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Introduction
Commentaries on the Book of 1 Kings
INTRODUCTION.
1. After the books of Moses and Joshua and Judges, the first book of Kings is shown to be the eighth or ninth in the canon of the Holy Scriptures. Because this book, like most volumes of sacred eloquence, has not yet been expounded by the doctors of Holy Church, some simpler persons judge it not to be mystical, and think it says nothing lofty through the spirit, inasmuch as it seems to narrate plainer things through the letter. But if they were to read what the holy doctors have said in other books of explanations, they would discover how immense is the depth of this history as well. For often in their expositions, what is here said to be plain according to the letter is declared to be very lofty according to spiritual understanding, and they openly indicate that they understand sacred history far more sublimely than what they read on its outward surface. For it is plain that Elkanah, a man of Ephrath, is described as having had two wives (1 Kings 1:1–2); that Eli the priest, while he was weakened by affection from the duty of correcting his sons, fell from his seat and died with a broken neck (ibid., 4:18); that King Saul refused to obey God in the destruction of the Amalekites (1 Kings 15:9), but not long after lost both his life and his kingdom (1 Kings 31:5). But these evidently plain matters, as they satisfy simpler minds, the holy doctors, in order to perceive them with worthy sublimity, sought their understanding not in the simplicity of the letter but in the flight of allegory. For this is why, when Saint Augustine (City of God, Book XVII, ch. 4) read of Elkanah's two wives in the history, perceiving spiritual height in the plainness of the reading, he explained that the one bore the type of the Synagogue, while the other bore the figure of Holy Church. Saint Jerome likewise (Against the Pelagians, Book I, ch. 8; and Against Jovinian, Book I, ch. 10) explained that the death of Eli the priest and of Saul was placed in sacred history not only so that their punishment might terrify disobedient leaders, but also so that, while the rejection of the old and transgressing rulers is read, the destruction of the ancient law and priesthood might be signified. Therefore the sacred history of Kings is not to be believed empty of spiritual mysteries because it has not been expounded in sequence by the venerable fathers, but is all the higher and deeper because, like the vastness of an immense river, it could only be drawn from in exposition in some small part, and with their vessels filled, it flows on by the force of its fullness to fill others daily. Therefore, while they drew certain things from this sacred history for the strength of their works, but passed over its fullness unexamined in the secret of its sublimity, what else did they appear to do but take something from the immense river to offer to the thirsting minds of the faithful?
2. We indeed follow the custom of these men in the present work as well, we who approach this vast history for the sake of opening up its understanding, yet do not dare to undertake the exposition of its entirety — differing from the aforementioned venerable Fathers in this respect, namely that we do not select in scattered fashion and from diverse places what we are about to expound, since they did not take up some part of this sacred history in order, but rather took up scattered testimonies which they might expound for the instruction of the faithful. Therefore, trusting in the help of almighty God, we propose to explain from the beginning of the book up to the anointing of King David, so that by this brief portion which is seen we may test whether we ought to proceed further in expounding. For very many, when they propose immoderate undertakings, can never become the executors of their own proposal — especially since the expositor of sacred eloquence bears the manner of a man standing on a high watchtower, while sacred Scripture bears the likeness of a vaster forest. This man, situated on high, even if with keen sight he surveys the vastness of the woodland, nevertheless, while he looks upon the summits of mountains, the edges of hills, and the tall tops of trees meeting together in a certain level equality, he does not notice how great the valleys, how extended the plains that lie hidden in between. But if he begins to traverse what seemed brief to him, he suddenly recognizes that very many more things remained which he had not seen — he who had thought he had seen the whole. Hence the immoderate traveler is often deceived, so that he completes his journey all the more dangerously, inasmuch as the wandering of night overtakes him on the road when the day is spent — he who had not thought he would use up even a part of the day in what seemed the space of a short journey. Just so, indeed, when we consider the understanding of sacred history at a certain summit of its meanings, by the grace of almighty God we gaze upon, as it were, the tall treetops of a darker forest from a certain height. But because when those same meanings begin to be considered and brought forth more subtly, they generate others still more manifold — just as on the surface, as it seems, of the entire woodland surveyed, the hollows of valleys and the extended spaces of the plain lie hidden, which are not seen. Therefore we walk more safely if we so measure what we see that we also consider that what we shall see as we proceed must still be traversed. And so, while we propose to explain a small part of this vast history, according to the measure of our weakness we end our journey's course nearby, distrusting alike the slenderness of our talent and terrified by the profundity of the sacred volume.
