from the wise holy prophets. Let us not therefore be faint-hearted hearing scriptures which we do not understand, but "let it be to us according to our faith," which we also believe, that "all scripture, being God-breathed, is profitable." For you must accept one of two things concerning these scriptures, either that they are not "God-breathed," since they are not "profitable," as an unbeliever might suppose; or, as a believer, to accept that, since they are "God-breathed," they are "profitable." It must be known, however, that the benefit often comes to us imperceptibly, for example, we are often prescribed to eat a certain food that sharpens sight, and surely we do not feel while eating it that our eye is being benefited, but after a second and 420 third day has passed, the assimilation of the food that benefits the eye makes us believe through experience that our eye has been benefited. And it is possible to see this also with other foods that benefit certain parts of the body. So then, believe also concerning the divine scripture, that your soul is benefited, even if "the mind does not receive the fruit" of the benefit from the letters, from the mere reading alone. For the things in us are charmed, and the better things are nourished, while the worse things are nullified. "And the sons of Judah came to Joshua." Before the portion which the tribe received, Caleb receives a part 421 without lot by the command of God. And what city should the only one saved with Joshua, apart from the 600,000, have received, if not "the mother-city of Anak, Hebron"? Having taken this, he "went up against the inhabitants of Debir, which was formerly called the City of Letters." And he proclaims "to give Achsah his daughter to the one who took it," which "Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took"; 422 clearly from another father, at least according to the letter of the text. And upon request Achsah receives from her father "the upper Gulloth and the lower Gulloth of the inheritance of Judah." But what is the "mother-city"? Since, therefore, there are many cities in 423 the holy inheritance and different orders, there must also be an order of orders, which is comprehensive and sovereign and like a "mother-city," which the preeminent receive, and others another. For Scripture speaks of many mother-cities, as in Isaiah: "Sion, the faithful mother-city." Of these Caleb receives the first, which belonged to the "Anakim," which is interpreted as empty humiliation or empty answer. He receives, therefore, a "mother-city" of empty humiliation. For there are two humiliations: one empty, the other full. The one is praiseworthy, about which the Savior says: "Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart" and "everyone who humbles himself will be exalted"; and Paul: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God." The other is blameworthy, by which the sinner is humbled, and concerning the one who unlawfully has relations with a woman it is said in Scripture: "he has humbled her." This humiliation, called "Anak," "Caleb destroyed," whose children are "Susi," which is interpreted as 'outside of me'-- 424.20 for the son of empty humiliation is outside of God and of the holy one--; and "Ahiman," which is 'my brother by counsel'; for all are brothers, but the sinner is a brother without counsel, cast out from counsel; and "Thalmai," which is interpreted as 'suspension,' someone suspended and not established. Whom "Caleb destroyed" and "goes up" against the inhabitants of "Debir, which was the City of Letters" and is interpreted as 'speech'. And this must be understood to be the old Scripture, which, being called "of Letters," becomes speech when it obtains an intelligent narration. 425 And he promises "his own daughter to the one who took the Scriptures; and Othniel takes the city," which is interpreted as 'answer of God'. When God answers me, I have become 'answer of God'. And "I cut off" "the letters, being Caleb's younger brother," that is, the one from the 426 Church. For I am no longer circumcised according to the letter, I do not keep Passover, nor unleavened bread, nor do I keep the Sabbath. And I receive the offspring of my elder brother, having become "the son of Kenaz," which is interpreted as 'contempt'. Such have we from the Gentiles become of the elder brother

παρὰ σοφῶν τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν. Μὴ ἐκκακῶμεν οὖν ἀκούοντες γραφῶν, ἃς οὐ νοοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ «γενηθήτω ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν», ἣν καὶ πιστεύομεν, ὅτι «πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος οὖσα ὠφέλιμός ἐστι». Τὸ γὰρ ἓν τῶν δύο δεῖ σε παραδέξασθαι ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν γραφῶν, ἢ ὅτι οὔκ εἰσι «θεόπνευστοι», ἐπεὶ οὔκ εἰσιν «ὠφέλιμοι», ὡς ὑπολαμβάνοι ἂν ὁ ἄπιστος· ἤ, ὡς πιστός, παραδέξασθαι, ὅτι, ἐπεί εἰσιν «θεόπνευστοι», «ὠφέλιμοί» εἰσιν. Ἰστέον μέντοι γε, ὅτι καὶ ἀνεπαισθήτως ἡμῶν πολ λάκις γίνεται ἡ ὠφέλεια, οἷον πολλάκις τροφήν τινα διατασσόμεθα ἐσθίειν ὀξυδερκικὴν καὶ οὐ δήπου ἐν τῷ ἐσθίειν αἰσθανόμεθα, ὅτι ὠφελούμεθα τὸν ὀφθαλμόν, ἀλλ' ἡμέρας διαγενομένης δευτέρας καὶ 420 τρίτης ἡ ἀνάδοσις τῆς τροφῆς τῆς ὠφελούσης τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ποιεῖ ἡμᾶς τῇ πείρᾳ πιστεῦσαι, ὅτι τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ὠφελήμεθα. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπ' ἄλλων τροφῶν ὠφελουσῶν τινα μέλη τοῦ σώματος τοῦτό ἐστιν ἰδεῖν. Οὕτω τοίνυν πίστευε καὶ περὶ τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ὅτι ὠφελεῖ ταί σου ἡ ψυχή, κἂν μὴ «ὁ νοῦς τὸν καρπὸν» λαμβάνῃ τῆς ὠφελείας τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων, ἐκ μόνης ψιλῆς τῆς ἀναγνώσεως. Τὰ γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐπᾴδεται καὶ τὰ μὲν κρείττονα τρέφεται, τὰ δὲ χείρονα καταργεῖται. «Καὶ προσῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰούδα πρὸς Ἰησοῦν». Πρὸ τῆς μερίδος, ἣν ἔλαβεν ἡ φυλή, Χάλεβ ἀκληρωτὶ 421 μέρος λαμβάνει διὰ προστάγματος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίνα δὲ πόλιν ἔδει τὸν μόνον σωθέντα μετ' Ἰησοῦ παρὰ τὰς χʹ χιλιάδας λαβεῖν ἢ «μητρό πολιν τὴν Ἐνάκ, τὴν Χεβρών»; ἣν δὴ λαβὼν «ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοι κοῦντας ∆αβείρ, ἣ πρότερον ἐλέγετο πόλις Γραμμάτων». Καὶ κηρύττει «τῷ ταύτην ἑλόντι Ἀσχὰν διδόναι τὴν θυγα τέρα», ἣν «εἷλε Γοθονιὴλ υἱὸς Κενέζ, ἀδελφὸς Χάλεβ ὁ νεώτερος»· 422 δῆλον ὡς ἐξ ἑτέρου πατρὸς κατά γε τὸν τοῦ γράμματος λόγον. Λαμ βάνει δὲ κατ' αἴτησιν ἡ Ἀσχὰν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς «τὴν Γονέθλαν τὴν ἄνω καὶ τὴν Γονέθλαν τὴν κάτω τῆς κληρονομίας Ἰούδα». Ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ «μητρόπολις»; Πολλῶν τοίνυν οὐσῶν πόλεων ἐν 423 τῇ ἁγίᾳ κληροδοσίᾳ καὶ ταγμάτων διαφερόντων δεῖ καὶ τάγμα ταγμά των ὑπάρχειν περιεκτικόν τε καὶ κύριον καὶ οἷον «μητρόπολιν», ἣν οἱ διαφέρ<οντες> λαμβάνουσι, καὶ ἄλλην ἄλλοι. Πολλὰς γὰρ μητρο πόλεις φησὶν ἡ Γραφή, ὡς παρ' Ἡσαΐᾳ· «Μητρόπολις πιστὴ Σιών». Ὧν λαμβάνει τὴν πρώτην ὁ Χάλεβ οὖσαν τῶν «Ἐνακείμ», ὅπερ ταπείνωσις κενὴ ἤγουν ἀπόκρισις κενὴ ἑρμηνεύεται. «Μητρόπολιν» οὖν λαμβάνει κενῆς ταπεινώσεως. ∆ύο γὰρ ταπεινώσεις· ἡ μὲν κενή, ἡ δὲ πλήρης. Ἡ μὲν ἐπαινετή, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶύς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ» καὶ «πᾶς ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται»· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· «Ταπεινώθητε οὖν ὑπὸ τὴν κρα ταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ». Ἡ δὲ ψεκτή, ἣν ταπεινοῦται ὁ ἁμαρτωλός, καὶ περὶ τοῦ δὲ παρανόμως γυναικὶ συνιόντος εἴρηται τῇ Γραφῇ· «ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτήν». Ταύτην «ὁ Χάλεβ κατήργησε» τὴν ταπείνωσιν «Ἐνὰκ» λεγομένην, οὗ παῖδες «Σουσί», ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται ἐκτός μου- 424.20 ἐκτὸς γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ὁ υἱὸς τῆς κενῆς ταπεινώσεως-· καὶ «Ἀχιμάν», ὅ ἐστιν ἀδελφός μου ἀπὸ βουλῆς· ἀδελφοὶ μὲν γὰρ πάν τες, ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀπόβουλος ἀδελφὸς ἐκβεβλημένος βουλῆς· καὶ «Θαλαμίν», ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται κρεμασμός, μετέωρός τις καὶ οὐκ ἐστηριγ μένος. Οὓς «ἀνελὼν ὁ Χάλεβ» ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας «ἀναβαίνει ∆α βείρ, ἥτις ἦν πόλις Γραμμάτων» καὶ ἑρμηνεύεται λαλιά. Νοητέον δὲ ταύτην τὴν παλαιὰν εἶναι Γραφήν, ἣ καλουμένη «Γραμμάτων» γίνεται λαλιὰ τυχοῦσα συνετῆς διηγήσεως. 425 Ἐπαγγέλλεται δὲ «τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θυγατέρα τῷ τὰς Γραφὰς ἑλόντι· καὶ λαμβάνει τὴν πόλιν Γοθονιήλ», ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται ἀπόκρισις Θεοῦ. Ὅταν μοι Θεὸς ἀποκρίνηται, γέγονα ἀπόκρισις Θεοῦ. «Ἐκκόπτω» δὲ «τὰ γράμματα ἀδελφὸς ὢν Χάλεβ ὁ νεώτερος», τουτέστιν ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς 426 Ἐκκλησίας. Οὐκέτι γὰρ περιτέμνομαι κατὰ τὸ γράμμα, οὐ Πάσχα ποιῶ, οὐκ ἄζυμα, οὐ σαββατίζω. Καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου λαμβάνω τὸ γέννημα, ὁ «τοῦ Κενὲζ υἱὸς» γεγονώς, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται φαυ λισμός. Ὁποῖοι γεγόναμεν οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἀδελφοῦ