Collectio dictorum veteris testamenti

 is forced to descend into a foreign state and if the demons should see any good understanding accompanying him, they hasten to subject it to the sowi

 escaping. The heifer, taken first, signified the first generation. For just as the heifer struggles against the yoke, so also the first generation of

 the river, but to keep alive every female. For the devil, the spiritual Pharaoh, also conceived a threefold manner of plotting against the spiritual I

 He interprets what that one speaks spiritually and obscurely, and transforms his weak voice to be more melodious. For I have not come, he says, to abo

 the Gospel according to Christ, had as a son the multitude of those being reborn to it through the Holy Spirit whom she also circumcised with a stone

 and easy to comprehend is the mystery concerning Christ. But God did not lead the Jews to this immediately, but through the long law and the many ridd

 Moses commanded Joshua son of Nun to choose mighty men and go out and fight 77.1196 Amalek, signified that Jesus Christ would be subject to the comman

 of the people of the Jews, and servant of God, he ascends to the highest knowledge of God but the people are prevented from approaching, lest they di

 coming after it, demands this final penalty, as one who, after being freed from the burden of sin, is again voluntarily subjected to it. And He comman

 But the eighth ineffably suggests the mystery of the eternal well-being of the 77.1204 beings. The sixth day is called Preparation, because on it the

 and poverty of intellect, they make their neighbors, that is, those of the same faith, partners, so that through one another they may be raised to hig

 unmixed with wickedness, those partaking of the true Lamb nourish their own soul, throughout the whole weekly age, which is measured by the week. And

 the body bears uncircumcision. Circumcision is mystical, a voluntary removal of the passions. The circumcision of circumcision is the putting away of

 of rational discernment, as Israel did in the time of Moses, commits idolatry. For having cast into the fire of the passions the words concerning theo

 to do good things, and to walk toward good things. Humpbacked is the one bent downwards, and not able to look up from earthly things. Sun-spotted is o

 God, ostracizing stupidity, and wishing his subjects to belong to necessity alone, through the not weaving together of linen and wool, banished variet

 but in heaven God Himself whom alone they both worship and attend. And on the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, an

 they were catechized by the evangelists. Or otherwise, the four types of meanings were a symbol of the four types of moral discourse. Of which the one

 Aaron's rod, as a symbol of watchfulness. For to Jeremiah, seeing a staff of a nut tree, God says: Behold, I am watchful over my words. And it budded

 bracelets, and rings, and armlets, and braided chains. For the leaders of the people in Christ and the eminent often surpass the evangelical commands

 with bodily ways of the ministry of the virtues, they return to the contemplation of kindred intelligible things. A foreign boy and a servant-girl are

 undertaking. For she will pay the penalty for the offense to God, the Father of spirits, and she will be his wife, as having already been joined to hi

 of the other man wherefore he is required to pay the penalty for the murder, but he alone suffers loss in his soul. For this, I think, is what this m

 war for one year he shall cheer his wife, whom he has taken. For it is not right that one who has just taken a spouse for himself should be led out t

 Virtue is the mother of the good deeds from it. And its nest is the soul in which it dwells. It is necessary for those who encounter them to be benefi

 its fruit for three years will be unpurified for you. It shall not be eaten, and in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy to the Lord. But in th

 dragging down to earth, those things that draw up to heaven. Saul, is the natural 77.1249 law, which from the beginning received from the Lord the lot

 David is the law according to the spirit, who reigns over the Christians who worship God spiritually. But Saul is the law according to the letter, who

 the face of the Lord, according to David, and learns the cause of such a famine, that this injustice was against Saul, and against his house, with whi

 taking from the spiritual David, that is, the law according to the spirit, may kill the aforementioned sons and grandsons of 77.1257 Saul then in eve

 of knowledge, if it should receive the divine and discerning word, which brings to memory former sins, and will prefer even to nature itself the heali

 The Lord in the desert I mean in the world, and in the nature of men, digging out and cleansing the hearts of the worthy from material weight and min

 of the city. Since Hezekiah is interpreted as 'strength of God,' every mind 77.1265 that through practical philosophy has acquired divine strength, wh

 through themselves they again turn him away, as he flees into his land which is the fixed habit of evil, whom his sons kill as he is fleeing, and the

 the king of the Assyrians, flees to God, and silently cries out to Him, through progress in virtue and knowledge, and receives an angel as an ally th

 at once a philosopher and a lover of God has both Judah and Jerusalem the one taken as the habit of confession and repentance for Judah is interpret

 becomes a lofty and exalted mind, and in the good things given to it by God, boasts as if in its own accomplishments. There comes by providence upon t

 the spear and the flask of water that is, the power of practical virtue, and the grace of gnostic contemplation, even if he again gives these things

 of king Darius, I mean of the natural law, having conquered by him, lifts up his face to heaven, that is, the disposition of the soul, in which are th

 not being guarded. For lead is a symbol of punishment, but silver of brightness. And the seven eyes of this practical faith are the seven gifts of the

 constituted. For since matter is indeed a tetrad, because of the tetraktys of its elements, and form is a pentad, because of the fivefold nature of se

 they rise up for mischief. And approaching Zerubbabel, and Joshua and the leaders of the families, they say to them: We will build with you for like

