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younger, clad in the beauty of faith. And Jacob [had] two wives: Leah, having weak eyes, but Rachel beautiful in form and exceedingly fair to look upon; and the elder was fruitful, but the younger was barren. For the church of the Gentiles was formerly barren, but after these things she became fruitful; "Rejoice," it says, "O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of her who has a husband." Since, therefore, the church, having believed in God the Savior, uprooted the ancestral error, and Rachel happened to be a type of this, she stole the idols of her father in order that she might foreshadow the truth even in this. XCII What is, "Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac"? He called the piety "the fear of Isaac," that is, the God whose fear he carried in his soul. XCIII For what reason does the angel wrestle with Jacob? Because he was afraid of his brother, he instills courage; for this reason he also conceded the victory to him, as if to say: you have conquered me and you fear a man? But lest he think highly of himself for having seemed to conquer God, by the touch of his thigh He showed the voluntary nature of the defeat; for by the touch He caused the numbness. And recognizing the power of the one who appeared, he asks for the blessing; and He both grants the request and changes his name: "for He says, 'Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name, for you have striven with God and you shall be mighty with men.'" And he also showed 82 the reason for the victory: "for do not fear man," He says, "since I have conceded the victory to you." And even after waking, his thigh remained numb and limping, so that he would not suppose the vision was a fantasy, but would know more accurately the truth of the dream. For this reason also, when he asked what His name was, he not only fails to get his request, but is also rebuked, as having transgressed the measures of nature; "for," He says, "why do you ask my name? For it is wonderful." And it must be noted here that he called the same one both man and God; "for He said, 'you have striven with God'." And he called the name of that place "Form of God": "for I have seen God face to face, and my soul was saved." And again: "And the sun rose for him, when he passed the Form of God." And through all these things we learn that the only-begotten Son and God appeared here also to Jacob. XCIV What is "This is that Anah who found the Iamin in the wilderness, when he pastured the donkeys of Zibeon his father"? The Syrian says that he found a spring; for a spring is called *aina* in the Syrian language. XCV From where does Job trace his lineage? From Esau; for the history about him teaches this; "for there was 83 a man," it says, "in the land of Uz." And the blessed Moses also made this clear; for writing the successions of those who had reigned from Esau, he said thus: "And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead"; and this agrees with the history of Job. XCVI Why did his brothers envy Joseph? He was loved by his father both as being born late in his life and as the son of Rachel and as excelling in virtue; therefore they were jealous, seeing him preferred; and first they tried to set his father against him, using many slanders against him; but failing in their purpose, they wished to kill him, then after taking counsel, they sold him. The dream of the sheaves signifies the worship that occurred on account of the wheat; for having entered Egypt for the sake of a grain dole, they bowed down according to the prophecy. XCVII Why did Tamar, having put on the guise of a harlot, deceive her father-in-law? The lineage of Abraham had become exceedingly renowned because of the piety which he had. Tamar, knowing this, was eager to bear children from that lineage; since, therefore, her father-in-law did not betroth her to the youngest son, fearing lest he also die just like his brothers, she was compelled to steal the

