretę̄ kosmoumenē. Ho mentoi Hēlei dēlos estin oikeiois men kosmoumenos katorthōmasi dia de tēn tōn paidōn ponērian tēs panōlethrias tēn psēphon dexamenos. Dēloi de autou tēn eusebeian kai ta rhēmata. Prōton men gar ouk ēschynthē parakalesai ton neon mēnysai ta theothen apangelthenta; alla kai horkois auton katedēse kai arais, hōste mēden apokrypsai tōn dēlōthentōn. Eita tēn exenechtheisan psēphon mathōn, tēn axiepainon aphēke phōnēn; Kyrios esti, to areston enōpion autou poiēsei.» Kai mentoi kai tōn huiōn tēn sphagēn egnōkōs, ouk agennōs ēnenken ho patēr kai presbytēs; tēn de ge kibōton doryalōton gegenēsthai mathōn, katepese men apo tou diphrou, tę̄ de tēs athymias hyperbolę̄ tou biou to telos edexato.
Why did the God of the universe appear to Samuel when he was very young? The youth was granted the divine appearance to rebuke the aged high priest. He was so very young that he could not yet receive teaching about God. Eli, for example, after the third call understood at once that it was God who was calling, and said, “If the one who calls calls you, you shall say, Speak, my Lord, for your servant is listening.” Yet God preferred even such an age to gray hair: passing over the man who had lived ninety-eight years and had been granted a double office for forty years (for he was both judge and high priest), he spoke with a very small child, teaching how much better than gray hair is youth adorned with virtue. Eli, however, is evidently adorned with good deeds of his own, but received the sentence of utter destruction because of his sons' wickedness. His words also show his piety. First, he was not ashamed to ask the boy to tell him what had been announced from God; he even bound him with oaths and curses to hide nothing of what had been revealed. Then, learning the sentence that had been pronounced, he uttered that praiseworthy word: “It is the Lord; he will do what is pleasing in his sight.” And when he learned of his sons' slaughter, the old father bore it with courage; but when he learned that the ark had been captured, he fell from his seat, and from the excess of his grief came to the end of his life.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Sam 3:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 3:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 3:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 4:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 4:18 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God appeared to the boy Samuel to rebuke the aged Eli, who nonetheless showed piety in accepting God's sentence.
- Quotations: 1 Sam 3:9; 3:18. Eli's age and judgeship, 1 Sam 4:15, 18; his death, 4:17–18. A variant line from the margin (“he supposed that it was God who was calling”, with “it is superfluous to say”) had been printed in the text and is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (marginal variant printed in the text): ὁ καλῶν, περιττὸν μὲν εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὑπέλαβεν ὡς ὁ Θεός ἐστιν ὁ καλῶν· ἔφη → ὁ καλῶν, ἔφη.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.9 (PG 80 80:539; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-9
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.10PG 80 80:539
Τι δήποτε συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς δορυάλωτον γενέσθαι τὴν κιβωτόν; Διπλῆν τὸ γεγονὸς ὠφέλειαν ἐβλάστησε. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ Ἑβραίους ἐδίδαξεν, ἐννόμως μὲν βιοῦντας τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προμηθείᾳ θαῤῥεῖν παρανομοῦντας δὲ μήτ᾿ αὐτῷ, μήτε τῇ ἀψαύστῳ κιβωτῷ πεποιθέναι τί δήποτε γὰρ εἰς ἐπικουρίαν ἔλαβον παρανομούντες τὴν τὸν νόμον ἔνδον ἔχουσαν ἀποκείμενον; Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν ταύτην ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐδέχοντο. Οἱ δέ γε ἀλλόφυλοι, δείσαντες μὲν ἡνίκα φανείσης τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἠλάλαξαν οἱ Ἑβραῖοι καταφρονήσαντες δὲ μετὰ τὴν νίκην, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀκρο-θίνιον ταύτην τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀνατεθεικότες εἰδώλοις, ἔμαθον τῇ πείρᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ εἶδον πρὸ τῆς κιβωτοῦ πεπτωκότα τὸν οἰκεῖον θεὸν, καὶ τῆς προσκυνήσεως ἐπιδεικνύντα τὸ σχῆμα. Εἶτα τοῦτον ἀναστήσαντες εὗρον τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ συντετριμμένον, καὶ τῶν ἄκρων πάντων ἑστερημένον. Ἔπειτα τὸ διάφορον γνῶναι μὴ βουληθέντες, καὶ τῇ κιβωτῷ τὸ προσῆκον μὴ ἀπονείμαντες σέβας, ποικίλοις νοσήμασι περιέπεσον. Ὡς μὲν γὰρ οἱ Έβδομήκοντα ἡρμήνευσαν, Εἰς τὰς ἕδρας ἐπλήγησαν, ὡς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ακύλας, τὸ τῆς φαγεδαίνης ἐσχήκασιν ἕλκος. Ὁ δέ γε Ἰώσηπος τὸ τῆς δυσεντερίας αὐτοῖς· ἐγγενέσθαι πάθος ἐδίδαξεν ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς διαφωνίαν νομιζέτω τὰς διαφόρους ἐκδόσεις. Τὴν γὰρ δυσεντερίαν τὸ τῆς ἕδρας διεδέξατο πάθος. Το γὰρ συχνὸν τῆς ἐκκρίσεως τὸ τῆς ἐκκρίσεως κατέκαυσε μόριον· εἰς φαγέδαιναν δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ τὸ ἕλκος μετέπεσε *. Τὸ δὲ τῆς ἕδρας ὑπέμειναν πάθος, ὡς δυσσεβῶς τὴν κιβωτὸν τὴν θείαν ἐδράσαντες παρὰ τὸν θεὸν τὸν ψευδώνυμον. Ταύτην οἱ ᾿Αζώτιοι πρῶτοι τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐδέξαντο. Τοπάσαντες γὰροἱ Γετθαῖοι μὴ θεήλατον εἶναι τὴν πληγήν, ἀλλὰ νό σον ἐκ λοιμικῆς τινος καταστάσεως γενομένην, μετέθεσαν εἰς τὴν Γὲθ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κιβωτόν· ἀλλὰ παραυτίκα ταῖς αὐταῖς ὑπεβλήθησαν συμφοραῖς. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ Γετθαῖοι ἕδρας χρυσᾶς, οἱ λοιποὶ οὕτως ἡρμήνευσαν, Καὶ περιελύθησαν αὐτῶν αἱ ἔδραι Τῶν δὲ Γετθαίων εἰς Ασκάλωνα μεταθεῖναι τὴν κιβωτὸν πειραθέντων, ἀντεῖπον ἐκεῖνοι, δείσαντες τὰς θεηλάτους πληγάς. Εἶτα μηδεμιᾶς πόλεως δέξασθαι τολμώσης τὴν κιβωτὸν, ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ ταύτην ἔξω κατέλιπον τόπῳ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἐδίδαξεν τ· Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων μῆνας ἑπτά. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ψήθησαν ἔξω μενούσης τῆς κιβωτοῦ τῶν θεηλάτων ἀπηλλάχθαι πληγῶν, ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Δεσπότης, καὶ τοῖς ἀψύχοις τὰς τιμωρίας Μυῶν ὁ γάρ τι πλῆθος καὶ ταῖς ἀμπέλοις, καὶ τοῖς ληΐοις ἐπέπεμψεν, οἱ πάντας αὐτῶν ἐλυμήναντο τοὺς καρπούς. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὡς αὐτὸς καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τὰς διαφόρους ἐπενήνοχε πληγάς. Ὅτι γὰρ ἔναυλον εἶχον ἐκείνων τὴν μνήμην, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρημένα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τὴν κιβωτὸν θεασάμενοι, δέους ἐπλήσθησαν, καὶ θρηνοῦντες ἐβόων Οὐαὶ ἡμῖν, τίς ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ στερεοῦ τούτου ; Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ πατάξας τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐν πάσῃ πληγῇ. Καὶ μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν δὲ τῶν κακῶν, οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ χρησμῳδοί πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγον, μετὰ δώρων ἐκπέμψαι τὴν κιβωτὸν, "Ὅπως κουφίσῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ὑμῶν· καὶ ἵνα τί βαρύνετε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἑβάρυνεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ Φαραὼ τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν; Οὐχὶ ὅτε ἐνέπαιξεν αὐτοῖς, ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπῆλθον; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα συμβεβουλευ κότες οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ δείξαντες τῶν οἰκείων θεῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν (πρῶτον γὰρ αὐτοὺς συνέτριψεν ὁ Θεὸς, εἶτα τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας ἐπαίδευσε καὶ τότε τοὺς μῦς κατὰ τῶν τῆς γῆς βλαστημάτων ἐξέπεμψε), πείρα μαθεῖν ἡβουλήθησαν, εἴτε θεήλατος ἡ πληγή. εἴτε κατά τι συμβεβηκός γενομένη. Καινὴν γάρ κατασκευάσαντες ἅμαξαν, καὶ βοῦς ἀρτιτόκους ὑποζεύ( ξαντες τῶν μόσχων κεχωρισμένας, ἐπέθεσαν τὴν κι6ωτὸν, καὶ τῶν πέντε πόλεων ἰσαρίθμους μὺς τε καὶ ἕδρας ἐκ χρυσοῦ κατεσκευασμένας, δῶρα τῷ πεπαιδευκότι Θεῷ. Ἐνέθεσαν δὲ ταῦτα σκεύει τινὶ, ὁ οἱ μὲν Ἑβδομήκοντα προσηγόρευσαν βοεργὰζ Ἰώσηπος δὲ γλωσσόκομον. Ἐν τριόδῳ δὲ ἡνιόχου δίχα τὰς βοῦς ἀπολύσαντες, ἀνέμενον ἰδεῖν, εἴτε πρὸς τὸν τῶν μόσχων μυκηθμὸν ἀποστρέφονται, εἴτε πρὸς ἄλλην ὁδὸν ἀποκλίνουσι, τὴν πρὸς Ἑβραίους φέρουσαν καταλιποῦσαι· ἵνα εἰ μὲν τούτων δυοῖν θάτερον γένοιτο, ὡς ἀσθενοῦς καταγνῶσι τῆς κιβωτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τὰς ἄλλας ὁδοὺς αἱ βόες καταλιποῦσαι, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων καταφρονήσασαι μόσχων, πρὸς τὴν Ἰσραηλῖτιν ἀπίωσι γῆν, γνῶσιν ἀληθῶς θεηλάτους εἶναι καὶ τὰς γεγενημένας πληγάς. Οὗ δὴ χάριν, καὶ πόῤῥωθεν εἴποντο, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστησαν, ἕως τῶν Ἑβραίων οἱ ἀγχιτέρμονες τὸ ξένον θεασάμενοι πρᾶγμα, ἅμαξαν ὑπ᾿ οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων ἰθυνομένην, φορτίον δὲ καὶ ἡνίοχον τὴν κιβωτὸν ἔχουσαν, προσέδραμον ἄσμενοι, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν νίκην ἐθαύμασαν.
