Questions on Kings and Chronicles 2.43–3.18
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 2
2.43PG 80 80:655
Πόθεν ὁ Δαβίδ παραταττόμενος ἐξελύθη; Πρεσβύτης ἦν· ἐνίκα δὲ τῇ προθυμίᾳ τοῦ σώματος τὴν ἀσθένειαν. Πολὺν δὲ πόνον ὑπομείνας ἐν τῇ συμπλοκῇ (πρόμαχος γὰρ τῆς φάλαγγος ἦν), διελύθη, ὡς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἐδίδαξε, τὸν πόνον οὐκ ἐνεγκών. ᾿Αναιρεθῆναι δὲ κινδυνεύσας ὑπὸ τοῦ προμάχου τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, παρὰ δόξαν ἐσώθη, τοῦ ᾿Αβεσσὰ προασπίσαντος, καὶ τὸν μέγιστον ἐκεῖνον πολέμιον κτείναντος. Κάντεῦθεν τοίνυν ἔστι μαθεῖν, ὡς γίγαντας ὠνόμαζον τοὺς μείζονα σώματα ἔχοντας. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ἀπόγονος ἦν γιγάντων. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως τὸν κίνδυνον μεμαθηκὼς ὁ στρατὸς, ὤμοσε μηκέτι δε συγχωρήσειν αὐτῷ, συμπλοκῆς κοινωνήσειν. Καὶ δίκαιον γὰρ καὶ συμφέρον εἶξαι τῷ γήρᾳ, καὶ ἔνδον καθήμενον διατάττειν τὴν στρατιάν. Ὁ δὲ ἱστοριογράφος καὶ ἄλλων ἐμνήσθη γιγάντων, οὓς διὰ ῥώμην καὶ μέγεθος σώματος οὕτως οἱ τότε ὠνόμαζον, καὶ οὔτε ὡς δυσσεβεῖς, καθά τινες ἔφασαν, οὔτε ὡς πολὺν βιώσαντας χρόνον. Μετὰ τούτους δὲ τοὺς πολέμους ἐπινίκιον τῷ Θεῷ συντέθεικεν ὕμνον ὁ θεῖος Δαβίδ. Ἔστι δὲ σύμφωνος τῷ ἑπτακαιδεκάτῳ ψαλμῷ· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ αὐτός ἐστιν, ὀλίγας ἔχων ὀνομάτων ἐναλλαγάς. Ἐγὼ δὲ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ψαλμῶν καὶ τοῦτον ἑρμηνεύσας, περιττὸν ὑπέλαβον δευτέραν ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ πρόῤῥησιν περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ Ἐξείλω με γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκ λαοῦ, ἔθου με εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν. Λαὸς ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων ἐδούλευσέ μοι· εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μου. Εἰς φῶς δὲ ἐθνῶν γέγονεν οὐχ ὁ Δαβίδ, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ ἐκ Δαβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ τοῦ Δαβὶδ καὶ κύριος καὶ υἱός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ γέγονεν εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, δηλονότι τῇ μελῳδίᾳ καταυγάζων τοὺς τῷ Δεσπότη πεπιστευκότας Χριστῷ. ᾿Απάσαις γὰρ ταῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησίαις ἡ πνευματικὴ τοῦ Δαβιδ ὑμνῳδία τὰς τῶν εὐσεβῶν φωτίζει ψυχάς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι προφήτην αὐτὸν ὀνομάζειν οὐ βούλονται, ὡς ἐναργῶς ἄγαν τὰ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν προθεσπίσαντα πίστεως, ἀκουσάτωσαν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Πιστὸς Δαβὶδ ὁ υἱὸς Ἰεσσαὶ, πιστὸς ἀνὴρ, ὃν ἀνέστησεν ὁ Θεὸς χριστὸν, ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ Καὶ ὡραῖος ὁ ψαλμὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐλάλησεν ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γλώσσης μου. Εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλῆσαι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐλάλησεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ εὐδόκησεν ἐν αὐτῷ λαλῆσαι, προφήτης ἄρα ἐστὶ, καὶ προφήτης μέγιστος· ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς. Ὅσον μέντοι ὤνησεν αὐτὸν ἡ παιδεία, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. Τῇ πείρᾳ γὰρ μαθὼν, ὅσων ἡ ἐπιθυμία πρόξενος συμφορῶν, ὠρέχθη μὲν ὕδατος ψυχροῦ, ἀνεμνήσθη δὲ τοῦ ἐν Βηθλεέμ. Τρεῖς δὲ οἱ τῶν ἀριστεύειν εἰωθότων ἐν μάχαις τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, περὶ τὴν Βηθλεέμ ἐστρατοπεδευκότων, ἐσπούδασαν, καὶ μὴ προστεταχότος τοῦ βασιλέως, κομίσαι τὸ ὕδωρ. Καὶ μέσην διελθόντες τῶν πολεμίων τὴν στρατιὰν, καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀνιμήσαντο, καὶ κατατάχος ἀνέστρεψαν, οὐδενὸς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων προσβαλεῖν ἐπιχειρήσαντος. Ἔδεισαν γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν τῆς εὐτολμίας ὑπερβολήν. Ἀλλ᾿ ὁ πάντα ἄριστος βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἠνέσχετο τοῦ ὕδατος ἐκείνου τοῦ πόθουμένου μεταλαχεῖν· ἀλλ᾽ εὐσεβεῖ λογισμῷ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐκράτησεν· αἷμα γὰρ αὐτὸ τῶν κομισάντων ὠνόμασεν· ἐπειδὴ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν θεραπείαν τῆς οἰκείας προτιμήσαντες σωτηρίας ῥιψοκινδύνως διέκοψαν τῶν πολεμίων τὴν φάλαγγα, καὶ παραδόξως ἐσώθησαν. Ὅθεν αὐτὸ σπονδὴν προσεκόμισε τῷ σεσωκότι Θεῷ· εἰς τοσαύτην αὐτὸν ἡ παιδεία φιλοσοφίαν ἤγαγεν.
Pothen ho Dabid paratattomenos exelythē? Presbytēs ēn; enika de tę̄ prothymią tou sōmatos tēn astheneian. Polyn de ponon hypomeinas en tę̄ symplokę̄ (promachos gar tēs phalangos ēn), dielythē, hōs ho historiographos edidaxe, ton ponon ouk enenkōn. ᾿Anairethēnai de kindyneusas hypo tou promachou tōn allophylōn, para doxan esōthē, tou ᾿Abessa proaspisantos, kai ton megiston ekeinon polemion kteinantos. Kanteuthen toinyn esti mathein, hōs gigantas ōnomazon tous meizona sōmata echontas. Kai gar houtos apogonos ēn gigantōn. Tou de basileōs ton kindynon memathēkōs ho stratos, ōmose mēketi de synchōrēsein autǭ, symplokēs koinōnēsein. Kai dikaion gar kai sympheron eixai tǭ gērą, kai endon kathēmenon diatattein tēn stratian. Ho de historiographos kai allōn emnēsthē gigantōn, hous dia rhōmēn kai megethos sōmatos houtōs hoi tote ōnomazon, kai oute hōs dyssebeis, katha tines ephasan, oute hōs polyn biōsantas chronon. Meta toutous de tous polemous epinikion tǭ Theǭ syntetheiken hymnon ho theios Dabid. Esti de symphōnos tǭ heptakaidekatǭ psalmǭ; mallon de ho autos estin, oligas echōn onomatōn enallagas. Egō de meta tōn allōn psalmōn kai touton hermēneusas, peritton hypelabon deuteran hermēneian poiēsasthai. Echei de kai prorrhēsin peri tou Sōtēros Christou Exeilō me gar, phēsin, ek laou, ethou me eis phōs ethnōn. Laos hon ouk egnōn edouleuse moi; eis akoēn ōtiou hypēkouse mou. Eis phōs de ethnōn gegonen ouch ho Dabid, all᾽ ho ek Dabid kata sarka, ho tou Dabid kai kyrios kai huios. Ei de kai ho Dabid gegonen eis phōs ethnōn, dēlonoti tę̄ melǭdią kataugazōn tous tǭ Despotē pepisteukotas Christǭ. ᾿Apasais gar tais kata tēn oikoumenēn Ekklēsiais hē pneumatikē tou Dabid hymnǭdia tas tōn eusebōn phōtizei psychas. Epeidē de Ioudaioi prophētēn auton onomazein ou boulontai, hōs enargōs agan ta peri tou Sōtēros hēmōn kai tēs tōn ethnōn prothespisanta pisteōs, akousatōsan autou legontos, Pistos Dabid ho huios Iessai, pistos anēr, hon anestēsen ho Theos christon, ho Theos Iakōb Kai hōraios ho psalmos tou Israēl Pneuma Kyriou elalēsen en emoi, kai ho logos autou epi glōssēs mou. Eipen ho Theos Iakōb en emoi lalēsai. Ei de kai Pneuma Kyriou elalēsen en autǭ, kai ho Theos Iakōb eudokēsen en autǭ lalēsai, prophētēs ara esti, kai prophētēs megistos; epeidē ta adēla kai ta kryphia tēs sophias autou edēlōsen autǭ ho Theos. Hoson mentoi ōnēsen auton hē paideia, hē historia didaskei. Tę̄ peirą gar mathōn, hosōn hē epithymia proxenos symphorōn, ōrechthē men hydatos psychrou, anemnēsthē de tou en Bēthleem. Treis de hoi tōn aristeuein eiōthotōn en machais tōn allophylōn, peri tēn Bēthleem estratopedeukotōn, espoudasan, kai mē prostetachotos tou basileōs, komisai to hydōr. Kai mesēn dielthontes tōn polemiōn tēn stratian, kai to hydōr animēsanto, kai katatachos anestrepsan, oudenos tōn allophylōn prosbalein epicheirēsantos. Edeisan gar autōn tēn tēs eutolmias hyperbolēn. All᾿ ho panta aristos basileus ouk ēnescheto tou hydatos ekeinou tou pothoumenou metalachein; all᾽ eusebei logismǭ tēs epithymias ekratēsen; haima gar auto tōn komisantōn ōnomasen; epeidē tou basileōs tēn therapeian tēs oikeias protimēsantes sōtērias rhipsokindynōs diekopsan tōn polemiōn tēn phalanga, kai paradoxōs esōthēsan. Hothen auto spondēn prosekomise tǭ sesōkoti Theǭ; eis tosautēn auton hē paideia philosophian ēgagen.
Why did David grow faint in battle? He was an old man; but he overcame the weakness of his body by his eagerness. Having endured great toil in the fighting (for he was the front-line fighter of the phalanx), he grew faint, as the historian taught, unable to bear the toil. In danger of being killed by the champion of the foreigners, he was saved against expectation when Abishai shielded him and killed that very great enemy. From this too one can learn that they called those with larger bodies giants; for this man was a descendant of giants. Learning of the king's danger, the army swore that it would no longer allow him to take part in battle. For it was both just and expedient to yield to old age, and to direct the army while sitting at home. The historian also mentioned other giants, whom the people of that time so named because of their strength and size of body, and not, as some have said, because they were impious or because they lived a long time. After these wars the divine David composed a hymn of victory to God. It agrees with the seventeenth psalm; rather, it is the same psalm, with a few changes of words. Since I have interpreted it with the other psalms, I thought it superfluous to make a second interpretation. It also contains a prophecy about Christ the Savior: “You delivered me,” he says, “from the people; you made me a light of the nations. A people I did not know served me; at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me.” It was not David who became a light of the nations, but the one from David according to the flesh, David's Lord and son. If David too became a light of the nations, it is clearly by enlightening with his song those who have believed in Christ the Master; for in all the churches throughout the world the spiritual hymnody of David enlightens the souls of the pious. And since the Jews will not call him a prophet, although he foretold so very clearly what concerns our Savior and the faith of the nations, let them hear him say, “Faithful is David the son of Jesse, faithful the man whom God raised up as anointed of the God of Jacob, and beautiful is the psalm of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord spoke in me, and his word was on my tongue. The God of Jacob said to speak in me.” If the Spirit of the Lord spoke in him, and the God of Jacob was pleased to speak in him, then he is a prophet, and a very great prophet; for God showed him the unknown and hidden things of his wisdom. How much his discipline benefited him the history teaches. Having learned by experience how many calamities desire brings, he longed for cold water and remembered that of Bethlehem. Three of those accustomed to excel in battle, when the foreigners were encamped around Bethlehem, eagerly undertook to bring the water, though the king had not commanded it. Passing through the middle of the enemy army, they drew the water and quickly returned, none of the foreigners attempting to attack them; for they feared the excess of their daring. But the king, best in everything, could not bring himself to partake of that longed-for water, but mastered his desire by pious reasoning; for he called it the blood of those who had brought it, since, preferring the king's service to their own safety, they had recklessly cut through the enemy's phalanx and had been saved against expectation. So he brought it as a libation to the God who had saved them; to such wisdom had discipline led him.
2 Sam 21:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 21:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 21:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 21:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 22:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 18:1 (17:1 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 22:44 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 22:45 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 51:6 (50:8 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 23:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:17 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Old David, saved by Abishai, was kept from further battles; his song of victory (Psalm 18) foretells Christ, his last words show him a prophet, and his refusal of the Bethlehem water shows the self-mastery discipline had taught him.
- 2 Sam 21:15–22; 22 (= Ps 18, LXX 17; quotation 22:44–45, with Theodoret's “light of the nations”); 23:1–3 (quoted as Theodoret gives it); Ps 51:6 (LXX 50:8); 23:13–17. Theodoret refers to his own Commentary on the Psalms. The remark about the Jews is his own; translated as written. Displaced matter is removed or put back by logged corrections: the lost ending of question 2.42 (“…commanded the earth to give its fruits as usual … the Master knows no distinction of race, but justly defends the wronged, even if they are foreigners”) printed twice inside this answer is removed (not moved back to 2.42), and a displaced phrase about the army learning of the king's danger is restored to its place.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin letters and displaced words printed in the text; brackets added by the OCR; displaced ending of question 2.42 printed inside the sentence; stray letters; displaced ending of question 2.42 printed inside the word σώματος; displaced words restored to their place; word split by the OCR): τοῦ σώμα τῇ γῇ συνήθως δοῦναι προσέταξε τοὺς καρπούς. σπότης οὐκ οἶδε διαφορὰν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἡδικημένοις, κἂν ἀλλογενεῖς ὦσιν, ἐπαμύνει δικαίως. τος → τοῦ σώματος; διελύθη duce-των, ὡς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἐδίδαξε. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως τὸν πόνον → διελύθη, ὡς ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἐδίδαξε, τὸν πόνον; μέγι στον → μέγιστον; γιγάντὸν κίνδυνον → γιγάντων. Τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως τὸν κίνδυνον; μᾶλλον δὲ [ό] αὐτός → μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ αὐτός; ὀνομά των → ὀνομάτων; ὀνομάζειν τοὺς συνήθεις καρποὺς ἀναδοθῆναι προσέταξε· μανθάνομεν δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὡς ὁ Θεὸς γένους οὐκ οἶδε διαοὐ βούλονται, ὡς ἐναργῶς ἄγαν τὰ στ περὶ → ὀνομάζειν οὐ βούλονται, ὡς ἐναργῶς ἄγαν τὰ περὶ; κοι μισάντων → κομισάντων.
Extrabiblical texts: Theodoret, Interp. Ps. Ps 17 (Interpretation of the Psalms; allusion)
Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.43 (PG 80 80:655; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-43). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-43
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.44PG 80 80:657
Πῶς νοητέον, Οὗτος ἦν ὀνομαστὸς ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν, ἔνδοξος ὑπὲρ τοὺς δύο, καὶ ἦν αὐτοῖς εἰς ἄρχοντα, καὶ ἕως τῶν τριῶν οὐκ ἤρχετο; Τῶν τριῶν καὶ τὴν ῥώμην καὶ τὴν ἀνδρείαν ἐπῄνεσε. Τὸν δὲ ᾿Αβεσσὰ τῶν δύο μὲν εἴρηκε κρείττονα, τοῦ πρώτου δὲ ἥττονα. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἐννακοσίους ἀνήρει παραταττόμενος, ἐξακοσίους δὲ οὗτος. Πρῶτος δὲ τῶν τριῶν, οὐ κατὰ τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχήν. Ἰστέον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὡς Βανέας υἱὸς Ἰοδαὲ ἀδελφιδοῦς ἦν τοῦ βασιλέως· ἔκγονον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, υἱὸν δὲ τοῦ Ἰοδαὲ υἱοῦ Ἰεσσαί. Καὶ τούτου δὲ τὴν ἀνδραγαθίαν πολλάκις εἰπὼν, προστέθεικεν, ὅτι Ὑπὲρ τοὺς τρεῖς ἔνδοξος ἦν, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τρεῖς οὐκ ἤρχετο. Τῆς γὰρ τῶν τριῶν λειπόμενος ῥώμης, ἔνδοξος ἦν, ὡς τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ βασιλέως πεπιστευμένος· κατέστησε γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶ, Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ τὴν φυλακήν
Pōs noēteon, Houtos ēn onomastos en tois trisin, endoxos hyper tous dyo, kai ēn autois eis archonta, kai heōs tōn triōn ouk ērcheto? Tōn triōn kai tēn rhōmēn kai tēn andreian epę̄nese. Ton de ᾿Abessa tōn dyo men eirēke kreittona, tou prōtou de hēttona. Ekeinos gar ennakosious anērei paratattomenos, exakosious de houtos. Prōtos de tōn triōn, ou kata to ergon, alla kata tēn archēn. Isteon de kai touto, hōs Baneas huios Iodae adelphidous ēn tou basileōs; ekgonon gar auton ekalese tou Iessai, huion de tou Iodae huiou Iessai. Kai toutou de tēn andragathian pollakis eipōn, prostetheiken, hoti Hyper tous treis endoxos ēn, kai pros tous treis ouk ērcheto. Tēs gar tōn triōn leipomenos rhōmēs, endoxos ēn, hōs tēn phylakēn tou basileōs pepisteumenos; katestēse gar auton, phēsi, Dabid epi tēn phylakēn
How should “He was renowned among the three, more honored than the two, and was their leader, but did not attain to the three” be understood? He praised both the strength and the courage of the three. He said that Abishai was better than the two, but inferior to the first; for that one killed nine hundred in battle, and this one six hundred. He was first of the three not in deeds but in command. One should also know that Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the king's nephew; for it called him a descendant of Jesse, and a son of Jehoiada son of Jesse. Having often mentioned his bravery too, it added that he was more honored than the three but did not attain to the three. For although he fell short of the strength of the three, he was honored as one entrusted with guarding the king: “David set him,” it says, “over the guard.”
2 Sam 23:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 23:23 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Abishai and Benaiah are ranked among David's heroes: honored for command and for guarding the king, though not equal to the first three in strength.
- 2 Sam 23:18–23 (LXX; quotations 23:19, 23). The first hero's nine hundred, LXX 23:8. Theodoret's statement that Benaiah was the king's nephew rests on his text of 23:20, which the extant witnesses do not support; translated as written. A duplicate form of the story of the Bethlehem water (from 2.43) printed inside the sentence on Benaiah is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR mark error; displaced duplicate of the Bethlehem-water story printed inside the sentence; repeated and stray syllables; stray letter): ὀνομαστὸς ἐν την ονομ ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν, ἔνδοξος ὑπὲρ τοὺς δύο, δι καὶ κα ἦν → ὀνομαστὸς ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν, ἔνδοξος ὑπὲρ τοὺς δύο, καὶ ἦν; οὐκ ἤρχετο;ι Τῶν → οὐκ ἤρχετο; Τῶν; ἔκγονον γὰρ ἀριστέων ἐσπούδασαν, ἀγνοοῦντος τοῦ βασιλέως, τὴν αὐτοῦ πληρῶσαι ἐπιθυμίαν. Ὡς δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ τοὺς πολεμίους διακόψαντες ἐκόμισαν, ἐθαύμασε μὲν, καὶ ἀπεδέξατο τῆς τε περὶ αὐτὸν σπουδῆς καὶ εὐ εὐτολμίας τοὺς ἄνδρας, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο δὲ μετασχεῖν· ἀλλ᾽ εὐσεβεῖ λογισμῷ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας κρατήσας, καὶ αἷμα αὐτὸ τῶν κε διὰ μέσον τῶν πολεμίων, σπονδὴν αὐτὸ προσήγαγεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν τῷ σεσωκότι Θεῷ. Εἰς τοσαύτην αὐτὸν ἡ αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε → ἔκγονον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε; Ἰεσσα!. → Ἰεσσαί..
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.44 (PG 80 80:657; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-44). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-44
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
2.45PG 80 80:659
Τί δήποτε τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἀριθμήσαντος, ὁ λαὸς τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀνεδέξατο; Οἰκείας παρανομίας δίκας ἔτισεν ὁ λαός. Καταλιπὼν γὰρ τὸν εὐσεβῆ βασιλέα, τυράννῳ δυσσεβεῖ καὶ πατραλοίᾳ παιδί συνεστράτευσε, φονῶντι κατὰ πατρὸς εὐσεβοῦς καὶ προφήτου, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ τῆς βασιλείας δεξαμένου τὴν χειροτονίαν. Αὔξει δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν κατηγορίαν, τὸ τὸν μὲν Σαούλ καταψηφισθέντα, καὶ τῆς θείας χάριτος γυμνωθέντα, μὴ καταλιπεῖν ἕως τοῦ βίου τὸ τέρμα κατέλαβε, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Δαβὶδ ὑπὸ προφήτου χρισθέντος· τὸν δὲ μυρίων αὐτοῖς ἀγαθῶν γενόμενον πρόξενον, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καταλύσαντα θράσος, καὶ τὸν μὲν ᾿Αμαλὴκ παραδόντα πανωλεθρίᾳ, Ἰδουμαίους δὲ, καὶ Μωαβίτας, καὶ ᾿Αμμανίτας, καὶ Σύρους ἑκατέρους καὶ χειρωσάμενον καὶ δουλωσάμενον, καὶ φέρειν ἀναγκάσαντα φόρους, καὶ προφητικῆς ἀπολαύσαντα χάριτος, μὴ μόνον καταλιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι, καὶ δρᾶσαι τὰ πολεμίων τι, καὶ συμπρᾶξαι μιαιφόνῳ καὶ δυσσεβεῖ καὶ παρανόμῳ παιδί. Τούτων οὖν αὐτοὺς ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς εἰσεπράξατο δίκας, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Δαβὶδ εἰσεπράξατο, ἐπειδήπερ αὐτὸν ἠδίκησαν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει Καὶ προσέθετο ὀργὴ Θεοῦ, τοῦ θυμωθῆναι ἐν Ἰσραήλ Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐν Δαβίδ, ἀλλ᾽, «Ἐν Ἰσραήλ.» Τοιγάρτοι πρόφασις ἦν τῆς τιμωρίας ὁ γενόμενος ἀριθμός· Ἐπέσεισε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν Δαβὶδ εἰς αὐτοὺς, λέγων, Πορεύθητι, ἀρίθμησον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν.» ᾿Αλλ' οὐ διὰ λόγων ἐκελεύσθη· ἡ γὰρ ἂν, εὐθύνας τῆς ἀριθμήσεως εἰσπραττόμενος εἶπεν, ὡς Αὐτὸς ἐκέλευσας ἀριθμηθῆναι. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἔφη πεπλημμεληκέναι δὲ ὡμολόγησεν. Οὐ τοίνυν λόγῳ προσέταξε τὸν Ἱσραὴλ ἀριθμῆσαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνδέδωκε τούτῳ χρήσασθαι τῷ λογισμῷ τὸν Δαβίδ. Ἴλεως γὰρ ἂν ὁ Δεσπότης καὶ Θεὸς, ἐμποδὼν γίνεται τοῖς συνοίσειν οὐ μέλλουσι λογισμοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ βουλευσαμένῳ τὸν θεῖον οἰκοδομῆσαι νεὼν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ναθὰν δεδήλωκε μηδὲν τοιοῦτον βουλεύσασθαι, ἀλλὰ τῷ παιδὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκοδομῆς φυλάξαι φροντίδα. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἐξ ἐνεργείας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ συγχωρήσεως ὁ τοιοῦτος αὐτῷ γέγονε λογισμὸς, σαφέστερον ἡ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἐδίδαξε βίβλος. Λέγει δὲ οὕτως Καὶ ἀνέστη Σατᾶν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπέσεισε τὸν Δαβίδ, τοῦ ἀριθμῆσαι τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ᾿Ανέστη Σατᾶν ἐπὶ Δαβὶδ, ἀλλ᾽, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ., Σατᾶν δὲ τὸν ἀντικείμενον, ἢ ἀποστάτην, ἡ Ἑβραίων γλῶττα καλεῖ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐναντίος ταῖς θείαις ἐπαγγελίαις ὁ τοιοῦτος ἦν λογισμὸς (τῷ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεὸς, Ποιήσω τὸ σπέρμα σὸν ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χείλος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἥτις οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους»), τούτου χάριν Σατᾶν τὸν τοιοῦτον ὠνόμασε λογισμὸν, ὡς ἐναντίον τῇ ὑποσχέσει τῇ θείᾳ· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τιμωρίαν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐγένετο λογισμός ᾿Ανέστη γὰρ, φησὶν, Σατᾶν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπέσεισε τὸν Δαβὶδ, τοῦ ἀριθμῆσαι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰούδα. Οὕτω κάνταῦθα, Προσέθετο ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ θυμωθῆναι ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐπέσεισε τὸν Δαβὶδ εἰς αὐτοὺς, λέγων, Πορεύθητι, ἀρίθμησον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰούδα. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς προσέταξε, τί δήποτε χαλεπαίνει ; Οὐκοῦν τὴν θείαν συγχώρησιν διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκεν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ Δεσπότης Θεὸς τοῦτο προσετετάχει γενέσθαι, τί δήποτε μεταμελείται ὁ Δαβὶδ τὴν θείαν πεπληρωκὼς ἐντολήν; Ἐπάταξε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ καρδία Δαβὶδ αὐτὸν μετὰ ταῦτα, ὅτι ἠρίθμησε τὸν λαόν· καὶ εἶπε Δαβίδ, Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο. Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε, περίελε τὴν ἀδικίαν τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι ἐματαιώθη σφόδρα. Δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς τὴν συγχώρησιν ἐκάλεσεν ἐντολήν· ἐπειδὴ κωλῦσαι δυνάμενος οὐκ ἐκώλυσε, παιδεῦσαι διὰ τούτου τοὺς παρανόμους βουλόμενος. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν αὐτοὺς ἠθέλησε τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας γεγενημένης ἐπαγγελίας ἀναμνῆσαι, καὶ δεῖξαι ταύτης τὸ ἀληθές ἔπειτα διδάξαι, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς τοῦ Ἰακὼβ τοσαῦται μυριάδες ἐγένοντο, καὶ ὅτι τοσαύτης τετυχηκότες εὐεργεσίας ἀεὶ πονηρὰν ἐπεδείξαντο γνώμην. Τούτου χάριν ἀριθμηθῆναι συνεχώρησε πρῶτον εἶθ' οὕτως ἐκόλασεν, Γὰδ δὲ τὸν προφήτην πρὸς τὸν ἀριθμήσαντα πέπομφε τρεῖς αἱρέσεις προστῆναι ἢ λιμὸν τρισὶ συμμετρούμενον ἔτεσιν, ἢ πολεμίων ἔφοδον ἐπὶ μησὶ τρισὶ κατακράτος νικώντων καὶ διωκόντων, ἢ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ λοιμοῦ θάνατον ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις γινόμενον· ταῦτα δὲ εἰπὼν ὁ προφήτης τῷ προφήτῃ καὶ βασιλεῖ, ἤπειξε λαβεῖν τὴν ἀπόκρισιν Καὶ νῦν γὰρ, φησὶ, γνῶθι καὶ ἴδε τί ἀποκριθῶ ῥῆμα τῷ ἀποστείλαντί με. Ὁ δὲ σοφώτατος καὶ δικαιότατος βασιλεὺς, λογισάμενος ὡς τὸν λιμὸν αὐτὸς διαφυγεῖν δυνήσεται, πολὺν ὡς βασιλεὺς ἔχων ἀποκείμενον σῖτον, κατὰ μόνων δὲ τῶν πενήτων ἡ τιμωρία χωρήσει· καὶ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ δὲ δυνατὸν αὐτὸν διαφυγεῖν τῶν πολεμίων τὰς χεῖρας, πρῶτον μὲν τοῖς ὀχυρωτάτοις καὶ δυσαλώτοις φρουρίοις χρησάμενον, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀριστεύουσιν ἐκείνοις περιφραττόμενον οὐκ· ψήθη δίκαιον τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας φροντίσαι, ἀλλὰ συμμετασχεῖν τῶν ἐπιφερομένων κολάσεων τῷ λαῷ τοιοῦτος δὲ ὁ λοιμὸς, διαφορὰν πλουσίου καὶ πένητος οὐκ εἰδὼς, οὐδὲ δειλοῦ καὶ ἀνδρείου· οὐδὲ δούλου καὶ δεσπότου, οὐδὲ ἰδιώτου καὶ βασιλέως ἀλλὰ κατὰ πάντων ὁμοίως χωρῶν. Τούτου χάριν ταύτην τὴν τιμωρίαν τῶν ἄλλων προείλετο, ἧς αὐτὸς ἐστιν ὁ κολάζων διανομεύς· Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, Δαβὶδ πρὸς Γάδ· Στενά μοι σφόδρα ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ τρία. Πλὴν ἐμπεσοῦμαι εἰς χεῖρας Κυρίου ὅτι πολλοὶ οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ αὐτοῦ σφόδρα εἰς δὲ χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων οὐ μὴ ἐμπέσω καὶ ἐξελέξατο ἑαυτῷ Δαβὶδ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος οὐκ ἐψεύσθη. Τριῶν γὰρ ἡμερῶν ὁ Θεὸς θάνατον ἀπειλήσας, ἐν ἓξ μόναις ὥραις τὸν θάνατον ἐπήνεγκε. Συναριθμουμένων δὲ τῶν νυκτῶν ταῖς ἡμέραις, τὸ δωδεκατημόριον εὐρίσκεται τῆς ἀπειλῆς ἐπενεχθὲν τῷ λαῷ. Οὕτως ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Κύριος μείζοσι μὲν κέχρηται ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας δεδιττόμενος· πολλῷ δὲ τῶν ἀπειλῶν ἐλάττους ἐπιφέρει τὰς τιμωρίας. Καὶ γὰρ, ἐννακοσίων χιλιάδων τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ εὑρεθεισῶν, καὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα τετρακοσίων, δηλονότι τῶν τὴν στρατεύσιμον ἡλικίαν ἀγόντων, καὶ τῶν προώρων καὶ τῶν ἐξώρων, καὶ μέντοι καὶ γυναικῶν ἐξῃρημένων, προσέτι δὲ καὶ τῶν Λευϊτῶν, καὶ τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος φυλῆς· μεταμεληθέντος γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ ἠριθμήθησαν ἑβδομήκοντα χιλιάδες ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἀνῃρέθησαν μόναι καὶ ταῦτα πάντων ἐν ἀκαρεῖ διαφθαρῆναι δυναμένων. Οὐ γὰρ ἐδεῖτο χρόνου τιμωρὸς ἄγγελος. Ἐν ἀκαρεῖ γὰρ ἀνεῖλε καὶ τὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πρωτότοκα, καὶ τὰς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων. Τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τοίνυν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τῆς ἀδυναμίας, ὁ χρόνος. Αὐτίκα γοῦν τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐπιβὰς ὤφθη ὁ ἄγγελος τῷ Δαβὶδ, τὴν ῥομφαίαν ἔχων γυμνὴν, ἵνα τὴν συγγνώμην αἰτήσῃ. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τὰ ῥήματα Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ ἥμαρτον, καὶ ἐγὼ ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκακοποίησα, καὶ οὗτοι τὸ ποίμνιον τί ἐποίησαν; γενέσθω ἡ χείρ σου ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου. ᾿Αγνοῶν τὴν αἰτίαν, οἱκείαν ἁμαρτίαν τὸ γεγενημένον ἐκάλεσε καὶ αὐτῷ καὶ τῷ γένει δικαίαν ἐπενεχθῆναι ψῆφον ἱκέτευσε, λόγοις χρησάμενος ποιμένος ἀληθινοῦ, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ Κύριον μιμησάμενος, ὃς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων. Δεξάμενος δὲ τὴν ἱκετείαν ὁ ἀγαθὸς Κύριος, ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ χωρίῳ θυσιαστήριον οἰκοδομηθῆναι προσέταξεν, ἐν ᾧ τὴν τιμωρίαν ὁ θεῖος ἐκώλυσεν ἔλεος. Τὸ δὲ, Μετεμελήθη Κύριος, περιττὸν ἑρμηνεύειν. Πολλάκις γὰρ αὐτοῦ εἰρήκαμεν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ὅτι τὴν τῆς οἰκονομίας σημαίνει μεταβολήν. Παραυτίκα τοίνυν ὁ βασιλεὺς δραμὼν ᾔτησεν Ὀρνίαν τὸν Ἰεβουσαῖον ἀποδόσθαι τὴν ἄλω. Ἐκείνου δὲ προῖκα δώσειν ὑποσχομένου καὶ τὴν ἄλω, καὶ τοὺς βοῦς, καὶ τῶν ἀρότρων τὰ ξύλα, ἵνα ἐν ἐκείνῃ μὲν δομήσηται τὸν βωμὸν, τούτους δὲ ἱερεύσῃ, τοῖς δὲ ξύλοις προσενέγκῃ τὸ πῦρ, δίκαιον εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς, μὴ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίων τῷ Θεῷ δῶρα προσφέρειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ οἱκείων. Ταῦτα παρ' αὐτοῦ μεμαθηκὼς ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Σολομών, παραινεῖ λέγων, Τίμα τὸν Κύριον ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων, καὶ ἀπάρχου αὐτῷ ἀπὸ σῶν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης. Ταῦτα πληρῶν ὁ βασιλεὺς, πριάμενος τὸν βωμὸν ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ τὴν θυσίαν προσήνεγκε, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεώσατο. Ιστέον δὲ ὡς ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ χωρίῳ τὸν νεὼν ᾠκοδόμησεν ὁ σοφὸς Σολομών. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· Προσέθηκε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Σολομὼν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων, ὅτι μικρὸν ἦν ἐν πρώτοις μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ κατὰ Ὀρνίαν, ἢ ᾿Αδωνίαν (διώνυμος γὰρ ἦν), ὁ ἱστοριογράφος συνέγραψεν ὅπως μὲν ἐμελέτησε τυραννίδα ὅπως δὲ συμπόσιον λαμπρὸν ἐπετέλεσε, πρωτοκλίτους ἔχων τοῦ συμποσίου τὸν στρατηγὸν Ἰωάβ, καὶ ᾿Αβιάθαρ τὸν ἱερέα. Ἐτέλεσε δὲ τὸ συσσίτιον παρά τινα πηγὴν, πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως ἀναβλύζουσαν, παρ᾿ ἣν βασιλικός ἐτεθήλει παράδεισος. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Ἰώσηπος ἔφη, καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος δὲ τὴν ᾿Αὖν πηγὴν ἡρμήνευσεν ᾿Αϊνὰ δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ ὁ Σύρος καλεῖ
Ti dēpote tou Dabid arithmēsantos, ho laos tēn timōrian anedexato? Oikeias paranomias dikas etisen ho laos. Katalipōn gar ton eusebē basilea, tyrannǭ dyssebei kai patraloią paidi synestrateuse, phonōnti kata patros eusebous kai prophētou, kai para tou tōn holōn Theou tēs basileias dexamenou tēn cheirotonian. Auxei de autōn tēn katēgorian, to ton men Saoul katapsēphisthenta, kai tēs theias charitos gymnōthenta, mē katalipein heōs tou biou to terma katelabe, kai tauta tou Dabid hypo prophētou christhentos; ton de myriōn autois agathōn genomenon proxenon, kai to tōn allophylōn katalysanta thrasos, kai ton men ᾿Amalēk paradonta panōlethrią, Idoumaious de, kai Mōabitas, kai ᾿Ammanitas, kai Syrous hekaterous kai cheirōsamenon kai doulōsamenon, kai pherein anankasanta phorous, kai prophētikēs apolausanta charitos, mē monon katalipein, alla kai antiparataxasthai, kai drasai ta polemiōn ti, kai sympraxai miaiphonǭ kai dyssebei kai paranomǭ paidi. Toutōn oun autous ho dikaios kritēs eisepraxato dikas, kai dia tou Dabid eisepraxato, epeidēper auton ēdikēsan. Touto de kai hē historia didaskei Kai prosetheto orgē Theou, tou thymōthēnai en Israēl Ouk eipen, En Dabid, all᾽, «En Israēl.» Toigartoi prophasis ēn tēs timōrias ho genomenos arithmos; Epeseise gar, phēsi, ton Dabid eis autous, legōn, Poreuthēti, arithmēson ton Israēl kai ton Ioudan.» ᾿All' ou dia logōn ekeleusthē; hē gar an, euthynas tēs arithmēseōs eisprattomenos eipen, hōs Autos ekeleusas arithmēthēnai. Alla touto men ouk ephē peplēmmelēkenai de hōmologēsen. Ou toinyn logǭ prosetaxe ton Hisraēl arithmēsai, all᾽ endedōke toutǭ chrēsasthai tǭ logismǭ ton Dabid. Ileōs gar an ho Despotēs kai Theos, empodōn ginetai tois synoisein ou mellousi logismois. Kai gar bouleusamenǭ ton theion oikodomēsai neōn dia tou prophētou Nathan dedēlōke mēden toiouton bouleusasthai, alla tǭ paidi tēn tēs oikodomēs phylaxai phrontida. Hoti de ouk ex energeias, all᾽ ek synchōrēseōs ho toioutos autǭ gegone logismos, saphesteron hē tōn Paraleipomenōn edidaxe biblos. Legei de houtōs Kai anestē Satan epi Israēl kai epeseise ton Dabid, tou arithmēsai ton Israēl. Kai ouk eipen, ᾿Anestē Satan epi Dabid, all᾽, epi ton Israēl., Satan de ton antikeimenon, ē apostatēn, hē Hebraiōn glōtta kalei. Epeidē toinyn enantios tais theiais epangeliais ho toioutos ēn logismos (tǭ gar Abraam ho tōn holōn ephē Theos, Poiēsō to sperma son hōs tēn ammon tēn para to cheilos tēs thalassēs, hētis ouk arithmēthēsetai apo tou plēthous»), toutou charin Satan ton toiouton ōnomase logismon, hōs enantion tę̄ hyposchesei tę̄ theią; alla dia tēn tou Israēl timōrian ho toioutos egeneto logismos ᾿Anestē gar, phēsin, Satan epi Israēl, kai epeseise ton Dabid, tou arithmēsai ton Israēl kai ton Iouda. Houtō kantautha, Prosetheto orgē tou Theou, tou thymōthēnai epi Israēl; kai epeseise ton Dabid eis autous, legōn, Poreuthēti, arithmēson ton Israēl kai ton Iouda. Ei de autos prosetaxe, ti dēpote chalepainei ? Oukoun tēn theian synchōrēsin dia toutōn dedēlōken. Ei de ho Despotēs Theos touto prosetetachei genesthai, ti dēpote metameleitai ho Dabid tēn theian peplērōkōs entolēn? Epataxe gar, phēsin, hē kardia Dabid auton meta tauta, hoti ērithmēse ton laon; kai eipe Dabid, Hēmartēka tǭ Kyriǭ tou poiēsai to rhēma touto. Kai nyn, Kyrie, periele tēn adikian tou doulou sou, hoti emataiōthē sphodra. Dēlon toinyn, hōs tēn synchōrēsin ekalesen entolēn; epeidē kōlysai dynamenos ouk ekōlyse, paideusai dia toutou tous paranomous boulomenos. Kai prōton men autous ēthelēse tēs pros tous pateras gegenēmenēs epangelias anamnēsai, kai deixai tautēs to alēthes epeita didaxai, hōs ex henos tou Iakōb tosautai myriades egenonto, kai hoti tosautēs tetychēkotes euergesias aei ponēran epedeixanto gnōmēn. Toutou charin arithmēthēnai synechōrēse prōton eith' houtōs ekolasen, Gad de ton prophētēn pros ton arithmēsanta pepomphe treis haireseis prostēnai ē limon trisi symmetroumenon etesin, ē polemiōn ephodon epi mēsi trisi katakratos nikōntōn kai diōkontōn, ē ton ek tou loimou thanaton en trisin hēmerais ginomenon; tauta de eipōn ho prophētēs tǭ prophētę̄ kai basilei, ēpeixe labein tēn apokrisin Kai nyn gar, phēsi, gnōthi kai ide ti apokrithō rhēma tǭ aposteilanti me. Ho de sophōtatos kai dikaiotatos basileus, logisamenos hōs ton limon autos diaphygein dynēsetai, polyn hōs basileus echōn apokeimenon siton, kata monōn de tōn penētōn hē timōria chōrēsei; kai en tǭ polemǭ de dynaton auton diaphygein tōn polemiōn tas cheiras, prōton men tois ochyrōtatois kai dysalōtois phrouriois chrēsamenon, epeita de kai tois aristeuousin ekeinois periphrattomenon ouk; psēthē dikaion tēs oikeias sōtērias phrontisai, alla symmetaschein tōn epipheromenōn kolaseōn tǭ laǭ toioutos de ho loimos, diaphoran plousiou kai penētos ouk eidōs, oude deilou kai andreiou; oude doulou kai despotou, oude idiōtou kai basileōs alla kata pantōn homoiōs chōrōn. Toutou charin tautēn tēn timōrian tōn allōn proeileto, hēs autos estin ho kolazōn dianomeus; Eipe gar, phēsi, Dabid pros Gad; Stena moi sphodra esti kai ta tria. Plēn empesoumai eis cheiras Kyriou hoti polloi hoi oiktirmoi autou sphodra eis de cheiras anthrōpōn ou mē empesō kai exelexato heautǭ Dabid ton thanaton, kai tēs elpidos ouk epseusthē. Triōn gar hēmerōn ho Theos thanaton apeilēsas, en hex monais hōrais ton thanaton epēnenke. Synarithmoumenōn de tōn nyktōn tais hēmerais, to dōdekatēmorion eurisketai tēs apeilēs epenechthen tǭ laǭ. Houtōs ho philanthrōpos Kyrios meizosi men kechrētai tais apeilais tous hamartanontas dedittomenos; pollǭ de tōn apeilōn elattous epipherei tas timōrias. Kai gar, ennakosiōn chiliadōn tou Israēl heuretheisōn, kai tou Iouda tetrakosiōn, dēlonoti tōn tēn strateusimon hēlikian agontōn, kai tōn proōrōn kai tōn exōrōn, kai mentoi kai gynaikōn exę̄rēmenōn, proseti de kai tōn Leuïtōn, kai tēs Beniamitidos phylēs; metamelēthentos gar tou basileōs ouk ērithmēthēsan hebdomēkonta chiliades hypo tou angelou anę̄rethēsan monai kai tauta pantōn en akarei diaphtharēnai dynamenōn. Ou gar edeito chronou timōros angelos. En akarei gar aneile kai ta tōn Aigyptiōn prōtotoka, kai tas hekaton ogdoēkonta pente chiliadas tōn ᾿Assyriōn. Tēs philanthrōpias toinyn, all᾽ ou tēs adynamias, ho chronos. Autika goun tēs Hierousalēm epibas ōphthē ho angelos tǭ Dabid, tēn rhomphaian echōn gymnēn, hina tēn syngnōmēn aitēsę̄. ᾿Axiagasta de kai auta tou basileōs ta rhēmata Idou gar, phēsin, egō hēmarton, kai egō ho poimēn ekakopoiēsa, kai houtoi to poimnion ti epoiēsan? genesthō hē cheir sou en emoi, kai en tǭ oikǭ tou patros mou. ᾿Agnoōn tēn aitian, hoikeian hamartian to gegenēmenon ekalese kai autǭ kai tǭ genei dikaian epenechthēnai psēphon hiketeuse, logois chrēsamenos poimenos alēthinou, kai ton huion autou kai Kyrion mimēsamenos, hos tēn psychēn autou ethēken hyper tōn probatōn. Dexamenos de tēn hiketeian ho agathos Kyrios, en ekeinǭ tǭ chōriǭ thysiastērion oikodomēthēnai prosetaxen, en hǭ tēn timōrian ho theios ekōlysen eleos. To de, Metemelēthē Kyrios, peritton hermēneuein. Pollakis gar autou eirēkamen tēn dianoian, kai hoti tēn tēs oikonomias sēmainei metabolēn. Parautika toinyn ho basileus dramōn ę̄tēsen Ornian ton Iebousaion apodosthai tēn alō. Ekeinou de proika dōsein hyposchomenou kai tēn alō, kai tous bous, kai tōn arotrōn ta xyla, hina en ekeinę̄ men domēsētai ton bōmon, toutous de hiereusę̄, tois de xylois prosenenkę̄ to pyr, dikaion eipen ho basileus, mē ex allotriōn tǭ Theǭ dōra prospherein, all᾽ ex hoikeiōn. Tauta par' autou memathēkōs ho huios autou Solomōn, parainei legōn, Tima ton Kyrion apo sōn dikaiōn ponōn, kai aparchou autǭ apo sōn karpōn dikaiosynēs. Tauta plērōn ho basileus, priamenos ton bōmon ǭkodomēse, kai tēn thysian prosēnenke, kai ton Theon hileōsato. Isteon de hōs en ekeinǭ tǭ chōriǭ ton neōn ǭkodomēsen ho sophos Solomōn. Touto gar kai hē historia didaskei; Prosethēke gar, phēsin, ho Solomōn epi to thysiastērion ep᾿ eschatōn, hoti mikron ēn en prōtois meta tauta ta kata Ornian, ē ᾿Adōnian (diōnymos gar ēn), ho historiographos synegrapsen hopōs men emeletēse tyrannida hopōs de symposion lampron epetelese, prōtoklitous echōn tou symposiou ton stratēgon Iōab, kai ᾿Abiathar ton hierea. Etelese de to syssition para tina pēgēn, pro tou asteōs anablyzousan, par᾿ hēn basilikos etethēlei paradeisos. Houtō gar ho Iōsēpos ephē, kai ho Symmachos de tēn ᾿Aun pēgēn hērmēneusen ᾿Aïna de autēn kai ho Syros kalei
Why, when David took the census, did the people receive the punishment? The people paid the penalty for their own lawlessness. For they abandoned the pious king and campaigned with an impious usurper, a son who would strike his father, who sought the blood of a pious father and prophet, one who had received appointment to the kingdom from the God of the universe. Their guilt is increased by the fact that they did not abandon Saul, though he had been condemned and stripped of divine grace, until he reached the end of his life, even though David had been anointed by a prophet; yet the man who had procured them countless benefits, who had destroyed the insolence of the foreigners, delivered Amalek to utter destruction, subdued and enslaved the Idumeans, Moabites, Ammonites and both kinds of Syrians, compelled them to pay tribute, and enjoyed prophetic grace, him they not only abandoned but fought against, did what enemies do, and joined a murderous, impious and lawless son. For this the just Judge exacted punishment from them, and exacted it through David, since it was him they had wronged. The history teaches this too: “And the anger of God was again kindled against Israel.” It did not say “against David” but “against Israel.” So the census that took place was the occasion of the punishment: “For he incited David against them,” it says, “saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.” But he was not commanded in words; for then, when called to account for the census, he would have said, “You yourself ordered it to be numbered.” But he did not say this; he confessed that he had sinned. So God did not command him in words to number Israel, but allowed David to follow this reasoning. For, as Master and God, he stands in the way of reasonings that will not be beneficial: when David planned to build the divine temple, he made known through the prophet Nathan that he should plan no such thing, but leave the care of the building to his son. That such a reasoning came to him not by God's working but by his permission, the book of Chronicles taught more clearly. It says this: “And Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel.” And it did not say, “Satan stood up against David,” but “against Israel.” The Hebrew language calls the adversary or apostate Satan. Since such a reasoning was contrary to the divine promises (for the God of the universe said to Abraham, “I will make your seed like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be numbered for multitude”), for this reason it named such a reasoning Satan, as contrary to the divine promise; but such a reasoning arose because of the punishment of Israel: “For Satan stood up,” it says, “against Israel, and incited David to number Israel and Judah.” So here too: “The anger of God was again kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.” If he himself commanded it, why is he angry? So by these words it showed God's permission. And if God the Master had commanded this to be done, why does David repent after fulfilling the divine command? “For David's heart struck him,” it says, “after he had numbered the people; and David said, I have sinned against the Lord in doing this thing. And now, Lord, take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.” It is clear, then, that it called the permission a command, since he did not prevent it though he could have, wishing to discipline the lawless through it. First he wished to remind them of the promise made to their fathers and to show its truth; then to teach them that from one man, Jacob, so many myriads had come, and that, having received such great benefits, they always displayed a wicked disposition. For this reason he first allowed them to be numbered, and then punished them. He sent Gad the prophet to the man who had taken the census to set before him three choices: either famine lasting three years, or an invasion of enemies for three months who would conquer and pursue them with force, or death by pestilence occurring in three days. Having said this, the prophet urged the prophet and king to give his answer: “And now,” he says, “know and see what answer I shall return to the one who sent me.” The most wise and most just king reckoned that he himself could escape the famine, since as king he had much grain stored up, and the punishment would fall on the poor alone; and in war too he could escape the hands of the enemy, by using the strongest and most impregnable fortresses and by surrounding himself with those champions. He did not think it just to look after his own safety, but to share with the people in the punishments being brought. Such is pestilence: it knows no distinction between rich and poor, coward and brave, slave and master, private citizen and king, but advances against all alike. For this reason he chose this punishment over the others, of which the one who punishes is himself the dispenser: “For David said to Gad,” it says, “All three are very hard for me; but let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are very great; but let me not fall into the hands of men.” And David chose death for himself, and was not disappointed in his hope. For though God threatened death for three days, he brought death for only six hours. If the nights are counted with the days, it is found that a twelfth part of the threat was brought upon the people. So the Lord who loves humankind uses greater threats to frighten sinners, but brings punishments much smaller than the threats. For though nine hundred thousand of Israel were found, and four hundred thousand of Judah (clearly those of military age, excluding the under-age and the over-age, and also the women, and besides these the Levites and the tribe of Benjamin, which were not numbered because the king repented), only seventy thousand were killed by the angel, and that when all could have been destroyed in an instant. For the avenging angel did not need time: in an instant he killed both the firstborn of the Egyptians and the hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians. So the time was a matter of love for humankind, not of inability. At once, at any rate, the angel, having come upon Jerusalem, appeared to David with his sword drawn, so that he might ask for pardon. The king's words too are admirable: “Behold,” he says, “I have sinned, and I the shepherd have done wrong; but these, the flock, what have they done? Let your hand be against me and against my father's house.” Not knowing the cause, he called what had happened his own sin, and begged that a just sentence be brought on himself and his family, using the words of a true shepherd and imitating his son and Lord, who laid down his life for the sheep. The good Lord accepted his plea and commanded an altar to be built in the place where divine mercy had stopped the punishment. It is superfluous to explain “The Lord repented”: we have often stated its sense, that it signifies a change in his dispensation. At once, then, the king hurried and asked Ornia the Jebusite to sell him the threshing floor. When Ornia promised to give as a gift the threshing floor, the oxen, and the wood of the ploughs, so that he could build the altar on the one, sacrifice the others, and use the wood to light the fire, the king said it was right to offer God gifts not from what belongs to others but from what is one's own. Solomon his son, having learned this from him, advises, “Honor the Lord from your just labors, and give him the firstfruits of your fruits of righteousness.” Fulfilling this, the king bought it, built the altar, offered the sacrifice, and appeased God. One should know that the wise Solomon built the temple in that place. The history teaches this too: “For Solomon,” it says, “added to the altar at the end, because it was small at first.” After this the historian recorded the affair of Ornia, or Adonia (for he had two names): how he plotted usurpation, and how he held a splendid banquet, having as guests of honor at the banquet Joab the general and Abiathar the priest. He held the feast by a spring that gushed up before the city, beside which a royal garden flourished. So Josephus said; and Symmachus translated Aun as “spring,” and the Syrian too calls it Aina.
2 Sam 24:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 15:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Sam 15:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 8:14 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 7:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Chr 21:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 22:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Chr 21:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 12:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:35 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Chr 21:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:17 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:18 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:24 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 3:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Sam 24:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 3:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:9 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The census was the occasion, not the cause, of punishing Israel for its rebellion with Absalom; God permitted David's reasoning, David chose pestilence to share his people's lot, God lessened the punishment, and David bought the threshing floor where the temple would stand.
- 2 Sam 24 (LXX; quotations 24:1, 10, 13, 14, 17, 25 LXX addition); 1 Chr 21:1, 16; Gen 22:17; the firstborn of Egypt, Exod 12:29; the Assyrians, 2 Kgs 19:35; John 10:11; Prov 3:9 (LXX); Adonijah's feast, 1 Kgs 1:5–9; Josephus, Ant. 7.14.4. The name Ornia for Adonijah is printed so in the text; translated as written. The edition interleaves the answer with a second, parallel form of much of it (another recension of the same answer: on the census as permission rather than command, Jacob's descendants, the king's repentance, and the numbers); these duplicate passages, printed at four points inside the main text, are removed by logged corrections. “For, as Master and God, he stands in the way” translates a garbled opening (Ἴλεως γὰρ ἂν ὁ Δεσπότης) by the sense of the parallel form.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin look-alike letters; OCR accent error and stray mark; OCR letter error; displaced lines of a parallel form of the answer and stray marginal letters printed inside the quotation; displaced lines of a parallel form of the answer printed inside the sentence; displaced lines of a parallel form of the answer printed inside the word εἰσπραττόμενος; stray footnote mark; stray footnote marks; stray letters; stray mark; stray marks; stray syllable; word split by the OCR): χειρο τονίαν → χειροτονίαν; καταψηφισθέντα ", → καταψηφισθέντα,; φησὶ τ*, → φησὶ,; εἰσκαὶ τοὺς μὲν πανωλεθρίᾳ διαφθείραντα, τοὺς δὲ φόρους φέρειν ἀναγκάσαντα, καὶ προφητικῆς ἠξιωμένον πρὸς τὰς ἀκοὰς αὐτοῦ. Δημ. ἐπὶ ὑπακοὴν αὐτοῦ. πραττόμενος → εἰσπραττόμενος; ἐκέλευσας τε ἀριθμηθῆναι → ἐκέλευσας ἀριθμηθῆναι; ἀριθμῆσαι ", ἀλλ᾽ → ἀριθμῆσαι, ἀλλ᾽; λογισμῷ τ8 τὸν → λογισμῷ τὸν; βουλευσαμένῳ το τὸν → βουλευσαμένῳ τὸν; ἐνεργείας δι, ἀλλ᾽ → ἐνεργείας, ἀλλ᾽; Ἰσα ραὴλ → Ἰσραὴλ; Δαβὶδ ἐδ, τοῦ → Δαβὶδ, τοῦ; προσέταξε, & τί → προσέταξε, τί; ὡς ἐξ ) προαγορεύει ἀνοικοδομῆσαι. αρίθμησιν προστάξαι. Ὡς γὰρ ἂν Δεσπότης καὶ Θεὸς, ἐμποδὼν γίνεται τοῖς οὐ συνοίσειν μέλλουσι πρ. Ναθ. κωλύει, καὶ τὸν παῖδα τῆς ἀριθμήσεως αὐτῷ γέγονε λοὁ τῆς ἀριθμήσεως λογισμὸς ταῖς πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγελίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ, αἱ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ ἀριθμοῦ κρεῖττον γενέσθαι τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ διηγόρευον. Διὰ μέντοι τὴν τοῦ Δαβὶδ τιμωρίαν εἰς του τοιοῦτον ἦλθε λογισμόν. σον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν. Διὸ ἀριθμήσας, ὕστερον καὶ μεταμελεῖται. Ἐπάταξε γὰρ, φησί, Δαβὶὸ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν, Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε, περίελε τὴν ἀδικίαν τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι ἐμαἑνὸς → ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς; πο- λὺν → πολὺν; σἴτον κατὰ " μόνων → σῖτον, κατὰ μόνων; ἐν ἓξ μέναις ὥραις → ἐν ἓξ μόναις ὥραις; ἀπει λαῖς → ἀπειλαῖς; εὑρεθεισῶν, ταιώθην σφόδρα· ἐξ ὧν μάλιστα καταφανὲς, ὡς οὐ προστάξεως ἦν Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ θείας ἐνεργείας, ἀλλὰ μόνης συγχωρήσεως τὸ ἀριθμῆσαι Δαβὶδ τὸν λαὸν, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων λογισμῶν ἐκνικηθέντα. Τὴν οὖν θείαν συγχώρησιν, ἐντολὴν ἐκάλεσεν· ἐπειδὴ κωλῦσαι δυνάμενος οὐκ ἐκώλυσε· παιδεῦσαι δὲ διὰ τούτους τοὺς παρανόμους βουλόμενος, όμενος, πρῶτον μὲν τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐπαγγελίας ἀνέμνησεν, ἔπειτα ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς τοῦ Ἰακὼβ οταῦται μυριάδες ἐγένοντο, ὅσης τε εὐεργεσίας ἀπήλαυσαν, καὶ ὅτι ἀὲὶ πονηρὰν ἀντεπεδείξαντο γνώμην. Διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ τὴν ἐξαρίθμησιν συγχωρεῖ, καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν τοῖς ἐπὶ πολλοῖς αὐτὴν παρανόμοις ἔργοις δὲ μᾶλλον ἁλώσονται· καὶ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ πάλιν δυνατὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι διαφυγεῖν, καὶ πολλῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πολεκαὶ → εὑρεθεισῶν, καὶ; τετρακοσίων **, → τετρακοσίων,; τῷ Δαν βιδ → τῷ Δαβὶδ; οἰκοvoμίας → οἰκονομίας; προσφέρειν *, → προσφέρειν,; βασιλεὺς *, → βασιλεὺς,; θυσιαστήριον καὶ ἐξώρων, τῶν τε γυναικῶν δὴ καὶ τῶν Λευϊτῶν καὶ τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος φυλῆς· μεταμεληθεὶς γὰρ ὁ βασιμ. ὁ σοφὸς οιη. ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων → θυσιαστήριον ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων; Ὀρνίαν ", ἢ → Ὀρνίαν, ἢ.
Extrabiblical texts: Josephus, Ant. 7.14.4 (Josephus (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 2.45 (PG 80 80:659; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-45). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/2-45
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 3
3.1PG 80 80:667
Τινὲς ὑπολαμβάνουσιν ἀλγῆσαι τὸν Νάθαν, ὡς μὴ κληθέντα εἰς τὸ συσσίτιον· καὶ τούτου χάριν παρασκευάσαι τὴν Βερσαβεὲ τὰ γεγενημένα μηνῦσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ. ᾿Ανοήτως ἄγαν τήνδε τὴν ὑποψίαν ἐσχήκασιν. ῾Ο γὰρ προφήτης, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ψῆφον εἰδώς· (δι᾿ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἐδήλωσε τῷ βασιλεῖ, Οὐ σὺ οἰκοδομήσεις οἶκον τοῦ κατοικῆσαί με ἐν αὐτῷ ἀλλ᾿ ἰδοὺ υἱὸς τίκτεταί σοι, οὗτος ἔσται ἀνὴρ ἀναπαύσεως, καὶ ἀναπαύσω αὐτὸν ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ κυκλόθεν. Σολομὼν ὄνομα αὐτῷ καὶ εἰρήνην καὶ ἡσυχίαν δώσω ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ. Οὗτος οἰκοδομήσει οἶκον τῷ ὀνόματί μου· ») ταῦτα εἰδὼς ὁ προφήτης, καὶ θεασάμενος τὸν Ὀρνίαν παρὰ ἐμνησε διὰ τῆς Βερσαβεὲ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς θείας προῤῥήσεως· εἶτα εἰσελθὼν τοὺς ἐκείνης ἐβεβαίωσε λό
Tines hypolambanousin algēsai ton Nathan, hōs mē klēthenta eis to syssition; kai toutou charin paraskeuasai tēn Bersabee ta gegenēmena mēnysai tǭ basilei. ᾿Anoētōs agan tēnde tēn hypopsian eschēkasin. ῾O gar prophētēs, tou Theou tēn psēphon eidōs; (di᾿ autou gar edēlōse tǭ basilei, Ou sy oikodomēseis oikon tou katoikēsai me en autǭ all᾿ idou huios tiktetai soi, houtos estai anēr anapauseōs, kai anapausō auton apo pantōn tōn echthrōn autou kyklothen. Solomōn onoma autǭ kai eirēnēn kai hēsychian dōsō epi Israēl en tais hēmerais autou. Houtos oikodomēsei oikon tǭ onomati mou; ») tauta eidōs ho prophētēs, kai theasamenos ton Ornian para emnēse dia tēs Bersabee ton basilea tēs theias prorrhēseōs; eita eiselthōn tous ekeinēs ebebaiōse lo
Some suppose that Nathan was aggrieved at not being invited to the feast, and for this reason got Bathsheba to report what had happened to the king. They have formed this suspicion very foolishly. For the prophet knew God's decision, since God had made it known through him to the king: “You shall not build me a house to dwell in; but behold, a son will be born to you; he shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about. His name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name.” Knowing this, the prophet, seeing Ornia … reminded the king, through Bathsheba, of the divine prophecy; then he came in himself and confirmed her words.
1 Kgs 1:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 7:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 22:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Chr 22:10 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nathan acted not from pique but because he knew God had chosen Solomon, and so had Bathsheba remind David of the promise.
- The question is put as an objection; the printed text lacks a question mark. 1 Kgs 1:11–27; the prophecy as quoted combines 2 Sam 7:5, 13 and 1 Chr 22:9–10. Ornia is Theodoret's name for Adonijah (see 2.45). Words are lost after “seeing Ornia” (probably describing his attempt on the throne), and the last word of the answer is cut off; marked “…” and supplied by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; stray mark): παρασκευάσαι “ τὴν → παρασκευάσαι τὴν; προβῥήσεως → προῤῥήσεως.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.1 (PG 80 80:667; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.2PG 80 80:667
Τὸν Γηὼν τίνα καλεῖ, Γηὼν μὲν ὁ Νεῖλος ὠνόμασται εἷς γὰρ τῶν ποταμῶν ἐστι τῶν τεσσάρων. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφῶς αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς διὰ Ἱερεμίου ἐδίδαξεν εἰπών Καὶ νῦν τί σοὶ καὶ τῇ ὁδῷ Αἰγύπτου, τοῦ πιεῖν ὕδωρ Γηών;» Ἐπωνόμασαν δὲ καὶ τὸν Σιλοὰμ Γηών· ἢ ὡς ἄγαν μικρὸν εἰρωνικῶς οὕτω καλέσαντες ἢ ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξ ἀφανῶν ἔξεισιν ὑπονόμων, ὥσπερ ὁ Νεῖλος. Χρίσαι δὲ τὸν Σολομῶντα προσετάχθησαν Σαδώκ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ Νάθαν ὁ προφήτης. Προτέτακται τοῦ προφήτου μὲν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, τοῦ στρατηγοῦ δὲ ὁ προφήτης. Συναπεστάλησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ σφενδονῖται καὶ οἱ τοξόται τούτους γὰρ καλεῖ Χερεθὶ καὶ Φελεθί
Ton Gēōn tina kalei, Gēōn men ho Neilos ōnomastai heis gar tōn potamōn esti tōn tessarōn. Kai touto saphōs autos ho Theos dia Hieremiou edidaxen eipōn Kai nyn ti soi kai tę̄ hodǭ Aigyptou, tou piein hydōr Gēōn?» Epōnomasan de kai ton Siloam Gēōn; ē hōs agan mikron eirōnikōs houtō kalesantes ē epeidē kai autos ex aphanōn exeisin hyponomōn, hōsper ho Neilos. Chrisai de ton Solomōnta prosetachthēsan Sadōk ho archiereus, kai Nathan ho prophētēs. Protetaktai tou prophētou men ho archiereus, tou stratēgou de ho prophētēs. Synapestalēsan de kai hoi sphendonitai kai hoi toxotai toutous gar kalei Cherethi kai Phelethi
Whom does he call Gihon? The Nile is called Gihon, for it is one of the four rivers. God himself taught this clearly through Jeremiah, saying, “And now what have you to do with the road to Egypt, to drink the water of Gihon?” They also named the Siloam Gihon, either calling it so ironically because it is very small, or because it too comes out of hidden underground channels, like the Nile. Zadok the high priest and Nathan the prophet were ordered to anoint Solomon. The high priest is placed before the prophet, and the prophet before the general. The slingers and the archers were also sent with them; for these he calls Cherethites and Pelethites.
1 Kgs 1:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 2:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:34 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:38 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Gihon, a name of the Nile, was also given to the spring of Siloam, where Solomon was anointed by Zadok and Nathan.
- 1 Kgs 1:33–38; Gen 2:13; Jer 2:18 (LXX Γηών). The printed question ends with a comma; the question is present. A line that seems to belong to this answer (“…priest, then Nathan the prophet, and after them Benaiah son of Jehoiada the general, with the slingers”) is printed inside question 3.3 and is removed there; it is not moved here.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.2 (PG 80 80:667; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.3PG 80 80:669
Τι δήποτε καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τὸν βασιλέα τὸν νέον ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς εὐλογοῦντες εὐκλεέστερον γενέσθαι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ περιφανέστερον ηὔξαντο; ᾿Αγαθύναι γὰρ, ἔφασαν, Κύριος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ σου Σολομῶντος ὑπὲρ τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ μεγαλύναι τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τὸν θρόνον σου. Ἤδεσαν ὡς οὐδεὶς ἔχων πατρικὴν φιλοστοργίαν ἐζηλοτύπησε παῖδας καὶ ὡς ἴδιον πατέρων τὸ βούλεσθαι τοὺς παῖδας καὶ ἑαυτῶν λαμπροτέρους ὁρᾷν. ῎Αρειος γὰρ καὶ οἱ τούτου παῖδες ταύτην μόνοι νοσοῦσι τὴν ἄνοιαν. Ὁ δέ γε Δαβὶδ οὕτως τοῖς παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων εἰρημένοις ἐφήσθη, ὅτι καὶ τοῦ γήρως αὐτὸν ἀναστῆναι κωλύοντος, κατακεκλιμένος προσεκύνησε τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι δεδωκότα τὸ πέρας Εὐλογητὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ, ὃς ἔδωκε σήμερον ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός μου καθήμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου μου, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου βλέπουσι. Τῷ μὲν οὖν Θεῷ τοῦτον τὸν ὕμνον προσήνεγκε, τῷ δὲ διαδόχῳ τῆς βασιλείας παιδὶ φυλάττειν ἀκήρατον τὴν εὐσέβειαν παρεγγύησε. Πρῶτον δὲ τὸ κοινὸν ἐπέδειξε τέλος· «Ἐγὼ γὰρ, ἔφη, πορεύσομαι ἐν ὁδῷ πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ κραταιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἔσῃ εἰς ἄνδρα δυνάμεως καὶ φυλάξεις τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ, ἀκριβάσματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωσέως. Μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν τῶν γεγραμμένων παραβῆναι τολμήσῃς. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὰ ἀκριβάσματα, καὶ τὰ κρίματα, καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια, ἐντολὰς, καὶ προστάγματα. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν φυόμενον κέρδος "Όπως εὐοδωθῇ πάντα ἃ ποιήσεις, καὶ πανταχῆ οὗ ἐὰν ἐπιβλέψῃς ἐκεῖ Τούτων γὰρ, φησὶ, παρὰ σοῦ γινομένων, ἐμπεδώσει ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος τὴν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἐμὲ γεγενημένην ὑπόσχεσιν, ὅτι Οὐ μὴ ἐξαρθήσεταί σοι ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου Ἰσραήλ.
Ti dēpote kai hoi archontes ton basilea ton neon epi tou patros eulogountes eukleesteron genesthai tou patros kai periphanesteron ēuxanto? ᾿Agathynai gar, ephasan, Kyrios to onoma tou huiou sou Solomōntos hyper to onoma sou, kai megalynai ton thronon autou hyper ton thronon sou. Ēdesan hōs oudeis echōn patrikēn philostorgian ezēlotypēse paidas kai hōs idion paterōn to boulesthai tous paidas kai heautōn lamproterous horąn. ᾿Areios gar kai hoi toutou paides tautēn monoi nosousi tēn anoian. Ho de ge Dabid houtōs tois para tōn archontōn eirēmenois ephēsthē, hoti kai tou gērōs auton anastēnai kōlyontos, katakeklimenos prosekynēse ton Theon, ton tais hyposchesesi dedōkota to peras Eulogētos gar, phēsi, Kyrios ho Theos Israēl, hos edōke sēmeron ek tou spermatos mou kathēmenon epi tou thronou mou, kai hoi ophthalmoi mou blepousi. Tǭ men oun Theǭ touton ton hymnon prosēnenke, tǭ de diadochǭ tēs basileias paidi phylattein akēraton tēn eusebeian parengyēse. Prōton de to koinon epedeixe telos; «Egō gar, ephē, poreusomai en hodǭ pasēs tēs gēs, kai krataiōthēsę̄, kai esę̄ eis andra dynameōs kai phylaxeis tēn phylakēn tou Theou Israēl, tou poreuesthai enōpion autou phylassein tēn hodon autou; kai ta prostagmata autou, akribasmata autou, kai ta krimata autou, entolas autou, kai ta martyria autou, kathōs gegraptai en tǭ nomǭ Mōseōs. Mēde to tychon tōn gegrammenōn parabēnai tolmēsę̄s. Touto gar dēloi ta akribasmata, kai ta krimata, kai ta martyria, entolas, kai prostagmata. Edidaxe de kai to enteuthen phyomenon kerdos "Opōs euodōthę̄ panta ha poiēseis, kai pantachē hou ean epiblepsę̄s ekei Toutōn gar, phēsi, para sou ginomenōn, empedōsei ho agathos hēmōn Kyrios tēn par᾿ autou pros eme gegenēmenēn hyposchesin, hoti Ou mē exarthēsetai soi anēr apo tou thronou Israēl.
Why did the officials, blessing the young king in his father's presence, pray that he would become more glorious and illustrious than his father? “May the Lord,” they said, “make the name of your son Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.” They knew that no one with a father's affection was ever jealous of his children, and that it is proper to fathers to wish to see their children even more brilliant than themselves. Arius and his children alone suffer from this folly. David was so pleased with what the officials said that, though old age prevented him from rising, he worshiped God lying down, God who had brought his promises to fulfillment: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” he says, “who has given one of my seed to sit on my throne today, while my eyes see it.” He offered this hymn to God, and he charged the son who succeeded him in the kingdom to keep his piety undefiled. First he pointed out the common end: “I am going,” he said, “the way of all the earth; be strong and be a man, and keep the charge of the God of Israel, to walk before him, to keep his way, his ordinances, his precepts, his judgments, his commandments and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses.” Do not dare to transgress even the least of what is written; for this is what the precepts, judgments, testimonies, commandments and ordinances mean. He also taught the gain that comes from this: “That all that you do may prosper, and wherever you look.” If you do these things, he says, our good Lord will make firm the promise he made to me, that “there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.”
1 Kgs 1:47 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:48 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:4 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The officials could rightly wish Solomon greater than David, since fathers rejoice in sons who surpass them; David blessed God and charged Solomon to keep the whole law.
- 1 Kgs 1:47–48; 2:2–4 (LXX). The remark on Arius (that only he and his followers think a father would be jealous of a son equal to or greater than himself) is aimed at the Arian view of the Son; translated as written. A displaced line (on the order of Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah, from 3.2) printed in the answer is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin look-alike letters; OCR letter error; OCR misread σου; displaced line from question 3.2 printed inside the sentence): τὸν νέor ἐπὶ → τὸν νέον ἐπὶ; τοῦ υἱοῦ 1* Σολομῶντος → τοῦ υἱοῦ σου Σολομῶντος; Κύγιος → Κύριος; καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια, ἱερέα, εἶτα Νάθαν τὸν προφήτην, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα Βαναίαν υἱὸν Ἰωναὲ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἔχοντα σφενδονήτας ἐντολὰς → καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια, ἐντολὰς; πάντα ε ποιήσεις → πάντα ἃ ποιήσεις.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.3 (PG 80 80:669; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.4PG 80 80:671
Τίνος χάριν αὐτὸς μὴ κολάσας τὸν Ἰωὰβ, τῷ παιδὶ τοῦτο δρᾶσαι προσέταξε; Πρῶτον μὲν ἠδέσθη αὐτὸν, ἅτε τῶν πόνων καὶ κινδύνων γενόμενον κοινωνόν· ἔπειτα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ θρασὺ ὑφωρᾶτο. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσε δι᾽ ὧν εἴρηκεν, ὅτι Υἱοὶ Σαρουΐα σκληρότεροί μού εἰσι. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, μαθὼν συγκατασκευάζοντα αὐτὸν τῷ Ὀρνίᾳ τὴν τυραννίδα, ἔδεισε μὴ τῇ συνήθει κακοηθείᾳ χρησάμενος, καταφρονήσῃ τῆς τοῦ Σολομῶντος νεότητος, καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον δράσῃ ἢ εὐνοίας προσωπείῳ χρησάμενος ἀνέλῃ λαθών, ὥσπερ δὴ τὸν ᾿Αβεννὴρ καὶ τὸν ᾿Αβεσσᾶ κατέκτεινεν· ἢ προφανῶς ἀντιπαρατάξηται, καὶ διέλῃ τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ Βερσελῆ τὴν εὔνοιὰν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνου παῖδας πάσης ἀξιωθῆναι κηδεμονίας ἐκέλευσεν, ὀφείλειν αὐτῷ τοῦτο χρέος ὁμολογῶν.
Tinos charin autos mē kolasas ton Iōab, tǭ paidi touto drasai prosetaxe? Prōton men ēdesthē auton, hate tōn ponōn kai kindynōn genomenon koinōnon; epeita de autou kai to thrasy hyphōrato. Touto gar edēlōse di᾽ hōn eirēken, hoti Huioi Sarouïa sklēroteroi mou eisi. Pros de toutois, mathōn synkataskeuazonta auton tǭ Ornią tēn tyrannida, edeise mē tę̄ synēthei kakoētheią chrēsamenos, kataphronēsę̄ tēs tou Solomōntos neotētos, kai dyoin thateron drasę̄ ē eunoias prosōpeiǭ chrēsamenos anelę̄ lathōn, hōsper dē ton ᾿Abennēr kai ton ᾿Abessa katekteinen; ē prophanōs antiparataxētai, kai dielę̄ ton Israēl. Edidaxe de auton kai tou Berselē tēn eunoian, kai tous ekeinou paidas pasēs axiōthēnai kēdemonias ekeleusen, opheilein autǭ touto chreos homologōn.
Why did he not punish Joab himself, but ordered his son to do it? First, he respected him as one who had shared his labors and dangers; and then he also suspected his boldness. He showed this by saying, “The sons of Zeruiah are harder than I.” Besides, learning that he was helping Ornia prepare his usurpation, he feared that Joab, using his customary malice, would despise Solomon's youth and do one of two things: either, using a mask of good will, kill him secretly, as he had killed Abner and Amessa; or oppose him openly and divide Israel. He also told him of Barzillai's loyalty, and ordered that his sons be granted every care, acknowledging that he owed him this debt.
1 Kgs 2:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:39 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 1:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 3:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 20:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:7 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David left Joab's punishment to Solomon because he respected yet feared Joab, who had joined Adonijah and might threaten the young king; he also commended Barzillai's sons.
- 1 Kgs 2:5–7; 2 Sam 3:39; 3:27; 20:10. The printed Ἀβεσσᾶ here means Amasa, as in 2.36.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin letters; word split by the OCR): Ἐδίδαξε δὲ uε αὐτὸν → Ἐδίδαξε δὲ αὐτὸν; ὀφεί λειν → ὀφείλειν.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.4 (PG 80 80:671; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.5PG 80 80:671
Διατὶ τῷ Σεμεῖ δεδωκώς τὴν συγγνώμην, τῷ Σολομῶντι κολάσαι τοῦτον προσέταξε; Τυραννικὸν ᾔδει τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ ἄγαν θρασύν καὶ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς προμηθούμενος σωτηρίας, ἐδίδαξεν αὐτὸν ἃ τετόλμηκεν, ἵνα τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φυλάττηται πονηρίαν. Ἤδει δὲ καὶ, ὡς προφήτης, ὅτι τοῦ Σολομῶντος παραβαίνων τὰς ἐντολὰς διαφθαρήσεται. Μιαρὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ ἀνὴρ, καὶ στάσεων ἀρχηγός.
Diati tǭ Semei dedōkōs tēn syngnōmēn, tǭ Solomōnti kolasai touton prosetaxe? Tyrannikon ę̄dei ton andra, kai agan thrasyn kai tēs tou paidos promēthoumenos sōtērias, edidaxen auton ha tetolmēken, hina tēn tou andros phylattētai ponērian. Ēdei de kai, hōs prophētēs, hoti tou Solomōntos parabainōn tas entolas diaphtharēsetai. Miaros gar ēn ho anēr, kai staseōn archēgos.
Why, having given Shimei pardon, did he order Solomon to punish him? He knew the man to be seditious and very bold; and providing for his son's safety, he told him what Shimei had dared, so that he would guard against the man's wickedness. He also knew, as a prophet, that Shimei would transgress Solomon's commands and be destroyed. For the man was vile and a leader of factions.
1 Kgs 2:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 19:23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: David warned Solomon about Shimei because he was seditious, foreseeing that he would break Solomon's terms.
- 1 Kgs 2:8–9; 2 Sam 19:23.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by the OCR; words joined by the OCR): ἅτετόλμηκεν → ἃ τετόλμηκεν; ἀρχ ηγός → ἀρχηγός.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.5 (PG 80 80:671; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.6PG 80 80:671
Τί ἐστιν ἡ πόλις Δαβίδ; Τὴν Σιὼν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ πόλιν προσαγορεύει Δαβίδ. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡ ἄνω πόλις ἐκέκλητο πᾶσα δὲ νῦν Ἱερουσαλήμ ὀνομάζεται. Ἐν ταύτῃ φησὶν ὁ Ἰώσηπος καὶ αὐτὸν ἀξιωθῆναι ταφῆς, καὶ τοὺς μετ᾿ αὐτὸν βασιλεῖς τὸ δὲ μνῆμα παρὰ τὴν Σιλοὰμ εἶναι, ἀντροειδὲς ἔχον τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν δηλοῦν πολυτέλειαν. Ἔφη δὲ καὶ πολὺν αὐτῷ συγκατορυγῆναι χρυσὸν παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς Σολομῶντος καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθαι δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ὕστερον γενομένων. Ὑρκανὸν γὰρ τὸν ἀρχιερέα, πολιορκουμένης τῆς πόλεως ὑπὸ ᾿Αντιόχου τοῦ Δημητρίου παιδὸς, ἀνοῖξαι τὸ μνῆμα, καὶ τάλαντα ἐκεῖθεν ἐκφορῆσαι τρισχίλια. Δαβὶδ μέντοι ὁ βασιλεὺς ἑβδομηκοντούτης γενόμενος ἐδέξατο τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας. Τριακοντούτης μὲν γὰρ ἐβασίλευσε, τεσσαράκοντα δὲ βασιλεύων ἐξήνυσεν ἔτη.
Ti estin hē polis Dabid? Tēn Siōn hē theia Graphē polin prosagoreuei Dabid. Houtō de kai hē anō polis ekeklēto pasa de nyn Hierousalēm onomazetai. En tautę̄ phēsin ho Iōsēpos kai auton axiōthēnai taphēs, kai tous met᾿ auton basileis to de mnēma para tēn Siloam einai, antroeides echon to schēma, kai tēn basilikēn dēloun polyteleian. Ephē de kai polyn autǭ synkatorygēnai chryson para tou paidos Solomōntos kai touto genesthai dēlon ek tōn hysteron genomenōn. Hyrkanon gar ton archierea, poliorkoumenēs tēs poleōs hypo ᾿Antiochou tou Dēmētriou paidos, anoixai to mnēma, kai talanta ekeithen ekphorēsai trischilia. Dabid mentoi ho basileus hebdomēkontoutēs genomenos edexato tou biou to peras. Triakontoutēs men gar ebasileuse, tessarakonta de basileuōn exēnysen etē.
What is the city of David? The divine Scripture calls Zion the city of David. So too the upper city was called; but now the whole is named Jerusalem. Josephus says that he was buried in it, and the kings after him; that the tomb is near Siloam, shaped like a cave and displaying royal magnificence. He also said that much gold was buried with him by his son Solomon, and that this was made clear by later events: for Hyrcanus the high priest, when the city was besieged by Antiochus son of Demetrius, opened the tomb and carried out three thousand talents from it. King David reached the end of his life at the age of seventy; for he became king at thirty and completed forty years as king.
1 Kgs 2:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Sam 5:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The city of David is Zion, where David was buried in a richly furnished tomb, as Josephus reports.
- 1 Kgs 2:10–11; 2 Sam 5:4; Josephus, Ant. 7.15.3; 13.8.4. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 300.
Extrabiblical texts: Josephus, Ant. 7.15.3 (Josephus (works); allusion)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.6 (PG 80 80:671; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.7PG 80 80:673
Νεμεσῶσι τῷ Σολομῶντί τινες, ὡς ἀποκτείναντι τὸν ἀδελφόν. Διάφοροι τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ βίοι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἄκραν φιλοσοφίαν ἀσκοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ τὴν καλουμένην πολιτικὴν ἀρετήν· ἄλλοι βασιλείαν, ἢ στρατηγίαν ἰθύνουσι. Χρὴ τοίνυν ἕκαστον ἐξετάζειν πρὸς τὴν πολιτείαν ἣν μέτεισι· τοιγάρτοι τὸν Σολομῶντα οὐ προφητικὴν ἀπαιτητέον, οὐδὲ ἀποστολικὴν τελειότητα, ἀλλὰ τὴν βασιλεῦσιν ἁρμόττουσαν. Ἤδει δὲ αὐτὸς τὸν Ὀρνίαν ἐφιέμενον τυραννίδος· καὶ γὰρ ἐπειράθη τὴν βασιλείαν ἁρπάσαι, Τῷ μὲν οὖν προτέρῳ συνέγνω τολμήματι, καὶ σωτηρίας ἀξιώσειν. ὑπέσχετο σωφρονεῖν ἀνεχόμενον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤτησε τὴν σύνευνον τοῦ πατρὸς, οὐκ ἔδωκε μὲν τὴν αἴτησιν τυραννίδος οὖσαν ὁδὸν τῇ βασιλείᾳ δὲ τὸ ἀστασίαστον μηχανώμενος, ἀναιρεθῆναι προσέταξεν.
Nemesōsi tǭ Solomōnti tines, hōs apokteinanti ton adelphon. Diaphoroi tōn anthrōpōn hoi bioi. Hoi men gar tēn akran philosophian askousin, hoi de tēn kaloumenēn politikēn aretēn; alloi basileian, ē stratēgian ithynousi. Chrē toinyn hekaston exetazein pros tēn politeian hēn meteisi; toigartoi ton Solomōnta ou prophētikēn apaitēteon, oude apostolikēn teleiotēta, alla tēn basileusin harmottousan. Ēdei de autos ton Ornian ephiemenon tyrannidos; kai gar epeirathē tēn basileian harpasai, Tǭ men oun proterǭ synegnō tolmēmati, kai sōtērias axiōsein. hypescheto sōphronein anechomenon. Epeidē de ētēse tēn syneunon tou patros, ouk edōke men tēn aitēsin tyrannidos ousan hodon tę̄ basileią de to astasiaston mēchanōmenos, anairethēnai prosetaxen.
Some are indignant with Solomon for killing his brother. Human ways of life differ. Some practice the highest philosophy, others the so-called civic virtue; others govern a kingdom or command an army. Each must be examined according to the way of life he follows. So from Solomon one must demand not prophetic or apostolic perfection, but that which befits kings. He knew that Ornia aimed at usurpation, for he had tried to seize the kingdom. He pardoned the first attempt and promised to grant him safety if he consented to behave himself. But when he asked for his father's concubine, he did not grant the request, which was a road to usurpation, but, securing the kingdom from rebellion, ordered him to be killed.
1 Kgs 1:52 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:17 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:25 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Solomon, judged by the standard for kings, rightly executed Adonijah, whose request for David's concubine was a bid for the throne.
- The question is put as an objection; the printed text lacks a question mark. 1 Kgs 1:50–53; 2:13–25. The clause on the promise of safety is garbled in the printed text (σωτηρίας ἀξιώσειν. ὑπέσχετο σωφρονεῖν ἀνεχόμενον) and is translated by sense.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.7 (PG 80 80:673; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.8PG 80 80:673
Τι δήποτε τὸν Ἰωὰβ τῷ Θεῷ προσπεφευγότα κατέκτεινε; Ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος τοῦτο γενέσθαι διηγόρευσεν τὸν προσφεύγοντα γὰρ ἀνδροφόνον ἀναιρεῖσθαι προσέταξεν. Ὁ δὲ Σεμεεὶ αὐτὸς ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὸν εἶλκυσε τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ψῆφον· τὴν γὰρ μητρόπολιν οἰκεῖν ὑποσχόμενος, καὶ ὅρκῳ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν κρατύνας, παρέβη τὸν ὅρκον, καὶ παρὰ τὰς συνθήκας ἐκδημῆσαι τετόλμηκεν.
Ti dēpote ton Iōab tǭ Theǭ prospepheugota katekteine? Ho tou Theou nomos touto genesthai diēgoreusen ton prospheugonta gar androphonon anaireisthai prosetaxen. Ho de Semeei autos eph᾽ heauton eilkyse tou thanatou tēn psēphon; tēn gar mētropolin oikein hyposchomenos, kai horkǭ tēn hyposchesin kratynas, parebē ton horkon, kai para tas synthēkas ekdēmēsai tetolmēken.
Why did he kill Joab when he had taken refuge with God? The law of God ordained that this be done; for it commanded that a murderer who takes refuge be put to death. Shimei drew the sentence of death upon himself; for having promised to live in the capital and confirmed the promise with an oath, he broke the oath and dared to leave contrary to the agreement.
1 Kgs 2:28 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:34 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 21:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:42 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:46 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The law allowed a murderer to be taken even from the altar; Shimei died for breaking his sworn agreement.
- 1 Kgs 2:28–34; the law, Exod 21:14; Shimei, 1 Kgs 2:36–46.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.8 (PG 80 80:673; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-8
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.9PG 80 80:673
Τίνος χάριν τὸν Ἀβιάθαρ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἐγύμνωσεν; Ἐκοινώνησε μὲν τῷ Ὀρνίᾳ τῆς τυραννίδος. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ καὶ τοῦ Σολομῶντος τὰ ῥήματα ᾿Απότρεχε γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν σου, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἱκόν σου, ὅτι ἀνὴρ θανάτου σὺ εἶ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ· καὶ οὐ θανατώσω σε, ὅτι ἦρας τὴν κιβωτὸν τῆς διαθήκης Κυρίου ἐνώπιον Δαβὶδ τοῦ πατρός μου· καὶ ὅτι ἐκακουχήθης ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐκακουχήθη ὁ πατήρ μου. Ὑπέκειτο μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τῆς τυραννίδος, ἅτε δὴ συνεργός γεγενημένος τῆς τοῦ Ὀρνία θρασύτητος. Πλὴν ὁ Σολομὼν καὶ τῆς θείας προῤῥήσεως γέγονεν ὑπουργός, Τῷ γὰρ Ἡλεὶ, καὶ διὰ τοῦ πανευφήμου Σαμουήλ, καὶ μέντοι καὶ δι' ἄλλου προφήτου, προηγόρευσεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ γένους τὴν ἀτιμίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία δεδήλωκεν - λέγει γὰρ οὕτως· Καὶ ἐξέβαλε Σολομὼν τὸν ᾿Αβιάθαρ, τοῦ μὴ εἶναι εἰς ἱερέα Κυρίου τοῦ πληρωθῆναι τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου, ὁ ἐλάλησεν ἐν Σηλώμ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἡλεί.
Tinos charin ton Abiathar tēs archierōsynēs egymnōsen? Ekoinōnēse men tǭ Ornią tēs tyrannidos. Touto gar dēloi kai tou Solomōntos ta rhēmata ᾿Apotreche gar, phēsin, eis ton agron sou, kai eis ton hoikon sou, hoti anēr thanatou sy ei en tę̄ hēmerą tautę̄; kai ou thanatōsō se, hoti ēras tēn kibōton tēs diathēkēs Kyriou enōpion Dabid tou patros mou; kai hoti ekakouchēthēs en pasin hois ekakouchēthē ho patēr mou. Hypekeito men oun, hōs ephēn, kai tę̄ katēgorią tēs tyrannidos, hate dē synergos gegenēmenos tēs tou Ornia thrasytētos. Plēn ho Solomōn kai tēs theias prorrhēseōs gegonen hypourgos, Tǭ gar Hēlei, kai dia tou paneuphēmou Samouēl, kai mentoi kai di' allou prophētou, proēgoreusen ho Theos tou genous tēn atimian. Touto de kai hē historia dedēlōken - legei gar houtōs; Kai exebale Solomōn ton ᾿Abiathar, tou mē einai eis hierea Kyriou tou plērōthēnai to rhēma Kyriou, ho elalēsen en Sēlōm epi ton oikon Hēlei.
Why did he strip Abiathar of the high priesthood? He had shared in Ornia's usurpation. Solomon's words show this: “Go off to your field,” he says, “and to your house; for you are a man worthy of death this day; but I will not put you to death, because you carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord before David my father, and because you suffered in all that my father suffered.” He was liable, then, as I said, to the charge of usurpation, as an accomplice in Ornia's insolence. But Solomon also became the servant of the divine prophecy. For God foretold the dishonor of the family to Eli, both through the all-praised Samuel and through another prophet. The history showed this too, for it says: “And Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest of the Lord, to fulfill the word of the Lord which he spoke in Shiloh against the house of Eli.”
1 Kgs 2:26 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:27 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 2:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Sam 3:11 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Abiathar lost the priesthood for supporting Adonijah, which also fulfilled the prophecy against Eli's house.
- 1 Kgs 2:26–27 (quotations); 1 Sam 2:27–36; 3:11–14.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error): θανάτου αὺ εἶ → θανάτου σὺ εἶ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.9 (PG 80 80:673; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-9
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.10PG 80 80:675
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, Ἐπλήθυνεν ἡ σοφία Σολομῶντος ὑπὲρ τὴν φρόνησιν πάντων τῶν υἱῶν ἀρχαίων, καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντας φρονίμους Αἰγύπτου; Ἐκ παραλλήλου δεῖξαι αὐτοῦ τὴν σοφίαν ὁ ἱστοριογράφος ἠθέλησεν. Τούτου χάριν καὶ τῶν πάλαι γεγενημένων σοφῶν ἀορίστως ἐμνήσθη καὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους προστέθεικεν, ὡς δοκοῦντας παρὰ πάντας εἶναι σοφούς. Καὶ γὰρ, ὡς Ἕλληνες ἱστοροῦσι, καὶ Φερεκύδης ὁ Σύρος, καὶ Πυθαγόρας ὁ Σάμιος, καὶ ᾿Αναξαγόρας ὁ Κλαζομένιος, καὶ Πλάτων ὁ ᾿Αθηναῖος, πρὸς τούτους ἐξεδήμησαν, καὶ θεολογίαν καὶ φυσιολογίαν ἀκριβεστέραν μαθήσεσθαι παρὰ τούτων ἐλπίσαντες. Καὶ ἡ θεία δὲ Γραφὴ ἢ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Μωσῆν ἱστοροῦσα τὸν νομοθέτην ἔφη, ὅτι ἐπαιδεύθη ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων. Τούτους, φησὶν, ἅπαντας ὁ Σολομὼν ἀπέκρυψεν, ἅτε δὴ θεόθεν τῆς σοφίας τὸ δῶρον δεξάμενος τῷ δὲ τῆς σοφίας ἐπαίνῳ συνῆψε κατηγορίαν. Τὸν γὰρ περὶ τοῦ γάμου κείμενον ἄντικρυς νόμον παρέβη, ὃς ταῖς ἀλλοφύλοις ἐκώλυε συνάπτεσθαι γυναιξίν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ πρῶτος ἔλαβε γυναῖκα τοῦ Φαραὼ τὴν θυγατέρα.
Pōs noēteon to, Eplēthynen hē sophia Solomōntos hyper tēn phronēsin pantōn tōn huiōn archaiōn, kai hyper pantas phronimous Aigyptou? Ek parallēlou deixai autou tēn sophian ho historiographos ēthelēsen. Toutou charin kai tōn palai gegenēmenōn sophōn aoristōs emnēsthē kai tous Aigyptious prostetheiken, hōs dokountas para pantas einai sophous. Kai gar, hōs Hellēnes historousi, kai Pherekydēs ho Syros, kai Pythagoras ho Samios, kai ᾿Anaxagoras ho Klazomenios, kai Platōn ho ᾿Athēnaios, pros toutous exedēmēsan, kai theologian kai physiologian akribesteran mathēsesthai para toutōn elpisantes. Kai hē theia de Graphē ē ta kata ton Mōsēn historousa ton nomothetēn ephē, hoti epaideuthē en pasę̄ sophią Aigyptiōn. Toutous, phēsin, hapantas ho Solomōn apekrypsen, hate dē theothen tēs sophias to dōron dexamenos tǭ de tēs sophias epainǭ synēpse katēgorian. Ton gar peri tou gamou keimenon antikrys nomon parebē, hos tais allophylois ekōlye synaptesthai gynaixin. Autos gar prōtos elabe gynaika tou Pharaō tēn thygatera.
How should “Solomon's wisdom exceeded the understanding of all the sons of the ancients and all the wise men of Egypt” be understood? The historian wished to show his wisdom by comparison. That is why he mentioned the wise men of old indefinitely and added the Egyptians, as being thought wiser than all. For, as the Greeks relate, Pherecydes of Syros, Pythagoras of Samos, Anaxagoras of Clazomenae and Plato of Athens went abroad to them, hoping to learn more exact theology and natural philosophy from them. And the divine Scripture, in relating the story of Moses the lawgiver, said that he was educated “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” All these, he says, Solomon eclipsed, since he had received the gift of wisdom from God. But to the praise of his wisdom he joined an accusation: he broke the law plainly laid down about marriage, which forbade union with foreign women; for he was the first to take Pharaoh's daughter as wife.
1 Kgs 4:30 (3 Kgdms 5:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 7:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 7:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 11:1 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Solomon's God-given wisdom surpassed even Egypt's famed sages, but he broke the law against foreign wives by marrying Pharaoh's daughter.
- 1 Kgs 4:30 (LXX 5:10); Acts 7:22; the law, Deut 7:3; Pharaoh's daughter, 1 Kgs 3:1. The Greek tradition of philosophers studying in Egypt is reported by Theodoret as the Greeks' account.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray marks; word split by the OCR): Αἰγύ πτου → Αἰγύπτου; ἐπαιδεύθη 3* ἐν → ἐπαιδεύθη ἐν.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.10 (PG 80 80:675; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.11PG 80 80:675
Τί ἐστι, Καὶ ᾿Αγικὰμ υἱὸς Θαρὰκ ἐπὶ τὰς ἄρσεις; Ἄρχων ἦν τῶν μετακομιζόντων τοὺς λίθους καὶ τὰ ξύλα. Τούτους δὲ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἡ βίβλος νωτοφόρους ἐκάλεσεν ὠμοφόρους δὲ αὐτοὺς οἱ νῦν ὀνομάζουσιν. Ἡ μέντοι ἱστορία δηλοῖ, ὡς πέρας ἔλαβεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπόσχεσις. Ἐπηγγείλατο γὰρ δώσειν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Αἰγύπτου, ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου Εὐφράτου. «Ἧν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄρχων ὁ Σολομὼν ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ἕως γῆς ἀλλοφύλων, καὶ ἕως ὁρίων Αἰγύπτου.
Ti esti, Kai ᾿Agikam huios Tharak epi tas arseis? Archōn ēn tōn metakomizontōn tous lithous kai ta xyla. Toutous de tōn Paraleipomenōn hē biblos nōtophorous ekalesen ōmophorous de autous hoi nyn onomazousin. Hē mentoi historia dēloi, hōs peras elaben hē tou Theou hyposchesis. Epēngeilato gar dōsein tǭ Israēl apo tou potamou Aigyptou, heōs tou potamou tou megalou Euphratou. «Hēn gar, phēsin, archōn ho Solomōn epi pasi tois basileusin apo tou potamou, kai heōs gēs allophylōn, kai heōs horiōn Aigyptou.
What does “And Agikam son of Tharak was over the levies” mean? He was in charge of those who carried the stones and the timber. The book of Chronicles called these “burden-bearers”; people today call them “porters.” The history shows that God's promise came to fulfillment. For he promised to give Israel the land from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates: “For Solomon,” it says, “was ruler over all the kings from the river to the land of the foreigners and to the border of Egypt.”
1 Kgs 4:6 (quotation, medium confidence) · 2 Chr 2:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 15:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 4:21 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The officer “over the levies” directed the carriers; Solomon's rule from the Euphrates to Egypt fulfilled God's promise to Abraham.
- 1 Kgs 4:6 (the name is printed as in Theodoret's text); 2 Chr 2:18 (LXX νωτοφόροι); Gen 15:18; 1 Kgs 4:21 (LXX 5:1).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray marks): δηλοῖ 3*, → δηλοῖ,.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.11 (PG 80 80:675; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.12PG 80 80:675
Πῶς νοητέον, Καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἦν θυμιῶντες καὶ θύοντες ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοτάτοις; Οὐκ εἰδωλολατρείαν αὐτῶν ἐνταῦθα κατηγορεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅτι παρὰ τὸν νόμον ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοτάτοις χωρίοις τῷ Θεῷ θυσίας προσέφερον. Ὁ γὰρ νόμος ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ λατρεύειν προσέταξεν. Συγγνώμης δὲ ὅμως ἀπήλαυον, ἐπειδήπερ οὐδέπω ὁ θεῖος ναὸς ἐδεδόμητο. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία δεδήλωκεν· Ἦσαν γὰρ θυμιῶντες καὶ θύοντες ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοτάτοις, ὅτι οὐκ ᾠκοδομήθη ὁ οἶκος τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἕως τοῦ νῦν.» Ἐντεῦθεν νοητέον τὰ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἱστορούμενα βασιλέων, ὅτι ἐξῆραν τὰ ἄλση, καὶ τὰς στήλας τοῦ Βαἀλ συνέτριψαν· πλὴν τὰ ὑψηλὰ οὐκ ἐξῆραν. Καὶ γὰρ ᾿Ασὰ, καὶ Ἰωσαφάτ, καὶ ἄλλοι τινὲς, τὸ τοῖς δαίμοσι θύειν ἐκώλυσαν, καὶ τὰ ἐκείνων τεμένη κατέλυσαν οὐ μὴν ἐπαύσαντο τοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τὰς θυσίας προσφέρειν. Τῷ μέντοι Ἰεζεκίᾳ, καὶ τῷ Ἰωσίᾳ, ταύτην τὴν τελειότητα μεμαρτύρηκεν ή θεία Γραφή. Ὅτι δὲ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων τὰς θυσίας προσέφερον, τὰ ἑξῆς μαρτυρεῖ· Ἠγάπησε γὰρ, φησὶ, Σολομὼν τὸν Κύριον, τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασι Δαβὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ· πλὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἔθυε καὶ ἐθυμία τουτέστιν οὐ πρὸ τῆς σκηνῆς, οὐδὲ πρὸ τῆς κιβωτοῦ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ τοῖς εἰδώλοις, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τότε τὰς ἑκατόμβας καὶ χιλιόμβας προςέφερε, σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει Ἐπορεύθη γάρ, φησί, Σολομὼν εἰς Γαβαὼν θῦσαι ἐκεῖ, ὅτι αὕτη ὑψηλοτάτη καὶ μεγάλη, χιλίαν ὀλοκαύτωσιν δεχομένη. Καὶ ἀνήνεγκε Σολομὼν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἐν Γαβαὼν, καὶ ὤφθη Κύριος τῷ Σολομῶντι ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Αίτησαι αἴτημα σεαυτῷ. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ, εἰ τοῖς εἰδώλοις τὰς θυσίας προσενηνόχει, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ ἀνταπέδωκε τὰς παντοδαπὰς δωρεάς. Τούτων γὰρ ἀπάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον, ἢ ὄντων, ἢ δοκούντων ἀγαθῶν τὴν σοφίαν προελομένου, δέδωκεν ὁ μεγαλόδωρος σοφίας μὲν χάριν, ὅσην ἡ φύσις ἐδέχετο· πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ δυναστείαν, καὶ τὴν ἐν εἰρήνῃ βασιλείαν, ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς τηνικάδε βασιλέας ὥστε τούτου τὸ κλέος πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διαδραμεῖν. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς προσευχῆς τὰ ῥήματα. ᾿Αναμνήσας γὰρ τῶν ὑπαρξάντων ἀγαθῶν τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ τὸν τούτων χορηγὸν ἀνυμνήσας, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ἱκετείαν προσήνεγκε· Καὶ νῦν, Κύριέ μου, Κύριε, σὺ ἔδωκας τὸν δοῦλόν σου ἀντὶ τοῦ Δαβὶδ τοῦ πατρός μου· καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι παιδάριον μικρὸν, καὶ οὐκ οἶδα τὴν εἴσοδόν μου καὶ τὴν ἔξοδόν μου. Καὶ ὁ δοῦλός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ὃν ἐξελέξω λαὸν πολὺν, ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης ἢ οὐ διαριθμηθήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ οὐ διηγηθήσεται• καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν φρονίμην, τοῦ ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τοῦ συνιέναι ἀναμέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ. Διὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἔδειξε τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας τὸ ἀτελὲς, καὶ τῆς δοθείσης ἐξουσίας τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ τὸ τῆς κρίσεως ἐπικίνδυνον, καὶ τῆς φρονήσεως τὸ ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ τὸ συνετὸν τῆς αἰτήσεως. Ὅθεν ὁ Δεσπότης Θεὸς ἐπαινέσας τὴν αἴτησιν, καὶ ταύτην ἔδωκε, καὶ τἄλλα προὐτέθεικε. Τοῦτο κὰν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ὁ Δεσπότης ἐνομοθέτησεν· Αἰτεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Ταύτας μέντοι τῷ Σολομῶντι τὰς δωρεὰς δέδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, πάσης δὲ αὐτὸν ἀξιώσειν προμηθείας ὑπέσχετο Ἐὰν πορευθῇς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μου, τοῦ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολάς μου, καὶ τὰ προστάγματά μου, ἐν οἷς ἐπορεύθη Δαβὶδ ὁ πατήρ σου, καὶ μακρυνεῖς τὰς ἡμέρας σου.
Pōs noēteon, Kai ho laos ēn thymiōntes kai thyontes en tois hypsēlotatois? Ouk eidōlolatreian autōn entautha katēgorei, all' hoti para ton nomon en tois hypsēlotatois chōriois tǭ Theǭ thysias prosepheron. Ho gar nomos en heni topǭ latreuein prosetaxen. Syngnōmēs de homōs apēlauon, epeidēper oudepō ho theios naos ededomēto. Touto gar kai hē historia dedēlōken; Ēsan gar thymiōntes kai thyontes en tois hypsēlotatois, hoti ouk ǭkodomēthē ho oikos tǭ onomati Kyriou heōs tou nyn.» Enteuthen noēteon ta peri tōn allōn historoumena basileōn, hoti exēran ta alsē, kai tas stēlas tou Baal synetripsan; plēn ta hypsēla ouk exēran. Kai gar ᾿Asa, kai Iōsaphat, kai alloi tines, to tois daimosi thyein ekōlysan, kai ta ekeinōn temenē katelysan ou mēn epausanto tou en tois hypsēlois tas thysias prospherein. Tǭ mentoi Iezekią, kai tǭ Iōsią, tautēn tēn teleiotēta memartyrēken ē theia Graphē. Hoti de en tois hypsēlois tǭ Theǭ tōn holōn tas thysias prosepheron, ta hexēs martyrei; Ēgapēse gar, phēsi, Solomōn ton Kyrion, tou poreuesthai en tois prostagmasi Dabid tou patros autou; plēn en tois hypsēlois ethye kai ethymia toutestin ou pro tēs skēnēs, oude pro tēs kibōtou, kata ton theion nomon. Hoti de ou tois eidōlois, alla tǭ Theǭ tote tas hekatombas kai chiliombas prosephere, saphōs hēmas hē historia didaskei Eporeuthē gar, phēsi, Solomōn eis Gabaōn thysai ekei, hoti hautē hypsēlotatē kai megalē, chilian olokautōsin dechomenē. Kai anēnenke Solomōn epi to thysiastērion to en Gabaōn, kai ōphthē Kyrios tǭ Solomōnti en hypnǭ tēn nykta kai eipen autǭ, Aitēsai aitēma seautǭ. Ouk an de, ei tois eidōlois tas thysias prosenēnochei, ho Theos autǭ antapedōke tas pantodapas dōreas. Toutōn gar apantōn homou tōn kata ton bion, ē ontōn, ē dokountōn agathōn tēn sophian proelomenou, dedōken ho megalodōros sophias men charin, hosēn hē physis edecheto; plouton de kai dynasteian, kai tēn en eirēnę̄ basileian, hyper pantas tous tēnikade basileas hōste toutou to kleos pasan tēn oikoumenēn diadramein. ᾿Axiagasta de autou kai tēs proseuchēs ta rhēmata. ᾿Anamnēsas gar tōn hyparxantōn agathōn tǭ patri, kai ton toutōn chorēgon anymnēsas, tēn hyper heautou hiketeian prosēnenke; Kai nyn, Kyrie mou, Kyrie, sy edōkas ton doulon sou anti tou Dabid tou patros mou; kai egō eimi paidarion mikron, kai ouk oida tēn eisodon mou kai tēn exodon mou. Kai ho doulos sou en mesǭ tou laou sou, hon exelexō laon polyn, hōs hē ammos tēs thalassēs ē ou diarithmēthēsetai apo tou plēthous, kai ou diēgēthēsetai• kai dōseis tǭ doulǭ sou kardian phronimēn, tou akouein kai diakrinein ton laon sou en dikaiosynę̄, kai tou synienai anameson agathou kai kakou. Dia de toutōn kai tēs physeōs edeixe tēn astheneian, kai tēs hēlikias to ateles, kai tēs dotheisēs exousias to megethos, kai to tēs kriseōs epikindynon, kai tēs phronēseōs to anankaion, kai to syneton tēs aitēseōs. Hothen ho Despotēs Theos epainesas tēn aitēsin, kai tautēn edōke, kai talla proutetheike. Touto kan tois hierois Euangeliois ho Despotēs enomothetēsen; Aiteite gar, phēsin, tēn basileian tou Theou, kai tēn dikaiosynēn autou, kai ta loipa panta prostethēsetai hymin. Tautas mentoi tǭ Solomōnti tas dōreas dedōken ho Theos, pasēs de auton axiōsein promētheias hypescheto Ean poreuthę̄s gar, phēsin, en tę̄ hodǭ mou, tou phylassein tas entolas mou, kai ta prostagmata mou, en hois eporeuthē Dabid ho patēr sou, kai makryneis tas hēmeras sou.
How should “And the people were burning incense and sacrificing on the high places” be understood? It does not accuse them of idolatry here, but of offering sacrifices to God on the high places contrary to the law; for the law commanded worship in one place. Nevertheless they received pardon, since the divine temple had not yet been built. The history showed this too: “For they were burning incense and sacrificing on the high places, because the house had not been built for the name of the Lord until now.” From this one must understand what is related about the other kings, that they removed the groves and broke the pillars of Baal, “but the high places they did not remove.” For Asa, Jehoshaphat and some others prevented sacrifice to demons and destroyed their precincts, but did not stop offering sacrifices on the high places. To Hezekiah and Josiah, however, the divine Scripture bore witness to this perfection. That they offered sacrifices to the God of the universe on the high places is attested by what follows: “For Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places,” that is, not before the tabernacle or before the ark, according to the divine law. That he offered the hecatombs and thousands of victims then not to the idols but to God, the history clearly teaches us: “For Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because it was the highest and great, receiving a thousand whole burnt offerings. And Solomon offered on the altar in Gibeon, and the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and said to him, Ask a request for yourself.” If he had offered the sacrifices to idols, God would not have repaid him with every kind of gift. For when he preferred wisdom to all the goods of life together, real or apparent, the generous Giver gave him the grace of wisdom as much as nature could receive, and wealth and power and a kingdom in peace beyond all the kings of that time, so that his fame ran through the whole world. The words of his prayer too are admirable. Having recalled the good things granted to his father and praised their giver, he offered his petition for himself: “And now, my Lord, Lord, you have made your servant king in place of David my father; and I am a little child, and do not know my going out and my coming in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you chose, a great people, like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant an understanding heart, to hear and to judge your people in righteousness, and to discern between good and evil.” By these words he showed the weakness of nature, the immaturity of his age, the greatness of the authority given, the danger of judging, the necessity of understanding, and the good sense of his request. So God the Master praised the request, granted it, and added the other things as well. The Master laid this down as law in the holy Gospels too: “Seek,” he says, “the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the rest will be added to you.” God gave Solomon these gifts, and promised to grant him every providence: “If you walk in my way,” he says, “keeping my commandments and my ordinances, as David your father walked, I will also lengthen your days.”
1 Kgs 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 12:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 15:14 (quotation, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 22:43 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Sacrifice on the high places before the temple was irregular but not idolatry; at Gibeon Solomon asked for wisdom and received it with wealth and peace besides.
- 1 Kgs 3:2–14 (LXX; quotations 3:2, 3, 4–5, 7–9, 14); the other kings, 1 Kgs 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kgs 18:4; 23; Matt 6:33. A displaced passage (a second form of the sentence on God's gifts to Solomon) printed inside the word “authority” is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; displaced duplicate of an earlier sentence printed inside the word ἐξουσίας; stray footnote marks; stray letters; word split by the OCR and stray syllable): προσφέρειν **. → προσφέρειν.; δεχομένη **. → δεχομένη.; τῷ Σολομῶντ: ἐν → τῷ Σολομῶντι ἐν; τῆς δοθείσης έξουἔθυεν, οὐκ ἂν ὤφθη Κύριος, οὐκ ἂν ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ παντοδαπὰς δωρεάς· σοφίας τε χάριν, ὅσην ἡ φύσις ἐδέχετο, πλοῦτόν τε καὶ δυναστείαν καὶ εἰρήνην, καὶ βασιλείαν ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς τηνικάδε βασιλέας ἐχαρίσίας τὸ μέγεθος → τῆς δοθείσης ἐξουσίας τὸ μέγεθος; ὁ Δεσπό της ἐνομοθέτησεν δε Αἰτεῖτε → ὁ Δεσπότης ἐνομοθέτησεν· Αἰτεῖτε; δέδωκεν δι ὁ Θεὸς → δέδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.12 (PG 80 80:675; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.13PG 80 80:679
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, Ἐξυπνίσθη Σολομών, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐνύπνιον ; Διαναστὰς, φησὶ, τοῦ ὀνείρατος ἀνεμνήσθη· καὶ συνεὶς θείαν οὖσαν τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, ἐπανῆλθε μὲν εἰς τὴν μητρόπολιν, πρὸ δὲ τῆς θείας κιβωτοῦ χαριστήριον θυσίαν προσήνεγκεν.
Pōs noēteon to, Exypnisthē Solomōn, kai idou enypnion ? Dianastas, phēsi, tou oneiratos anemnēsthē; kai syneis theian ousan tēn apokalypsin, epanēlthe men eis tēn mētropolin, pro de tēs theias kibōtou charistērion thysian prosēnenken.
How should “Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream” be understood? Rising from the dream, he says, he remembered it; and understanding that the revelation was divine, he returned to the capital and offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving before the divine ark.
1 Kgs 3:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Solomon recognized his dream as a divine revelation and gave thanks before the ark.
- 1 Kgs 3:15. This short question holds one question and answer.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.13 (PG 80 80:679; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.14PG 80 80:679
Τὸ κατὰ τὰς δύο ἑταίρας διήγημα τίνος χάριν τέθεικεν ὁ τὴν ἱστορίαν γραψάμενος; Ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐβουλήθη σοφίαν. Σοφωτάτης γὰρ τῷ ὄντι διανοίας, τὸ τὰ λανθάνοντα δεῖξαι, καὶ τὰ κεκρυμμένα δηλῶσαι, καὶ προσενεγκεῖν τῇ φύσει τὴν βάσανον, καὶ αὐτῇ τῆς δίκης ἐπιτρέψαι τὴν ψῆφον. Αὐτίκα γοῦν ἡ μὲν μήτηρ ἐδείχθη, ἡ δὲ οὐ μήτηρ ἠλέγχθη,
To kata tas dyo hetairas diēgēma tinos charin tetheiken ho tēn historian grapsamenos? Epideixai tēn tou basileōs eboulēthē sophian. Sophōtatēs gar tǭ onti dianoias, to ta lanthanonta deixai, kai ta kekrymmena dēlōsai, kai prosenenkein tę̄ physei tēn basanon, kai autę̄ tēs dikēs epitrepsai tēn psēphon. Autika goun hē men mētēr edeichthē, hē de ou mētēr ēlenchthē,
Why did the writer of the history include the story of the two harlots? He wished to show the king's wisdom. For it belongs to a truly most wise mind to show what is concealed, to make plain what is hidden, to put nature itself to the test, and to entrust the verdict of the case to nature. At once, at any rate, the mother was shown to be the mother, and the one who was not the mother was exposed.
1 Kgs 3:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 3:28 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The judgment between the two women shows Solomon's wisdom in letting a mother's nature reveal the truth.
- 1 Kgs 3:16–28. The printed answer ends with a comma, but the thought is complete; nothing appears to be lost.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray bracket; stray syllable): τὰς δύο δε ἑταίρας → τὰς δύο ἑταίρας; τῆς δίκης ( ἐπιτρέψαι → τῆς δίκης ἐπιτρέψαι.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.14 (PG 80 80:679; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.15PG 80 80:679
Παύσας τὸν ᾿Αβιάθαρ πῶς αὐτὸν πάλιν συνέταξε τῷ Σαδώκ ; Τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀφείλετο, οὐ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐγύμνωσεν. Τὴν γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίαν οὐκ ἐκ χειροτονίας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ γονικῆς εἶχον διαδοχῆς.
Pausas ton ᾿Abiathar pōs auton palin synetaxe tǭ Sadōk ? Tēn archēn apheileto, ou tēs hierōsynēs egymnōsen. Tēn gar tēs hierōsynēs axian ouk ek cheirotonias, all᾽ ek gonikēs eichon diadochēs.
Having removed Abiathar, how could he again rank him with Zadok? He took away his office but did not strip him of the priesthood. For they held the dignity of priesthood not by appointment but by hereditary succession.
1 Kgs 4:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 2:27 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Abiathar lost his high office but remained a priest by birth, so he is still named with Zadok.
- 1 Kgs 4:4; 2:27. This short question holds one question and answer.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.15 (PG 80 80:679; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-15
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.16PG 80 80:679
Τὰ χορηγούμενα τῇ τραπέζῃ τοῦ βασιλέως τίνες ἀνήλισκον; Οὐχ οἱ θεράποντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν σωματοφυλάκων τὸ πλῆθος· ἀσπιδηφόροι καὶ δορυφόροι, καὶ οἱ συνεσθιόμενοι ἄρχοντες.
Ta chorēgoumena tę̄ trapezę̄ tou basileōs tines anēliskon? Ouch hoi therapontes monon, alla kai tōn sōmatophylakōn to plēthos; aspidēphoroi kai doryphoroi, kai hoi synesthiomenoi archontes.
Who consumed the provisions for the king's table? Not only the servants, but also the multitude of the bodyguards, shield-bearers and spearmen, and the officials who ate with him.
1 Kgs 4:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 4:27 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The king's daily provisions fed his servants, guards and officials as well.
- 1 Kgs 4:22–23, 27 (LXX 5:2–3, 7). This short question holds one question and answer. The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 13.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.16 (PG 80 80:679; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-16
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.17PG 80 80:679
Τίνες οἱ περὶ τὸν Αἰθὰμ καὶ Αἰμὰν οὓς ἀπέκρυψεν ὁ Σολομών τῇ σοφία; Κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἦσάν τινες ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπίσημοι ὅθεν αὐτῶν καὶ ὀνομαστὶ ἐμνήσθη. Ὁ δὲ Αἰθὰμ καὶ Αἰμὰν τῶν ψαλτῳδῶν ἦσαν, ἐν κινύραις, καὶ ναύλαις, καὶ κυμβάλοις τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνοῦντες.
Tines hoi peri ton Aitham kai Aiman hous apekrypsen ho Solomōn tę̄ sophia? Kat᾿ ekeino kairou ēsan tines en sophią episēmoi hothen autōn kai onomasti emnēsthē. Ho de Aitham kai Aiman tōn psaltǭdōn ēsan, en kinyrais, kai naulais, kai kymbalois ton Theon anymnountes.
Who are Ethan and Heman and the others whom Solomon surpassed in wisdom? At that time there were some men famous for wisdom; so he mentioned them by name. Ethan and Heman were among the psalm-singers, who praised God with lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Kgs 4:31 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Chr 15:19 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Ethan and Heman were famous wise men and temple singers whom Solomon surpassed.
- 1 Kgs 4:31 (LXX 5:11); 1 Chr 15:19.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letter; word split by the OCR): Ο Τίνες → Τίνες; κινύ ραις → κινύραις.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.17 (PG 80 80:679; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-17
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
3.18PG 80 80:681
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, Ἐλάλησε περὶ τῶν ξύλων, ἀπὸ τῆς κέδρου τῆς ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ, καὶ ἕως τῆς ὑσσώπου τῆς ἐκπορευομένης ἐκ τοῦ τοίχου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ τὰς φύσεις, καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις, καὶ τῶν βοτανῶν, καὶ τῶν δένδρων, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων πεφυσιολογηκέναι αὐτὸν εἴρηκεν· ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς τὰς ἰατρικὰς βίβλους συγγεγραφότας ἐρανίσασθαι πάμπολλα καὶ τῶν θερμῶν καὶ ψυχρῶν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῶν ξηρῶν καὶ τῶν ὑγρῶν συνθεῖναι τὰς τάξεις, καὶ ἥδε τῆσδε τῆς βοτάνης ὅσῳ τινὶ μέτρῳ θερμοτέρα ἢ ψυχροτέρα· καὶ τοῦδε τοῦ ζώου τόδε τὸ μόριον τίνος πάθους ἀλεξιφάρμακον οἷον ἡ τῆς ὑαίνης χολὴ, ἢ τὸ λεόντειον στέαρ, ἢ τὸ ταύρειον αἷμα, ἢ τῶν ἐχιδνῶν αἱ σάρκες. Περὶ τούτων γὰρ οἱ σοφοὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν συγγεγράφασιν, ἐκ τῶν Σολομῶντι συγγεγραμμένων εἰληφότες τῶν πρώτων, τὰς ἀφορμάς.
Pōs noēteon to, Elalēse peri tōn xylōn, apo tēs kedrou tēs en tǭ Libanǭ, kai heōs tēs hyssōpou tēs ekporeuomenēs ek tou toichou, kai ta hexēs. Kai tas physeis, kai tas dynameis, kai tōn botanōn, kai tōn dendrōn, kai mentoi kai tōn alogōn zōōn pephysiologēkenai auton eirēken; enteuthen oimai kai tous tas iatrikas biblous syngegraphotas eranisasthai pampolla kai tōn thermōn kai psychrōn, kai mentoi kai tōn xērōn kai tōn hygrōn syntheinai tas taxeis, kai hēde tēsde tēs botanēs hosǭ tini metrǭ thermotera ē psychrotera; kai toude tou zōou tode to morion tinos pathous alexipharmakon hoion hē tēs hyainēs cholē, ē to leonteion stear, ē to taureion haima, ē tōn echidnōn hai sarkes. Peri toutōn gar hoi sophoi tōn iatrōn syngegraphasin, ek tōn Solomōnti syngegrammenōn eilēphotes tōn prōtōn, tas aphormas.
How should “He spoke about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall,” and what follows, be understood? It said that he studied the natures and powers of herbs and trees, and also of the irrational animals. From this, I think, those who wrote medical books gathered a great deal, and set out the ranks of hot and cold, and of dry and moist things: how much hotter or colder this herb is, and of this animal which part is a remedy for which ailment, such as hyena's gall, lion's fat, bull's blood, or the flesh of vipers. The wise among the physicians have written about these things, taking their first starting-points from what Solomon wrote.
1 Kgs 4:33 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Solomon's study of plants and animals is, Theodoret thinks, the source from which medical writers drew their knowledge of remedies.
- 1 Kgs 4:33 (LXX 5:13). The printed question lacks a question mark; the question is present.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR accent error): καὶ ἤδε τῆσδε → καὶ ἥδε τῆσδε.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 3.18 (PG 80 80:681; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/3-18
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.