Selecta on the First Book of Kings

479 NOTICE CONCERNING ORIGEN’S SELECT EXEGESIS ON THE BOOKS OF KINGS

Only one homily of Origen on the beginning of the first Book of Kings survives today in Latin. Huetius suspects Rufinus to be the interpreter, but Rivetus in his *Critica sacra* (lib. 2) denies this altogether, for the reason that there is mention in it of a Pope Alexander. “Which Pope Alexander,” he says, “is this? If it is the first bishop of Rome of that name, he is much more ancient; if it is the Alexandrian bishop, he is much more recent.” Yet this is hardly a matter that would have been unknown to someone of that age; nor did the holy Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, of whom Eusebius speaks in *Ecclesiastical History* (lib. 6, cap. 11 and elsewhere), flourish at that time.

Another portion, from the 28th chapter of the same first book concerning the woman with a familiar spirit, was brought to light from a Greek manuscript in the Vatican, translated into Latin and first published at Lyons, but it is also found in Eustathius; nor, given its style, is there any room to doubt that it is a genuine work of Origen.

Besides these two little orations which alone survive today, Cassiodorus (*Institut.*, cap. 2) mentions that he had encountered four of our Adamantius's homilies on the first Book of Kings, and in the same chapter he says that he had found single homilies of Origen on the two Books of Ezra, translated through the labor of Bellator. Origen himself admits in a certain church that he had delivered homilies on the two harlots, concerning which it is written in the third Book of Kings. But these were lost through the injury of time, unless by chance some few fragments remained, which Combefis unearthed from the Greek Royal Catenae and whose manuscripts are preserved, whence we transfer them to this edition.

ORIGEN'S SELECT EXEGESIS ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS

"I repent that I have made Saul king." ^A Just as, in the case of humans, the hand, foot, eye, and other limbs are named, but in God these terms denote his powers—the hand, the creative power; the eye, the providential power—so too is the anger of God spoken of as a correction for those who have sinned, and repentance as a shift from one state to another. From things that are within us, it was necessary for the prophets to adapt their language to God so that he might be comprehended. ^B And again, if God foreknew all things, he is not angry at the things he foreknew, nor does he repent. God’s anger is not a passion, nor is his repentance; rather, it is the work of anger to punish, and the work of repentance is a departure from a former state and a transition to another. Thus, Saul made himself so unworthy of the kingdom that, if he had had a repentant nature, he would have repented of them. One should realize that a single drop of divine kindness surpasses all the goodness of men. But as for God, he spared him when he ordered the punishment. He did not condemn the illicit acts against Agag as much as he pitied him. For the unlawful mercy was not condemned by God so much as ^C the passion of greed and love of money. For he spared the fat of the flocks...

Since the divine scripture was about to foretell the destruction of the sons of Eli, and that the ark of God would be captured by the foreigners, it first provides a remedy for the listener, lest anyone think God to be harsh. For this reason, as I said, it relates how the wickedness and sin of the sons of Eli were not diminished by the threat and the prediction against them, but rather increased. Eli was pious in himself; for he was not primarily anxious for the salvation of his children, but for the ark, lest it fall into the hands of the foreigners—which indeed happened. This happened so that the foreigners might know that neither was God defeated by the Israelites, nor did they conquer him by their own power, but the sins and impieties of the Jews caused the defeat. Dagon fell before the ark, not that he might worship—for he was not worthy—but that he might be shattered; which indeed happened. Just as in men the hand, foot, eye, ear, and whatever else is so named, are indicative of the members of our body, so in God the hand is his creative power, the eye is his providential power, the ear is his power of hearing, and the foot is his power of presence when he is at work in something.

^A An insatiable affect of avarice. For whatever was fat in the flocks of sheep, he reserved for himself. And he himself is ruddy. Now Esau was indeed ruddy, like a hairy skin, having the deadness that comes from sin, and murder against Jacob. But David was ruddy with the beauty of his eyes, and good to the sight of the Lord, that the perspicacity of David might be shown forth.

And now if there are five loaves under your hand. It signified also that the royal tribe and the priestly tribe were destined to be united in Christ, the priest at once and king.

There are no profane loaves. By "profane" he does not mean "unclean," but "not holy." And, as Aquila translated it, "lay" loaves; not that those who are not holy are profane, but because they are so compared with the holy. The table had six loaves that were always being changed, which they also called "those placed opposite" for the twelve tribes, so that each was offered by two tribes. For by calling them from this, it signified that the tribes of Israel were to be joined into one mind. It was moreover foreshadowed that the disciples would be sent by Christ two by two to preach among the tribes of Israel, and at the same time there would be the number of the twelve apostles.

And there was one of the boys there. It signifies that Doeg the Edomite remained before the Lord because of illness or sin, being healed and confessing, or [he remained before] demons, just as Saul, whose mules he fed.

And Saul was sitting on the hill. Saul bears the type of the evil spirit which dominated Israel, who said then: "We have no king." For the ancient people, having despised David their king, asked that Saul be given to them as a ruler.

From the commentaries of Origen on the Second Book of Kings.

Because the blind and the lame opposed him. The Jebusites, who had a poor man’s love for David, urged [them] from the wall to revile him with the lame and the blind. ^C But he, having captured Jerusalem, not only did not mistreat them, but set this law for his soldiers: "If any man kills a blind Jebusite, or a lame one, let him be touched by the dagger," that is, "let him be killed." For although they hated the soul of David, they were spared.

From the commentaries of Origen on the Third Book of Kings.

And hammer and axe and every iron tool. The House is the Church of God, in which a hammer should not be heard. And the hammer of the whole earth is the devil; and he who does not care for him is like some material which is struck by him ^D and suffers nothing. "For behold," says Amos, "a man standing upon an adamantine wall, and in his hand an adamant; which adamant will be crushed by no hammer." Although therefore the devil may press as a hammer, and the dragon may be placed underneath like an indomitable anvil, he who is in the hand of God and under the providence

of God remains undisturbed, for he is a saint, even if he is caught in the middle between the hammer and the dragon. The more he is struck, the more brilliant his virtue appears; for the devil, like one who does not know the nature of the diamond, tests it with many blows, whereas it is only God who knows the nature of the diamond, and that it is a diamond.

*From the commentaries of Origen on the fourth book of Kingdoms.*

"Behold, then, with your servants fifty men, sons of virtue." Christ is virtue; he makes us sons of the day, and if someone is a man of virtue, he is a son of Christ. It happens, however, that those who are not under Christ are unable to perform the works of virtue; yet if they do perform them, they are only infants.

ORIGEN'S HOMILIES ON THE BOOK OF KINGDOMS.

HOMILY I. *Concerning Helchana and Phenenna, and Anna and Samuel, Heli, and Ophni and Phinees.*

1. Not then did God merely plant a paradise, but he established a state of mortality, until human salvation is provided for by divine institutions; these things are always becoming what the righteous voice prays for in the Psalms, when it says: "Lead them and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance." Whence we all pray to be the planting of God: because whoever is not the planting of God, the sentence passed by the Savior of all, our Judge, is clear: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up." God, therefore, plants, and there is a certain husbandry proper to God, and it is necessary that he who is cultivated and planted by God should not have one species of tree, but as one rich and powerful farmer is filled with every kind of cultivation. Moreover, since all things are had in the field of God, I would consider, in the fields of this earth which men cultivate, does a head of a household have in his field all vines, or all figs, or all apples, or all palms? But if a diligent and industrious farmer gathers from all these fields and brings them together, so we understand that in that field which God plants, there is not one species of tree, which bears only sweet fruit, but some sweet, some austere, according as each has its own utility and grace. Do not therefore require of us in that matter what in Pope Alexander exceeds us in the grace of gentleness. I am not the only preacher of whose grace you all are expert witnesses and judges. And therefore, of his, indeed, we are able to wish for a taste of the same flavor. In the fruit, to be sure, we acknowledge that we have some bitterness in the taste, or perhaps what seems more bitter than it is: for the advice of one rebuking is indeed bitter, but it becomes sweet when he amends. See also the words of the Lord and Savior himself, how they do not contain all beatitude, nor do they all proclaim pardon and indulgence, but there are some things in his words that are harsh and sad. Just as he says: "Blessed are those who do this and that," he says, "Woe to those who have done this and that." I have also searched for this in the prophets, and found that to few of the prophets was it granted that they would never speak anything bitter or sad to the people, but always sweet and mild. It is observed, however, by predecessors that in the Psalms, only those that are inscribed "To the sons of Core," in those alone is no bitterness or austerity seen to be brought in, but they are given as if by a divine gift, and contain only joyful things concerning his name. There is therefore much diversity even in the prophets themselves. Some proclaim sad things, others joyful ones. But the apostle Paul himself, who is an imitator of Christ, is said to have the rod, and to those who have need of discipline he says he will come in the spirit of meekness: and so indeed, of those whose life fell short. And thus he finds in the first part of his Epistle language both bitter and sweet. As he says to the Corinthians: "That in all things you are enriched in him, in every word and in all knowledge, as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that nothing is lacking to you for any gift, while you are waiting for the revelation..."

of our Lord Jesus Christ. And proceeding a little later, see how his speech becomes sharpened when he says: ^A “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father's wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn, so that he who has done this may be removed from among you?” He wrote this precisely because not all to whom his speech was directed were worthy of praise, nor were all deserving of being refuted or corrected; and for that reason, he mixes bitter things with sweet, so that praise may be referred to the best, while correction is reserved for the worst. We have said this in the preface because I know that you are accustomed to hearing the gentle father’s sweet words, whereas the little tree of our planting has a certain austerity in its taste; yet, to those who pray, it will become a medicine of salvation. For indeed, some medicines are sweet, while others are austere and sometimes bitter, yet each gives remedies in its own place, if they are consumed with measure and at a suitable time.

^B 2. The history recounted to us is from the first book of Kings, which seems so difficult that, without the grace of divine virtue, its explanation cannot be set forth. Therefore, it is reported there: “There was one man from Ramathaim-Zophim of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah.” And when it has enumerated all his lineage, it says: “And he had,” it says, “two wives; the name of the one was Anna, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and there were children born to Peninnah, and to Anna there was no child. And that ^C man was going up from his city from days to days, that he might worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. There were Heli [Eli] and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord. And it came to pass on the day when Elkanah sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and daughters, but to Anna he gave one portion. For he did not have children, because the Lord had closed her womb.” Then the Scripture goes on to relate that Anna was saddened because, although Peninnah had received many portions with her children, she herself had received only one, and because, struck by this sorrow, she entered the temple of the Lord and wept and prayed in silence, so that her voice was not heard; and that because Eli the priest judged her to be drunk, he rebuked her, but she, ^D answering with humility, satisfied the priest, and prayed, moreover, to the Lord that she might conceive a son, promising to consecrate to God whatever she had brought forth. And when, according to the promise, she had received a son, it is reported that when he was weaned from milk, she offered him to the Lord. For she could not offer him to the Lord before she had weaned him. She offers him, therefore, in a certain prayer distinguished by prophetic mysteries. We have curtailed the content of the reading as much as we could.

3. Let us see now what is indicated by those things that we have set forth. Perhaps someone recently coming to the hearing of our law will say to us: The Christian religion professes modesty, to such a degree that, if it is possible, we should not touch a woman at all. For so says the Apostle: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.” Yet this righteous man of yours, Elkanah, who is proposed to us by the Scripture as an example, is described as having had two wives at the same time, of whom the one who is named first does not have a child, that is, Anna; while Peninnah is said to have many children and to have received many portions. But that former one, because she is alone, received one portion, and complains of her sterility. Ought we then also to be saddened because we do not have children, and should our virgins be saddened because they live without offspring? I have said this assuming the role of those who, not yet fully instructed in those things which are recounted in the ancient Scriptures, are accustomed to being moved quite scrupulously. But I implore you all, since we are endeavoring to open the meaning of such difficult matters and to unveil to the ears of the Church those things which are covered by a veil (for in the reading of the Old Testament, as the Apostle says, a veil is laid over), that you ask with prayers from the Lord that He may deign, once we have turned to Him, to lift the veil even from this reading which we have in our hands, and to reveal more fully to us the things that are hidden, so that we too may be able with unveiled face to behold the glory of the Lord in those things which are hidden.

4. “There was one man from the hill country of Ephraim.” It does not escape me that in some copies it is held: “There was a certain man,” but in those copies which we have approved as more emended, it is held thus: “There was one man.” In which even the Hebrews, who disagree in other matters, acquiesce for us. There was, therefore, one man. See if this very thing does not pertain to the praise of the righteous man, that it is said of him: “There was one man.” We who are still sinners cannot acquire this title of praise, because each one of us is not one, but many. For consider the countenance of someone: now angry, now again sad, a little later rejoicing, and again disturbed, and again gentle; in one time of things divine and the acts of eternal life consulting, a little later, however, planning things which pertain to greed or to the glory of the world. You see how he who is thought to be one, is not one, but there seem to be as many persons in him as there are habits, because even according to the Scriptures, the fool changes like the moon. Whence even the moon, although it is seen to be one, through the transformation of its substance, is yet always other than itself and always diverse; and thus even in it, it stands that it is one of many. So therefore, even we who are still foolish and imperfect, because we always change opinions, and always desire and feel diverse things, cannot be called one. But concerning the righteous, it is said that not only is each one called one, but also...

all of them are fittingly called one. And why should all not be called one, whose heart and soul are described as being one? All always meditate on the same wisdom, think the same, feel the same, venerate the same God, confess the same Lord Jesus Christ, and are filled with the one Spirit of God. Whence, deservedly, they themselves all are called not only one [thing], but also one [person], just as the Apostle designated, saying: “All run, but one receives the prize.” ^A You see clearly that all the righteous is one who receives the prize. For truly the righteous man who is such imitates the one Lord. For as I judge, even that which is said through the prophet: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,” is not designated as one merely by number, for He is to be believed to be above all number: but rather, He is to be understood as being called one in that He is never made something else from Himself, that is, He is never changed, never turned into another, just as David also testifies concerning Him, saying: “But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.” But that also looks to this sense which is written: “I am the Lord your God, and I do not change.” God is therefore immutable and is called one by this, that He does not change. So therefore the righteous man, who was made in the image of God, is also called one when he has come to perfection, because he himself also, when he has stood in the height of virtue, is not changed, but remains one always. For while each one is in wickedness, he is divided through many things and scattered into diverse things: and while he is in many types of wickedness, he cannot be called one. Therefore, because according to this marvelous unity the righteous man is one, or rather, many righteous are one, therefore the holy Apostle exhorts the whole Church, saying: “That you all say the same thing, and there be no schisms among you, but you may be perfect in the same mind and in the same judgment.” ^B Therefore also in the Acts of the Apostles, the heart and soul of the believers is said to be one. But if we wish to consider something more subtly, we can find also another unity. For example, if I shall have so mortified my members that the flesh no longer lusts against the spirit, nor the spirit against the flesh, if there is no longer another law in my members which wars against the law of my mind and leads me captive into the law of sin, if all things that are within me are perfect in one and the same judgment, and are moved by one and the same sentiment, then I also shall be one man.

5. Here, this praiseworthy man of two wives, let us see whence: “From the mountain,” he says, “of Ephraim.” Therefore the righteous man is not from the valleys, nor from the plains, nor from any inferior places, but nor from the hills, indeed. From what mountain? “From the mountain of Ephraim,” which is interpreted as fructification. Therefore from a fruitful mountain, and his place is fruitful. See also the Scripture, what praise it gives to the mountains: God, it says, is the God of the mountains, and He is not of the valleys. But also the name of this righteous man is Helkana, which is interpreted as possession of God. It is certain that he of whom it was said that he was one man is the possession of God, and not the possession of demons. For whom demons possess, he is not one, but many: just as the demons themselves answered concerning him whom they possessed, saying that his name is Legion. But Helkana is one, who is the possession of God, who also has as his homeland the mountain of Ephraim, the fruitful mountain. ^C This, therefore, such a praiseworthy man had two wives. The name of the one was Anna, and the name of the second was Phenenna. But he had sons from the second, Phenenna: the former wife, who was also more noble, was barren. You will find similar things also in Genesis. For the divine Scripture is indeed related to itself. You will find there the first wife of Abraham, Sara, to have been more noble, but the second, the Egyptian Agar, ignoble, and Abraham made a father from the ignoble before the noble. But afterwards he becomes a father also from the noble spouse. So therefore also now this Helkana, who is the possession of God, is made a father first from the second wife, since indeed God had closed the womb of Sara. But after very many births of Phenenna, the womb of Anna too is opened by prayers and supplications, and she herself also is made the mother of his son whom she offered to God. What, therefore, these things contain in themselves of a mystery, let us see: Phenenna is interpreted as conversion, but Anna is interpreted as grace. Each one of us, therefore, who wishes to be made the possession of God, let him join these two wives to himself, and celebrate nuptials with them. Let him join to himself first her who is more noble and more generous, grace. This is joined to us first through faith, just as the Apostle also says: “By grace you have been saved through faith.” But to the second, let him be joined, to Phenenna, that is, to conversion: because after the grace of belief comes the amendment of morals and the conversion of life. But since this is the order of nuptials, another order of procreation is effected. ^D For Phenenna bears us children first, because we bring forth the first fruits from conversion, and we procreate the first germs of justice from works and deeds. For the first work of justice is to be converted from sins: for unless we are converted beforehand and decline from evil, we shall be able to be made fathers neither from Anna, nor to generate children from grace. Let us see, therefore, now the differences of each. Phenenna has sons, but who do not attend to God. For such sons of conversion cannot be so that they attend and adhere to God. Nor, however, are they empty and idle works.

They receive, in fact, portions of the divine sacrifices, and they eat of the offerings of God. Everyone of us, therefore, is first converted from sin, and from conversion performs the works of justice. Afterward, however, Anna—who is grace—being stirred up in us by zeal and imitation of the good, pours forth a prayer to God, so that she too may generate sons. What kind of sons, then, does Anna, who is grace, generate? Those who attend to God. For grace ^A and truth came through Jesus Christ [Joann. I, 17]. This, therefore, is the son of grace, who is at leisure for God and for the word of God. Do you wish that I show you a more evident form of such an understanding both in the Gospels, which in the Law is indeed shadowed forth by wives, but in the Gospels is already present and described by sisters? See Martha and Mary [Luc. X]; of whom Martha is troubled, and is busy about much ministry, and fulfills the works of conversion, and through these, as it were, generates the sons of conversion. Mary, however, intent at the feet of the Word of God, is said to have chosen the best part, and through this is understood to be, as it were, bringing forth the germs of grace. So therefore, even now, Anna generates a son. What son? Samuel, she says, who attends to God, of whom it is said in the Psalms [Ps. XCVIII, 6]: "Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name." But also Jeremiah says [Jer. XV, 1]: "If Moses and Samuel stood before my face, I would not send them away." If, therefore, the son of grace is so great and of such a quality, let us also hasten to the nuptials of Anna, but let us act patiently so that, first, ^B sons of conversion may be born to us: let us first please God in good works, then afterward let us generate a son from grace and from the gift of the Spirit. And what kind of a son? What kind of son is this? Samuel, she says, who is interpreted as "There is God himself" [98]. Do you see what kind of sons grace generates? For so it is written concerning those who have obtained the grace of the Spirit, the Apostle saying [I Cor. XIV, 24, 25]: "But if a prophet enters, or one unlearned, or an idiot, into your gathering, he is discerned by all, and the hidden things of his heart will be manifested: and then falling on his face he will worship God, saying that God is truly in you." This, therefore, is what Samuel is interpreted to mean: "there is God himself." For where the spirit of grace is, there he himself is said to be God. But this kind of son cannot be born to us unless the sons of Phenenna have preceded; for unless the works of conversion go before, we do not merit the grace of the Spirit, nor can we generate the gift of the Spirit from it.

6. Let us see, however, to what place Helchana went with his wives. "To sacrifice," he says, "to the Lord in Silo. Now there were," he says, "Heli there, and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, priests of the Lord." [I Reg. I, 3]. Silo is the name of the place in which sacrifices were offered to the Lord before the temple was built in Jerusalem. In this place, therefore, which is called Silo, sacrifices for sins were offered, and there the purification of sins was made. Now Silo is interpreted as "up-rooting" or "un-shoeing" [99], that is to say, the release of the sandal, and both meanings are fitly adapted. For the place in which sins are purified is rightly called "up-rooting," where the heart of stone is uprooted and a heart of flesh is inserted; or "un-shoeing," because we are all un-shoed until we come to the holy place: but when we have arrived at it, we are commanded to be un-shoed. Thus it is said to Moses [Exod. III, 5]: "Loosen the strap of your sandal. For the place in which you stand is holy ground." And what do we think, that there is not some mystery hidden in these things, but because God ^C abominates the bodily sandals of Moses? Or ought we rather to think why these things were commanded? Or is it rather to be thought that when he was coming out of the land of Egypt, he had sandals made of dead skins, and was as it were bound by a certain mortality: but when he began to make progress toward virtue and to ascend the mountain of God, and to minister there at the immortal mysteries, then he tells him to cast away the signs of mortality, which are signified by the leathern sandals. I think that for this reason the Savior also commanded his own disciples not to have sandals on their feet, so that their feet, which were running to announce eternal life, might be devoid of every sign of mortality: just as they were treading that way, which says [Joann. XIV, 6]: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." For no one treads the way of life with the sign of mortality. Such, therefore, is this place, similarly, where Heli, a man less than laudable, is. For he gave up the ghost falling backward because of his sin. And let us not think that he alone gave up the ghost falling backward, but even now if anyone falls backward, if anyone turns back from faith and truth, it is necessary that he fall and that he die immediately. But even in Deuteronomy a threat is brought against sinners, when it is said [Deut. XXVIII]: "And an incurable opisthotonos." Now opisthotonos signifies a sickness of the back and of the posterior parts, and certainly not without cause, since although there are so many kinds of human maladies, this kind of malady is especially ascribed to the sinner. For even in Genesis, Lot’s wife, who turned back, is said to have transgressed the divine command, by which it had been mandated to her not to look backward, nor to stand in all the region, and therefore she became a pillar of salt [Gen. XIX]. Our Lord and Savior also [says] in the Gospel: "No one," he says [Luc. IX, 62], "putting his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Moreover, also, when he had taught about many things, he adds this too, saying [Luc. XVII, 32]: "Be mindful of Lot's wife." It is best, therefore, to forget former things, to forget things passed away, so that opisthotonos, an incurable ^D malady, may not seize us, nor let us fall backward like Heli. This we say, that

^A the child who is offered to God could not be offered until he was weaned from milk. By this it is shown that no one can be consecrated to God who is still nourished by milk, and is a child in his senses, and inexperienced in the discourse of justice, nor can he perform priestly sacraments unless he desists from childish things and ascends to greater ones, of which the Apostle says: "I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not yet able." Otherwise, according to the letter, what seems worth the trouble—a little child newly weaned from milk being offered, where the mother will not be present, the nurses will not cherish him, nor will there be any help for the child being educated? But see how the discourse of Scripture is so apt, and teaches figuratively that everyone who is first converted to the faith is nourished by milk and not by strong food, concerning which it is said in another place: "And you have become such as need milk and not strong food. For everyone who is nourished by milk is a stranger to the word of justice. For he is a little one. Solid food is for the perfect, for those who by the possibility of taking it have their senses trained for the discernment of good and evil." Therefore, whoever is not yet weaned from milk, but is a little one, cannot ascend to the temple of the Lord, cannot ascend to the ministries of the priests, nor participate in sacrifices; and not even his mother ascends, though she could ascend. For his mother is Grace—Anna—who preserves and guards him and nourishes him, so that in proper time she may ascend together with him. And when she sees that the time is at hand for him to depart from milk and use solid and strong foods, so that he may be able both to participate with the priests and to eat of the sacrifices of the altar, then she consecrates him to God. See if you find in any other place in the Holy Scriptures anyone signified as being weaned from milk. I, however, as far as my present memory suggests, remember Isaac, concerning whom it is written that Abraham made a great feast on the day that his son Isaac was weaned from milk. Among the men of this world, indeed, parents are accustomed to celebrate the birthday of their children; but Abraham does not celebrate the birthday of his son Isaac, but he holds that day as a feast and deems it for gladness, and celebrates banquets, when he weans him from milk and applies him to strong and solid foods, as if by these things he were saying: "When I became a man, I put away the things that were of a little child." It behooves, therefore, such a one who is offered to God to be one who dwells in the holy places, who can feed on holy meats, concerning which it is written: "Be sanctified that you may eat meats."

7. There were two sons of Heli. ^A Heli is interpreted as "Arab," or "stranger." A stranger to God, indeed, is he who does not hold to discipline; who does not chastise a delinquent son; who does not rebuke him, so that he might amend; who indulges in vices; who does not punish sins, as the Apostle also says: "But if you are without discipline, those of which all are made partakers, then you are adulterers and not sons." This is, therefore, Heli, who is punished by God because of these things. But let us see who his sons are. Ophni, he says, and Phinees. Ophni is interpreted as "excess of conversion." Concerning Phenenna, however, we said a little before that she was conversion; but this one, who exceeds and is made far from amendment, and does not wish to be converted to the Lord, therefore remains impious. But whoever he is, whom we see not converted to the Lord after sin, nor doing penance, nor receiving the merit of future judgment, and of the divine command saying: "Shall he who falls not add to rise again? Or he who has been converted, shall he not return?" we rightly say of him too that he is Ophni, and exceeding from conversion. But another son of his is called Phinees. We know two in the Scriptures called by this name: that just Phinees, the son of Aaron, and this unjust son of Heli. Whence we also competently find two interpretations of this name. For Phinees signifies in our language, "obstruction of the mouth," or "sparing the mouth." The sinner, therefore, and he who has no hardness, has the mouth obstructed for speaking; the just man, however, spares his mouth. Even today there is held in the priests of the Lord both Phinees; there is also held Eleazar, who is named the first bishop in the Scriptures, as it is written in Numbers. There are, therefore, even today among the priests whoever spare their mouths, and no evil discourse in any way proceeds from their mouths. There are priests from whose mouth no scandal, no lie, no deceit, nor any falsity is brought forth, and these are deservedly compared to that Phinees, the son of Aaron. But there are also some, according to this Phinees the son of Heli, who are priests who have an obstructed mouth, whether by the vice of inexperience or by the consciousness of sins. But this is what I pray, that if there is anyone who sees himself admitted into the priestly order, he should take pains to devote himself to erudition and amendment, and hasten to be made one of that number of the blessed, lest he happen to be found from among those priests who are both rejected and punished by God.

8. But let us see what prayer Anna, that is, Grace, offered while offering to God Samuel, whom she had weaned from milk, to record a few things. In which, in the first place, indeed ^D while offering to God Samuel, whom she had weaned from milk, she has something new in the very beginnings. For it says: "And Anna prayed, and said." And nowhere does she, as it were, towards

^A God praying or speaking, unless through two words only, where she says: "I have rejoiced in thy salvation," and another: "For there is none holy as thou is." For it does not say: "My heart has rejoiced in thee." If it were a prayer, the consequence ought to be: "My heart has rejoiced in thee." And again in the following verse it says: "My horn is exalted in God." It does not say: "My horn is exalted in thee," but "in God." "My mouth is widened over mine enemies, because I have rejoiced in thy salvation." As I said, one reading contains a prayer: "I have rejoiced in thy salvation," and in what follows it does not say that there is none holy except thee, but, "There is none holy as the Lord," and "There is none beside thee." Here the discourse does not seem to preserve the order of prayer. Yet in the final, long form of supplication, she introduces certain agitation, saying: "Do not multiply to speak lofty words, nor let arrogance go out from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge." In which we do not see her speaking to the Lord. What then shall we say to these things? For I once read a passage of the Apostle that said: "Pray without ceasing." I sought if this commandment could possibly be fulfilled. For who can ever desist from prayer, such that one might have time to take food or drink? Since if these are done, prayer must be interrupted. But if one must sleep or do some other human business, does prayer yield according to that precept generally understood? Let us see, therefore, if perhaps all who are engaged in divine office, and all deeds that are done and said according to God, are referred to prayer. For if prayer is not only understood as that which we commonly know, nor will Anna appear to have prayed in these words, and no righteous person can ever, according to the precept of the Apostle, pray without ceasing. But if every act of a righteous person, which he performs according to God and according to divine mandate, is considered prayer, so that he acts justly without ceasing, for this reason the righteous man prays without ceasing, and never ceases from prayer unless he ceases to be righteous. For since whatever we do as something unjust is definitely something regarding which we cease for a time even from prayer. I think we are taught this in the Psalms when it is said: "The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice." For I do not think that if anyone has lifted up or extended his hands, he has immediately offered a sacrifice to God. But let us see if this is what the discourse of God indicates there, since by hands, works are understood. He who lifts up his hands is he who lifts up his deeds to heaven, and his conversation while he is still walking on earth is in heaven. Noble and sublime, therefore, are the deeds of those who point out the heavenly Father, that is called the lifting up of hands, and the evening sacrifice. Nor is it in the Law ^B taught by mystery, when Moses lifting up his hands, overcame Israel; but lowering them he turned them downward, and Amalec overcame. And if all these things were happening for them figuratively, they are written for our sake, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Wherefore we must understand that until the servant of God lifts his acts to God, the people of God is victorious; but when he casts them down and lowers his hands, that is, his acts, Amalec the enemy overcomes. Or what is intended? (For I wish to dwell a little on those who do not wish to understand these things spiritually, but according to the letter,) are we to think that the omnipotent God would look at the hands of Moses, and even if he saw them lifted up on high, would give victory to Israel; but if they were cast down, to the Amalekites? Is it worthy of the Holy Spirit to think such things in discourses? Or should it rather be thought that future things were prefigured in his mystery? Which is now commonly understood as already established in the sacrament of the cross and the affliction of the hands of the Savior. But since we are ordered to be renewed, for he who lives according to the Gospel, and the New Testament, must always be illuminated by new senses, and we are commanded to sing a new song to the Lord, and our inner man is not, as Paul says, renewed and grew old, but "is renewed day by day"; we also must pray in a manner without ceasing, and as to the elevation of hands, which is called an evening sacrifice, it must be explained not only by accustomed and worn-out interpretations, but also by new dissertations.

10. Let us see, therefore, what is the meaning of this prayer of Anna, which we have learned, if we can pray in a similar way. "My heart," she says, "has rejoiced in the Lord." She necessarily added: "in the Lord." For there is a rejoicing that is not in the Lord, as it is said: "Rejoice in the Lord." For one can rejoice in carnal things, and not in the Lord. For if I rejoice because I have found a visible treasure, that joy is of the flesh, and not in the Lord. If I rejoice because men praise me, and perhaps not because I merit it, that is not rejoicing in the Lord. If I rejoice in fragile and ephemeral things, all these do not have a praiseworthy joy. If, however, I rejoice because I have been considered worthy for the name ^D of the Lord, that joy is in the Lord, because He himself said: "Rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven." If I rejoice when I suffer for the word of God, if I rejoice when I am disciplined in sicknesses, in persecutions, in straits, all these joys excluded, that joy is in the Lord. And therefore Scripture teaches that, casting away earthly, fragile and ephemeral joys, we should rejoice in the Lord with eternal joys, and thus we rightly say what Anna said: "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord." And since [index: entries preserved]

^A when these things are said, someone among those standing by is filled with an unclean spirit, and cries out in such a way that it causes a gathering of the people, let us also say with Anna, "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord." The opposing spirit could not bear our rejoicing in the Lord, but wishes to change it, so that having taken it away, he might introduce sadness, and prevent us from saying: "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord." But let us not be hindered; rather, let us say more and more: "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord." And for this very reason, that we see unclean spirits being chastised, let us rejoice; because through these things many are converted to the Lord, many are reformed, many come to the faith, and there is nothing which the Lord does without cause, nor does He allow anything to happen in vain. For since there are many who do not believe in the Word, nor accept the reason of doctrine, when a demon has leapt into them, then they are converted, so that where sin abounded, grace might superabound; and where a malignant power has worked, there the grace of the Lord may work all the more afterward. Because when the Lord’s grace has expelled the malignant spirit, it introduces the Holy Spirit; and the soul which had been filled with an unclean spirit is afterward filled with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for all these things let us say: "My heart has rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God." There are certain horns of the righteous which they use whether doing something or speaking, just as when they say: "In Thee we shall winnow our enemies with the horn." In Greek it is called *keratiomen*, which means that we shall attack or winnow with the horn. But it is said elsewhere: ^B "And the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." Therefore, we ought to have these horns, which for righteous causes are conferred by the tips of Christ’s cross, so that with them we might destroy and cast down the opposing powers from our soul; when these have been prostrated and expelled, the vine can be planted in us, because "a vine was made for the beloved in a horn, in a fertile place." The horn, therefore, of this righteous grace, and of every righteous person, is exalted in the Lord. "My mouth has been dilated over my enemies." It is written: "Dilate thy mouth, and I will fill it," and now it says these righteous things: "My mouth has been dilated." If I am rendered capable and strong in the Word, and powerful in wisdom, so that not with narrow assertions, but with dilated and overflowing ones, I might refute all knowledge exalting itself against the faith and the truth of Christ; or when, refuting the incredulity or perfidy of the Jews derived from the Law and the Prophets, I show that Jesus is Christ, and in all things am able to refute the enemies of the truth: then I too can say: "My mouth has been dilated over my enemies." If Basilides stirs up a contest against me, and I vehemently crush him; if a disciple of Valentinus occurs and tests me with questions, and I emerge victor from this contest; if, these being prostrated, Marcion occurs, and he too departs defeated: "My mouth has been dilated over my enemies." If when these are refuted, philosophers occur who insult the simplicity of our faith, and shout that we are ignorant and unskilled, and I am turned even against them, and with the powers of true wisdom I block the cloud of false and deceitful wisdom, and destroy the wisdom not only of this world, but of the princes of this world, then my mouth has been more fully dilated over my enemies. This voice, therefore, belongs to the saint and the perfect one, who can bring forth and say such a discourse supported by the very realities and the truth: "My mouth has been dilated over my enemies." ^C Therefore, we ought first to dilate our mouth, so that God may fill it. But how do we first dilate our mouth? By meditation on the divine word, so that we may progress so far that from the dilation of the mouth we may come even to the dilation of the heart, and say with the Apostle: "My heart has been dilated toward you, O Corinthians." For from the breadth of the heart, an abundance is ministered to the mouth of the wise.

11. "For I have rejoiced in Thy salvation, then my mouth has been dilated over my enemies. There is no holy one as the Lord." If it were written, "There is no holy one except the Lord," it would follow that all of us should renounce ourselves from this hope, that we might be made holy; but now He uses a necessary distinction and says: "There is no holy one as the Lord"; that is, even if there are many holy ones, none is so holy as the Lord. Therefore, many can be made holy, just as the commandment of God also says: "Be holy, for I also am holy." But however much anyone may progress in holiness, however much of purity and sincerity he may acquire, a man cannot be holy in such a way as the Lord; because He is the giver of holiness, this man is the receiver; He is the fountain of holiness, but this man is the drinker of the holy fountain; ^D He is the light of holiness, this man is the observer of the holy light; and therefore "there is no holy one as the Lord, and there is none besides Thee." What it is that He says, "there is none besides Thee," I do not fully understand. If He had said, "there is no God besides Thee," or "there is no creator besides Thee," or had added something of that kind, nothing would seem to need being sought; but now because He says, "there is none besides Thee," it seems to me to be signified in this place that nothing of those things which exist has this very thing which they are naturally. You alone are He to whom that which You are, is given by no one. For we all, that is, the entire creation, did not exist before we were created, and therefore what we are is the will of the Creator. And because we once did not exist, it is not complete if it is said of us that we exist, so far as that is concerned with the time when we did not exist. But God alone is He who always possessed that which He is, and did not receive beginning in order to be. Finally, when Moses wished to learn from God what His name was, God, teaching him, said: "I am who I am, and this is My name." If, therefore, anything else could be called by this name or this significance among creatures, it would...

be just, for all things are from Him, but those things which are created are not in their own nature, nor are they, when compared to the Creator, even like smoke compared to fire. Just as, therefore, those things which are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, insofar as they depend on the nature of the Creator, do not exist, in relation to the will of the Creator they are what He who made them willed them to be. Thus, it is said: "except for You, He does not exist."

12. "He is not mighty as our God." This is similar to what was said above, that there is no one holy as the Lord. For just as He said there is no one holy, because there is no one who is holy, but that there is no one as holy as the Lord, to show that even if there are holy ones, yet no one is holy just as the Lord is: so here also, if ^A there is someone powerful, "He is not," He says, "powerful as our God."

13. "Do not multiply to speak exalted things." Why, then, did He not say: "Do not speak exalted things"? But "Do not multiply to speak exalted things," for to multiply exalted and difficult things is not permitted to me; this is what this saying seems to designate: "Do not multiply to speak exalted things." What then is indicated by this, let us consider. It does not permit to human nature many exalted things, nor to understand many exalted things. For Solomon says: "Do not seek things which are too deep for you, and do not search out things which are stronger than you; but what is commanded to you, understand these things." Thus, in this place it is said ^B "exalted," not that you should not seek them at all, but that you should not multiply questions about them. For contemplating the weakness of human condition, it is enough for you not to inquire into exalted and difficult things, or to speak of those things which provide life to those who seek or speak. But what are the things in which it is necessary to speak exalted things? When I speak of the power of the Word of God, of His invisibility and eternity, I speak exalted things. When I pronounce things concerning the co-eternity of His Only-begotten and His other mysteries, I speak exalted things. When I discourse on the magnificence of the Holy Spirit, I speak exalted things. In these matters, it is granted to us to speak of exalted things. After these, you shall speak of nothing exalted anymore. All things are lowly and cast down, in relation to the height of this Trinity. Do not multiply to speak exalted things, except of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And that what we say may be made more manifest, let us use, as before, examples: the nations introduce many gods, ^C and those who multiply to speak exalted things. Certain heretics, abandoning the Creator of the world, and His Son, fashion for themselves another—I know not whom—higher than God, and introduce others similarly, whether they call them *aeons*, or gods above God. And these, therefore, multiply to speak exalted things.

14. "Let not a haughty word go out of your mouth." See what is said by the Apostle: "Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" It is fitting for this to be said by every man. For we are in a miserable state of mortality; since we are in danger, not only in evils, but also in good things. For example, some visions appeared to me in good things, and signs and wonders were fulfilled through me, and miracles in good things. I keep justice, continence, virtue, but even in these I am in danger. For when the Devil can do nothing else, because of all these things ^D he rouses pride against me, so that afterwards I might have an angel of Satan to buffet me, lest I be puffed up and a haughty word go out from my mouth; that is, that I should not speak about myself, because indeed the Lord exterminates "deceitful lips, and a haughty tongue, of those who said: 'Our tongue we will make mighty.' Therefore, let not a haughty word go out of your mouth, for the Lord is powerful in knowledge."

15. "And if you will not repent with excuses," just as it is said there: "Do not incline your heart to evil words to make excuses in sins with men who work iniquity." And it is written in Proverbs: "He receives occasions and says: 'The lion is in the way, and in the streets, murders.'" We find, therefore, such are sinners, 489 fleeing all things as excuses for themselves, when they say: "The Devil supplanted me, the woman misled me, he provided me with an occasion to sin," when in truth they ought to have remembered the precept which says: "Tell your sins first, that you may be justified": not making excuses, neither here, nor in the future, if we have done evil. But in this digression, it seems necessary to note that Scripture contains the sense, for it is written: "A man himself becomes his own accuser in the beginning of his speech, though indeed he is not an unjust accuser of himself, but of others." For just as the Devil is an accuser, but an accuser not of himself, but of his brothers. Meanwhile, it is necessary for all to be accusers: but if I am just, I do not expect another to accuse me, but I exist as my own accuser. But to discuss more fully, how can a just person be his own accuser? It is certain that as long as one sins and remains in delicts, he is not just, nor is he his own accuser. For he does not accuse what he does. But when he has repented of his delicts, then he becomes just, and not of another, but of himself, an accuser.

16. "The bow of the mighty has been weakened." The evil darts which are called "enkindled" are cast by the bow of the mighty. For the powerful are called those who are contrary, of whom it is said, "For behold, the sinners have bent the bow, and have prepared their arrows in the quiver, that they may shoot in the dark at the upright in heart." And again: "Arrows are made fiery." But now it is said that "the bow of the mighty has been weakened." For if you are clothed in the armor of God, if...

you are fortified ^A by the shield of faith and covered by the helmet of salvation, and girt about with the sword of the spirit, the arrows of the mighty will be weakened by such defenses. For if a fiery arrow is shot against you, by the shield of faith you are immediately shielded against it. He shot another arrow, and it was repelled by the breastplate of justice. He shot a third, and it was cut down by the sword of the spirit. He sends a fourth, which is likewise cast aside by the helmet of salvation. And when, through these things, the man of God has remained invulnerable, then the bow of the mighty is in no way weakened by as many arrows as are aimed at him.

