Repaying a Kindness; Doeg the Edomite
…from such rotten and unholy designs, they clung to their demand no less, saying: “No, but there shall be a king over us” (1 Samuel 8:19).
“And Saul said to his servant,” and so on; “And what shall we bring?” and so on (1 Samuel 9:7). (Cyril, from his Commentary on Matthew.) It is always natural for those who have been helped, that is, who have received very pleasant things from others, to want to make whatever return they can, and to gladden their benefactors with equal or even greater honors. And those in whom a good and grateful character is present always show, in one way or another, their eagerness in these things as proof of their gratitude.
“And one of Saul’s servants was there, and his name was Doeg” (1 Samuel 21:7). There was a certain man, an Edomite by race, whose name was Doeg. This man lived among the guards of…
Greek
τῶν οὔτω σαθρῶν καὶ ἀνοσίων σκεμμάτων, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπεφύοντο λέγοντες· Οὐχὶ, ἀλλ' ἢ βασιλεία ἔσται ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Σαοὺλ τῷ παιδαρίῳ, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τί οἴσομεν; κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκτοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον.} Προσπέφυκεν ἀεὶ τοῖς ὠφελουμένοις, ἤγουν ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων ἡδίστων μετεσχηκόσιν, ἀνταποτιννῦναι θέλειν τὰς κατὰ δύναμιν ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ ταῖς ἰσοστάθμοις ἤγουν καὶ ἔτι καὶ μείζοσιν κατευφραίνειν τιμαῖς· καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἀεί πως ἐπιτηδεύουσι προθυμίαν, οἷσπερ ἂν ἀγαθὸς καὶ εὐγνώμων ἐνυπάρχοι τρόπος. Καὶ ἐκεῖ ἦν ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων τοῦ Σαούλ. Καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ∆ωήκ. {Κυρίλλου.} Γέγονεν ἀνήρ τις Ἰδουμαῖος τὸ γένος, ᾧ ὄνομα ∆ωήκ. Οὗτος ἀπεστρέφετο παρὰ τοῖς δορυφόροις τοῦ