to this, that they may taste of the heavenly bread; for 12.816 he says, if the wheat is not broken and ground, they remain without food. Therefore, proceeding from this, I myself clarify the proposed law, “You shall not take a millstone in pledge,” that is, you shall not profane the old nor shall you cast it out of your house; “nor the upper millstone;” instead of, the new, “because this one takes a life in pledge,” that is, by these the soul is nourished, enjoying spiritual foods. They shall scourge him with forty stripes. We have always observed the number forty to be one of affliction; whence Moses the great fasted for forty days, and after him Elijah; but also our Savior, being tempted by the devil, did not eat for forty days and forty nights; and the great flood came upon the earth, when God sent rain, for forty days and forty nights. You shall not wield iron over them. It must be investigated why He does not permit iron to touch the stones used for the building of the altar. But also after this, for the building of the temple, He commands to gather unhewn stones, and to build. For if it is absurd for iron to touch a stone suited for building, how then were the pillars, how then the planks and their capitals fashioned? Or how were all the things made of bronze or gold or silver crafted, then, without iron? And how is it possible? From these things it is clear that He does not simply forbid iron from touching the stones. What then is the reason? We say it without insisting. These things, then. He forbids striking and clashing hard against hard. For great evils are wont to be born from the mixing and clashing of hard things. Or He casts murder as far as possible from the hearts of men; and very rightly so. For if one must not apply iron to a stone being built into the structure of the altar, or of the temple, how should it not be much more forbidden to seize iron and to murder one's neighbor? These shall stand to bless the people. It should be observed that those appointed to bless were born of the free women and kinswomen of Jacob; so also those set apart to curse from Mount Ebal were from the handmaids, except for Reuben and Zebulun. But Reuben is appointed with those who curse, as he was also cursed by his father. And if he also cursed Levi, yet he himself is redeemed by his priestly dignity. For it is especially the priest’s role to bless the people. But Simeon also, as having dwelt in the midst of the tribe of Judah, and having become as it were a part of it, for this reason wherever Judah is, there he also is numbered. And this is the blessing with which Moses blessed. The prophecies from Jacob were neither all blessings nor all curses; but those from Moses were all blessings. And he hastened from Mount Paran. That is 12.817, by no longer dealing with Israel, but with those from the nations, and he established the law. For this, “he hastened from Mount Paran,” or “he ceased,” which another writing contains, instead of, he will earnestly leave the shadow behind, and will reveal the truth to us. With ten thousands of Kadesh. Now he says Kadesh not of the place, but of the holy ones. For Kadesh means holy in the Hebrew tongue. And he spared his people. That is, having come, he saved those who were once not a people, but are now the people of God, those who had not received mercy, but have now received mercy. “In this,” says the apostle Peter, “the love of God was made manifest among us.” And the holy John says in his catholic epistle, that “God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” And the blessed Paul says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.” Therefore, he spared the people. And all the sanctified are under your hands. For he rules over all, as king of heaven and earth. As standing before a king, as serving God, as worshipping the creator, they are also under him; “for he has also subjected all things under his feet.” The rulers of the peoples being gathered together. The divine disciples, as David also says on their behalf;

τούτῳ, ἵνα γεύσωνται τοῦ ἐπουρανίου ἄρτου· ἐὰν 12.816 γὰρ, φησὶ, μὴ συντριβῇ καὶ ἀληθῇ ὁ σῖτος, ἄσιτοι μένουσιν. Ἐκ τούτου οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁρμώμενος τὸν προκείμενον σαφηνίζω νόμον, «Οὐκ ἐνεχυράσεις μύ λον,» τουτέστιν, οὐ μὴ βεβηλώσεις τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπώσεις αὐτὴν τῆς σῆς οἰκίας· «οὐδὲ ἐπιμύ λιον·» ἀντὶ τοῦ, τὴν καινὴν, «ὅτι ψυχὴν οὗτος ἐνε χυράζει,» τουτέστι τούτοις τρέφεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἀπολαύ ουσα νοητῶν ἐδεσμάτων. Ἀριθμῷ τεσσαράκοντα μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτόν. Ἀεί γε τετηρήκαμεν κακωτικὸν ὄντα τὸν μʹ ἀρι θμόν· ὅθεν Μωϋσῆς ὁ μέγας τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας νηστεύσας, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ὁ Ἠλίας· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου οὐκ ἔφα γεν μʹ ἡμέρας καὶ μʹ νύκτας· καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ κατα κλυσμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γίνεται, ὕοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, τεσ σαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα νύκτας. Οὐκ ἐπιβαλεῖς αὐτοῖς σίδηρον. Ζητητέον διὰ τί σίδηρον οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν λίθων ἅψασθαι εἰς τὴν οἰκοδο μὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου χρησιμευόντων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ λίθους ἀπε λεκήτους προστάττει συναγαγεῖν, καὶ οἰκοδομῆσαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἄτοπον τὸ σίδηρον ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ λίθου πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν ἁρμόττοντος, πῶς οὖν ἄρα οἱ κίονες, πῶς οὖν αἱ σανίδες καὶ αἱ τούτων κεφαλίδες εἰργάσθησαν; Ἢ πῶς ὅσα ἐκ χαλκοῦ γέγονεν ἢ χρυσοῦ ἢ ἀργύ ρου, κατεσκευάσθη ἄρα ἄνευ σιδηροῦ; Καὶ πῶς οἷόν τε; ∆ιὰ τούτων φανερὸν μὲν, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀπαγορεύει τὸ σίδηρον ἅψασθαι τῶν λίθων. Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία; Λέγο μεν οὐ διϊσχυριζόμενοι. Ταῦτα δὴ τοίνυν. Σκληρὸν σκληρῷ ἐπιβάλλειν καὶ συγκρούειν κωλύει. Μεγάλα γὰρ φιλεῖ τίκτεσθαι κακὰ ἐκ τῆς τῶν σκληρῶν συμ μίξεως καὶ συγκρούσεως. Ἢ τὸν φόνον ὡς ποῤῥω τάτω τῆς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκβάλλει· καὶ μάλα δικαίως. Εἰ γὰρ οὐ χρὴ λίθῳ τῷ οἰκοδομουμένῳ εἰς τὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κατασκευὴν, ἢ τοῦ ναοῦ, σιδήριον ἐπιβάλλειν, πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον ἀπαγορευτέον τὸ σίδηρον ἁρπάζειν, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον φονᾷν; Οὗτοι στήσονται εὐλογεῖν τὸν λαόν. Παρατη ρητέον ὅτι οἱ εὐλογεῖν ταχθέντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐλευθέρων γυναικῶν καὶ συγγενῶν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐγεννήθησαν· οὕτω οἱ δὲ καταρᾶσθαι ἀφορισθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους Γεβὰλ, ἀπὸ τῶν παιδισκῶν ἦσαν, πλὴν τοῦ Ῥουβὶμ καὶ τοῦ Ζαβουλών. Τέτακται δὲ ὁ Ῥουβὶμ μετὰ τῶν καταρωμένων, ὡς καὶ καταρώμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν Λευὶ κατηράσατο, ἀλλὰ λελύτρωται αὐτὸς τῇ ἱερατικῇ ἀξίᾳ. Μάλιστα γὰρ ἱερέως ἐστὶ τὸ τὸν λαὸν εὐλογεῖν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Συμεὼν ὡς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς οἰκήσας, καὶ ὥσπερ μέρος αὐτῆς γεγονὼς, διὰ τοῦτο ὅπου Ἰούδας, ἐκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀριθμεῖται. Καὶ αὕτη ἡ εὐλογία ἣν ηὐλόγησε Μωϋσῆς. Αἱ παρὰ Ἰακὼβ προῤῥήσεις, οὔτε πᾶσαι εὐλογίαι ἦσαν, οὔτε πᾶσαι ἀραί· αἱ δὲ παρὰ Μωϋσέως, πᾶσαι εὐ λογίαι. Καὶ κατέσπευσεν ἐξ ὄρους Φαράν. Τουτέστι 12.817 τῷ μηκέτι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ χρηματίζειν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἔστησε. Τοῦτο γὰρ, «κατέ σπευσεν ἐξ ὄρους Φαρὰν,» εἴτουν «κατέπαυσεν,» ὅπερ ἑτέρα περιέχει γραφὴ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, σπουδαίως τὴν σκιὰν καταλείψει, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἡμῖν φανε ρώσει. Σὺν μυριάσι Κάδης. Νῦν Κάδης οὐ τὸν τόπον λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἁγίους. Κάδης γὰρ τὸ ἅγιον λέγε ται τῇ Ἑβραΐδι γλώττῃ. Καὶ ἐφείσατο τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ἔσωσε παραγενόμενος τοὺς οὐ λαοὺς ποτὲ, νῦν δὲ λαοὺς Θεοῦ, τοὺς οὐκ ἠλεημένους, νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντας. «Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος, ἐφανερώθη ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν.» Καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης λέγει ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ, ὅτι «τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μο νογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα ζή σωμεν δι' αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλός φη σιν· «Ὅ γε τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν.» Ἐφείσατο οὖν τοῦ λαοῦ. Καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγιασμένοι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖράς σου. Πάντων γὰρ κρατεῖ, ὡς βασιλεὺς οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. Ὡς βασιλεῖ παριστάμενοι, ὡς Θεῷ λειτουργοῦντες, ὡς ποιητῇ προσκυνοῦντες, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτόν εἰσιν· «αὐτὸς γὰρ καὶ τὰ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ.» Συναχθέντες ἄρχοντες λαῶν. Οἱ θεσπέσιοι μα θηταὶ, ᾗ φησι καὶ ὁ ∆αυὶδ ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῶν·