{"slug":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","title":"Fragmenta in libros Regum","title_source":"Fragmenta in libros Regum","author":"Cyril of Alexandria","genre":"commentary","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T07:16:28Z","cost_usd":0.008348},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","work_id":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Cyril%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2068-77/Fragmenta%20in%20libros%20Regum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":15,"english_words":3751,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":15752,"commentary_units":89,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":3,"ambiguities":24,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","abstract":"The surviving fragments of Cyril of Alexandria's commentary on the Books of Kings (Fragmenta in libros Regum) are preserved only in Byzantine catenae and later florilegia, with no continuous manuscript extant. Cyril, bishop of Alexandria from 412 to 444, likely composed the commentary during his episcopate, though a more precise date is unknown. The fragments, written in Greek, belong to the genre of biblical commentary and were excerpted for liturgical and doctrinal use, particularly in the Catenae in libros Regum. The khazarzar edition presents the Greek text without critical apparatus, omitting variant readings or lacunae from the catena witnesses. The fragments show Cyril engaging with the Septuagint text, referencing prophetic voices (e.g., Isaiah 53:7), and incorporating extra-biblical traditions, such as Solomon's apostasy to Baalim (cf. Josephus, Ant. 8.13.4) and Jeroboam's golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28-30).","historical_context":"Cyril of Alexandria served as patriarch from 412 to 444, a period marked by Christological controversies, especially the Nestorian dispute leading to the Council of Ephesus (431). His commentary on Kings was likely produced during this Alexandrian episcopate, though no precise date can be assigned. The work survives only in fragmentary form, embedded in Byzantine catenae—compilations of patristic exegesis on biblical books—and later florilegia. These catenae, particularly the Catenae in libros Regum, were created for liturgical and educational purposes, preserving excerpts from Cyril's commentary alongside those of other Church Fathers. The fragments reflect Cyril's exegetical method, which combined literal interpretation with typological and allegorical readings, often drawing on the Septuagint and extra-biblical traditions. The transmission through catenae indicates the commentary's authority in Byzantine Orthodox circles, though the lack of a continuous manuscript limits our understanding of its original scope and structure. The khazarzar edition, lacking critical apparatus, does not account for textual variants or lacunae in the catena witnesses, cautioning against over-reliance on its presentation.","significance":"These fragments provide rare insight into Cyril of Alexandria's exegesis of the historical books of the Old Testament, a relatively understudied area of his corpus. They demonstrate his engagement with the Septuagint, his use of extra-biblical traditions (e.g., Solomon's apostasy), and his typological reading of Kings in light of Christological themes. The fragments also illustrate the transmission of patristic commentary through Byzantine catenae, highlighting the liturgical and doctrinal reuse of Cyril's work in later centuries.","timeline":[{"date":"412–444","event":"Cyril serves as bishop of Alexandria; likely period for composition of the commentary on Kings."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Byzantine catenae begin to compile patristic excerpts, including Cyril's Kings fragments."},{"date":"431","event":"Council of Ephesus; Cyril's Christological controversies shape his exegetical context."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Cyril's Kings fragments are preserved in catenae and florilegia for liturgical and doctrinal use."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Khazarzar edition publishes the Greek text without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Catenae in libros Regum","relation":"preserves the fragments as excerpts","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae 8.13.4","relation":"source for extra-biblical tradition of Solomon's apostasy","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Septuagint (LXX)","relation":"Cyril's base text for Kings commentary","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Isaiah 53:7 (LXX)","relation":"alluded to by Cyril in the fragments","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Kings 12:28-30","relation":"Cyril references Jeroboam's golden calves","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The fragments cannot be dated more precisely than Cyril's episcopate (412–444).","No continuous manuscript of Cyril's commentary on Kings is extant; only catena excerpts survive.","The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, omitting variant readings and lacunae from the catena witnesses.","The attribution of all fragments to Cyril is based on the catena headings; some may be misattributed."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000575,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:16:28Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Cyril%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2068-77/Fragmenta%20in%20libros%20Regum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-libros-regum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":15,"translated":15,"commentary_passages":15,"commentary_units":89,"english_words":3751,"source_letters":15745,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The fragments survive only in catenae and later florilegia; no continuous manuscript of Cyril’s commentary on Kings is extant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril’s episcopate (412–444) provides the likely terminus for the commentary; the fragments cannot be dated more precisely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril’s Kings fragments were excerpted in Byzantine catenae, especially the Catenae in libros Regum, indicating their use in later exegetical traditions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The khazarzar edition presents the Greek text without critical apparatus; variant readings or lacunae in the catena witnesses are not recorded.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 15 narrative."},{"kind":"caution","severity":"caution","text":"3 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":15},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΑΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΝ ΒΙΒΛΟΥΣ ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Αʹ.\n\nΚαὶ ἔλαβε Σαμουὴλ ἄρνα γαλαθηνὸν ἔνα. Κυρίλλου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ὁρᾷς ὅπως μεσίτην ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας πρύτανιν ἐποιεῖτο Χριστόν; καὶ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστήριον, ὅπλον οἷάπερ ἀῤῥαγὲς, ταῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐφόδοις ἀντανιστὰς σέσωκε τὸν Ἰσραήλ; Ἄρνα γὰρ γαλαθηνὸν ἔθυσεν εἰς τύπον Χριστοῦ, καὶ πάλαι βοῶντος διὰ φωνῆς προφητῶν· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον ἀγόμενον τοῦ θύεσθαι, οὐκ ἔγνων.\n\nἘπιτήρει δὲ ὅπως τῆς θυσίας ἡ δύναμις ἑτοιμότερον πρὸς τὴν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς κάμνουσιν ἀποτετέλεκεν τὸν Πατέρα. Κατεβρόντησεν γὰρ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας μέγα τι καὶ ἐξαίσιον· καὶ τοῖς προσάγουσι τὴν θυσίαν μισθὸν ἐδίδου τὴν σωτηρίαν εἰς τύπον μυστηρίου τοῦ κατὰ Χριστόν. Καὶ νῦν κατάστησον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς βασιλέα. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἀπεφοίτησε μὲν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν· ἐκαλέσατο δὲ βασιλέα ἄνθρωπον. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἀπώλισθε τῆς ἐντολῆς· πρῶτος γὰρ Σολομὼν προσεκύνησε τοῖς Βααλείμ· εἶτα μετ' αὐτὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς δαμάλεις ἀνέστησεν. Καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος πρὸς Σαμουήλ· Ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἐχόντων εὖ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐν τάξει τῇ παναρίστῃ κειμένων, πικρὰ καθ' ἑαυτῶν οἱ δείλαιοι πεφρονήκασιν. Ἀποσειόμενοι δὲ ὥσπερ τῆς ὑπὸ Θεῷ βασιλείας τὸν ζυγὸν, προσῄεσαν λέγοντες τῷ μακαρίῳ Σαμουήλ· Κατάστησον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς·","english":"From the Interpretation of Saint Cyril on the Books of Kings, Book 1.\n\nAnd Samuel took one suckling lamb. Cyril, Archbishop of Alexandria. Do you see how he made Christ both mediator and steward of salvation? And how he set the mystery concerning him, like an unbreakable weapon, against the attacks of the foreigners and saved Israel? For he sacrificed a suckling lamb as a type of Christ, even as it was long ago proclaimed through the voice of the prophets: \"But I, like an innocent lamb led to be sacrificed, did not know.\"\n\nObserve, moreover, how the power of the sacrifice rendered the Father more ready to bring aid to those who were laboring. For it thundered something great and extraordinary against those on the opposite side; and to those who offered the sacrifice, it gave salvation as a reward, as a type of the mystery concerning Christ. And now set a king over us. {Cyril.} Israel had ceased to be ruled by God through the prophets; and they called a human being as king. By this they also fell away from the commandment; for Solomon was the first to worship the Baalim; then after him Jeroboam set up the heifers. And the Lord said to Samuel: \"Hear their voice,\" etc. {Cyril.} When their affairs were going well and were arranged in the best order, the wretches conceived bitter thoughts against themselves. And shaking off, as it were, the yoke of being ruled under God, they approached the blessed Samuel, saying: \"Set a king over us to judge us,\" and so forth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄρνα γὰρ γαλαθηνὸν ἔθυσεν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril alludes to 1 Samuel 7:9 (LXX), where Samuel sacrifices a suckling lamb. The phrase 'Ἄρνα γαλαθηνὸν' echoes the LXX text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον ἀγόμενον τοῦ θύεσθαι","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes a prophetic voice, likely Isaiah 53:7 (LXX: 'ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον'), though the exact wording differs slightly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"προσεκύνησε τοῖς Βααλείμ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril refers to Solomon's apostasy to Baalim, a tradition not in the biblical text but found in later Jewish and Christian sources (e.g., Josephus, Ant. 8.13.4).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς δαμάλεις ἀνέστησεν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril alludes to Jeroboam's setting up of golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28-30), a standard critique of schismatic worship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου","severity":"info","text":"The repeated '{Κυρίλλου}' marks the beginning of new excerpts from Cyril's commentary, indicating the fragmentary nature of the compilation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ","severity":"info","text":"The title 'From the Interpretation of Saint Cyril' shows this fragment was preserved in a catena or florilegium, likely for liturgical or doctrinal use.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Κατεβρόντησεν γὰρ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας μέγα τι καὶ ἐξαίσιον' is ambiguous: it may refer to a divine thunderous response or a metaphorical overwhelming of enemies. The translation opts for the former.","The source of the prophetic quotation 'Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον' is not explicitly identified; it may be a conflation of Isaiah 53:7 and Psalm 43:12 LXX."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Εἶτα τοῦ μακαρίου Σαμουὴλ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ βασιλέως καταγγέλλοντος αὐτοῖς, καὶ πολλοῖς ἄγαν καταπτοοῦντος δείμασιν, ἀφιστάντος δὲ καὶ μάλα γοργῶς τῶν οὔτω σαθρῶν καὶ ἀνοσίων σκεμμάτων, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπεφύοντο λέγοντες· Οὐχὶ, ἀλλ' ἢ βασιλεία ἔσται ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Σαοὺλ τῷ παιδαρίῳ, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τί οἴσομεν; κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκτοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον.} Προσπέφυκεν ἀεὶ τοῖς ὠφελουμένοις, ἤγουν ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων ἡδίστων μετεσχηκόσιν, ἀνταποτιννῦναι θέλειν τὰς κατὰ δύναμιν ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ ταῖς ἰσοστάθμοις ἤγουν καὶ ἔτι καὶ μείζοσιν κατευφραίνειν τιμαῖς· καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἀεί πως ἐπιτηδεύουσι προθυμίαν, οἷσπερ ἂν ἀγαθὸς καὶ εὐγνώμων ἐνυπάρχοι τρόπος. Καὶ ἐκεῖ ἦν ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων τοῦ Σαούλ. Καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Δωήκ. {Κυρίλλου.} Γέγονεν ἀνήρ τις Ἰδουμαῖος τὸ γένος, ᾧ ὄνομα Δωήκ. Οὗτος ἀπεστρέφετο παρὰ τοῖς δορυφόροις τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ, καὶ ἧν κτηνοτρόφος, πλὴν ἀνὴρ πικρὸς καὶ βάρβαρος καὶ οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων τὸ γνήσιον. Περιετύγχανε δὲ λάθρα τῷ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἀπήγγελλεν αὐτῷ τὰς σκέψεις καὶ πάντα τὰ βουλεύματα· ἐπηγγέλλετο δὲ κατὰ καιροὺς καὶ παραδώσειν αὐτόν. Καὶ δήποτε θεασάμενος τὸν μακάριον Δαβὶδ εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτε τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν, καὶ περιτυχὼν τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ τῷ ἱερεῖ, ἀπήγγελλε τῷ Σαοὺλ, ὅτι μετ' ὀλίγων ἐστὶ παντελῶς, καὶ δύναται ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν λαβεῖν ἐπελθὼν, καὶ εὐκόλως χειρώσασθαι. Οὐκοῦν προδέδωκε μὲν ὁ Δωὴκ ἀπαγγείλας τῷ Σαοὺλ, ὅτι συντετύχηκε τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ·","english":"Then, when the blessed Samuel proclaimed the king's ordinances to them, terrifying them with many great fears, and sharply turning them away from such rotten and unholy designs, they none the less persisted, saying, \"No, but there shall be a kingdom over us.\" And Saul said to the servant, etc. And what shall we bring? etc. {From Cyril, on Matthew.} Those who have been benefited, that is, those who have partaken of the most pleasant things from chance persons, always naturally wish to repay the returns within their power, and to delight them with equal, or even greater, honors; and they always somehow display the eagerness in these matters as a proof of their gratitude, in whomsoever a good and grateful character exists. And there was one of Saul's servants there. And his name was Doeg. {Cyril.} There was a certain man, an Idumean by race, whose name was Doeg. He was held in aversion among the bodyguards of the blessed David, and he was a herdsman, but a bitter and barbarous man, having no nobility from any source. He used to meet secretly with Saul and report to him his thoughts and all his plans; and from time to time he promised also to betray him. And once, when he saw the blessed David entering the house of God, when he ate the loaves of proposition, and meeting with Abimelech the priest, he reported to Saul that he was with very few men, and that he could easily take him by attacking, and subdue him without difficulty. So Doeg betrayed him by reporting to Saul that he had met with Abimelech in the house of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Δωήκ","severity":"info","text":"Doeg the Idumean is a figure from 1 Samuel 21–22, where he reports David's visit to Ahimelech to Saul, leading to the massacre of the priests of Nob. Cyril's account follows the biblical narrative closely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'loaves of proposition' refers to the showbread (ἄρτοι τῆς προθέσεως) in the Jewish temple, which David ate in 1 Samuel 21:2–6. Cyril uses the Septuagint term.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου, ἐκτοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον","severity":"info","text":"The annotation '{From Cyril, on Matthew.}' indicates a quotation from Cyril's commentary on Matthew, inserted into the Kings commentary. This shows the composite nature of the catena tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"προσπέφυκεν ἀεὶ τοῖς ὠφελουμένοις","severity":"info","text":"Cyril's moralizing comment on gratitude and reciprocity reflects a common patristic trope, here applied to the narrative of David and Saul. It is not directly exegetical but edifying.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"κ.τ.λ.","severity":"caution","text":"The abbreviation κ.τ.λ. (καὶ τὰ λοιπά) indicates that the biblical text is abbreviated in the catena. The full verses are not given, so the precise reference is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἐκτοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον' is ambiguous: it may mean 'from the commentary on Matthew' or 'from the Gospel according to Matthew'. The context suggests a commentary source.","The identity of the 'servant' (παιδαρίῳ) in the biblical citation is unclear; it may refer to Doeg or another figure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"διέσωζε δὲ τὸν προφήτην ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου δυστροπίας μάταιον ἐποίει τὸ ἐγχείρημα.\n\nΒΙΒΛΟΣ Βʹ.\n\nΚαὶ ἐῤῥέθη τῷ Δαβὶδ Οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ ὧδε, ὅτι ἀντέστησαν οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοί. {Κυρίλλου.} Οὐκοῦν τῷ μὲν μακαρίῳ Δαβὶδ οἱ ἀπό τε τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἤτοι τῆς Ἰεβοῦς, ἀντέστησαν τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοί· καὶ τοῦτο πεποιηκότες, οἰκτρῶς διολώλασι· κατελάβετο γὰρ αὐτήν. Ἀντέστησαν τῷ πάντων Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ καιρὸν οἱ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκήτορες χωλοὶ καὶ τυφλοί· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν ὀρθοποδεῖν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ θεῖον εἰς νοῦν ἐδέξαντο φῶς οἱ τὴν πίστιν οὐ προσιέμενοι, Γραμματεῖς δὲ μάλιστα καὶ Φαρισαῖοι. Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Δαβὶδ ἀγγέλους, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν. {Κυρίλλου.} Μὴ ταραχθῇς ἑτοίμως περὶ τῶν ἁγίων, εἰ γεγόνασιν ἐν παροράμασιν ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ αὐτοί· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ὅτι καὶ οἱ σφόδρα γενναιότατοι τῶν στρατιωτῶν, οἱ ἐπ' ἀνδρείᾳ σωμάτων καὶ εὐτεχνίᾳ τεθαυμασμένοι, πλήττονται μὲν ἔσθ' ὅτε μαχόμενοι, πλὴν οὐ καταπίπτουσιν. Ἄλλως τε χρῆναι γὰρ ὑπολαμβάνω προσεπενεγκεῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τοῦτο· Μόνῳ τετήρηται τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ, τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἁμαρτίαν· ὅτι Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν ὢν, γέγονε σάρξ.","english":"But the Master of all preserved the prophet, and rendered vain the attempt of that perverse man.\n\nBOOK II.\n\nAnd it was said to David, \"You shall not enter here, because the blind and the lame have opposed you.\" {Cyril.} So then, the blind and the lame from Jerusalem, that is, from Jebus, opposed the blessed David; and having done this, they perished miserably; for he captured it. At the time of his advent, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, lame and blind, opposed the Savior Christ of all; for they did not know how to walk upright; nor did they receive the divine light into their mind, those who did not accept the faith, especially the Scribes and Pharisees. And David sent messengers, and took it, and entered into it. {Cyril.} Do not be readily disturbed concerning the saints, if they themselves have sometimes been in errors; for it is true that even the most valiant of soldiers, those admired for bodily courage and skill, are sometimes struck while fighting, yet they do not fall. Besides, I think it necessary to add this to what has been said: It has been reserved for the philanthropic Savior Christ alone not to suffer sin; because, being God by nature, he became flesh.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"διέσωζε δὲ τὸν προφήτην ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης","severity":"info","text":"The opening sentence refers to God preserving the prophet (likely Samuel) and frustrating the attempt of a 'perverse man' (Saul), continuing the narrative from the previous passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἐῤῥέθη τῷ Δαβὶδ Οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ ὧδε, ὅτι ἀντέστησαν οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοί","severity":"info","text":"This is a citation from 2 Samuel 5:6-8, where David is told he cannot enter Jerusalem because the blind and lame oppose him; Cyril interprets it allegorically.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰεβοῦς","severity":"info","text":"Jebus is the ancient name for Jerusalem before its conquest by David, as noted in Judges 19:10-11 and 1 Chronicles 11:4-5.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Γραμματεῖς δὲ μάλιστα καὶ Φαρισαῖοι","severity":"info","text":"Cyril identifies the 'lame and blind' of Jerusalem with the Scribes and Pharisees who opposed Christ, reflecting a common patristic typology linking Old Testament opponents to New Testament Jewish authorities.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"παροράμασιν","severity":"info","text":"The Greek word 'παροράμασιν' (oversights, errors) is used by Cyril to acknowledge that even saints can err, though he qualifies this with a military analogy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Μόνῳ τετήρηται τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril asserts that only Christ is sinless because he is God incarnate; this theological claim is central to his Christology but may be read as a later insertion or gloss in the fragmentary text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The transition between the narrative about David and the allegorical interpretation of Christ is abrupt; the Coptic text may have lacunae. The identity of the 'prophet' in the first sentence is not explicit but inferred from context as Samuel."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγε περὶ ἑαυτοῦ· Ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρήσει οὐδέν· Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Καὶ ταῦτά φημι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ Δαβὶδ ὅτε εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὴν Βερσαβεὲ τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου γαμετήν. Προσήκει δὲ ἅπασι τῆς ἱστορίας ὁ λόγος· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἠσθένησεν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καί τι τῶν ἀδοκήτων εὑρίσκεται πεπονθὼς, ἀλλ' ἔδειξεν ὡς τὰ τῶν ἁγίων πταίσματα ταχεῖαν ἔχει τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν. Καὶ εἶπε Δαβὶδ τῷ Νάθαν· Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τῆς εἰς τὸν νʹ ψαλμόν.} Ἐνταῦθά μοι θαύμαζε τὸν μακάριον Δαβίδ·..., τεθρήνηκεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς ψαλτήριον ὑπομνήματος, ῥητοῦ προκειμένου.} Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με. Καίτοι ταῦτα ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου,... μᾶλλον ἢ συγγινώσκεσθαι. Καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν στέφανον Μολχὸμ τοῦ βασιλέως. {Κυρίλλου.} Παρετάξατο μὲν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ τοὺς ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίαις συνησπισκότας τοὺς ἀπὸ γέας φημὶ τῆς Σύρων· νενίκηκε δὲ, καὶ εἷλε μὲν αὐτοὺς κατὰ κράτος· λαβὼν δὲ τὸν στέφανον τοῦ Μολχὼμ, εἶτα λίθον ἐν αὐτῷ παμμεγέθη καὶ πολύτιμον εὑρὼν, ἐνέδησε τῷ ἰδίῳ στεφάνῳ. Καὶ Δαβὶδ ἀνέβαινε κλαίων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικεκαλυμμένος. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἐπειδὴ συνέβη πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ, τὴν εἰς Οὐρίαν φημὶ, θρῦλος ἦν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τὴν Ἰουδαίων χώραν, καὶ ὑποψίαν τινὲς οὐκ ἀπιθάνως ἔχοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ· ᾤοντο γὰρ αὐτὸν τῶν εἰς Οὐρίαν πλημμελημάτων πράττεσθαι δίκας·","english":"For this reason he himself said about himself, \"The ruler of this age comes, and in me he will find nothing.\" And a little later: \"And I say these things concerning the sin of David when he went in to Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah.\" The account is fitting for all of history; for even if he was weak as a man and was found to have suffered something unexpected, he showed that the transgressions of the saints have a swift correction. And David said to Nathan, \"I have sinned against the Lord.\" {Cyril, from the commentary on Psalm 50.} Here I marvel at the blessed David... he lamented over the sin. And indeed, the son born to you will die by death. {Cyril, from the commentary on the Psalter, with the text set before us.} \"Lord, do not convict me in your anger.\" And yet, having heard these things from the prophet... rather than being forgiven. And he took the crown of Milcom the king. {Cyril.} He arrayed himself for battle against the sons of Ammon and those who had joined in their folly, I mean those from the land of the Syrians; and he conquered and took them by force; and taking the crown of Milcom, then finding in it a very large and precious stone, he set it in his own crown. And David went up weeping, with his head covered. {Cyril.} Since before the war against Absalom, the sin of the blessed David occurred, I mean the one concerning Uriah, there was rumor throughout, so to speak, the whole land of the Jews, and some not unreasonably held suspicion about him; for they thought he was being punished for his offenses against Uriah.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρήσει οὐδέν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but echoes ascetic language about resisting the 'ruler of this age' (cf. 1 Cor 2:6, Eph 6:12). Cyril likely adapts a saying from a monastic or liturgical source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ","severity":"info","text":"David's confession 'I have sinned against the Lord' is a paraphrase of 2 Sam 12:13, where Nathan confronts David after the Bathsheba affair. Cyril uses it to highlight repentance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με","severity":"info","text":"This petition echoes Psalm 6:2 (LXX: 'Lord, do not convict me in your anger'), a psalm of Davidic penitence. Cyril applies it to David's remorse.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν στέφανον Μολχὸμ τοῦ βασιλέως","severity":"info","text":"Milcom is the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kgs 11:5). The crown of Milcom, taken by David, is described in 2 Sam 12:30 as a spoil; Cyril moralizes the precious stone as a symbol of David's triumph.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τῆς εἰς τὸν νʹ ψαλμόν","severity":"info","text":"This passage is explicitly attributed to Cyril's commentary on Psalm 50 (LXX). The catena compiler excerpts it to illustrate David's sin and repentance, linking it to the narrative of 2 Samuel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"θρῦλος ἦν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ... τὴν Ἰουδαίων χώραν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril notes public rumor about David's sin before Absalom's revolt, reflecting a tradition (cf. Josephus, Ant. 7.8.1) that David's transgression was widely known and seen as divine punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου' is not a standard biblical citation; its source is uncertain, possibly a lost apocryphon or ascetic saying. The reading taken treats it as a general moral maxim.","The clause 'Καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται' is ambiguous: it may refer to the death of David's child by Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:18) or to a prophetic warning; the context suggests the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"καὶ ἐν προσκρούσει δὲ γεγονότα τῇ παρὰ Θεῷ, τοῖς ἐθέλουσι κᾆτα δὴ οὖν εὐάλωτον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ πανταχοῦ νοσοῦντα τὸ ἄναλκι. Διασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ. {Κυρίλλου.} Διασκέδασον, φησὶ, τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου. Ἦν γὰρ ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ βαθὺς καὶ πικρὸς καὶ πολυγνώμων, καὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνευρεῖν ἱκανὸς ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ πράγματι, καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο στρατηγικώτατος. Ἐδεδίει τοίνυν μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων τὸν Ἀχιτόφελ, διὰ τὸ πικρὰς εἰσφέρειν ἀεὶ γνώμας, καὶ τὸ εἰδέναι στρατηγεῖν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτῷ Χουσί. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἔνα ὑπάρχοντα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ φίλων τὸν Χουσὶ, πείθει προσποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀπόστασιν τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ προσκεκλῆσθαι θέλειν τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, ἵνα ταῖς τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ λεληθότως μάχηται συμβουλαῖς ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν. Καὶ οὔτως ἔλεγε Σεμεῖ ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι αὐτόν. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὑβρίσας Σεμεῒ καὶ πικραῖς αὐτὸν μονονουχὶ κατασφενδονήσας φωναῖς, οὐδὲν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τῷ τηνικάδε παθὼν ἀπηλλάττετο· εἰ καὶ δυσχερεῖς μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς αὐτῷ πρεπούσας ἐκτέτικε δίκας· πλὴν ὅτι διεκαρτέρησεν ὁ Δαβὶδ, καὶ παρατρυνόντων αὐτὸν πολλῶν, τοῦ παντὸς ἀξίαν ἡγεῖτο τὴν σιωπὴν, ἐκ πολλῆς ἄγαν καὶ ἀξιαγάστου συνέσεως.","english":"and that it happened in offense to God, it will be easily captured by those who wish it, and everywhere it is sick with weakness. Scatter the counsel of Ahithophel. {Cyril.} Scatter, he says, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Lord my God. For Ahithophel was deep, bitter, and resourceful, able to find ways for every matter, and in this respect most skilled in strategy. So he feared Ahithophel more than the others, because he always brought forth bitter opinions and knew how to command. And behold, Hushai came to meet him. {Cyril.} He persuades Hushai, one of his own friends, to feign defection from him and to pretend to want to join Absalom, so that he might secretly oppose the counsels of Ahithophel, which indeed happened. And thus Shimei spoke when he cursed him. {Cyril.} Having insulted him and almost hurled bitter words at him like a sling, Shimei departed having suffered nothing from him at that time, although afterward he paid the fitting and harsh penalties. But David endured, and though many urged him on, he considered silence worthy of everything, out of very great and admirable understanding.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἀχιτόφελ","severity":"info","text":"Ahithophel was David's counselor who joined Absalom's rebellion; his advice was considered strategically brilliant but morally ruinous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Χουσί","severity":"info","text":"Hushai the Archite was David's friend who feigned loyalty to Absalom to counter Ahithophel's counsel, as narrated in 2 Samuel 15–17.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Σεμεῖ","severity":"info","text":"Shimei ben Gera cursed David during his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 16:5–8); David later spared him but Solomon had him executed.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Διασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets David's prayer as a plea to God to thwart Ahithophel's counsel, emphasizing David's reliance on divine intervention.