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establishing another law of fornication, this man will no longer be considered as a prophet, but as a soothsayer. For not having abided in the commandment of God, he received a reward worthy of his own evil-doing. 24 Know that every man is either empty or full; for if he does not have the Holy Spirit, he does not have knowledge of the Creator, he has not received life, Jesus Christ, he does not know the Father who is in heaven; if he does not live according to the word, according to the heavenly law, he is not sound-minded, he does not act righteously; such a one is empty. But if he has received God who said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God," this one is not empty, but full. 25 The boy, then, who led Samson by the hand, will be prefigured in John the Baptist, who shows the people the faith in Christ. And the house, in which they were gathered, is signified to be the world, in which dwelt the foreign and unbelieving nations, sacrificing to their idols; and the two pillars, the two covenants. Therefore Samson's resting upon the pillars is the instructed people's recognizing the mystery of Christ. 26 And the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. And he cut off a piece of wood, and threw it in there, and the iron floated. Which was a sign of the leading up of souls through the wood, on which he who is able to lead up souls suffered, souls following his own ascent. Of which this is also a proof, that many souls arose and were seen in their bodies, at the same time as the descent of the holy soul of Christ. For just as the very light wood became submerged, but the very heavy iron floated; so, by the union of the Word of God, the natural hypostatic union, united to the flesh, the heavy and earthy was taken up into the heavens by the divine nature, having become incorruptible after the resurrection. 27 The Gospel according to Matthew was written for the Jews; for they very strongly desired Christ to be from the seed of David. And Matthew, having an even stronger desire of this sort, in every way hastened to provide them with full assurance that Christ was from the seed of David; for which reason also he began from his genealogy. 28 The axe at the root, he says; rousing to a full knowledge of the truth, and purifying with fear, and preparing to bear ripe fruit. 29 Behold a grain of mustard seed shown through a parable, and the heavenly word, like a seed sown in the world, as in a field, having in itself the fiery and austere quality of power. For he was proclaimed Judge of the whole world; this one, hidden in the heart of the earth, in the soil, and after three days having become a very great tree, extended his branches to the ends of the earth. From this having come forth the twelve Apostles, having become beautiful and flourishing branches, they became a shelter to the nations, as to birds of heaven, sheltered by which branches all, like birds gathered under a nest, partook of the edible and heavenly food proceeding from them. 30 Now just as through the disobedience of the one man, who was first formed from unworked earth, the many were made sinners, and lost life; so it was also necessary that through the obedience of one man, who was first born of a virgin, many should be made righteous, and receive salvation. 31 Josephus says that when Moses was being raised in the royal palace, he was appointed general against the Ethiopians, and having conquered, he took the daughter of that king; since out of desire for him she betrays the city to him. Why is it then that of the two who reviled him, she alone was punished? First, because the woman's offense was greater; for both nature and the law subordinate the female to the male; and Aaron had some moderate excuse, as being older in age, and as having been deemed worthy of the high priesthood. In addition to this, since the leper was considered unclean according to the law, and Aaron was the root and foundation of the priests, so that the reproach might not pass to the whole race, he did not bring an equal punishment upon him, but through his sister he both frightened and instructed him. For the affliction so grieved him, that this first

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ἕτερον πορνείας νόμον ἱστάνων, οὗτος οὐκέτι ὡς προφήτης, ἀλλ' ὡς μάντις λογισθήσεται. Μὴ ἐμμείνας γὰρ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολῇ, ἄξιον τῆς αὐτοῦ κακομηχανίας ἀντελάβετο μισθόν. 24 Ἴσθι ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἢ κενὸς ἐστὶν, ἢ πλήρης· εἰ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἔχει γνῶσιν τοῦ κτίσαντος, οὐ παρεδέξατο τὴν ζωὴν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν, οὐκ οἶδε τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· εἰ οὐ βιοῖ κατὰ τὸν λόγον, κατὰ νόμον τὸν οὐράνιον, οὐ σωφρονεῖ, οὐ δικαιοπραγεῖ· ὁ τοιοῦτος κενός ἐστιν· εἰ δὲ κεχώρηκε τὸν εἰπόντα Θεὸν, ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς Θεὸς, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστι κενὸς, ἀλλὰ πλήρης. 25 Τὸ μὲν οὖν παιδάριον τὸ χειραγωγοῦν τὸν Σαμψὼν προτυπωθήσεται εἰς Ἰωάννην τὸν Βαπτιστὴν, ἐπιδεικνύντα τῷ λαῷ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν. Ὁ δὲ οἶκος, εἰς ὃν ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, σημαίνεται εἶναι ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ᾧ κατῴκει τὰ ἀλλόφυλα ἔθνη καὶ ἄπιστα, θυσιάζοντα τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὑτῶν· οἱ δὲ δύο στύλοι, αἱ δύο διαθῆκαι. Τὸ οὖν ἐπαναπαυθῆναι τὸν Σαμψὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς στύλους, τὸ τὸν διδαχθέντα λαὸν ἐπιγνῶναι τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. 26 Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ποῦ ἔπεσε; καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ τὸν τόπον· καὶ ἀπέκνισε ξύλον, καὶ ἔῤῥιψεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐπεπόλασε τὸ σιδήριον. Ὅπερ ἦν σημεῖον ἀναγωγῆς ψυχῶν διὰ ξύλου, ἐφ' οὗ πέπονθεν ὁ ψυχὰς ἀνάγειν δυνάμενος, ἀκολουθούσας ἀνόδῳ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ. Οὗ καὶ ἐκεῖνο γνώρισμα, τὸ ἀναβῆναι ψυχὰς πολλὰς καὶ ἐν τοῖς σώμασιν ὀφθῆναι, ἅμα τῇ καθόδῳ τῆς ἁγίας ψυχῆς Χριστοῦ. Ὡς γὰρ τὸ κουφότατον ξύλον ὑποβρύχιον γέγονεν, ὁ δὲ βαρύτατος ἐπεπόλασε σίδηρος· οὕτω τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου ἑνώσει, τῇ καθ' ὑπόστασιν φυσικῇ, ἑνωθέντος τῇ σαρκὶ, τὸ βαρὺ καὶ γεῶδες ὑπὸ τῆς θείας φύσεως εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνελήφθη μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἀφθαρτισθέν. 27 Τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἐγράφη· οὗτοι γὰρ ἐπεθύμουν πάνυ σφόδρα ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αβὶδ Χριστόν. Ὁ δὲ Ματθαῖος, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον σφοδροτέραν ἔχων τὴν τοιαύτην ἐπιθυμίαν, παντοίως ἔσπευδε πληροφορίαν παρέχειν αὐτοῖς, ὡς εἴη ἐκ σπέρματος ∆αβὶδ ὁ Χριστός· διὸ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἤρξατο. 28 Ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν, φησί· διεγείρων πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τῷ φόβῳ καθαίρων, καὶ παρασκευάζων καρπὸν ὥριμον φέρειν. 29 Ἴδε κόκκος σινάπεως διὰ παραβολῆς δεικνύμενος, καὶ λόγον ἐνουράνιον, σπέρματος δίκην ἐν κόσμῳ, ὡς ἐν ἀγρῷ, σπειρόμενον, ἔχοντος ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ πυῤῥακὲς καὶ αὐστηρὸν τῆς δυνάμεως. Κριτὴς γὰρ τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου ἐκηρύσσετο· οὗτος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς, ἐν χώματι κρυβεὶς, καὶ τριημέρῳ μέγιστον δένδρον γεννηθεὶς, ἐξέτεινε τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ κλάδους εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. Ἐκ τούτου προκύψαντες οἱ δώδεκα Ἀπόστολοι, κλάδοι ὡραῖοι καὶ εὐθαλεῖς γενηθέντες, σκέπη ἐγενήθησαν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὡς πετεινοῖς οὐρανοῦ, ὑφ' ὧν κλάδων σκεπασθέντες οἱ πάντες, ὡς ὄρνεα ὑπὸ καλιὰν συνελθόντα, μετέλαβον τῆς ἐξ αὐτῶν προερχομένης ἐδωδίμου καὶ ἐπουρανίου τροφῆς. 30 Νῦν δὲ ὥσπερ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ πρώτως ἐκ γῆς ἀνεργάστου πεπλασμένου, ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατέστησαν οἱ πολλοὶ, καὶ ἀπέβαλον τὴν ζωήν· οὕτως ἔδει καὶ δι' ὑπακοῆς ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ πρώτως ἐκ παρθένου γεγεννημένου, δικαιωθῆναι πολλοὺς, καὶ ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν σωτηρίαν. 31 Ἰώσηπός φησιν, ὅτι ἡνίκα ἐν βασιλείοις ἐτρέφετο Μωϋσῆς, στρατηγὸς χειροτονηθεὶς κατὰ τῶν Αἰθιόπων, καὶ νικήσας, ἠγάγετο τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκείνου θυγατέρα· ἐπείπερ πόθῳ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὸν προδίδωσιν αὐτῷ τὴν πόλιν. Τί δήποτε τῶν δύο λοιδορησάντων, ἐκείνη δίκας ᾐτήθη μόνη; πρῶτον, ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον ἦν τῆς γυναικὸς τὸ πλημμέλημα· τῷ ἄῤῥενι γὰρ καὶ ἡ φύσις καὶ ὁ νόμος ὑποτάττει τὸ θῆλυ· ἤτε εἶχέ τινα μετρίαν συγγνώμην ὁ Ἀαρὼν, ὡς τῷ χρόνῳ πρεσβύτερος, καὶ ὡς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἠξιωμένος. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις ἐπεὶ ἀκάθαρτος ὁ λεπρὸς ἐδόκει εἶναι κατὰ τὸν νόμον, ῥίζα δὲ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ κρηπὶς ἦν ὁ Ἀαρὼν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ἅπαν διαβῇ τὸ γένος τὸ ὄνειδος, τὴν ἴσην οὐκ ἐπήγαγεν αὐτῷ τιμωρίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς ἐφόβησεν ὁμοῦ τε καὶ ἐπαίδευσεν. Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν τὸ πάθος ἠνίασεν, ὅτι πρώτης τοῦτο