Questions on Kings and Chronicles 4.49–4.57
Greek text: PG 80.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 4
4.49PG 80 80:781
Τί ἐστιν, Ἀπὸ πύργου φυλασσόντων, ἕως πόλεως ὀχυρᾶς; Ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, φησί, βωμοὺς τοῖς δαίμοσιν ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐν πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν πύργοις, ἐν οἷς ὀλίγοι τινὲς εἰώθασι φρουρεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὰ ὑψηλὰ τὰ τεμένη τῶν εἰδώλων ἐκάλεσεν. Ὠκοδόμησαν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑαυτοῖς ὑψηλὰ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσιν αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐστήλωσαν ἑαυτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ στήλας καὶ ἄλση, ἐν παντὶ βουνῷ ὑψηλῷ, καὶ ὑποκάτω παντὸς ξύλου ἀλσώδους· καὶ ἐθυμίων ἐκεῖ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς, καθὼς τὰ ἔθνη ἃ ἀπῴκισε Κύριος ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῶν. Κοινωνοὺς δὲ οἶμαι εἰρῆσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη συμφωνίαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐκείνων ὁρμωμένους, καὶ διδάξαντας τῆς ἀσεβείας τοὺς νόμους. Τοῦτο γὰρ αἰνίττεται τὰ ἑξῆς· «Καὶ ἐποίησαν κοινωνοὺς καὶ ἤρξαντο παροργίσαι Κύριον, καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τοῖς εἰδώλοις, οἷς εἶπε Κύριος αὐτοῖς, Οὐ ποιήσετε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο. Πανταχοῦ δὲ ἄλσος οἱ λοιποὶ ᾿Ασταρώθ ἑρμηνεύουσι. Δηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο τὴν ᾿Αστάρτην, ἤγουν τὴν ᾿Αφροδίτην. Τὸ δὲ Ἐποίησαν ἐφοὺδ καὶ θεραφίμ· τὸ μὲν ἐφοὺδ κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ ἐνδύματος, τὸ δὲ θεραφὶμ ταῖς μαντικαῖς ἦν ἀρμόττον προῤῥήσεσιν. Ἵνα δὲ μή τις εἰς ἀπολογίαν προφέρῃ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, τὸ τῆς ἀσεβείας αἰτίαν γενέσθαι τὴν τῆς βασιλείας διαίρεσιν, καὶ τὸ πόῤῥω τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων διάγειν, ἀναγκαίως τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς ἀπέδειξε τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· Καί γε καὶ Ἰούδας καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἐφύλαξε τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασι παντὸς Ἰσραὴλ οἷς ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἀπώσαντο τὸν Κύριον ἐξ αὐτῶν "Ὅτι δὲ χρόνῳ ὕστερον τῶν Βασιλειῶν συνεγράφη ἡ βίβλος ἐκ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν καθ᾿ ἕκαστον συγγραφέντων καιρὸν, καὶ τόδε τὸ χωρίον διδάσκει. ᾿Απῳκίσθη γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ εἰς Ἀσσυρίους ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. Καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις εἴρηκεν ὁ τὴν ἱστορίαν συγγεγραφώς. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ καὶ τὰ κατὰ τοὺς νῦν καλουμένους Σαμαρείτας, ὅθεν τε μετῳκίσθησαν, καὶ ὅπως τὸν Μωσαϊκὸν φυλάττειν ἠναγκάσθησαν νόμον. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν θηρίων ἀναλισκόμενοι, ἱκέτευσαν ἕνα τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν αὐτοῖς ἱερέων ἀποσταλῆναι, ἵνα οὗτος ἐκπαιδεύων αὐτοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς γῆς τὸν νόμον, τῆς ἐπικειμένης λώβης ἐλευθερώσῃ. Ἐτόπαζον γὰρ μερικὸν εἶναι τῶν ὅλων τὸν ποιητήν. ᾿Αλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοῦ ἱερέως ἀποσταλέντος, καὶ τὸν νόμον διδάσκοντος, Τὸν Κύριον, φησὶν, αὐτοὶ ἐφοβοῦντο, καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς δὲ αὐτῶν ἐλάτρευον κατὰ τὸ κρίμα τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ὅθεν ἀπῴκισεν αὐτοὺς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. Οὕτως ἐποίουν κατὰ τὸ κρῖμα αὐτῶν τὸ ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. Ταῦτα περὶ τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν εἰρηκὼς, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰούδα μετέβη φυλὴν, καὶ τὸν Ἐζεκίαν ἠγάσθη, ὡς τῷ Δαβὶδ παραπλησίως τὸν τῶν ὅλων τεθεραπευκότα Θεόν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰς στήλας συνέτριψε, καὶ τὰ ἄλση συνέκοψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἐξῆρεν, ὅπερ οὐδεὶς τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ πεποίηκε. Συνέτριψε δὲ καὶ τὸν χαλκοῦν ὄφιν, ὃν ὁ μέγας Μωσῆς κατεσκεύασεν, οὐχ ἵνα προσκυνῆται, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα προτυπώσῃ τὸ σωτήριον πάθος Τούτῳ, φησὶν, ὁ λαὸς θυμιῶν διετέλεσε, καὶ ἐκάλεσαν αὐτὸν Νεεσθάν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείᾳ κείμενον εὖρον, Χαλκός αὕτη Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ, τὸν Νεεσθὰν Νάας. Ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ὀφίτας, αἵρεσις δὲ αὕτη δυσσεβεστάτη, Ναασηνοὺς ὀνομάζεσθαι.
Ti estin, Apo pyrgou phylassontōn, heōs poleōs ochyras? En panti topǭ, phēsi, bōmous tois daimosin ǭkodomēse, kai ou monon en polesi kai kōmais, alla kai en tois kata tēn hodon pyrgois, en hois oligoi tines eiōthasi phrourein. Entautha de ta hypsēla ta temenē tōn eidōlōn ekalesen. Ōkodomēsan gar, phēsin, heautois hypsēla en pasais tais polesin autōn; kai estēlōsan heautois hoi huioi Israēl stēlas kai alsē, en panti bounǭ hypsēlǭ, kai hypokatō pantos xylou alsōdous; kai ethymiōn ekei en tois hypsēlois, kathōs ta ethnē ha apǭkise Kyrios ek prosōpou autōn. Koinōnous de oimai eirēsthai tēn pros ta ethnē symphōnian, kai tous ex ekeinōn hormōmenous, kai didaxantas tēs asebeias tous nomous. Touto gar ainittetai ta hexēs; «Kai epoiēsan koinōnous kai ērxanto parorgisai Kyrion, kai elatreusan tois eidōlois, hois eipe Kyrios autois, Ou poiēsete to rhēma touto. Pantachou de alsos hoi loipoi ᾿Astarōth hermēneuousi. Dēloi de touto tēn ᾿Astartēn, ēgoun tēn ᾿Aphroditēn. To de Epoiēsan ephoud kai theraphim; to men ephoud kata mimēsin tou hieratikou endymatos, to de theraphim tais mantikais ēn armotton prorrhēsesin. Hina de mē tis eis apologian propherę̄ tou Israēl, to tēs asebeias aitian genesthai tēn tēs basileias diairesin, kai to porrhō tōn Hierosolymōn diagein, anankaiōs tēs Iouda phylēs apedeixe tēn asebeian. Ephē de houtōs; Kai ge kai Ioudas kai autos ouk ephylaxe tas entolas Kyriou tou Theou autou, kai eporeuthē en tois dikaiōmasi pantos Israēl hois epoiēsan, kai apōsanto ton Kyrion ex autōn "Hoti de chronǭ hysteron tōn Basileiōn synegraphē hē biblos ek tōn hypo tōn prophētōn kath᾿ hekaston syngraphentōn kairon, kai tode to chōrion didaskei. ᾿Apǭkisthē gar, phēsin, Israēl apo tēs gēs autou eis Assyrious heōs tēs hēmeras tautēs. Kai touto pollakis eirēken ho tēn historian syngegraphōs. Edidaxe de kai ta kata tous nyn kaloumenous Samareitas, hothen te metǭkisthēsan, kai hopōs ton Mōsaïkon phylattein ēnankasthēsan nomon. Hypo gar tōn thēriōn analiskomenoi, hiketeusan hena tōn Israēlitōn autois hiereōn apostalēnai, hina houtos ekpaideuōn autous tou Theou tēs gēs ton nomon, tēs epikeimenēs lōbēs eleutherōsę̄. Etopazon gar merikon einai tōn holōn ton poiētēn. ᾿All' homōs kai tou hiereōs apostalentos, kai ton nomon didaskontos, Ton Kyrion, phēsin, autoi ephobounto, kai tois theois de autōn elatreuon kata to krima tōn ethnōn. Hothen apǭkisen autous enteuthen heōs tēs hēmeras tautēs. Houtōs epoioun kata to krima autōn to ap᾿ archēs. Tauta peri tōn Samareitōn eirēkōs, epi tēn Iouda metebē phylēn, kai ton Ezekian ēgasthē, hōs tǭ Dabid paraplēsiōs ton tōn holōn tetherapeukota Theon. Ou gar monon tas stēlas synetripse, kai ta alsē synekopsen, alla kai ta hypsēla exēren, hoper oudeis tōn pro autou pepoiēke. Synetripse de kai ton chalkoun ophin, hon ho megas Mōsēs kateskeuasen, ouch hina proskynētai, all᾽ hina protypōsę̄ to sōtērion pathos Toutǭ, phēsin, ho laos thymiōn dietelese, kai ekalesan auton Neesthan. Touto de en tę̄ tōn Hebraïkōn onomatōn hermēneią keimenon euron, Chalkos hautē Hoi de loipoi, ton Neesthan Naas. Enteuthen oimai kai tous ophitas, hairesis de hautē dyssebestatē, Naasēnous onomazesthai.
What does “from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city” mean? Everywhere, he says, they built altars to the demons, not only in cities and villages but also in the towers along the roads, in which a few usually keep guard. Here he called the precincts of the idols “high places.” “For they built themselves,” it says, “high places in all their cities; and the sons of Israel set up for themselves pillars and groves on every high hill and under every shady tree; and they burned incense there on the high places, like the nations whom the Lord removed before them.” By “partners” I think is meant their agreement with the nations, and those who came from them and taught them the laws of impiety. What follows hints at this: “And they made partners and began to provoke the Lord, and served the idols, of which the Lord had said to them, You shall not do this thing.” Everywhere the others translate “grove” as Ashtaroth; this signifies Astarte, that is, Aphrodite. “They made an ephod and teraphim”: the ephod in imitation of the priestly vestment, and the teraphim was suited to divinatory predictions. So that no one might put forward as a defense for Israel that the division of the kingdom and living far from Jerusalem were the cause of their impiety, he necessarily showed the impiety of the tribe of Judah too. He said thus: “And Judah also did not keep the commandments of the Lord his God, and walked in the statutes of all Israel which they made, and they rejected the Lord.” That the book of Kingdoms was written at a later time from what the prophets wrote in each period, this passage too teaches: “For Israel was carried away,” it says, “from its land to the Assyrians to this day.” The writer of the history has said this often. He also taught about those now called Samaritans: where they were transplanted from, and how they were compelled to keep the law of Moses. For being devoured by wild beasts, they begged that one of the Israelite priests be sent to them, so that by teaching them the law of the god of the land he might free them from the scourge upon them; for they guessed that the Maker of the universe was a local god. Yet even after the priest was sent and taught the law, “they feared the Lord,” it says, “and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from which he had carried them away, to this day. Thus they did according to their custom from the beginning.” Having said this about the Samaritans, he passed to the tribe of Judah and admired Hezekiah, as having served the God of the universe like David. For he not only broke the pillars and cut down the groves, but also removed the high places, which none before him had done. He also broke the bronze serpent which the great Moses had made, not to be worshiped, but to prefigure the saving passion. “To it,” he says, “the people continued to burn incense, and they called it Nehushtan.” I found this in the interpretation of Hebrew names as “this is bronze”; the others render Nehushtan as “Naas.” From this I think the Ophites too, a most impious heresy, are named Naassenes.
2 Kgs 17:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:12 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:23 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:24 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:25 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:34 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 21:9 (allusion, high confidence) · John 3:14 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Israel and Judah alike filled the land with idolatry, leading to exile and the mixed worship of the Samaritans; Hezekiah alone removed the high places and destroyed the bronze serpent, a type of Christ's passion misused as an idol.
- 2 Kgs 17:9–41; 18:3–4 (LXX; quotations 17:9, 9–11, 15, 19, 23, 33–34; 18:4); Num 21:8–9; John 3:14. On the Ophites/Naassenes, a Gnostic sect named from the serpent (Hebrew nahash). Displaced words are put back by logged corrections: part of the quotation of 17:23 (“Israel from its land to the Assyrians to the”), printed inside the word “priestly”, is restored to its place; stray marginal phrases (“of the altar”, “they did evil things”, and “the seed of Israel” at the end) are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error and repeated mark; displaced words (restored below) printed inside the word ἱερατικοῦ; displaced words restored to their place in the quotation; stray footnote mark; stray marginal phrase at the end; stray marginal phrases printed in the text; stray mark inside the word; word split by the OCR with stray bracket): τὰ τε- ( μένη → τὰ τεμένη; τὴν ᾿Αστάρτην, τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. ἐποίησαν ῥήματα κακά. ἤγουν → τὴν ᾿Αστάρτην, ἤγουν; ἐφοὺῦ καὶ θεραφίμ·· → ἐφοὺδ καὶ θεραφίμ·; τοῦ ἱεραἸσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ εἰς Ἀσυρίους ἕως τῆς τικοῦ → τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ; ᾿Απῳκίσθη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡμέρας ταύτης → ᾿Απῳκίσθη γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ εἰς Ἀσσυρίους ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης; ἀπῴκισεν αὐ& τοὺς → ἀπῴκισεν αὐτοὺς; Νάας *. → Νάας.; ὀνομάζεσθαι τὸ σπέρμα Ἰσραήλ. → ὀνομάζεσθαι..
Topics: Heresy, Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.49 (PG 80 80:781; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-49). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-49
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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.
4.50PG 80 80:785
Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς τὸ τέλος τριῶν ἐτῶν ; Τρία τέλεια, φησὶν, ἔτη ἐπὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας κατέσχεν ἡ πολιορκία.
Ti estin, Eis to telos triōn etōn ? Tria teleia, phēsin, etē epi tēs Samareias kateschen hē poliorkia.
What does “at the end of three years” mean? The siege of Samaria lasted three full years, he says.
2 Kgs 18:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:5 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The siege of Samaria lasted three full years.
- 2 Kgs 18:10 (LXX). This short question holds one question and answer.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.50 (PG 80 80:785; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-50). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-50
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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.
4.51PG 80 80:785
Τί δήποτε δῶρα δώσειν τῷ Σεναχηρεὶμ ὁ Ἐζεκίας ὑπέσχετο ; ῎Αχαζ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ τὸν Θεγλαθφαλασὰρ εἰς συμμαχίαν κατὰ τῶν Σύρων καλέσας, φόρον τελέσειν ὑπέσχετο. Τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος διετέλεσε παρέχων. ῾Ο δὲ Ἐζεκίας τὸν ἐπικείμενον δασμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτισε· τὴν δὲ στρατιὰν θεασάμενος, δώσειν ὑπέσχετο, καὶ ἔδωκε τριακόσια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου, καὶ τριακόσια τάλαντα χρυσίου. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ὁ ᾿Ασσύριος δασμὸν παρέχειν ἐκέλευσεν.
Ti dēpote dōra dōsein tǭ Senachēreim ho Ezekias hypescheto ? ᾿Achaz ho patēr autou ton Theglathphalasar eis symmachian kata tōn Syrōn kalesas, phoron telesein hypescheto. Touton ekeinos dietelese parechōn. ῾O de Ezekias ton epikeimenon dasmon ouk exetise; tēn de stratian theasamenos, dōsein hypescheto, kai edōke triakosia talanta argyriou, kai triakosia talanta chrysiou. Tosouton gar ho ᾿Assyrios dasmon parechein ekeleusen.
Why did Hezekiah promise to give gifts to Sennacherib? Ahaz his father, having called Tiglath-pileser into alliance against the Syrians, promised to pay tribute, and continued to pay it. Hezekiah did not pay the tribute imposed; but when he saw the army, he promised to give it, and gave three hundred talents of silver and three hundred talents of gold. For the Assyrian ordered him to pay that much tribute.
2 Kgs 16:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 16:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:14 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Hezekiah had stopped paying the tribute Ahaz had promised Assyria, and paid it again when Sennacherib invaded.
- 2 Kgs 16:7–8; 18:7, 13–14. The Hebrew and LXX of 18:14 give thirty talents of gold; the printed text of Theodoret has three hundred, translated as printed.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.51 (PG 80 80:785; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-51). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-51
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-4-51) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
4.52PG 80 80:785
Τι δήποτε τὸ Θεῖον θεραπεύειν σπουδάζων, ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν χρημάτων παρέσχε τὸν φόρον; Οὐκ ἀπέχρων οἱ βασιλικοὶ θησαυροί. Ἔθος οὖν ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἀνάγκαις καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς θησαυροὺς δαπανᾷν, καὶ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἀναπληροῦν. Ἡ ἀνάγκη δὲ παρεσκεύασε καὶ τὰς πύλας χωνεῦσαι τὰς χρυσᾶς, ἃς οὗτος κατεσκεύασε, καὶ τοὺς σταθμοὺς τῶν θυρῶν. Τούτους γὰρ ἐστηριγμένα οἶμαι κληθῆναι· ἵνα μὴ πολέμῳ κρατήσας ὁ Σεναχηρεὶμ, καὶ τὸν ναὸν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐμπρήσῃ καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάλιν δεδήλωκεν ὁ τὴν ἱστορίαν συγγράψας, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὰ τεμένη τῶν εἰδώλων ὑψηλὰ ὀνομάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τόποις δεδομημένα θυσιαστήρια. Ἐὰν γὰρ εἴπητε, φησὶ, πρός με, Επὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν πεποίθαμεν· οὐχὶ αὐτὸς Ἐζεκίας ἀπέστησε τὰ ὑψηλὰ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια αὐτοῦ, λέγων τῷ Ἰούδα καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ, Ἐνώπιον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου προσκυνήσατε ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ ; Καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ὁ Ῥαψάκης, Ἑβραῖος ὢν οἶμαι, πρὸς ἐκείνους αὐτομολήσας, ἢ τοῖς ἐξανδραποδισθεῖσιν ἤδη συναπαχθεὶς, καὶ ὡς εὔνοιαν δείξας τοῖς ᾿Ασσυρίοις τὴν στρατηγίαν θαῤῥηθείς· τῇ γὰρ Ἑβραῖδι φωνῇ χρώμενος ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους αὐτίκα γοῦν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄρχοντες διαλεχθῆναι Συριστὶ παρεκάλεσαν, ὥστε μὴ γνῶναι τὸν λαὸν τὰ γενόμενα Ἐκεῖνος δὲ μαθὼν ἀνιᾷν τοὺς ἄρχοντας τὸ τὸν λαὸν ἐπαΐειν τῶν λεγομένων, τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ χρώμενος τὰς δυσσεβεῖς ἐκείνας βλασφημίας ἐτόλμησε, τοῖς ψευδωνύμοις θεοῖς τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἀπεικάσας Θεόν. ᾿Αλλ' ὁ σοφώτατος βασιλεὺς, οὐχ ὅπλα ταῖς ἐκείνου βλασφημίαις, ἀλλὰ προσευχὴν καὶ δάκρυα, καὶ σάκκον ἀντέταξε, καὶ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν γενέσθαι πρεσβευτὴν ἠντιβόλησεν. ᾿Αξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ῥήματα. Ἡμέρα γὰρ, ἔφη, θλίψεως, καὶ ὀνειδισμοῦ, καὶ ἐλεγμοῦ, καὶ παροργισμοῦ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, ὅτι ἦλθον οἱ υἱοὶ ἕως ὠδίνων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἰσχὺς τῇ τικτούσῃ. Ἐμπιπράμεθα, φησὶ, καὶ ἐξαπτόμεθα τῷ θυμῷ, τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ἐκείνων βλασφημιῶν ἐπακούσαντες, κολάσαι δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα. Ὅθεν ἱκετεύομεν τὸν τῶν βλασφημιῶν ἐκείνων ἀκηκοότα Δεσπότην, διδάξαι τοὺς ἀνοσίους, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν εἷς τῶν καλουμένων θεῶν. Παραυτίκα δὲ τὴν ἱκετείαν δεξάμενος ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς, ἀπεσκέδασε τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ δέος Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἔφη, δίδωμι πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀκούσεται ἀγγελίαν πονηρὰν, καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ· καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτὸν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν Τὸ δὲ, Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτῷ, τὴν δειλίαν οἶμαι δηλοῦν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος οὕτως ἔφη Οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν πνεῦμα δειλίας. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόῤῥησις εὐθὺς τὸ τέλος ἐδέξατο. Φήμης γὰρ θρυλληθείσης ὡς τῶν Αἰθιόπων ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπεστράτευσε, δείσας ὁ Σεναχηρεὶμ ὑπεχώρησε τῆς πάσης δυσσεβείας μεστὴν ἀποστείλας ἐπιστολήν. Ἀλλὰ ταύτην ὁ σοφώτατος βασιλεὺς ἀναπτύξας ἐν τῷ ναῷ, τὴν θαυμασίαν ἐκείνην προσενήνοχε φωνήν - Κύριε παντοκράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβίμ, σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς μόνος ἐπὶ πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς· σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. Ἐκεῖνοί σε, φησὶν, ἕνα νομίζουσι τῶν πολλῶν τῶν οὐκ ὄντων ἐγὼ δὲ σε μόνον οἶδα Θεὸν, ποιητὴν τῶν ἁπάντων· Κλίνον, Κύριε, τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἄκουσον - ἄνοιξον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἴδε· καὶ ἄκουσον τῶν λόγων Σεναχηρεὶμ βασιλέως Ασσυρίων, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα. Τὸ δὲ, Κλῖνον καὶ ἄκουσον, ἀνθρωπίνως τέθεικε, μετ' εὐμενείας δεχθῆναι τὴν ἱκετείαν ἀντιβολῶν. Ἐπ᾿ ἀληθείας γὰρ, Κύριε, ἠρήμωσαν βασιλεῖς ᾿Ασσυρίων καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔδωκαν τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ. Οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν θεοὶ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων, ξύλα καὶ λίθοι, καὶ ἀπώλεσαν αὐτούς. Τοῦτο, φησὶ, τὸν ἀνόσιον τοῦτον ἐκίνησεν εἰς ἀσέβειαν. Ψήθη γὰρ ὅμοιόν σε εἶναι τῶν οὐκ ὄντων θεῶν· ἀλλὰ τῇ πείρᾳ μαθέτω, Δέσποτα, ὅσον τὸ διάφορον ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ψευδοῦς. … γὰρ περιττὸν οἶμαι ταυτολογεῖν. Ταῦτα γὰρ τὸν προφήτην Ησαΐαν ἑρμηνεύων ἀνέπτυξα. Συντόμως τοίνυν ἐρῶ, ὡς τὴν ἱκετείαν ὁ Δεσπότης δεξάμενος, νύκτωρ ἐν ἀκαρεῖ ὀκτὼ καὶ δέκα μυριάδας τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων, καὶ πεντακισχιλίους, τῷ θανάτῳ παρέπεμψεν. Ὁ δὲ Σεναχηρεὶμ τὸν θάνατον διέφυγεν· ἵνα πᾶσι μηνύσῃ ὅση τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἡ δύναμις. Εὐθὺς δὲ παρὰ τῶν παίδων ἐδέξατο τὴν δικαίαν πληγήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐλύττησεν, ὑπὸ τῶν φύντων ὑπέμεινε τὴν ἀναίρεσιν. ᾿Αραρὰτ δὲ τὴν ᾿Αρμενίαν ἐκάλεσεν Ἡ γὰρ προφητεία τοῦ Ἡσαΐου ταύτην ἔχει τὴν ἑρμηνείαν. Καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας δὲ ἐν τῇ τοῦ θεσπεσίου Ἡσαΐου προφητείᾳ δῆλα πεποιηκὼς, παρέλκον οἶμαι δὶς τὴν αὐτὴν ἑρμηνείαν ποιήσασθαι. Τὸ μέντοι κατὰ τὸν ἥλιον θαῦμα εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην διέδραμε. Πᾶσι γὰρ ἐγένετο γνώριμος ἀναστρέψας ὁ ἥλιος. Οὗ δὴ χάριν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ τὸν ὅλεθρον ἐγνωκὼς, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἥλιον παραδόξως γεγενημένα μεμαθηκώς, καὶ πρέσβεις καὶ δῶρα τῷ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπέστειλε βασιλεῖ καὶ οὓς ἐξανδραποδίζειν εἰώθεσαν, τούτους ὡς κρείττους ἐτίμησαν. Οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐπισήμους ὁ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν θεραπευθεὶς Θεὸς ἀπέφηνεν.
Ti dēpote to Theion therapeuein spoudazōn, ek tōn hierōn chrēmatōn paresche ton phoron? Ouk apechrōn hoi basilikoi thēsauroi. Ethos oun en tais toiautais anankais kai tous hierous thēsaurous dapanąn, kai palin autous ek tōn polemiōn anaplēroun. Hē anankē de pareskeuase kai tas pylas chōneusai tas chrysas, has houtos kateskeuase, kai tous stathmous tōn thyrōn. Toutous gar estērigmena oimai klēthēnai; hina mē polemǭ kratēsas ho Senachēreim, kai ton naon kai tēn polin emprēsę̄ kai entautha de palin dedēlōken ho tēn historian syngrapsas, hoti ou monon ta temenē tōn eidōlōn hypsēla onomazousin, alla kai ta tǭ Theǭ tōn holōn en tois hypsēlois topois dedomēmena thysiastēria. Ean gar eipēte, phēsi, pros me, Epi Kyrion ton Theon hēmōn pepoithamen; ouchi autos Ezekias apestēse ta hypsēla autou, kai ta thysiastēria autou, legōn tǭ Iouda kai tę̄ Hierousalēm, Enōpion tou thysiastēriou proskynēsate en Hierousalēm ? Kai tauta elegen ho Rhapsakēs, Hebraios ōn oimai, pros ekeinous automolēsas, ē tois exandrapodistheisin ēdē synapachtheis, kai hōs eunoian deixas tois ᾿Assyriois tēn stratēgian tharrhētheis; tę̄ gar Hebraidi phōnę̄ chrōmenos epoieito tous logous autika goun auton hoi archontes dialechthēnai Syristi parekalesan, hōste mē gnōnai ton laon ta genomena Ekeinos de mathōn aniąn tous archontas to ton laon epaïein tōn legomenōn, tę̄ Hebraiōn phōnę̄ chrōmenos tas dyssebeis ekeinas blasphēmias etolmēse, tois pseudōnymois theois ton alēthinon apeikasas Theon. ᾿All' ho sophōtatos basileus, ouch hopla tais ekeinou blasphēmiais, alla proseuchēn kai dakrya, kai sakkon antetaxe, kai ton prophētēn Hēsaïan genesthai presbeutēn ēntibolēsen. ᾿Axiagasta de autou kai ta rhēmata. Hēmera gar, ephē, thlipseōs, kai oneidismou, kai elegmou, kai parorgismou hē hēmera hautē, hoti ēlthon hoi huioi heōs ōdinōn, kai ouk estin ischys tę̄ tiktousę̄. Empiprametha, phēsi, kai exaptometha tǭ thymǭ, tōn arrhētōn ekeinōn blasphēmiōn epakousantes, kolasai de tous andras ekeinous tous dyssebeis ou dynametha. Hothen hiketeuomen ton tōn blasphēmiōn ekeinōn akēkoota Despotēn, didaxai tous anosious, hōs ouk estin heis tōn kaloumenōn theōn. Parautika de tēn hiketeian dexamenos ho philanthrōpos Theos, apeskedase tou basileōs to deos Idou gar, ephē, didōmi pneuma en autǭ, kai akousetai angelian ponēran, kai apostraphēsetai eis tēn chōran autou; kai katabalō auton en rhomphaią en tę̄ gę̄ autōn To de, Idou egō didōmi pneuma en autǭ, tēn deilian oimai dēloun. Kai gar ho theios ᾿Apostolos houtōs ephē Ou gar edōken hēmin pneuma deilias. Hē de tou Theou prorrhēsis euthys to telos edexato. Phēmēs gar thryllētheisēs hōs tōn Aithiopōn ho basileus epestrateuse, deisas ho Senachēreim hypechōrēse tēs pasēs dyssebeias mestēn aposteilas epistolēn. Alla tautēn ho sophōtatos basileus anaptyxas en tǭ naǭ, tēn thaumasian ekeinēn prosenēnoche phōnēn - Kyrie pantokratōr ho Theos Israēl, ho kathēmenos epi tōn Cheroubim, sy ei ho Theos monos epi pasais tais basileiais tēs gēs; sy epoiēsas ton ouranon kai tēn gēn. Ekeinoi se, phēsin, hena nomizousi tōn pollōn tōn ouk ontōn egō de se monon oida Theon, poiētēn tōn hapantōn; Klinon, Kyrie, to ous sou, kai akouson - anoixon tous ophthalmous sou, kai ide; kai akouson tōn logōn Senachēreim basileōs Assyriōn, hous apesteilen oneidizein Theon zōnta. To de, Klinon kai akouson, anthrōpinōs tetheike, met' eumeneias dechthēnai tēn hiketeian antibolōn. Ep᾿ alētheias gar, Kyrie, ērēmōsan basileis ᾿Assyriōn kai ta ethnē, kai tēn gēn autōn, kai edōkan tous theous autōn eis to pyr. Ou gar ēsan theoi, all᾽ erga cheirōn anthrōpōn, xyla kai lithoi, kai apōlesan autous. Touto, phēsi, ton anosion touton ekinēsen eis asebeian. Psēthē gar homoion se einai tōn ouk ontōn theōn; alla tę̄ peirą mathetō, Despota, hoson to diaphoron alēthinou Theou kai pseudous. … gar peritton oimai tautologein. Tauta gar ton prophētēn Ēsaïan hermēneuōn aneptyxa. Syntomōs toinyn erō, hōs tēn hiketeian ho Despotēs dexamenos, nyktōr en akarei oktō kai deka myriadas tōn ᾿Assyriōn, kai pentakischilious, tǭ thanatǭ parepempsen. Ho de Senachēreim ton thanaton diephygen; hina pasi mēnysę̄ hosē tou Theou tōn Ioudaiōn hē dynamis. Euthys de para tōn paidōn edexato tēn dikaian plēgēn. Epeidē gar kata tou pepoiēkotos elyttēsen, hypo tōn phyntōn hypemeine tēn anairesin. ᾿Ararat de tēn ᾿Armenian ekalesen Hē gar prophēteia tou Hēsaïou tautēn echei tēn hermēneian. Kai ta peri tēs arrhōstias de en tę̄ tou thespesiou Hēsaïou prophēteią dēla pepoiēkōs, parelkon oimai dis tēn autēn hermēneian poiēsasthai. To mentoi kata ton hēlion thauma eis pasan tēn oikoumenēn diedrame. Pasi gar egeneto gnōrimos anastrepsas ho hēlios. Hou dē charin tōn Babylōniōn ho basileus, kai ton holethron egnōkōs, kai ta kata ton hēlion paradoxōs gegenēmena memathēkōs, kai presbeis kai dōra tǭ tōn Ioudaiōn apesteile basilei kai hous exandrapodizein eiōthesan, toutous hōs kreittous etimēsan. Houtōs autous episēmous ho par᾿ autōn therapeutheis Theos apephēnen.