Ti dēpote synechōrēsen ho Theos doryalōton genesthai tēn kibōton? Diplēn to gegonos ōpheleian eblastēse. Tous men gar Hebraious edidaxen, ennomōs men biountas tę̄ tou Theou promētheią tharrhein paranomountas de mēt᾿ autǭ, mēte tę̄ apsaustǭ kibōtǭ pepoithenai ti dēpote gar eis epikourian elabon paranomountes tēn ton nomon endon echousan apokeimenon? Houtoi men oun tautēn enteuthen tēn ōpheleian edechonto. Hoi de ge allophyloi, deisantes men hēnika phaneisēs tēs kibōtou ēlalaxan hoi Hebraioi kataphronēsantes de meta tēn nikēn, kai hoionei akro-thinion tautēn tois oikeiois anatetheikotes eidōlois, emathon tę̄ peirą tou Theou tēn ischyn. Prōton men gar eidon pro tēs kibōtou peptōkota ton oikeion theon, kai tēs proskynēseōs epideiknynta to schēma. Eita touton anastēsantes heuron tę̄ hysteraią syntetrimmenon, kai tōn akrōn pantōn hesterēmenon. Epeita to diaphoron gnōnai mē boulēthentes, kai tę̄ kibōtǭ to prosēkon mē aponeimantes sebas, poikilois nosēmasi periepeson. Hōs men gar hoi Ebdomēkonta hērmēneusan, Eis tas hedras eplēgēsan, hōs de ho ᾿Akylas, to tēs phagedainēs eschēkasin helkos. Ho de ge Iōsēpos to tēs dysenterias autois; engenesthai pathos edidaxen alla mēdeis diaphōnian nomizetō tas diaphorous ekdoseis. Tēn gar dysenterian to tēs hedras diedexato pathos. To gar sychnon tēs ekkriseōs to tēs ekkriseōs katekause morion; eis phagedainan de tǭ chronǭ to helkos metepese *. To de tēs hedras hypemeinan pathos, hōs dyssebōs tēn kibōton tēn theian edrasantes para ton theon ton pseudōnymon. Tautēn hoi ᾿Azōtioi prōtoi tēn timōrian edexanto. Topasantes garoi Getthaioi mē theēlaton einai tēn plēgēn, alla no son ek loimikēs tinos katastaseōs genomenēn, metethesan eis tēn Geth tēn tou Theou kibōton; alla parautika tais autais hypeblēthēsan symphorais. To de, Epoiēsan heautois hoi Getthaioi hedras chrysas, hoi loipoi houtōs hērmēneusan, Kai perielythēsan autōn hai edrai Tōn de Getthaiōn eis Askalōna metatheinai tēn kibōton peirathentōn, anteipon ekeinoi, deisantes tas theēlatous plēgas. Eita mēdemias poleōs dexasthai tolmōsēs tēn kibōton, en hypaithrǭ tautēn exō katelipon topǭ. Touto gar ho historiographos edidaxen t; Egeneto gar, phēsin, hē kibōtos tou Theou en tǭ pediǭ tōn allophylōn mēnas hepta. Epeidē de psēthēsan exō menousēs tēs kibōtou tōn theēlatōn apēllachthai plēgōn, epēgagen ho Theos kai Despotēs, kai tois apsychois tas timōrias Myōn ho gar ti plēthos kai tais ampelois, kai tois lēïois epepempsen, hoi pantas autōn elymēnanto tous karpous. Edidaxe de dia toutōn, hōs autos kai tois Aigyptiois tas diaphorous epenēnoche plēgas. Hoti gar enaulon eichon ekeinōn tēn mnēmēn, martyrei ta par᾿ autōn eirēmena. Kai gar en tǭ polemǭ tēn kibōton theasamenoi, deous eplēsthēsan, kai thrēnountes eboōn Ouai hēmin, tis exelētai hēmas ek cheiros tou Theou tou stereou toutou ? Houtos ho Theos ho pataxas tēn Aigypton en pasę̄ plēgę̄. Kai meta tēn peiran de tōn kakōn, hoi hiereis autōn kai hoi chrēsmǭdoi pros autous elegon, meta dōrōn ekpempsai tēn kibōton, "Hopōs kouphisę̄ Kyrios ho Theos Israēl tēn cheira autou aph᾽ hymōn, kai apo tōn theōn hymōn, kai apo tēs gēs hymōn; kai hina ti barynete tas kardias hymōn, hōs hebarynen Aigyptos kai Pharaō tas kardias autōn? Ouchi hote enepaixen autois, exapesteile ton laon autou, kai apēlthon? Alla tauta symbebouleu kotes hoi asebeis, kai deixantes tōn oikeiōn theōn tēn astheneian (prōton gar autous synetripsen ho Theos, eita tous proskynountas epaideuse kai tote tous mys kata tōn tēs gēs blastēmatōn exepempse), peira mathein hēboulēthēsan, eite theēlatos hē plēgē. eite kata ti symbebēkos genomenē. Kainēn gar kataskeuasantes hamaxan, kai bous artitokous hypozeu( xantes tōn moschōn kechōrismenas, epethesan tēn ki6ōton, kai tōn pente poleōn isarithmous mys te kai hedras ek chrysou kateskeuasmenas, dōra tǭ pepaideukoti Theǭ. Enethesan de tauta skeuei tini, ho hoi men Hebdomēkonta prosēgoreusan boergaz Iōsēpos de glōssokomon. En triodǭ de hēniochou dicha tas bous apolysantes, anemenon idein, eite pros ton tōn moschōn mykēthmon apostrephontai, eite pros allēn hodon apoklinousi, tēn pros Hebraious pherousan katalipousai; hina ei men toutōn dyoin thateron genoito, hōs asthenous katagnōsi tēs kibōtou. Ei de tas allas hodous hai boes katalipousai, kai tōn oikeiōn kataphronēsasai moschōn, pros tēn Israēlitin apiōsi gēn, gnōsin alēthōs theēlatous einai kai tas gegenēmenas plēgas. Hou dē charin, kai porrhōthen eiponto, kai ou proteron apestēsan, heōs tōn Hebraiōn hoi anchitermones to xenon theasamenoi pragma, hamaxan hyp᾿ oudenos anthrōpōn ithynomenēn, phortion de kai hēniochon tēn kibōton echousan, prosedramon asmenoi, kai tou Theou tēn nikēn ethaumasan.
Why did God allow the ark to be captured? The event produced a double benefit. It taught the Hebrews to trust in God's providence when they lived by the law, but when they broke the law to rely neither on him nor on the untouchable ark. For why did they, while breaking the law, take as their help the ark that had the law laid up inside it? These, then, received this benefit from it. The foreigners, for their part, were afraid when the Hebrews shouted at the appearance of the ark, but after their victory they grew contemptuous and dedicated it to their own idols as a kind of trophy; and then they learned God's power by experience. First, they saw their own god fallen before the ark and displaying the posture of worship. Then, after they set it up, they found it the next day shattered and stripped of all its extremities. Then, refusing to recognize the difference and not paying the ark the reverence due to it, they fell into various diseases. As the Seventy translated, “They were struck in the seat”; as Aquila says, they had an ulcer of a spreading sore. Josephus taught that dysentery befell them. But let no one think the different versions disagree. The affliction of the seat followed the dysentery: the frequency of the discharge inflamed the part from which it is discharged, and in time the sore turned into a spreading ulcer. They suffered the affliction of the seat because they impiously seated the divine ark beside the falsely named god. The people of Azotus were the first to receive this punishment. The people of Gath, guessing that the blow was not sent by God but was a disease arising from some pestilential condition, moved the ark of God to Gath; but at once they were subjected to the same calamities. “The people of Gath made themselves golden seats” the others translated thus: “and their seats broke out.” When the people of Gath tried to move the ark to Ashkelon, the latter refused, fearing the blows sent by God. Then, since no city dared receive the ark, they left it outside in an open place. The historian taught this: “The ark of God,” he says, “was in the plain of the foreigners seven months.” And when they supposed that, with the ark remaining outside, they had been freed from the God-sent blows, God the Master brought punishment on lifeless things too: he sent a multitude of mice on both the vines and the crops, which ruined all their fruits. Through these he taught that he himself had brought the various plagues on the Egyptians too. That they kept the memory of those events ringing in their ears is shown by what they said. For when they saw the ark in the battle they were filled with fear and cried out lamenting, “Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of this mighty God? This is the God who struck Egypt with every plague.” And after experiencing these evils their priests and soothsayers told them to send away the ark with gifts, “so that the Lord God of Israel may lighten his hand from you and from your gods and from your land. And why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Was it not when he made sport of them that he sent his people away, and they departed?” But after giving this advice, and after their own gods had shown their weakness (for God first shattered them, then disciplined their worshipers, and then sent out the mice against the produce of the land), the impious wanted to learn by experiment whether the blow was sent by God or had come about by some accident. They built a new cart, yoked to it cows that had just calved, separated from their calves, and put on it the ark, and golden mice and seats, equal in number to the five cities, as gifts to the God who had disciplined them. They placed these in a vessel, which the Seventy called a bergaz and Josephus a chest. Then, releasing the cows at a crossroads without a driver, they waited to see whether they would turn back toward the lowing of their calves, or turn off onto another road, leaving the one leading to the Hebrews; so that if either of these two things happened they might judge the ark powerless; but if the cows, leaving the other roads and disregarding their own calves, went off to the land of Israel, they would know that the blows that had come were truly sent by God. That is why they followed far behind and did not leave until the Hebrews on the border, seeing the strange sight of a cart steered by no human being, with the ark as its load and driver, ran to it gladly and marveled at God's victory.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Sam 4:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 4:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 5:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 5:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 5:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 5:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 5:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The capture of the ark taught Israel not to rely on it while breaking the law, and taught the Philistines God's power through plagues and the test of the cows.
- The account follows 1 Sam 4–6 (LXX). Quotations: 5:6 (LXX “struck in the seat”), 5:9, 6:1, 4:8, 6:5–6. “Foreigners” renders ἀλλόφυλοι, the Septuagint's name for the Philistines. Aquila's rendering refers to a spreading ulcer; Josephus, Ant. 6.1.1, speaks of dysentery and calls the vessel a chest. Bergaz is the Septuagint's transliteration (ἐργάβ/βεργάζ) of an obscure Hebrew word in 1 Sam 6:8. Several marginal and displaced lines (variant readings and line numbers) printed in the text are removed by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (marginal notes and line references printed in the text; marginal variant lines printed in the text; marginal variant lines printed inside the word ἀλλοφύλων): Τοὺς ἐστι ριττὸν μὲν ὑπέλαβεν. β τῆς παλαιᾶς. β διπλ. τιμῆς. 4-11. 2.) πρῶτον μὲν – τιμωρίαν ἐδέξατο τες – αὐτῶν αἱ ἔδραι. 4.) τῶν δὲ – θεηλ. πληγάς, 5.) εἶτα μηδεμ. – ἐν πάσῃ πληγῇ. 6.) καὶ μετὰ – καὶ ἀπῆλθον εβλάστησε. μὲν γὰρ → Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ; τῶν ἀλσεως ἐπιδεικνὺς σχῆμα. Εἶτα ἀνιστῶσι μὲν ἐκεῖνοι ἐκεῖνος δὲ τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ καὶ πίπτει καὶ συντρίβεται, τῶν λοφύλων → τῶν ἀλλοφύλων; αἱ γὰρ καὶ ταῖς ἀμπέλοις μυῶν πλῆθος ἐπὶ λύμῃ κατέπεμψε δι' ὧν ἐδίδαξεν, ὡς ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τὴν ἄγουσαν εἰς Ἑβραίους. εἰ δὲ τὰς – τὰς γεγεν. πληγάς. αὐτῶν μύας. ται ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν θεῶν τῶν στερεῶν τοὐτῶν; βόες → αἱ βόες.
Extrabiblical texts: Josephus, Ant. 6.1 (Josephus (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.10 (PG 80 80:539; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.11PG 80 80:545
Διατί τὸν λαὸν ἐπάταξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπανελθούσης τῆς κιβωτοῦ; Σαφῶς ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἱστορία. Οὐκ ἠσμένισαν γὰρ, φησὶν, υἱοὶ Ἰεχονίου ἐν τοῖς ἀνδράσι Βεθσάμοις ὅτι εἶδον τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας, καὶ πεντήκοντα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ. ᾿Αλλ' οἱ μὲν Ἰεχονίου παῖδες, ὡς δυσσεβεῖς, καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις λατρεύοντες, ἐδυσφόρησαν ἰδόντες τὴν κιβωτὸν, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐδέξαντο ὁ δὲ λαὸς ἐπαιδεύθη, ὡς τῆς κιβωτοῦ προκινδυνεῦσαι μὴ βουληθεὶς, καὶ ἑπτὰ μῆνας αὐτὴν παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις καταλιπῶν, καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀναδεξάμενος πόλεμον. Δείξας τοίνυν ὁ Δεσπότης Θεὸς, ὡς τῆς αὐτῶν συμμαχίας οὐ δεῖται· καὶ δείξας ὅσον ἔσχε σέβας παρὰ τῶν δυσσεβῶν ἀλλοφύλων, ἐκόλασεν αὐτοὺς ὡς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων δυσσεβεστέρους. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ ἐν Βεθσάμοις δείσαντες τὴν κιβωτὸν ἀπέπεμψαν, εἰρηκότες, Τίς δυνήσεται παραστῆναι ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου; προθύμως δὲ ταύτην ὁ ᾿Αμιναδάβ ἀπεδέξατο· πάσης αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν εὐλογίας ἐνέπλησεν. Ὅτι δὲ ἀσεβῶς ὁ λαὸς τῆς κιβωτοῦ κατεφρόνησε, τὰ ἑξῆς μαρτυρεῖ. Ὁ γὰρ θειότατος Σαμουήλ παρήνεσεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς Κύριον ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἐξᾶραι τοὺς θεοὺς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἄλση. Τὰ δὲ ἄλση ᾿Ασταρώθὁ ᾿Ακύλας ἡρμήνευσε, τουτέστι τὰ τῆς ᾿Αστάρτης ἀγάλματα. ᾿Αστάρτην δὲ καλοῦσι τὴν ᾿Αφροδίτην, ἐκ τοῦ ἄστρου τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν πεποιηκότες. Αὐτῆς γὰρ εἶναι τὸν Εωσφόρον μυθολογοῦσι
Diati ton laon epataxen ho Theos epanelthousēs tēs kibōtou? Saphōs edidaxen hē historia. Ouk ēsmenisan gar, phēsin, huioi Iechoniou en tois andrasi Bethsamois hoti eidon tēn kibōton tou Kyriou kai epataxen en autois hebdomēkonta andras, kai pentēkonta chiliadas andrōn ek tou laou. ᾿All' hoi men Iechoniou paides, hōs dyssebeis, kai tois eidōlois latreuontes, edysphorēsan idontes tēn kibōton, kai mala eikotōs tēn timōrian edexanto ho de laos epaideuthē, hōs tēs kibōtou prokindyneusai mē boulētheis, kai hepta mēnas autēn para tois allophylois katalipōn, kai ton hyper autēs ouk anadexamenos polemon. Deixas toinyn ho Despotēs Theos, hōs tēs autōn symmachias ou deitai; kai deixas hoson esche sebas para tōn dyssebōn allophylōn, ekolasen autous hōs tōn allophylōn dyssebesterous. Epeidē de hoi en Bethsamois deisantes tēn kibōton apepempsan, eirēkotes, Tis dynēsetai parastēnai enōpion Kyriou tou hagiou toutou? prothymōs de tautēn ho ᾿Aminadab apedexato; pasēs autou tēn oikian eulogias eneplēsen. Hoti de asebōs ho laos tēs kibōtou katephronēse, ta hexēs martyrei. Ho gar theiotatos Samouēl parēnesen autois epistrepsai pros Kyrion en holę̄ tę̄ kardią, kai exarai tous theous tous allotrious ek mesou autōn, kai ta alsē. Ta de alsē ᾿Astarōtho ᾿Akylas hērmēneuse, toutesti ta tēs ᾿Astartēs agalmata. ᾿Astartēn de kalousi tēn ᾿Aphroditēn, ek tou astrou tēn epōnymian pepoiēkotes. Autēs gar einai ton Eōsphoron mythologousi
Why did God strike the people when the ark came back? The history taught this clearly: “The sons of Jechonias,” it says, “were not glad among the men of Beth-shemesh, because they saw the ark of the Lord; and he struck among them seventy men, and fifty thousand men of the people.” The sons of Jechonias, being impious and serving idols, were displeased at seeing the ark, and very fittingly received punishment; and the people were disciplined because they had not been willing to run any risk for the ark, but left it seven months among the foreigners and did not take up the war on its behalf. So God the Master, having shown that he does not need their alliance, and having shown how much reverence it received from the impious foreigners, punished them as more impious than the foreigners. And since the people of Beth-shemesh, in fear of the ark, sent it away, saying, “Who will be able to stand before this holy Lord?”, but Aminadab received it eagerly, he filled his house with every blessing. That the people had impiously despised the ark is attested by what follows. For the most divine Samuel exhorted them to return to the Lord with all their heart, and to remove the foreign gods from among them, and the groves. Aquila translated “the groves” as Ashtaroth, that is, the statues of Astarte. They call Aphrodite Astarte, having given her the name from the star; for they tell the myth that the morning star is hers.
1 Sam 6:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 6:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 7:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 7:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God struck Beth-shemesh because the sons of Jechonias resented the ark and the people had abandoned it; Aminadab, who received it gladly, was blessed.
- Quotations: 1 Sam 6:19–20 (LXX, which names “the sons of Jechonias”); 7:3. The blessing of Aminadab's house is Theodoret's reading (compare 2 Sam 6:11 on Obed-edom). Aquila was a second-century Greek translator of the Hebrew Bible.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misread the article; stray marks): ) γὰρ θειότατος → Ὁ γὰρ θειότατος; καρδίᾳ 30,΄ καὶ ἐξἄραι ἐἱ τοὺς → καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἐξᾶραι τοὺς.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.11 (PG 80 80:545; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.12PG 80 80:545
Τι δήποτε τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος διὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ λατρεύειν, θυσιαστήριον ὁ Σαμουήλ ᾠκοδόμησεν; Οὐδέπω ὁ θεῖος ναὸς ᾠκοδόμητο, καὶ ἐν διαφόροις τόποις ἐλάτρευον τῷ Θεῷ. Πλὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὡς τοῦ λαοῦ τὸ πρόχειρον εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐπι στάμενος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐνὶ τὴν θείαν λατρείαν περιώρισε τόπῳ. Τοῖς γὰρ εὐσεβέσι, καὶ τὸν τοῦ νόμου σκοπὸν ἐπισταμένοις, ἅπας εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ λατρείαν καθα ιέρωτο τόπος. Καὶ γὰρ Ἠλίας ὁ πάνυ, τοῦ θείου νεὼ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἅπαντας κατὰ τὸν νόμον καλοῦντος, ἐν τῷ Καρμήλῳ θυσιαστήριον ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ θυσίαν προσήνεγκε.
Ti dēpote tou Theou keleusantos dia tou nomou en heni topǭ latreuein, thysiastērion ho Samouēl ǭkodomēsen? Oudepō ho theios naos ǭkodomēto, kai en diaphorois topois elatreuon tǭ Theǭ. Plēn kai enteuthen manthanomen, hōs tou laou to procheiron eis asebeian epi stamenos ho Theos, eni tēn theian latreian periōrise topǭ. Tois gar eusebesi, kai ton tou nomou skopon epistamenois, hapas eis tēn tou Theou latreian katha ierōto topos. Kai gar Ēlias ho pany, tou theiou neō pros heauton hapantas kata ton nomon kalountos, en tǭ Karmēlǭ thysiastērion ǭkodomēse, kai thysian prosēnenke.
Why did Samuel build an altar, when God had commanded through the law that worship be offered in one place? The divine temple had not yet been built, and they served God in various places. Yet we learn from this too that God, knowing the people's readiness for impiety, confined divine worship to one place. For to the pious, who know the purpose of the law, every place was consecrated to the worship of God. Indeed, the great Elijah, at a time when the divine temple was summoning everyone to itself according to the law, built an altar on Carmel and offered sacrifice.
1 Sam 7:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 12:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 18:30 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel could build an altar because the temple did not yet exist; the one-sanctuary law guarded a people prone to idolatry, while to the pious every place is holy.
- Samuel's altar, 1 Sam 7:17; the law of the one place, Deut 12:5–14; Elijah on Carmel, 1 Kgs 18:30–38. A displaced line from question 1.11 (on Aminadab receiving the ark) had been printed in the middle of the answer and is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced line from the preceding question printed inside the sentence; stray letter): ἐν διαφόροις Αμιναδάβ προθύμως ὑπεδέξατο, πάσης εὐλογίας ἔσχε τόποις → ἐν διαφόροις τόποις; α Τι δήποτε → Τι δήποτε.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.12 (PG 80 80:545; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.13PG 80 80:547
Τίνος χάριν Σαμουὴλ διὰ τὰς τῶν παίδων παρανομίας οὐκ ἔτισε δίκας; ᾿Αδικήματα ἦν, οὐκ ἀσεβήματα, τὰ παρὰ τούτων γινόμενα. Οὔτε γὰρ γάμους διέῤῥηξαν, καὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις λαγνείαις καθύβρισαν τὴν θείαν σκηνήν· οὔτε τῇ γαστρὶ τὰ πρωτεῖα τῶν ἱερείων ἀπένειμαν, τὴν τῶν θυσιῶν ἀναστρέψαντες τάξιν. Δωροδοκίαν δὲ μόνον αὐτῶν ἡ ἱστορία κατηγορεῖ. Καὶ οὐδὲ ταύτην ὁ προφήτης ἠπίστατο. Πόῤῥωθεν γὰρ αὐτῶν διῆγεν. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ᾤκει τὴν ᾿Αρμαθέμ, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τὴν Βερσαβεέ
Tinos charin Samouēl dia tas tōn paidōn paranomias ouk etise dikas? ᾿Adikēmata ēn, ouk asebēmata, ta para toutōn ginomena. Oute gar gamous dierrhēxan, kai tais toiautais lagneiais kathybrisan tēn theian skēnēn; oute tę̄ gastri ta prōteia tōn hiereiōn apeneiman, tēn tōn thysiōn anastrepsantes taxin. Dōrodokian de monon autōn hē historia katēgorei. Kai oude tautēn ho prophētēs ēpistato. Porrhōthen gar autōn diēgen. Autos men gar ǭkei tēn ᾿Armathem, ekeinoi de tēn Bersabee
Why was Samuel not punished for his sons' lawless deeds? What they did were acts of injustice, not acts of impiety. They did not break up marriages and outrage the divine tabernacle with such debaucheries, nor did they give the first portions of the sacrifices to the belly, overturning the order of the offerings. The history accuses them only of taking bribes. And the prophet did not know even of this, for he lived far away from them: he dwelt at Ramathaim, they at Beersheba.
1 Sam 8:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 8:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:22 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel's sons committed injustice, not sacrilege like Eli's sons, and Samuel, living far away, did not know of their bribery.
- Samuel's sons, 1 Sam 8:1–3; Eli's sons, 1 Sam 2:12–17, 22; Ramathaim, 1 Sam 1:1; 7:17.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.13 (PG 80 80:547; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.14PG 80 80:547
Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἤλγησεν αἰτήσαντος τοῦ λαοῦ βασιλέα; Ἐπειδὴ παρὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον ἡ αἴτησις ἦν. Δεσπότης γὰρ Θεὸς καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ βασιλέως ἐπλήρου τὴν χρείαν· ὁ δὲ προφήτης ὑπουργὺς ἦν, οἷόν τις ὕπαρχος, ἢ στρατηγὸς, ἢ δημαγωγός. Καὶ τοῦτο δεδήλωκεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτόν· ῎Ακουε τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ· διότι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐμὲ ἐξουθένησαν, τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς, κατά πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν, ὁ ἐποίησάν μοι, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἐξήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
Tinos heneken ēlgēsen aitēsantos tou laou basilea? Epeidē para ton theion nomon hē aitēsis ēn. Despotēs gar Theos kai Theou kai basileōs eplērou tēn chreian; ho de prophētēs hypourgys ēn, hoion tis hyparchos, ē stratēgos, ē dēmagōgos. Kai touto dedēlōken ho Theos eipōn pros auton; ᾿Akoue tēs phōnēs tou laou; dioti ou se exouthenēkasin, all᾿ eme exouthenēsan, tou mē basileuein ep᾿ autous, kata panta ta erga autōn, ho epoiēsan moi, aph᾿ hēs hēmeras exēgagon autous ex Aigyptou, kai heōs tēs hēmeras tautēs, kai ta hexēs.
Why was he grieved when the people asked for a king? Because the request was contrary to the divine law. God the Master was filling the need for both God and king; the prophet was his servant, like a governor, or a general, or a leader of the people. God made this plain when he said to him, “Listen to the voice of the people; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them, according to all their deeds which they have done to me from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day,” and so on.
1 Sam 8:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 8:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 8:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel was grieved because asking for a king rejected God, who was already Israel's king.
- Quotation: 1 Sam 8:7–8.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR): ἡμέ ρας → ἡμέρας.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.14 (PG 80 80:547; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.15PG 80 80:547
᾿Αγαθὸν πῶς ἀνόμασε τὸν Σαούλ; Οὐ ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν αὐτῷ μεμαρτύρηκεν, ἀλλ' εἶδος καὶ μέγεθος. Τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει· Οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς οὐδεὶς ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ὑπὲρ αὐτόν· ὑπερωμίαν καὶ ἐπάνω ὑψηλὸς ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
᾿Agathon pōs anomase ton Saoul? Ou psychēs aretēn autǭ memartyrēken, all' eidos kai megethos. Touto gar legei; Ouk ēn anēr agathos oudeis en huiois Israēl hyper auton; hyperōmian kai epanō hypsēlos epi pasan tēn gēn
How could he call Saul good? He bore witness not to virtue of soul in him but to his appearance and stature. For this is what he says: “There was no man among the sons of Israel better than he; from his shoulders and upward he was taller than all the land.”
1 Sam 9:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Scripture calls Saul “good” for his looks and height, not for virtue.
- Quotation: 1 Sam 9:2 (LXX). After the quotation the edition prints another form of question 1.13 (“[Why was not] Samuel [punished] like Eli?”, with a shorter answer on the difference between injustice and sacrilege) and a stray line of this answer; these lines are removed here by a logged correction, since they repeat 1.13.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced duplicate form of question 1.13 and a stray marginal line printed after the answer): Σαμουήλ, ὥσπερ Ἡλί; Τὰ ὑπὸ τούτων τοίνυν γενόμενα, ἀδικήματα ἦν, οὐκ ἀσεβήματα, καθάπερ ἐκείνων. Οἱ ταῖς λαγνείαις τὴν θείαν σκηνὴν κατεμόλυναν, καὶ τὰ πρωτεῖα τῶν ἱερείων ὑφήρπαζον· οὗτοι δὲ δωροδοκίαν κατηγοροῦνται· καὶ ταύτην ἠγνόησε Σαμουήλ. "Ωκει γὰρ πόῤῥω τῶν παίδων ἐν ᾿Αρμαθαὶμ, ἐκείνων ἀλλ᾽ εἶδος καὶ μέγεθος μαρτυρεῖ. ἐπάνω. ὑψ. γὰρ ὑπὲρ π. τ. γῆν. → .
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.15 (PG 80 80:547; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-15
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.16PG 80 80:549
Τινές φασι τὸν Σαμουὴλ ἐπὶ χρήμασι προφητεῦσαι, τῷ εἰπεῖν τὸν Σαούλ, «Ἰδοὺ πορευσόμεθα, καὶ τί ἀποίσομεν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι οἱ ἄρτοι ἡμῶν ἐκλελοίπασι; Τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Σαούλ ὑποψίας, οὐ τῆς τοῦ προφήτου δωροδοκίας τεκμήριον. Ἐτόπασε γὰρ χρῆναί τι αὐτῷ προσενεχθῆναι, ὡς ἄρχοντι καὶ προφήτῃ· ἀλλ᾿ οὐδὲν προσενήνοχεν· ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον φιλοφροσύνης παμπόλλης ἀπήλαυσε. Τοῦ δὲ προφήτου τὸ ἀδωροδόκητον διδάσκουσιν αὐτοῦ οἱ λόγοι ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς εἰρημένοι. Μόσχον γὰρ, φησὶ, τίνος ὑμῶν εἴληφα; ἢ τίνα ὑμῶν καταδεδυνάστευκα; ἢ τίνα ἐξεπίεσα ὑμῶν; ἢ ἐκ χειρὸς τίνος ὑμῶν εἴληφα ἐξίλασμα, ἢ ὑπόδημα, καὶ ἀπέκρυψα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἐν αὐτῷ εἴπατε κάμοὶ, καὶ ἀποδώσω ὑμῖν. Καὶ ἐβεβαίωσε τοῦ προφήτου τοὺς λόγους ἡ τοῦ λαοῦ μαρτυρία.
Tines phasi ton Samouēl epi chrēmasi prophēteusai, tǭ eipein ton Saoul, «Idou poreusometha, kai ti apoisomen tǭ anthrōpǭ tou Theou, hoti hoi artoi hēmōn ekleloipasi? Touto tēs tou Saoul hypopsias, ou tēs tou prophētou dōrodokias tekmērion. Etopase gar chrēnai ti autǭ prosenechthēnai, hōs archonti kai prophētę̄; all᾿ ouden prosenēnochen; alla tounantion philophrosynēs pampollēs apēlause. Tou de prophētou to adōrodokēton didaskousin autou hoi logoi epi tou laou pantos eirēmenoi. Moschon gar, phēsi, tinos hymōn eilēpha? ē tina hymōn katadedynasteuka? ē tina exepiesa hymōn? ē ek cheiros tinos hymōn eilēpha exilasma, ē hypodēma, kai apekrypsa tous ophthalmous mou en autǭ eipate kamoi, kai apodōsō hymin. Kai ebebaiōse tou prophētou tous logous hē tou laou martyria.
Some say that Samuel prophesied for money, because Saul said, “Look, we are going; what shall we bring the man of God? For our bread has run out.” This is evidence of Saul's supposition, not of the prophet's taking bribes. Saul guessed that something had to be offered to him, as a ruler and prophet; but he offered nothing, and on the contrary enjoyed very great kindness. The prophet's incorruptibility is taught by his words spoken before all the people: “Whose calf have I taken?” he says. “Or whom of you have I oppressed? Or whom of you have I crushed? Or from whose hand have I taken a ransom or a sandal, and hidden my eyes with it? Tell me, and I will repay you.” And the people's testimony confirmed the prophet's words.
1 Sam 9:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 12:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 12:4 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Saul's thought of bringing Samuel a gift does not show that Samuel took payment; Samuel's public challenge proves his integrity.
- The question is put as an objection (“Some say…”). The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 13. Quotations: 1 Sam 9:7; 12:3 (LXX, “a sandal”); the people's answer, 12:4–5.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote marks; word split by the OCR): προφή - του → προφήτου; εἰρημένοι **. → εἰρημένοι..
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.16 (PG 80 80:549; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-16
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.17PG 80 80:549
Διατί βλέποντα τὸν προφήτην ἐκάλουν; Ὡς τὰ μέλλοντα προορῶντα. Οὐ γὰρ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμῶν τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα ἀλλὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς θεωρίας. Τὴν μέντοι βαμὰ, ὑψηλὴν ὁ ᾿Ακύλας ἡρμήνευσε· γαβαὰ δὲ, τὸν βουνόν ξένους δὲ, τοὺς κεκλημένους τὴν δὲ κωλέαν, κνήμην. Ταῦτην δὲ αὐτῷ παρατέθεικεν, ὡς μέλλοντι βασιλεύειν καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ προκινδυνεύειν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν Ἰδοὺ μαρτύριον παράθες αὐτὸ ἐνὡπιόν σου, καὶ φάγε, ὅτι εἰς μαρτύριον τέθειταί σοι παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ.
Diati bleponta ton prophētēn ekaloun? Hōs ta mellonta proorōnta. Ou gar tōn tou sōmatos ophthalmōn touto to onoma alla tēs pneumatikēs theōrias. Tēn mentoi bama, hypsēlēn ho ᾿Akylas hērmēneuse; gabaa de, ton bounon xenous de, tous keklēmenous tēn de kōlean, knēmēn. Tautēn de autǭ paratetheiken, hōs mellonti basileuein kai tou laou prokindyneuein. Touto gar epēgagen Idou martyrion parathes auto enōpion sou, kai phage, hoti eis martyrion tetheitai soi para tou laou.
Why did they call the prophet “seer”? Because he foresaw the future. This name refers not to the eyes of the body but to spiritual contemplation. Aquila translated bama as “high place”; gabaa as “the hill”; “guests” as “those who had been invited”; and “the shoulder” as “the leg.” He set this before him as one who was going to reign and to face danger first on behalf of the people. For he added, “Look, a testimony; set it before you and eat, because it has been kept as a testimony for you from the people.”
1 Sam 9:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 9:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 9:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 9:24 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The prophet is called a seer for his spiritual foresight; Aquila's renderings of several words are noted, and Saul's portion marks him as future king.
- 1 Sam 9:9, 12–13, 22–24 (LXX). Bama and gabaa are the Septuagint's transliterations of the Hebrew for “high place” and “hill”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote marks): κνήμην **. → κνήμην..
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.17 (PG 80 80:549; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-17
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.18PG 80 80:549
Τίνος χάριν χρίσας αὐτὸν κατεφίλησε; Τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ χάριτος μεταδέδωκε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐμφυσήσας τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔφη «Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον.»-« Ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν. Οὕτως ὁ προφήτης τὸν χειροτονηθέντα κατεφίλησε βασιλέα, ἵνα τῆς ἐνοικούσης αὐτῷ χάριτος μεταδῷ.
Tinos charin chrisas auton katephilēse? Tēs enousēs autǭ charitos metadedōke. Kai gar kai ho Kyrios emphysēsas tois apostolois ephē «Labete Pneuma hagion.»-« Ek gar tou plērōmatos autou hēmeis pantes elabomen. Houtōs ho prophētēs ton cheirotonēthenta katephilēse basilea, hina tēs enoikousēs autǭ charitos metadǭ.
Why did he kiss him after anointing him? He gave him a share of the grace that was in himself. So too the Lord breathed on the apostles and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”; and “from his fullness we have all received.” In the same way the prophet kissed the king who had been appointed, in order to give him a share of the grace that dwelt in him.
1 Sam 10:1 (allusion, high confidence) · John 20:22 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:16 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel's kiss after anointing Saul imparted to him a share of the prophet's grace, as Christ breathed the Spirit on the apostles.
- 1 Sam 10:1; quotations: John 20:22; 1:16.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): Καὶ γὰρ π. καὶ → Καὶ γὰρ καὶ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.18 (PG 80 80:549; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-18
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.19PG 80 80:549
Τι δήποτε πολλὰ δέδωκεν αὐτῷ σημεῖα; Εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἀμφιβάλλοντα, καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν ὁμολογοῦντα πενίαν. Οὐχ υἱὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰεμιναίου ἀνδρὸς ἐγώ εἰμι, τοῦ σμικροτέρου σκήπτρου ἐκ τῶν φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἡ πατριά μου ὀλιγοστή παρὰ πάσας τὰς πατριὰς τοῦ Βενιαμίν; Τούτου χάριν βεβαιοῖ τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἐπαγγελίαν ταῖς περὶ τῶν ἁπάντων προῤῥήσεσι. Καὶ πρῶτον τοὺς τὰ περὶ τῶν ὄνων αὐτῷ κομίζοντας εὐαγγέλια. Εἶτα τοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσκύνησιν εἰς Βαιθὴλ ἀπιόντας, καὶ ἐκ τῶν τῷ Θεῷ κομιζομένων ἀπαρχὰς αὐτῷ προσκομίζοντας. Ερωτήσουσι γάρ σε, φησὶ, τὰ εἰς εἰρήνην, καὶ δώσουσί σοι ἀπαρχὰς ἄρτων, καὶ λήψῃ ἐκ τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν. Ἔπειτα τῶν προφητῶν τὸν χορὸν, καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς χορευόντων τὸν θίασον, αὐλοῖς καὶ κινύρᾳ κεχρημένων, καὶ ναύλαις, καὶ τυμπάνοις, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐκπηδῶσαν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν, καὶ αὐτὸν προφητεῦσαι παρασκευάζουσαν.
Ti dēpote polla dedōken autǭ sēmeia? Eiden auton amphiballonta, kai tēn oikeian homologounta penian. Ouch huios gar, phēsin, Ieminaiou andros egō eimi, tou smikroterou skēptrou ek tōn phylōn tou Israēl, kai hē patria mou oligostē para pasas tas patrias tou Beniamin? Toutou charin bebaioi tēn tēs basileias epangelian tais peri tōn hapantōn prorrhēsesi. Kai prōton tous ta peri tōn onōn autǭ komizontas euangelia. Eita tous eis tēn tou Theou proskynēsin eis Baithēl apiontas, kai ek tōn tǭ Theǭ komizomenōn aparchas autǭ proskomizontas. Erōtēsousi gar se, phēsi, ta eis eirēnēn, kai dōsousi soi aparchas artōn, kai lēpsę̄ ek tēs cheiros autōn. Epeita tōn prophētōn ton choron, kai tōn syn autois choreuontōn ton thiason, aulois kai kinyrą kechrēmenōn, kai naulais, kai tympanois, kai tēn ekeithen ekpēdōsan tou Pneumatos charin, kai auton prophēteusai paraskeuazousan.