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκ πολλῆς ἄγαν καὶ ἀξιαγάστου συνέσεως","severity":"info","text":"Cyril praises David's restraint toward Shimei as stemming from 'very great and admirable understanding,' highlighting moral forbearance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"{Κυρίλλου.}","severity":"info","text":"The repeated '{Cyril.}' markers indicate that the text is a catena of excerpts from Cyril's commentary, with each block introduced by his name.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is a catena; the exact boundaries of Cyril's original comments are uncertain, and the phrase 'Κυρίλλου' may be a later insertion."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"Ἐνενόει γὰρ ὅτι διά τοι τοῦ προσκεκροῦσθαι Θεῷ, δέδοταί πως εἰς μάστιγας, καὶ μοῖραν εἶναι κατελογίζετο τῆς πληγῆς, τοὺς παρά τινων ὀνειδισμοὺς τωθασμούς τε καὶ γέλωτας. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἀποστροφὴ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐγκατάλειψις, κἂν γοῦν ἡ μετρία γένοιτο κατά τινος, ἐκεῖ που πάντως ἔσται καταλυπεῖν εἰωθότα πολλὰ καὶ πικρά. Ὅτι Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν Δαβίδ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τούτου μέμνηται ἐν τῷ ληʹ ψαλμῷ· φησὶν, Ὄνειδος ἄφρονι ἔδωκάς με. Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀχιτόφελ πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὁ μὲν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ φεύγοντα τὸν πατέρα διώκειν ἤθελε· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ τοῦτο πράττεσθαι, νεανικῶς συνεβούλευεν Ἀχιτόφελ. Ὁ δέ γε Χουσὶ πιθανῶς αὐτὸν ἀφιστὰς τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ἀγριότητος ἐπιδεῖν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εὐθυδρομῆσαι πρὸς τοῦτο, προετοιμάσασθαι δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ἀρκοῦσαν χεῖρα, καὶ στρατιωτῶν ὄχλον συνενεγκεῖν, διὰ τὸ εἶναι δυνατὸν καὶ ἐμπειροπόλεμον καὶ τῶν ὅτι μάλιστα μαχιμωτάτων τὸν μακάριον Δαβίδ. Καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ διεπέτασε τὸ ἐπικάλυμμα, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Οὐκοῦν κἂν δι' ἀνθρώπων ἔσθ' ὅτε συμβαίνῃ τινὰ χρηστὰ, μὴ ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον εὐχαριστῶμεν, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ τῷ δι' αὐτῶν τὰ θυμήρη χαρισαμένῳ. Καὶ Ἀχιτόφελ εἶδεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐγενήθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ. {Κυρίλλου.} Κεκράτηκε μὲν ἡ τοῦ Χουσὶ γνώμη· λυπηθεὶς δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο λίαν ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ, βρόχῳ κατέλυσε τὸν βίον, αὐτὸς καθ' ἑαυτοῦ δικαίαν ψῆφον ἐξενεγκών. Καὶ ἔκλαυσε, καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Πεπολέμηκε μὲν τῷ μακαρίῳ Δαβὶδ ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, καὶ ἀδοκήτως τὰ τῆς δυσμενείας ὅπλα κεκίνηκε κατὰ τοῦ φύσαντος ὁ νεανίας· ἑάλω δὲ καὶ ἀπόλωλε.","english":"He perceived that because he had offended God, he was given over to scourges, and was counted as part of the plague, the reproaches, mockeries, and laughter of certain people. For where there is turning away and abandonment by God, even if it be moderate against someone, there many and bitter things will surely be accustomed to remain. That the Lord told him to curse David. {Cyril.} He mentions this in the 38th Psalm; he says, \"You have made me a reproach to the fool.\" And Ahithophel said to Absalom, etc. {Cyril.} Absalom wished to pursue his fleeing father; and Ahithophel advised this boldly, that it should be done. But Hushai, persuasively turning him away from savagery toward his father, advised not simply to rush straight to this, but rather to prepare a sufficient force and gather a multitude of soldiers, because the blessed David was powerful, experienced in war, and among the most warlike. And the woman took and spread the covering, etc. {Cyril.} Therefore, even when good things happen through men, let us not give thanks to them, but to God who through them has granted what is pleasing. And Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not carried out. {Cyril.} The opinion of Hushai prevailed; and Ahithophel, greatly grieved at this, ended his life with a noose, passing a just sentence against himself. And he wept, and spoke thus, etc. {Cyril.} Absalom made war against the blessed David, and unexpectedly the young man took up the weapons of hostility against his begetter; and he was captured and perished.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄνειδος ἄφρονι ἔδωκάς με","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites Psalm 38 (LXX 37) verse 1, 'You have made me a reproach to the fool,' linking David's lament to Ahithophel's counsel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀχιτόφελ","severity":"info","text":"Ahithophel, David's counselor, joined Absalom's rebellion. His advice to pursue David was countered by Hushai, leading to his suicide by hanging, as recounted in 2 Samuel 15–17.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage alternates between Cyril's commentary and biblical lemmata (marked by {Κυρίλλου}), following the pattern of a catena or commentary on the books of Kings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"βρόχῳ κατέλυσε τὸν βίον","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets Ahithophel's suicide as a just self-sentence, reflecting a moralizing tendency in patristic exegesis to see divine justice in historical events.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"προσκεκροῦσθαι","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'προσκεκροῦσθαι' (to offend) is used in a theological sense, indicating that David's sin caused divine abandonment, a key theme in Cyril's commentary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"κ.τ.λ.","severity":"caution","text":"The abbreviation 'κ.τ.λ.' (etc.) indicates that the biblical text is truncated; the full citation is not provided, so the exact reference is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'That the Lord told him to curse David' is ambiguous: it may refer to a lost biblical lemma or Cyril's paraphrase. The Greek text does not clarify the speaker or context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Πλὴν οὐκ ἐπεγάννυτο παθόντι τὸν θάνατον ὁ πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἐθρήνησεν ὡς υἱόν.\n\nΒΙΒΛΟΣ Γʹ.\n\nΚαὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαβὶδ πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμέραις. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἀφορήτους μὲν ἀγῶνας διενεγκὼν, κατευμεγεθήσας δὲ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, καὶ ἀχείρωτος γεγονὼς τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ. Κεκράτηκε γὰρ οὐκ ἀλλοφύλων μόνον, οὐδὲ τὰς τῶν αἱμοβόρων βαρβάρων ἐτρέψατο φάλαγγας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τοὺς κατὰ καιρὸν ἀνταίροντας καὶ τοὺς τοῖς ἀνταίρουσιν αὐτῷ συνασπίζοντας. Καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. {Κυρίλλου.} Χρὴ γὰρ εἶναι σοφοὺς καὶ τῶν συμφερόντων ἐπιστήμονας, τοὺς ἐθέλοντας δουλεύειν Θεῷ, καὶ νῷ διεγηγερμένους πρὸς τοὺς χρωμένους, καὶ διαδιδράσκειν ἐθέλοντας τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὸν κλύδωνα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ πλοῖα πηδαλίων μὲν ὄντων αὐτοῖς, κατ' εὐθὺ φέρεται τοῦ σκοποῦ, καὶ τὰς τῶν κυμάτων διαφεύγει προσβολὰς, κἂν ἀγριαίνῃ ποτὲ κατ' αὐτῶν ἡ θάλασσα· πηδαλίων δὲ οὐκ ὄντων, τῇδε κἀκεῖσε διαῤῥίπτεται ῥᾳδίως, καὶ καταμεθύει ταῖς πλάναις, καὶ λίθοις καὶ πέτραις προσβάλλοντα συνθραύεται· οὕτω καὶ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ, ἀγαθαῖς μὲν φρεσὶ διοικουμένη, διαφεύξεται ῥᾳδίως τὸν χειμάζοντα Σατανᾶν· ἀπράκτους δὲ οὕτως ἀποφαίνει καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων αὐτῇ κακουργίας. Καρδία δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσα σοφίαν, χαλεπὸν ὑπομένει τὸ ναυάγιον.","english":"Yet the father did not rejoice at his son's death, but mourned him as a son.\n\nTHIRD BOOK.\n\nAnd King David, advanced in years. {Cyril's.} Having endured unspeakable struggles, having overcome his enemies, and having become unconquerable to those who plotted against him. For he prevailed not only over foreigners, nor did he merely turn back the phalanxes of bloodthirsty barbarians, but also over those who from time to time rose up against him and those who stood in arms with his opponents. And you will give to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people in righteousness. {Cyril's.} For those who wish to serve God must be wise and knowledgeable of what is beneficial, with their mind roused toward those who make use of them, and desiring to escape the storm of the present life. For just as ships, when they have rudders, are borne straight toward their goal and escape the assaults of the waves, even if the sea sometimes rages against them; but when they have no rudders, they are easily tossed here and there, become drunk with wanderings, and striking against stones and rocks are shattered; so too the soul of a man, when governed by good thoughts, will easily escape the storming Satan, and renders the wickedness of those who plot against it ineffective. But a heart that lacks wisdom endures a grievous shipwreck.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Πλὴν οὐκ ἐπεγάννυτο παθόντι τὸν θάνατον ὁ πατὴρ, ἀλλ' ἐθρήνησεν ὡς υἱόν.","severity":"info","text":"Cyril notes the father's mourning despite the son's death being a divine punishment, emphasizing human grief over divine justice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαβὶδ πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμέραις.","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes 1 Kings 1:1 (LXX: 'καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δαβὶδ πρεσβύτερος προβεβηκὼς ἡμέραις'), introducing David's old age as a narrative context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀφορήτους","severity":"info","text":"ἀφορήτους (unspeakable) is a strong adjective used by Cyril to intensify David's struggles, not found in the biblical text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ.","severity":"info","text":"This petition for a discerning heart is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Solomon's request for wisdom (cf. 1 Kings 3:9), adapted by Cyril to a moral-spiritual context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ πλοῖα πηδαλίων μὲν ὄντων αὐτοῖς...","severity":"info","text":"Cyril's ship-rudder analogy for the soul's governance by wisdom is a common patristic trope, paralleling similar imagery in Clement of Alexandria and John Chrysostom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Γʹ.","severity":"info","text":"The heading 'Third Book' marks a new section in Cyril's commentary, likely corresponding to 1 Kings (3 Kingdoms in LXX).