Aaron's rod, as a symbol of watchfulness. For to Jeremiah, seeing a staff of a nut tree, God says: Behold, I am watchful over my words. And it budded nuts, a sign also of the man's virtue, having its edible part within, in the disposition of the soul, not in the height of the body. Moses, having selected only twelve thousand warriors from the entire multitude, at God's command, sent them against the Midianites, and through them destroyed them all. And when these champions returned, and much spoil, he commanded them to encamp outside the camp of the people for seven days; and that they, having been purified along with all the captives, on both the third day and the seventh, should so enter into the camp. And after Moses, the high priest at that time, Eleazar, addressed them, commanding them to wash their own garments; and of the spoil, to bring the gold, and the silver, and whatever was of hard material, through fire; and the clothing, and whatever was of weak material, to purify through water, and to be cleansed on the seventh day, and so to enter into the camp. See, therefore, the things mystically signified. The champions need some purification; for not even those who are champions against demons and passions are completely blameless. For that which is perfectly pure is reserved for the age to come. Of which the seventh day is a symbol. The seventh day is the Sabbath; and this is interpreted as rest. And the age to come is a rest from all work. And the purification of the third day prefigured the cleansing decreed through Christ, given during the third period of the threefold polity of the Jews. For after the time of the kings, and that of the judges, they were led by the high priests. In which time Christ ordained cleansing through holy baptism; but Moses declared only the time of the purification to the champions; while Eleazar also declared the manner of the purification. For the law according to Moses only foretold the time of the cleansing through Christ. But the Gospel according to Christ also shows the manner of such cleansing. We, however, are the spoil; whom the twelve champion apostles and their successors, the shepherds and teachers, took captive from the devil and the demons, and purified with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and the water of divine baptism; the soul of each being taken as the hard material on account of its immortality; and the body as the weak on account of its mortality. And the washing of the garments is the 77.1229 preparation for cleansing, or even the cleansing itself of the saints. For these are garments according to Christ, whom in a certain manner he puts on, dwelling in them. When the spoils of the captivity were distributed both to the champions and to the rest of the congregation of the people, God commanded that portions from the spoil be set apart for God and for the Levites, both from the men, and from the four-footed animals; and that the champions should bring to God one out of five hundred; and the rest of the people should bring to the Levites one out of fifty. For those who have few sins, owe little. And those who are liable for more transgressions, certainly owe more. And yet in the distribution the champions alone received half of the whole spoil; and the entire rest of the congregation, the other half. For to the more approved God gives greater gifts. But the champions bring their lot to God, while the rest of the congregation brings theirs to the Levites, as has been said. For the more approved bear fruit directly to God with their own achievements; but those approved after them bear gifts to God through the medium of the saints consecrated to God, providing for the needs of those who attend upon Him, and assisting the holy Churches. But these things are from a divine command. But of their own accord and from themselves the leaders of the champions brought to God golden ornaments and

