3

to say something spoken? If it used reason and discernment and understanding and response to what was said by the woman for itself, as its own work, then every serpent was not prevented from doing this. But if they say again that according to a divine plan and economy it addressed Eve with a human voice, they make God the cause of sin. But it is not permitted even for the evil demon to grant reason from non-being into being to an irrational nature; since he would never have ceased speaking to and deceiving men for their beguilement through serpents and beasts and birds. And from where, being a beast, did it hear the commandment given mystically by God to the man, and to him alone, when not even the woman herself had learned this? Why did it not rather attack the man, and not the woman? And do not say that it assailed her as being weaker; on the contrary, she appeared more courageous, as a helper of the man, in the transgression of the commandment. For she alone resists the serpent, and having been craftily overcome after some resistance and contention, ate of the tree; but Adam, without fighting at all, or contradicting, partook of the fruit given by the woman; which is a proof of complete weakness and an unmanly mind. For the woman, having been wrestled down by a demon, is pardonable; but Adam, as having been defeated by a woman, will be unpardonable, as he himself received the commandment from God in person; for the woman, having heard the commandment from Adam himself, was disposed to disregard it, either because she was not deemed worthy for God to speak to her also, or because she was doubting, perhaps even thinking that the commandment was given to her from Adam's own mind. The serpent found her being by herself, so that he might be able to converse with her privately. And seeing her eating from the trees, he attacked the eating of the tree, or not eating. And if she was eating, it is clear that she was also in a corruptible body. For everything that enters the mouth goes into the latrine. If therefore she was corruptible, it is clear that she was also mortal. And if she was mortal, it was no longer a curse, nor that sentence, the voice of God saying to the man, that you are earth, and to earth you shall return, as the truth of the matter has it. But if again the serpent saw the woman not eating, how did he lead into eating one who had never eaten? And who informed this murderous, polluting serpent that the sentence of death from God against them would not come to pass, who said, on whatever day you eat, you shall surely die. And not only that, but that with their gazing their eyes would be opened, which before were not seeing? And by the so-called opening they made an entrance for death. 15 Balaam, speaking these things of old in parables, was not known; and now Christ, being present, and fulfilling these things, was not believed; wherefore, foreseeing and marveling, he says: Alas, alas, who shall live, when God does these things? 16 Explaining the law anew to the generation after those chosen in the wilderness, he teaches Deuteronomy; not as giving another law, besides the one long ago established for their fathers; but recapping this very one; so that, having heard what happened to their fathers, they might fear God with their whole heart. 17 From whom Christ was prefigured, and was recognized, and was born; for in Joseph he was prefigured; and from Levi and Judah according to the flesh, as king and priest, he was born; and through Simeon he was recognized in the temple; through Zebulun he was believed in among the nations, as the prophet says: land of Zebulun; and through Benjamin, that is, Paul, having been preached in all the world, he was glorified. 18 And this not idly, but so that through the number of the ten men, he might appear having Jesus with him as a helper, as one who had become of one mind with them. And when he was unwilling to have fellowship with what they were doing in their idolatry, they bring the accusation against him; because Jerubbaal is said to be the judgment-seat of Baal. 19 Take to yourself Jesus the son of Nave. For it was necessary for Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, and for Jesus to lead them into the inheritance; and for Moses, as the law, to take his rest,

3

λαλητὸν εἰπεῖν; Εἰ μὲν αὐτουργικῶς ἑαυτῷ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν διάκρισιν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ ἀπόκρισιν τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς λεγομένων ἐχρήσατο, ἄρα οὖν καὶ πᾶς ὄφις τοῦτο ποιεῖν οὐ κεκώλυτο. Εἰ δὲ πάλιν φήσουσι κατὰ θείαν βουλὴν καὶ οἰκονομίαν ἀνθρωπίνῃ φωνῇ τῇ Εὔᾳ τοῦτον προσφθέγγεσθαι, τὸν Θεὸν ἱστῶσι τῆς ἁμαρτίας αἴτιον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῷ πονηρῷ δαίμονι ἐξὸν ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἀλόγῳ φύσει λόγον χαρίσασθαι· ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐπαύσατό ποτε πρὸς ἀπάτην δι' ὄφεων καὶ θηρίων καὶ πετεινῶν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διαλεγόμενος καὶ πλανῶν. Πόθεν δὲ καὶ θηρίον ὢν, ἤκουσε τῆς ἐντολῆς τῆς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ μόνῳ, μυστικῶς δοθείσης, μηδ' αὐτῆς τῆς γυναικὸς τοῦτο μαθούσης; ∆ιὰ τί μὴ μᾶλλον τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ οὐ τῇ γυναικὶ προσέβαλε; Κἂν μὴ εἴπῃς, ὡς ἀσθενεστέρας ταύτης κατέδραμε· τοὐναντίον ἀνδρειοτέρα, ὡς βοηθὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐφάνη ἐν τῇ παραβάσει τῆς ἐντολῆς. Αὕτη γὰρ καὶ ἀνταίρει μόνη τῷ ὄφει, καὶ μετά τινος στάσεως καὶ φιλονεικίας καταπανουργηθεῖσα, τοῦ ξύλου ἔφαγεν· ὁ δὲ Ἀδὰμ οὐδὲν ὅλως μαχεσάμενος, ἢ ἀντιλέξας, τοῦ καρποῦ μετειλήφει δοθέντος παρὰ τῆς γυναικός· ὅπερ ἀσθενείας παντελοῦς καὶ νοὸς ἀνάνδρου ἐστὶν ἀπόδειξις. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ γυνὴ ὑπὸ δαίμονος καταπαλαισθεῖσα, συγγνωστὴ ὑπάρχει· ὁ δὲ Ἀδὰμ, ὡς ὑπὸ γυναικὸς ἡττηθεὶς ἀσύγγνωστος ἔσται, ὡς αὐτοπροσώπως τὴν ἐντολὴν αὐτὸς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ κομισάμενος· ἡ μὲν γὰρ γυνὴ, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ Ἀδὰμ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἀκούσασα, εὐκαταφρονήτως διέκειτο, ἢ ὡς μὴ ἀξιωθεῖσα τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ταύτῃ λαλῆσαι, ἢ καὶ ὡς διστάζουσα, ἴσως καὶ νομίζουσα οἴκοθεν τὸν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τὴν ἐντολὴν αὐτῇ δοθῆναι. Πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἰδιάζουσαν εὗρεν ὁ ὄφις, ἵνα δυνηθῇ κατ' ἰδίαν αὐτῇ προσομιλῆσαι. Ἐσθίουσαν δὲ αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν ξύλων ἰδὼν, προσέβαλλε τὴν βρῶσιν τοῦ ξύλου, ἢ μὴ ἐσθίουσαν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐσθίουσαν, πρόδηλον, ὅτι καὶ ἐν φθαρτῷ σώματι οὖσαν. Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ εἰς τὸ στόμα εἰσερχόμενον, εἰς ἀφεδρῶνα χωρεῖ. Εἰ οὖν φθαρτὴ, πρόδηλον ὅτι καὶ θνητή. Εἰ δὲ θνητὴ, οὐκέτι κατάρα, οὐδὲ ἀπόφασις ἦν ἐκείνη, ἡ φάσκουσα πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον φωνὴ Θεοῦ, ὅτι γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ, καθὰ ἔχει ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια. Εἰ δὲ πάλιν οὐκ ἐσθίουσαν ὁ ὄφις τὴν γυναῖκα ἐθεάσατο, πῶς εἰς βρῶσιν μετήγαγε τὴν οὐδέποτε φαγοῦσαν; Τίς δὲ ὁ μηνύσας καὶ τούτῳ τῷ φονευτῇ παλαμναίῳ ὄφει, ὡς οὐκ εἰς πέρας ἔλθῃ ἡ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐκ Θεοῦ περὶ θανάτου ἀπόφασις, εἰπόντος, ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε. Καὶ οὐ μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι σὺν τῇ ἀθρηξίᾳ καὶ τούτων διανοιχθήσονται οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, οἱ τὸ πρὶν ἀβλεποῦντες; Τῇ δὲ λεγομένῃ διανοίξει τὴν εἴσοδον τῷ θανάτῳ ποιήσαντες. 15 Ταῦτα πάλαι διὰ παραβολῶν λαλῶν ὁ Βαλαὰμ οὐκ ἐγινώσκετο· καὶ νῦν ὁ Χριστὸς παρὼν, καὶ ταῦτα πληρῶν, οὐκ ἐπιστεύετο· ὅθεν προβλέπων καὶ θαυμάζων λέγει· ὢ, ὢ, τίς ζήσεται, ὅταν θῇ ταῦτα Θεός; 16 Ἄνωθεν τὸν νόμον τῇ μετὰ τοὺς ᾑρημένους ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ γενεᾷ ἐπεξηγούμενος, ἐκδιδάσκει τὸ ∆ευτερονόμιον· οὐχ ὡς ἕτερον νόμον διδοὺς, παρὰ τὸν πάλαι τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ὡρισμένον· ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τοῦτον ἀνακεφαλαιούμενος· ἵνα ἀκούσαντες τὰ συμβάντα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν, ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας φοβηθῶσι τὸν Θεόν. 17 Ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς προετυπώθη, καὶ ἐπεγνώσθη, καὶ ἐγεννήθη· ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ προετυπώθη· ἐκ δὲ τοῦ Λευὶ καὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὡς βασιλεὺς καὶ ἱερεὺς, ἐγεννήθη· διὰ δὲ τοῦ Συμεὼν ἐν τῷ ναῷ ἐπεγνώσθη· διὰ τοῦ Ζαβουλὼν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπιστεύθη, ὥς φησιν ὁ προφήτης· γῆ Ζαβουλών· διὰ δὲ τοῦ Βενιαμὶν, τοῦ Παύλου, εἰς πάντα τὸν κόσμον κηρυχθεὶς ἐδοξάσθη. 18 Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀργῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα διὰ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν δέκα ἄνδρων, Ἰησοῦν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἔχων φάνῃ βοηθὸν, οἷα καὶ ἀπὸ συμφώνου αὐτοῖς γεγονότος. Καὶ μὴ βουληθέντος ἐπικοινωνῆσαι οἷς ἔπραττον εἰδωλολατροῦντες, ἐπ' αὐτὸν τὴν αἰτίαν ἀναφέρουσιν· ὅτι Ἱεροβάαλ δικαστήριον τοῦ Βάαλ λέγεται. 19 Λαβὲ πρὸς σεαυτὸν τὸν Ἰησοῦν υἱὸν Ναυῆ. Ἔδει γὰρ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου Μωϋσῆν τὸν λαὸν ἐξαγαγεῖν, τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὴν κληροδοσίαν εἰσαγαγεῖν· καὶ τὸν μὲν Μωϋσῆν ὡς νόμον ἀνάπαυλαν λαμβάνειν,