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

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 to rule over nature. But when he transgressed the commandment through disobedience, by sparing Agag king of Amalek, that is, the body, and slid down towards the passions, he is cast out of the kingdom, so that David might take over Israel, that is, the law of the spirit that begets the peace which manifestly builds for God the temple of contemplation. Samuel is interpreted as obedience to God. Therefore, as long as the word of obedience serves as priest within us, even if Saul should spare Agag, that is, the earthly mind; nevertheless, the priestly word, being zealous, will kill him, and will strike, putting to shame the sin-loving mind, as a transgressor of the divine ordinances. When the mind, becoming high-minded, should cease to inquire through proper investigation of the word of teaching which anointed him against the passions, concerning what should and should not be done, it is in every way captured by the passions out of ignorance, through which, being partially separated from God, in involuntary circumstances it gives itself over to the demons, deifying the belly, and wishing to find from there some consolation from its afflictions. And let Saul persuade you, who in all things does not take Samuel as his counselor, and of necessity turns to idolatry, and endures to question the ventriloquist, as if she were some god. OF THE SECOND OF KINGS. Concerning David and Absalom. David is the practical mind, but Absalom is conceit, which he begot from his union with sense-perception. For Absalom is interpreted as a father's supposed peace; and supposing ourselves to be at peace from the passions, we establish conceit; when the aforementioned David, acting with knowledge, became aware that this had risen up against him, leaving the holy tabernacle, and Jerusalem and Judea, that is, mystical theology and the peaceful contemplation of divine things, and the thanksgiving of confession for the good things that had gone before, he flees to Gilead, that is, he migrates towards mourning. For Gilead is the migration of a testimony .... and in addition to what has been said, a revelation; he migrates also toward the refutation through conscience, and toward the manifestation of his sins according to their kind, and thus becoming aware of his own weakness, and drawing upon humility for aid, he destroys the tyrant's conceit, and again returns to Judea, and to Jerusalem, and to the holy tabernacle; I mean, toward the thanksgiving of confession, and the peaceful and dispassionate contemplation of beings, and the sublime theology. Absalom is every conceited and arrogant person, who nourishes his hair, that is, apparent virtue 77.1252 or knowledge, and being proud of this, is captured by it, which produces in him puffing up, and the destruction resulting from it, and he is hung between heaven and earth. For he has neither true knowledge, as if drawing him up to heaven, since conceit drags him down; nor indeed true virtue, as if bringing him down to earth, since pride drags him down. But he is wounded chiefly by three darts, both by the shame of the useless action on account of conceit, and by the expectation of eternal punishment. And Ahithophel dies before him by hanging, being interpreted as 'a brother loving with deceit'. Such is the devil; for not bearing the defeat, he hangs himself. And there was a famine in the days of David for three years; year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord, and the Lord said: On Saul and on his house is the iniquity, because he put the Gibeonites to death.

κατασπώντων εἰς γῆν, τὰ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνέλκοντα. Ὁ Σαοὺλ, ὁ φυσι 77.1249 κός ἐστι νόμος, ὁ κατ' ἀρχὰς κυριεύειν τῆς φύσεως παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου λαχών. Ἐπεὶ δὲ παρέβη τὴν ἐντολὴν διὰ παρακοῆς, φεισάμενος τοῦ Ἀγὰγ βασιλέως Ἀμαλὴκ, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῦ σώματος, καὶ πρὸς τὰ πάθη κατώλισθεν, ἐξωθεῖται τῆς βασιλείας, ἵνα παραλάβῃ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ∆αβὶδ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὁ νόμος τοῦ πνεύματος ὁ γεννῶν τὴν εἰρήνην τὴν οἰκοδομοῦσαν περιφανῶς τῷ Θεῷ τὸν τῆς θεωρίας ναόν. Σαμουὴλ ὑπακοὴ Θεοῦ ἑρμηνεύεται. Οὐκοῦν ἕως ἂν ὁ καθ' ὑπακοὴν λόγος ἐν ἡμῖν ἱερατεύῃ, κἂν φείσηται τοῦ Ἀγὰγ ὁ Σαοὺλ, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τοῦ χοϊκοῦ φρονήματος· ἀλλ' οὖν ἀποκτενεῖ τοῦτον ζηλώσας ὁ ἱερεὺς λόγος, καὶ πλήξει καταισχύνων τὸν φιλαμαρτήμονα νοῦν, ὡς παραβάτην τῶν θείων δικαιωμάτων. Ἐπὰν ὁ νοῦς ὑψηλοφρονήσας, τὸν κατὰ τῶν παθῶν αὐτὸν χρίσαντα τῆς διδασκαλίας λόγον, διὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ἐρεύνης ἐπερωτᾷν περὶ τῶν ποιητέων καὶ οὐ ποιητέων παύσαιτο, τοῖς πάθεσι πάντως ἐξ ἀγνοίας ἁλίσκεται, δι' ὧν κατὰ μέρος τοῦ Θεοῦ χωριζόμενος, ἐν ταῖς ἀκουσίοις περιστάσεσι προσχωρεῖται τοῖς δαίμοσι, τὴν κοιλίαν θεοποιῶν, κἀκεῖθεν εὑρέσθαι θέλων τῶν πιεζόντων παράκλησιν. Καὶ πειθέτω σε Σαοὺλ ἐν πᾶσι σύμβουλον μὴ λαμβάνων τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης εἰδωλολατρίαν μεταστρεφόμενος, καὶ τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον, ὡς δή τινα τὸν θεὸν, ἐπερωτᾷν ἀνεχόμενος. ΤΗΣ ∆ΕΥΤΕΡΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΝ. Περὶ ∆αβὶδ καὶ Ἀβεσσαλώμ. ∆αβὶδ μὲν ὁ πρακτικὸς νοῦς, Ἀβεσσαλὼμ δὲ ἡ οἴησις, ἣν ἀπεγέννησεν ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὴν αἴσθησιν συνουσίας. Ἑρμηνεύεται μὲν γὰρ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ πατρὸς εἰρήνη νομιζομένη· νομίζοντες δὲ εἰρηνεύειν παθῶν, συνιστῶμεν τὴν οἴησιν· ἣν ἐπαναστᾶσαν αὐτῷ γνοὺς ὁ δηλωθεὶς ∆αβὶδ, ἅτε μετὰ γνώσεως πράττων, ἀφεὶς τὴν ἁγίαν σκηνὴν, καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν, τὴν μυστικὴν θεολογίαν καὶ τὴν εἰρηνικὴν τῶν θείων θεωρίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσι καλοῖς εὐχαριστήριον ἐξομολόγησιν, φεύγει πρὸς τὴν Γαλαὰδ, ἤτοι μετοικίζεται πρὸς τὸ πένθος. Γαλαὰδ γὰρ μετοικεσία μαρτυρίου .... καὶ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀποκάλυψις· μετοικίζεται καὶ πρὸς τὸν διὰ τοῦ συνειδότος ἔλεγχον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κατ' εἶδος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων φανέρωσιν, καὶ οὕτως ἐν συναισθήσει τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γενόμενος ἀσθενείας, καὶ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην εἰς βοήθειαν ἐπισπασάμενος, ἀναιρεῖ τὴν τοῦ τυράννου οἴησιν, καὶ πάλιν ἐπανέρχεται πρὸς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σκηνήν· λέγω δὴ, πρὸς τὴν ἐξομολογητικὴν εὐχαριστίαν, καὶ εἰρηνικὴν καὶ ἀπαθῆ τῶν ὄντων θεωρίαν, καὶ τὴν ὑψηλὴν θεολογίαν. Ἀβεσσαλώμ ἐστι, πᾶς οἰηματίας καὶ ὑπερήφανος, ὃς τὴν κόμην τρέφων, ἤτοι τὴν φαινομένην ἀρετὴν 77.1252 ἢ γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ μέγα φρονῶν, διὰ ταύτης ἁλίσκεται, φυσίωσιν ἐμποιησάσης αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης ἀπώλειαν, καὶ κρεμᾶται ἀνάμεσον οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς. Οὔτε γὰρ ἔχει γνῶσιν ἀληθινὴν, καθάπερ οὐρανὸν ἀνέλκουσαν αὐτὸν, κατασπώσης οἰήσεως· οὔτε μὴν ἀρετὴν ἀληθινὴν, καθάπερ γῆν καθέλκουσαν αὐτὸν, κατασπώσης φυσιώσεως. Τιτρώσκεται δὲ τρισὶ βέλεσι κυρίως, τῇ τε αἰσχύνῃ τῆς ἀνωφελοῦς διὰ τὴν οἴησιν πράξεως, καὶ τῇ ἐκδοχῇ τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως. Θνήσκει δὲ πρὸ αὐτοῦ δι' ἀγχόνης ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ, ἑρμηνευόμενος ἀδελφὸς δόλῳ φιλάζων. Τοιοῦτος δὲ ὁ διάβολος· οὐ φέρων γὰρ τὴν ἧτταν ἀπάγχεται Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ∆αβὶδ, γʹ ἔτη· ἐνιαυτὸς ἐχόμενος ἐνιαυτοῦ. Καὶ ἐζήτησε ∆αβὶδ τὸ πρόσωπον Κυρίου, καὶ εἶπε Κύριος· Ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀδικία, περὶ οὗ ἐθανάτωσε τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας.