Solomon’s foreign wives; pleasure dethrones wisdom; no whore in Israel

Cyril: …unto a proof the finishing of Solomon’s life, and what things it happened for him to suffer, upon him on a threshold of old-age?

Palladius: How did you speak?

Cyril: For he was thus bright and sung-of, so as somehow already to take the incomparable glory, yet he changed-over unto the unbeautiful, rather even he leaped-down ignobly, unto somehow the last of the impiety unto God. And the things upon him hold thus. For it has been written in the third of the Kingdoms: ‘And Solomon was magnified over all the kings of the earth in wealth and prudence. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the face of Solomon, to hear his prudence, which Lord gave in his heart.’ (1 Kings 10:23–24) But the thus well-famed and sung-of, and having driven through unto this of wisdom thereafter, so as to become in unmeasured wonder, and beside those very distinguished, a pleasure of evil women levered-out, and as it were somehow taking him out of the divine tent itself put him into the pits of the idolatry. For it has been written thus about him: ‘And the king Solomon was woman-loving, and he took alien women, and the daughter of Pharaoh; Moabitesses, and Ammonitesses, and Idumaeans, Syrians, Hittites, Amorites, from the nations, which Lord forbade for the sons of Israel: You will not go in toward them, and they themselves will not go in toward you, in order that they may not turn aside your hearts behind their idols. Unto them Solomon was glued, to love. And there were for him ruling women seven hundred, and concubines three hundred. And it became in the time of Solomon’ (1 Kings 11:1–6)s old-age, and the alien women turned aside his heart behind other gods. And his heart was not complete with Lord his God, just as the heart of David his father. And Solomon walked behind the Astarte abomination of Sidonians, and behind their king idol of sons of Ammon; and Solomon did evil before Lord, and he did not walk behind Lord, as David his father.’ So then is it not worthy to wail for the one said to have suffered such? The one having raised that well-famed temple in the Jerusalems, the one having asked the wisdom sitting-beside the divine thrones, the one having been wondered-at upon the incomparable understanding, and unto the ends themselves of the under heaven, the one as a morning-star, apparent for cities and lands, being worsted by shameful women, and going behind a most polluted pleasure, is caught having fallen unto this of folly, so as also to neglect altogether the piety unto God. So then slippery then and undebatably is the being with the alien-tribes according to the same. And altogether most terrible also the being worsted by the fleshly pleasure, and unclean such a one, and having been hated by the all-holy God, and not without virtue, to drive into the sacred and divine tent. But neither would he bring forward an acceptable sacrifice. For it has been written in Deuteronomy: ‘There will not be a whore from daughters of Israel, and there will not be a whoring one from sons of Israel; and there will not be’ (Deuteronomy 23:17)