Why did Hezekiah, eager to serve God, pay the tribute from the sacred funds? The royal treasures were not sufficient. It was customary in such necessities to spend the sacred treasures too, and to refill them again from the enemy. Necessity also led him to melt down the golden doors he had made, and the door-posts; for I think these are what are called “the supports.” He did this so that Sennacherib, conquering in war, would not burn both the temple and the city. Here again the writer of the history showed that they call “high places” not only the precincts of the idols but also the altars built to the God of the universe on high places. “For if you say to me,” he says, “We trust in the Lord our God, is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, Worship before this altar in Jerusalem?” Rabshakeh said this, being, I think, a Hebrew who had deserted to them, or had been carried off with those already taken captive, and having been entrusted with the command because he had shown loyalty to the Assyrians; for he made his speech using the Hebrew language. At once, at any rate, the officials asked him to speak in Syrian, so that the people would not know what was happening. But he, learning that it vexed the officials that the people understood what was said, used the Hebrew language and dared those impious blasphemies, likening the true God to the falsely named gods. But the most wise king set against his blasphemies not weapons but prayer, tears and sackcloth, and begged the prophet Isaiah to become an intercessor. His words too are admirable: “This day,” he said, “is a day of affliction, reproach, rebuke and provocation; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth.” We are burning, he means, and inflamed with anger at hearing those unspeakable blasphemies, but we cannot punish those impious men. So we beseech the Master who heard those blasphemies to teach the unholy men that he is not one of the so-called gods. The God who loves humankind at once accepted the plea and dispelled the king's fear: “Behold,” he said, “I put a spirit in him, and he will hear a bad report and return to his own land; and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” “Behold, I put a spirit in him” I think signifies cowardice; for the divine Apostle too said thus: “For he did not give us a spirit of cowardice.” God's prophecy was fulfilled at once. For when a rumor spread that the king of the Ethiopians was marching against him, Sennacherib in fear withdrew, sending a letter full of every impiety. But the most wise king spread it out in the temple and uttered that admirable cry: “Lord Almighty, God of Israel, who sit upon the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth; you made heaven and earth.” They think you, he means, one of the many gods that are not; but I know you as the only God, the Maker of all things. “Incline your ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib king of the Assyrians, which he sent to reproach the living God.” “Incline and hear” he put in a human way, begging that the plea be received with favor. “For truly, Lord, the kings of the Assyrians have laid waste the nations and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of human hands, wood and stone, and they destroyed them.” This, he means, moved this unholy man to impiety; for he thought you were like the gods that are not. But let him learn by experience, Master, how great is the difference between the true God and a false one. … For I think it superfluous to repeat myself, since I have explained these things when interpreting the prophet Isaiah. So I will say briefly that the Master accepted the plea and in an instant, by night, sent a hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians to death. Sennacherib escaped death, so that he might make known to all how great is the power of the God of the Jews. But at once he received a just blow from his sons: since he raged against his Maker, he was killed by those he had begotten. He called Armenia Ararat. For the prophecy of Isaiah has this interpretation. And since I have made plain the account of his illness in the prophecy of the inspired Isaiah, I think it superfluous to make the same interpretation twice. The miracle of the sun, however, ran through the whole world; for the sun's turning back became known to all. That is why the king of the Babylonians, having learned of the destruction and of the wonder that had happened with the sun, sent envoys and gifts to the king of the Jews; and those whom they used to take captive they honored as superior. So the God whom they served made them illustrious.
2 Kgs 18:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:28 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:33 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 1:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:15 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:35 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:37 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 20:1 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 20:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 20:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 37:36 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Hezekiah paid Sennacherib from the temple treasures to save the city; when Rabshakeh blasphemed, he turned to prayer and Isaiah, and God destroyed the Assyrian army; Theodoret refers to his commentary on Isaiah for the rest.
- 2 Kgs 18:15–20:13 (quotations 18:22; 19:3, 7, 15–18); Isa 36–39; 2 Tim 1:7. Theodoret refers to his own Commentary on Isaiah. The printed text interleaves Theodoret's answer, line by line, with a separate verse-by-verse scholion on 2 Kgs 18:21–19:34 (headed by verse numbers such as “23–25”; it discusses Rabshakeh as an Amorite, the messengers' wording, “to reproach the living God”, the remnant from Mount Zion and the apostles, and why David and not Hezekiah is named), apparently from another commentator. The scholion's fragments are removed by logged corrections. Where they are taken out after the comparison of true and false gods, the beginning of Theodoret's next sentence is lost; marked “…”. The figure 185,000 is given in the Greek as eighteen myriads and five thousand.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR accent error; OCR breathing error; fragment of an interleaved scholion printed inside the word αὐτομολήσας; fragments of an interleaved scholion on 2 Kgs 18:23–19:6 printed in the text; fragments of an interleaved scholion on 2 Kgs 19:19–34 printed in the text; the opening words of the next sentence are lost; stray letter; stray marks; word split by the OCR): ἐν ταῖς ὁ τοιαύταις → ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις; εἰδώλων ὁ ὑψηλὰ → εἰδώλων ὑψηλὰ; αὐτουογὰρ χρεία νῦν βουλῆς, ἀλλὰ συμπλοκῆς· οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ καιρὸς λόγων, ἀλλ᾽ ἔργων· οὐ πρεσβείας, ἀλλὰ παρατάξεως· ἀλλ᾽ ἴσως τῇ Αἰγυπτίων ἐπικουρίᾳ θαῤῥεῖς. Καλάμῳ ἐοίκασι, καὶ τούτῳ τεθλασμένῳ, καὶ τοὺς ἐπιλήσας → αὐτομολήσας; συναπαχθεις, → συναπαχθεὶς,; δίδωμι 23-25. Δηλός ἐστιν ὁ τρι 23-25 : Δῆλός ἑστιν ὁ τρισάθλιος οὗτος Αμοῤῥαῖος ὢν, καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι πολλάκις αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς δίκας τῆς ἀσεβείας εἰσπραττόμενος, ἀλλοφύλοις παρέδωκεν ἔθνεσι, τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις ἐχρήσατο. Καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον ἢ αὐτομολήσας προσεχώρησεν ἐκείνοις, ἢ αἰχμάλωτος ἀπαχθεὶς, ἡνίκα τὰς δέκα φυλὰς καταλύσαντες ἠνδραμὲν γὰρ πλήττειν οὐ δυνάμενος ἔβαλεν· ὁ δὲ πάντα δυνάμενος ἔφερε. Δῆλος δὲ ἦν ὁ Ῥαψάκης ἄλλοις ἐπιἜδραμε πρὸς τὸν σὺν αὐτῷ πολεμούμενον τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων Δημιουργόν μέτρα δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς διακρίνειν εἰδὼς, οὐ μόνον ἱκετεύει τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν προφήτην προφήτην Ησαΐαν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν καλεῖ, καὶ ἰς ἐπικουρίαν καλεῖ, καὶ πρεσβευτὴν γενέσθαι παρακαλεί. Τάδε λέγει Ἐζεκίας. Ἐντεῦθέν ἐστι στι καταμαθεῖν τὴν διαφορά ορὰν τοῦ οῦ ῥήματος· ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ῥαψάκης ἔλεγε· Τάδε λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων. Οὗτοι δὲ τὸ μέτριον τοῦ πεπομφότος δηλοῦντες καὶ δεικνύντες, οὔτε βασιλέα αὐτὸν ὀνομάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ μόνον τοῦ ὀνόματος μέμνηνται. Ὀνειδίζειν Θεὸν ζῶντα. Ὀνειδισμὸν καλεῖ τὴν ἐκείνου βλασφημίαν· ἡμεῖς γὰρ αἴτιοι τῆς βλασφημίας παρανόμως ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἀξίους ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀποφαίνοντες τῆς τιμωρίας. ᾿Αλλ' ὅμως ὀργιζόμεθα μὲν διὰ τὴν τῆς βλασφημίας ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ κολάσαι τὸν ἀλιτήριον ἐφιέμεθα ἐπιθεῖναι δὲ τῇ προθυμία τὸ πέρας οὐκ ἔτι δυνάμεθα καὶ ἐοίκαμεν γυναικὶ κυούσῃ μὲν, καὶ δεδεγμένῃ τῶν ὠδίνων τὴν προσβολήν, τεκεῖν δὲ δι᾽ ἀτονίαν οὐ δυναμένῃ. Δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἀρετὴν· ἐπαμύναι γὰρ αὐτῷ τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύει, οὐ διὰ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἧς πολλὴν ἐποιεῖτο φροντίδα· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀλάστορος ἐκείνου μανιώδη βλασφημίαν. Τοῖς γὰρ οὐκ οὖσι θεοῖς, φησὶ, παραπλησίως φησὶ, παραπλησίως τὸν ὄντα ὠνείδιζε. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰς δέκα φυλὰς ἠνδραπόδισε, καὶ πλείστας τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐπολιόρκει, εἰκότως τοὺς εἰς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ καταπεφευγότας λείΤαῦτα ὁ μὲν Ἐζεκίας ἐδήλωσεν. Οἱ δέ γε σταλέντες τὸν προφήτην ἐδίδαξαν· ὁ δὲ τοῦ προφήτου Θεὸς προλαμβάνει τοῦ προφήτου ἱκετείαν, καὶ ἑπήκοος αὐτῷ γέγονε, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν, Ἔτι λαλοῦντός σου ἐρῶ, Ἐγὼ πάρειμι· Μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων ὧν ἤκουσας. Ἐγώ σοι ἐκοινώνησα τῆς λοιδορίας, ἐγώ σοι κοινω → δίδωμι ; ὁ θεῖος Απόστολος → ὁ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος; ψευδοῦς. Ἀλλὰ πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς ἴαι τῆς οἰκουμένης, ὅτι σὺ εἶ Θεὸς μόνος, δηλοῖ ὅτι πρόγνωσις θεοσεβείας ἡ ἡμετέρα σωτ ρία γενήσεται, ὅταν τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους πάντας εἴδωσιν ἡττηθέντας, ἡμᾶς δὲ μόνους κεκρατηκότας. Ἰδόντες γατέρα αὐτὴν ὀνομάζει, τὴν οἰκειότητα δεικνύς τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ καλεῖ καὶ Σιὼν καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Εὐτελῆ σε, φησὶν, ἐνόμισε καὶ εὐχείρωτον, ὡς οὐδὲ δισχιλίων εὐποροῦσαν ἱππέων, ἀλλὰ τῆς Αἰγυπτίων δεομένην ἐπικουρίας, καὶ ἀπειλῶν σοι τὸν ὅλεθρον ἐκίνει τὴν κεφαλήν. Ἐνόμισας ἕνα με τῶν ἄλλων εἶναι τῶν ψευδωνύμων θεῶν· δέον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέψαι, καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν δεσποτείαν ἰδεῖν. Ἱκανὰ δὲ ἦν καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ γεγενημένα τὴν ἐμὴν διδάξαι δύναμιν· ἀλλὰ τῇ ῥώμῃ καὶ τῇ δυναστείᾳ θαῤῥῶν συνιδεῖν οὐκ τοὺς βασιλέας καὶ τοπάρχας καλῶν· Λίβανον δὲ τὰ ἔθνη· Κάρμηλον δὲ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὠνόμασεν. Ὅθεν ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Λιβάνου, καὶ τὰ ἔ ἔσχατα τούτου τέθεικεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Καρμήλου, μέρος ἔφη· η· δεικ δεικνὺς, ὅτι τῶν μὲν ἐθνῶν ἐκείνων ἁπάντων ἐκράτησαν, τοῦ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ οὐ παντός. Διέμεινε γὰρ ἀχείρωτος ἡ μητρόπολις - ὕδατα ἀλόγῳ κέχρηται τῷ τὸ λογικὸν διαφθείραντι· Ἐν χαλινῷ γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ κημῷ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτῶν ἄγξεις, τῶν μὴ ἐγγιζόντων πρὸς σέ. Ἔδειξε δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ δουλικὴν ἔχοντα φύσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τοῖς οἰκέταις περιτιθέασι τοὺς ἐκ δερμάτων κημοὺς, εἰκότως ὡς οἰκέτη πονηρῷ ἀπείλησεν αὐτῷ τὸν κημὸν περιδέδωκε καρποὺς ὁ Θεός καὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔτει ὡσαύτως, διὰ τὴν σπάνιν, ὡς ἔοικε, τῶν σπερμάτων καὶ τῶν Οἱ ἀνασωζόμενοι ἐξὄρους Σιών· ἐκεῖ γὰρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἤνθησε σωτηρία καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων κατάλειμμα, τουτέστιν οἱ θεῖοι ἀπόστολοι, τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰς εἰς θεογνωσίαν αν ἐπέστρεψαν. Τούτων δὲ πάντων αἴτιος ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. Ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου Σαβαώθ ἐποίησε τα σε ταῦτα τουτέστιν, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον αὐτῶν φυλάξω τὸ γένος. Ζημου τῆς πόλεως φροντιῶ, διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνου μνήμην. Οἰκιστὴς γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τῆς πόλεως, καὶ γνήσιος θεράπων ἐμός. Ζητητέον δὲ τί δήποτε οὐ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἐμνημόνευσεν. Ἔγωγε οἶμαι, ὅτι τὸ φρόνημα κωλύων, οὐκ αὐτῷ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς σωτηρίας, ἀλλὰ τῷ Δαβὶδ ἀνατέθεικεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτων οὕτως εἰρημένων, ἡ ἱστορία φησὶν, ὅτι μετὰ ταῦτα ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία Εζεκίου τοῦ βα → ψευδοῦς. … ; νύ κτωρ → νύκτωρ; ἐγνωκὼς 3*, → ἐγνωκὼς,.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.52 (PG 80 80:785; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-52). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-52
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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.
4.53PG 80 80:791
Τι δήποτε μέμψιν ὑπέμεινεν Εζεκίας ὁ βασιλεύς, τοὺς θησαυροὺς τοῖς τῶν Βαβυλωνίων πρεσβευταῖς ὑποδείξας ; Ὅτι δέον τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάξαι τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἧς ἔτυχε, τὸν πλοῦτον ὑπέδειξε, τὸν οὐδὲν ἔχοντα μόνιμον. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ φύσις, ἀλλὰ γνώμη ἐν τοῖς ψυχικοῖς κρατεῖ, μαρτυρεῖ Μανασσῆς, τὴν εὐσεβῆ τοῦ πατρὸς πολιτείαν καταλιπών, καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ὁδεύσας. Ὠκοδόμησε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ὑψηλὰ, ἃ κατέσκαψε καὶ κατέσπασεν Ἐζεκίας ὁ πατήρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνέστησε θυσιαστήριον τῷ Βάαλ· καὶ ἐποίησεν ἄλση, καθὼς ἐποίησεν ᾿Αχαάβ βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ προσεκύνησε πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐδούλευσεν αὐτοῖς. Στρατιὰν δὲ λέγει τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας· καὶ τὸ πάντων δυσσεβέστατον, ᾠκοδόμησε θυσιαστήριον ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, ἐνᾧ εἶπεν, Ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ θήσω τὸ ὄνομά μου. Καὶ οὐχ ἓν μόνον, ἀλλὰ πλεῖστα. Πάσῃ γὰρ τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐν ταῖς δύο αὐλαῖς οἴκου Κυρίου ᾠκοδόμησε καὶ ἐκληδονίζετο, καὶ οἰωνίζετο, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐγγαστριμύθους καὶ γνώστας ἐπλήθυνε. Κληδὼν δὲ ἐστιν ἡ διὰ λόγων παρατήρησις· οἰώνισμα δὲ ἡ διὰ πτηνῶν. Γνώστας δὲ οἶμαι τοὺς δι᾽ ἤπατος μαντευομένους κληθῆναι Τὸ δὲ πάντων ἀνοσιώτατον, τὸ ἐν τῷ θείῳ στῆσαι ναῷ τὸ τῆς ἀκολάστου δαίμονος ἄγαλμα «Ἔθηκε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ γλυπτὸν τοῦ ἄλσους ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Κυρίου. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς διδάσκει τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπερβολήν.
Ti dēpote mempsin hypemeinen Ezekias ho basileus, tous thēsaurous tois tōn Babylōniōn presbeutais hypodeixas ? Hoti deon tou Theou didaxai tēn dynamin, kai tēn kēdemonian hēs etyche, ton plouton hypedeixe, ton ouden echonta monimon. Hoti de ou physis, alla gnōmē en tois psychikois kratei, martyrei Manassēs, tēn eusebē tou patros politeian katalipōn, kai tēn enantian hodeusas. Ōkodomēse gar, phēsi, ta hypsēla, ha kateskapse kai katespasen Ezekias ho patēr autou, kai anestēse thysiastērion tǭ Baal; kai epoiēsen alsē, kathōs epoiēsen ᾿Achaab basileus Israēl; kai prosekynēse pasę̄ tę̄ stratią tou ouranou kai edouleusen autois. Stratian de legei tou ouranou, ton hēlion, kai tēn selēnēn, kai tous asteras; kai to pantōn dyssebestaton, ǭkodomēse thysiastērion en oikǭ Kyriou, enǭ eipen, En Hierousalēm thēsō to onoma mou. Kai ouch hen monon, alla pleista. Pasę̄ gar tę̄ stratią tou ouranou en tais dyo aulais oikou Kyriou ǭkodomēse kai eklēdonizeto, kai oiōnizeto, kai epoiēsen engastrimythous kai gnōstas eplēthyne. Klēdōn de estin hē dia logōn paratērēsis; oiōnisma de hē dia ptēnōn. Gnōstas de oimai tous di᾽ ēpatos manteuomenous klēthēnai To de pantōn anosiōtaton, to en tǭ theiǭ stēsai naǭ to tēs akolastou daimonos agalma «Ethēke gar, phēsi, to glypton tou alsous en tǭ oikǭ Kyriou. Kai ta hexēs didaskei tēn tēs asebeias hyperbolēn.
Why was King Hezekiah blamed for showing his treasures to the Babylonian envoys? Because when he ought to have taught them the power of God and the care he had received, he showed them his wealth, which has nothing lasting about it. That not nature but will prevails in matters of the soul is attested by Manasseh, who abandoned his father's pious way of life and went the opposite way. “For he built,” it says, “the high places which Hezekiah his father had demolished and pulled down, and set up an altar to Baal, and made groves, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.” By the host of heaven he means the sun, the moon and the stars. And, most impious of all, “he built an altar in the house of the Lord, of which he said, In Jerusalem I will put my name.” And not one only, but very many: “For he built altars to all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord; and he practiced augury and divination, and made mediums, and multiplied wizards.” Augury is observation through words, divination through birds. I think those who divine by livers are called wizards. Most unholy of all was setting up in the divine temple the statue of the licentious demon: “For he put,” it says, “the carved image of the grove in the house of the Lord.” What follows teaches the excess of his impiety.
2 Kgs 20:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 20:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:7 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Hezekiah erred in displaying his wealth rather than God's power; his son Manasseh, by choice, reversed his piety and filled even the temple with idolatry.
- 2 Kgs 20:12–19; 21:1–7 (LXX; quotations 21:3, 4, 5–6, 7). Theodoret's distinctions between kinds of divination are his own. Displaced fragments printed inside the word “Jerusalem” are removed by a logged correction: part of the interleaved scholion of 4.52 (on why God names David rather than Hezekiah, and Isaiah) and a passage on medicine as God's gift (compare 3.48).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter error; OCR misread the relative pronoun; displaced fragments (of the scholion in 4.52 and of a passage on medicine) printed inside the word Ἱερουσαλὴμ; word split by the OCR): ὁ βασιλείς, → ὁ βασιλεύς,; τὰ ὑψηλὰ, & κατέσκαψε → τὰ ὑψηλὰ, ἃ κατέσκαψε; ἀστέ· ρας → ἀστέρας; Ἐν Ἱερουσα σιλέως, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν αὐτὸς τῆς σωτηρίας αἴτιος ὀνομασθείς; τούτου χάριν οὐδὲ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, καίτοι προ φήτην ὄντα, καὶ προφήτην ἐπισημότατον, ἀξιόχρεων ἐκάλεσε τῆς πόλεως σύμμαχον· ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὄντας καταλιπὼν εἰς ἀρετὴν, μνήμην τῶν παρελθόντων ποιεῖται, καὶ διδάσκει, ὡς ἀνθεῖ παρ᾿ αὐτῷ διηνεκῶς τῶν δικαὶ γὰρ αὕτη δῶρον Θεοῦ· προσήκει δὲ μὴ τῇ τέχνῃ θαῤῥεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ταύτης δοτῆρι. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ αὕτη δύναται, ὅσα ἂν ἐκεῖνος βούληται. Καὶ πολλάκις μὲν διὰ σμικρῶν φαρμάκων μεγάλα τραύματα θεραπεύει λὴμ → Ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ; οἴκῳ Κυμίου → οἴκῳ Κυρίου.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.53 (PG 80 80:791; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-53). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-53
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-4-53) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
4.54PG 80 80:793
Πῶς νοητέον τὸ «Ἐκτενῶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ τὸ μέτρον Σαμαρείας ; Ταῖς αὐταῖς, φησὶ, καὶ τούτους περιβαλῶ συμφοραῖς. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκείνων τοὺς μὲν ὁ λιμὸς, τοὺς δὲ ὁ πόλεμος ἐδαπάνησε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐξανδραποδίσαντες εἰς ἑτέραν μετέστησαν γῆν· οὕτω καὶ τοῖς ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοῦσι τοσαύτας τιμωρίας ἐποίσω. Καὶ ὥσπερ τοῦ ᾿Αχαὰβ τὸν οἶκον πανωλεθρίᾳ παρέδωκα οὕτω τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ μεταβαλῶ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν εἰς εὐτέλειαν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον εἰς τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων ἐλύττησε πλάνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἷμα ἀθῶον ἐξέχεε Μανασσῆς σφόδρα, ἕως οὗ ἐνέπλησε τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ στόμα ἐπὶ στόμα ᾿Ανῄρει δὲ διαφερόντως τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀντεχομένους, καὶ τὴν θείαν ὀργὴν αὐτοῖς σημαίνοντας. Τοῦτόν φασι καὶ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν διαπρίσαι ξυλίνῳ χρησάμενον πρίονι. Αλλ' οὗτος μὲν, ὡς ἡ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἐδίδαξεν ἱστορία, μεταμελείᾳ χρησάμενος τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔτυχεν. Αμμὼν δὲ ὁ τούτου υἱὸς, τὴν μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς ἐμιμήσατο πονηρίαν· τὴν δὲ μεταμέλειαν οὐκ ἐζήλωσεν. Ὁ δὲ ἔκγονος τὴν ἄκραν ἤσκησεν ἀρετὴν, καὶ τοῦ προγόνου Δαβὶδ ἐκτήσατο τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὰ θεραπείας δεόμενα τοῦ θείου νεὼ πάσης ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσεν· ἔπειτα τῶν θείων λογίων ἀκούσας, τῶν δὲ ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ κειμένων, καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα διέῤῥηξε, καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐθρήνησε, καὶ μαθεῖν τὸ πρακτέον περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἐζήτησεν. Εἰς τοσαύτην δὲ τῶν θείων ἀμέλειαν ἐξώκειλαν ἅπαντες, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν θείων ἐπακούειν λογίων. Τοῦτο γοῦν τὸ βιβλίον ἔν τινι τῶν ἱερῶν οἴκων Χελκίας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐῤῥιμμένον εὑρὼν, ἀπέστειλε τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς τὰ ἐγκείμενα γνούς, καὶ τοὺς ἀρχιερέας, καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας πρὸς Ὀλδὰν ἀπέστειλε τὴν προφῆτιν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς διὰ ταύτης κατὰ μὲν τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ τῆς πόλεως, τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκε διὰ τὰς παρ᾿ αὐτῶν τολμηθείσας παρανομίας· τῷ εὐσεβεῖ δὲ βασιλεῖ χρηστὰ προηγόρευσεν ᾿Ανθ᾽ ὧν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἤκουσας τῶν λόγων μου, καὶ ἡπαλύνθη ἡ καρδία σου, καὶ ἐνετράπης ἀπὸ προσώπου μου, ὡς ἤκουσας ὅσα ἐλάλησα ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν αὐτῷ, τοῦ γενέσθαι εἰς ἀφανισμὸν, καὶ διέῤῥηξας τὰ ἱμάτιά σου, καὶ ἔκλαυσας ἐνώπιόν μου· καί γε ἐγὼ ἤκουσα, φησὶ Κύριος. Οὐχ οὕτως· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ προστίθημι σε πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου, καὶ συναχθήσῃ εἰς τὸν τάφον σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ· καὶ οὐκ ὄψονται οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου πάντα τὰ κακὰ, ἃ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτόν Τοσοῦτον κατάνυξις καὶ δάκρυον τοὺς χρωμένους ὀνίνησι· τοσοῦτον εὐσεβὴς εὐεργετεῖ βασιλεὺς, ὅσον οἱ δυσσεβεῖς τοῖς ἀρχομένοις πημαίνονται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ Αμμὼν καὶ Μανασσῆς εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐξέκλιναν τὸν λαὸν, καὶ ἄλση φυτεύσαντες, καὶ τεμένη τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἀναστήσαντες· οὕτως Ἰωσίας ὁ εὐσεβής βασιλεὺς τὰ τῷ Βάαλ, καὶ τῇ Αστάρτῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἰδώλοις κατασκευασθέντα σκεύη ἐν τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ τῶν κέδρων συνέτριψε καὶ ἐχώνευσεν· ἐν δὲ τῇ Βαιθὴλ τοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων ἱερέας κατέκαυσε. Τὸ δὲ Μαζουρώθ ἀστέρος οἶμαι ὄνομα εἶναι, καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἔφη· Καὶ ἐθυμίων τῷ Βάαλ, καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ, καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ τοῖς Μαζουρώθ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Μαζουρώθ τοπάζω τὸν ἑωσφόρον οὕτως ὠνομάσθαι.
Pōs noēteon to «Ektenō epi Hierousalēm to metron Samareias ? Tais autais, phēsi, kai toutous peribalō symphorais. Kai hōsper ekeinōn tous men ho limos, tous de ho polemos edapanēse, tous de loipous exandrapodisantes eis heteran metestēsan gēn; houtō kai tois en Hierousalēm oikousi tosautas timōrias epoisō. Kai hōsper tou ᾿Achaab ton oikon panōlethrią paredōka houtō tēs Hierousalēm metabalō tēn hyperēphanian eis euteleian. Ou gar monon eis tēn tōn eidōlōn elyttēse planēn, alla kai haima athōon exechee Manassēs sphodra, heōs hou eneplēse tēn Hierousalēm stoma epi stoma ᾿Anę̄rei de diapherontōs tous tēs eusebeias antechomenous, kai tēn theian orgēn autois sēmainontas. Touton phasi kai ton prophētēn Hēsaïan diaprisai xylinǭ chrēsamenon prioni. All' houtos men, hōs hē tōn Paraleipomenōn edidaxen historia, metameleią chrēsamenos tēs apheseōs etychen. Ammōn de ho toutou huios, tēn men tou patros emimēsato ponērian; tēn de metameleian ouk ezēlōsen. Ho de ekgonos tēn akran ēskēsen aretēn, kai tou progonou Dabid ektēsato tēn eusebeian. Kai prōton men ta therapeias deomena tou theiou neō pasēs epimeleias ēxiōsen; epeita tōn theiōn logiōn akousas, tōn de en tǭ Deuteronomiǭ keimenōn, kai tēn esthēta dierrhēxe, kai epi pleiston ethrēnēse, kai mathein to prakteon peri tou Theou tōn holōn ezētēsen. Eis tosautēn de tōn theiōn ameleian exōkeilan hapantes, hōs mēde tōn theiōn epakouein logiōn. Touto goun to biblion en tini tōn hierōn oikōn Chelkias ho archiereus errhimmenon heurōn, apesteile tǭ basilei. Ho de basileus ta enkeimena gnous, kai tous archiereas, kai tous archontas pros Oldan apesteile tēn prophētin. Ho de Theos dia tautēs kata men tou laou, kai tou naou, kai tēs poleōs, tēn psēphon exēnenke dia tas par᾿ autōn tolmētheisas paranomias; tǭ eusebei de basilei chrēsta proēgoreusen ᾿Anth᾽ hōn gar, phēsin, ēkousas tōn logōn mou, kai hēpalynthē hē kardia sou, kai enetrapēs apo prosōpou mou, hōs ēkousas hosa elalēsa epi ton topon touton, kai epi tous enoikountas en autǭ, tou genesthai eis aphanismon, kai dierrhēxas ta himatia sou, kai eklausas enōpion mou; kai ge egō ēkousa, phēsi Kyrios. Ouch houtōs; idou egō prostithēmi se pros tous pateras sou, kai synachthēsę̄ eis ton taphon sou en eirēnę̄; kai ouk opsontai hoi ophthalmoi sou panta ta kaka, ha epagō epi ton oikon touton, kai epi tous katoikountas auton Tosouton katanyxis kai dakryon tous chrōmenous oninēsi; tosouton eusebēs euergetei basileus, hoson hoi dyssebeis tois archomenois pēmainontai. Hōsper gar Ammōn kai Manassēs eis asebeian exeklinan ton laon, kai alsē phyteusantes, kai temenē tois daimosin anastēsantes; houtōs Iōsias ho eusebēs basileus ta tǭ Baal, kai tę̄ Astartę̄, kai tois allois eidōlois kataskeuasthenta skeuē en tǭ cheimarrhǭ tōn kedrōn synetripse kai echōneusen; en de tę̄ Baithēl tous tōn eidōlōn hiereas katekause. To de Mazourōth asteros oimai onoma einai, kai gar houtōs ephē; Kai ethymiōn tǭ Baal, kai tǭ hēliǭ, kai tę̄ selēnę̄, kai tois Mazourōth, kai pasę̄ tę̄ stratią tou ouranou. Mazourōth topazō ton heōsphoron houtōs ōnomasthai.
How should “I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria” be understood? I will cast these too, he says, into the same calamities. And as famine consumed some of those people and war others, and the rest were taken captive and transferred to another land, so I will bring as many punishments on those who live in Jerusalem. And as I gave the house of Ahab over to utter destruction, so I will turn the arrogance of Jerusalem into lowliness. For Manasseh not only raged into the error of the idols, but also shed very much innocent blood, until he filled Jerusalem from end to end. He killed especially those who held to piety and announced the divine anger to them. They say that he even sawed asunder the prophet Isaiah, using a wooden saw. But he, as the history of Chronicles taught, repented and obtained forgiveness. Amon his son imitated his father's wickedness but did not emulate his repentance. His grandson practiced the highest virtue and acquired the piety of his forefather David. First he gave every care to the parts of the divine temple needing repair; then, hearing the divine oracles contained in Deuteronomy, he tore his clothes, lamented a very long time, and sought to learn from the God of the universe what to do. For all had run aground on such neglect of divine things that they did not even listen to the divine oracles. Hilkiah the high priest found this book thrown aside in one of the sacred chambers and sent it to the king. The king, learning its contents, sent the high priests and the officials to Huldah the prophetess. Through her God pronounced sentence against the people, the temple and the city because of the lawless deeds they had dared, but to the pious king he foretold good things: “Because you heard my words,” he says, “and your heart was softened, and you humbled yourself before me when you heard what I spoke against this place and those who dwell in it, that it would become a desolation, and you tore your clothes and wept before me, I too have heard, says the Lord. Not so; behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your tomb in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the evils that I am bringing upon this house and upon those who dwell in it.” So much do compunction and tears benefit those who use them; so much does a pious king do good, as much as impious kings harm their subjects. For as Amon and Manasseh turned the people aside to impiety by planting groves and setting up precincts to demons, so Josiah the pious king broke and melted down in the brook of the cedars the vessels made for Baal, Astarte and the other idols, and in Bethel burned the priests of the idols. I think Mazouroth is the name of a star; for it said thus: “And they burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, and to the moon, and to the Mazouroth, and to all the host of heaven.” I guess that the morning star was so named.
2 Kgs 21:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 11:37 (allusion, low confidence) · 2 Chr 33:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 33:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 21:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:19 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 22:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:4 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:15 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:5 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Jerusalem would suffer Samaria's fate because of Manasseh's idolatry and bloodshed (including, by tradition, Isaiah's martyrdom); Josiah's repentance on hearing the book of the law spared him, and he destroyed the idols.
- 2 Kgs 21:13, 16, 18–22; 22:3–20; 23:4–15 (LXX; quotations 21:13, 16; 22:19–20; 23:5); 2 Chr 33:12–13. The tradition that Manasseh sawed Isaiah in two is found in the Ascension of Isaiah (compare Heb 11:37). Displaced words are put back by logged corrections: the Mazouroth note and part of the quotation of 23:5 had been printed inside the quotation of 22:20, and are restored to their place at the end, where the word Μαζουρώθ is completed from its first syllables; a stray fragment of the next question's lemma at the end is removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced words (restored below) printed inside the quotation of 22:20; displaced words restored to their place; stray fragment of the next lemma removed; repeated particle; stray footnote marks; stray letter; stray letters; stray mark; stray marks): συμφοραῖς **. → συμφοραῖς.; πανωλεθρίᾳ· παρέδωκα → πανωλεθρίᾳ παρέδωκα; εὐτέλειαν **. → εὐτέλειαν.; ξυλίνῳ το χρησάμενον → ξυλίνῳ χρησάμενον; Ὁ δὲ ἔκγονος δὲ τὴν → Ὁ δὲ ἔκγονος τὴν; Θεοῦ δ* τῶν ὅλων → Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων; γνούς δ, καὶ → γνούς, καὶ; λόγων μου στ, → λόγων μου,; ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ ρώθ τοπάζω τὸν ἑωσφόρον οὕτως ὠνομάσθαι. Ἔφη τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ τοῖς Μαζουρώθ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτόν → ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας αὐτόν; τοῖς. δαίμοσιν → τοῖς δαίμοσιν; καὶ γὰρ οὕτως· Καὶ ἐθυμίων τῷ Βάαλ, καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ, καὶ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. σεὶμ Τίνα λέγε → καὶ γὰρ οὕτως ἔφη· Καὶ ἐθυμίων τῷ Βάαλ, καὶ τῷ ἡλίῳ, καὶ τῇ σελήνῃ, καὶ τοῖς Μαζουρώθ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Μαζουρώθ τοπάζω τὸν ἑωσφόρον οὕτως ὠνομάσθαι..
Extrabiblical texts: Ascen. Isa. 5.1 (Ascension of Isaiah; allusion)
Topics: Scripture and canon, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.54 (PG 80 80:793; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-54). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-54
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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.
