{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-1271","native_reference":{"book_number":90,"chapter_from":24,"chapter_to":24,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":5,"verse_to":5},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: In this way, too, the kingdom of Saul himself, who certainly was reprobated and rejected, was the shadow of a kingdom yet to come which should remain to eternity. For, indeed, the oil with which he was anointed, and from that chrism he is called Christ, is to be taken in a mystical sense, and is to be understood as a great mystery; which David himself venerated so much in him, that he trembled with smitten heart when, being hid in a dark cave, which Saul also entered when pressed by the necessity of nature, he had come secretly behind him and cut off a small piece of his robe, that he might be able to prove how he had spared him when he could have killed him, and might thus remove from his mind the suspicion through which he had vehemently persecuted the holy David, thinking him his enemy. Therefore he was much afraid lest he should be accused of violating so great a mystery in Saul, because he had thus meddled even his clothes. For thus it is written: \"And David's heart smote him because he had taken away the skirt of his cloak.\" But to the men with him, who advised him to destroy Saul thus delivered up into his hands, he saith, \"The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's christ, to lay my hand upon him, because he is the Lord's christ.\" Therefore he showed so great reverence to this shadow of what was to come, not for its own sake, but for the sake of what it prefigured.<br/><i>— THE CITY OF GOD 17.6</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: After these things, David's heart struck him, etc. The Lord groaned for the human race, from which he took flesh, with the affection of compassion, because by its merits he was compelled to take away some part of its royal ornament, preferring that it might have the kingdom here and always in the future age, preserved by divine law. Finally, seeing the sinful city, he wept over it saying: For if you also had known, and the rest (Luke 19). He lamented with human pious compassion the detestable loss of the kingdom, which he decreed by divine justice would come to pass.<br/><i>— Commentary on Samuel</i></p><p><b>Gregory of Nyssa</b>: This is why the coming together of Saul, who was in pursuit of murder, and of David, who was shunning murder, in the cave is described after many events which it had preceded. The authority to kill was reversed in this event, since the one who was being pursued for execution had authority over the slaughter of his killer, and although he had the right, so far as retribution against his enemy was concerned, he stayed his power so far as consisted with the right and killed his own anger in himself instead of his enemy. - \"On the Inscriptions of the Psalms 2.14.224\"</p><p><b>Magnus Felix Ennodius</b>: You have grounds for complaint against the leaders of our people, since you are redeeming those whom they very often permitted to be taken captive or even themselves reduced to servitude. Scripture gives us an example of singular praise when it extols David to the very skies because, having his enemy Saul in his power, he spared him, cutting off but the hem of his robe as evidence of both the opportunity that was his and of his loyalty. Good God, how munificently will You reward the deed of this man who now negotiates for the liberation of so many oppressed souls, you who have exalted David for sparing the life of a single man! - \"Life of St. Epiphanius\"</p>","source_html_sha256":"6850687b3447c252a4a300d1ad165da53b3dfcc749ca424dc0105ed5495d087c","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":1271,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"bac1bf2115e87bc896fc03f5c4ff7ab554c4c7eef3d27d60be0d8f3da00fafa7","translator":null,"work":null}