mean by the word, “made away with?” Why, that he had ruined, or destroyed them all. Hence, when the oath was transgressed, all kept silence, and no one dared to bring forth the criminal; and this became afterwards no small matter of blame, for not only are those who break an oath, but those also who are privy to it and conceal it, partakers of the crime. 9. But let us see what follows; “And Saul said, Let us go down after the strangers,1592 435 and spoil them. And the priest said, Let us draw near hither unto God.”1593 For in old times God led forth the people to battle; and without His consent no one dared to engage in the fight, and war was with them a matter of religion. For not from weakness of body, but from their sins they were conquered, whenever they were conquered; and not by might and courage, but by favour from above they prevailed, whenever they did prevail. Victory and defeat were also to them a means of training, and a school of virtue. And not to them only, but to their adversaries; for this was made evident to them too, that the fate of battle with the Jews was decided not by the nature of their arms, but by the life and good works of the warriors. The Midianites at least perceiving this, and knowing that people to be invincible, and that to have attacked them with arms and engines of war would have been fruitless, and that it was only possible to conquer them by sin, having decked out handsome virgins, and set them in the array,1594 excited the soldiers to lasciviousness, endeavouring by means of fornication to deprive them of God’s assistance; which accordingly happened. For when they had fallen into sin, they became an easy prey to all; and those whom weapons, and horses, and soldiers, and so many engines availed not to capture,1595 sin by its nature de- livered over bound to their enemies. Shields, and spears, and darts were all alike found useless; but beauty of visage and wantonness of soul overpowered these brave men. 10. Therefore one gives this admonition; “Observe not the beauty of a strange woman, and meet not a woman addicted to fornication.1596 For honey distils from the lips of an harlot, which at the time may seem smooth to thy throat, but afterward thou wilt find it more bitter than gall, and sharper than a two-edged sword.”1597 For the harlot knows not how to love, but only to ensnare; her kiss hath poison, and her mouth a pernicious drug. And if this does not immediately appear, it is the more necessary to avoid her on that account, because she veils that destruction, and keeps that death concealed, and suffers it not to be- 1592 ‡λλοφύλων, usually put in LXX. for the Philistines. 1593 1 Sam. xiv. 36. 1594 ἐπὶ τῆς παρατ€ξεως. An expression so proper to battle, that it must be metaphorical, meaning “they adopted this method of warfare.” 1595 This may perhaps be said with a tacit reference to Samson, as the Midianites did not gain any victory. See Numb. xxxi. 16; Jud. iii. 6. 1596 Eccles. ix. 8, 3. 1597 Prov. v. 3, 4. 635 Homily XIV