3. But first I thought it right not so much to instruct as to beseech the reader not to weigh the substance of sacred history by the emptiness of my exposition, because divine utterances must never be estimated by the measure of their commentators. For they are not to be despised because they are not examined with subtlety, nor are they lofty and venerable because they are expounded eloquently and subtly. For the skill that is held in such esteem among the wise of this world is valued only as much as brilliant minds can exalt it. But Holy Scripture, because it is divinely inspired, surpasses even the most brilliant human minds by as much as those brilliant men themselves are inferior to God, and they perceive nothing in that spiritual sublimity except what is revealed to them by the goodness of divine condescension. Therefore no one is so perfect in knowledge of it that he cannot advance further, because every advance of man is inferior to the height of the divinity that inspired it. Hence also it is said of the Lord through the Psalmist: 'Who covers His upper chambers in the waters' (Ps. 103:3). For if by the name of waters those deep understandings of the angels above are designated, while God is said to cover the height of sacred utterance in the waters, it is abundantly clear that man is always inferior to that of which only its lower parts are revealed to him. Hence also it is commanded through Moses that the remainder of the lamb be burned with fire (Exod. 12:10), because indeed the sacred Scriptures, which were set forth for the purpose of knowing the Redeemer, are to be venerated on account of the dignity of their sublimity even when they are not understood. And so, even if no weight is given to what is said by me, nevertheless weight must be given to the fact that this Holy Scripture, which is unworthily expounded by me, speaks many good and sublime things to the one to whom Almighty God has willed to open its secrets. For Holy Scripture has been so wonderfully fashioned by Almighty God that even though it may appear to have been expounded in manifold ways, it still does not lack secrets by which it keeps hidden things concealed, because it is almost never expounded in such a way that there do not remain in it many more things to be expounded daily. By this incomprehensibility of it, Almighty God has surely provided for human changeableness with great dispensation; for it has been so wondrously arranged that what is known cannot grow cheap, so that once known it remains unknown, and is read all the more gladly because it is learned anew each day; and while it continually reveals fresh things, it delights all the more sweetly.
4. The History of the Kings, therefore, because it was composed by the same Spirit by which the other volumes of Holy Scripture are also recognized, ought not to be believed to be lesser in its mysteries than those to which it is not inferior in the title of authority. For all its writers are reported to have been prophets, who, when they narrate historical things, signify spiritual things; they speak of outward things and hint at inward things; they set forth earthly things so that they may pursue heavenly things. Whence also the first and second book of this same history are ascribed to the prophet Samuel for this reason: that from the title of the author it may be perceived that the history he writes is not so much history as prophecy — the letter is simple and true, but exceedingly lofty and profound in the multiplicity of its hidden meanings. We, however, from so great a weight, take up according to the measure of our smallness what we are able to bear. For although it is pleasant on the surface of the letter, deeper in the types of allegory, useful for instructing morals, and clear in presenting examples, nevertheless in individual passages to assert the historical sense, to set forth the typological, to bring together the moral, and to propose examples — from this I shrink; although some things I shall expound under one sense, with the Lord's help, and others under several. Especially since I have decided to devote effort to writing in these times, in which, while the old anxiety of worldly concern is immersed in the hearts of certain churchmen, they judge new efforts at writing to be superfluous for the reason that they are well aware that the old works of the venerable doctors abound. They would indeed need to be refuted by reason, were they not to display the mark of calumny with brazen face. For those who despise new things as new also disdain through satiety of worldly cares those old things which they approve. Scripture indeed sets forth these many persons under the designation of one, saying: "The soul that is full shall tread upon the honeycomb" (Prov. 27:7). For the honeycomb contains new honey. As if therefore it were saying: While the care for earthly things is fed too immoderately, the soul does not rejoice in that fresh sweetness of the Scriptures which is accustomed to greatly please. But since they find no commentaries of the ancients on this sacred history, they would act more rightly if they were to embrace the work of our labor with that charity with which it is expended for the benefit of the little ones of holy Church, and instead of the trouble of reproaches, bring the aid of prayers to us who labor in so great a depth of Scripture as in the deepest sea. From this indeed they make the fruit of our toil their own, because while they love out of kindness, they turn it to their own accumulation of eternal reward — both because for so long a time so closed and unexpounded a Scripture is brought to common understanding, and because the little ones of holy Church, while they receive the splendor of the new religion within the coverings of the Old Scripture, are aided in the advancement of their devotion.
5. But because diverse testimonies of this history are found expounded in the various works of the holy Fathers, the reader should note that sometimes I follow their meaning in my treatment, but sometimes I labor to explain the history differently, so that the work I undertake in hope of divine inspiration may be both strengthened by the authority of the ancient Fathers and in no way tedious to the reader, since amid the old things he already knows, it also presents to him new things he did not know. To this manner of pronouncing judgments I am sometimes led by necessity, because even the venerable Fathers, if they had expounded in continuous order everything they touched upon in part, could by no means have maintained the sequence of discourse they appeared to observe. Therefore, when I pass over the interpretations of the holy Fathers, I do so sometimes from necessity, sometimes from convenience, because I both remove tedium from the reader, and when I discuss everything in continuous order, many things arise from the middle that do not permit me to follow their opinions. In this work I earnestly ask the reader not to weigh my words by comparison with the eloquent orators of holy Church, but to judge the meaning of the thoughts according to the principles of ecclesiastical discipline, because even if, in accordance with God's prohibition, I do not know how to plant a grove in His house (Deut. 16:21), nevertheless I in no way abandon the rule by which holy Scripture is faithfully expounded. But also, where the skilled reader finds something less pleasing, let him consider that, when I, like a foreign sailor, venture upon the storms of a great sea — that is, the spiritual history, deep with lofty meanings — it is not very blameworthy if the helm of speech is not guided beautifully, when foaming crests of waves crash in, which often force even the most skilled pilot to release the tiller. Just so indeed, a devoted plowman entering upon wooded land to cultivate it does not lay out straight lines of furrows unless he first cuts through them repeatedly with the plowshare drawn back, because no ease of skill follows if no habit of cultivation is seen to precede that same skill of plowing. But neither should anyone judge the plainness of the history by this estimation, because very often we reach the secrets of spiritual meanings with all the more difficulty the farther away we see the location of the hidden entrances in the plainer letter; and we cannot touch its heights precisely because the step from which we think to touch the heights is lower. For what is the understanding of divinity, if not a certain ineffable summit of the highest elevation? And because almighty God is known through the Scriptures, what is that same sacred Scripture but a kind of stairway that is climbed so that that sublimity may be reached? Whenever, therefore, the history is plainer but the meaning deeper, what else is it but that that sublimity has such a step from which it cannot easily be reached? If, then, the reader perceives something unfitting even in the explanation of the plainer history, he will be able to grant pardon all the more kindly, the more reasonably he recognizes that when we stretch beyond from the plain surface that is seen toward those sublime heights, we easily falter. The earlier portions of the book, therefore, because they contain both the mysteries of holy Church and demonstrate the character of a chosen man established in the pursuit of a good life, I expound under both senses separately, so that when we recognize in the deeds of the ancients the principles of the new faith, we may also draw from them the edification of our own way of life. And because in the salvation of the faithful, faith is prior to works, I set forth the typological meaning first, as a solid foundation, upon which the fabric of the entire undertaken work may be laid or may follow in its moral or historical exposition.
INTRODUCTION.
1. After the books of Moses and Joshua and Judges, the first book of Kings is shown to be the eighth or ninth in the canon of the Holy Scriptures. Because this book, like most volumes of sacred eloquence, has not yet been expounded by the doctors of Holy Church, some simpler persons judge it not to be mystical, and think it says nothing lofty through the spirit, inasmuch as it seems to narrate plainer things through the letter. But if they were to read what the holy doctors have said in other books of explanations, they would discover how immense is the depth of this history as well. For often in their expositions, what is here said to be plain according to the letter is declared to be very lofty according to spiritual understanding, and they openly indicate that they understand sacred history far more sublimely than what they read on its outward surface. For it is plain that Elkanah, a man of Ephrath, is described as having had two wives (1 Kings 1:1–2); that Eli the priest, while he was weakened by affection from the duty of correcting his sons, fell from his seat and died with a broken neck (ibid., 4:18); that King Saul refused to obey God in the destruction of the Amalekites (1 Kings 15:9), but not long after lost both his life and his kingdom (1 Kings 31:5). But these evidently plain matters, as they satisfy simpler minds, the holy doctors, in order to perceive them with worthy sublimity, sought their understanding not in the simplicity of the letter but in the flight of allegory. For this is why, when Saint Augustine (City of God, Book XVII, ch. 4) read of Elkanah's two wives in the history, perceiving spiritual height in the plainness of the reading, he explained that the one bore the type of the Synagogue, while the other bore the figure of Holy Church. Saint Jerome likewise (Against the Pelagians, Book I, ch. 8; and Against Jovinian, Book I, ch. 10) explained that the death of Eli the priest and of Saul was placed in sacred history not only so that their punishment might terrify disobedient leaders, but also so that, while the rejection of the old and transgressing rulers is read, the destruction of the ancient law and priesthood might be signified. Therefore the sacred history of Kings is not to be believed empty of spiritual mysteries because it has not been expounded in sequence by the venerable fathers, but is all the higher and deeper because, like the vastness of an immense river, it could only be drawn from in exposition in some small part, and with their vessels filled, it flows on by the force of its fullness to fill others daily. Therefore, while they drew certain things from this sacred history for the strength of their works, but passed over its fullness unexamined in the secret of its sublimity, what else did they appear to do but take something from the immense river to offer to the thirsting minds of the faithful?
2. We indeed follow the custom of these men in the present work as well, we who approach this vast history for the sake of opening up its understanding, yet do not dare to undertake the exposition of its entirety — differing from the aforementioned venerable Fathers in this respect, namely that we do not select in scattered fashion and from diverse places what we are about to expound, since they did not take up some part of this sacred history in order, but rather took up scattered testimonies which they might expound for the instruction of the faithful. Therefore, trusting in the help of almighty God, we propose to explain from the beginning of the book up to the anointing of King David, so that by this brief portion which is seen we may test whether we ought to proceed further in expounding. For very many, when they propose immoderate undertakings, can never become the executors of their own proposal — especially since the expositor of sacred eloquence bears the manner of a man standing on a high watchtower, while sacred Scripture bears the likeness of a vaster forest. This man, situated on high, even if with keen sight he surveys the vastness of the woodland, nevertheless, while he looks upon the summits of mountains, the edges of hills, and the tall tops of trees meeting together in a certain level equality, he does not notice how great the valleys, how extended the plains that lie hidden in between. But if he begins to traverse what seemed brief to him, he suddenly recognizes that very many more things remained which he had not seen — he who had thought he had seen the whole. Hence the immoderate traveler is often deceived, so that he completes his journey all the more dangerously, inasmuch as the wandering of night overtakes him on the road when the day is spent — he who had not thought he would use up even a part of the day in what seemed the space of a short journey. Just so, indeed, when we consider the understanding of sacred history at a certain summit of its meanings, by the grace of almighty God we gaze upon, as it were, the tall treetops of a darker forest from a certain height. But because when those same meanings begin to be considered and brought forth more subtly, they generate others still more manifold — just as on the surface, as it seems, of the entire woodland surveyed, the hollows of valleys and the extended spaces of the plain lie hidden, which are not seen. Therefore we walk more safely if we so measure what we see that we also consider that what we shall see as we proceed must still be traversed. And so, while we propose to explain a small part of this vast history, according to the measure of our weakness we end our journey's course nearby, distrusting alike the slenderness of our talent and terrified by the profundity of the sacred volume.
3. But first I thought it right not so much to instruct as to beseech the reader not to weigh the substance of sacred history by the emptiness of my exposition, because divine utterances must never be estimated by the measure of their commentators. For they are not to be despised because they are not examined with subtlety, nor are they lofty and venerable because they are expounded eloquently and subtly. For the skill that is held in such esteem among the wise of this world is valued only as much as brilliant minds can exalt it. But Holy Scripture, because it is divinely inspired, surpasses even the most brilliant human minds by as much as those brilliant men themselves are inferior to God, and they perceive nothing in that spiritual sublimity except what is revealed to them by the goodness of divine condescension. Therefore no one is so perfect in knowledge of it that he cannot advance further, because every advance of man is inferior to the height of the divinity that inspired it. Hence also it is said of the Lord through the Psalmist: 'Who covers His upper chambers in the waters' (Ps. 103:3). For if by the name of waters those deep understandings of the angels above are designated, while God is said to cover the height of sacred utterance in the waters, it is abundantly clear that man is always inferior to that of which only its lower parts are revealed to him. Hence also it is commanded through Moses that the remainder of the lamb be burned with fire (Exod. 12:10), because indeed the sacred Scriptures, which were set forth for the purpose of knowing the Redeemer, are to be venerated on account of the dignity of their sublimity even when they are not understood. And so, even if no weight is given to what is said by me, nevertheless weight must be given to the fact that this Holy Scripture, which is unworthily expounded by me, speaks many good and sublime things to the one to whom Almighty God has willed to open its secrets. For Holy Scripture has been so wonderfully fashioned by Almighty God that even though it may appear to have been expounded in manifold ways, it still does not lack secrets by which it keeps hidden things concealed, because it is almost never expounded in such a way that there do not remain in it many more things to be expounded daily. By this incomprehensibility of it, Almighty God has surely provided for human changeableness with great dispensation; for it has been so wondrously arranged that what is known cannot grow cheap, so that once known it remains unknown, and is read all the more gladly because it is learned anew each day; and while it continually reveals fresh things, it delights all the more sweetly.
4. The History of the Kings, therefore, because it was composed by the same Spirit by which the other volumes of Holy Scripture are also recognized, ought not to be believed to be lesser in its mysteries than those to which it is not inferior in the title of authority. For all its writers are reported to have been prophets, who, when they narrate historical things, signify spiritual things; they speak of outward things and hint at inward things; they set forth earthly things so that they may pursue heavenly things. Whence also the first and second book of this same history are ascribed to the prophet Samuel for this reason: that from the title of the author it may be perceived that the history he writes is not so much history as prophecy — the letter is simple and true, but exceedingly lofty and profound in the multiplicity of its hidden meanings. We, however, from so great a weight, take up according to the measure of our smallness what we are able to bear. For although it is pleasant on the surface of the letter, deeper in the types of allegory, useful for instructing morals, and clear in presenting examples, nevertheless in individual passages to assert the historical sense, to set forth the typological, to bring together the moral, and to propose examples — from this I shrink; although some things I shall expound under one sense, with the Lord's help, and others under several. Especially since I have decided to devote effort to writing in these times, in which, while the old anxiety of worldly concern is immersed in the hearts of certain churchmen, they judge new efforts at writing to be superfluous for the reason that they are well aware that the old works of the venerable doctors abound. They would indeed need to be refuted by reason, were they not to display the mark of calumny with brazen face. For those who despise new things as new also disdain through satiety of worldly cares those old things which they approve. Scripture indeed sets forth these many persons under the designation of one, saying: "The soul that is full shall tread upon the honeycomb" (Prov. 27:7). For the honeycomb contains new honey. As if therefore it were saying: While the care for earthly things is fed too immoderately, the soul does not rejoice in that fresh sweetness of the Scriptures which is accustomed to greatly please. But since they find no commentaries of the ancients on this sacred history, they would act more rightly if they were to embrace the work of our labor with that charity with which it is expended for the benefit of the little ones of holy Church, and instead of the trouble of reproaches, bring the aid of prayers to us who labor in so great a depth of Scripture as in the deepest sea. From this indeed they make the fruit of our toil their own, because while they love out of kindness, they turn it to their own accumulation of eternal reward — both because for so long a time so closed and unexpounded a Scripture is brought to common understanding, and because the little ones of holy Church, while they receive the splendor of the new religion within the coverings of the Old Scripture, are aided in the advancement of their devotion.
5. But because diverse testimonies of this history are found expounded in the various works of the holy Fathers, the reader should note that sometimes I follow their meaning in my treatment, but sometimes I labor to explain the history differently, so that the work I undertake in hope of divine inspiration may be both strengthened by the authority of the ancient Fathers and in no way tedious to the reader, since amid the old things he already knows, it also presents to him new things he did not know. To this manner of pronouncing judgments I am sometimes led by necessity, because even the venerable Fathers, if they had expounded in continuous order everything they touched upon in part, could by no means have maintained the sequence of discourse they appeared to observe. Therefore, when I pass over the interpretations of the holy Fathers, I do so sometimes from necessity, sometimes from convenience, because I both remove tedium from the reader, and when I discuss everything in continuous order, many things arise from the middle that do not permit me to follow their opinions. In this work I earnestly ask the reader not to weigh my words by comparison with the eloquent orators of holy Church, but to judge the meaning of the thoughts according to the principles of ecclesiastical discipline, because even if, in accordance with God's prohibition, I do not know how to plant a grove in His house (Deut. 16:21), nevertheless I in no way abandon the rule by which holy Scripture is faithfully expounded. But also, where the skilled reader finds something less pleasing, let him consider that, when I, like a foreign sailor, venture upon the storms of a great sea — that is, the spiritual history, deep with lofty meanings — it is not very blameworthy if the helm of speech is not guided beautifully, when foaming crests of waves crash in, which often force even the most skilled pilot to release the tiller. Just so indeed, a devoted plowman entering upon wooded land to cultivate it does not lay out straight lines of furrows unless he first cuts through them repeatedly with the plowshare drawn back, because no ease of skill follows if no habit of cultivation is seen to precede that same skill of plowing. But neither should anyone judge the plainness of the history by this estimation, because very often we reach the secrets of spiritual meanings with all the more difficulty the farther away we see the location of the hidden entrances in the plainer letter; and we cannot touch its heights precisely because the step from which we think to touch the heights is lower. For what is the understanding of divinity, if not a certain ineffable summit of the highest elevation? And because almighty God is known through the Scriptures, what is that same sacred Scripture but a kind of stairway that is climbed so that that sublimity may be reached? Whenever, therefore, the history is plainer but the meaning deeper, what else is it but that that sublimity has such a step from which it cannot easily be reached? If, then, the reader perceives something unfitting even in the explanation of the plainer history, he will be able to grant pardon all the more kindly, the more reasonably he recognizes that when we stretch beyond from the plain surface that is seen toward those sublime heights, we easily falter. The earlier portions of the book, therefore, because they contain both the mysteries of holy Church and demonstrate the character of a chosen man established in the pursuit of a good life, I expound under both senses separately, so that when we recognize in the deeds of the ancients the principles of the new faith, we may also draw from them the edification of our own way of life. And because in the salvation of the faithful, faith is prior to works, I set forth the typological meaning first, as a solid foundation, upon which the fabric of the entire undertaken work may be laid or may follow in its moral or historical exposition.