τὴν ῥάβδον Ἀαρὼν, εἰς σύμβολον ἐγρηγόρσεως. Τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ γὰρ ὁρῶντι ῥάβδον καρυΐνην φησὶν ὁ Θεός· Ἰδοὺ ἐγρήγορα ἐπὶ τοὺς λόγους μου. Ἐβλάστησε δὲ κάρυα, σημεῖον καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετῆς, ἔνδον ἔχοντος τὸ ταύτης ἐδώδιμον ἐν ἕξει ψυχῆς, οὐκ ἐν ὕψει σώματος. Ἐκ παντὸς πλήθους μόνας δώδεκα χιλιάδας ἐπιλεξάμενος πολεμιστῶν ὁ Μωσῆς, τοῦ Θεοῦ προστάξαντος, ἐπαφῆκε τοῖς Μαδιηναίοις, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πάντας ἐξωλόθρευσεν. Ἐπανελθόντων δὲ τῶν ἀριστέων τούτων, καὶ πολλῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοῖς παρεμβαλεῖν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς τοῦ λαοῦ, μέχρις ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν· ἁγνισθέντας δὲ αὐτοὺς σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, τῇ τε τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ, οὕτως εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν. Μετὰ δὲ Μωσέα προσεφώνησεν αὐτοῖς ὁ τότε ἀρχιερεὺς Ἐλεάζαρ, κελεύων μὲν αὐτοὺς πλῦναι τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἱμάτια· τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας δὲ τὸν μὲν χρυσὸν, καὶ τὸν ἄργυρον, καὶ ὅσα τῆς στεῤῥᾶς ὕλης διὰ πυρὸς ἀγαγεῖν· τὴν δὲ ἐσθῆτα, καὶ ὅσα τῆς ἀσθενοῦς ὕλης δι' ὕδατος ἐφαγνίσαι, καὶ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἡμέρᾳ καθαρισθῆναι, καὶ οὕτως εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν. Ὅρα τοίνυν τὰ μυστικῶς ὑποδηλούμενα. ∆εῖνται μὲν ἁγνισμοῦ τινος οἱ ἀριστεύσαντες· οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ κατὰ δαιμόνων καὶ παθῶν ἀριστεύσαντες, ἀμώμητοι παντελῶς. Τὸ γὰρ τελείως ἁγνὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τετήρηται τὸν μέλλοντα. Οὗ σύμβολον ἡ ἑβδόμη ἡμέρα. Ἑβδόμη μὲν ἡμέρα τὸ Σάββατον· κατάπαυσις δὲ τοῦτο ἑρμηνεύεται. Κατάπαυσις δὲ πάσης ἐργασίας ὁ μέλλων αἰών. Ὁ δὲ τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας ἁγνισμὸς, τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ νομοθετηθεῖσαν κάθαρσιν ὑπετύπου, δοθεῖσαν κατὰ τὸν τρίτον καιρὸν τῆς τριπλῆς πολιτείας τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ τὸν τῶν κριτῶν, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἤγοντο. Ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ τὴν διὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ βαπτίσματος ὁ Χριστὸς ἐνομοθέτησε κάθαρσιν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν Μωσῆς τὸν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ καιρὸν μόνον ἐδήλωσε τοῖς ἀριστεῦσιν· ὁ δὲ Ἐλεάζαρ καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἁγνισμοῦ τρόπον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μὲν κατὰ Μωσῆν νόμος τὸν καιρὸν μόνον τῆς διὰ Χριστοῦ καθάρσεως προηγόρευσε. Τὸ δὲ κατὰ Χριστὸν Εὐαγγέλιον καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς τοιαύτης καθάρσεως ὑποδείκνυσι. Τὰ μέντοι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν· οὓς οἱ ἀριστεύσαντες δώδεκα ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ διάδοχοι τούτων ποιμένες καὶ διδάσκαλοι ᾐχμαλώτευσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων, καὶ καθήγνισαν πυρὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, καὶ ὕδατι τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος· τῆς μὲν ἑκάστου ψυχῆς εἰς τὴν στεῤῥὰν ὕλην λαμβανομένης διὰ τὴν ἀθανασίαν· τοῦ δὲ σώματος εἰς τὴν ἀσθενῆ διὰ τὸ θνητόν. Πλύσις δὲ τῶν ἱματίων ἡ 77.1229 παρασκευὴ τῆς καθάρσεως, ἢ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ κάθαρσις τῶν ἁγίων. Οὗτοι γὰρ ἱμάτια κατὰ Χριστὸν, οὓς τρόπον τινα περιβάλλεται, ἐνοικῶν αὐτοῖς. Τῶν λαφύρων τῆς αἰχμαλώσεως διανεμηθέντων εἴς τε τοὺς ἀριστεῖς καὶ εἰς τὴν ἄλλην συναγωγὴν τοῦ λαοῦ, προσέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀποδιελεῖν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς Λευΐταις μοίρας ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, ἔκ τε ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐκ τετραπόδων· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀριστεῖς προσαγαγεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, ἐκ πεντακοσίων ἕν· τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν λαὸν προσαγαγεῖν τοῖς Λευΐταις, ἐκ πεντήκοντα ἕν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὀλίγα ἔχοντες ἁμαρτήματα, ὀλίγα ὀφείλουσιν. Οἱ δὲ πλείοσιν ὑπεύθυνοι πλημμελήμασι, πάντως πλείονα. Καίτοι ἐν τῇ διανομῇ οἱ μὲν ἀριστεῖς μόνοι, τὸ ἥμισυ τῆς ὅλης αἰχμαλωσίας ἔλαβον· ἡ δὲ ἄλλη συναγωγὴ πᾶσα, τὸ ἥμισυ. Τοῖς γὰρ εὐδοκιμωτέροις πλείονα χαρίσματα δίδωσιν ὁ Θεός. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἀριστεῖς τῷ Θεῷ προσάγουσι τὸ λάχος, ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ συναγωγὴ τοῖς Λευΐταις, ὡς εἴρηται. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ μὲν εὐδοκιμώτεροι ἀμέσως καρποφοροῦσι τῷ Θεῷ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατορθώματα· οἱ δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους εὐδόκιμοι, διὰ μέσων τῶν ἀνακειμένων Θεῷ ἁγίων δωροφοροῦσι Θεῷ, τοῖς προσεδρεύουσιν αὐτῷ τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν παρέχοντες, καὶ ταῖς ἁγίαις Ἐκκλησίαις ἐπικουροῦντες. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκ θείου προστάγματος. Οἴκοθεν δὲ καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν οἱ τῶν ἀριστέων ἀφηγούμενοι προσήγαγον τῷ Θεῷ χρυσοῦς χλιδόνας καὶ