The Deception of the Spirit
Thus, he had exhausted himself in such a way that he spent the day fasting, then, having taken a morsel of food on the second, he walked into the camp. It is not only striking in light of the facts as he spoke, but he also said that Jonathan would end up alone with his father (1 Sam 14:45); yet from the opposites, the narrative of the letter proclaims a voice saying that Saul was slain along with three boys, but not with only one, as he had said.
Surely the demon did not speak anything true by way of a foreknowledge (for he would not have announced things contrary to what happened), but, having diverted from what was previously said to Samuel, as I have said, he added a few things to these, weaving them similarly from the images. Thus also he threatened death to the ruler, by making use of those voices of his. But he even promised to introduce an interruption to Israel, because the prophet had said heavily that the people would be divided.
Seeing therefore the war-engines fortified and the leader of the people standing in distress, he also added threats regarding what was left to him of God (through which the ruler, speculating, confessed that the prophet's preaching was being circumscribed), and he responded to the incoming movements by shouting aloud. However, whatever he added of his own, he clearly having been caught lying; for he was not able to foretell even the day of death, nor the executions of the sons of Saul (1 Sam 14:47), of whom the Scripture mentioned by name. From these things, it would not be difficult to perceive that the spirit announced nothing of its own nor anything true, but as he subverted the words of Samuel, he thought he was prophesying by flinging them about.
But above all, it is not possible to say that he prophesied this without falsehood; for if indeed he proclaimed the occurrence of war and the unceasing streams of bloodshed, who is the cause of all wars? Is it not the devil? Did he not himself seek out Job (Job 1:12)? Did he not provoke war against him?
Greek
οὕτως, ὁπηνίκα τὴν ἑξῆς αὐτόσε διέτριψεν ἡμέραν ἄσιτος, εἶτα τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῆς ἐδωδῆς ἁψάμενος ἐβάδισεν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον. 13.4 οὐχὶ δὲ τοῦτο μόνον ἁλίσκεται παρὰ τὸ γεγονὸς εἰρηκώς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Ἰωάθαν ἔφη μονώτατον ὁμοῦ τῷ πατρὶ καταλῆξαι πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων ἡ διηγηματικὴ τοῦ γράμματος ἀγορεύει φωνὴ τὸν Σαοὺλ ἅμα τρισὶν ἀπεσφάχθαι παισίν, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἑνὶ μόνῳ, ὡς ἔφησεν ἐκεῖνος. 13.5 οὐκοῦν ἀπορίᾳ προγνώσεως οὐδὲν ἀληθὲς ἐξεῖπεν ὁ δαίμων (οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐναντία τῶν γεγονότων ἀπήγγελλεν), ἀλλὰ τὰ τῷ Σαμουὴλ εἰρημένα πρότερον, ὡς ἔφην, ὑπεκκλέψας, ὀλίγα ἄττα προσετίθει τούτοις, ἐκ τῶν εἰκότων ὁμοιότροπα συμπλέξας. 13.6 οὕτως ἄρα καὶ θάνατον ἠπείλει τῷ δυνάστῃ, ταῖς ἐκείνου φωναῖς ἀποχρώμενος. ἀλλ' ἔτι γε καὶ τὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐκδοῦναι παρεμβολὴν ὑπισχνεῖτο, τῷ τὸν προφήτην ἐμβριθῶς εἰρηκέναι διασχισθήσεσθαι τὸν λαόν. 13.7 ὁρῶν οὖν ἐπιτετειχισμένα πολέμου μηχανήματα καὶ τὸν τοῦ λαοῦ προεστῶτα περιδεῆ, προσέτι δὲ καὶ καταλειφθέντα πρὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ (δι' ὧν ὁ δυνάστης ὡμολόγει στοχαζόμενος ὅτι δεῦρο περαιοῦται τὸ τοῦ προφήτου κήρυγμα), 20πρὸς τὰς ἐνεστώσας ὑπεκρίνατο κινήσεις20 ἀναφωνεῖν. 13.8 ὅσα μέντοι προσέθηκεν ἴδια καθ' ἑαυτά, φανερῶς ἑάλω ψευσάμενος· οὔτε γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου δεδύνηται προειπεῖν ἡμέραν, οὔτε τὰς τῶν υἱέων τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀναιρέσεις, ὧν ἐπὶ ὀνόματος ἐμνημόνευσεν ἡ γραφή. ἐκ δὲ τούτων οὐ χαλεπῶς ἂν εἴη νοεῖν ὡς οὐδὲν ἴδιον οὐδὲ ἀληθὲς ἀπήγγελλεν τὸ πνεῦμα, ὅσα δὲ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ ὑπεξέκλεπτε ῥήματα, ταῦτα σφετεριζόμενον ᾤετο προφητεύειν. 13.9 ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι τοῦτο προὐφήτευεν ἀψευδῶς· εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ πολέμου γένεσιν ἀνεκήρυττεν καὶ τὰ τῆς αἱματεκχυσίας ἀνήκεστα ῥεύματα, τίς ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων αἴτιός ἐστι πολέμων; 13.10 οὐχ ὁ διάβολος; οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐξῃτήσατο 13.10 τὸν Ἰώβ; οὐκ ἐπήγειρεν αὐτῷ πόλεμον
About this text
Eustathius against Origen on the witch of Endor / belly-speaker (1 Samuel 28).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 18 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.