David's Repentance and Flight
…is found to have befallen him, yet he showed that the falls of the saints are quickly set right.
“And David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord’” (2 Samuel 12:13). (Cyril, from his exposition of Psalm 51.) Here, I ask you, marvel at the blessed David: … he mourned over his sin.
“Moreover, the son born to you shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:14). (Cyril, from his Commentary on the Psalter, on the verse “O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger” (Psalm 6:1 or Psalm 38:1).) And yet, having heard these things from the prophet, … rather than to be pardoned.
“And he took the crown of Molchom the king” (2 Samuel 12:30). He set himself in battle against the sons of Ammon and against those who had joined shields with them in their madness, I mean those from the land of the Syrians. He conquered and took them by force; and taking the crown of Molchom, and finding in it a very large and precious stone, he bound it onto his own crown.
“And David went up weeping, with his head covered” (2 Samuel 15:30). Since it happened that before the war against Absalom the blessed David had committed the sin, I mean the one against Uriah, there was talk throughout the whole land of the Jews, so to speak, and some held a not unlikely suspicion about him. For they thought that he was paying the penalty for his offenses against Uriah, and that, since he had offended God, he would now be easy prey for any who wished and weak on every side. “Scatter, I beg you, the counsel…
Greek
εὑρίσκεται πεπονθὼς, ἀλλ' ἔδειξεν ὡς τὰ τῶν ἁγίων πταίσματα ταχεῖαν ἔχει τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν. Καὶ εἶπε ∆αβὶδ τῷ Νάθαν· Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τῆς εἰς τὸν νʹ ψαλμόν.} Ἐνταῦθά μοι θαύμαζε τὸν μακάριον ∆αβίδ· ..., τεθρήνηκεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς ψαλτήριον ὑπομνήματος, ῥητοῦ προκειμένου.} Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με. Καίτοι ταῦτα ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου, ... μᾶλλον ἢ συγγινώσκεσθαι. Καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν στέφανον Μολχὸμ τοῦ βασιλέως. {Κυρίλλου.} Παρετάξατο μὲν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ τοὺς ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίαις συνησπισκότας τοὺς ἀπὸ γέας φημὶ τῆς Σύρων· νενίκηκε δὲ, καὶ εἷλε μὲν αὐτοὺς κατὰ κράτος· λαβὼν δὲ τὸν στέφανον τοῦ Μολχὼμ, εἶτα λίθον ἐν αὐτῷ παμμεγέθη καὶ πολύτιμον εὑρὼν, ἐνέδησε τῷ ἰδίῳ στεφάνῳ. Καὶ ∆αβὶδ ἀνέβαινε κλαίων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικεκαλυμμένος. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἐπειδὴ συνέβη πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ ‹69.685› πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ, τὴν εἰς Οὐρίαν φημὶ, θρῦλος ἦν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τὴν Ἰουδαίων χώραν, καὶ ὑποψίαν τινὲς οὐκ ἀπιθάνως ἔχοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ· ᾤοντο γὰρ αὐτὸν τῶν εἰς Οὐρίαν πλημμελημάτων πράττεσθαι δίκας· καὶ ἐν προσκρούσει δὲ γεγονότα τῇ παρὰ Θεῷ, τοῖς ἐθέλουσι κᾆτα δὴ οὖν εὐάλωτον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ πανταχοῦ νοσοῦντα τὸ ἄναλκι. ∆ιασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν