Lib. 4, cap. 3 et 4

Why was it that David, who rewarded not evil to them that dealt treacherously with him, when Saul and Jonathan had fallen in battle, cursed the mountains of Gilboa? For he said: Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew upon you, neither let there be rain, nor fields of offerings [of the first-fruits of the harvest,] because there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, even the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. Why was it that Jeremiah, when he saw that his preaching was hindered of its effect by the ill disposition of his hearers, pronounced a curse? for he said: Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, aA man child is born unto thee.

What fault was there then in the mountains of Gilboa when Saul died, that neither dew nor rain should fall thereon, and that a sentence of such barrenness should be pronounced upon them? In answer to this question, let us first recall that Gilboa, by interpretation, is a-flowing-down; and secondly, that Saul (who was anointed and thereafter died) can be understood as a symbol of the death of our Mediator. Hence, we may take the mountains as a symbol of the proud heart of Jewry; which same, did so flow downward to the desires of this world, that they participated in the bringing to pass the death of Christ, that is, the Anointed; and because he that was anointed King over them did thus die in the body amongst them, Jewry is dried up from all the dew of grace which it once enjoyed by covenanted rights.

In this interpretation, it is well said, that there could be amongst them no fields of offering of first-fruits. Because of pride, Jewry as a whole did not shew forth first-fruits in that abundance which the Redeemer, at his coming, had a right to expect of the, for they rejected the first teaching of the Faith. Hence we might put it this way: holy Church, which in its beginning was made fruitful by the multitude of the Gentiles, will just barely be able in the end to gather in such of Jewry as can be found; and, collecting these last of all, will harvest them as left-over fruits.