17. "And the weak were ^B girded with strength." If we see how "God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the strong," you will understand how the weak are girded with strength. The people of the Gentiles were weak, in that they were aliens to the testament of God: yet this people attained strength. What strength? "The Lord is my strength and my praise, and he has become my salvation." Therefore, my strength itself is Christ the Lord, with whom we are girded, though we were once aliens to the testament of God and without God in this world.

18. "They that were full have hired themselves out for bread." ^C He shows that it is a blameworthy thing to have been full, for "Jacob ate and drank, and was filled, and grew fat, and the beloved kicked." "They that were hungry have abandoned them." He tells those who were full, because they have forsaken the hungry. Famine comes, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. "Therefore, those who were hungry have forsaken [their hunger], while the barren woman has borne seven, and she that was weak in children has become pregnant." For many children of the desert have more than she who has a husband; the "barren one" is our mother, the Church; she has borne seven, the ^D heptad, so to speak, in which rest is inscribed. "And she who was weak in children has become pregnant." I would like to see how the Jews claim that she is fruitful who was weak in children, and how the barren woman has brought forth seven: but let us disregard their fables, lest perhaps one of us should have within himself *a barren one* who has brought forth seven, and have *a fruitful one* who is weak in children. She was fruitful in lineage who had the fruit of the flesh, such as fornication, impurity, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, contentions, emulation, provocations, dissensions; these were the numerous progeny of our flesh. But we have come to the faith of the cross of Christ, and to the mortification of Jesus; we have begun to carry about in our body the mortification of those members which are upon the earth, and to yield them unto justice and sobriety: then, indeed, the fruitfulness of this shameful generation is excluded, and in this way she who was "weak in children" has become pregnant. But as for how the barren woman brings forth seven, let us see. "The barren woman was in my soul," she did not bring forth the fruits of justice: but now, where through the ^B faith of Christ I have merited the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of justice and mercy have filled that soul with the fear of the Lord: it is certain that the barren woman has brought forth seven, and she who was weak in children is pregnant.

19. "The Lord kills and makes alive." Whom does the Lord kill, and whom does He make alive? He kills me when He makes me dead to sin. And He makes me alive when He makes me live for God. The sinner is dead, and I was living in sins: He killed me to my sins, made me die to my ^C former life, and will make me live in His fear, and in His faith, so that I may no longer live to sin, but to Him who raised me from the dead, that I may walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

490 Origen on the First Book of Kings: Chap. XXVIII — On the Ghost-Speaker

The things which have been read are many: and since the discourse must be divided into two parts, we shall speak first of these. That which was read comprises the ^D follow-up concerning Nabal the Carmelite. Then after this, the history concerning David being hidden by the Ziphites and being slandered by them; and Saul having come, wishing to take David, and having come to watch for a time; and David having come upon Saul and having taken, while he and those guarding him were asleep, the spear and the cruse of water; and after this, having brought a rebuke upon those who were entrusted indeed to guard him, but had fallen asleep. Then the history which followed was the third, that David fled to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath, and how much favor David found with him after many brave deeds, concerning whom he said, "I will make you my chief bodyguard." Next to these was the well-known history concerning the ventriloquist (ghost-speaker) and concerning Samuel, that the ventriloquist seemed to have brought up Samuel, and Samuel prophesied to Saul.

There being four passages, 4 of which each does not offer few problems; but for those able to examine them, they provide the means of being occupied for not one, but for many hours of instruction, or rather of several gatherings; and whenever the bishop wishes to propose one of the four, so that we may occupy ourselves with these concerning the ventriloquist, let him speak, and let it be examined. Some indeed, concerning these histories, say that they do not touch us, or rather [that these are not] histories, because we do not arrive at anything in the reading (for to every man, no matter how knowing, to read or to hear things read is useful to all, such as for example the history of Lot and his daughters). If, however, the reading has something useful, God knows, and to whom He might grant the speech to examine those things; but if one seeks it according to history, what profit is there to me from the history concerning Lot and his daughters? Likewise, what profit is there to me from the history concerning Saul and the ventriloquist if it is said simply? ^B But the divine and true reading touches everyone; for he who has departed from this life, who would want to be under the authority of a demon, so that a ventriloquist might bring up not just any one of the believers, but Samuel the prophet? Concerning whom God says through Jeremiah: "Even if Moses and Samuel stood before my face, I would not listen to them," and concerning whom the prophet says in the hymns: "Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he heard them; he spoke to them in a pillar of cloud," and elsewhere, "If Moses and Samuel stood and prayed," and the rest. ^C Is it, therefore, the case that if such a man was under the earth, and the ventriloquist brought him up, a demon has authority over a prophetic soul? What shall we say? These things are written; are they true, or are they not true? To say that they are not true encourages disbelief (let this fall upon the heads of those who say so), but to say they are true provides for us an inquiry and a difficulty. And yet, at any rate, we know some of our brethren who have looked directly at the Scripture and say: "I do not believe the ventriloquist. The ventriloquist says that she has seen Samuel; she lies. Samuel was not brought up; Samuel does not speak."

But just as certain false prophets say, "Thus saith the Lord," and "The Lord hath spoken," ^B so too does this demon lie, promising to bring up the one requested by Saul: "For whom, I say, shall I bring up? Bring me up Samuel." These things are said by those who maintain that this history is true—that Samuel is brought up from Hades; that Samuel is brought up by the ventriloquist, he who is the preeminent one among the prophets; consecrated to God from his very birth, termed to be in the temple before he was born; before he was weaned from his mother, clothed in an ephod and wearing a mantle, and made a priest of the Lord, while he was yet a boy, unto whom the Lord spoke; Samuel in Hades; Samuel among the dead; the one who succeeded Eli, condemned by Providence for the sins and impieties of his children; Samuel in Hades, whom the Lord heard in the time of the wheat harvest and granted, so that rain might come from heaven? Samuel in Hades, who said these things plainly and candidly: "Whose ox have I taken? Whose ass have I taken? Whom have I defrauded?" He did not take a calf, he did not take a sheep; he judged, he condemned the people, yet he remained poor; he never desired to take anything from such a great and numerous people. Why is Samuel seen in Hades? What Hades follows Samuel? Why are not Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in Hades? Are they in Hades? Why not Moses, and Samuel, was it said: "If Moses and Samuel stood before me, I would not hear them?" Samuel in Hades? Why are not Jeremiah, and Samuel in Hades, unto whom it was said: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee?" Are Isaiah and Jeremiah in Hades, and all the prophets in Hades? These things at least will be said by one who does not wish to accept the struggle, but who says that Samuel is truly brought up, because it is necessary to be discerning in listening to the Scriptures, and thus the discourse has led us so as to truly move and [concern] whether this is the person of the Holy Spirit, from whom the Scripture is believed to have been written, or the person of another? For the narrative voice everywhere (as those who have been involved in every kind of discourse know) is the voice of the writer; but the writer of these words is believed to be not a man, but the Holy Spirit who moved the men. Therefore, the Holy Spirit says: "And the woman said, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel." Who is it that says: "And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice"? We shall say to that person who has thundered so much at us and said ten thousand things—as if Samuel were not in Hades—that the woman saw Samuel; this is what the narrative voice said, "And the woman cried with a loud voice and said to Saul, Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul." And the king said unto her, "Be not afraid: what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." And he said unto her, "What is their form?" And she said unto him, "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle of ephod."

^B She declares that she has seen it, and the priestly vestment. I know that he who opposes the word says, "It is no wonder. For Satan himself transforms into an angel of light." It is no great thing if his ministers also transform into ministers of righteousness. But it is what the woman saw of Samuel; yet it is written that Saul knew that it was Samuel, ^C and he bowed down to the ground and worshipped. Again the Scripture says, "And Samuel said to Saul: Why have you troubled me by bringing me up?" It says, ^D "Scripture must be believed," and Samuel said, "Why have you troubled me by bringing me up?" Then in response to him Saul says, "The Philistines are warring against me, and God has departed from me, and does not answer me any more; and I have called through the prophets and through dreams, to show me what I should do." Again, the Scripture did not say otherwise, but that Samuel himself said, "And why have you asked me? And the Lord has departed from you." Is he telling the truth or lying in saying these things: "The Lord has departed from you, and has turned against you, and has done to another as He spoke by my hand, and He will tear the kingdom from your hand," and is a demon prophesying concerning the Israelite kingdom? What does the opposing argument say? See how much of a struggle there is in the word of God, having need of hearers capable of hearing sacred words, great and ineffable, concerning the exit, while the former things are still being questioned and the second things are not yet clear, but the word is still being examined. I say that both the history and the examination concerning it are necessary, so that we may see what awaits us after the exit. "He has spoken by my hand, and the Lord will tear the kingdom from your hand and will give it to your neighbor, to David." But a demon cannot know the kingdom of David, which was appointed by the Lord. "Because you did not hear the voice of the Lord, you did not execute the ire of His wrath upon Amalek." Are these not the words of God? Are they not true?

Indeed, Saul did not execute the will of the Lord; rather, he kept the king of Amalek alive. And before he slept, Samuel reproached Saul for this very thing, saying, "And because of this deed, the Lord does this today. And the Lord delivers Israel himself into the hands of aliens." Can the devil predict the Lord's dealings regarding the people of God and the tabernacle of Israel? And does the Lord deliver Israel into the hands of aliens? "And you, Saul, shall tomorrow be destroyed, you and your son with me." ^B And this the devil can know, namely that the king anointed with prophetic chrism, because the next day Saul was to finish his life, and his sons also with him—"tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me."

These things, then, signify that the words written above are not false; it is Samuel who is the author of them. What then does the ventriloquist do here? What does the ventriloquist have to say about the bringing up of the soul of the just man? He fled from the previous account, saying that—lest he have to struggle with so many other things sought in this place—"It is not Samuel; the demon lies, for the Scripture cannot lie." But the words of Scripture are not spoken from the person of the demon himself, but from the person of the Scripture itself: "And the woman saw Samuel." Saul said what had been spoken by Samuel. ^C How, then, are the things regarding the ventriloquist explained away as being dissolved in this place? I ask the one who spoke the previous things—"Samuel in Hades? And the rest"—and let him answer what is asked: Who is greater, Samuel or Jesus Christ? Who is greater, the prophets or Jesus Christ? Who is greater, Abraham or Jesus Christ? Here, no one who has once come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, the one proclaimed by the prophets, will dare to say that Christ is not greater than the prophets.

When, therefore, you confess that Jesus Christ is greater, was Christ in Hades, or was He not there? Is it not true, what is said in the Psalms, interpreted by the apostles in their Acts concerning the Savior having descended into Hades? It is written that the text in the fifteenth Psalm refers to Him: "For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption." ^D Then, if Jesus Christ was in Hades, are you afraid to say that yes, He also descends there to prophesy and to come to other souls? And after this, if one answers that Christ descended into Hades, I shall say: Christ descended into Hades to do what? To conquer or to be conquered by death? And He descended into those regions not as a servant of those there, but as a Master to wrestle, as we were saying earlier when explaining the twenty-first Psalm: "Many calves have encircled me; fat bulls have surrounded me. They have opened their mouth against me, as a lion ravaging and roaring. My bones have been poured out." We remember, if indeed we remember, the sacred writings; for I remember these things having been spoken concerning the twenty-first Psalm. Therefore, the Savior descended to save; did He descend there having been proclaimed by the prophets or not? But here He was proclaimed by the prophets, while elsewhere He descends not through prophets? And Moses proclaims Him as one about to visit the race of men, so that it is well said by our Lord and Savior: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me." For it is clear that what was happening did not please God; and what did not please Him, He would not have commanded to be done.

If through the zeal of Israel and Judah, Saul attempted to destroy the Gibeonites, with whom Joshua the son of Nun and all the people had made covenants, and because of this seven of Saul's descendants born of his daughters were destroyed, for what reason are the tribes not held at fault, but those who had wronged no one have paid the penalty? For this is unjust. Unless someone were to say that Saul, being king, could not have resisted the Israelites and the tribe of Judah, nor dissolve the covenants of the forefathers with the Gibeonites. I, however, would add to these that it was a dispensation of God for the entire house of Saul to be consumed, as much as was ever suspected of laying claim to the royal dignity, and for this reason to rise up against David and his sons. And the Gibeonites exposed them before the Lord on the mountain, instead of having them killed and buried; they let them lie under the sun. And they were exhausted, it says, and Dan, the son of Joa, of the descendants of the giants, took them.

^A ...not as a slave like those others, but as a Master striving, as I said before while explaining the psalm: "Many bulls have encompassed me, fat bulls have beset me round; they opened their mouth against me like a ravening and a roaring lion. My bones were scattered." I remember—yes, I remember—the divine scriptures; for I remember what was said in the Psalm. So has the Savior come down to save? Did he come down having been proclaimed by the prophets? Or not? But he was proclaimed here by the prophets; does he descend elsewhere not through the prophets? And does Moses himself proclaim his sojourn to the human race, so that he is rightly called by our Lord and Savior: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me: for he wrote of me." If you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? ^B And Christ has come into this life, and Christ is proclaimed as coming into this life. If Moses proclaims him here, do you not see that the One who descended is he who preached Christ as migrating? What then? Does Moses do this? Do the other prophets not do this? Does not Samuel? What is absurd if the physician of physicians descends to those who are suffering? What is absurd if the Prince of physicians descends to the sick? They were indeed physicians, and many of them, at that; but my Lord and Savior is the Chief of physicians. For indeed, that internal desire which cannot be healed by others is healed by Himself: that which could be healed by no one among the physicians, Christ Jesus heals. Do not fear. Do not be amazed. Jesus has gone to Hades, and the prophets before him, and they proclaim the coming of Christ. Furthermore, I will add something I know not what from Scripture itself. Samuel ascends; and behold, Saul says he saw a spirit—no, he says he saw a man. He feared when he saw: "Whom do you see?" he says, "gods ascending from the earth." ^C And perhaps Samuel did not ascend alone then to prophesy to Saul; but it is likely, just as it says here: "With the pious you will show yourself pious, and with the innocent man you will be innocent, and with the elect you will be elect," and there are dwellings there of the holy with the holy, and not of the holy with sinners. And if ever the dwelling of the holy is with sinners, it is for the sake of saving the sinners too. Thus, perhaps, there ascended with Samuel, as he was ascending, holy souls of other prophets, or they were angels who had ascended with their spirits. Perhaps you will ask if they were angels over their spirits? The prophet says: "The angel who speaks in me," and "all things are filled with those needing salvation," and "they are all ministering spirits sent forth for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." Why do you fear to say that every place needs Jesus Christ? The one who needs Christ needs the prophets; for it is not the case that he needs Christ, but does not need those who prepare for the coming and sojourn of Christ. Also John, than whom no one greater has arisen among those born of women according to the testimony of our Savior who says:

This John, then, who leapt [in the womb] before his birth, who said, "This is he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has ranked before me,'" and "He who sent me said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the Son of God,'"—do they say that he no longer knew Jesus Christ? For he knew him in the womb. But on account of the excess of his glory, he has done something similar to Peter. What is similar? Peter knew something great about Christ. "Who am I? Who do men say that I am?" And he [replied] this and that. "But who do you say that I am?" "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." For which he is also blessed, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to him, but the Father who is in heaven. ^B Since, therefore, he heard great things about Christ and conceived great things, he did not accept the divine [counsel] addressed to him: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and he will be perfected," and, "The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the chief priests and elders, and be killed, and on the third day rise," he says, "God be merciful to you, Lord!" He knew great things about Christ; he did not wish to accept the more humble things concerning him. Consider John in a similar way. He surely wishes to say that the giant, having taken those who were placed under the sun, lifted them up, already loosened by the solar flame. ^C [The passage concerning the Gibeonites is obscure, unless perhaps we say that when he was sitting in Gibeah to wage war, Saul routed the Philistines and destroyed the Gibeonites with them. And the story is in the 32nd and 33rd [chapter] of the first [book of] Kings, and in the 37th [chapter], where it says: "And he waged war around all his enemies," and the rest. But what the text says is this: Saul acted unjustly against them, and from his house the vengeance of the injustice against Jesus has come to pass. But those who received their being from him are not treated unjustly when they are gathered with the one in the beginning. For from wherever they had their being, from there they had their non-being, if they were worthy of any good by themselves, later receiving this.] ^D It is asked how David, having forgiven Shimei, commands Solomon to put him to death—he who was unmindful of wrongs and gentle—but also Joab, who labored with him. Why, then, were these things managed in such a way?

^A But to the holy; where, then, is he holy, holy indeed? Do we not also affirm this of Christ? For even if He was at times in the underworld, was He not the Son of God, even if He was in the subterranean places, so that every knee should bow in the name of Jesus, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth? Christ was no different, even if He was below, so that I might put it this way, and even if He acted in the lower place, He was superior in will. In the same way, the prophets and Samuel, although they descend to where the souls in Hades are, are in a lower place indeed, yet not lower in will. I ask, however, have they prophesied things on high? But I can in no way grant such power to a demon, that it prophesies of Samuel and the people of God, and prophesies of the kingdom of David, that he is about to reign. ^B Those who say such things will know those matters of the truth which apply to the place; they will not be able to demonstrate how a holy one might not also become such for the salvation of those who are ill, for the sake of the place where the ill ones are. Let there be physicians for the places of the soldiers who are suffering, and let them enter where the foul odors of their wounds are; this is what medical philanthropy suggests. Thus, the Word and the prophets have suggested this to the Savior, both to come here and to descend to Hades. And this must also be added to the argument: if Samuel was a prophet, and upon his departure the Holy Spirit departed from him, and prophecy departed from him, then the Apostle does not speak the truth when he says: "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." Therefore, the perfect is after this life. And if Isaiah prophesied anything, he prophesied in part with all boldness; but David is testified to here regarding the perfection of prophecy. Samuel, therefore, did not cast away the prophetic grace. And that he did not cast it away, he used it in such a way as those speaking in tongues, so that one might say: "My spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful"? ^C And yet, he who speaks with a tongue does not edify the church; for Paul also says that he who prophesies edifies the church, saying in these very words: "But he who prophesies edifies the church." If, therefore, he who prophesies edifies the church, and he had the prophetic grace (for he would not have lost it had he not sinned; for only he loses prophetic grace who, after prophesying, has committed deeds unworthy of the Holy Spirit, so that He abandons him and flees from his governing principle; which is what David feared at that time after his sin, and was saying: "And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me"); if, then, the Holy Spirit prophesies, and Samuel was a prophet, and he who prophesies edifies the church, whom does he edify? Does he prophesy to heaven? To whom? To the angels, who have no need? Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill. ^D

^A For this reason, Abraham is seen by the one being punished, and the rich man, though existing in torments, lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham—even if he saw him from afar, yet he saw him, and Lazarus in his bosom. Therefore, the patriarchs and prophets and all were waiting for the arrival of my Lord Jesus Christ, so that he might open the way. "I am the way, I am the door." The way is toward the tree of life, so that it may come to pass that if you pass through fire, the flame shall not burn you. What kind of fire? He stationed the Cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way of the tree of life. For this reason, those blessed ones waited there, acting according to the dispensation and being unable to reach where the tree of life was, where the paradise of God was, where God is the husbandman, where ^B the blessed and elect and saints of God are. There is therefore no stumbling block regarding that place, but all things have been written and understood miraculously by those to whom God reveals them. But we have something more, we who have arrived at the consummation of the ages. What is this something more? ^C If we depart having become beautiful and good, not burdened with the loads of sin, we shall pass through and even toward the land where we wait for Christ, those of us who have fallen asleep before his arrival; we shall pass through, being harmed nothing by the flaming sword. "Each man’s work shall the fire itself test. If any man’s work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, so as through fire." We shall pass through, then. And we have something more, and we are not able ^D to depart badly if we have lived well. The ancients could not, neither the patriarchs, nor the prophets. We cannot say, if we live well, that it is better to be dissolved and to be with Christ; therefore, having this something more and much gain at the consummation of the ages, we are the first to receive the denarius. For hear from the parable, that "the one beginning gave the denarius starting from the last." But the first thought that they would receive more. You, therefore, being first, having arrived last, receive your wages from the master of the house in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

NOTICE CONCERNING ORIGEN’S EXEGESIS ON JOB

^A Origen himself cites his *Exegesis on Job* in his sixth homily on Ezekiel: “It is written,” he says, “in the book of Job concerning the dragon: His strength is in his navel, and his force is above the navel of the belly. I know, from those things which divine grace has granted me when I explained this present passage, that I said the dragon is the force of the adversary.” That he published homilies is attested to by Jerome in Epistle 36 to Vigilantius, where he says that the confessor Hilary “translated into Latin the homilies on Job from his books, that is, from the Greek.” Beyond the homilies, there are those who think that he wrote *tomoi*, or prolix tracts, on Job as well, because the same Jerome in that same place reproaches Vigilantius for having possessed his tracts on Job, in which, discussing the devil and the stars of the heavens, he spoke certain things which the Church does not receive. And in Book I *Against Rufinus*, page 351, he teaches that Hilary “translated nearly forty thousand lines of Origen on Job and the Psalms.” Likewise in Epistle 41 to Pammachius: “We are not,” he says, “more eloquent than Hilary, nor more faithful than Victorinus, who translated the tracts of Origen.” But that Jerome designated the homilies by the name of “tracts” is clear from another passage of the same doctor where he speaks of Origen: “Who among us can read as much as he has written? He published a thousand and more tracts which he spoke in the Church; beyond these, countless Commentaries which he himself calls *tomoi*.” ^B Indeed, these tracts or homilies on Job abounded in certain errors, as witnessed by Jerome in the above-cited epistle to Vigilantius, and they were held in great contempt by Eustathius, who in his oration *On the Witch of Endor* against Origen, page 391, says: “After having engaged with the much-suffering Job, instead of marveling at his patience, praising his labors, eulogizing his excellence, acknowledging his faith, expressing the examples of his steadfastness, and through this urging the newly-initiated toward virtue, courage, and sobriety of mind, and arming the contestants to struggle bravely for piety, he abandoned that [theme], and rushing loftily toward the names of the daughters, he wasted his time in an old-womanish way. But as for the nonsense he uttered by rushing toward the name of the day, and *cassia*, or the horn of Amalthea, it is not even possible to recount it; for it is full of all manner of mockery. Furthermore, in his homilies on Job, who suffered much, he does not admire his endurance, he does not commend his virtue, he does not approve his faith, he does not describe his examples of courage of soul, he does not urge the novice soldiers toward virtue with his greatness of soul and vigor of prudence, he does not arm the combatants to fight bravely for piety; but, passing over all these things, he consumed much time in a senile fashion by explaining the names of the daughters with a lofty manner of speaking. Yet the things he babbled about the name of the day and about *cassia* or the horn of plenty, it is difficult to recount here. For they abound in multifaceted triviality.”

Of these homilies, nothing survives today, unless perhaps that portion of the homily on Job which Augustine cites from Hilary in Book II *Against Julian*, Vol. X, page 543. Moreover, other Greek fragments on Job under Origen's name are exhibited by the Royal manuscript Catenae, as well as those which Patrick Young published and translated into Latin from two manuscripts in the Bodleian library; but whether they are from the homilies on Job, or were excerpted from other works of Origen, or indeed whether they have Origen himself—to whom they are ascribed in the Catenae—as their author, cannot be affirmed by certain arguments.

FRAGMENT OF A HOMILY ON THE BOOK OF BLESSED JOB

500 For so great and so admirable is the mercy of God toward us, that He through whom we lost the generosity of that first and blessed creation in Adam’s offense, through Him we may merit, in turn, to obtain that which we lost. For then the devil, being envious, did harm, but now, when he attempts to do harm, he is conquered. For he moves all the arrows of his power through the infirmity of our flesh: when he incites to lasciviousness, when he entices to drunkenness, when he stirs to hatreds, when he provokes toavarice, when he incites to slaughters, when he exacerbates into curses. But when the creeping incentives of all these things are repressed by the fortitude of the soul, we are cleansed from sin through the glory of this victory. It is said ^A that it is thus: “Or how shall he be purified who is born of a woman?” Because with no enemy existing, there will be no war; then, with the war ceasing, victory will be lacking. And if the victory over those vices struggling against us is not obtained, there will be no purification of vices: because, when the pirate of our body is conquered in these snares, we are purged by the conflict of the passions striving against us. Let us, therefore, being mindful and conscious that those very bodies of ours are the material for all vices—through which, polluted and filthy, we hold nothing pure in ourselves, nothing innocent—rejoice that we have an enemy, in whose combat we may fight, as it were, in a certain war of our own contention.