Fragmenta in Librum Primum Regnorum (In Catenis de Samuelis et Regnorum)

The fragments from the catena on the books of Samuel and Kings. c = codex Coislinianus 8, 10th century. s = codex Scorialensis Σ—Π—19, 13th century. V = codex Venetus graecus XVI, 13th century.

1 Sam. 3:11–21.

Since the divine scripture was about to foretell the destruction of the sons of Eli, and that the ark of God would be taken by the Philistines, it first prepares the hearer, lest anyone think that God is harsh. For this reason, as I said, it records that the wickedness and sin of the sons of Eli were not diminished by the threat and the prediction, but rather increased.

1 Sam. 4:13.

Eusebes is Eli, in himself; for he was not primarily anxious about the safety of his children, but about the ark, lest it should fall into the hands of the foreigners; which indeed came to pass.

1 Sam. 5:3.

So that the foreigners might understand that neither was God defeated through the Israelites, nor had they conquered Him by their own power, but rather the sins and impieties of the Jews had brought about the defeat. And Dagon fell before the ark, not in order to worship—for he was not worthy—but in order to be shattered; which indeed came to pass.

And the king said to the people of Israel, "Hear, O Israel: You have sinned against the Lord, and the Lord has delivered you into the hands of the Philistines. Therefore, go and fight against them, and the Lord will be with you." And the people of Israel went and fought against the Philistines, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines. And the king said to the people of Israel, "Why have you done this? You have sinned against the Lord, and the Lord has delivered you into the hands of the Philistines." And the people of Israel said to the king, "We have sinned against the Lord, and we have been delivered into the hands of the Philistines. But now, what shall we do?" And the king said to them, "Go and fight against the Philistines, and the Lord will be with you." And they went and fought, and the Lord delivered

Just as in the case of humans, hand and foot and eye and ear and anything of that sort are names indicative of the parts of our body, but in the case of God, hand is the creative power, eye is the power of oversight, ear is the power of hearing, and foot is the power of presence when he acts in some way. So also the wrath of God is spoken of as the discipline against those who err, not a passion of God, and repentance is the transposition from one matter to another of the divine economy. For what we do when we repent—that is, we flee from those things for which we repented and pursue other, better things—this is called the repentance of God. Why? Because it was necessary for the prophets to speak about God in a more corporeal manner to those with the heaviest understanding, so that it might be grasped. For those who considered the statues they carved and cast to be gods, and even irrational beings, how could they have grasped the things said about God through spiritual thoughts and expressions? And again: If God foreknows all things, he is not angry on account of what he knows, or else the wrath or repentance of God is not a passion, but the work of wrath is punishment, and similarly the work of repentance is a withdrawal from the former matter and a transposition to the other economy. So also it is said concerning the sword: "The sword is sharpened, and the hand of iron is named" (Solomon: "That it may save you from the hand of iron") and concerning the sword as David says: "Into the hands of the sword.

Thus also the wrath of God is said to be angry, and sin is said to have a face according to David, and the wrath of God a face, as in the thirty-seventh Psalm, and rivers to clap with hands. But rivers have no hands, nor does sin have a face. Therefore, let us not, because of the things said corporeally about God, as the ancients understood them, suppose that God is a body or that he is filled with passions.

It is not the instability of human judgment; for we ourselves, by our own actions, justly bring about the changes in the divine economy that occur in our regard, showing ourselves unworthy through our deeds of the honor bestowed by God. Therefore, condemning Saul and wishing to hand over the rule to David and to preserve the kingdom for his seed because of the one who would be born from him according to the flesh, the king of all creation, he used human words in speaking to humans, and said: I regret that I anointed Saul as king, instead of saying, I wish to give the rule of the kingdom to another, and this one the rule of the dominion. The expression "I regret" concerning Saul means that he made himself so unworthy of the kingdom that, if I had a nature that repents, I would have repented of him. Why then was he anointed? Because at that time he was worthy. But having turned, he again became unworthy.

1 Sam. 15:11.

From these things is shown what I said before, that repentance of God is called a transposition of God's economy from one matter to another.

The argument shows that even if a prophet and a righteous man prays on behalf of others, he is not heard otherwise unless that person shows repentance in deed. For in this way the prayer of the righteous man prevails, being activated through the one who has sinned. Therefore, in order for the matter to be brought to completion, both must concur: the prayer of the righteous man and the deed of the one repenting.

1 Sam. 16:12.

Esau was ruddy, like a hide, having in his nature deadness and murderous intent against Jacob. But David was ruddy with beauty of eyes, so that the perceptive faculty of David might be discerning.

1 Sam. 16:18.

How is it that a man, and how is it that one prudent in speech, and how also a warrior, while still tending sheep? He did not, therefore, speak from himself when he said this, but foretold the future as though it were present, and he bears witness to David of what he was going to be, except that the Lord was with him, and that he was good in appearance, which things were present and persisted from his childhood, the one by nature, the other by grace.

1 Sam. 19:23–24.

Since Saul was powerful, having a multitude aiding him in his evil designs against David, while the two, Samuel and David, were pursued alone, the grace of God causes Saul to prophesy not only what was against him but also what was in favor of David, and it casts him naked, foreshadowing that he will be stripped of the kingdom.

1 Sam. 21:4.

He calls "profane" now not the impure, but those not holy, in distinction from the holy loaves placed upon the table. For the table had six loaves continually, changed for the twelve tribes of Israel, which they called "loaves of the presence," so that each of the loaves was offered for two tribes, and the loaves for the twelve tribes. What good, then, came from this? The tribes of Israel were united in concord. And what greater thing was prefigured? That the blessed apostles would be sent two by two by the Savior to preach first among the tribes of Israel, so that the number of the twelve disciples would be six at a time.

Bread of the people" not because the unholy are profane, but because they are compared to it.

1 Sam. 21:5-6.

Today it will be sanctified because of the vessels. He spoke somewhat obscurely, but this is what it means: my children have been sanctified and have abstained from women both yesterday and the day before; for this is what he means by saying that the children were purified. But if they were not, they were certainly being sanctified by eating the bread of the presentation. Convinced by what was said, the priest gives David some of the loaves, which no others were permitted to eat except only the priests. This is part of the prophecy made manifest through actions, that the royal tribe, that is, of Judah, and the priestly tribe, I mean that which was to be, were never separate, but were to be joined together and become one, both the priestly office and the royal office, at the coming of our savior and king from David, who is in the order of Melchizedek.

1 Sam. 21:7.

Neessar: it indicates either that Doeg the Idumean remained before the Lord, being tended and confessing, or that he was possessed like Saul, and did not feed the mules.

1 Sam. 21:7.

Saul bears the type of the evil spirit, when Israel had no king, then saying, "We have no king." For the ancient people, having despised the Lord who reigned over them, asked that Saul be given to them as ruler.

1 Sam. 25:22.

No one urinates standing up and against a wall, unless he is at leisure to do so. This, then, says that he is both carefree and expecting to suffer nothing, if he is of Nabal.

1 Samuel 28:11-12.

The ventriloquist did not bring up Samuel, for that is impossible, nor did the one who ascended speak truth. Who this was and through what power he ascended, you must investigate.

2 Kingdoms 5:6-8.

David was besieging Jebus. Jebus was the name of what is now Jerusalem when it was under the control of foreigners. The Jebusites, therefore, knowing that David was fond of the poor, set from above the wall blind and lame men to insult him. But when he had taken Jerusalem, he was so far from treating those who were maimed in body badly that he even established a law for his own soldiers that if anyone should attempt to kill a blind or lame man, he would be put to death. For he says, "Let anyone who strikes a lame or blind Jebusite be struck with a dagger," that is, be put to death. For even if they hated David's soul, yet they receive mercy. Therefore he is deemed worthy of honor by all, who say, "A lame and blind man shall not enter the house of the Lord," those who insulted David, whom he spared.

David was besieging Jebus. Jebus was the name of what is now Jerusalem when it was under the control of foreigners. The Jebusites, therefore, knowing that David was fond of the poor, set from above the wall blind and lame persons, thinking that David, seeing them, would be moved to pity and would not destroy them. But David, seeing them, said, "Let them be put to death.

II Sam. 5, 14.

It should be noted that Nathan the son of David is born to him after he captured and settled in Jerusalem. This is the Nathan whom the blessed Luke genealogizes, while the blessed Matthew genealogizes Solomon his brother. And from this point, I mean from the mentioned sons of David, one is said to be traced through one genealogy, the other through another.

II Sam. 16:10–12.