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text has a lacuna or unclear transition between the first sentence and the 'Third Book' heading; the Coptic cues suggest a narrative break.","The phrase 'Καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν...' may be a loose citation or Cyril's own composition; its exact biblical source is uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ ἤρεσε, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ὅτι ᾐτήσατο Σολομὼν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· ἐπῃνέθη μὲν οὐ μετρίως, ἠξιώθη δὲ τοῦ χαρίσματος. Κατένευσε γὰρ αὐτῷ πλουσιόδωρος ὢν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότης· ἐπινεύει γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς προθύμως τοῖς αἰτοῦσι καλῶς. Δῶρον γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἐξαίρετον παρὰ Θεοῦ σοφία τέ ἐστι καὶ σύνεσις· τοῖς οὕτω λαμπροῖς ξενίοις καταφαιδρύνεται καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ φύσις, καὶ τῶν ἄνω καὶ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πνευμάτων ἡ μακαρία πληθύς. Τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο κτῆμα ψυχῆς ἕτερον παρὰ τοῦτο; Ἆρα χρυσὸς καὶ ἄργυρος; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστιν οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅτι καὶ πρόσκαιρά ἐστι καὶ παραλυόμενα καὶ\n\nεὐαπόβλητα παντελῶς, καὶ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖν ἰσχύοντα τὴν ἀνθρώπου ψυχήν. Κτῆμα δὴ οὖν τίμιόν τε καὶ ἐπέραστον ἀληθῶς τῇ ἀνθρώπου ψυχῇ σοφία καὶ γνῶσις, ἡ περὶ Θεοῦ δηλονότι. Καὶ ἃ οὐκ ᾐτήσω δέδωκά σοι, καὶ πλοῦτον, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Διδάσκων ἡμᾶς τίνα μὲν αἰτεῖν χρὴ, τίνα δὲ ὡς ἐν προσθήκης μέρει λαμβάνειν· αἰτήσαντι γὰρ καλῶς τὴν σοφίαν, μετὰ δοῦναι ταύτην, τἄλλα πάντα προστέθεικεν. Ἐπείπερ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις εἰπών· Ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Τοῦ εἶναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἠνεῳγμένους εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ ἔστωσαν, φησὶν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἠνεῳγμένα. Εἰ δὲ μορίων, ἤτοι μελῶν, ἡ θεία μέμνηται Γραφὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς λαλοῦσα περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἰστέον ὅτι ἐξ ὧν ἴσμεν τε καὶ πεφύκαμεν εἶναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαλέγεται· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως ἡμᾶς νοεῖν δύνασθαι τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ.","english":"And it pleased before the Lord, etc. {Cyril's.} And it pleased, he says, before the Lord because Solomon asked for this thing; he was praised not moderately, and was deemed worthy of the gift. For the Lord of all, being bountiful, assented to him; for God readily grants to those who ask rightly. For truly an exceptional gift from God is wisdom and understanding; even the nature of the angels and the blessed multitude of the higher and heavenly spirits are adorned with such splendid gifts. For what other possession of the soul could there be besides this? Is it gold and silver? But this is nothing to us, because they are both temporary and perishable and entirely easily discarded, and have no power to benefit the human soul. So then, a possession truly precious and desirable for the human soul is wisdom and knowledge, that is, concerning God. And what you did not ask I have given you, and wealth, etc. {Cyril's.} Teaching us what we ought to ask for, and what to receive as an additional portion; for when one has rightly asked for wisdom, after giving this, he has added all the rest. Since he himself is the one who said in the Gospels: Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. That your eyes be opened to this house. {Cyril's.} And let your eyes, he says, and your ears be opened. But if the divine Scripture mentions parts or members when speaking to us about God, it must be known that it speaks to us from what we know and are by nature; for it was not otherwise possible for us to understand matters concerning God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril comments on a verse from 1 Kings (3 Kgdms 3:10 LXX), where Solomon's request for wisdom pleases God. The phrase 'And it pleased before the Lord' echoes the LXX wording.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril explicitly cites a Gospel saying, likely Matthew 6:33 or a parallel, to support his interpretation that wisdom is primary and material goods are secondary additions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ξενίοις","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term 'ξενίοις' (gifts of hospitality) is used metaphorically for divine gifts. Cyril employs it to emphasize wisdom and understanding as exceptional endowments from God.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῶν ἄνω καὶ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πνευμάτων ἡ μακαρία πληθύς","severity":"info","text":"Cyril refers to the 'blessed multitude of higher and heavenly spirits,' reflecting a developed angelology in Greek patristic thought, where angels are adorned with wisdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἃ οὐκ ᾐτήσω δέδωκά σοι","severity":"info","text":"Cyril transitions to a new lemma from the biblical text, 'And what you did not ask I have given you,' to teach the principle that material wealth is an additional gift after wisdom is sought.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ εἶναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἠνεῳγμένους","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text here is fragmentary; the phrase 'That your eyes be opened' may be a lemma from the biblical narrative, but its exact source in the Kings text is uncertain. Cyril interprets it as a call for spiritual attentiveness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Τοῦ εἶναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἠνεῳγμένους' is ambiguous: it may be a direct biblical lemma or Cyril's paraphrase. The English draft treats it as a lemma, but the Greek lacks a clear scriptural reference in the surviving text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Αἰτία τοίνυν καὶ πρόφασις ἀληθῶς τοῦ σωματικῶς περὶ Θεοῦ τοὺς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιεῖσθαι λόγους τὴν θεόπνευστον Γραφὴν, καὶ νοῦ καὶ γλώττης ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ πτωχεία· ἄῤῥητα γὰρ παντελῶς τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἧν συνιέναι τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων δύνασθαι τοὺς ἐν ἁπτοῖς καὶ παχέσιν ὄντας σώμασιν, εἰ μὴ ἐν τάξει παραδειγμάτων τὰ ἑαυτῶν δεχόμενοι μέλη, μόλις οὕτως ἄνιμεν εἰς ἐννοίας ἰσχνὰς τὰς περὶ Θεοῦ. Ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα Σαβὰ, κ.τ.λ. Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸν κατὰ Λουκᾶν. Γυνὴ βάρβαρος, μακρῶν αὐτὴν εἰργόντων διαστημάτων, ὄκνου γέγονε κρείττων, οὐχ ἵνα χρημάτων ποιήσηται συλλογὴν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀκούσῃ τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶντος, παραβολὰς λαλοῦντος καὶ αἰνίγματα, καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων ἠθῶν ὑπογράφοντος κάλλη τε καὶ ψόγους. Τότε ᾠκοδόμησε Σολομὼν ὑψηλὸν τῷ Χαμὼς εἰδώλῳ Μωάβ. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ τί ἂν γένοιτο τῶν οὕτως ἐκτόπων πλημμελημάτων τὸ δυσαχθέστερον, τιμῆς καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς ἕνα καὶ φύσει Θεὸν ἀξίωμα ταῖς τῶν δαιμονίων ἀπονέμειν ἀγέλαις, μᾶλλον δὲ λίθοις ἀναπλάττειν καὶ ξύλοις, καὶ τούτοις οἰκοδομεῖν ναούς; Καὶ ὠργίσθη Κύριος ἐπὶ Σολομὼν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τί δὲ ἧν ἄρα τὸ ἐνταλθὲν αὐτῷ τε καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον ἀνδράσι μὴ κηδεύειν ἀλλογενέσιν; Ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι Τὴν θυγατέρα σου οὐ δώσεις τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ οὐ λήψῃ τῷ υἱῷ σου. Ἀποστήσει γὰρ τὸν υἱόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ πορευθεὶς λατρεύσει θεοῖς ἑτέροις. Ἀμνημονήσας τοίνυν τῆς τοιαύτης ἐντολῆς, ταῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων συνεπλέκετο θυγατράσιν.","english":"The cause, then, and true pretext for speaking about God in bodily terms to us is the divinely inspired Scripture, and the poverty of mind and tongue in us; for the things concerning him are utterly unspeakable. And it was not possible for those who are in tangible and gross bodies to be able to understand any of the necessary things, unless, receiving their own limbs in the order of examples, we might thus with difficulty ascend to slender notions concerning God. And the queen of Sheba, etc. {Cyril's, from the homily on Luke.} A barbarian woman, whom long distances kept away, overcame hesitation, not to collect money, but to hear the wisdom of Solomon, speaking proverbs and riddles, and depicting the beauties and faults of human characters. Then Solomon built a high place for the idol Chemosh of Moab. {Cyril's.} And what could be more grievous than such outlandish transgressions, to assign the dignity of honor and love due to the one and naturally divine God to the hordes of demons, or rather to fashion stones and wood, and to build temples for these? And the Lord was angry with Solomon, etc. {Cyril's.} What then was the command given to him and to all men under the law, not to intermarry with foreigners? For he said, \"You shall not give your daughter to his son, and you shall not take his daughter for your son. For he will turn your son away from me, and he will go and serve other gods.\" Having, therefore, forgotten this command, he entangled himself with the daughters of the foreigners.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Αἰτία τοίνυν καὶ πρόφασις ἀληθῶς","severity":"info","text":"Cyril introduces a theological justification for anthropomorphic language about God, grounding it in the limitations of human intellect and the necessity of scriptural mediation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα Σαβὰ","severity":"info","text":"The queen of Sheba narrative (1 Kings 10:1–13) is cited as an example of a foreigner seeking Solomon's wisdom, contrasting with later criticism of Solomon's foreign marriages.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τότε ᾠκοδόμησε Σολομὼν ὑψηλὸν τῷ Χαμὼς εἰδώλῳ Μωάβ","severity":"info","text":"This refers to Solomon's construction of a high place for Chemosh, the Moabite deity, as recorded in 1 Kings 11:7, though the biblical text attributes this to Solomon's foreign wives.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τὴν θυγατέρα σου οὐ δώσεις τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ οὐ λήψῃ τῷ υἱῷ σου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril paraphrases the prohibition against intermarriage with foreigners from Deuteronomy 7:3–4, emphasizing the danger of apostasy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸν κατὰ Λουκᾶν","severity":"info","text":"The passage on the queen of Sheba is explicitly attributed to Cyril's homily on Luke, indicating that this fragment compiles material from multiple works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ὠργίσθη Κύριος ἐπὶ Σολομὼν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the Lord was angry with Solomon' does not appear verbatim in the biblical account of Solomon's apostasy; Cyril may be paraphrasing or drawing on a non-canonical tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the claim that the Lord was angry with Solomon is unclear; it may be a paraphrase of 1 Kings 11:9–13 or an extra-biblical tradition.","The transition between the queen of Sheba episode and Solomon's idolatry is abrupt, possibly due to the fragmentary nature of the compilation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, φησὶ, δι' οὐδενὸς ἐποίησας λόγου τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, κατολισθήσας πρὸς ἀπόστασιν τοῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων λελάτρευκας θεοῖς, καὶ δούλην ἐμὴν τὴν κτίσιν οὖσαν εἰδὼς, τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ μόνην πρεπωδεστάτην ἐκνενέμηκας αὐτῇ τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν, κἀγὼ τὴν σὴν διαῤῥήξω βασιλείαν, καὶ δώσω αὐτὴν τῷ δούλῳ σου, ἴν' ὃ πεποίηκας, μάθῃς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος.\n\nἘπειδὴ γὰρ ταῖς εἰς γυναῖκας ἐπιθυμίαις ἡττώμενος, καίτοι σοφὸς ὢν ἄγαν ὁ Σολομὼν, μονονουχὶ καὶ ὅσον ἧκεν εἰπεῖν εἰς ἐγχειρημάτων δύναμιν, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν διέῤῥηξεν, εἰδώλοις ἀνάπτων τὴν αὐτῷ μόνῳ πρεπωδεστάτην τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν· ταύτῃτοι καὶ μάλα εἰκότως διαῤῥηγνύναι Θεὸς ἐπηπείλει τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, τοῖς ἴσοις ἀντιλυπῶν, κατὰ τὸ ἐν προφήτῃ γεγραμμένον Ἰεζεκιήλ· Καθὼς ἐποίησας, οὕτως ἔσται σοι· τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου ἀνταποδοθήσεται σοι εἰς κεφαλήν σου. Καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἐποίησε δύο δαμάλεις.9 {Κυρίλλου} Πρόξενος [ πρόξενον] ὀλέθρου γέγονε τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ Ἱεροβοὰμ, τὸ ἀνθελέσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βασιλείαν δεικνὺς, καὶ ἀποφοιτῆσαι τοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ Ἱεροβοὰμ ἐμὲ τὸν Δεσπότην παρώργισε καινοτομήσας δαμάλεις, καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν αὐταῖς ἀξίωμα περιθείς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐπενόησεν ἐν ἀρχαῖς Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς δαμάλεις, καὶ πληροῦν ἐκέλευσεν ἐπ' αὐταῖς τὰ νενομισμένα, τὴν τῷ Θεῷ πρέπουσαν δόξαν τοῖς ἰδίοις εὑρέμασιν ἀνάπτων ὁ δείλαιος· ἵν' ἔχοι μὲν αὐτὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἀσφαλῶς, ἀποστερεῖ δὲ ὥσπερ τῶν ἰδίων","english":"Since, then, he says, you did not carry out the given command with any regard, but slipped into apostasy and worshipped the gods of the foreigners, and knowing that creation is my handmaid, you transferred to her the honor and glory that are most fitting to me alone, I will tear apart your kingdom and give it to your servant, so that you may learn from the very event what you have done.\n\nFor Solomon, though exceedingly wise, being overcome by desires for women, all but tore apart the kingdom of God, as far as the power of his undertakings went, by kindling for idols the honor and glory most fitting to him alone. And so, quite reasonably, God threatened to tear apart his kingdom, repaying him with like for like, according to what is written in the prophet Ezekiel: As you have done, so it will be to you; your requital will be requited upon your head. And the king deliberated and went and made two heifers. {Cyril} Jeroboam became a harbinger of destruction for the people of Israel, showing that they chose the kingdom of men and departed from being ruled by God through the prophets. For behold, Jeroboam provoked me, the Master, by innovating heifers and investing them with my dignity. And again: Jeroboam devised the heifers in the beginning and ordered the customary rites to be performed for them, the wretch kindling for his own inventions the glory befitting God, so that he might hold the kingdom securely, but he deprives, as it were, of his own","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καθὼς ἐποίησας, οὕτως ἔσται σοι· τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου ἀνταποδοθήσεται σοι εἰς κεφαλήν σου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes Ezekiel 35:6 LXX, a formula of retribution, to justify God's threat to tear apart Solomon's kingdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱεροβοὰμ","severity":"info","text":"Jeroboam I, first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel after the division, is here blamed for introducing golden calves at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:28-30).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"δαμάλεις","severity":"info","text":"δαμάλεις (heifers) refers to the golden calves Jeroboam set up as cultic objects, which Cyril interprets as usurping divine honor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου","severity":"info","text":"The marker {Κυρίλλου} signals a shift from a paraphrase of the biblical narrative to Cyril's own commentary, introducing a new exegetical section.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῖς ἴσοις ἀντιλυπῶν","severity":"info","text":"The principle of 'like for like' (τοῖς ἴσοις ἀντιλυπῶν) echoes the lex talionis, a common theme in patristic exegesis of divine punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Πρόξενος [ πρόξενον]","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a variant: Πρόξενος (nominative) or πρόξενον (accusative). The sense is 'harbinger' or 'cause', but the case ambiguity may affect the syntax.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Πρόξενος [πρόξενον]' is ambiguous in case, possibly a scribal correction or variant reading.","The transition from the Ezekiel quotation to the narrative about Jeroboam is abrupt; the logical connection relies on Cyril's typological reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Θεόν [ξοδ. Θεός]. Καὶ ἀμπελὼν εἶς ἦν τῷ Ναβουθαί. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἀμπελῶνα νοεῖν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ Ἡσαΐας ἡμῖν ὑποτίθεται. Ἀλλ' οἱ τούτου ἡγούμενοι, ὧν φέρει\n\nτύπον ὁ Ἀχαὰβ, ἐπεθύμουν αὐτὸν ἔχειν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔπειθον καταπροδοῦναι σφίσιν τὸν τοῦ πατρὸς ἐξαίρετον ἀμπελῶνα, ἵνα καὶ εἰς κῆπον αὐτὸν λαχανίας μετασκευάσωσι, διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ποτίζοντες αὐτὸν ἀνατροπὴν θολεράν. Εἶτα τί δέδρακεν ἡ θεομίσητος Ἰεζάβελ, τουτέστιν ἡ τῶν Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγὴ, ταῖς τῶν ἡγουμένων συνδραμοῦσα λύπαις; Δόλῳ μέτεισι τὸν δίκαιον Ναβουθαὶ, τουτέστι τὸν ἐρχόμενον. Ἀνῄρηται γὰρ συκοφαντούμενος ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ. Θεὸς ὀρέων Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὤοντο γὰρ ὅτι νενικήκασιν οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, μόνοις τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἢ καὶ ἐν τοῖς βουνοῖς δυναμένου σώζειν Θεοῦ· ἡττήμεθα δὴ οὖν, φησὶν, ὅτι Θεὸς ὀρέων Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· εἰ δὲ δὴ γένοιτο συνελθεῖν εἰς μάχην ἐν πεδίοις ἐψιλωμένοις, περιεσόμεθα πάντως, ἀτονοῦντος ἐν κοιλάσι τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Ἑλληνικῆς δὲ ταῦτα φρενοβλαβείας ἐγκλήματα, καὶ τῶν οὐκ εἰδότων τὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν Θεὸν ἀθυροστομία δεινή. Οὐκοῦν ἠγανάκτει κατὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ σφόδρα εἰκότως ὁ πάντα ἰσχύων Θεὸς, ὅτι καὶ νικῶντες, ὡς ἔφην, τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, τοῖς ἰδίοις θεοῖς ἀνῆπτον τὰ χαριστήρια, ληροῦντες ᾤοντο καὶ αὐτοῦ κρατῆσαι Θεοῦ. Καὶ εὑρίσκει ἄνθρωπον ἄλλον, καὶ εἶπε· Πάταξόν με. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἀκούεις ὅπως ὁ πατάξαι τὸν προφήτην παραιτούμενος, ἐλεεινῶς ἀνῃρέθη, δεινῷ θηρίῳ περιπεσών; Καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ὡς ἦν εὐλαβείας καρπὸς τὸ καταπαίειν μὴ ἀποτολμᾷν ἅγιον καὶ προφήτην;","english":"God [Exod. God]. And Naboth had one vineyard. {Cyril.} Isaiah suggests to us that the vineyard is to be understood as Israel. But those who ruled over it, of whom Ahab is a type, desired to possess it, yet they could not persuade him to betray to them the choice vineyard of his father, so that they might transform it into a garden of vegetables, teaching the precepts of human doctrines and watering it with turbid subversion. Then what did the God-detested Jezebel do—that is, the Synagogue of the Jews, who joined in the griefs of the rulers? She craftily dealt with the righteous Naboth—that is, the one who comes. For Emmanuel is destroyed, being falsely accused. God of the mountains, God of Israel. {Cyril.} For they thought that those from Israel had conquered, supposing that God was able to save only on the mountains or even on the hills; \"we have been defeated, then,\" they say, \"because God of the mountains is God of Israel; but if it should happen that we join battle on bare plains, we will certainly prevail, since the God of Israel is powerless in the valleys.\" These are charges of Greek insanity and a terrible loose talk of those who do not know the true and natural God. Therefore the all-powerful God was indignant against the foreigners, and quite reasonably, because even when conquering Israel, as I said, they attributed the thanksgivings to their own gods, babbling and thinking they had overcome God himself. And he finds another man and says, \"Strike me.\" {Cyril.} Do you hear how the one who refused to strike the prophet was pitifully destroyed, falling prey to a terrible beast? And yet how is it not true to say that the fruit of reverence was not daring to strike a holy man and prophet?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμπελὼν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets Naboth's vineyard as a type for Israel, drawing on Isaiah's prophetic imagery. This allegorical reading is central to his anti-Jewish polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Θεὸς ὀρέων Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'God of the mountains, God of Israel' echoes a taunt from Israel's enemies, possibly derived from 1 Kings 20:23 or similar contexts where foreign gods are contrasted with the God of Israel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰεζάβελ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril identifies Jezebel with the Synagogue of the Jews, a common patristic typology that equates biblical enemies with contemporary Jewish communities. This reflects the adversus Judaeos tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑλληνικῆς φρενοβλαβείας","severity":"info","text":"Cyril dismisses the view that God's power is limited to mountains as 'Greek insanity,' linking pagan Hellenistic thought to the theological errors of Israel's enemies. This polemic is typical of Cyril's anti-pagan rhetoric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου","severity":"info","text":"The repeated insertion of {Κυρίλλου} marks Cyril's own commentary within a catena or compilation, indicating that the passage is a composite of biblical narrative and Cyril's exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Πάταξόν με","severity":"caution","text":"The command 'Strike me' is obscure; it may refer to an episode where a prophet refuses to strike another and is killed by a beast. The reference is not clearly identified in the biblical text, suggesting a lost tradition or Cyril's invention.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'another man' who is told 'Strike me' is unclear; it may refer to a prophet or a figure from a non-canonical tradition.","The phrase 'God of the mountains, God of Israel' may be a paraphrase of a biblical verse or a free invention by Cyril for rhetorical effect."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Ἀλλ' ἐν λόγῳ Κυρίου καὶ δυσδιάφυκτον ἔγκλημα γέγονεν παρακοή. Οὕτως δυσδιάφυκτον ἔγκλημα τὸ ποιεῖν τι παρὰ τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ Θεῷ ἢ τὸ μὴ ἀμελ[λ]ητὶ ποιεῖν τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ προσταττόμενα Οὐκοῦν ἀναγκαῖον ὄκνου τε δίχα καὶ μελλησμοῦ ἀποπεραίνεσθαι πρὸς ἡμῶν, ὅπερ ἂν ἁνδάνοι Θεῷ. Τὸ δὲ ἕτερόν τι παρὰ τοῦτο δρᾷν, ἢ καὶ ἑλέσθαι φρονεῖν, ὑπεροψίας ἔγκλημα φέρει· μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ καὶ ἐπιτιμᾷν ἐγνώκασιν οἱ τοιοίδε λοιπὸν, ὡς οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἔσθ' ὄτε βουλευσαμένῳ Θεῷ.\n\nΒΙΒΛΟΣ Δʹ.\n\nΚαὶ νῦν ἔλαβες τὸ ἀργύριον, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις Εὐαγγελίοις φησί· Μὴ βαστάσητε βαλάντιον μηδὲ πήραν ἢ ὑποδήματα, καὶ μηδένα κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀσπάσησθε. Χρὴ γὰρ εὐθείᾳ ὁρμῇ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον χωρεῖν, καὶ μηδὲ εὐλογοῦντα ἀντευλογεῖν· ζημία γὰρ τῆς σπουδῆς ἡ πρὸς ἑτέρους ἀπόνευσις, καὶ τὸν τοῖς κηρύγμασι πρέποντα καιρὸν εἰκῆ δαπανᾷν οὐκ ἐπ' ἀναγκαίοις πράγμασι, μηδὲ χαρίζεσθαι φιλίαις τὸν ἀνωφελῆ μελλησμόν.\n\nΚαὶ ἐκληρονόμησαν τὴν Σαμάρειαν. {Κυρίλλου.} Οὗτοι δὴ οὖν οἱ κλῆρον ἑλόντες τὴν Σαμαρειτῶν κατῳκηκότες γῆν, καὶ τέκνων που τάχα γεγόνασι πατέρες· καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων ἤθεσι προσνενεύκασι, τὰς τῶν λεόντων ἐφόδους κατοῤῥωδήσαντες. Ἐξ αὐτῶν γεγόνασι Σαρασάρ τε καὶ Ἀρβεσέσερ, ὃς καὶ ὠνόμασται βασιλεὺς, διά τοι τοῦτον καθηγεῖσθαι τὸ τηνικάδε τῶν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ μετῳκισθέντων","english":"But disobedience has become a charge that is hard to escape in the word of the Lord. Thus, doing something contrary to what seems good to God, or not doing what is commanded by him without delay, is a charge that is hard to escape. Therefore, it is necessary for us to complete without hesitation or procrastination whatever would please God. To do something other than this, or even to choose to think otherwise, incurs a charge of contempt; for such persons have come to know almost nothing but to rebuke, as if God sometimes does not deliberate correctly.\n\nBOOK IV.\n\n\"And now you have taken the silver,\" etc. {Cyril.} This also Christ says in the holy Gospels: \"Do not carry a purse or a wallet or sandals, and greet no one on the road.\" For one must proceed to the work with a direct impulse, and not even return a blessing when blessed; for turning aside to others is a loss of zeal, and it is not right to waste the time suitable for proclamations on unnecessary matters, nor to grant the favor of useless delay to friendships.\n\n\"And they inherited Samaria.\" {Cyril.} So these, then, who took the land of the Samaritans by lot and settled it, have perhaps also become fathers of children; and they have inclined toward the customs of the Jews, having dreaded the attacks of lions. From them came Sarasar and Arbeseser, who is also named king, because he was then the leader of those resettled in Samaria.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"δυσδιάφυκτον ἔγκλημα","severity":"info","text":"Cyril argues that disobedience to God is a charge (ἔγκλημα) from which escape is difficult, framing it as a legal or moral indictment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μὴ βαστάσητε βαλάντιον μηδὲ πήραν ἢ ὑποδήματα, καὶ μηδένα κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀσπάσησθε","severity":"info","text":"Cyril attributes this saying to Christ in the Gospels; it is not a direct quotation from the canonical Gospels but may reflect an apocryphal or harmonized tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σαρασάρ τε καὶ Ἀρβεσέσερ","severity":"info","text":"Sarasar and Arbeseser are figures from the Assyrian resettlement of Samaria, mentioned in 2 Kings 17:3 and 19:37; Cyril interprets them as leaders of the colonizers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Δʹ","severity":"info","text":"The heading 'BOOK IV' marks a division in Cyril's commentary, likely corresponding to the fourth book of Kings (2 Kings in modern Bibles).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ νῦν ἔλαβες τὸ ἀργύριον, κ.τ.λ.","severity":"info","text":"Cyril's lemma 'And now you have taken the silver, etc.' cites a biblical passage (possibly 2 Kings 5) that he interprets as a call to single-minded action, echoing ascetic ideals.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν τοῖς κηρύγμασι πρέποντα καιρὸν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the time suitable for proclamations' may refer to liturgical or missionary contexts, but the exact referent is ambiguous without further context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Gospel saying about purse, wallet, and sandals is unclear; it may be from an apocryphal text or a loose paraphrase.","The identity of 'Sarasar' and 'Arbeseser' is uncertain; they may be corruptions of Assyrian names from the biblical account."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"ἐκ τῆς Περσῶν. Ἐβασίλευσεν Ἐζεκίας υἱὸς Ἀχὰζ βασιλέως Ἰούδα. {Κυρίλλου.} Προβέβηκε δὲ δόξης τε καὶ ὁμοῦ ἰσχύος εἰς τοῦτο, ὡς κατακρατῆσαι τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν προσοικούντων τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καὶ μὴν καὶ δασμοὺς ἐπιθεῖναι πολλούς. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Εἶτα πέπονθέ τι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων· ἀπὸ γάρ τοι τῆς ἄγαν τρυφῆς, καὶ τῇ τῆς εὐκλείας ὑπεροχῇ νενικημένος, τρόπον τινὰ πεφρόνηκεν ὑψηλὰ, καὶ τῇ τῆς ὑπεροψίας νόσῳ κεκρατημένος, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θείου κατεξανέστη νόμου. Ὠήθη γὰρ δεῖν καὶ τοῖς τῆς θείας ἱερωσύνης αὐχήμασιν ἑαυτὸν στεφανοῦν. Ἐπεχείρησε γὰρ εἰς τὸν θεῖον εἰσελάσαι νεὼν, αὐτὸς δὲ δι' ἑαυτοῦ θυμιᾷν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πληροῦν ἐννόμως τὰ νενομισμένα. Ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας λελέπρωται παραχρῆμα, καὶ ἧν ἀτιμώτατος· μιαρὸς γὰρ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὁ τῷ τῆς λέπρας πάθει κατισχημένος. Ποῦ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς Αἰμάθ; κ.τ.λ. Ὅτι ἐξείλαντο Σαμάρειαν ἐκ χειρός μου; {Κυρίλλου.} Ὠήθη γὰρ ἴσως ὁ βάρβαρος ἔχων μετὰ τοῦ φρονήματος καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν, ὅτι καθ' ἕνα τῶν ψευδωνύμων θεῶν ἐστιν ὁ γῆς τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ δεσπότης καὶ τῶν ὅλων γενεσιουργὸς καὶ Κύριος· ἔθος δὴ εἶναι τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι Θεὸν κατακερτομεῖν ἔσθ' ὅτε τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἐλπίδα· καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ῥυσθεῖεν παρὰ Θεοῦ λέγειν ἀποτολμᾷν. Οὐκ ἠγνόησε δὲ, ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ψευδωνύμους θεοὺς αἱ ἀνθρώπων εἰργάσαντο χεῖρες· ὁ δὲ φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθῶς, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς πεποίηται, παρήγαγε δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς εἰς ὕπαρξιν τὰ οὐκ ὄντα ποτέ.Ἥλω οὖν Σαμάρεια, Θεοῦ συστέλλοντος τὴν ἐπικουρίαν.","english":"from the Persians. Hezekiah son of Ahaz, king of Judah, reigned. {Cyril.} He advanced in glory and strength to such a point that he overpowered the nations dwelling near Judaea and even imposed many tributes. And after a little: Then he suffered something human; for from excessive luxury and overcome by the preeminence of his renown, he in a way thought highly and, seized by the disease of arrogance, even rose up against the divine law itself. For he thought it necessary to crown himself with the glories of the divine priesthood. He attempted to enter the divine temple and himself to offer incense to God and to fulfill lawfully the customary rites. Because of this cause he was immediately struck with leprosy and was utterly dishonored; for according to the law, one seized by the affliction of leprosy is polluted. Where is the God of Hamath? etc. That they delivered Samaria from my hand? {Cyril.} For perhaps the barbarian thought, having both the arrogance and the tongue, that the master of earth and heaven and the creator and Lord of all is one of the falsely named gods; it is customary for those who do not know God sometimes to mock the hope of the saints and to dare to say that they would not be rescued by God. But he was not ignorant that the falsely named gods are the work of human hands; but the one who is by nature and truly God was made by no one, but rather he himself brought into existence things that once were not. So Samaria was captured, God withholding his assistance.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐζεκίας υἱὸς Ἀχὰζ βασιλέως Ἰούδα","severity":"info","text":"Hezekiah's reign (c. 715–686 BCE) is a period of Assyrian threat and religious reform. Cyril's narrative of his hubris and leprosy is not biblical but derives from later Jewish and Christian traditions (e.g., Josephus, Ant. 9.10.2; 2 Kings 20).","cites":[],"named_sources":["Josephus"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ποῦ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς Αἰμάθ; κ.τ.λ. Ὅτι ἐξείλαντο Σαμάρειαν ἐκ χειρός μου;","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes or paraphrases the taunt of the Assyrian king (likely Sennacherib or Sargon II) against the God of Israel. The phrase 'God of Hamath' echoes 2 Kings 18:34, where Hamath is a Syrian city whose gods are mocked.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"λελέπρωται","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'λελέπρωται' (he was struck with leprosy) is a rare aorist passive from λεπρόω. In patristic exegesis, leprosy often symbolizes divine punishment for pride or usurpation of priestly office, as here with Hezekiah.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα·","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα' (and after a little) indicates that Cyril is excerpting or summarizing a longer source, likely a historical or exegetical work, and marking a lacuna in his own commentary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ βάρβαρος","severity":"info","text":"Cyril refers to the Assyrian king as 'the barbarian', a standard Greek term for non-Greeks. This reflects the Hellenistic Jewish and Christian perspective that frames Israel's enemies as uncivilized and ignorant of true monotheism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐβασίλευσεν Ἐζεκίας υἱὸς Ἀχὰζ βασιλέως Ἰούδα. {Κυρίλλου.}","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution '{Κυρίλλου.}' (of Cyril) is a later insertion in the manuscript tradition. The passage may be a compilation of Cyril's comments with intervening material from other sources, as suggested by the abrupt transitions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Hezekiah leprosy story is unclear; it may derive from a lost Jewish or Christian apocryphon. The phrase 'Ποῦ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς Αἰμάθ;' is ambiguous: it could be a direct quote from an Assyrian inscription or a biblical paraphrase."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"Καὶ, ὡς ἔφην φθάσας, κἂν μηδεὶς τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησι λεγομένων θεῶν σέσωκε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτο πρὸς Θεὸν οὐδὲν, τὸν ἀληθῶς καὶ φύσει ὅντα καὶ μέγαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τέχνης ἀνθρωπίνης διέλαχον τὸ κἂν γοῦν ὁρᾶσθαι μόνον ὁ δὲ κατεξουσιάζει τῶν ὅλων, τῶν δυνάμεων ὑπάρχων Κύριος. Διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὁρᾷς ὅπως, ἀμελήσας τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν, λυπεῖται διὰ Θεὸν, καὶ ζητεῖ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν; Διέῤῥηξε, φησὶ, τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ περιεβάλετο σάκκον, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου\n\nΚαὶ ποία τις ἦν ἡ πρόφασις τοῦ περιῤῥήγνυσθαι τὰ ἄμφια; Ἔθος ἦν Ἰουδαίοις ἐπὶ ταῖς κατὰ Θεοῦ δυσφημίαις τοῦτο δρᾷν· ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ὑπὸ Καϊάφα γεγενῆσθαι ἱστόρηται. Ἔκοψα τὸ μέγεθος τῆς κέδρου αὐτοῦ. {Κυρίλλου.} Αὐτοῦ, τίνος; Τοῦ Λιβάνου, ἤτοι τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Ὕψος δὲ κέδρου τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς βασιλείαν φησί. Εμελλε γὰρ τῆς Ἐζεκίου βασιλείας εἰς ὕψος αἴρεσθαι τὰ αὐχήματα. Καὶ θήσω, φησὶ, τὰ ἄγκιστρά μου ἐν τοῖς μυκτῆρσί σου, καὶ χαλινὸν ἐν τοῖς χείλεσί σου. {Κυρίλλου.} Πρὸς τὸ μὴ τοιαῦτα φθέγγεσθαι τολμᾷν. Πλὴν εἰ καὶ μὴ συναπήλαυσε τῷ πλήθει διὰ τὴν εἰρημένην αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν καὶ Φαραὼ τῶν λοιπῶν Αἰγυπτίων κολαζομένων θεωρὸς ἐφυλάττετο, ὅμως γοῦν τοὺς αὐτοῦ παῖδας εὗρεν ἑαυτοῦ φονέας, ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας γενόμενος γῆς.","english":"And, as I said before, even if none of the so-called gods among the Greeks saved his own, this is nothing compared to God, who is truly and by nature great. For they, by human craft, obtained at least only to be seen, while He has authority over all things, being Lord of the powers. He tore his garments. {Cyril.} Do you see how, neglecting his own concerns, he is grieved for God and seeks vengeance? He tore, it says, his garments, and put on sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord.\n\nAnd what was the occasion for rending his clothes? It was a custom among the Jews to do this at blasphemies against God, which is also recorded in the Gospels as having been done by Caiaphas. I cut down the size of his cedar. {Cyril.} His, whose? Of Lebanon, that is, of Judaea. And the height of the cedar signifies the kingdom among them. For the boasts of Hezekiah's reign were about to be raised to a height. And I will place, it says, my hooks in your nostrils, and a bridle on your lips. {Cyril.} So that you may not dare to utter such things. Yet, even if he did not share in the fate of the multitude for the said reason, for which also Pharaoh was kept as a spectator while the rest of the Egyptians were punished, nevertheless he found his own sons to be his murderers, while on his own land.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril explains the rending of garments as a Jewish custom in response to blasphemy, citing Caiaphas in the Gospels. This reflects a common exegetical move linking Old and New Testament practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔκοψα τὸ μέγεθος τῆς κέδρου αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase likely alludes to a prophetic or poetic passage (possibly from Isaiah or a lost source) where the cedar of Lebanon symbolizes royal power. Cyril interprets it as referring to Hezekiah's kingdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"κέδρου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril glosses 'cedar' as a symbol of the kingdom in Judaea, with its height representing the elevated status of Hezekiah's reign. This aligns with biblical imagery (e.g., Ezekiel 17, Psalm 29).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Φαραὼ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril compares Hezekiah's spared fate to Pharaoh, who was kept as a spectator while other Egyptians were punished. This may reference the Exodus narrative or a Jewish tradition about Pharaoh's survival.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τοὺς αὐτοῦ παῖδας εὗρεν ἑαυτοῦ φονέας","severity":"caution","text":"The claim that Hezekiah's own sons became his murderers is not attested in the biblical account (2 Kings 18-20) and may reflect a lost tradition or a misreading. The text is ambiguous here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ποία τις ἦν ἡ πρόφασις","severity":"info","text":"Cyril uses a rhetorical question to transition from narrative to explanation, a common structural device in his commentaries to clarify ritual or symbolic actions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'sons' who murder Hezekiah is unclear; the biblical text does not record such an event, and the source of this tradition is uncertain.","The phrase 'I cut down the size of his cedar' may be a direct quotation from a now-lost source, possibly a variant of Isaiah 37 or a non-canonical text."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Καὶ ὑπερασπιῶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμέ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τοῦτο γὰρ Θεῷ ὄντι πρέπει. Διὸ ταῦτα πράξω δι' ἐμὲ, ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τὸ ἀξίους εἶναι τοὺς βοηθουμένους. Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ρπεʹ χιλιάδας. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ λέλυται μὲν ὁ πόλεμος, φεύγουσι δὲ μετὰ τῶν κινδύνων αἱ ἀπειλαί· ὡς ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκήτορας ἐπὶ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείᾳ μεγάλα χαίροντας λέγειν· Ἔστρεψας τὸν κοπετόν μου εἰς χαρὰν ἐμοί. Ὅρα τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἀντιστροφήν· νόησον ἀκριβῶς ὃ λέγει· Ἔστρεψας τὸν κοπετόν μου εἰς χαρὰν ἐμοί. Μέγας ἦν ὁ κοπετὸς διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πολεμούντων· μεγάλη γέγονεν ἡ χαρὰ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πεπτωκότων.","english":"And I will shield this city for my own sake. {Cyril.} For this is fitting for God. Therefore I will do these things for my own sake, but not because those being helped are worthy. And an angel of the Lord went out and struck down in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand. {Cyril.} And the war is dissolved, and the threats flee along with the dangers; so that from this the inhabitants of Jerusalem, rejoicing greatly at the help from God, say: You have turned my lamentation into joy for me. Observe the reversal of events; understand precisely what he says: You have turned my lamentation into joy for me. Great was the lamentation because of the multitude of the attackers; great has become the joy because of the multitude of the fallen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ὑπερασπιῶ ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης δι' ἐμέ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets the divine speaker's self-interest as fitting for God, contrasting with pagan gods who act for human worthiness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελος Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ρπεʹ χιλιάδας","severity":"info","text":"This echoes 2 Kings 19:35 (LXX), where an angel slays 185,000 Assyrians, a key event in Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔστρεψας τὸν κοπετόν μου εἰς χαρὰν ἐμοί","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but likely reflects a liturgical or paraphrased response of Jerusalem's inhabitants, possibly from a lost hymn or homiletic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅρα τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἀντιστροφήν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril highlights a rhetorical reversal (ἀντιστροφήν) between lamentation and joy, mirroring the narrative turn from threat to deliverance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ρπεʹ χιλιάδας","severity":"info","text":"The number 185,000 (ρπεʹ) follows the LXX of 2 Kings 19:35; the MT has 185,000, while Josephus (Ant. 10.1.4) reports 185,000, showing textual consistency.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril's commentary here adapts the biblical narrative to emphasize divine sovereignty and the inadequacy of pagan gods, a common theme in his anti-pagan polemics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the phrase 'You have turned my lamentation into joy for me' is unclear; it may be a free composition by Cyril or a citation from a lost source."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}