Questions on Kings and Chronicles 1.59–2.18
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 1
1.59PG 80 80:583
Τι δήποτε όμωμοκὼς καὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ κτείνειν, παρέβη τὸν ὅρκον ; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὅρκος τοῦ δικαίου θυμοῦ, ἡ δὲ φειδώ τοῦ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ. Δεξάμενος γὰρ τῆς ᾿Αβιγαίας τὴν ἱκετείαν, ἔσβεσε τὸν θυμόν. ῎Αμεινον γὰρ ἦν παραβῆναι τῆς ἀπειλῆς τὸν ὅρκον, ἢ τοσοῦτον ἐργάσασθαι φόνον. Τὸ δὲ ὑφεὶ σάτα ὁ ᾿Ακύλας ἡρμήνευσε τὸ δὲ γόμορ ἰσόμετρον εἶναι τῷ ὑφεὶ μεμαθήκαμεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεσπεσίου Ἐζεκιήλ προφητείας Τὸ δὲ Νάβαλ ὄνομα εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν μεταβαλλόμενον, τὴν ἀφροσύνην σημαίνει. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ᾿Αβιγαία δεδήλωκε, καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείας ἡ βίβλος *. Ὁ δὲ ᾿Ακύλας οὕτως ἔφη, Νάβαλ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπόῤῥευσις μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ ἔχει διάνοιαν· ἀποῤῥέοντος γὰρ τοῦ λογικοῦ, καὶ σβεννυμένου, τὸ τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἐπιγίνεται πάθος Τὸ δὲ, Καθὼς ἐκώλυσέ σε Κύριος τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αἷμα ἀθῶον, καὶ σώζειν τὰς χεῖράς σου σοι· ὁ ᾿Ακύλας Τοῦ μὴ μυσάζειν εἴρηκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ· ἵνα μὴ μύσους ἐκ τῆς μιαιφονίας ἀναπλησθῇς. Καὶ τὸ, Οὐκ ἔσται σοι βδελυγμὸς καὶ σκάνδαλον καρδίας τῷ κυρίῳ μου· ἀντὶ τοῦ βδελυγμός, νυγμὸς ὁ ᾿Ακύλας εἴρηκεν· αἰνίτ τεται δὲ τὰς τοῦ συνειδότος ἀκίδας. Τὸ δὲ Βαρούχ, Κύριος εὐλογητός. Τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Δαβὶδ εἰρημένον, Εὐλογημένη σὺ εἶ, ἀποκωλύσασά με σήμερον ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αἵματα, καὶ σῶσαι τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐμοὶ, ἁμάρτημα γραφικὸν εἶναι ὑπολαμβάνω. Οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι ἐρμηνευταὶ μὴ μυσῶσαι, εἰρήκασιν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, μὴ μύσους μεταλαχεῖν Τὸν μέντοι Κάρμηλον ἐνταῦθα Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισαρεὺς οὐ τὸ ὄρος εἴρηκεν, ἀλλὰ κώμην τινὰ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν οὕτως ὀνομαζομένην, νότοθεν τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ κειμένην, ἐν ᾗ φασιν ᾠκηκέναι τὸν Νάβαλ.
Ti dēpote omōmokōs kai auton, kai tous syn autǭ kteinein, parebē ton horkon ? Ho men gar horkos tou dikaiou thymou, hē de pheidō tou sōphronos logismou. Dexamenos gar tēs ᾿Abigaias tēn hiketeian, esbese ton thymon. ᾿Ameinon gar ēn parabēnai tēs apeilēs ton horkon, ē tosouton ergasasthai phonon. To de hyphei sata ho ᾿Akylas hērmēneuse to de gomor isometron einai tǭ hyphei memathēkamen ek tēs tou thespesiou Ezekiēl prophēteias To de Nabal onoma eis tēn Hellada phōnēn metaballomenon, tēn aphrosynēn sēmainei. Touto gar kai hē ᾿Abigaia dedēlōke, kai tēs tōn Hebraïkōn onomatōn hermēneias hē biblos *. Ho de ᾿Akylas houtōs ephē, Nabal onoma autǭ, kai aporrheusis met᾿ autou. Tēn autēn de echei dianoian; aporrheontos gar tou logikou, kai sbennymenou, to tēs aphrosynēs epiginetai pathos To de, Kathōs ekōlyse se Kyrios tou mē eiselthein eis haima athōon, kai sōzein tas cheiras sou soi; ho ᾿Akylas Tou mē mysazein eirēken, anti tou; hina mē mysous ek tēs miaiphonias anaplēsthę̄s. Kai to, Ouk estai soi bdelygmos kai skandalon kardias tǭ kyriǭ mou; anti tou bdelygmos, nygmos ho ᾿Akylas eirēken; ainit tetai de tas tou syneidotos akidas. To de Barouch, Kyrios eulogētos. To de hypo tou Dabid eirēmenon, Eulogēmenē sy ei, apokōlysasa me sēmeron en tautę̄ tę̄ hēmerą tou mē eiselthein eis haimata, kai sōsai tēn cheira mou emoi, hamartēma graphikon einai hypolambanō. Hoi gar alloi ermēneutai mē mysōsai, eirēkasin, anti tou, mē mysous metalachein Ton mentoi Karmēlon entautha Eusebios ho Kaisareus ou to oros eirēken, alla kōmēn tina mechri tou nyn houtōs onomazomenēn, notothen tēs Hierousalēm keimenēn, en hę̄ phasin ǭkēkenai ton Nabal.
Why, having sworn to kill both him and those with him, did he break the oath? The oath came from just anger, the sparing from a self-controlled mind. Accepting Abigail's plea, he quenched his anger. For it was better to break the oath of his threat than to commit so great a murder. Aquila rendered the “ephi” as “sata”; and we have learned from the prophecy of the inspired Ezekiel that the gomor is equal in measure to the ephi. The name Nabal, turned into Greek, means folly. Abigail too made this plain, and so does the book of the interpretation of Hebrew names. Aquila put it thus: “Nabal is his name, and outflow is with him.” It has the same sense; for when reason flows away and is quenched, the passion of folly follows. For “as the Lord has kept you from coming into innocent blood and from saving your hands for yourself,” Aquila said “from defiling yourself,” meaning: so that you may not be filled with pollution from the murder. And for “there shall be no abomination or stumbling of heart to my lord,” Aquila said “pricking” instead of “abomination”: it hints at the stings of conscience. “Baruch” means “blessed be the Lord.” What David said, “Blessed are you, who have kept me today, on this day, from coming into blood and from saving my hand for myself,” I take to be a scribal error; for the other translators said “not to be defiled,” meaning “not to share in pollution.” Eusebius of Caesarea says that the Carmel here is not the mountain but a village still so called today, lying south of Jerusalem, in which they say Nabal lived.
1 Sam 25:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 45:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 25:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:26 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:31 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:32 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:2 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David rightly broke a rash oath of vengeance at Abigail's plea; Theodoret explains several words and names in the story.
- 1 Sam 25 (LXX; quotations 25:22, 18, 25, 26, 31, 32, 33). Ezek 45:11 equates the ephah and homer measures. The “book of the interpretation of Hebrew names” is a name-list Theodoret uses repeatedly. Eusebius, Onomasticon, on Carmel; no identifier for this work exists in the site's list, so it is not tagged. A displaced phrase is put back in its place within the answer, and stray repetitions are removed, by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; displaced words restored to their place; repeated syllables; stray syllable; word cut by the OCR; words displaced from later in the answer): – σασθαι φόνον. Τὸ δὲ ὑφεὶ σάτα ὁ ᾿Ακύλας Ὁ μὲν γὰρ → Ὁ μὲν γὰρ; ἐργάἡρμήνευσε → ἐργάσασθαι φόνον. Τὸ δὲ ὑφεὶ σάτα ὁ ᾿Ακύλας ἡρμήνευσε; δεδήλωκε, λωκε, καὶ → δεδήλωκε, καὶ; σοι· νον. ὁ ᾿Ακύλας → σοι· ὁ ᾿Ακύλας; εἰρημέΕὐλογημένη → εἰρημένον, Εὐλογημένη; νόθοθεν → νότοθεν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.59 (PG 80 80:583; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-59). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-59
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-59) · 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.
1.60PG 80 80:585
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ Σαούλ ἐκάθευδεν ἐν τῇ λαμπίνῃ; Λαμπίνη μὲν ἐστιν εἶδος ἁρμαμάξης, ὥσπερ αὖ καὶ ἀπήνη. Ὁ δὲ” ᾿Ακύλας οὐκ εἶπε λαμπίνῃ ἀλλὰ τῇ στρογγυλώσει δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, τὸ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ ὁ κατακεκλῖσθαι" τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ πανταχόθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὀπλοφόρων τειχίζεσθαι• καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἀληθέστερον εἶναι νομίζω· «Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Δαβίδ πρὸς ᾿Αχιμέλεχ τὸν Χέτταῖον, καὶ πρὸς Ἀβεσᾶ υἱὸν Σαρουῖα, ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάβ, λέγων· Τις εἰσελεύσεται μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν πρὸς Σαούλ. Τοιγάρτοι δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος, ὡς μεταξὺ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐκάθευδεν ὁ βασιλεύς. ᾿Αλλ' εἰσῆλθε μὲν θαῤῥαλέως, ἐφείσατο δὲ σωφρόνως, καὶ πεπεδημένον ὕπνῳ λαβὼν οὐκ ἀπέκτεινεν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ᾿Αβεσὰ τοῦτο δρᾶσαι βουληθέντα κεκώλυκεν. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησίν, πρὸς αὐτόν· Μὴ διαφθείρῃς αὐτὸν, ὅτι τίς ἐποίσει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ χριστὸν Κυρίου, καὶ ἀθωωθήσεται;
Pōs noēteon to Saoul ekatheuden en tę̄ lampinę̄? Lampinē men estin eidos harmamaxēs, hōsper au kai apēnē. Ho de” ᾿Akylas ouk eipe lampinę̄ alla tę̄ strongylōsei dēloi de ho logos, to en mesǭ tou laou ho katakeklisthai" ton basilea, kai pantachothen hypo tōn oplophorōn teichizesthai• kai touto mallon alēthesteron einai nomizō; «Eipe gar, phēsi, Dabid pros ᾿Achimelech ton Chettaion, kai pros Abesa huion Sarouia, adelphon Iōab, legōn; Tis eiseleusetai met᾿ emou eis tēn parembolēn pros Saoul. Toigartoi dedēlōken ho logos, hōs metaxy tēs stratias ekatheuden ho basileus. ᾿All' eisēlthe men tharrhaleōs, epheisato de sōphronōs, kai pepedēmenon hypnǭ labōn ouk apekteinen alla kai ton ᾿Abesa touto drasai boulēthenta kekōlyken. Eipe gar, phēsin, pros auton; Mē diaphtheirę̄s auton, hoti tis epoisei cheira autou epi christon Kyriou, kai athōōthēsetai?
How should “Saul was sleeping in the lampene” be understood? A lampene is a kind of covered carriage, like an apene. But Aquila did not say “lampene” but “in the round enclosure.” The phrase shows that the king lay in the middle of the people and was walled in on every side by the men-at-arms; and I think this is more true. For “David said,” it says, “to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” So the phrase showed that the king was sleeping in the middle of the army. He went in boldly, but spared him with self-control; finding him bound by sleep he did not kill him, but even prevented Abishai, who wanted to do it. For he said to him, “Do not destroy him; for who will put his hand on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?”
1 Sam 26:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Saul slept in the midst of his army; David entered boldly but spared him and restrained Abishai.
- 1 Sam 26:5–9 (LXX λαμπήνη). Lines repeating this question's lemma and the note on Carmel from 1.59 are printed after the answer and are removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (marginal and displaced lines printed after the answer; stray letter and mark): ἐκάθευδεν ὁ ἐν τῇ λαμπίνῃ *; → ἐκάθευδεν ἐν τῇ λαμπίνῃ;; ἐν τῇ λαμπίνῃ Λαμπίνη ἀπήνη. γυλώσει : μηλον ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸ ὄρος εἰρηκέναι φησὶν Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισαρείας, ἀλλὰ κώμην τινὰ μέχρι καὶ νῦν οὕτως όνο → .
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.60 (PG 80 80:585; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-60). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-60
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-60) · 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.
1.61PG 80 80:587
Πῶς νοητέον· Ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος παίσῃ αὐτὸν, ἢ ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ ἔλθῃ καὶ ἀποθάνῃ; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸ, Κύριος παίσῃ αὐτὸν, τὴν θεήλατον σημαίνει πληγήν, ἣν καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὑπέμεινε, καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ πολλάκις, καὶ Νάβαλ ὁ Καρμήλιος. Τὸ δὲ, ἢ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ ἔλθῃ, τὸν κατὰ φύσιν ἐπαγόμενον θάνατον, ὃς γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν, ἢ ἐκ πλησμονῆς, ἢ ἐξ ἐνδείας, ἤ τινος τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν χυμῶν πλεονάσαντος. Ὁ δ᾽ ἐν πολέμῳ γινόμενος βίαιος μᾶλλον ἐστιν· ἐῤῥωμένοι γὰρ τὰ σώματα κατακτείνονται. Τὸ μέντοι δόρυ, καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸν φακὸν εἴληφεν ὁ Δαβὶδ ὁ θαυμάσιος, ἵνα τὴν γεγενημένην πάλιν εὐεργεσίαν ἐπιδείξῃ. Πανταχῆ δὲ ὁ συγγραφεὺς τὴν θείαν κηρύττει προμήθειαν. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ ὅτι πάντες ἐκάθευδον, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Θάμβος Κυρίου ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὰ ῥήματα. Δηλοῖ γὰρ ἣν πεποίηται τοῦ δυσμενοῦς βασιλέως κηδεμονίαν· Ζῇ γὰρ Κύριος, φησὶν, ὅτι υἱοὶ θανάτου ὑμεῖς, οἱ μὴ φυλάττοντες τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν τὸν βασιλέα τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου. Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις εἰπὼν, ὡς εἰσῆλθε τις τοῦ λαοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα, ὑπέδειξε τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακόν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Σαούλ ὁ παλίμβουλος, καὶ παμπόνηρος, τὴν φωνὴν ἐπιγνοὺς εἴρηκεν, Ἡ φωνή σου αὕτη, τέκνον Δαβίδ; ὑπολαβών ὁ θεῖος εἶπεν ἀνὴρ, Φωνή μου, Κύριέ μου· δοῦλος σὸς, Κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ. Καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς χειροτονίας - γεγενημένης, καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς χάριτος μεταστάσης, δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν ὠνόμαζε τοῦ γεγυμνωμένου τῆς χάριτος, καὶ τοῦ διψῶντος τοῦ αἵματος. Εἶτα πράως τῷ τῆς σφαγῆς ἐπιμέμφεται πόθῳ· Ἵνα τί τοῦτο καταδιώκει ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀπίσω τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ; Τί ἥμαρτον, ἢ τίς ἐν ἐμοὶ κακία εὑρέθη; Καὶ νῦν ἀκουσάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ. Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπισείει σε ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ, ὀσφρανθείη ἡ θυσία σου. Εἰ δὲ υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἐπικατάρατοι οὗτοι ἐνώπιον Κυρίου. Ἔφη δὲ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν, δι᾽ ἣν αὐτοῖς ἐπηράσατο ὅτι Ἐξέβαλόν με σήμερον, μὴ ἐστηρίχθαι ἐν κληρονομία Κυρίου, λέγοντες, Πορεύου καὶ δούλευε θεοῖς ἑτέροις. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ διὰ ῥημάτων ἔλεγον, ἀλλὰ διὰ πραγμάτων ἠνάγκαζον δρᾶν. Πάντοθεν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐξελαύνοντες, ἀνάγκην ἐπῆγον εἰς τὰς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων πόλεις ὡς ὀχυρὰς καταφεύγειν. ᾿Απέδωκε δὲ καὶ τὸ δόρυ, καὶ τὸν φακὸν, καὶ τῷ δικαίῳ κριτῇ τὴν οἰκείαν κρίσιν ἀνέθηκεν.