Thus it is shown from this as well that what God does not do but permits to happen is said to have been done by him. It is agreed, therefore, that the rebellion of Abessalom and the reviling of Semei and his casting stones at David were not the work of God. But what I say is shown more clearly by David’s statement: “Let him curse, because the Lord has told him to see my humiliation, and the Lord will repay me with good things in return for his curse on this day.” For it is evident that what was happening was not pleasing to God; and what was not pleasing, he would not have commanded to be done.

II Sam. 21, 2. 6. 9. 11.

If it was in the zeal of Israel and of Judah that Saul attempted to slay the Gibeonites, with whom Joshua the son of Nun and all the people had made treaties, and for this reason seven of Saul's descendants born from his daughters were slain, why are not the tribes held guilty, but those who had done no wrong paid the penalty? For this is unjust. Unless one might say that Saul, being king, was unable to resist his fellow citizens and the tribe of Judah, and could not dissolve the treaties of the fathers with the Gibeonites. I, however, would add to this that it was the economy of God that the entire house of Saul be consumed, insofar as it was ever suspected of rising up against David and his children on account of the royal dignity. And the phrase "the Gibeonites exposed them" means, instead of burying them when slain, they left them lying under the sun. And it says, "and they were taken," and Dan the son of Joah, one of the descendants of the giants, took them.

He certainly wishes to say that the giant, taking those placed under the sun, destroyed them, already weakened by the solar flame. The account concerning the Gibeonites has become obscure; where shall we say that, when Saul was sitting in Gibeah to wage war, and he routed the foreigners and destroyed the Gibeonites along with them? And the narrative is in the thirty-second and thirty-third number of the first Book of Kings, and in the thirty-seventh, where it says: "And he warred against all his enemies round about," and so forth. What the text says is this: Saul wronged him, and from that same him the vengeance for the injustice has come upon Joshua. But those who have received their existence from him are not wronged, being taken together with him in the beginning; for from where they received their being, from there they have their non-being, if they were worthy of some good through themselves, receiving it later.

1 Kings 2:5, 6, 8, 9.

It is asked how David, having forgiven Shimei, commands Solomon to put him to death—David, who was forbearing and not one to bear a grudge—and also Joab, who had labored alongside him. Why then were these things so arranged? David, being wise, knew that Solomon would not let Shimei live, for fear of insurrection, since Shimei, on account of his royal rank, would contend with Solomon for the kingdom; nor would he let Joab live, since Joab, contrary to David’s own intention, had set up David’s son as king, and had also slain Abner, though he had labored alongside David in many wars and successes. Foreseeing these things, David gave prior instructions to Solomon to do what Solomon would in any case have done, so that when these men were put to death by Solomon, Solomon might be excused as having fulfilled his father’s will and not as having acted against them on his own initiative.

1 Kgs 19:5–7.

And turning back, he says, he slept. And the angel of the Lord came a second time and touched him. Perhaps these were symbols of powers ministering to the prophet a fitting nourishment, to one withdrawing from human affairs and worthy of such teaching, so that afterward he might be able to hear: "Arise and eat," and find at his head hidden mysteries, of which the baked barley cake was a type. And he partakes a second time according to the angel's command, saying: "Arise, eat, for the way is long from you." Now in the morning they brought to Elijah, corresponding to what was said by the Lord to Moses, in which it was: "In the morning you shall be filled with bread and know that I am the Lord your God," and in the evening similarly: "In the evening you shall eat meat.

2 Kings 2:16.

The power of Christ Jesus makes men sons. And if someone is a man of power, he is a son of Christ, clearly. At times, to make sons

...the power of Christ Jesus makes men sons. And if someone is a man of power, he is a son of Christ, clearly. At times, to make sons Origen, from the (homilies) on Jeremiah. Now a house is the church of God, in which a hammer must not be heard. The devil is a hammer of the whole earth, and there is one who does not heed it, like some material struck by it and not suffering. For it says, "Behold, a man standing on an adamantine wall, and in his hand an adamant" (Amos 7:7). This adamant is shattered by no hammer. Even if the devil stands as a hammer, and a dragon lies beneath like an unyielding anvil (cf. Job 41:15), the adamant in the hand of the Lord and under his oversight will not fall. For the wall is the holy one, adamantine and remaining impassive in the hand of the Lord, even if caught between the hammer and the dragon. And the more it is struck, the more it displays its virtue, shining; for the devil, like someone ignorant of the nature of stones, tests through many blows the one who is like an adamant, whose nature only God knows well.

