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to be in Canaan, or in the house of Pharaoh? And they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the sheep, and for the oxen, and for the donkeys. Joseph does not do this cruelly, but so that they would not weary themselves feeding the livestock, and so that after this they might receive them as a favor from Pharaoh. And nothing is left for us before our lord except our own body and our land. Since concerning the sinners it is said, "Because they are flesh"; for this reason also now the Egyptians, as flesh, say that not a soul is left to them, but their own body and their land. And this must be considered as said by all those who are estranged from God. Therefore, lest we die before you, and the land become desolate, acquire us and our land. The Egyptians want to live before Pharaoh, not before God. Of the same. The Egyptians wish to become the possession of Pharaoh, as the saints are of God. For the famine prevailed over them. Clearly, of the Egyptians; for it would not have been said concerning Israel that the famine prevailed over them. And Jacob, having gained strength, sat up on the bed. Having gained strength, he sat up, in order to speak the inspired words. For I think that Jacob was troubled, but Israel had been strengthened, who also blessed the sons of Joseph, and what follows, in which he is not called Jacob concerning the children. And he said to me: Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you. Either the impious man does not increase, or he does not increase from God. And you will say the same thing because of "I will multiply." For God says these things when he blesses. Ephraim and Manasseh are mine; as Reuben and Simeon they shall be mine. As Reuben, and Ephraim; for both are firstborn; as Manasseh, and Simeon; for each is second to their mother. But the offspring that you beget after them will be in the name of their brothers; they shall be called in their inheritances. Your other children who will be, he says, will be assigned to the eponymous tribes of their brothers in the inheritance. And Israel, seeing the sons of Joseph, said: Who are these to you? and so on. It will seem contradictory to "And Israel, seeing the sons of Joseph," the phrase, "The eyes of Jacob were heavy from old age"; unless perhaps it is the same for the eyes to be unable to see, and for Israel to see the seed of Joseph, when God showed him the things that were to come. 12.145 And Israel, stretching out his right hand, laid it on the head of Ephraim. Because the prophets followed, understanding what they prophesied about. Indeed, after this the tribe of Ephraim ruled over the ten tribes. For from him the blessed Jesus son of Nave, being a true type of Christ, was descended in the book of Numbers. Therefore, the blessing of Joseph is also referred to him. May God make you as Ephraim, and as Manasseh; and he placed Ephraim before Manasseh. You will use this saying appropriately concerning the more honored one standing in front in prayer. Crouching you lay down as a lion, and as a lion's cub. The phrase "you lay down" signifies the death according to the divine plan. Christ is a lion to those who are completely beast-like; but to those still at the introductory stage, a lion's cub.

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Χαναὰν γενέσθαι, ἢ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Φαραώ; Ἤγαγον δὲ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν πρὸς Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς Ἰωσὴφ ἄρτους ἀντὶ τῶν ἵππων, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν προβάτων, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν βοῶν, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ὄνων. Οὐκ ὠμῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ Ἰωσὴφ, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ κάμωσι τὰ κτήνη τρέφοντες, καὶ ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα χάριν αὐτὰ δέξωνται παρὰ τοῦ Φαραώ. Καὶ οὐχ ὑπολείπεται ἡμῖν ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ἢ τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν. Ἐπεὶ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν λέγεται τὸ, ∆ιὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ νῦν Αἰγύπτιοι, ὡς σάρκες, ὑπολελεῖφθαί φασιν αὑτοῖς οὐχὶ ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα καὶ τὴν γῆν αὑτῶν. Τοῦτο δὲ νομιστέον ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγεσθαι. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν ἐναντίον σου, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐρημωθῇ, κτῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν. Ἐναντίον τοῦ Φαραὼ θέλουσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ζῇν, οὐκ ἐναντίον Θεοῦ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Κτῆμα βούλονται οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι γενέσθαι τοῦ Φαραὼ, ὡς οἱ ἅγιοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπεκράτησε γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ λιμός. ∆ηλονότι τῶν Αἰγυπτίων· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἐπεκράτησεν αὑτῶν ὁ λιμός. Καὶ ἐνισχύσας Ἰακὼβ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην. Ἐνισχύσας ἐκάθισεν, ἵνα τοὺς ἐνθέους εἴπῃ λόγους Οἶμαι γὰρ τὸν μὲν Ἰακὼβ ἠνωχλῆσθαι, τὸν δὲ Ἰσραὴλἐνισχυκέναι, ὃς καὶ εὐλόγησε τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὀνομάζεται ἐπὶ τῶν παιδίων Ἰακώβ. Καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ αὐξανῶ σε, καὶ πλη θυνῶ σε. Ἤτοι οὐκ αὔξει ὁ ἀσεβὴς, ἢ οὐκ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ αὔξει. Τὸ δ' ὅμοιον ἐρεῖς καὶ διὰ τὸ, Πληθυνῶ. Θεὸς γὰρ εὐλογῶν ταῦτά φησιν. Ἐμοί εἰσιν Ἐφραῒμ καὶ Μανασσῆς· ὡς Ῥουβὴμ καὶ Συμεὼν ἔσονταί μοι. Ὡς Ῥουβὴμ, καὶ Ἐφραΐμ· ἀμφότεροι γὰρ πρωτότοκοι· ὡς Μανασσῆς, καὶ Συμεών· ἑκάτερος γὰρ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν δεύτερος. Τὰ δὲ ἔκγονα, ἃ ἐὰν γεννήσῃς μετὰ ταῦτα, ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὑτῶν· κληθήσονται ἐν τοῖς ἐκείνων κλήροις. Οἱ ἐσόμενοι, φησὶν, ἕτεροι παῖδές σου ταῖς ἐπωνύμοις φυλαῖς τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὑτῶν ταχθήσονται ἐν τῇ κληροδοσίᾳ. Ἰδὼν δὲ Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰωσὴφ, εἶπε· Τίνες σοι οὗτοι; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ∆όξει ἐναντίον τῷ, Ἰδὼν δὲ Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰωσὴφ, τὸ, Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐβαρυώπησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ γήρους· εἰ μή πού ἐστι ταὐτὸν τῷ, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς μὴ δύνασθαι βλέπειν, τὸ ἰδεῖν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, τοῦ Θεοῦ δείξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ γενησόμενα. 12.145 Ἐκτείνας δὲ Ἰσραὴλ τὴν χεῖρα τὴν δεξιὰν, ἐπέβαλεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἐφραΐμ. Ὅτι παρηκολούθουν οἱ προφῆται νοοῦντες περὶ ὧν προεφήτευον. Ἀμέλει μετὰ ταῦτα τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ἐξῆρχεν ἡ τοῦ Ἐφραῒμ φυλή. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, ἀληθινὸς τύπος ὢν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατήγετο ἐν τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἡ εὐλογία ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀναφέρεται. Ποιήσαι σε ὁ Θεὸς ὡς Ἐφραῒμ, καὶ ὡς Μα- νασσῆ· καὶ ἔθηκε τὸν Ἐφραῒμ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Μανασσῆ. Εὐκαίρως χρήσῃ τῷ ῥητῷ περὶ τοῦ ἐν προσευχῇ ἔμπροσθεν ἑστάναι τὸν τιμιώτερον. Κάμψας κατεκλίθης ὡς λέων, καὶ ὡς σκύμνος. Τὸν κατ' οἰκονομίαν θάνατον σημαίνει τὸ, κατεκλίθης. Λέων ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς τελείως ἀποθηριωθεῖσι· τοῖς δὲ ἔτι εἰσαγωγικοῖς σκύμνος.