Pōs noēteon; Ean mē Kyrios paisę̄ auton, ē hē hēmera autou elthę̄ kai apothanę̄? kai ta hexēs. To, Kyrios paisę̄ auton, tēn theēlaton sēmainei plēgēn, hēn kai ta prōtotoka tōn Aigyptiōn hypemeine, kai ho laos en tę̄ erēmǭ pollakis, kai Nabal ho Karmēlios. To de, ē hēmera autou elthę̄, ton kata physin epagomenon thanaton, hos ginesthai pephyken, ē ek plēsmonēs, ē ex endeias, ē tinos tōn en hēmin chymōn pleonasantos. Ho d᾽ en polemǭ ginomenos biaios mallon estin; errhōmenoi gar ta sōmata katakteinontai. To mentoi dory, kai tou hydatos ton phakon eilēphen ho Dabid ho thaumasios, hina tēn gegenēmenēn palin euergesian epideixę̄. Pantachē de ho syngrapheus tēn theian kēryttei promētheian. Eirēkōs gar hoti pantes ekatheudon, epēgagen, hoti Thambos Kyriou epepesen ep᾿ autous. ᾿Axiagasta de kai auta tou prophētou ta rhēmata. Dēloi gar hēn pepoiētai tou dysmenous basileōs kēdemonian; Zę̄ gar Kyrios, phēsin, hoti huioi thanatou hymeis, hoi mē phylattontes ton kyrion hymōn ton basilea ton christon Kyriou. Kai pros toutois eipōn, hōs eisēlthe tis tou laou apokteinai ton kyrion mou ton basilea, hypedeixe to dory kai ton phakon. Epeidē de Saoul ho palimboulos, kai pamponēros, tēn phōnēn epignous eirēken, Hē phōnē sou hautē, teknon Dabid? hypolabōn ho theios eipen anēr, Phōnē mou, Kyrie mou; doulos sos, Kyrie mou basileu. Kai tēs basilikēs cheirotonias - gegenēmenēs, kai tēs pneumatikēs charitos metastasēs, doulon heauton ōnomaze tou gegymnōmenou tēs charitos, kai tou dipsōntos tou haimatos. Eita praōs tǭ tēs sphagēs epimemphetai pothǭ; Hina ti touto katadiōkei ho kyrios mou ho basileus opisō tou doulou autou? Ti hēmarton, ē tis en emoi kakia heurethē? Kai nyn akousatō dē ho kyrios mou ho basileus ta rhēmata tou doulou autou. Ei ho Theos episeiei se ep᾿ eme, osphrantheiē hē thysia sou. Ei de huioi anthrōpōn, epikataratoi houtoi enōpion Kyriou. Ephē de kai tēn aitian, di᾽ hēn autois epērasato hoti Exebalon me sēmeron, mē estērichthai en klēronomia Kyriou, legontes, Poreuou kai douleue theois heterois. Touto de ou dia rhēmatōn elegon, alla dia pragmatōn ēnankazon dran. Pantothen gar auton exelaunontes, anankēn epēgon eis tas tōn allophylōn poleis hōs ochyras katapheugein. ᾿Apedōke de kai to dory, kai ton phakon, kai tǭ dikaiǭ kritę̄ tēn oikeian krisin anethēken.
How should “unless the Lord strikes him, or his day comes and he dies,” and what follows, be understood? “The Lord strikes him” signifies a blow sent by God, such as the firstborn of the Egyptians suffered, and the people often in the wilderness, and Nabal of Carmel. “Or his day comes” means death that comes naturally, which tends to come either from surfeit, or from want, or from an excess of one of the humors in us. Death in war is rather violent, for men are killed while their bodies are strong. The admirable David took the spear and the jar of water to show again the kindness that had been done. Everywhere the writer proclaims divine providence: having said that all were asleep, he added, “a stupor from the Lord had fallen on them.” The prophet's words too are admirable, for they show the care he took for the hostile king: “As the Lord lives,” he says, “you are sons of death, who do not guard your lord the king, the Lord's anointed.” And besides saying that one of the people had come in to kill “my lord the king,” he showed the spear and the jar. And when Saul, changeable and utterly wicked, recognized his voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”, the divine man answered, “It is my voice, my lord; your servant, my lord the king.” Though he had received royal anointing and the spiritual grace had passed to him, he called himself the servant of the man stripped of grace and thirsting for blood. Then he gently rebukes the desire to kill: “Why does my lord the king pursue his servant? What have I done wrong, or what evil has been found in me? Now let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If God stirs you up against me, let your sacrifice be fragrant; but if it is the sons of men, cursed are they before the Lord.” And he gave the reason for cursing them: “for they have driven me out today, so that I am not established in the Lord's inheritance, saying, Go, serve other gods.” They did not say this in words, but by their deeds they forced him to do it. For by driving him out from everywhere, they compelled him to flee to the cities of the foreigners as strongholds. He returned the spear and the jar and entrusted his case to the just Judge.
1 Sam 26:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 12:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:38 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 26:23 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David leaves Saul's death to God and, after sparing him again, gently reproves him and commits his cause to God.
- 1 Sam 26:10–25 (LXX; quotations 26:10, 12, 16, 17, 18–19). The Egyptian firstborn, Exod 12:29; Nabal, 1 Sam 25:38.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.61 (PG 80 80:587; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-61). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-61
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-61) · 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.
1.62PG 80 80:589
Τί δήποτε τὰ περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τοῦ Σαμουὴλ συγγράψας ἔμπροσθεν, πάλιν αὐτῆς ἐμνήσθη; Μέλλων τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον διηγεῖσθαι, ἠναγκάσθη μνησθῆναι Σαμουήλ τελευτῆς.
Ti dēpote ta peri tēs teleutēs tou Samouēl syngrapsas emprosthen, palin autēs emnēsthē? Mellōn ta kata tēn engastrimython diēgeisthai, ēnankasthē mnēsthēnai Samouēl teleutēs.
Why, having recorded Samuel's death earlier, did he mention it again? Because he was about to narrate the affair of the woman with a familiar spirit, he was obliged to mention Samuel's death.
1 Sam 25:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Samuel's death is mentioned a second time to introduce the story of the medium of Endor.
- 1 Sam 25:1; 28:3. This short question holds one question and answer.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.62 (PG 80 80:589; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-62). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-62
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-62) · 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.
1.63PG 80 80:589
Πῶς τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον νοητέον; Τινές φασιν, ἀληθῶς αὐτὴν ἀνενηνοχέναι τὸν Σαμουήλ. Τινὲς δὲ τοῦτον μὲν τὸν λόγον ἀνέτρεψαν, δαίμονα δὲ τινα λαοπλάνον ἔφησαν δεῖξαι τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ Σαμουήλ, καὶ εἰπεῖν ἃ πολλάκις ἀκήκοε τοῦ Σαμουήλ εἰρηκότος, ἀγνοῆσαι δὲ τὸν χρόνον τῆς τοῦ Σαούλ τελευτῆς. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον ἀνόσιον ἡγοῦμαι καὶ δυσσεβές. Οὐ πείθομαι γὰρ τὰς νέκυας, οὐδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ἀνάγειν ψυχὴν, μήτοιγε προφήτου, καὶ τοσούτου προφήτου. Δῆλον γὰρ, ὡς ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ χωρίῳ διάγουσιν αἱ ψυχαὶ, προσμένουσαι τὴν τῶν σωμάτων ἀνάστασιν. Τοιγάρτοι κομιδῆ δυσσεβὲς τὸ πιστεύειν τοσαύτην ἔχειν τὰς ἐγγαστριμύθους ἰσχύν. Τὸ δὲ γε δεύτερον ἀνοίας μᾶλλον, ἢ δυσσεβείας ἐστί. Τὸν ἀνόσιον γὰρ ἐκεῖνον ἀνατρέψαι πειραθέντες λόγον, ψευδῆ τὴν γεγενημένην ὑπέλαβον πρόῤῥησιν, καὶ τούτου χάριν αὐτὴν τοῖς τοῦ ψεύδους διδασκάλοις ἀνέθεσαν δαίμοσιν. ἐγὼ δὲ ἀναγνοὺς τῶν Παραλειπομένων τὴν βίβλον, εὗρον οὕτως εἰρηκότα τὸν τὴν ἱστορίαν συγγεγραφότα Καὶ ἀπέθανε Σαούλ ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις αὐτοῦ, αἷς ἡνόμησεν ἐν Κυρίῳ κατὰ τὸν λόγον Κυρίου - διότι οὐκ ἐφύλαξεν αὐτὸν, καὶ ὅτι ἐπηρώτησε Σαούλ ἐν τῇ ἐγγαστριμύθῳ τοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι· καὶ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῷ Σαμουὴλ ὁ προφήτης Καὶ οὐκ ἐξεζήτησεν ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. Δῆλον τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, σχηματίσας ὡς ἡβουλήθη τὸ εἶδος τοῦ Σαμουήλ, ἐξήνεγκε τὴν ἀπόφασιν, οὐ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου δρᾶσαι τοῦτο δυνηθείσης, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐξενεγκόντος τὴν ψῆφον. Ακούομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Κἂν ἀπέλθῃ πρὸς τὸν ψευδοπροφήτην, ἐγὼ Κύριος ἀποκριθήσομαι αὐτῷ.» Οὕτω καὶ διὰ τοῦ Βαλαάμ ηὐλόγησε τὸν λαὸν, καὶ διὰ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς μάντεως προηγόρευσε τὰ ἐσόμενα, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης προεθέσπισε σωτηρίαν, οὐ τοῦ μιαροῦ πνεύματος φθεγξαμένου, ἀλλὰ τοῦ θείου καὶ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἐνεργήσαντος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τινες ψευδὴ τὴν πρόῤῥησιν ὑπειλήφασι, προύργου νομίζω καὶ περὶ τούτου βραχέα διεξελθεῖν. Προεῖπεν ὁ συγγραφεὺς, ὅτι Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις συναθροίζουσιν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τὰς παρεμβολὰς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐξέρχονται, καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν εἰς Σωνάμ. Καὶ συναθροίζει Σαούλ πάντα ἄνδρα Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν εἰς Γελβουέ. Καὶ εἶδε Σαούλ τὴν παρεμβολήν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἐφοβήθη, καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ ἐπηρώτησε Σαούλ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Κύριος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς δήλοις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις Δήλους δὲ ἐκάλεσε τὰ διὰ τοῦ ἐφοὺδ σημαινόμενα καὶ εἶπε Σαούλ τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ, Ζητήσατέ μοι γυναῖκα ἐγγαστρίμυθον. Δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς τῶν Ἑβραίων καὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐστρατοπεδευκότων, ἐπεζήτησε τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον ὁ Σαούλ· Εἶδε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἐφοβήθη. καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ σφόδρα. ᾿Απελθὼν δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον, καὶ θεόθεν δεξάμενος τὴν ἀπόφασιν, ἔπεσε παραυτίκα, οὔτε νύκτωρ φαγὼν, ἡνίκα λάθρα καταλιπὼν τὸ στρατόπεδον, τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου πευσόμενος παρεγένετο· οὔτε διὰ πάσης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης. Δεξάμενος δὲ τῆς γυναικὸς – τὴν παράκλησιν ἐδείπνησε, καὶ διανυκτερεύσας κατέλαβε τὴν παράταξιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδίδαξεν ἡ ἱστορία. Καὶ προσήνεγκεν ἐνώπιον Σαούλ, καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν παίδων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔφαγον, καὶ ἀναστάντες ἀπῆλθον τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην. Εἶτα τοῦ φωτὸς ἀνασχόντος γέγονεν ἡ παράταξις. ᾿Αληθὴς δε τοίνυν ἡ πρόῤῥησις, ὅτι Αὔριον σὺ ἀποθανῇ, καὶ Ἰωνάθαν υἱός σου μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ τὴν παρεμβολὴν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ σὲ δώσει Κύριος εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. Τούτων δὲ οὐδὲν ἔτι περιὼν ὁ θεῖος Σαμουήλ προειρήκει, ἀλλὰ μόνην τῆς βασιλείας τὴν στέρησιν· τοῦ δὲ γε Ἰωνάθαν οὐδεμίαν ἐποιήσατο μνήμην. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν προείπε τὸν ὄλεθρον, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἧτταν, καὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τὴν νίκην. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὑποπτεύουσι πλείους ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ διεληλυθέναι ἡμέρας· καὶ τὸν συγγραφέα, κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς Γραφῆς, ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου διήγησιν. Καὶ συνιδεῖν οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ τὴν τελευτὴν προειπὼν ὁ ἱστοριογράφος, πάλιν μετὰ πολλὰ ἔφη διηγήματα Καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἀπέθανε, καὶ ἐκόψατο αὐτὸν πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν Ἀρμαθὲμ τῇ πόλει αὐτοῦ. ᾿Ανέλαβε δὲ τουτὶ τὸ διήγημα, ἵν᾿ ὡς ἔφην, τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον διηγήσηται. Οὕτω καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἀνέλαβεν, ἵνα διδάξῃ ὅπως οἱ σατράπαι τῶν ἀλλοφύλων συμπαρατάξασθαι σφίσι τὸν Δαβὶδ διεκώλυσαν. ὅπως δὲ τὴν Κεϊλὰν καταλαβὼν ἀνάστατον εὗρε γεγενημένην, καὶ ὅτι διώξας τοὺς Αμαληκίτας κατὰ κράτος ἐνίκησε, καὶ πλὴν ὀλίγων κατηκόντισεν ἅπαντας, καὶ τὴν λείαν ἅπασαν ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν τε οἱκείαν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων. Αὐτίκα γοῦν τοῦτο πεπληρωκὼς τὸ διήγημα, ἀνέλαβε τὸν περὶ τοῦ πολέμου τῶν ἀλλοφύλων λόγον· καὶ ἐδίδαξεν ὅπως Ἰωνάθαν καὶ Σαούλ ἀνῃρέθησαν. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ ἡ τῆς δευτέρας ἱστορία τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἀρχή. Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶ, μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν Σαούλ, καὶ Δαβὶδ ἀνέστρεψε τύπτων τὸν ᾿Αμαλήκ, καὶ ἐκάθισε Δαβὶδ ἐν Σεκελὰ ἡμέρας δύο. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἦλθεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ μετὰ Σαούλ, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ διεῤῥωγότα, καὶ γῆ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ. ᾿Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀναγκαῖον οἶμαι πάλιν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ θεῖναι τὰ ῥήματα. Τῆς στρατιᾶς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἀθροιζομένης, εἶδον οἱ σατράπαι σὺν τῷ ᾿Αγχοῦς τὸν Δαβίδ, καὶ δυσχεράναντες ἔπεισαν ὡς πολέμιον ἀπολῦσαι τὸν Δαβίδ. ᾿Αναστρέψας δὲ εὗρε πορθηθεῖσαν τὴν Κεϊλάν. Εὐθὺς οὖν ὁρμήσας καὶ τοὺς ᾿Αμαληκίτας εὑρὼν τοῖς σκύλοις ἐγτρυφῶντας, κατὰ κράτος ἐνίκησε, καὶ σὺν τοῖς οἰκείοις τὸν ἐκείνων ἐκομίσατὸ πλοῦτον. Τούτων γινομένων, καταλιπὼν ὁ Σαούλ τὸ στρατόπεδον, πρὸς τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον ἦκε. Δεξάμενος δὲ τὴν ἀπόφασιν, καὶ μετ᾿ ὀδύνης δεδειπνηκώς, διὰ πάσης μὲν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐποιήσατο τὴν πορείαν, ἕωθεν δὲ κατέλαβε τὸ στρατόπεδον. Εἶτα τῆς συμπλοκῆς γενομένης ἐσφάγη. ᾿Αληθὴς τοίνυν ἡ πρόῤῥησις· θεία γὰρ ἦν οὐ διὰ τοῦ Σαμουήλ, ὡς οἶμαι, γεγενημένη. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ εἴρηκεν ὁ ἐθεάσατο σχῆμα· ὁ δὲ Σαούλ ἐκ τοῦ σχήματος ἑτόπασεν εἶναι τὸν Σαμουήλ· ἡ δὲ ἱστορία τὸ ὀφθὲν Σαμουήλ ὀνομάζει, διὰ τὸ οὕτω ἐκεῖνον πεπιστευκέναι. Οὕτω τοὺς ὀφθέντας τῷ ᾿Ἀβραὰμ ἀγγέλους, καὶ τὸν ἐκείνων δεσπότην, ἄνδρας ὠνόμασεν· ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο νενομικὼς ὁ πατριάρχης παρατέθεικε τράπεζαν. Οὕτω τοὺς οὐκ ὄντας θεοὺς ὀνομάζει θεοὺς καὶ ὁ Κύριος γὰρ ἡμῶν παρὰ πάντας τοὺς θεούς οὕτω κάνταῦθα τὸν ὀφθέντα ἐν σχήματι τοῦ Σαμουήλ, εἴτε ἄγγελον, εἴτε φάσμα τοῦ Σαμουήλ τὸ σχῆμα δεικνύον, ὠνόμασε Σαμουήλ. ἵνα πιστῶς δεξάμενος τὴν ἀπόφασιν στένων ἐξέλθῃ τὸν βίον
Pōs ta kata tēn engastrimython noēteon? Tines phasin, alēthōs autēn anenēnochenai ton Samouēl. Tines de touton men ton logon anetrepsan, daimona de tina laoplanon ephēsan deixai to schēma tou Samouēl, kai eipein ha pollakis akēkoe tou Samouēl eirēkotos, agnoēsai de ton chronon tēs tou Saoul teleutēs. Egō de to men prōton anosion hēgoumai kai dyssebes. Ou peithomai gar tas nekyas, oude tēn tychousan anagein psychēn, mētoige prophētou, kai tosoutou prophētou. Dēlon gar, hōs en allǭ tini chōriǭ diagousin hai psychai, prosmenousai tēn tōn sōmatōn anastasin. Toigartoi komidē dyssebes to pisteuein tosautēn echein tas engastrimythous ischyn. To de ge deuteron anoias mallon, ē dyssebeias esti. Ton anosion gar ekeinon anatrepsai peirathentes logon, pseudē tēn gegenēmenēn hypelabon prorrhēsin, kai toutou charin autēn tois tou pseudous didaskalois anethesan daimosin. egō de anagnous tōn Paraleipomenōn tēn biblon, heuron houtōs eirēkota ton tēn historian syngegraphota Kai apethane Saoul en tais anomiais autou, hais hēnomēsen en Kyriǭ kata ton logon Kyriou - dioti ouk ephylaxen auton, kai hoti epērōtēse Saoul en tę̄ engastrimythǭ tou ekzētēsai; kai apekrinato autǭ Samouēl ho prophētēs Kai ouk exezētēsen en Kyriǭ; kai apekteinen auton. Dēlon toinyn enteuthen, hōs autos ho tōn holōn Theos, schēmatisas hōs hēboulēthē to eidos tou Samouēl, exēnenke tēn apophasin, ou tēs engastrimythou drasai touto dynētheisēs, alla tou Theou kai dia tōn enantiōn exenenkontos tēn psēphon. Akouomen gar autou legontos, Kan apelthę̄ pros ton pseudoprophētēn, egō Kyrios apokrithēsomai autǭ.» Houtō kai dia tou Balaam ēulogēse ton laon, kai dia tou dyssebous manteōs proēgoreuse ta esomena, kai tēn tēs oikoumenēs proethespise sōtērian, ou tou miarou pneumatos phthenxamenou, alla tou theiou kai panagiou Pneumatos energēsantos. Epeidē de tines pseudē tēn prorrhēsin hypeilēphasi, prourgou nomizō kai peri toutou brachea diexelthein. Proeipen ho syngrapheus, hoti En tais hēmerais ekeinais synathroizousin hoi allophyloi tas parembolas autōn, tou exelthein eis polemon epi Israēl; kai exerchontai, kai paremballousin eis Sōnam. Kai synathroizei Saoul panta andra Israēl, kai paremballousin eis Gelboue. Kai eide Saoul tēn parembolēn tōn allophylōn, kai ephobēthē, kai exestē hē kardia autou sphodra, kai epērōtēse Saoul dia tou Kyriou, kai ouk apekrithē autǭ Kyrios, kai en tois hypnois, kai en tois dēlois, kai en tois prophētais Dēlous de ekalese ta dia tou ephoud sēmainomena kai eipe Saoul tois paisin autou, Zētēsate moi gynaika engastrimython. Dēlon toinyn, hōs tōn Hebraiōn kai tōn allophylōn estratopedeukotōn, epezētēse tēn engastrimython ho Saoul; Eide gar, phēsi, tēn parembolēn tōn allophylōn, kai ephobēthē. kai exestē hē kardia autou sphodra. ᾿Apelthōn de pros tēn engastrimython, kai theothen dexamenos tēn apophasin, epese parautika, oute nyktōr phagōn, hēnika lathra katalipōn to stratopedon, tēs engastrimythou peusomenos paregeneto; oute dia pasēs tēs hēmeras ekeinēs. Dexamenos de tēs gynaikos – tēn paraklēsin edeipnēse, kai dianyktereusas katelabe tēn parataxin. Touto gar edidaxen hē historia. Kai prosēnenken enōpion Saoul, kai enōpion tōn paidōn autou, kai ephagon, kai anastantes apēlthon tēn nykta ekeinēn. Eita tou phōtos anaschontos gegonen hē parataxis. ᾿Alēthēs de toinyn hē prorrhēsis, hoti Aurion sy apothanę̄, kai Iōnathan huios sou meta sou, kai tēn parembolēn Israēl, kai se dōsei Kyrios eis cheiras tōn allophylōn. Toutōn de ouden eti periōn ho theios Samouēl proeirēkei, alla monēn tēs basileias tēn sterēsin; tou de ge Iōnathan oudemian epoiēsato mnēmēn. Entautha de kai autou, kai tou Iōnathan proeipe ton olethron, kai tou laou tēn hēttan, kai tōn allophylōn tēn nikēn. ᾿All᾽ hypopteuousi pleious en tǭ metaxy dielēlythenai hēmeras; kai ton syngraphea, kata to idiōma tēs Graphēs, analabein tēn peri tou polemou diēgēsin. Kai synidein ouk ethelousin, hoti kai tou Samouēl tēn teleutēn proeipōn ho historiographos, palin meta polla ephē diēgēmata Kai Samouēl apethane, kai ekopsato auton pas Israēl, kai thaptousin auton en Armathem tę̄ polei autou. ᾿Anelabe de touti to diēgēma, hin᾿ hōs ephēn, ta kata tēn engastrimython diēgēsētai. Houtō kai ta kata ton polemon anelaben, hina didaxę̄ hopōs hoi satrapai tōn allophylōn symparataxasthai sphisi ton Dabid diekōlysan. hopōs de tēn Keïlan katalabōn anastaton heure gegenēmenēn, kai hoti diōxas tous Amalēkitas kata kratos enikēse, kai plēn oligōn katēkontisen hapantas, kai tēn leian hapasan epanēgage, tēn te hoikeian kai tēn ekeinōn. Autika goun touto peplērōkōs to diēgēma, anelabe ton peri tou polemou tōn allophylōn logon; kai edidaxen hopōs Iōnathan kai Saoul anę̄rethēsan. Martyrei de tǭ chronǭ kai hē tēs deuteras historia tōn Basileiōn archē. Egeneto gar, phēsi, meta to apothanein Saoul, kai Dabid anestrepse typtōn ton ᾿Amalēk, kai ekathise Dabid en Sekela hēmeras dyo. Kai egeneto en tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą, kai idou anēr ēlthen ek tēs parembolēs tou laou tou meta Saoul, kai ta himatia autou dierrhōgota, kai gē epi tēs kephalēs autou. ᾿Alla gar anankaion oimai palin en kephalaiǭ theinai ta rhēmata. Tēs stratias tōn allophylōn athroizomenēs, eidon hoi satrapai syn tǭ ᾿Anchous ton Dabid, kai dyscheranantes epeisan hōs polemion apolysai ton Dabid. ᾿Anastrepsas de heure porthētheisan tēn Keïlan. Euthys oun hormēsas kai tous ᾿Amalēkitas heurōn tois skylois egtryphōntas, kata kratos enikēse, kai syn tois oikeiois ton ekeinōn ekomisato plouton. Toutōn ginomenōn, katalipōn ho Saoul to stratopedon, pros tēn engastrimython ēke. Dexamenos de tēn apophasin, kai met᾿ odynēs dedeipnēkōs, dia pasēs men tēs nyktos epoiēsato tēn poreian, heōthen de katelabe to stratopedon. Eita tēs symplokēs genomenēs esphagē. ᾿Alēthēs toinyn hē prorrhēsis; theia gar ēn ou dia tou Samouēl, hōs oimai, gegenēmenē. Ekeinē men gar eirēken ho etheasato schēma; ho de Saoul ek tou schēmatos hetopasen einai ton Samouēl; hē de historia to ophthen Samouēl onomazei, dia to houtō ekeinon pepisteukenai. Houtō tous ophthentas tǭ ᾿Abraam angelous, kai ton ekeinōn despotēn, andras ōnomasen; epeidē touto nenomikōs ho patriarchēs paratetheike trapezan. Houtō tous ouk ontas theous onomazei theous kai ho Kyrios gar hēmōn para pantas tous theous houtō kantautha ton ophthenta en schēmati tou Samouēl, eite angelon, eite phasma tou Samouēl to schēma deiknyon, ōnomase Samouēl. hina pistōs dexamenos tēn apophasin stenōn exelthę̄ ton bion
How should the affair of the woman with a familiar spirit be understood? Some say that she really brought up Samuel. Others overturned this account and said that a demon who leads people astray displayed the form of Samuel and said what it had often heard Samuel say, but did not know the time of Saul's death. I consider the first view unholy and impious. For I am not persuaded that they bring up the dead, not even an ordinary soul, let alone that of a prophet, and so great a prophet. For it is clear that souls live in some other place, awaiting the resurrection of bodies. So it is utterly impious to believe that women with familiar spirits have such power. The second view is a matter of folly rather than impiety. For in trying to overturn that unholy account, they supposed the prediction that was made to be false, and for this reason ascribed it to the demons, the teachers of falsehood. But I, reading the book of Chronicles, found that the writer of the history said this: “And Saul died in his lawless deeds which he committed against the Lord, according to the word of the Lord, because he did not keep it, and because Saul inquired of the woman with a familiar spirit, to seek; and Samuel the prophet answered him; and he did not seek the Lord; and he killed him.” It is clear from this that the God of the universe himself, shaping the form of Samuel as he wished, pronounced the sentence; not that the woman with a familiar spirit was able to do this, but God pronounced his verdict even through his adversaries. For we hear him say, “Even if he goes to the false prophet, I the Lord will answer him.” So too through Balaam he blessed the people, and through the impious soothsayer foretold what would happen and prophesied the salvation of the world; it was not the foul spirit that spoke, but the divine and all-holy Spirit that worked. And since some have supposed the prediction false, I think it useful to go through this briefly too. The writer said earlier: “In those days the foreigners gather their armies to go out to war against Israel; and they go out and encamp at Shunem. And Saul gathers every man of Israel, and they encamp at Gilboa. And Saul saw the camp of the foreigners, and was afraid, and his heart was greatly dismayed; and Saul inquired of the Lord, and the Lord did not answer him, either in dreams or by the Urim or by the prophets.” (He called “Urim” the things signified through the ephod.) “And Saul said to his servants, Seek me a woman with a familiar spirit.” It is clear, then, that Saul sought the woman with a familiar spirit when the Hebrews and the foreigners had already encamped: “For he saw,” it says, “the camp of the foreigners, and was afraid, and his heart was greatly dismayed.” Having gone to the woman and received the sentence from God, he collapsed at once, having eaten nothing either during the night, when he left the camp secretly and came to consult the woman, or during that whole day. Accepting the woman's urging he dined, and after spending the night on the road he reached the battle line. For the history taught this: “And she set it before Saul and before his servants, and they ate, and rose and went away that night.” Then, when the light came up, the battle took place. So the prediction was true: “Tomorrow you will die, and Jonathan your son with you, and the Lord will give the camp of Israel and you into the hands of the foreigners.” The divine Samuel had foretold none of this while he was alive, but only the loss of the kingdom; he made no mention at all of Jonathan. But here he foretold the destruction of both Saul and Jonathan, the defeat of the people, and the victory of the foreigners. But many suspect that several days passed in between; yet the writer, according to the idiom of Scripture, resumed the account of the war. They are unwilling to see that the historian, having told of Samuel's death earlier, said again after many narratives, “And Samuel died, and all Israel mourned him, and they bury him in Armathaim, his city.” He took up this narrative again, as I said, so as to tell of the woman with a familiar spirit. In the same way he took up the account of the war again, to teach how the satraps of the foreigners prevented David from fighting alongside them, and how, reaching Keilah, he found it laid waste, and how he pursued the Amalekites and defeated them by force, killed all but a few, and brought back all the spoil, both his own and theirs. At once, at any rate, having completed this narrative, he resumed the account of the war of the foreigners and taught how Jonathan and Saul were killed. The beginning of the second history of the Kingdoms also bears witness to the timing: “It came to pass,” it says, “after Saul died, that David returned from striking Amalek, and David stayed in Ziklag two days. And on the third day, behold, a man came from the camp of the people that was with Saul, with his clothes torn and earth on his head.” But I think it necessary to set out the events again in summary. When the army of the foreigners was being gathered, the satraps saw David with Achish, and in displeasure persuaded him to send David away as an enemy. Returning, David found Keilah sacked. At once he set out, found the Amalekites reveling in the spoils, defeated them by force, and recovered their wealth along with his own. While this was happening, Saul left the camp and came to the woman with a familiar spirit. Receiving the sentence and dining in grief, he traveled through the whole night, and at dawn reached the camp. Then, when battle was joined, he was slain. So the prediction was true; for it was divine, and was not, I think, made through Samuel. The woman said what form she saw; Saul guessed from the form that it was Samuel; and the history names what was seen Samuel because he believed so. So too it called the angels who appeared to Abraham, and their Master, men, because the patriarch, thinking this, set a table before them. So too it names as gods those who are not gods: “For our Lord is above all gods.” So here too it named Samuel the one who appeared in the form of Samuel, whether an angel or an apparition displaying the form of Samuel, so that Saul, receiving the sentence with belief, might depart this life groaning.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Sam 28:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 10:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 10:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 14:7 (quotation, medium confidence) · Num 23:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 28:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 29:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 31:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 18:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 135:5 (134:5 LXX) (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Neither the medium nor a demon brought up Samuel: God himself pronounced through an apparition in Samuel's form a true sentence on Saul, as the Chronicler and the order of events show.