The powers under Christ are not able; and if they do produce, they produce not men but infants.

2 Kings 20:18.

Spadontes are eunuchs; he says this concerning the three youths and Daniel, that they were from this Hezekiah.

It reveals to the Jews that Christ also, if he had wished, would have died. But he died willingly, so that by his own death he might rescue all from death. If Elijah died and rose again and did not die, the resurrection of Christ is superfluous; but if he has not yet died . . . . . . . . the testimony of the Jews. He dies after . . . . . . . . Enoch did not die, but neither is he immortal. Christ . . . . . . . . and is immortal.

Since the divine scripture was about to foretell the destruction of the sons of Eli, and that the ark of God would be taken by the foreigners, it first soothes the hearing, lest anyone think that God is harsh. For this reason, as I said, it records that the wickedness and sin of the sons of Eli were not diminished by the threat and the foretelling, but rather increased.

Eli was pious in himself; for he was not primarily anxious about the safety of his children, but about the ark, lest it should come into the hands of the foreigners—which indeed came to pass. 1 Sam. 5:3.

So that the foreigners might know that neither was God defeated through the Israelites, nor had they themselves conquered him by their own power, but rather the sins and impieties of the Jews had brought about the defeat. And Dagon fell before the ark, not in order to worship—for he was not worthy—but in order to be broken; which indeed came to pass. 1 Sam. 5:3-5.

Just as in the case of humans, hand and foot and eye and ear and anything of that sort are names indicative of the parts of our body, but in the case of God, "hand" means the creative power, "eye" the power of oversight, "ear" the power of hearing, and "foot" the power of presence when he acts. So also "anger" of God is called the discipline directed against those who err, not a passion of God; and "repentance" is the transposition from one matter to another of the divine economy. For what we do when we repent—that is, we flee from those things for which we repented and pursue other, better things—this is called "repentance" of God. Why? Because the prophets had to speak about God in a more corporeal manner to those of the heaviest understanding, so that they might comprehend it. For those who considered the statues they carved and cast to be gods, and even irrational animals, how could they have comprehended what is said about God through spiritual thoughts and words? And again: If God foreknows all things, he is not angry or repentant on account of what he knows; therefore, anger or repentance is not a passion of God, but rather the work of anger is punishment, and similarly the work of repentance is a withdrawal from the former matter and a transposition to the other economy. So also it is said concerning the sword: "a sword of sharpened iron" and "hand" is named by Solomon: "that it may save you from the hand of iron," and of the sword as David says: "into the hands of the sword.

So also the wrath of God is said to be angry, and sin is said to have a face according to David, and the wrath of God has a face, as in the thirty-seventh Psalm, and rivers are said to clap with hands. But rivers have no hands, nor does sin have a face. Therefore, let us not, because of the corporeal expressions concerning God, which the ancients could comprehend, suppose that God is a body or that He is filled with passions.

It is not the fickleness of human opinion that we ourselves bring about the changes of divine economy that justly befall us, showing ourselves unworthy through our actions of the honor bestowed by God. Therefore, condemning Saul and wishing to hand over the rule to David and to preserve the kingdom for his seed because of the one to be born from him according to the flesh, the king of all creation, he used human words in speaking to humans, and said: I regret that I anointed Saul as king, instead of saying, I wish to give the beginning of the kingdom to another, and this one the rule. The phrase "I regret" concerning Saul means that he made himself so unworthy of the kingdom that, if I had a repentant nature, I would have repented of him. Why then was he anointed? Because at that time he was worthy. But having turned, he again became unworthy.

From these things is shown what I said earlier, that "repentance of God" is spoken of as the transposition of God's economy from one matter to another.

The argument shows that even if a prophet and a righteous man prays on behalf of others, he is not heard otherwise unless that person shows repentance in deed. For in this way the prayer of the righteous man is effective, being activated through the one who has sinned. Therefore, in order for the matter to be brought to completion, both must concur: the prayer of the righteous man and the deed of the one repenting.

Esau was ruddy, like a hide, having a deadness from within and murderous intent against Jacob. But David was ruddy with beauty of eyes, so that the discerning power of David might be perceptive. 1 Sam. 16:18.

How is it that a man, and how is it that one skilled in speech, and how also a warrior, while still tending sheep? He did not, then, speak from himself when he said this, but foretold the future as though it were present, and he bears witness to David of what he was going to be, except for the Lord being with him and his being good in appearance, which things were present from his childhood and persisted, the one by nature, the other by grace.

Because Saul was powerful, having a multitude assisting him, he acted wickedly against David, while the two, Samuel and David, were pursued alone. The grace of God causes Saul to prophesy not only what was against himself, but also what was in favor of David, and it casts him naked, signifying that he will be stripped of the kingdom.

He calls profane now not the impure, but those who are not holy, in contradistinction to the holy loaves placed upon the table. For the table had six loaves, constantly changed, on behalf of the twelve tribes of Israel, which they called "face loaves," so that each of the loaves was offered on behalf of two tribes, and these on behalf of the twelve tribes. What good, then, came from this? The tribes of Israel were united in concord. And what better was prefigured? That the blessed apostles would be sent out two by two by the Savior to first preach among the tribes of Israel, so that the number of the twelve disciples would be six at a time.

A loaf of the people, not because those who are not holy are profane, but because they are compared with [the holy loaves].

Today it will be sanctified through the vessels. He spoke somewhat obscurely, but this is what he means: my children have been sanctified and have abstained from women both yesterday and the day before; for this is what he means by saying that the children were purified. But if not, they were certainly being sanctified by eating the bread of the presentation. Convinced by what was said, the priest gives David some of the loaves, which no others were permitted to eat except the priests alone. This is part of the prophecy made manifest through deeds, that the royal tribe, that is, of Judah, and the priestly tribe, I mean the one that was to be, would never be separate, but would be joined together and become one, both the priestly dignity and the royal dignity, in the presence of our savior and king from David, who is in the order of Melchizedek.

Neessar: it indicates either that Doeg the Idumean remained before the Lord, being healed and confessing, or that he was possessed like Saul, and did not feed the mules.

Saul bears the type of the evil spirit, when Israel had no king, then saying: we have no king. For the ancient people, having despised the Lord who reigned over them, asked that Saul be given to them as ruler.

No one urinates standing up and against a wall, unless he is at leisure to do this. So he also says the one who is carefree and expecting to suffer nothing, if he is of Nabal.

The ventriloquist did not bring up Samuel, for that is impossible, nor did the one who ascended speak truth. Who this is and by what power he ascended, seek. 2 Sam. 5:6-8.

David was besieging Jebus. Jebus was the name of what is now Jerusalem when it was under the control of the Philistines. The Jebusites, therefore, knowing that David was fond of the poor, sent up from the wall blind and lame men to insult him. But when he had taken Jerusalem, he was so far from treating those who were maimed in body badly that he even established a law for his soldiers, punishable by death, if anyone should attempt to kill a blind or lame man. For he says, "Whoever strikes a lame or blind Jebusite, let him be struck with a short sword," that is, let him be killed. For even though they hated David's soul, they yet receive mercy. Therefore he is deemed worthy of honor by all, who say, "A lame and blind man shall not enter the house of the Lord," those who insulted David, whom he spared.

lame and blind, and they said, "These are the ones whom David loves." And they sent them down to him.

It should be noted that Nathan, the son of David, is born to him after he captured and settled in Jerusalem. This is the Nathan whom the blessed Luke genealogizes, while the blessed Matthew genealogizes Solomon, his brother. And from this point—I mean from the sons of David who have been mentioned—one is said to be traced through one genealogy, and the other through another.

Thus even from this it is shown that what God does not do but permits to happen is said to have been done by him. It is agreed, therefore, that the rebellion of Absalom and the reviling of Shimei and his stoning of David were not the work of God. But what I say is shown more clearly by David’s statement: “Let him curse; for the Lord has told him to see my humiliation, and the Lord will repay me with good things in return for his curse on this day.” For it is evident that what was happening was not pleasing to God; and what was not pleasing, he would not have commanded to be done.

If in the zeal of Israel and of Judah Saul attempted to destroy the Gibeonites, with whom Joshua son of Nun and all the people had made treaties, and because of this seven of Saul’s descendants born from his daughters were killed, why are the tribes not held responsible, but those who had done no wrong paid the penalty? For this is unjust. Unless someone might say that Saul, being king, was unable to resist his fellow citizens and the tribe of Judah, and could not dissolve the treaties of the fathers with the Gibeonites. But I would add to this that it was the economy of God that the entire lineage of Saul be consumed, which was ever suspected of once aspiring to the royal office, and because of this would rise up against David and his children. And the Gibeonites exposed them before the Lord on the mountain, meaning that after being killed they did not bury them but left them lying under the sun. And it says they were taken, and Dan son of Joab, one of the descendants of the giants, took them.

He certainly means to say that the giant, taking those placed under the sun, destroyed them, already weakened by the solar flame. The account concerning the Gibeonites has become obscure; where shall we say that, when Saul was sitting in Gibeah to wage war, he routed the Philistines and destroyed the Gibeonites along with them? And the narrative is in the thirty-second and thirty-third numbers of the first Book of Kings, and in the thirty-seventh, where it says: "And he warred against all his enemies round about," and so forth. What the text says is this: Saul wronged him, and from him himself the vengeance for the wrong done to Joshua came about. But those who derived their existence from him are not wronged, being joined with him in the beginning; for from where they received their being, from there they have their non-being, and if they were worthy of some good on their own account, they receive this later. 1 Kings 2:5, 6, 8, 9.

It is asked how David, having forgiven Shimei, commands Solomon to kill him—the one who is forgetful of wrongs and gentle—and also Joab, who labored alongside him. Why then were these things so arranged? Being wise, David knew that Solomon would not let Shimei live, for fear of rebellion, since from royal rank he would contend with Solomon for the kingdom; nor would he let Joab live, as one who, apart from David’s intention, set the son of David on the throne, and also killed Abner, though he labored alongside his father in many wars and successes. Foreseeing these things, David in advance instructs Solomon to do what he would certainly do anyway, so that when the aforementioned are killed by him (that is, by Solomon), Solomon may have pardon, as having fulfilled a paternal command and not as having acted against them on his own initiative.

And turning back, it says, he slept. And the angel of the Lord returned a second time and touched him. Perhaps these were symbols of powers ministering to a prophet fitting nourishment, to one withdrawing from human affairs and worthy of instruction from such things, so that afterward he might be able to hear: "Arise and eat," and find at his head hidden mysteries, of which the barley hearth cake was a type. And he partakes a second time according to the angel's command, saying: "Arise, eat, for the road from you is long." Now in the morning they brought to Elijah, corresponding to what was spoken by the Lord to Moses, in which it was: "In the morning you shall be filled with bread and know that I am the Lord your God," and similarly in the evening: "In the evening you shall eat meat.

The power of Christ Jesus makes men sons. And if anyone is a man of power, he is a son of Christ, clearly. And at times to make sons

14. 17 Cf. 1 Kings 17:6. — 16. 17 Exod. 16:12. 1 Solomon c | 2 Solomon cv | 12 the] < c | 4 here follows in c 86r s 118 ν V 107 V Fragment XXX from the Homilies on Jeremiah. Cf. above, 214:7–21. Origen from the (the c) Homilies on Jeremiah. Now the house is the church of God, in which a hammer must not be heard. The devil is a hammer of the whole earth, and there is one who does not heed it, like some matter struck by it and not suffering. For it says, “Behold, a man standing on a wall of adamant, and in his hand an adamant” (Amos 7:7). Which adamant is shattered by no hammer. Even if the devil stands as a hammer, and a dragon lies beneath like an unyielding anvil (cf. Job 41:15), the adamant in the hand of the Lord and under his oversight will not fall. For the holy wall is adamantine and remains impassive in the hand of the Lord, even if it is caught between the hammer and the dragon. The more it is struck, the more it displays its virtue brightly; for the devil, like one ignorant of the nature of stones, tests through many blows the one who is like adamant, whose nature only God knows well. 14 the] the c the τῷ Koetschau | 17 flesh s fleshABBREVv | the] the sv | 18 flesh S | 20 men Koetschau days es v.

The powers under Christ are not able; but if they do act, they produce not men but infants. 2 Kings 20:18.

Spadones are eunuchs; and he says this concerning the three children and Daniel, that they were from this Hezekiah.

It reveals to the Jews that Christ also, if he had wished, would have died. But he died willingly, so that by his own death he might rescue all from death. If Elijah died and rose again and did not die, the resurrection of Christ is superfluous; but if he has not yet died . . . . . . . . testimony of the Jews. He dies after . . . . . . . . Enoch did not die, but neither is he immortal. Christ . . . . . . . . and is immortal.