4.55PG 80 80:795
λέγει τὸν οἶκον τῶν Καδησεὶμ, τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου; Ὁμωνύμως ἐκάλεσεν ἁγίους τοὺς δαίμονας. Τὸ γὰρ Κάδης ἅγιος ἑρμηνεύεται Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τῷ οἴκῳ ὕφαινον, φησὶν, αἱ γυναῖκες στολὰς τῷ ἄλσει. Τὸ δὲ ἄλσος, ὡς ἔφην πολλάκις, οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ ἢ ᾿Ασηρώθ, ἢ ᾿Ασταρώθ ὀνομάζουσιν. Ὄνομα δὲ τοῦτο τῆς ᾿Αφροδίτης αὐτὴν γὰρ καλοῦσιν ᾿Αστάρτην. Ταύτης δὲ καὶ τὸ ξόανον ἔνδον ἔστησαν ἐν τῷ θείῳ ναῷ ᾿Αλλ᾿ ὁ ἀξιάγαστος βασιλεὺς καὶ τὸ ἄλσος ἐξέκοψε, καὶ τὸ ξόανον ἐξενήνοχε, καὶ πυρὶ παραδέδωκεν· οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν ᾿Ακύλαν τὸ καδησείμ ουτως ἡρμήνευσαν, ἐποίουν ἐνδύματα τοῖς ἐκπορνεύουσιν ἀπὸ Κυρίου Ὅτι δὲ ὑψηλὰ οὐ μόνον οἱ τῶν εἰδώλων ἐκαλοῦντο βωμοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς χωρίοις δομηθέντα τῷ Θεῷ θυσιαστήρια, πάλιν ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. Λέγει γὰρ οὕτως· Πλὴν οὐκ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἱερεῖς τῶν ὑψηλῶν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον Κυρίου ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, εἰ μὴ ἔφαγον ἄζυμα ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν. Δῆλον δὲ, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ γένους ὑπῆρχον οὗτοι. Εἰ δὲ τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἐλάτρευσαν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς ὁ εὐσεβής βασιλεὺς συγγνώμης ἠξίωσεν.
legei ton oikon tōn Kadēseim, tōn en oikǭ Kyriou? Homōnymōs ekalesen hagious tous daimonas. To gar Kadēs hagios hermēneuetai En toutǭ de tǭ oikǭ hyphainon, phēsin, hai gynaikes stolas tǭ alsei. To de alsos, hōs ephēn pollakis, hoi alloi hermēneutai ē ᾿Asērōth, ē ᾿Astarōth onomazousin. Onoma de touto tēs ᾿Aphroditēs autēn gar kalousin ᾿Astartēn. Tautēs de kai to xoanon endon estēsan en tǭ theiǭ naǭ ᾿All᾿ ho axiagastos basileus kai to alsos exekopse, kai to xoanon exenēnoche, kai pyri paradedōken; hoi de peri ton ᾿Akylan to kadēseim outōs hērmēneusan, epoioun endymata tois ekporneuousin apo Kyriou Hoti de hypsēla ou monon hoi tōn eidōlōn ekalounto bōmoi, alla kai ta en tois hypsēlois chōriois domēthenta tǭ Theǭ thysiastēria, palin hē historia didaskei. Legei gar houtōs; Plēn ouk anebēsan hoi hiereis tōn hypsēlōn pros to thysiastērion Kyriou en Hierousalēm, ei mē ephagon azyma en mesǭ tōn adelphōn autōn. Dēlon de, hoti ek tou hieratikou genous hypērchon houtoi. Ei de tois eidōlois elatreusan, ouk an autous ho eusebēs basileus syngnōmēs ēxiōsen.
[What] does he call the house of the Kadeseim in the house of the Lord? He called the demons “holy ones” equivocally; for kades means “holy.” In this house, he says, the women wove robes for the grove. As I have often said, the other translators call the grove Aseroth or Astaroth. This is a name of Aphrodite, whom they call Astarte. They had even set up her wooden image inside the divine temple. But the admirable king cut down the grove, brought out the wooden image and gave it to the fire. Aquila and his school translated kadeseim thus: “they made garments for those who prostitute themselves away from the Lord.” That not only the altars of the idols were called high places, but also the altars built to God on high places, the history teaches again. It says thus: “Only the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers.” It is clear that these were of the priestly family. If they had served idols, the pious king would not have granted them pardon.
2 Kgs 23:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:8 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The “house of the Kadeseim” housed cult prostitutes or idols of Astarte, which Josiah destroyed; the priests of the high places, who had served God there, were tolerated but excluded from the altar.
- 2 Kgs 23:6–9 (LXX; quotations 23:7, 9). The first word of the question (“What”) seems to have been printed at the end of question 4.54, where it is removed; it is supplied here in brackets. Aquila's rendering of 23:7 refers to cult prostitution; translated as given.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR accent error; stray letters; stray marks): ἐκάλεσεν 6* ἁγίους → ἐκάλεσεν ἁγίους; ἑρμηνευταὶ ἡ ᾿Ασηρώθ → ἑρμηνευταὶ ἢ ᾿Ασηρώθ; ἱερατικοῦ το γένους → ἱερατικοῦ γένους.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.55 (PG 80 80:795; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-55). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-55
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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.
4.56PG 80 80:797
Τὸ Ταφέθ τί δηλοῖ; Ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείᾳ πτῶσιν εὗρον σημαῖνον τὸ ὄνομα. Τόπος δὲ ἦν οὗτος, ἐν ᾧ διῆγον ἐν πυρὶ τὰ παιδία τῷ Μελχώλ 'Αμμανιτῶν δὲ ἦν τοῦτο τὸ εἴδωλον. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ ἱστορία δεδήλωκεν. Ἐμίανε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ Ταφέθ τὸ ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ Ἐννὸμ, τοῦ μὴ διάγειν ἄνδρα τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν πυρὶ τῷ Μελχώλ. Τὸ δὲ φαρουρὶμ τοῦ φρουρίου οἱ περὶ τὸν Σύμμαχον ἡρμήνευσαν. Ὅπως δὲ τοῦτον ἐμίανεν ὁ εὐσεβὴς βασιλεὺς, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· Ἔπλησε γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς τόπους αὐτῶν ὀστέων ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ πάλιν· ᾿Απέστειλε καὶ ἔλαβε τὰ ὀστᾶ ἐκ τῶν τάφων, καὶ κατέκαυσεν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα Κυρίου, ὁ ἐλάλησεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν τῷ ἑστᾶναι Ἱεροβοὰμ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὰ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ ψευδοπροφήτης ἦν ὁ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ παραπείσας τροφῆς μεταλαβεῖν παρ' αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καταμαθεῖν εὐπετές. Διεσώθη γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ὀστᾶ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τοῦ προφήτου, τοῦ κατοικοῦντος ἐν Βαιθήλ, μετὰ τῶν ὀστῶν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἥκοντος ἐξ Ἰούδα, καὶ λελαληκότος πάντα τὰ ἔργα, ἃ ἐποίησεν Ἰωσίας.
To Tapheth ti dēloi? En tę̄ tōn Hebraïkōn onomatōn hermēneią ptōsin heuron sēmainon to onoma. Topos de ēn houtos, en hǭ diēgon en pyri ta paidia tǭ Melchōl 'Ammanitōn de ēn touto to eidōlon. Touto de kai hē historia dedēlōken. Emiane gar, phēsi, to Tapheth to en pharangi huiou Ennom, tou mē diagein andra ton huion autou en pyri tǭ Melchōl. To de pharourim tou phrouriou hoi peri ton Symmachon hērmēneusan. Hopōs de touton emianen ho eusebēs basileus, hē historia didaskei; Eplēse gar, phēsi, tous topous autōn osteōn anthrōpōn. Kai palin; ᾿Apesteile kai elabe ta osta ek tōn taphōn, kai katekausen auta epi to thysiastērion, kata to rhēma Kyriou, ho elalēsen ho anthrōpos tou Theou, en tǭ hestanai Hieroboam epi to thysiastērion ta en tę̄ heortę̄. Hoti de ou pseudoprophētēs ēn ho ton anthrōpon tou Theou parapeisas trophēs metalabein par' autǭ, kai enteuthen katamathein eupetes. Diesōthē gar, phēsi, ta osta tou presbyterou tou prophētou, tou katoikountos en Baithēl, meta tōn ostōn tou anthrōpou tou Theou tou hēkontos ex Iouda, kai lelalēkotos panta ta erga, ha epoiēsen Iōsias.
What does Topheth signify? In the interpretation of Hebrew names I found the name to mean “fall.” This was the place where they made their children pass through fire to Melchol; this was the idol of the Ammonites. The history showed this too: “For he defiled,” it says, “Topheth in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no one might make his son pass through fire to Melchol.” Symmachus and his school rendered pharourim “of the fortress.” How the pious king defiled this place the history teaches: “For he filled their places with human bones.” And again: “He sent and took the bones from the tombs and burned them on the altar, according to the word of the Lord which the man of God spoke when Jeroboam stood by the altar at the feast.” That the one who persuaded the man of God to take food with him was not a false prophet is easy to learn from this too: “For the bones of the old prophet who lived in Bethel were preserved,” it says, “with the bones of the man of God who came from Judah and foretold all the deeds that Josiah did.”
2 Kgs 23:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:14 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 13:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 13:31 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Topheth was the place of child sacrifice to Molech, which Josiah defiled; the preservation of the old prophet's bones with the man of God's confirms he was a true prophet.
- 2 Kgs 23:10–18 (LXX; quotations 23:10, 14, 16, 18); 1 Kgs 13 (see 3.43). The staging notes that the OCR read the question number as 120.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray letters; stray mark; stray marks): φρουρίου τ3 οἱ → φρουρίου οἱ; μεταλαβεῖν το παρ' → μεταλαβεῖν παρ'; τὰ ἔργα ", ἃ → τὰ ἔργα, ἃ.
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.56 (PG 80 80:797; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-56). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-56
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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.
4.57PG 80 80:797
Τι δήποτε καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου, καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσίου, τὰ αὐτὰ ἔφη· ὅτι ὅμοιος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐγένετο ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετ᾿ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀνέστη ὅμοιος αὐτῷ; Οὔτε ἐκεῖνον τούτῳ συνέκρινεν, οὔτε τοῦτον ἐκείνῳ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς δόξασιν εὐσεβεῖν, τῷ ᾿Ασᾷ, καὶ τῷ Ἰωσαφάτ, καὶ τῷ Ἰωάθαμ· καὶ τοῦτον κἀκεῖνον παρεξετάσας, τούτους κρείττους ἀπέφηνεν. Ἐὰν δὲ τις ψιλῷ προσέχῃ τῷ γράμματι, εὑρεθήσεται κἀκεῖνος καὶ οὗτος τοῦ Δαβὶδ ὑπερκείμενος. Καὶ περὶ ἐκείνου γὰρ, καὶ περὶ τούτου ἔφη ὅτι Ὅμοιος αὐτῷ οὐκ ἐγένετο βασιλεὺς ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ δῆλον, ὡς οὔτε τὸν Ἐζεκίαν τοῦ Δαβίδ προὐτέθεικεν, οὔτε τοῦ Ἐζεκίου τὸν Ἰωσίαν, καὶ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἀπέφηνε κρείττονα· ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις αὐτοὺς εὐσεβέσι συνέκρινεν. Εἰ δὲ τις ὑπείληφε μεμφθῆναι τὸν Ἐζεκίαν, ὡς φρονήματι χρησάμενον ὑψηλῷ, καὶ τοῖς Βαβυλωνίου πρεσβευταῖς τοὺς θησαυροὺς ὑποδείξαντα, ὄψεται καὶ τὸν Ἰωσίαν οὐ παντάπασιν αἰτίας ἐλεύθερον. Ἡνίκα γὰρ Φαραὼ Νεχαὼ κατὰ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐστρατεύσατο, ἐπικουρῆσαι τοῖς ᾿Ασσυρίοις ἐσπούδασε· καὶ ὡς ἡ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἐδίδαξε βίβλος, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν Φαραώ· Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, βασιλεῦ Ἰούδα; Οὐκ ἐπὶ σὲ ἥκω σήμερον ποιῆσαι πόλεμον, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦ πολέμου καὶ ὁ Θεὸς εἶπε τοῦ κατασπεῦσαί με. Πρόσεχε σὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ, μὴ καταφθείρῃ σε. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστρεψεν Ἰωσίας τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ᾽ ἐκραταιώσθη τοῦ πολεμεῖν αὐτόν· καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσεν Ἰωσίας τῶν λόγων Φαραὼ Νεχαὼ ἐκ στόματος Κυρίου καὶ ἦλθε τοῦ πολεμεῖν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ Μαγεδδώ. Καὶ ἑτόξευσαν οἱ τοξόται Φαραὼ ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Ἰωσίαν. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς παισὶν αὑτοῦ, Ἐξαγάγετέ με, ὅτι ἐπόνεσα σφόδρα. Ὁ δὲ Ἔσδρας οὕτω φησί Καὶ διεπέμψατο ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου πρὸς Ἰωσίαν, λέγων, Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, βασιλεῦ τῆς Ἰουδαίας; Οὐχὶ πρὸς σὲ ἐξαπέσταλμαι ὑπὸ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῦ Εὐφράτου ὁ πόλεμός μοί ἐστι. Καὶ νῦν Κύριος μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐπισπεύδων ἐστίν ἀπόστηθι, καὶ μὴ ἐναντιοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστρεψεν ἑαυτὸν Ἰωσίας ἐπὶ τὸ ἄρμα αὐτοῦ· ἀλλὰ πολεμεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπεχείρει, οὐ προσέχων ῥήμασιν Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου ἐκ στόματος Κυρίου· ἀλλὰ συνεστήσατο πρὸς αὐτὸν πόλεμον ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ μετὰ ἀδίκου. Οὐ τοίνυν αὐτοὺς ἀλλήλοις συγκρίνει, οὐδὲ ἀλλήλων ὑπερτίθησι. Τὸ γὰρ οὕτω νοεῖν ἀνοίας ἐστὶν ἐσχάτης· ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις αὐτοὺς παρεξήτασε βασιλεῦσι. Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωαχίμ, καὶ Ἰωακεὶμ, καὶ Ἰεχονίαν, καὶ Σεδεκίαν, πλατύτερον ὁ θεῖος Ἱερεμίας συνέγραψε. Κάκείνην δὲ τὴν βίβλον διὰ τῆς θείας χάριτος πᾶσαν ἡρμηνεύσαμεν. Παρέλκον τοίνυν ὑπολαμβάνω δὶς τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἀνελίττειν λόγους. Τὸν δὲ Ἰωαχίμ, τὸν τοῦ Ἰωακεὶμ υἱὸν, ὁ θεῖος Ἱερεμίας Ἰεχονίαν καλεῖ· ἡ δὲ τῶν Παραλειπομένων βίβλος Ἰωακείμ. Τοῦτον ὁ Εὐϊλὰτ Μερωδὰχ τῆς εἰρκτῆς ἀπαλλάξας, ὁμοδίαιτον εἶχε καὶ ὁμοτράπεζον. Ὁ τύπτων γὰρ καὶ ἰώμενος τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐκδεδωκὼς, πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐλευθερίας ἠξίωσεν.
Ti dēpote kai peri tou Ezekiou, kai peri tou Iōsiou, ta auta ephē; hoti homoios autou ouk egeneto emprosthen autou, kai met᾿ auton ouk anestē homoios autǭ? Oute ekeinon toutǭ synekrinen, oute touton ekeinǭ, alla tois allois tois doxasin eusebein, tǭ ᾿Asą, kai tǭ Iōsaphat, kai tǭ Iōatham; kai touton kakeinon parexetasas, toutous kreittous apephēnen. Ean de tis psilǭ prosechę̄ tǭ grammati, heurethēsetai kakeinos kai houtos tou Dabid hyperkeimenos. Kai peri ekeinou gar, kai peri toutou ephē hoti Homoios autǭ ouk egeneto basileus emprosthen autou. Alla dēlon, hōs oute ton Ezekian tou Dabid proutetheiken, oute tou Ezekiou ton Iōsian, kai tou Dabid apephēne kreittona; alla tois allois autous eusebesi synekrinen. Ei de tis hypeilēphe memphthēnai ton Ezekian, hōs phronēmati chrēsamenon hypsēlǭ, kai tois Babylōniou presbeutais tous thēsaurous hypodeixanta, opsetai kai ton Iōsian ou pantapasin aitias eleutheron. Hēnika gar Pharaō Nechaō kata tōn ᾿Assyriōn estrateusato, epikourēsai tois ᾿Assyriois espoudase; kai hōs hē tōn Paraleipomenōn edidaxe biblos, ephē pros auton Pharaō; Ti emoi kai soi, basileu Iouda? Ouk epi se hēkō sēmeron poiēsai polemon, all᾿ ē epi ton topon tou polemou kai ho Theos eipe tou kataspeusai me. Proseche sy apo tou Theou tou met' emou, mē kataphtheirę̄ se. Kai ouk apestrepsen Iōsias to prosōpon autou; all᾽ ekrataiōsthē tou polemein auton; kai ouk ēkousen Iōsias tōn logōn Pharaō Nechaō ek stomatos Kyriou kai ēlthe tou polemein en tǭ pediǭ Mageddō. Kai hetoxeusan hoi toxotai Pharaō epi ton basilea Iōsian. Kai eipen ho basileus tois paisin hautou, Exagagete me, hoti eponesa sphodra. Ho de Esdras houtō phēsi Kai diepempsato ho basileus Aigyptou pros Iōsian, legōn, Ti emoi kai soi, basileu tēs Ioudaias? Ouchi pros se exapestalmai hypo Kyriou tou Theou. Epi gar tou Euphratou ho polemos moi esti. Kai nyn Kyrios met᾿ emou epispeudōn estin apostēthi, kai mē enantiou tǭ Kyriǭ. Kai ouk apestrepsen heauton Iōsias epi to arma autou; alla polemein auton epecheirei, ou prosechōn rhēmasin Hieremiou tou prophētou ek stomatos Kyriou; alla synestēsato pros auton polemon en tǭ pediǭ meta adikou. Ou toinyn autous allēlois synkrinei, oude allēlōn hypertithēsi. To gar houtō noein anoias estin eschatēs; alla tois allois autous parexētase basileusi. Ta de kata ton Iōachim, kai Iōakeim, kai Iechonian, kai Sedekian, platyteron ho theios Hieremias synegrapse. Kakeinēn de tēn biblon dia tēs theias charitos pasan hērmēneusamen. Parelkon toinyn hypolambanō dis tous autous anelittein logous. Ton de Iōachim, ton tou Iōakeim huion, ho theios Hieremias Iechonian kalei; hē de tōn Paraleipomenōn biblos Iōakeim. Touton ho Euïlat Merōdach tēs eirktēs apallaxas, homodiaiton eiche kai homotrapezon. Ho typtōn gar kai iōmenos tois polemiois ekdedōkōs, palin auton eleutherias ēxiōsen.
Why did he say the same thing about Hezekiah and about Josiah, that “there was none like him before him, and after him none arose like him”? He compared neither the one with the other nor the other with the one, but with the others who seemed to be pious, Asa, Jehoshaphat and Jotham; and comparing both with these, he showed them to be better. If one attends to the bare letter, both the one and the other will be found to surpass David; for about both he said, “There was no king like him before him.” But it is clear that he neither preferred Hezekiah to David, nor showed Josiah better than Hezekiah and David; he compared them with the other pious kings. And if anyone supposes that Hezekiah was blamed for being proud and showing the treasures to the Babylonian envoys, he will see that Josiah too was not entirely free of blame. For when Pharaoh Neco marched against the Assyrians, Josiah was eager to help the Assyrians; and, as the book of Chronicles taught, Pharaoh said to him, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you today to make war, but against the place of war; and God has told me to hurry. Beware of God who is with me, lest he destroy you. But Josiah did not turn his face from him, but strengthened himself to fight him, and did not listen to the words of Pharaoh Neco from the mouth of the Lord, and came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. And the archers of Pharaoh shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Take me out, for I am badly wounded.” Esdras says thus: “And the king of Egypt sent to Josiah, saying, What have I to do with you, king of Judea? I have not been sent against you by the Lord God; for my war is on the Euphrates. And now the Lord is with me, urging me on; stand aside and do not oppose the Lord. But Josiah did not turn back his chariot, but tried to fight him, not heeding the words of Jeremiah the prophet from the mouth of the Lord, but joined battle with him in the plain …” So he does not compare them with each other, nor put one above the other; to understand it so is extreme folly; he measured them against the other kings. The affairs of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah and Zedekiah the divine Jeremiah recorded more fully; and by divine grace we have interpreted that whole book. So I think it superfluous to unroll the same words twice. The divine Jeremiah calls Joachim, the son of Joakim, Jeconiah, and the book of Chronicles Joakim. Evil-merodach released him from prison and had him live and eat with him. For the one who strikes and heals, having given him over to the enemy, again granted him freedom.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
2 Kgs 18:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 15:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 20:13 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 23:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:21 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Chr 35:23 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 25:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 25:29 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 52:31 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 22:24 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The praise of Hezekiah and Josiah as without equal compares them with other kings, not with each other or with David; Josiah, too, erred in fighting Neco against God's warning.
- 2 Kgs 18:5; 23:25 (quoted); 2 Chr 35:21–23 (quoted); 1 Esd 1:26–28 (quoted as “Esdras”; the end of the quotation in the printed text, “in the plain with injustice” (μετὰ ἀδίκου), is corrupt and is marked “…”); 2 Kgs 23:29–25:30; 25:27–30; Jer 22–52. Theodoret refers to his own commentary on Jeremiah. The names of the last kings follow Theodoret's forms. Stray abbreviations and a word split (“Pha…raoh”) are corrected by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (displaced syllables of the word Φαραώ; end of the word displaced by the OCR (restored from below); stray letters; stray marginal abbreviation; stray mark): κρείττους τοῦτο τὸ εἴδ. ἦν. ἀπέφηνεν → κρείττους ἀπέφηνεν; ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν ΦαΤί ἐμοὶ → ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν Φαραώ· Τί ἐμοὶ; Οὐχὶ ραώ πρὸς σὲ → Οὐχὶ πρὸς σὲ; Ἰεχονίαν δι, καὶ → Ἰεχονίαν, καὶ; Παρέλκον τοίνυν· ὑπολαμβάνω → Παρέλκον τοίνυν ὑπολαμβάνω.
Extrabiblical texts: 1 Esd 1:26 (1 Esdras [in EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Quaest. Reg. 4.57 (PG 80 80:797; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-57). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum/4-57
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-quaestiones-regnorum-4-57) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 80 (Bavarian State Library OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.