Why did he give him many signs? He saw that he was doubtful and confessed his own lowliness: “Am I not,” he says, “the son of a Benjaminite, of the smallest tribe of the tribes of Israel, and is not my family the least among all the families of Benjamin?” For this reason he confirms the promise of the kingdom by predictions about everything. First, about those who would bring him good news about the donkeys. Then, about those going up to Bethel to worship God, who would give him firstfruits from what they were bringing to God: “They will ask you,” he says, “about your welfare, and give you firstfruits of bread, and you will take them from their hand.” Then, about the band of prophets and the company dancing with them, using pipes and lyre and harp and drums, and the grace of the Spirit that would leap out from them and make him prophesy too.
1 Sam 9:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:6 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel gave Saul several predicted signs to reassure him, since Saul doubted because of his humble origins.
- Quotations: 1 Sam 9:21; 10:4 (LXX). The signs, 1 Sam 10:2–6.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.19 (PG 80 80:549; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-19
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.20PG 80 80:551
Τί ἐστι, Μετέστρεψεν αὐτῳ ὁ Θεὸς καρδίαν ἑτέραν; Ἐπειδὴ ἄγροικος ἦν, γεωργεῖν ἐπιστάμενος μόνον, χειροτονήσας αὐτὸν βασιλέα, βασιλικὸν αὐτῷ φρόνημα δέδωκε.
Ti esti, Metestrepsen autǭ ho Theos kardian heteran? Epeidē agroikos ēn, geōrgein epistamenos monon, cheirotonēsas auton basilea, basilikon autǭ phronēma dedōke.
What does “God turned another heart to him” mean? Since he was a rustic, who knew only how to farm, God, having appointed him king, gave him a kingly mind.
1 Sam 10:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God gave the farmer Saul a kingly mind when he made him king.
- 1 Sam 10:9 (LXX).
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.20 (PG 80 80:551; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-20
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.21PG 80 80:551
Τί ἐστι, Συνετέλεσε προφητεύων; Οὐκ ἔσχε διηνεκὲς τῆς προφητείας τὸ χάρισμα. Εἰς ἔμφασιν δὲ καὶ δήλωσιν τῆς πνευματικῆς δωρεᾶς κατ' ἐκεῖνον προεφήτευσε τὸν καιρόν. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβύτεροι, οὓς ὁ μέγας ἐξελέξατο Μωσῆς, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐκλεγέντες προφητικῆς ἠξιώθησαν ἐνεργείας. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προεφήτευον μὲν ἥκιστα· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς θείας σοφιζόμενοι δωρεᾶς, τοῦ λαοῦ τὰς ἀμφισβητήσεις διέλυον.
Ti esti, Synetelese prophēteuōn? Ouk esche diēnekes tēs prophēteias to charisma. Eis emphasin de kai dēlōsin tēs pneumatikēs dōreas kat' ekeinon proephēteuse ton kairon. Houtō kai hoi hebdomēkonta presbyteroi, hous ho megas exelexato Mōsēs, euthys men eklegentes prophētikēs ēxiōthēsan energeias. Meta de tauta proephēteuon men hēkista; hypo de tēs theias sophizomenoi dōreas, tou laou tas amphisbētēseis dielyon.
What does “he finished prophesying” mean? He did not have the gift of prophecy permanently; he prophesied at that time to display and show the spiritual gift. So too the seventy elders whom the great Moses chose: as soon as they were chosen they were granted prophetic activity, but afterward they prophesied hardly at all; made wise by the divine gift, they settled the people's disputes.
1 Sam 10:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 11:25 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Saul's prophesying was a temporary sign, like that of the seventy elders chosen by Moses.
- 1 Sam 10:13; the seventy elders, Num 11:16–25.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray marks and letters): ἐξελέξατο ( Μωσῆς δε, εὐθὺς δε μὲν → ἐξελέξατο Μωσῆς, εὐθὺς μὲν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.21 (PG 80 80:551; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-21
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.22PG 80 80:551
Τι δήποτε χρίσας ὁ Σαμουήλ τὸν Σαούλ, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀκούσας, ὡς αὐτὸν προσήκει βασιλέα χειροτονεῖν, κλήρους βαλεῖν ἐκέλευσε τὰς φυλάς, Οὐδὲ τοῖς θείοις προφήταις ἐπίστευον οἱ πονηρία συζῶντες. Ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ τοπάσωσι δε χάριτος ἀνθρωπίνης εἶναι τὴν ψῆφον, κλήρους βληθῆναι προσέταξεν. Εἶτα τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος κατακληρωθείσης φυλῆς, καὶ πάλιν εἰς πατριὰς, καὶ οἴκους, καὶ ἄνδρας διαιρεθείσης, τῷ Σαούλ ψῆφος ἀπεκληρώθη. Πειραθεὶς δὲ λαθεῖν (ἑώρα γὰρ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὑπερβαί νουσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀξίαν), ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ προφήτη κατεμηνύθη, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ χειροτονίαν ἐδέξατο. Τὸ δὲ οἰκεῖος αὐτοῦ, ᾿Ακύλας φησὶν, ἐπειράθη λαθεῖν, ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὁρῶν, ὑπὸ Θεοῦ δὲ τῷ προφήτῃ δειχθεὶς, τὴν ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ χειροτονίαν ἐδέξατο.
Ti dēpote chrisas ho Samouēl ton Saoul, kai para tou Theou tōn holōn akousas, hōs auton prosēkei basilea cheirotonein, klērous balein ekeleuse tas phylas, Oude tois theiois prophētais episteuon hoi ponēria syzōntes. Hina toinyn mē topasōsi de charitos anthrōpinēs einai tēn psēphon, klērous blēthēnai prosetaxen. Eita tēs Beniamitidos kataklērōtheisēs phylēs, kai palin eis patrias, kai oikous, kai andras diairetheisēs, tǭ Saoul psēphos apeklērōthē. Peiratheis de lathein (heōra gar tēn exousian hyperbai nousan autou tēn axian), hypo tou Theou tǭ prophētē katemēnythē, kai tēn epi pantos tou laou cheirotonian edexato. To de oikeios autou, ᾿Akylas phēsin, epeirathē lathein, hyper tēn axian autou tēn exousian horōn, hypo Theou de tǭ prophētę̄ deichtheis, tēn epi pantos tou laou cheirotonian edexato.
Why, after Samuel had anointed Saul and heard from the God of the universe that he should appoint him king, did he order the tribes to cast lots? Those who live in wickedness did not trust even the divine prophets. So that they would not guess that the decision came from human favor, he commanded that lots be cast. Then, when the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin, and it was divided again into clans and households and men, the lot fell to Saul. He tried to hide (for he saw that the authority exceeded his worth), but he was revealed by God to the prophet and received appointment before all the people. As to “his kinsman,” Aquila says: he tried to hide, seeing that the authority was beyond his worth, but being shown to the prophet by God he received the appointment before all the people.
1 Sam 10:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:22 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel had the lot cast so that the people would see Saul's kingship as God's choice, not a human favor.
- The printed question ends with a comma; the question is present. 1 Sam 10:17–24. The last sentence repeats the preceding one in another form, with a reference to Aquila; it is printed so in the edition and translated as it stands. A line from 1.21 (“made wise by God, they settled the people's disputes”) printed here is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced line from the preceding question; repeated letters; word split by the OCR): κλ κλήρους → κλήρους; ἀνθρω πίνης → ἀνθρωπίνης; ἐδέξατο. Σοφιζόμενοι δὲ παρὰ Θεοῦ, τοῦ λαοῦ τὰς ἀμφισβητήσεις διέλυον. Τὸ δὲ → ἐδέξατο. Τὸ δὲ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.22 (PG 80 80:551; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-22
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.23PG 80 80:553
Τίνος χάριν Ναὰς ὁ ᾿Αμμανίτης τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τοὺς δεξιοὺς ἐξέκοπτεν ὀφθαλμούς; Ἀχρήστους αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἀποφῆναι βουλόμενος. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν ἀσπίδα τῇ εὐωνύμῳ χειρὶ προβαλλόμενος, συγκαλύπτει ταύτῃ τὸν εὐώνυμον ὀφθαλμὸν, τῷ δεξιῷ δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρᾷ. Ὁ τοίνυν τὸν δεξιὸν ἀφῃρημένος εὐάλωτος ἐγίνετο πολεμῶν.
Tinos charin Naas ho ᾿Ammanitēs tōn Israēlitōn tous dexious exekopten ophthalmous? Achrēstous autous eis polemon apophēnai boulomenos. Ho gar tēn aspida tę̄ euōnymǭ cheiri proballomenos, synkalyptei tautę̄ ton euōnymon ophthalmon, tǭ dexiǭ de tous polemious horą. Ho toinyn ton dexion aphę̄rēmenos eualōtos egineto polemōn.
Why did Nahash the Ammonite gouge out the right eyes of the Israelites? He wanted to make them useless for war. For the man who holds his shield out with his left hand covers his left eye with it, and sees the enemy with his right. So one who had lost his right eye was easily overcome in battle.
1 Sam 11:2 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nahash put out right eyes to make the Israelites unfit for battle, since the shield covers the left eye.
- 1 Sam 11:2.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray mark): Ὁ γὰρ δ' τὴν → Ὁ γὰρ τὴν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.23 (PG 80 80:553; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-23
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.24PG 80 80:553
Διατί τὸν Σαούλ πρῶτον αὐτοῖς ἔδωκε βασιλέα; Ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδραγαθίας ἕνεκα χειροτονηθῆναι αὐτοῖς ἤτησαν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐκ εὐσεβείας χάριν, ὥστε καὶ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὰ θεῖα παιδεύεσθαι· τὸν πάντων μέγιστον ἐξελέξατο, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν δε, ἀλλὰ σώματος ἐθαύμαζον μέγεθος.
Diati ton Saoul prōton autois edōke basilea? Epeidē tēs en polemois andragathias heneka cheirotonēthēnai autois ētēsan basilea, kai ouk eusebeias charin, hōste kai par᾿ autou ta theia paideuesthai; ton pantōn megiston exelexato, epeidēper ou psychēs aretēn de, alla sōmatos ethaumazon megethos.
Why did he give them Saul as their first king? Since they asked for a king to be appointed for the sake of bravery in war, and not for the sake of piety, so as to be taught divine things by him, he chose the tallest of all, since they admired not virtue of soul but size of body.
1 Sam 8:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 10:23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God gave Israel tall Saul because they wanted a war-leader and admired bodily size, not virtue.
- 1 Sam 8:20; 10:23–24.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR): χειρο τονηθῆναι → χειροτονηθῆναι.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.24 (PG 80 80:553; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-24
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.25PG 80 80:553
Τίνος ἕνεκα συναθροίσας τὸν λαὸν ὁ προφήτης, τῆς οἰκείας αὐτοῦ πολιτείας ἀνέμνησεν; Κριτὴς ὧν ἐξίστατο τῆς ἐξουσίας, καὶ ταύτην παρεδίδου τῷ βασιλεῖ. Μάλα τοίνυν εἰκότως τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν διηγήσατο, καὶ τῆς ἀξιεπαίνου πολιτείας σύμψηφον ἐποιήσατο τὸν λαὸν, τὴν ἔννομον ἐκεῖνον ἐξουσίαν διδάσκων.
Tinos heneka synathroisas ton laon ho prophētēs, tēs oikeias autou politeias anemnēsen? Kritēs hōn existato tēs exousias, kai tautēn paredidou tǭ basilei. Mala toinyn eikotōs ta kath' heauton diēgēsato, kai tēs axiepainou politeias sympsēphon epoiēsato ton laon, tēn ennomon ekeinon exousian didaskōn.
Why did the prophet gather the people and remind them of his own conduct? As judge he was giving up his authority and handing it over to the king. Very fittingly, then, he recounted his own record and made the people vote their approval of his praiseworthy conduct, teaching the king that lawful authority.
1 Sam 12:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 12:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Handing his office to the king, Samuel had the people attest his blameless rule as a model of lawful authority.
- 1 Sam 12:1–5. “Teaching the king” renders ἐκεῖνον, which most naturally refers to Saul.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.25 (PG 80 80:553; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-25). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-25
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.26PG 80 80:553
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, «Υἱὸς ἐνιαυτοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτόν; Ο Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐξέδωκεν· Υἱὸς ὧν ἐνιαυσιαῖος Σαούλ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτόν. Δηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἣν εἶχεν ὁ Σαούλ, ἡνίκα τῆς βασιλείας τὴν χειροτονίαν ἐδέξατο. Ταύτῃ δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐχρήσατο. Ὅθεν ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἐπήγαγε· «Καὶ δύο ἔτη ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐβασίλευ«σεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μετὰ τῆς ἁπλότητος ταύτης δύο ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν· εἶτα εἰς πονηρίαν ἀποκλίνας, τῆς θείας χάριτος ἐγυμνώθη. Ὅθεν ὁ λοιπὸς χρόνος, ὃν βασιλεύων διετέλεσε, τῇ τοῦ Σαμουήλ δημαγωγία λελόγισται
Pōs noēteon to, «Huios eniautou Saoul en tǭ basileuein auton? O Symmachos houtōs exedōken; Huios hōn eniausiaios Saoul en tǭ basileuein auton. Dēloi de touto tēn haplotēta tēs psychēs, hēn eichen ho Saoul, hēnika tēs basileias tēn cheirotonian edexato. Tautę̄ de ouk epi pleiston echrēsato. Hothen ho historiographos epēgage; «Kai dyo etē epi Israēl ebasileu«sen, anti tou, Meta tēs haplotētos tautēs dyo etē ebasileusen; eita eis ponērian apoklinas, tēs theias charitos egymnōthē. Hothen ho loipos chronos, hon basileuōn dietelese, tę̄ tou Samouēl dēmagōgia lelogistai
How should “Saul was a son of one year when he began to reign” be understood? Symmachus rendered it thus: “Saul was like a son of one year when he began to reign.” This shows the simplicity of soul that Saul had when he received appointment to the kingdom. But he did not keep it for long. So the historian added, “and he reigned two years over Israel,” meaning: with this simplicity he reigned two years; then he turned aside to wickedness and was stripped of divine grace. So the remaining time during which he continued to reign has been reckoned to the leadership of Samuel.
1 Sam 13:1 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: “A son of one year” describes Saul's childlike simplicity, which lasted only two years of his reign.
- 1 Sam 13:1, a verse whose numbers are defective in the Hebrew (and absent from most Septuagint manuscripts); Theodoret reads it figuratively. Symmachus was a late second-century Greek translator. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 320.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.26 (PG 80 80:553; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-26
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.27PG 80 80:553
Πῶς νοητεον τό· Ἐπάταξεν Ἰωνάθαν τὸ ὑπόστημα τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, τὸ ἐν τῷ βουνῷ; Οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τοὺς Ἑβραίους νενικηκότες ἐν τοῖς ὀχυρωτέροις χωρίοις φρουρὰς ἐγκατέστησαν, Ὑπόστημα τοίνυν ἐκάλεσε τὴν φρουράν. Ταύτην ἄρδην ὁ Ἰωναθαν κατηκόντισε. Τὸ μέντοι, Ἠθετήκασιν οἱ δοῦλοι, ὁ ᾿Ακύλας, ᾿Ακουσάτωσαν οἱ Ἑβραῖοι ἡρμήνευσεν.
Pōs noēteon to; Epataxen Iōnathan to hypostēma tōn allophylōn, to en tǭ bounǭ? Hoi allophyloi tous Hebraious nenikēkotes en tois ochyrōterois chōriois phrouras enkatestēsan, Hypostēma toinyn ekalese tēn phrouran. Tautēn ardēn ho Iōnathan katēkontise. To mentoi, Ēthetēkasin hoi douloi, ho ᾿Akylas, ᾿Akousatōsan hoi Hebraioi hērmēneusen.
How should “Jonathan struck the garrison of the foreigners that was on the hill” be understood? The foreigners, having defeated the Hebrews, set up guard posts in the stronger places. He called the guard post a “garrison.” Jonathan destroyed it completely. Aquila rendered “the slaves have rebelled” as “let the Hebrews hear.”
1 Sam 13:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Jonathan destroyed a Philistine guard post set up after their victory over Israel.
- 1 Sam 13:3 (LXX). A long displaced passage had been printed inside the word “garrison”: the end of an allegorical addition to question 1.23 (“…sees the enemy… so too the evil powers cut off the right side of our thoughts”) and a second form of the answer to 1.26. It is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced lines (from questions 1.23 and 1.26) printed inside the word ὑπόστημα; stray syllable): Ὑπόπολεμίους ὁρᾷ. Οὗ τις ἐστηρημένος, εὐάλωτος. Οὕτω καὶ δυνάμεις αἱ πονηραὶ τὰ δεξιὰ τῶν νοημάτων περικόπΔηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ Σαούλ, ἣν εἶχε βασιλεύων, ἧπερ οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐχρήσατο. Ὅθεν πρόσκειται τὸ, «Καὶ δύο ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ αὐτός· ἀντὶ τοῦ, μετὰ τῆς ἁπλότητος ταύτης δύω ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν, μεθ᾽ ἃ ἀποκλίνας πρὸς πονηρίαν, τῆς θείας γεγύμνωται χάριτος. "Οθεν ὁ λοιπὸς ὃν ἐβασίλευσε χρόνος, τῇ τοῦ Σαμουήλ δημαγωγίᾳ λελόγισται. στημα → Ὑπόστημα; ἄρδην σε ὁ → ἄρδην ὁ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.27 (PG 80 80:553; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-27
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.28PG 80 80:555
Τί ἐστι, Καὶ διέλιπεν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας τῷ μαρτυρίῳ ὡς εἶπε Σαμουήλ; Παρηγγύησεν ὁ Σαμουήλ τῷ Σαούλ ἑπτὰ αὐτὸν προσμεῖναι ἡμέρας, εἶθ' οὕτω καλλιερησάμενον παρατάξασθαι. Ὁ τοίνυν Σαούλ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἀθροισθέντας ἰδὼν, οὐκ ἀνέμεινε κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τὸν προφήτην. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν θύοντα καταλαβὼν ὁ προφήτης, σφόδρα χαλεπῶς ἐπετίμησε, καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῷ τὴν στέρησιν προεμήνυσε. Ζητήσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑαυτῷ Κύριος ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦσσ· καὶ ἐντελεῖ αὐτὸν Κύριος εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐφύλαξας ὅσα ἐνετείλατό σοι Κύριος. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁ καλλίνικος Στέφανος τέθεικε τὸ, Εὗρον Δαβὶδ τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου, ὃς ποιήσει πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου. Προφητικῶς γὰρ ταῦτα προειρήκει ὁ θειότατος Σαμουήλ. Γαβαὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν Σαβαῖν γῆν, τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι τῶν δορκάδων ὁ ᾿Ακύλας ἡρμήνευσεν
Ti esti, Kai dielipen hepta hēmeras tǭ martyriǭ hōs eipe Samouēl? Parēngyēsen ho Samouēl tǭ Saoul hepta auton prosmeinai hēmeras, eith' houtō kallierēsamenon parataxasthai. Ho toinyn Saoul tous allophylous athroisthentas idōn, ouk anemeine kata tas entolas ton prophētēn. Hothen auton thyonta katalabōn ho prophētēs, sphodra chalepōs epetimēse, kai tēs basileias autǭ tēn sterēsin proemēnyse. Zētēsei gar, phēsin, heautǭ Kyrios anthrōpon kata tēn kardian autouss; kai entelei auton Kyrios eis archonta epi ton laon autou, hoti ouk ephylaxas hosa eneteilato soi Kyrios. Enteuthen ho kallinikos Stephanos tetheike to, Heuron Dabid ton tou Iessai, andra kata tēn kardian mou, hos poiēsei panta ta thelēmata mou. Prophētikōs gar tauta proeirēkei ho theiotatos Samouēl. Gabaa de tēn en Sabain gēn, tēn en tę̄ koiladi tōn dorkadōn ho ᾿Akylas hērmēneusen
What does “he waited seven days for the appointed time, as Samuel had said” mean? Samuel had charged Saul to wait seven days for him, and then, after offering favorable sacrifices, to draw up for battle. But Saul, seeing the foreigners gathered, did not wait for the prophet as he had been commanded. So the prophet, finding him sacrificing, rebuked him very severely and announced beforehand that he would be deprived of the kingdom: “The Lord,” he says, “will seek for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord will appoint him ruler over his people, because you did not keep what the Lord commanded you.” From this the victorious Stephen took the words, “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” For the most divine Samuel had foretold this prophetically. Aquila translated Gibeah as “the land in Sabaim, in the valley of the gazelles.”
1 Sam 13:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 13:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:18 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Saul's failure to wait for Samuel before sacrificing cost him the kingdom, which God promised to a man after his own heart.
- 1 Sam 13:8–14 (quotation, 13:14). The words “I have found David…” are spoken by Paul in Acts 13:22, not by Stephen; Theodoret's attribution is translated as written. The last sentence on Aquila's rendering is obscure as printed (compare the “valley of Zeboim”, 1 Sam 13:18); translated literally.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (repeated word, OCR letter error and stray marks): ἡμέρας ἡμέρας τῷ μιιρτυρίῳ ὡς εἶπε Σαμουήλ ; , → ἡμέρας τῷ μαρτυρίῳ ὡς εἶπε Σαμουήλ;.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.28 (PG 80 80:555; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-28
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.29PG 80 80:555
Διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν σίδηρον οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ Ἰσραήλ; Νενικηκότες αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πάντα τὸν σίδηρον ἔλαβον, καὶ κτήσασθαι ἕτερον διεκώλυσαν ὅθεν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς τὰ γεωργικὰ κατεσκεύαζον ὄργανα. ᾿Ὀδόντα δὲ ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος ΰνιν ὁ δὲ ᾿Ακύλας τὸ ἄροτρον ἡρμήνευσαν. Τὸν δὲ σίκλον στατῆρα ἐκάλεσαν. Ἐπὶ δὲ σταθμοῦ ὁ σίκλος λαμβανόμενος, ἡμιόγκιον εἶλκεν· ἐπὶ δὲ ἀργυρίου, εἴκοσιν ὀβολούς.
Dia poian aitian sidēron ouk eichen ho Israēl? Nenikēkotes autous hoi allophyloi panta ton sidēron elabon, kai ktēsasthai heteron diekōlysan hothen par᾿ autois ta geōrgika kateskeuazon organa. ᾿Odonta de ho men Symmachos ÿnin ho de ᾿Akylas to arotron hērmēneusan. Ton de siklon statēra ekalesan. Epi de stathmou ho siklos lambanomenos, hēmionkion eilken; epi de argyriou, eikosin obolous.
For what reason did Israel have no iron? The foreigners, having defeated them, took all the iron and prevented them from acquiring more; so they had their farming tools made among the foreigners. Symmachus rendered “tooth” as “ploughshare,” and Aquila as “plough.” They called the shekel a stater. As a weight, the shekel weighed half an ounce; in silver, twenty obols.
1 Sam 13:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 13:21 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Israel had no iron because the victorious Philistines had taken it and controlled the smiths.
- 1 Sam 13:19–21.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.29 (PG 80 80:555; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-29
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.30PG 80 80:555
Τί δήποτε ὁ Ἰωνάθαν προσβαλεῖν τοῖς πολεμίοις βουλόμενος, σημεῖά τινα δέδωκε τῷ ὀπλοφόρῳ; Οὐ συμβολικῶς δέδωκεν, ἀλλ' ὡς πιστὸς γνῶναι ἠθέλησε τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σημεῖα ἑαυτῷ δέδωκε τοῦ θείου θελήματος· ἵνα εἰ μὲν κληθεῖεν ὑπ' αὐτῶν προσβάλωσιν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ προφανῶς συνεργοῦντος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔφη Καὶ ἀναβησόμεθα, ὅτι παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖρας ἡμῶν· τοῦτο ἡμῖν τὸ σημεῖον. – Ἐὰν δὲ, φησὶν, εἴπωσιν ἡμῖν, ᾿Απόστητε ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἀναβησόμεθα ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς. Ὅτι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ θαῤῥήσας εἰς προῦπτον ἑαυτὸν ἐξέδωκε κίνδυνον, μαρτυροῦσιν οἱ λόγοι. Δεῦρο γὰρ, φησί, διαβῶμεν εἰς τὴν ὑπόστασιν τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων τούτων, εἴπως ποιήσει τι Κύριος ἡμῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τῷ Κυρίῳ συνεχόμενον σώζειν ἐν πολλοῖς ἢ ἐν ὀλίγοις. Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ῥήματα ψυχῆς ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ πεποιθυίας. Οὕτω δὲ θαῤῥήσας οὐκ ἐψεύσθη τῆς ἐλπίδος. Εὐθὺς γὰρ προσβαλών, καὶ βέλος ἀφιεὶς, καὶ λίθους ἀκοντίσας, συνέχεε τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παρεμβολήν. ᾿Αγνοοῦντες γὰρ ἀλλήλους ἀνῄρουν ἐκεῖνοι, ἐκ διαφόρων συνειλεγμένοι πόλεων ὄντες, καὶ ἀλλήλοις ὡς πολεμίοις ἐκέχρηντο. Τοῦτο πόρρωθεν ὁ Σαούλ θεασάμενος, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἱερατικῆς στολῆς τὴν νίκην μεμαθηκώς, ὥρμησε καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων εἶτα τραπέντας ἐκείνους ἰδὼν, ἀνοήτως καὶ ἄγαν ἡλιθίως ἀνεθεμάτισε τὸν τροφῆς ἢ πιτοῦ πρὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας μεταλαμβάνοντα.
Ti dēpote ho Iōnathan prosbalein tois polemiois boulomenos, sēmeia tina dedōke tǭ oplophorǭ? Ou symbolikōs dedōken, all' hōs pistos gnōnai ēthelēse to boulēma tou Theou, kai sēmeia heautǭ dedōke tou theiou thelēmatos; hina ei men klētheien hyp' autōn prosbalōsin, hōs tou Theou prophanōs synergountos. Touto gar ephē Kai anabēsometha, hoti paredōken autous Kyrios eis tas cheiras hēmōn; touto hēmin to sēmeion. – Ean de, phēsin, eipōsin hēmin, ᾿Apostēte ekei, ouk anabēsometha ep᾿ autous. Hoti de tǭ Theǭ tharrhēsas eis proupton heauton exedōke kindynon, martyrousin hoi logoi. Deuro gar, phēsi, diabōmen eis tēn hypostasin tōn aperitmētōn toutōn, eipōs poiēsei ti Kyrios hēmin, hoti ouk esti tǭ Kyriǭ synechomenon sōzein en pollois ē en oligois. Tauta de ta rhēmata psychēs esti tǭ Theǭ pepoithuias. Houtō de tharrhēsas ouk epseusthē tēs elpidos. Euthys gar prosbalōn, kai belos aphieis, kai lithous akontisas, synechee tēn tōn polemiōn parembolēn. ᾿Agnoountes gar allēlous anę̄roun ekeinoi, ek diaphorōn syneilegmenoi poleōn ontes, kai allēlois hōs polemiois ekechrēnto. Touto porrōthen ho Saoul theasamenos, kai dia tēs hieratikēs stolēs tēn nikēn memathēkōs, hōrmēse kai autos kata tōn allophylōn eita trapentas ekeinous idōn, anoētōs kai agan hēlithiōs anethematise ton trophēs ē pitou pro tēs hesperas metalambanonta.
Why did Jonathan, when he wished to attack the enemy, give certain signs to his armor-bearer? He did not give them as omens; as a believer he wished to know God's will, and he set himself signs of the divine will: if they were called by the enemy, they would attack, since God would plainly be working with them. For he said this: “And we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands; this shall be our sign.” “But if,” he says, “they say to us, Stand back there, we will not go up against them.” That he trusted in God and exposed himself to obvious danger is attested by his words: “Come,” he says, “let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will do something for us, for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” These words are those of a soul that trusts in God. And trusting thus, he was not disappointed in his hope. As soon as he attacked, shooting arrows and hurling stones, he threw the enemy camp into confusion. Not recognizing one another, they killed one another, since they had been gathered from different cities, and treated one another as enemies. Saul, seeing this from far off and learning of the victory through the priestly vestment, rushed out himself against the foreigners; then, seeing them routed, he foolishly and very stupidly laid a curse on anyone who took food or drink before evening.
1 Sam 14:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 14:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 14:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 14:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 14:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 14:24 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Jonathan asked God for a sign before his daring attack, and God gave the victory; Saul then foolishly cursed anyone who ate before evening.
- 1 Sam 14:6–24 (quotations: 14:10, 9, 6). The “priestly vestment” is the ephod (14:18 LXX). The arrows and stones are Theodoret's elaboration of 14:13–14.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray bracket; stray marks): Τί (δήποτε → Τί δήποτε; θελήματος τ8· ἵνα → θελήματος· ἵνα; ὡς τ' τοῦ Θεοῦ προφανῶς συνεργοῦντος ». → ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ προφανῶς συνεργοῦντος..
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.30 (PG 80 80:555; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-30
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.