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he was considered great, and of the chorus of women, Miriam the prophetess. And the song is also recorded. They made haste, they forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel. And they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the waterless place. For having so many and such pledges of the divine power, they did not ask to receive what they needed, nor did they wait for the divine gift, but immediately used revilings against the divine servants. And he joined two sins of the Jews: one, that they lusted with a carnal lust in the wilderness, where it was necessary to live wisely and to be continent from every lust; and second, that being in need of water, they did not ask, but tempted. Nevertheless, God did not cease from working wonders. And He gave them their requests; He sent fullness into their souls. For they did not believe concerning the things lacking from the good things they had already received; but they spoke against God, saying. They remembered the meat and the pots in Egypt. And he called the lust a "request." For they did not ask, but spoke against. But nevertheless He gave them an abundance of meat, and bread not made with hands, and most sweet and abundant water. And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord. Neither those who provoked Him at the Red Sea, nor those who tempted Him in the wilderness did He who overlooks sins pursue, but He also gave them their desire; but when those with Dathan and Abiram provoked Moses, saying, "Has God spoken only to Moses? Has He not also to us?" He delivered them to the opened earth with all their clan. But Korah and those with him who were about to offer their censers instead of Aaron, a flame coming forth from the tabernacle consumed. For God does not wish His own servants to be despised, but having also shown His goodness, He also shows His severity, according to that, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God." For these are the appropriate remedies of God. The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the congregation of Abiram. And a fire was kindled in their congregation; a flame burned up the sinners. Dathan and Abiram were swallowed up with their whole clan; but Korah and those with him were consumed by fire sent from God. And God brought the punishments, urging the others to be sober-minded; but they were not willing to receive any benefit from this. And the narrative of the things dared shows this. And they made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the graven image. He did not mention the mountain simply, but to teach the excess of their impiety. For on it the Lord of all was seen, on it He filled them with terror, appearing with much fire, using trumpets, and resounding with thunders, and with so much fear offering the legislation; and on this they dared the impiety. And the phrase, "They worshipped the graven image," is an accusation of another madness. For that which they saw had received its form through human art, to this they offered divine reverence. And they changed His glory into the likeness of a calf that eats grass.

3. He very fittingly dramatized their folly. Instead of Him who worked so many wonders, and granted that extraordinary salvation, and is able to do so many things, they have honored an image of a calf, whose archetype is in need of food. And the food of the calf is not the bread that is offered to rational beings, but herbage and grass. But of the calf, whose nature is irrational, and whose food is grass, and whose servitude is given to humans, the image is much more worthless; for it is not only irrational, but also lifeless, not able to act, to low, to eat; but nevertheless they have preferred one so inert to the God of all. For having from Egypt the image of Apis, who was in Memphis, they worshipped not only this, but also many graven images. At least one calf

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μέγας ἡγεῖτο, τοῦ δὲ χοροῦ τῶν γυναικῶν Μαριὰμ ἡ προφῆτις. Ἀνάγραπτος δὲ καὶ ἡ ᾠδή. Ἐτάχυναν, ἐπελάθοντο τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ· οὐχ ὑπέμειναν τὴν βουλὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐπεθύμησαν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἀνύδρῳ. Τοσαῦτα γὰρ ἔχοντες καὶ τοιαῦτα ἐχέγγυα τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, οὐκ ᾔτησαν τὴν χρείαν λαβεῖν, οὐδὲ τὴν θείαν προσ έμειναν δωρεὰν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς λοιδορίαις κατὰ τῶν θείων ἐχρήσαντο θεραπόντων. ∆ύο δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνῆψεν ἁμαρτήματα, ἓν μὲν, ὅτι σαρκικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπεθύμουν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐν ᾗ φιλοσοφεῖν ἔδει καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης ἐπι θυμίας ἐγκρατεύεσθαι· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι δεηθέντες ὕδατος, οὐκ ᾔτουν, ἀλλ' ἐπείραζον. Πλὴν θαυματουργῶν ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐπαύετο. Καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὰ αἰτήματα αὐτῶν· ἐξαπέστειλε πλησμονὴν εἰς τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ὧν εὖ ἔπαθον ἤδη, περὶ τῶν ἐλλιπόντων ἐπίστευσαν· τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ κατελάλησαν λέγοντες. Ἐμνήσθησεν τῶν κρεῶν καὶ τῶν λεβήτων τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Αἴτημα δὲ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκάλεσεν. Οὐ γὰρ ᾔτησαν, ἀλλὰ κατελάλησαν. ∆έδωκε δὲ ὅμως αὐτοῖς καὶ κρεῶν ἀφθονίαν, καὶ ἄρτον ἀχειροποίητον, καὶ ὕδωρ ἥδιστον καὶ ἄφθονον. Καὶ παρώργισαν τὸν Μωϋσῆν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ, τὸν Ἀα ρὼν τὸν ἅγιον Κυρίου. Οὔτε παραπικράναντας ἐν ἐρυ θρᾷ θαλάσσῃ, οὔτε ἐν ἐρήμῳ πειράσαντας αὐτὸν μετῆλθεν αὐτοὺς ὁ παρορῶν ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν· ὅτε δὲ Μωϋσῆν παρώργισαν οἱ περὶ ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν, εἰπόντες· Μὴ Μωϋσῇ μόνῳ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεός; οὐχὶ καὶ ἡμῖν; παγγενῆ διανοιχθείσῃ παρεδίδου τῇ γῇ τούτους. Τὸν δὲ Κορὲ καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐ τῷ μέλλοντας προσφέρειν τὰ θυμιατήρια αὐτῶν ἀντὶ τοῦ Ἀαρὼν, φλὸξ ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς προελθοῦσα κατέφλεξεν. Οὐ γὰρ θέλει Θεὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι θεράπον τας, ἀλλὰ καὶ δείξας τὴν χρηστότητα, δείκνυσι καὶ τὴν ἀποτομίαν, κατὰ τὸ, Ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτο μίαν Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα γὰρ Θεοῦ κατάλληλα φάρμακα. Ἠν οίχθη ἡ γῆ, καὶ κατέπιε ∆αθὰν, καὶ ἐκάλυψεν ἐπὶ τὴν συναγωγὴν Ἀβειρών. Καὶ ἐξεκαύθη πῦρ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν· φλὸξ κατέφλεξεν ἁμαρτωλούς. ∆αθὰν μὲν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν μετὰ πάσης τῆς πατριᾶς κατεπόθησαν· Κορὲ δὲ καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ θεηλάτῳ πυρὶ κατ εφλέχθησαν. Τὰς δὲ τιμωρίας ἐπήγαγεν ὁ Θεὸς, τοὺς ἄλ λους σωφρονεῖν προτρεπόμενος· οὐδεμίαν δὲ λαβεῖν ἐντεῦθεν ὄνησιν ἠβουλήθησαν. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῖ τῶν τε τολμημένων ἐξήγησις. Καὶ ἐποίησαν μόσχον ἐν Χορὴβ, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ γλυπτῷ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοῦ ὄρους ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας διδάσκων ὑπερβο λήν. Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ ὤφθη τῶν ὅλων ὁ Κύριος, ἐν τούτῳ δείματος αὐτοὺς ἐνέπλησε, μετὰ πλείστου πυρὸς φανεὶς, σάλπιγξι χρώμενος, καὶ κατακτυπῶν βρονταῖς, καὶ μετὰ τοσούτου δέους τὴν νομοθεσίαν προσφέρων· ἐν τούτῳ τε τολμήκασι τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Τὸ δὲ, Προσεκύνησαν τῷ γλυπτῷ, ἑτέρας καὶ τοῦτο παραπληξίας κατηγορία. Ὃ γὰρ ἑώρων διὰ τέχνης ἀνθρωπίνης τὸ εἶδος δεξάμε νον, τούτῳ τὸ σέβας τὸ θεῖον προσήνεγκαν. Καὶ ἠλλά ξαντο τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι μόσχου ἐσθίον τος χόρτον.

γʹ. Σφόδρα αὐτῶν ἁρμοδίως τὴν ἄνοιαν ἐτραγῴδησεν. Ἀντὶ τοσαῦτα θαυματουργήσαντος, καὶ τὴν παράδοξον ἐκείνην σωτηρίαν χαρισαμένου, καὶ τοσαῦτα ἐνεργεῖν δυναμένου, εἰκόνα τετιμήκασι μόσχου, ἧς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον τροφῆς ἐνδεές. Τροφὴ δὲ τοῦ μόσχου, οὐκ ἄρτος ὁ τοῖς λογικοῖς προσφερόμενος, ἀλλὰ πόα καὶ χόρτος. Τοῦ δὲ μόσχου, οὗ ἄλογος ἡ φύσις, καὶ ὁ χόρτος τροφὴ, καὶ ἡ δουλεία δεδωρημένη ἀνθρώποις, ἡ εἰκὼν εὐτελεστέρα πολλῷ· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἄλογος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄψυχος, οὐκ ἐνεργεῖν, οὐ μυκᾶσθαι, οὐκ ἐσθίειν ἰσχύουσα· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν οὕτως ἀδρανῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων προτετιμήκασιν. Ἔχοντες γὰρ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου φαντασίαν τοῦ Ἄπιδος, ὅστις ἦν ἐν τῇ Μέμφιδι, καὶ οὐχὶ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοῖς γλυπτοῖς προσεκύνησαν. Ἕνα γοῦν μόσχον