- 1 Sam 28; 1 Chr 10:13–14 (quoted as Theodoret gives it); Ezek 14:7 (quoted loosely); Balaam, Num 22–24; Abraham's visitors, Gen 18:2–8; Ps 135:5 (LXX 134:5); 1 Sam 28:4–7, 19, 25; 25:1; 29–30; 2 Sam 1:1–2. Theodoret names Keilah where 1 Sam 30:1 has Ziklag; translated as written. The Greek of the sentence beginning “But many suspect” was damaged: its missing words (“that several days passed in between; and the writer”) had been displaced into the quotation of 28:6 and are put back by logged corrections. Further displaced matter is removed by logged corrections: a marginal variant (“not even an ordinary soul … can women with familiar spirits bring up, let alone a prophet”) printed before the Balaam sentence, and a longer variant paragraph printed inside the word “form” near the end, which makes the same point (the intervening narrative misleads readers unfamiliar with Scripture's idiom into thinking time passed between the prophecy and Saul's death). Theodoret's view of the souls of the dead is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced variant paragraph printed inside the word σχήματος; displaced words restored to their place; stray letter; marginal variant printed inside the sentence; repeated particle; repeated syllable; stray footnote mark; stray footnote marks; stray letter; stray letters; stray mark; stray syllable; word split by the OCR; words displaced from later in the answer): δυσσεβές *. → δυσσεβές.; σχη ματίσας → σχηματίσας; δυνηθείσης ι, → δυνηθείσης,; Οὕτω καὶ διὰ οὐδὲ τυχόντος ψυχὴν δυνατὸν τὰς ἐγγαστριμύθους, μήτιγε προφήτου καὶ τηλικούτου ἀνενεγκεῖν. Δῆλον, εἰα., τοῦ Βαλαάμ → Οὕτω καὶ διὰ τοῦ Βαλαάμ; ἐνεργήσαντος **. → ἐνεργήσαντος.; ἐξέρχον ται → ἐξέρχονται; καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις, ῃ τῷ μεταξὺ διεληλυθέναι ἡμέρας· καὶ τὸν συγγρακαὶ ἐν τοῖς δήλοις → καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὕπνοις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς δήλοις; εἶπε *8 Σαούλ → εἶπε Σαούλ; παρεγένετο δι· → παρεγένετο·; τὴν παράκλησιν σε ἐδείπνησε → τὴν παράκλησιν ἐδείπνησε; ἐν ώπιον → ἐνώπιον; καὶ σὲ σε δώσει → καὶ σὲ δώσει; Τούτων δ' δὲ → Τούτων δὲ; πλείους ἐν φέα, κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς Γραφῆς, ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν À περὶ → πλείους ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ διεληλυθέναι ἡμέρας· καὶ τὸν συγγραφέα, κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς Γραφῆς, ἀναλαβεῖν τὴν περὶ; αὐτοῦ. ὁ ᾿Ανέλαβε → αὐτοῦ. ᾿Ανέλαβε; ἐκ τοῦ σχήμεταξὺ λογηθεῖσα ἱστορία πλάνην ἐμποιεῖ τοῖς ἀπειροτέροις τῶν ἰδιωμάτων τῆς Γραφῆς, ὡς μετὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου ἐ ου ἐπαναστρέψαι τὸν Σαούλ Σαούλ ἐκεῖνα συνέπεσε. Διὸ καὶ πλείονα διελθεῖν νομίζουσι χρόνον μεταξύ τῶν προῤῥήσεων καὶ τῆς σφαγῆς· τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔχον οὕτως, ἀνάπαλιν δὲ· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν Δαβὶδ τελεσθῆναι, τότε Σαούλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον τρέχει, καὶ ἐκεῖθεν τῇ ἐπαύριον τὸ στρατόπεδον ματος → ἐκ τοῦ σχήματος; τῷ ᾿Ἀβραὰμ το ἀγγέλους → τῷ ᾿Ἀβραὰμ ἀγγέλους; ἐπειδὴ " τοῦτο → ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο.
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.63 (PG 80 80:589; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-63). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-63
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-63) · 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.
1.64PG 80 80:595
Καὶ πόθεν ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος τὸν Σαούλ ἐπέγνω; Εὐπετὲς ἦν τῷ λαοπλάνῳ δαίμονι διδάξαι τίς ὁ διαλεγόμενος. Τὸ μέντοι τὸν Δαβὶδ μὴ συμπαρατάξασθαι τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις, θείας οἰκονομίας εἶναι ὑπείληφα. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν περιεῖδε τὸν λαὸν διολλύμενον ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Σαούλ ἐποιήσατο πρόνοιαν.
Kai pothen hē engastrimythos ton Saoul epegnō? Eupetes ēn tǭ laoplanǭ daimoni didaxai tis ho dialegomenos. To mentoi ton Dabid mē symparataxasthai tois allophylois, theias oikonomias einai hypeilēpha. Ou gar an perieide ton laon diollymenon alla pasan kai tou laou, kai tou Saoul epoiēsato pronoian.
And how did the woman with a familiar spirit recognize Saul? It was easy for the demon who leads people astray to tell her who was speaking. That David did not fight alongside the foreigners I take to have been God's dispensation; for he would not have looked on while the people were destroyed, but took every care both of the people and of Saul.
1 Sam 28:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 29:4 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: A demon told the medium who Saul was; God kept David from fighting with the Philistines against Israel.
- 1 Sam 28:12; 29:1–11.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.64 (PG 80 80:595; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-64). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-64
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-64) · 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.
1.65PG 80 80:595
Τι δήποτε συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν ἐξανδραποδισθῆναι, καὶ τὰ παιδία; Ἵν᾿ ἀλγοῦντες τοῖς ᾿Αμαληκίταις ἐπιστρατεύσωσι, καὶ τὴν πανωλεθρίαν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν θείαν ἐπενέγκωσι πρόῤῥησιν· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, καὶ ἵνα λείαν πλείστην λαβὼν πέμψῃ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις. καὶ εἰς εὔνοιαν αὐτοὺς ἀφελκύσηται πλείονα. Τὸ δὲ σύστρεμμα γαδδούρ ὁ Ἑβραῖος καλεῖ, ὁ ἑτέρωθι ἑρμηνεύεται πειρατήριον. Καλεῖται δὲ οὕτω τὸ λῃστρικὸν σύστημα. Τοὺς δὲ διακοσίους ἄνδρας, ἀτονήσαντας ἐκ τοῦ δρόμου μεμενηκέναι φησὶν ὁ ᾿Ακύλας οἷς πονηροί τινες οὐκ ἠβουλήθησαν ἀπονεῖμαι τὴν προσήκουσὰν μοῖραν. Αλλ' ὁ δικαιότατος βασιλεὺς οὐ μόνον τότε δέδωκεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμον τέθεικεν, ὥστε τοὺς σκευοφόρους τῶν ἴσων τοῖς παραταττομένοις μεταλαγχάνειν. Ιστέον μέντοι, ὡς ὁ ᾿Ακύλας τῷ Ἑβραίῳ ἑπόμενος οὐ διεῖλεν ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης τὴν δευτέραν τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἱστορίαν, ἀλλὰ μίαν τὰς δύο πεποίηκεν.
Ti dēpote synechōrēsen ho Theos, kai tas gynaikas autōn exandrapodisthēnai, kai ta paidia? Hin᾿ algountes tois ᾿Amalēkitais epistrateusōsi, kai tēn panōlethrian autois kata tēn theian epenenkōsi prorrhēsin; pros de toutois, kai hina leian pleistēn labōn pempsę̄ tois allophylois. kai eis eunoian autous aphelkysētai pleiona. To de systremma gaddour ho Hebraios kalei, ho heterōthi hermēneuetai peiratērion. Kaleitai de houtō to lę̄strikon systēma. Tous de diakosious andras, atonēsantas ek tou dromou memenēkenai phēsin ho ᾿Akylas hois ponēroi tines ouk ēboulēthēsan aponeimai tēn prosēkousan moiran. All' ho dikaiotatos basileus ou monon tote dedōken, alla kai nomon tetheiken, hōste tous skeuophorous tōn isōn tois paratattomenois metalanchanein. Isteon mentoi, hōs ho ᾿Akylas tǭ Hebraiǭ hepomenos ou dieilen apo tēs prōtēs tēn deuteran tōn Basileiōn historian, alla mian tas dyo pepoiēken.
Why did God allow their wives and children too to be carried off as captives? So that in their grief they would march against the Amalekites and bring utter destruction on them according to the divine prophecy; and besides, so that David, taking a great deal of spoil, might send it to the foreigners and win their good will further. The Hebrew calls the band “gaddour,” which elsewhere is translated “raiding party”; a band of robbers is so called. Aquila says that the two hundred men stayed behind because they were exhausted from the march; certain wicked men were unwilling to give them their proper share. But the most just king not only gave it then, but also made a law that those who stay with the baggage should receive an equal share with those in the battle line. It should be known, however, that Aquila, following the Hebrew, did not divide the second history of the Kingdoms from the first, but made the two one.
1 Sam 30:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 17:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · Deut 25:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 30:8 (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 30:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:24 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 30:26 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God allowed the raid on Ziklag so that David would destroy Amalek and gain spoil; David fairly shared the spoil with those left behind.
- 1 Sam 30 (LXX γεδδούρ, 30:8, 15; the two hundred, 30:10, 21–25). The sending of spoil was to the elders of Judah in 30:26–31; Theodoret says “to the foreigners”, translated as written. The Amalekites' destruction, Exod 17:14; Deut 25:19. A displaced line belonging to 1.63 (on Abraham's table and on “gods” that are not gods) printed after the answer is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced lines from question 1.63 printed after the answer; stray letters; stray letters and word split by the OCR; word split by the OCR): ἀλγοῦντες το τοῖς ᾿Αμαληκίταις ἐπιστρατεύ σωσι → ἀλγοῦντες τοῖς ᾿Αμαληκίταις ἐπιστρατεύσωσι; λείαν το πλείστην λαβὼν η πέμψῃ → λείαν πλείστην λαβὼν πέμψῃ; ἀφελκύσηται το πλείονα → ἀφελκύσηται πλείονα; διεῖ λεν → διεῖλεν; καὶ τράπεζαν αὐτοῖς ὁ πατριάρχης ὡς ἀνθρώποις παρέθηκεν. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς οὐκ ὄντας θεοὺς ὀνομάζει → .
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 1.65 (PG 80 80:595; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-65). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/1-65
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-1-65) · 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.
Chapter 2
2.1PG 80 80:597
Τινὲς ἐπιμέμφονται τῷ Δαβίδ, ὡς πεφονευκότι τὸν μεμηνυκότα τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Σαούλ; Θαυμάζειν οὖν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ψέγειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προσήκει, τὸν προφήτην καὶ βασιλέα. Δυσμενοῦς γὰρ ἀνδρὸς ἀκούσας σφαγὴν ἐθρήνησεν καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐθρήνησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πικρῶς ὡλοφύρατο ὁ δὲ μεμηνυκὼς οὐδὲν ἠδικημένος ἐπετώθαζε τῷ θανάτῳ· καὶ ταῦτα οὐ μόνον τοῦ Σαούλ πεπτωκότος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν, ὃς ἀξιέπαινος ἦν, καὶ πλείστου στρατοῦ σὺν ἐκείνοις. Ἔπειτα καὶ ψεῦδος τοῖς λόγοις προσέθηκεν, ἑαυτὸν σφαγέα τοῦ Σαούλ ὀνομάσας. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, καὶ ᾿Αμαληκίτης ἦν, καθ' οὗ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Κύριος πάλαι τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ψῆφον ἐξενηνόχει. Ἀξιάγαστα δὲ καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὰ ῥήματα Πῶς γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐφοβήθης ἐπενεγκεῖν τὴν χεῖρά σου διαφθείραι τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου; Τὸ αἷμά δὲ σου ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν σου· ὅτι τὸ στόμα σου ἀπεκρίθη κατὰ σοῦ, λέγον, Ἐγὼ τεθανάτωκα τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου.
Tines epimemphontai tǭ Dabid, hōs pephoneukoti ton memēnykota ton thanaton tou Saoul? Thaumazein oun, all᾽ ou psegein, kai dia touto prosēkei, ton prophētēn kai basilea. Dysmenous gar andros akousas sphagēn ethrēnēsen kai ou monon ethrēnēsen, alla kai pikrōs hōlophyrato ho de memēnykōs ouden ēdikēmenos epetōthaze tǭ thanatǭ; kai tauta ou monon tou Saoul peptōkotos, alla kai tou Iōnathan, hos axiepainos ēn, kai pleistou stratou syn ekeinois. Epeita kai pseudos tois logois prosethēken, heauton sphagea tou Saoul onomasas. Pros de toutois, kai ᾿Amalēkitēs ēn, kath' hou ho tōn holōn Kyrios palai tou thanatou tēn psēphon exenēnochei. Axiagasta de kai auta tou prophētou ta rhēmata Pōs gar, phēsin, ouk ephobēthēs epenenkein tēn cheira sou diaphtheirai ton christon Kyriou? To haima de sou epi tēn kephalēn sou; hoti to stoma sou apekrithē kata sou, legon, Egō tethanatōka ton christon Kyriou.
Some find fault with David for having killed the man who reported Saul's death. The prophet and king ought rather to be admired, and not blamed, for this. On hearing of the slaughter of a man who was his enemy he lamented, and not only lamented but mourned bitterly; while the messenger, who had suffered no wrong, was gloating over the death; and this when not only Saul had fallen, but also Jonathan, who was praiseworthy, and a very large army with them. Then he added a lie to his words, naming himself Saul's slayer. Besides, he was an Amalekite, against whom the Lord of the universe had long ago pronounced the sentence of death. The prophet's words too are admirable: “How,” he says, “were you not afraid to put out your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed? Your blood be on your head; for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, I have put the Lord's anointed to death.”
2 Sam 1:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 17:14 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David rightly punished the Amalekite who gloated over Saul's death and falsely claimed to have killed him.
- The question is put as an objection; it holds one question and answer. 2 Sam 1:1–16 (quotations 1:14, 16). The ban on Amalek, Exod 17:14; Deut 25:19.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR accent error; word split by the OCR): πεφονευ – κότι → πεφονευκότι; προσἡκει → προσήκει.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.1 (PG 80 80:597; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-1) · 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.
2.2PG 80 80:597
Τί ἐστι χλιδών; Κόσμος ἐστὶ χρυσοῦς, ἢ τοῖς βραχίοσι περιτιθέμενος, ἢ τοῖς καρποῖς τῶν χειρῶν. Τοῦτο κὰνταῦθα δεδήλωκε, καὶ τὸν χλιδόνα, τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βραχίονος αὐτοῦ. Ὅθεν ὁ ᾿Ακύλας βραχιάλιον αὐτὸ κέκληκεν.
Ti esti chlidōn? Kosmos esti chrysous, ē tois brachiosi peritithemenos, ē tois karpois tōn cheirōn. Touto kantautha dedēlōke, kai ton chlidona, ton epi tou brachionos autou. Hothen ho ᾿Akylas brachialion auto keklēken.
What is a chlidon? It is a gold ornament put either on the arms or on the wrists. Here too it showed this: “and the chlidon that was on his arm.” That is why Aquila called it an armlet.
2 Sam 1:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The chlidon taken from Saul was a gold arm ornament.
- 2 Sam 1:10 (LXX χλιδών).
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.2 (PG 80 80:597; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-2) · 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.
2.3PG 80 80:597
Τίνος χάριν ὁ προφήτης ἐπένθησεν ; Πολλὰ τὸν θρῆνον εἰργάσατο. Τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν ὁ πόθος, ἡ περὶ τὸν λαὸν φιλοστοργία, τῶν δυσσεβῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἡ νίκη· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις, τοῦ Σαούλ ἡ σφαγή. Ὃν γὰρ ἡδεῖτο ζῶντα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἠλέει τεθνηκότα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει Καὶ ἐκόψαντο, καὶ ἔκλαυσαν, καὶ ἐνήστευσαν ἕως δείλης, ἐπὶ Σαούλ, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰωνάθαν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἐπλήγησαν ἐν ρομφαίᾳ.
Tinos charin ho prophētēs epenthēsen ? Polla ton thrēnon eirgasato. Tou Iōnathan ho pothos, hē peri ton laon philostorgia, tōn dyssebōn allophylōn hē nikē; kai pros toutois, tou Saoul hē sphagē. Hon gar hēdeito zōnta, pollǭ mallon ēleei tethnēkota. Touto de kai hē historia didaskei Kai ekopsanto, kai eklausan, kai enēsteusan heōs deilēs, epi Saoul, kai epi Iōnathan ton huion autou, kai epi ton laon Iouda, kai epi ton oikon Israēl, hoti eplēgēsan en romphaią.
Why did the prophet mourn? Many things produced the lament: his longing for Jonathan, his love for the people, the victory of the impious foreigners, and besides these, the slaughter of Saul. For the one he respected while alive he pitied much more when dead. The history teaches this too: “And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Judah and for the house of Israel, because they had been struck by the sword.”
2 Sam 1:12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David mourned for Jonathan, for the people, for the Philistines' victory, and for Saul himself.
- 2 Sam 1:12 (LXX).
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.3 (PG 80 80:597; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-3) · 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.
2.4PG 80 80:599
Ποῖόν ἐστι τὸ βιβλίον τὸ εὐθές Δῆλόν ἐστι κάντεῦθεν, ὡς ἐκ πολλῶν προφητικῶν βιβλίων ἡ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἱστορία συνεγράφη. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὁ συγγραφεὺς τὰ περὶ τοῦ θρήνου, προσέθηκεν· Ἰδοὺ γέγραπται ἐπὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ εὐθοῦς.
Poion esti to biblion to euthes Dēlon esti kanteuthen, hōs ek pollōn prophētikōn bibliōn hē tōn Basileiōn historia synegraphē. Eipōn gar ho syngrapheus ta peri tou thrēnou, prosethēken; Idou gegraptai epi tou bibliou tou euthous.
What is the Book of the Upright? It is clear from this passage too that the history of the Kingdoms was composed from many prophetic books. For the writer, after telling of the lament, added, “Behold, it is written in the Book of the Upright.”
2 Sam 1:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Josh 10:13 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The reference to the Book of the Upright shows that Kingdoms was compiled from earlier prophetic books.
- 2 Sam 1:18. The printed question lacks a question mark; the question is present.
Topics: Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.4 (PG 80 80:599; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-4) · 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.
2.5PG 80 80:599
Πῶς νοητέον, «᾿Ακρίβασαι, Ἰσραὴλ, περὶ τῶν τεθνηκότων σου τραυματιῶν Μὴ σμικράν τινα, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν τυχοῦσαν ὑπολάβῃς εἶναι τὴν γεγενημένην πληγήν· ἀλλὰ λόγισαι τίνες οἱ πεπτωκότες, ὅτι βασιλεὺς, καὶ βασιλέως υἱὸς, καὶ τῶν ὁμοφύλων οἱ ἄριστοι. Ὅτι δὲ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ἠνίᾳ τὸ πάθος, μαρτυρεῖ τὰ ἑξῆς Μή ἀπέλθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς Γὲθ, μηδὲ εὐαγγελίσησθε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ᾿Ασκάλωνος, ὅπως μὴ εὐφρανθῶσι θυγατέρες ἀλλοφύλων, μηδὲ γαυριάσωσι θυγατέρες ἀπεριτμήτων.»
Pōs noēteon, «᾿Akribasai, Israēl, peri tōn tethnēkotōn sou traumatiōn Mē smikran tina, phēsi, kai tēn tychousan hypolabę̄s einai tēn gegenēmenēn plēgēn; alla logisai tines hoi peptōkotes, hoti basileus, kai basileōs huios, kai tōn homophylōn hoi aristoi. Hoti de sphodra auton ēnią to pathos, martyrei ta hexēs Mē apelthete gar, phēsin, eis Geth, mēde euangelisēsthe en tais hodois ᾿Askalōnos, hopōs mē euphranthōsi thygateres allophylōn, mēde gauriasōsi thygateres aperitmētōn.»
How should “Consider carefully, Israel, concerning your dead, the wounded” be understood? Do not suppose, he says, that the blow that has fallen is small or ordinary; but reckon who have fallen: a king, and a king's son, and the best of our countrymen. That the calamity grieved him greatly is attested by what follows: “Do not go to Gath,” he says, “nor announce it in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the foreigners rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.”
2 Sam 1:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 1:20 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David's lament calls Israel to weigh the greatness of its loss and not let the Philistines rejoice.
- 2 Sam 1:19–20 (LXX). The printed question lacks a question mark; the question is present.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.5 (PG 80 80:599; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-5) · 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.
2.6PG 80 80:599
Τι δήποτε τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἐπηράσατο τοῖς Γελβουέ; Δηλοῖ καὶ τοῦτο τὴν τῆς ὀδύνης ὑπερβολήν. Καθἀπερ γὰρ οἱ μόριόν τι τοῦ σώματος κακῶς διακείμενοι, ἢ τοῖς τοίχοις, ἢ τῇ κλίνῃ προσαράσσουσι τὰς χεῖρας, διὰ τὰς τῆς ἀλγηδόνος ἀκίδας οὕτως ὁ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἀθυμίας φλεγόμενος, τοῖς ἀψύχοις ὄρεσιν ἐπηράσατο.
Ti dēpote tois oresin epērasato tois Gelboue? Dēloi kai touto tēn tēs odynēs hyperbolēn. Kathaper gar hoi morion ti tou sōmatos kakōs diakeimenoi, ē tois toichois, ē tę̄ klinę̄ prosarassousi tas cheiras, dia tas tēs algēdonos akidas houtōs ho theios ekeinos anēr, hypo tēs pollēs athymias phlegomenos, tois apsychois oresin epērasato.
Why did he curse the mountains of Gilboa? This too shows the excess of his grief. As people suffering in some part of the body beat their hands against the walls or the bed because of the stabs of pain, so that divine man, burning with great despondency, cursed the lifeless mountains.
2 Sam 1:21 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David's curse on the mountains of Gilboa expresses the intensity of his grief.
- 2 Sam 1:21. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR; word split by the OCR with stray letter): διακεί μενοι → διακείμενοι; φλεγόΟ μενος → φλεγόμενος.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.6 (PG 80 80:599; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-6) · 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.
2.7PG 80 80:599
Τινὲς κωμῳδοῦσι τὸ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν εἰρημένον, «Ἐπέπεσεν ἡ ἀγάπη σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, ὡς ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν γυναικῶν Ὡς ἡλίθιοι τοῦτο πάσχουσιν. Ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, ὡς δεῖξαι βουληθεὶς τῆς φιλοστοργίας τὸ θερμόν τε καὶ γνήσιων, τὴν εἰκόνα παρήγαγε. Τοσαύτη γάρ ἐστι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα διάθεσις, ὡς τὸν περὶ τοῦ γάμου νόμον εἰπεῖν· ε Ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Ἐλκανᾶ δεδήλωκε τὴν "Ανναν ψυχαγωγῶν· «Οὐκ ἀγαθός σοι γὰρ ἐγὼ, ἔφη, ὑπὲρ δέκα δευτέρους ποιεῖν εἰς ἀγάπησιν. Ωσπερ τοίνυν ὁ ἔννομος γάμος τοὺς συναφθέντας σάρκα μίαν ποιεῖ, οὕτω τῶν εἰλικρινῶς ἀγαπώντων ἑνοῖ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡ διάθεσις.
Tines kōmǭdousi to peri tou Iōnathan eirēmenon, «Epepesen hē agapē sou ep' eme, hōs hē agapē tōn gynaikōn Hōs hēlithioi touto paschousin. Edei gar autous synidein, hōs deixai boulētheis tēs philostorgias to thermon te kai gnēsiōn, tēn eikona parēgage. Tosautē gar esti tou andros hē peri tēn gynaika diathesis, hōs ton peri tou gamou nomon eipein; e Anti toutou kataleipsei anthrōpos ton patera autou, kai tēn mētera autou, kai proskollēthēsetai pros tēn gynaika hautou, kai esontai hoi dyo eis sarka mian. Touto kai ho Elkana dedēlōke tēn "Annan psychagōgōn; «Ouk agathos soi gar egō, ephē, hyper deka deuterous poiein eis agapēsin. Ōsper toinyn ho ennomos gamos tous synaphthentas sarka mian poiei, houtō tōn eilikrinōs agapōntōn henoi tas psychas hē diathesis.
Some mock what is said about Jonathan: “Your love fell upon me like the love of women.” They react this way because they are fools. They ought to have seen that, wishing to show the warmth and genuineness of his affection, he brought in this comparison. For so great is a husband's attachment to his wife that the law concerning marriage says, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” Elkanah too showed this when he consoled Hannah: “Am I not better to you,” he said, “than ten children?” As, then, the union of those joined by the law of marriage makes them one flesh, so the affection of those who love sincerely unites their souls.
2 Sam 1:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 1:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David's comparison of Jonathan's love to the love of women expresses the depth of a pure friendship that unites souls, as marriage unites two in one flesh.
- 2 Sam 1:26 (LXX); Gen 2:24; 1 Sam 1:8 (LXX). The question is put as an objection and the printed text lacks a question mark. A displaced fragment (a line of the lament, 2 Sam 1:19, and a broken first form of the closing comparison) is removed by a logged correction; the edition prints the comparison twice and the fuller form is kept.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced fragment and a duplicated form of the sentence printed in the text; repeated word; word split by the OCR): ὡς ὡς ἡ ἀγάπη → ὡς ἡ ἀγάπη; οὕτως Ἰσραὴλ ὑπὲρ τῶν τεθνηκότων ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη σου τραυσιν γυναικῶν. τέκνα ; "Ωσπερ τοίνυν τοὺς νόμῳ γάμου συνελθόντας ἡ συνάφεια σάρκα μίαν ἀποτελεῖ, οὕτω → οὕτω; διά - θεσις → διάθεσις.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.7 (PG 80 80:599; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-7) · 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.
2.8PG 80 80:601
Τίνος χάριν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Δαβὶδ πρῶτον εἰς τὴν Χεβρὼν ἀνελθεῖν προσέταξεν; Τὸ μὲν ἀληθὲς αὐτὸς ὁ κελεύσας ἐπίσταται ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι διὰ τὸ τοὺς πατριάρχας κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν καὶ ζῶντας οἰκῆσαι, καὶ τελευτήσαντας ἀξιωθῆναι ταφῆς. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ δι' ἕτερον, ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς ὁ θειότατος Δαβίδ· ταύτης δὲ τῆς φυλῆς κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν μητρόπολις ἦν ἡ Χεβρών· ἔτι γὰρ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ οἱ Ἰεβουσαῖοι κατεῖχον. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Ἰούδα φυλὴ τὸν Δαβίδ, ὡς φυλέτην, πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ἠγάπα. Ὅτι δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπρώτευσεν ἡ Χεβρών, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. ᾿Ανῆλθον γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ κατώκησαν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι Χεβρών. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὸ ἕτερον ἀληθὲς, δηλοῖ τὰ ἑξῆς· Καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἄνδρες Ἰούδα, καὶ χρίουσιν ἐκεῖ τὸν Δαβίδ, τοῦ βασιλεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα. Τὸ δὲ, χρίουσιν ἀντὶ τοῦ χειροτονοῦσι τέθεικεν. Ἐκεχρίκει γὰρ αὐτὸν τῷ θείῳ ἐλαίῳ Σαμουὴλ ὁ προφήτης. Ὁ δὲ ᾿Αβεννὴρ ἀντεχειροτόνησε τὸν Μεμφιβοσθὲ, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Σαούλ, ὃν οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ Ἱσβαὰλ ὀνομάζουσι καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν Ῥαμὰ καὶ τὴν Γαβαὼν, τὰ τοῦ Σαοὺλ οἰκητήρια, διέβη τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ τὰς καλουμένας παρεμβολὰς βασιλικὴν ἀπέφηνε πόλιν
Tinos charin ho Theos ton Dabid prōton eis tēn Chebrōn anelthein prosetaxen? To men alēthes autos ho keleusas epistatai egō de oimai dia to tous patriarchas kat' ekeinēn tēn polin kai zōntas oikēsai, kai teleutēsantas axiōthēnai taphēs. Pros de toutois kai di' heteron, ek tēs Iouda phylēs ho theiotatos Dabid; tautēs de tēs phylēs kat᾿ ekeinon ton kairon mētropolis ēn hē Chebrōn; eti gar tēn Hierousalēm hoi Iebousaioi kateichon. Hē de tou Iouda phylē ton Dabid, hōs phyletēn, pleon tōn allōn ēgapa. Hoti de tōn allōn eprōteusen hē Chebrōn, hē historia didaskei. ᾿Anēlthon gar, phēsi, kai katōkēsan en tais polesi Chebrōn. Hoti de kai to heteron alēthes, dēloi ta hexēs; Kai erchontai hoi andres Iouda, kai chriousin ekei ton Dabid, tou basileuein epi ton oikon Iouda. To de, chriousin anti tou cheirotonousi tetheiken. Ekechrikei gar auton tǭ theiǭ elaiǭ Samouēl ho prophētēs. Ho de ᾿Abennēr antecheirotonēse ton Memphibosthe, ton huion tou Saoul, hon hoi alloi hermēneutai Hisbaal onomazousi kai katalipōn tēn Rhama kai tēn Gabaōn, ta tou Saoul oikētēria, diebē ton Iordanēn, kai tas kaloumenas parembolas basilikēn apephēne polin
Why did God command David to go up to Hebron first? The one who gave the command knows the true reason; but I think it was because the patriarchs lived in that city during their life and were granted burial there after their death. And besides, for another reason: the most divine David was of the tribe of Judah, and at that time Hebron was the chief city of that tribe, since the Jebusites still held Jerusalem. The tribe of Judah loved David more than the others did, as a fellow tribesman. That Hebron was first among the others the history teaches: “They went up,” it says, “and settled in the cities of Hebron.” That the other point is true too is shown by what follows: “And the men of Judah come and anoint David there to reign over the house of Judah.” He put “anoint” for “appoint”; for Samuel the prophet had anointed him with the divine oil. Abner set up Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, as rival king (the other translators name him Isbaal); and leaving Ramah and Gibeon, Saul's residences, he crossed the Jordan and made the place called “the camps” the royal city.
2 Sam 2:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 23:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 16:13 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David went first to Hebron, the patriarchs' city and the chief city of his own tribe Judah, where Judah made him king, while Abner set up Saul's son as a rival.
- 2 Sam 2:1–9 (quotations 2:3, 4). Theodoret calls Saul's son Mephibosheth where the Hebrew has Ish-bosheth (LXX Memphibosthe; Aquila and others Isbaal); translated as written. “The camps” renders the LXX Παρεμβολαί, i.e. Mahanaim. The patriarchs' burial at Hebron, Gen 23:19; 49:31; 50:13.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote mark; stray mark): Καὶ ἔρχονται ' οἱ → Καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ; τέθεικεν *. → τέθεικεν..
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.8 (PG 80 80:601; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-8) · 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.
2.9PG 80 80:601
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀβεννήρ εἰρημένον, Αναστήτω δὴ παιδάρια ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν, καὶ παιξάτωσαν ; Ἀγῶνα πολεμικὸν τοῖς τῶν νέων ἀρίστοις προτέθεικε. Παίγνιον δὲ καὶ Παιδιὰν τὴν τούτων προσηγόρευσε συμπλοκὴν, τῇ κοινῇ καὶ μεγίστῃ παρατάξει παρεξετάζων τὴν μερικήν Ἰσάριθμοι δὲ τῶν φυλῶν ἐξ ἑκατέρας συνελέγησαν φάλαγγος. Ἡ σφαγὴ δὲ τούτων οὐκ ἔπαυσε τὴν συμπλοκήν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡρέτισε. Τῆς δὲ τροπῆς γενομένης, καὶ τῆς μὲν τοῦ ᾿Αβεννήρ στρατιᾶς κατατάχος φευγούσης, τοῦ δὲ Ἰωάβ κατακράτος διώκοντος, ὁ ᾿Ασαὴλ ὁ νεώτατος τοῦ Ἰωὰβ ἀδελφὸς, ὠκύτατος ῶν, καὶ ὁ τοῖς ὀξυτάτοις ἁμιλλώμενος ζώοις, οὐδένα μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐδίωκεν, ἐγλίχετο δὲ μόνον κατακοντίσαι τὸν ᾿Αβεννήρ. Ὁ δὲ καὶ διωκόμενος πράως ἄγαν καὶ φιλικῶς παρήνεσε τὸν θυμὸν εἰς ἄλλον τινὰ κατακενῶσαι τῶν φευγόντων στρατιωτῶν, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἀνελεῖν, ἀλλὰ μόνον λαβεῖν τὴν σκευὴν παρηγγύησεν ἵνα ἔχῃ τινὰ τοῦ πόνου καρπόν. Ἀπειθοῦντα δὲ ἰδὼν, ἡμέρως ἠπείλησεν, ᾿Απόστηθι ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα μὴ πατάξω σε εἰς τὴν γῆν· καὶ πῶς ἀρῶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου πρὸς Ἰωάβ τὸν ἀδελφόν σου;» Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδε τῆς αὐτοῦ σφαγῆς ὀρεγόμενον, τῷ σαυρωτῆρι πλήξας, καὶ τὸν δρόμον ἔπαυσε, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν προσαφείλετο.
Pōs noēteon to hypo tou Abennēr eirēmenon, Anastētō dē paidaria enōpion hēmōn, kai paixatōsan ? Agōna polemikon tois tōn neōn aristois protetheike. Paignion de kai Paidian tēn toutōn prosēgoreuse symplokēn, tę̄ koinę̄ kai megistę̄ parataxei parexetazōn tēn merikēn Isarithmoi de tōn phylōn ex hekateras synelegēsan phalangos. Hē sphagē de toutōn ouk epause tēn symplokēn, all᾽ hēretise. Tēs de tropēs genomenēs, kai tēs men tou ᾿Abennēr stratias katatachos pheugousēs, tou de Iōab katakratos diōkontos, ho ᾿Asaēl ho neōtatos tou Iōab adelphos, ōkytatos ōn, kai ho tois oxytatois hamillōmenos zōois, oudena men tōn allōn ediōken, eglicheto de monon katakontisai ton ᾿Abennēr. Ho de kai diōkomenos praōs agan kai philikōs parēnese ton thymon eis allon tina katakenōsai tōn pheugontōn stratiōtōn, kai oude touton anelein, alla monon labein tēn skeuēn parēngyēsen hina echę̄ tina tou ponou karpon. Apeithounta de idōn, hēmerōs ēpeilēsen, ᾿Apostēthi ap᾿ emou, hina mē pataxō se eis tēn gēn; kai pōs arō to prosōpon mou pros Iōab ton adelphon sou?» Epeidē de eide tēs autou sphagēs oregomenon, tǭ saurōtēri plēxas, kai ton dromon epause, kai tēn zōēn prosapheileto.
How should Abner's words “Let the young men rise up before us and play” be understood? He set a contest of war before the best of the young men. He called their combat a game and play, comparing the partial combat with the general and very great battle. They were gathered from each army equal in number to the tribes. Their slaughter did not end the fighting but stirred it up. When the rout came, and Abner's army fled in haste while Joab pursued with force, Asahel, Joab's youngest brother, who was very swift and rivaled the fastest animals, pursued none of the others but longed only to spear Abner. Abner, though pursued, very gently and in a friendly way advised him to spend his anger on someone else among the fleeing soldiers, and urged him not even to kill that man, but only to take his armor, so that he might have some fruit of his labor. Seeing him disobey, he threatened him mildly: “Turn aside from me, lest I strike you to the ground; and how could I lift up my face to Joab your brother?” But when he saw him bent on killing him, he struck him with the butt of his spear, ending both his running and his life.
2 Sam 2:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Abner's “play” was a duel of picked young men that led to battle; pursued by Asahel, Abner spared him as long as he could before killing him.
- 2 Sam 2:14–23 (quotations 2:14, 22). “Equal in number to the tribes”: twelve on each side, 2:15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin look-alike letter; stray letter; stray letters; stray mark): εἰρημένοr, → εἰρημένον,; διώκοντος ', ὁ → διώκοντος, ὁ; ἁμιλλώμενος ο ζώοις → ἁμιλλώμενος ζώοις; κατακενῶσαι το τῶν → κατακενῶσαι τῶν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.9 (PG 80 80:601; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-9) · 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.
2.10PG 80 80:603
Πῶς νοητέον, Μὴ εἰς νίκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία Οἱ τοῦ ᾿Αβεννὴρ στρατιῶται φεύγοντες εἴς τινα λόφον κατέφυγον. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάβ σὺν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις προσβαλεῖν ἐπεχείρει. Πάλιν τοίνυν συνετῶς καὶ πράως ὁ ᾿Αβεννὴρ ἀνέμνησε τὸν ἀρχιστράτηγον τῶν τοῦ πολέμου μεταβολῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ, Μὴ εἰς νίκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία; οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι πικρὰ τὰ ἔσχατα, καὶ ἕως πότε οὐ μὴ εἴπης τῷ λαῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν;» Καὶ τῆς συγγενείας ἀνέμνησεν, ἵνα τὴν δυσμένειαν παύσῃ, καὶ τῶν πολέμων ἐδήλωσε μεταβολάς - πολλάκις γὰρ οἱ νικῶντες ἡττῶνται, καὶ οἱ διώκοντες φεύγουσιν. ῎Αλλως τε οὐδὲ δίκαιόν φησι τοὺς νικῶντας θεασαμένους τροπὴν πανωλεθρίαν ἐπαγαγεῖν τοῖς ἡττημένοις ζητεῖν· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ Μὴ εἰς νίκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία;» Τούτοις εἶξε τοῖς λόγοις ὁ Ἰωάβ· καὶ τῇ σάλπιγγι σημάνας, τὴν δίωξιν ἔπαυσεν.
Pōs noēteon, Mē eis nikos kataphagetai hē rhomphaia Hoi tou ᾿Abennēr stratiōtai pheugontes eis tina lophon katephygon. Ho de Iōab syn tois hypēkoois prosbalein epecheirei. Palin toinyn synetōs kai praōs ho ᾿Abennēr anemnēse ton archistratēgon tōn tou polemou metabolōn. Touto gar dēloi, Mē eis nikos kataphagetai hē rhomphaia? ouk oidas, hoti pikra ta eschata, kai heōs pote ou mē eipēs tǭ laǭ apostrephein apo opisthen tōn adelphōn autōn?» Kai tēs syngeneias anemnēsen, hina tēn dysmeneian pausę̄, kai tōn polemōn edēlōse metabolas - pollakis gar hoi nikōntes hēttōntai, kai hoi diōkontes pheugousin. ᾿Allōs te oude dikaion phēsi tous nikōntas theasamenous tropēn panōlethrian epagagein tois hēttēmenois zētein; touto gar dēloi to Mē eis nikos kataphagetai hē rhomphaia?» Toutois eixe tois logois ho Iōab; kai tę̄ salpingi sēmanas, tēn diōxin epausen.
How should “Shall the sword devour forever?” be understood? Abner's soldiers in their flight took refuge on a hill, and Joab with his men was trying to attack. So Abner again, wisely and gently, reminded the commander-in-chief of the reversals of war. For this is what “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will you not tell the people to turn back from pursuing their brothers?” shows. He reminded him of their kinship, to end the hostility, and pointed out the reversals of wars; for often the victors are defeated and the pursuers flee. Besides, he says, it is not just for victors who have seen the enemy routed to seek to bring utter destruction on the defeated; for this is what “Shall the sword devour forever?” shows. Joab yielded to these words, and, sounding the trumpet, stopped the pursuit.
2 Sam 2:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:26 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:28 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Abner persuaded Joab to stop the pursuit by reminding him of kinship and of the reversals of war.
- 2 Sam 2:25–28 (quotation 2:26, LXX “to victory”/“forever”). The printed question lacks a question mark; the question is present. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 3.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.10 (PG 80 80:603; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-10
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-10) · 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.
2.11PG 80 80:603
Τοῦ νόμου διαγορεύοντος, τὴν ἀφισταμένην τοῦ ἀνδρὸς γυναῖκα, καὶ ἑτέρῳ συναπτομένην, μὴ ἐπανιέναι πρὸς τὸν πρότερον ἄνδρα, πῶς ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ ἠνέσχετο τὴν Μελχόλ πάλιν λαβεῖν γημαμένην ἑτέρῳ; Ὁ νόμος ἐκέλευσε τὴν παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀπολυθεῖσαν, καὶ συναφθεῖσαν ἑτέρῳ, μὴ ἀναστρέφειν πρὸς τὸν πρότερον ἄνδρα. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου δεδήλωκεν ὁ Θεός. Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· «Ἐὰν ἀπολύσῃ ἀνὴρ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ πορευθῇ, καὶ γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ, μὴ ἀνακάμπτουσα ἀνακάμψει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔτι; οὐ μιαινομένη μιανθήσεται ἡ γυνὴ ἐκείνη; Σὺ δὲ ἐξεπόρνευσας εἰς ποιμένας πολλοὺς, καὶ ἀνέκαμπτες πρός με, λέγει Κύριος. ᾿Αλλ' ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαβίδ οὐκ ἀπολελύκει τὴν Μελχόλ· ὁ δὲ ἐκείνης πατὴρ παρανόμως αὐτὴν τοῦ ὁμοζύγου ἀποστήσας, ἐδεδώκει ἑτέρῳ. Βία τοίνυν, οὐ γάμος ἦν ἡ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον συνάφεια. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος ἔφη ῎Ἄρα οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίζει, ἐὰν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ. ῎Ακουσα δὲ αὕτη συνήφθη ἑτέρῳ. Οὐ τοίνυν Δαβὶδ παρέβη τὸν νόμον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ταύτην ἑτέρῳ συνάψας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ γάμος ὁ παρανόμως γεγενημένος· τῇ δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς βίᾳ συγγνοὺς ὁ Δαβίδ ἀνέλαβε τὴν γυναῖκα.
Tou nomou diagoreuontos, tēn aphistamenēn tou andros gynaika, kai heterǭ synaptomenēn, mē epanienai pros ton proteron andra, pōs ho makarios Dabid ēnescheto tēn Melchol palin labein gēmamenēn heterǭ? Ho nomos ekeleuse tēn para tou andros apolytheisan, kai synaphtheisan heterǭ, mē anastrephein pros ton proteron andra. Touto gar kai dia Hieremiou tou prophētou dedēlōken ho Theos. Ephē de houtōs; «Ean apolysę̄ anēr tēn gynaika autou, kai poreuthę̄, kai genētai andri heterǭ, mē anakamptousa anakampsei pros auton eti? ou miainomenē mianthēsetai hē gynē ekeinē? Sy de exeporneusas eis poimenas pollous, kai anekamptes pros me, legei Kyrios. ᾿All' ho basileus Dabid ouk apolelykei tēn Melchol; ho de ekeinēs patēr paranomōs autēn tou homozygou apostēsas, ededōkei heterǭ. Bia toinyn, ou gamos ēn hē pros ekeinon synapheia. Touto gar kai ho theios ᾿Apostolos ephē ᾿Ara oun zōntos tou andros moichalis chrēmatizei, ean genētai andri heterǭ. ᾿Akousa de hautē synēphthē heterǭ. Ou toinyn Dabid parebē ton nomon, all᾽ ho tautēn heterǭ synapsas. Oude gar gamos ho paranomōs gegenēmenos; tę̄ de tou patros bią syngnous ho Dabid anelabe tēn gynaika.
Since the law declares that a wife who leaves her husband and is joined to another may not return to her former husband, how could the blessed David bring himself to take Michal back after she had married another? The law commanded that a woman dismissed by her husband and joined to another should not return to her former husband. God declared this also through Jeremiah the prophet, saying thus: “If a man dismisses his wife, and she goes and becomes another man's, will she ever return to him? Will not that woman be utterly defiled? But you have played the harlot with many shepherds, and yet you returned to me, says the Lord.” But King David had not dismissed Michal; her father had lawlessly taken her from her husband and given her to another. The union with that man, then, was violence, not marriage. The divine Apostle too said this: “Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she becomes another man's while her husband is alive.” She was joined to another against her will. So it was not David who transgressed the law, but the man who joined her to another. For a union made lawlessly is not a marriage; and David, pardoning her for her father's violence, took back his wife.
Deut 24:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 3:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:44 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 7:3 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David could take Michal back because he had never dismissed her: Saul gave her to another by force, so that union was not a marriage and the law against return did not apply.
- 2 Sam 3:13–16; 1 Sam 25:44. The law: Deut 24:1–4; quotations: Jer 3:1 (LXX); Rom 7:3. Theodoret's reasoning on Michal's two unions is translated as written. A duplicated phrase (“by violence he had given”) printed inside the sentence is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (duplicated phrase printed inside the sentence; repeated syllable): ὁ μακ μακάριος → ὁ μακάριος; αὐτὴν τοῦ βίᾳ ἐδεδώκει. ὁμοζύγου → αὐτὴν τοῦ ὁμοζύγου.
Topics: Marriage, Divorce and remarriage
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.11 (PG 80 80:603; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-11
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-11) · 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.
2.12PG 80 80:605
Τίνος ἕνεκα τὸν Ἀβεννὴρ ἀνεῖλεν ὁ Ἰωάβ; Πρόφασιν μὲν ἔσχε τοῦ Ἀσαὴλ τὴν σφαγήν ἀληθῆ δὲ αἰτίαν, τὸν φθόνον. Ἤδει γὰρ ὡς τῆς στρατηγίας ἐκείνης ἀξιωθήσεται, πάντα τῷ βασιλεῖ προσάγων τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἡ φιλαρχία τοίνυν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν μιαιφονίαν καθώπλισεν· ὁ δὲ τὰ πάντα ἄριστος βασιλεὺς, καὶ τὸν ἀδίκως ἀνῃρημένον ἐθρήνησε, καὶ τὸν ἀδίκως ἀνῃρηκότα πολλαῖς ὑπέβαλε καὶ παντοδαπαῖς ἀραῖς. ᾿Αθῷος γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία μου ἀπὸ Κυρίου, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος. Αἷμα ᾿Αβεννὴρ υἱοῦ Νὴρ ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν Ἰωάβ, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ· καὶ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰωάβ γονοῤῥυὴς, καὶ λεπρὸς, καὶ κρατῶν σκυτάλην, καὶ πίπτων ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ, καὶ ἐλαττούμενος ἄρτων. Γονοῤῥυὴς δὲ καὶ λεπρὸς κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἀκάθαρτος, καὶ τῆς κοινῆς πολιτείας κεχωρισμένος. Σκυτάλῃ δὲ χρῶνται οἱ σῶμα πεπηρωμένοι. Ὅθεν ὁ ᾿Ακύλας τυφλὸν τὸν τοιοῦτον ὠνόμασεν Ἐπηράσατο τοίνυν τῷ ἐκείνου γένει, παντοδαπὴν ἀσθένειαν σώματος, πενίαν ἐσχάτην, τὴν διὰ ξίφους σφαγήν καὶ μέντοι καὶ τελευτῶν αὐτὸν ἀναιρεθῆναι προσέταξεν.
Tinos heneka ton Abennēr aneilen ho Iōab? Prophasin men esche tou Asaēl tēn sphagēn alēthē de aitian, ton phthonon. Ēdei gar hōs tēs stratēgias ekeinēs axiōthēsetai, panta tǭ basilei prosagōn ton Israēl. Hē philarchia toinyn auton eis tēn miaiphonian kathōplisen; ho de ta panta aristos basileus, kai ton adikōs anę̄rēmenon ethrēnēse, kai ton adikōs anę̄rēkota pollais hypebale kai pantodapais arais. ᾿Athǭos gar, phēsin, egō, kai hē basileia mou apo Kyriou, apo tou nyn, kai heōs tou aiōnos. Haima ᾿Abennēr huiou Nēr epi kephalēn Iōab, kai epi panta ton oikon autou; kai mē eklipę̄ ek tou oikou Iōab gonorrhyēs, kai lepros, kai kratōn skytalēn, kai piptōn en rhomphaią, kai elattoumenos artōn. Gonorrhyēs de kai lepros kata ton nomon akathartos, kai tēs koinēs politeias kechōrismenos. Skytalę̄ de chrōntai hoi sōma pepērōmenoi. Hothen ho ᾿Akylas typhlon ton toiouton ōnomasen Epērasato toinyn tǭ ekeinou genei, pantodapēn astheneian sōmatos, penian eschatēn, tēn dia xiphous sphagēn kai mentoi kai teleutōn auton anairethēnai prosetaxen.
Why did Joab kill Abner? He had the slaughter of Asahel as a pretext, but envy as the true cause. For he knew that Abner would be granted the command of the army for bringing all Israel over to the king. So love of power armed him for the murder. But the king, best in everything, both lamented the man unjustly killed and laid many curses of every kind on the one who had unjustly killed him: “I am innocent,” he says, “and my kingdom, before the Lord, from now and forever, of the blood of Abner son of Ner. May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his house; and may there never be lacking from the house of Joab one with a discharge, or a leper, or one who leans on a staff, or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks bread.” One with a discharge and a leper were unclean according to the law and excluded from the common life. Those who are crippled in body use a staff; that is why Aquila called such a man blind. So he cursed that man's family with every kind of bodily weakness, extreme poverty, and death by the sword; and indeed at the end of his life he commanded that Joab himself be put to death.
2 Sam 3:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:28 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:29 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 13:46 (allusion, medium confidence) · Lev 15:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:6 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Joab killed Abner out of envy under the pretext of vengeance; David lamented Abner, cursed Joab's house, and finally ordered Joab's death.
- 2 Sam 3:27–39 (quotation 3:28–29, LXX); the law on discharge and leprosy, Lev 13:46; 15; David's charge, 1 Kgs 2:5–6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter): αὐτὸν η εἰς τὴν → αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.12 (PG 80 80:605; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-12
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-12) · 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.
2.13PG 80 80:605
Τι ἐστιν· «Εἰ κατὰ θάνατον Νάβαλ ἀποθανεῖται ᾿Αβεννήρ; Ἐκεῖνος, φησὶν, ὡς ἀπηνὴς, καὶ ἄδικος, καὶ ἀχάριστος, μάλα δικαίως ὑπεβλήθη θεηλάτῳ πληγῇ. Ὁ δὲ ᾿Αβεννὴρ, καὶ ἐν συμβουλαῖς ἴσος, καὶ ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδρεῖος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· Αἱ χεῖρές σου οὐκ ἐδέθησαν, οὐδὲ οἱ πόδες σου ἐν πέδαις· ἐνώπιον υἱοῦ ἀδικίας ἔπεσας. Οὐ παραταττόμενος, φησίν, ἡττήθης, καὶ ὡς δορυάλωτος ἐπεδήθης· ἀλλ᾽ ὑπόκρισίς σοι φιλίας ἐπήνεγκε τὴν πληγήν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς ἀλγήσας ἐθρήνησεν· ὁ δὲ θρῆνος τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν εὔνοιαν ηὔξησεν.
Ti estin; «Ei kata thanaton Nabal apothaneitai ᾿Abennēr? Ekeinos, phēsin, hōs apēnēs, kai adikos, kai acharistos, mala dikaiōs hypeblēthē theēlatǭ plēgę̄. Ho de ᾿Abennēr, kai en symboulais isos, kai en polemois andreios. Touto gar epēgagen; Hai cheires sou ouk edethēsan, oude hoi podes sou en pedais; enōpion huiou adikias epesas. Ou paratattomenos, phēsin, hēttēthēs, kai hōs doryalōtos epedēthēs; all᾽ hypokrisis soi philias epēnenke tēn plēgēn. Ho men oun basileus algēsas ethrēnēsen; ho de thrēnos tou laou tēn eunoian ēuxēsen.
What does “Should Abner die as Nabal died?” mean? That man, he says, was harsh, unjust and ungrateful, and very justly was subjected to a blow sent by God. But Abner was both wise in counsel and brave in war. For he added, “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters; you fell before a son of injustice.” You were not defeated in battle, he says, and bound as a prisoner of war; but a pretense of friendship dealt you the blow. The king, then, lamented in his grief; and the lament increased the people's good will.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
2 Sam 3:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:34 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:36 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 25:38 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David laments that Abner, a wise and brave man, died not like Nabal by God's judgment but by treachery.
- 2 Sam 3:33–37 (quotation 3:33–34, LXX). The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 20. A displaced fragment on Michal (David judged his wife worthy of pardon, since she had acted under her father's compulsion; a variant of the end of 2.11) had been printed inside the last sentence and is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced fragment (variant of the end of question 2.11) printed inside the sentence): Ὁ μὲν οὖν ) δὲ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀξίαν ἔκρινεν ὁ Δαβὶδ, ὡς τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀνάγκῃ καὶ οὐ τοίνυν γυναῖκα. συγγνώμης δὲ βασιλεὺς ἄριστος ὧν. βασιλεὺς → Ὁ μὲν οὖν βασιλεὺς.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.13 (PG 80 80:605; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-13
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-13) · 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.
2.14PG 80 80:607
Τι δήποτε μετὰ τὴν ἄδικον σφαγὴν οὐκ ἀνεῖλε τὸν Ἰωάβ ; Αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις δεδήλωκεν Οὗτοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ υἱοὶ Σαρουΐα σκληρότεροί μου εἰσίν. Ὅθεν αὐτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ παραδέδωκεν Ανταποδῷ Κύριος τῷ ποιοῦντι πονηρὰ κατὰ τὴν κακίαν αὐτοῦ. Ἔνθα γὰρ αὐτῷ ῥάδιον χρήσασθαι τῷ δικαίῳ θυμῷ, οὐδεμίαν ποιεῖται φειδώ. Αὐτίκα γοῦν τοὺς τὸν Μεμφιβοσθὲ πεφονευκότας, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου κομίσαντας κεφαλὴν, ἀκροτηριάσας ἐσταύρωσε, καίτοι νενομικότας πᾶσαν αὐτῷ προσάγειν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν βασιλείαν τῇ τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος ἐκείνων σφαγῇ. ᾿Αλλ' ἐκείνους μὲν οὕτως ἀνεῖλε· τὴν δὲ τοῦ δυσμενοῦς κεφαλὴν ἐντίμως ταφῇ παρέδωκεν.
Ti dēpote meta tēn adikon sphagēn ouk aneile ton Iōab ? Autos en tois logois dedēlōken Houtoi gar, phēsin, hoi andres hoi huioi Sarouïa sklēroteroi mou eisin. Hothen autous tǭ Theǭ paradedōken Antapodǭ Kyrios tǭ poiounti ponēra kata tēn kakian autou. Entha gar autǭ rhadion chrēsasthai tǭ dikaiǭ thymǭ, oudemian poieitai pheidō. Autika goun tous ton Memphibosthe pephoneukotas, kai tēn ekeinou komisantas kephalēn, akrotēriasas estaurōse, kaitoi nenomikotas pasan autǭ prosagein tou Israēl tēn basileian tę̄ tou basileusantos ekeinōn sphagę̄. ᾿All' ekeinous men houtōs aneile; tēn de tou dysmenous kephalēn entimōs taphę̄ paredōken.
Why, after the unjust slaughter, did he not kill Joab? He himself made it plain in his words: “For these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are harder than I.” So he handed them over to God: “May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.” For where it was easy for him to exercise just anger, he showed no leniency. At once, for example, he had the murderers of Mephibosheth, who brought him his head, mutilated and hanged, although they thought they were bringing him the whole kingdom of Israel by the slaughter of their king. But he killed them so, and gave the head of his enemy an honorable burial.
2 Sam 3:39 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 4:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 4:12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David could not yet punish the powerful Joab and left him to God, but promptly executed the murderers of Saul's son.
- 2 Sam 3:39 (quotation); 4:5–12. As in 2.8, Theodoret calls Saul's son Mephibosheth (Ish-bosheth in the Hebrew); translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letters): τῇ το τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος → τῇ τοῦ βασιλεύσαντος.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.14 (PG 80 80:607; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-14
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-14) · 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.
2.15PG 80 80:607
Τίνος χάριν ὁ Δαβὶδ τρίτον ἐχρίσθη, Τῆς μὲν βασιλικῆς χρίσεως διὰ τοῦ Σαμουήλ ἠξιώθη· τὰς δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ χειροτονίας χρίσεις ἡ ἱστορία καλεῖ. Προτέρα μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐχειροτόνησεν ἡ Ἰούδα φυλή. Ἑπτὰ δὲ ἔτεσιν ὕστερὸν καὶ ἄλλαι φυλαὶ κατεδέξαντο βασιλέα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία δεδήλωκε Καὶ χρίουσι τὸν Δαβὶδ εἰς βασιλέα ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Εἶτα ἐπήγαγε· Τριάκοντα ἐτῶν Δαβὶδ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν, καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτὴ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Χεβρὼν καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν ἔτη ἑπτὰ μῆνας ἕξ καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ τριάκοντα καὶ δύο ἔτη καὶ μῆνας ἓξ, ἐπὶ πάντα Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδαν.
Tinos charin ho Dabid triton echristhē, Tēs men basilikēs chriseōs dia tou Samouēl ēxiōthē; tas de tou laou cheirotonias chriseis hē historia kalei. Protera men gar auton echeirotonēsen hē Iouda phylē. Hepta de etesin hysteron kai allai phylai katedexanto basilea. Touto de kai hē historia dedēlōke Kai chriousi ton Dabid eis basilea epi panta ton Israēl. Eita epēgage; Triakonta etōn Dabid en tǭ basileuein auton, kai tessarakonta etē ebasileusen en Chebrōn kai epi Ioudan etē hepta mēnas hex kai en Hierousalēm triakonta kai dyo etē kai mēnas hex, epi panta Israēl kai Ioudan.
Why was David anointed a third time? He was granted the royal anointing through Samuel; the history calls the people's appointments anointings. First the tribe of Judah appointed him; seven years later the other tribes too accepted him as king. The history showed this too: “And they anoint David king over all Israel.” Then it added: “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years: in Hebron over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem thirty-two years and six months over all Israel and Judah.”
1 Sam 16:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 2:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:5 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David's three anointings are Samuel's and the two appointments by Judah and then by all Israel.
- 1 Sam 16:13; 2 Sam 2:4; 5:3–5 (quotations, LXX; the Hebrew has thirty-three years in Jerusalem). The printed question ends with a comma; the question is present.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter; stray letters; stray mark): Τῆς μὲν η βασιλικῆς → Τῆς μὲν βασιλικῆς; αὐτὸν ἐ8 ἐχειροτόνησεν → αὐτὸν ἐχειροτόνησεν; ἄλλαισο φυλαὶ κατεδέξαντο σε βασιλέα → ἄλλαι φυλαὶ κατεδέξαντο βασιλέα; ἐπὶ & Ἰούδαν → ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.15 (PG 80 80:607; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-15
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-15) · 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.
2.16PG 80 80:607
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, «Πᾶς ὁ τύπτων Ἰεβουσαῖον ἀπτέσθω ἐν παραξιφίδι; Ἑβραῖός τις εἶπε τὸ, Πᾶς τύπτων Ἰεβουσαῖον ἀπτέσθω ἐν παραξιφίδι, ἐκδεδωκέναι τὸν ᾿Ακύλαν, ῾Απτόμενος ἐν τῷ κρουνῷ τοῦτο λέγων, ὅτε φειδόμενος ὁ Δαβὶδ τοῦ τείχους τῆς πόλεως, διὰ τοῦ ὁλκοῦ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐπέταττε τοῖς ὁπλίταις εἴσω παρελθεῖν τῆς πόλεως. Οἱ γὰρ Ἰεβουσαῖοι μέχρις ἐκείνου τοῦ καιροῦ κατείχον τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Παραυτίκα γοῦν τοῦ ἐμφυλίου πολέμου παυσαμένου, κατὰ τούτων ἐστράτευσε πρῶτον ὁ βασιλεύς. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ καταφρονοῦντες τῆς στρατιᾶς, τοὺς τὸ σῶμα πεπηρωμένους ἐπὶ τὸ τεῖχος ἀναβιβάσαντες ἐπιτωθάζειν ἐκέλευον, καὶ λέγειν, ὡς οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται Δαβὶδ εἰς τὴν πόλιν. Ἑλὼν τοιγαροῦν τὴν ἀκρόπολιν· ταύτην γὰρ λέγει περιοχήν ἤλαυνε κατακράτος τοὺς πολεμίους, εἰς ἀνδρείαν παραθήγων τοὺς στρατιώτας, καὶ πάντας ἄρδην κατακοντίζειν κελεύων, κατὰ τὴν ἀρχῆθεν τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενημένην ἀπόφασιν. Νενικηκὼς δὲ, καὶ τῶν ἀλλογενῶν ἐλευθερώσας τὴν πόλιν, Δαβὶδ αὐτὴν προσηγόρευσε πόλιν. Οὕτω δὲ τὴν Σιὼν ὀνομάζει, τουτέστι τὴν ἄνω πόλιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία φησί Καὶ ἐκάθισε Δαβὶδ ἐν τῇ περιοχῇ, καὶ ἐκλήθη αὕτη ἡ πόλις Δαβίδ. Καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε τὴν πόλιν κύκλῳ ἀπὸ τῆς ἄκρας, καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ Εἶτα διδάσκει καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ συμμαχίαν Καὶ ἐπορεύετο Δαβίδ πορευόμενος, καὶ μεγαλυνόμενος, καὶ Κύριος παντοκράτωρ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Οὗτος δὲ ὁ λόγος τῶν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα σμικρύνειν πειρωμένων ἐλέγχει τὴν βλασφημίαν. Κύριος γὰρ παντοκράτωρ ὠνομάσθη πολλάκις.
Pōs noēteon to, «Pas ho typtōn Iebousaion aptesthō en paraxiphidi? Hebraios tis eipe to, Pas typtōn Iebousaion aptesthō en paraxiphidi, ekdedōkenai ton ᾿Akylan, ῾Aptomenos en tǭ krounǭ touto legōn, hote pheidomenos ho Dabid tou teichous tēs poleōs, dia tou holkou tou hydatos epetatte tois hoplitais eisō parelthein tēs poleōs. Hoi gar Iebousaioi mechris ekeinou tou kairou kateichon tēn Hierousalēm. Parautika goun tou emphyliou polemou pausamenou, kata toutōn estrateuse prōton ho basileus. Ekeinoi de kataphronountes tēs stratias, tous to sōma pepērōmenous epi to teichos anabibasantes epitōthazein ekeleuon, kai legein, hōs ouk eiseleusetai Dabid eis tēn polin. Helōn toigaroun tēn akropolin; tautēn gar legei periochēn ēlaune katakratos tous polemious, eis andreian parathēgōn tous stratiōtas, kai pantas ardēn katakontizein keleuōn, kata tēn archēthen tou Theou gegenēmenēn apophasin. Nenikēkōs de, kai tōn allogenōn eleutherōsas tēn polin, Dabid autēn prosēgoreuse polin. Houtō de tēn Siōn onomazei, toutesti tēn anō polin. Touto gar kai hē historia phēsi Kai ekathise Dabid en tę̄ periochę̄, kai eklēthē hautē hē polis Dabid. Kai ǭkodomēse tēn polin kyklǭ apo tēs akras, kai ton oikon autou Eita didaskei kai tēn tou Theou symmachian Kai eporeueto Dabid poreuomenos, kai megalynomenos, kai Kyrios pantokratōr met' autou. Houtos de ho logos tōn to panagion Pneuma smikrynein peirōmenōn elenchei tēn blasphēmian. Kyrios gar pantokratōr ōnomasthē pollakis.
How should “Let everyone who strikes a Jebusite attack with the dagger” be understood? A Hebrew said that Aquila rendered “Let everyone who strikes a Jebusite attack with the dagger” as “touching at the water channel,” saying that David, sparing the city's wall, ordered the armed men to get into the city through the water conduit. For the Jebusites held Jerusalem until that time. As soon as the civil war had ended, the king campaigned against them first. They, despising his army, had those who were crippled in body brought up onto the wall and told them to jeer and say that David would not enter the city. Having taken the citadel (for this is what he calls the stronghold), he drove the enemy back by force, spurring his soldiers to bravery and ordering them to cut them all down, according to the sentence God had pronounced from the beginning. Having conquered and freed the city from the foreigners, he called it the city of David. So he names Zion, that is, the upper city. For the history says this too: “And David dwelt in the stronghold, and it was called the city of David. And he built the city round about from the citadel, and his house.” Then it teaches God's alliance as well: “And David went on, growing greater, and the Lord Almighty was with him.” This saying refutes the blasphemy of those who try to belittle the all-holy Spirit; for he has often been called Lord Almighty.
2 Sam 5:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 7:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 5:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David took Jerusalem from the Jebusites, perhaps through the water channel, and made Zion the city of David; “the Lord Almighty was with him” shows that the Spirit is Lord Almighty.
- 2 Sam 5:6–10 (LXX; quotations 5:8, 9, 10). The ban on the peoples of Canaan, Deut 7:1–2; 20:17. The closing remark is aimed at those who deny the full divinity of the Holy Spirit (the Pneumatomachians); translated as written. The printed question lacks a question mark; the staging notes that the OCR read its number as 13. A displaced line (“despising the army, those crippled in body”) printed inside the question is put back in its place later in the answer by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced words restored to their place, replacing a marginal abbreviation; stray syllable; words displaced from later in the answer; stray mark): ἐν παραξιφίδι. ν καταφρονοῦντες τῆς στρατιᾶς, τοὺς τὸ σῶμα πεἙβραῖός τις* εἶπε → ἐν παραξιφίδι; Ἑβραῖός τις εἶπε; Παραυτίκα σε γοῦν → Παραυτίκα γοῦν; Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ταφρ. τ. στρατ. σε παραυτίκα πηρωμένους → Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ καταφρονοῦντες τῆς στρατιᾶς, τοὺς τὸ σῶμα πεπηρωμένους; πειρωμένων σε ἐλέγχει → πειρωμένων ἐλέγχει.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.16 (PG 80 80:607; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-16
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-16) · 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.
2.17PG 80 80:609
Κοιλάδα Τιτάνων τίνα λέγει; Τοὺς γίγαντας καὶ Τιτᾶνας ὠνόμαζον· ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος 'Ραφαεὶμ αὐτοὺς κέκληκεν. Ἔσχε δὲ τοιούτους ἄνδρας καὶ ἡ Χεβρών, καὶ ἡ Γέθ· καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἦν καὶ ὁ Γολιάθ, καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς, ὧν ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἐμνήσθη τῶν ἀριστέων, τοῦ Δαβίδ τὰς ἀνδραγαθίας συγγράφων. Εἰκὸς τοίνυν ἐν τῷδε τῷ χωρίῳ πάλαι τινὰ τούτων γενέσθαι παράταξιν, καὶ λαβεῖν ἐκ τούτων τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν τὸν τόπον.
Koilada Titanōn tina legei? Tous gigantas kai Titanas ōnomazon; ho de Hebraios 'Raphaeim autous keklēken. Esche de toioutous andras kai hē Chebrōn, kai hē Geth; kai ek toutōn ēn kai ho Goliath, kai alloi tines, hōn ho syngrapheus emnēsthē tōn aristeōn, tou Dabid tas andragathias syngraphōn. Eikos toinyn en tǭde tǭ chōriǭ palai tina toutōn genesthai parataxin, kai labein ek toutōn tēn epōnymian ton topon.
What does he mean by the valley of the Titans? They called the giants Titans as well; the Hebrew calls them Rephaim. Hebron had such men, and so did Gath; Goliath was one of them, as were some others of the champions whom the writer mentioned when recording David's brave deeds. It is likely, then, that a battle against some of them took place in that region long ago, and that the place took its name from them.
2 Sam 5:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 13:33 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 21:22 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The “valley of the Titans” is the valley of Rephaim, named after giants who once fought there.
- 2 Sam 5:18, 22 (LXX “valley of the Titans”). Giants at Hebron, Num 13:22, 33; at Gath, 2 Sam 21:15–22.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.17 (PG 80 80:609; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-17
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-17) · 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.
2.18PG 80 80:609
Τί δήποτε ποτὲ μὲν κελεύει τῷ Δαβὶδ ὁ Θεὸς συμπλακῆναι τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις, ποτὲ δὲ κώλύει; Ὡς πάνσοφος παιδοτρίβης αὐτὸν γυμνάζει πρὸς ἀρετὴν, καὶ πείθει μὴ τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ προσμένειν ἐπικουρίαν. Ὅθεν αὐτῷ καὶ σημεῖα δίδωσι τῆς οἰκείας ἐπιφανείας. «Όταν γὰρ ἴδῃς, φησὶν, αὐτομάτως ἀνέμου δίχα τὰ ἄλση κινούμενα τότε κατάβηθι εἰς τὸν πόλεμον· ὅτι τότε ἐξελεύσεται Κύριος ἔμπροσθέν σου τύπτειν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους.
Ti dēpote pote men keleuei tǭ Dabid ho Theos symplakēnai tois allophylois, pote de kōlyei? Hōs pansophos paidotribēs auton gymnazei pros aretēn, kai peithei mē tę̄ oikeią dynamei tharrhein, alla tēn autou prosmenein epikourian. Hothen autǭ kai sēmeia didōsi tēs oikeias epiphaneias. «Otan gar idę̄s, phēsin, automatōs anemou dicha ta alsē kinoumena tote katabēthi eis ton polemon; hoti tote exeleusetai Kyrios emprosthen sou typtein en tǭ polemǭ tous allophylous.
Why does God sometimes command David to engage the foreigners, and sometimes prevent him? Like a most wise trainer he exercises him in virtue and persuades him not to trust in his own strength but to wait for God's help. That is why he also gives him signs of his own appearing: “When you see,” he says, “the groves moving of themselves without wind, then go down to battle; for then the Lord will go out before you to strike the foreigners in battle.”
2 Sam 5:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:23 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:24 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God's changing commands trained David to rely on God's help rather than his own strength.
- 2 Sam 5:19–24 (quotation 5:24, paraphrased).
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.18 (PG 80 80:609; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-18
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-2-18) · 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.