Homilies on Jeremiah and 1 Kings 28

Homily on 1 Kings 28

HOMILY ON 1 KINGS 28 1 Kings (1 Samuel) 28.3–25 hat was read is lengthy, and since there is need to give a summary, here are1 the sections. The order of events of what concerns Nabal the Carmelite was read first,2 then the history which concerns David hiding with the Ziphites and being at variance with them, and then that Saul, wanting to seize David, came, and once he had come he bided his time. But David sneaked up on Saul and, while he and his guards were sleeping, he3 took the spear and pitcher of water, and, after this, he lectured those who were entrusted to guard Saul and yet were found asleep.4 Then next came the third section of the history: David fled to the King of Geth, and after a while David, after many exploits, found favor with him, to whom the King said, I will make you head of my bodyguards.5 Following these events there is the famous history concerning the medium and Samuel, that the medium had apparently conjured up Samuel and that Samuel prophesied to Saul. (2) There being four pericopes, each of which has not a few events and which can also, for those able to examine them, occupy hours not of just one service but of many, let our bishop point out one of the four in order that we may occupy ourselves concerning it. (3) Let us examine, he says, what concerns the medium. 319 1. “Here are” (d∆ eijsivn), a correction of Blass. M has divsin. 2. 1 Kings 25 3. “He” (aujtovn), a correction of Al. M has aujtw'n. 4. 1 Kings 26. 5. 1 Kings 28.2. 2. Some histories do not affect us, others are necessary for our hope. And I state “histories” explicitly, since we are not at this point striving for the higher meaning useful for everyone who knows how to go higher or hear what is higher. Thus some things of history are useful6 for everyone, some not for everyone, just as, for example, the history concerning Lot and his daughters.7 If it has something useful according to the higher sense, God knows also to whom may be given the gift to examine those words, but if it is useful according to the historical sense, you may seek for yourselves .8 For how do I profit from the history about Lot and his daughters? Likewise what profit is there to me that the history of Judah and Tamar and the events about it be spoken ?9 However, since the history about Saul and the medium affects all, there is a necessary10 truth regarding its subject . For who, after departing this life, wants to be under the sway of a little demon, in order that a medium may bring up not just one who by chance has believed but Samuel the Prophet, about whom God said through Jeremiah, Even if Moses and Samuel are before me, I would not listen to them.11 Concerning them the Prophet in hymns said, Moses and Aaron are among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon his name, they call upon the Lord and he listened to them; in a pillar of cloud he spoke to them,12 and elsewhere, if Moses and Samuel stand and offer prayers,13 and so forth? (2) Is it not the case then, if such a great man was14 under ORIGEN 320 6. “Thus some things of history are useful,” an addition of Klostermann. 7. Gen 19.30–38. 8. “Seek for yourselves” (zhthvsai"), a correction of Al. M has zhthvsesan. 9. Gen 38.1–30. 10. “Necessary” (ajnagkaiva): Klostermann suggests (ajnagkaivw") “necessarily ,” which Nautin uses in his translation, but does not add to his Greek text. See, however, the first sentence of this section. 11. Cf. Jer 15.1–2, a variant reading? 12. Ps 98.6–7. 13. Another variant reading of Jer 15.1? Nautin, 176, n. 3, believes Origen remembers the text in two distinct forms, and cites On Easter 15.29–30 and 15.35–16.1.4 as another example. 14. “Was,” an addition from Eustathius of Antioch, who wrote a work refuting the homily. See the text in De engastrimutho, ed. E. Klostermann (Bonn, 1912). HOMILY ON 1 KINGS 28 321 the earth and the medium did bring him up, that a little demon has...