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νεώτερον, τὸ τῆς πίστεως περικείμενον κάλλος. καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ δύο γυναῖ κας· τὴν μὲν Λείαν ἀσθενεῖς ἔχουσαν ὀφθαλμούς, τὴν δὲ Ῥαχὴλ καλὴν τῷ εἴδει καὶ ὡραίαν τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα, καὶ πολύπαιδα μὲν τὴν πρεσβυτέ ραν, στερίφην δὲ τὴν νεωτέραν. καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησία στεῖρα ἦν πάλαι, ἀλλ' ἐγένετο μετὰ ταῦτα πολύπαις· " εὐφράνθητι, γάρ φησι, στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα· ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρή μου, μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα ". ἐπειδὴ τοί νυν ἡ ἐκκλησία τῷ σωτῆρι πεπιστευκυῖα Θεῷ, τὴν προγονικὴν πρόρ ριζον ἀνέσπασε πλάνην, τύπος δὲ ταύτης ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα ἡ Ῥαχήλ, κέκλοφε τὰ εἴδωλα τοῦ πατρὸς ἵνα τὴν ἀλήθειαν κἂν τούτῳ σκιαγραφήσῃ. XCII Τί ἐστιν, " ὤμοσεν Ἰακὼβ κατὰ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰσαάκ "; Φόβον τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐκάλεσε, τουτέστι τὸν Θεὸν οὗ τὸν φόβον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ περιέφερεν. XCIII Τίνος ἕνεκα παλαίει τῷ Ἰακὼβ ὁ ἄγγελος; ∆εδιότι τὸν ἀδελφὸν θάρσος ἐντίθησι· διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τῆς νίκης αὐτῷ παρεχώρησε μονονουχὶ λέγων· ἐμὲ νενίκηκας καὶ ἄνθρωπον δέδοικας; ἵνα δὲ μὴ μέγα φρονῇ δόξας νενικηκέναι Θεόν, τῇ ἁφῇ τοῦ μη ροῦ τὸ ἐθελούσιον τῆς ἥττης ἐδήλωσε· τῇ γὰρ ἁφῇ τὴν νάρκην εἰργάσατο. γνοὺς δὲ τοῦ ἐπιφανέντος τὴν δύναμιν, τὴν εὐλογίαν αἰτεῖ· ὁ δὲ καὶ τὴν αἴ τησιν δίδωσι καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἀμείβει· " οὐκέτι, γάρ φησι, κλη θήσεται τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακὼβ ἀλλ' Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσας μετὰ Θεοῦ καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων δυνατὸς ἔσῃ ". ἔδειξε δὲ καὶ 82 τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς νίκης· μὴ δείσῃς γάρ, φησίν, ἄνθρωπον, ἐμοῦ σοι τῆς νί κης παραχωρήσαντος· διέμεινε δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐγρήγορσιν ὁ μηρὸς ναρκῶν τε καὶ ὑποσκάζων, ἵνα μὴ φαντασίαν ὑπολάβῃ τὴν ὄψιν, ἀλλ' ἀκριβέστερον γνῷ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου τὸ ἀληθές. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐρωτήσας τίνα προσηγορίαν ἔχει, οὐ μόνον διαμαρτάνει τῆς αἰτήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπι πλήττεται, ὡς ὑπερβὰς τὰ μέτρα τῆς φύσεως· " ἵνα τί, γάρ φησι, ἐρωτᾷς τὸ ὄνομά μου; καὶ τοῦτο θαυμαστόν ". ἐπισημαντέον δὲ κἀνταῦθα, ὡς τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἐκάλεσε καὶ Θεόν· " ἐνίσχυσας, γὰρ ἔφη, μετὰ Θεοῦ". καὶ ἐκά λεσε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Εἶδος Θεοῦ· εἶδον γὰρ Θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή ". καὶ πάλιν· " ἀνέτειλεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἥλιος, ἡνίκα παρῆλθε τὸ Εἶδος τοῦ Θεοῦ ". διὰ τούτων δὲ πάντων μανθάνομεν, ὡς ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς ἐπεφάνη κἀνταῦθα τῷ Ἰακώβ. XCIV Τί ἐστιν " οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Ἀϊνὰν ὃς εὗρεν τὸν Ἰαμὴνἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὅτε ἔνεμεν τὰ ὑποζύγια Σεβεγὼν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ "; Ὁ Σύρος λέγει πηγὴν αὐτὸν εὑρηκέναι· ἡ γὰρ πηγὴ αἰνὰ καλεῖται τῇ Σύρων φωνῇ. XCV Ὁ Ἰὼβ πόθεν κατάγει τὸ γένος; Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ κατ' αὐτὸν ἱστορία διδάσκει· " ἄν 83 θρωπος γὰρ ἦν, φησίν, ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι ". δε δήλωκε δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος Μωϋσῆς· τῶν γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ βεβασι λευκότων τὰς διαδοχὰς συγγράφων, οὕτως ἔφη· " ἀπέθανε δὲ Βα λὰκ καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ Ἰωβὰβ υἱὸς Ζαρὰ ἐκ Βοσόρας "· συμφωνεῖ δὲ ταῦτα τῇ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἱστορίᾳ. XCVI ∆ιὰ τί ἐφθόνησαν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ; Ἠγαπᾶτο παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ὡς ὀψίγονος καὶ ὡς τῆς Ῥαχὴλ υἱὸς καὶ ὡς ἀρετῇ διαπρέπων· ἐβάσκαινον τοίνυν ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν προτιμώμενον· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπειράθησαν κακῶς αὐτὸν παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ διαθεῖναι, πολλαῖς κατ' αὐτοῦ λοιδορίαις χρησάμενοι· τοῦ σκοποῦ δὲ διαμαρτόν τες, ἀνελεῖν ἠβουλήθησαν, εἶτα συμβουλευθέντες ἀπέδοντο. τὸ δὲ τῶν δραγμάτων ὄναρ προσημαίνει τὴν διὰ τῶν πυρῶν γεγενημένην προσ κύνησιν· σιτοδοχίας γὰρ χάριν εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον εἰσελθόντες, κατὰ τὴν πρόρρησιν προσεκύνησαν. XCVII Τί δήποτε ἡ Θάμαρ ἑταιρικὸν σχῆμα περιθεμένη τὸν κηδεστὴν ἐξηπά τησεν; Περιφανὲς ἄγαν ἐγεγόνει τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὸ γένος δι' ἣν εἶχεν εὐσέβειαν. τοῦτο ἡ Θάμαρ εἰδυῖα, σπουδὴν ἔσχεν ἐξ ἐκείνου παιδοποιῆσαι τοῦ γέ νους· ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν αὐτὴν ὁ κηδεστὴς οὐ κατηγγύησε τῷ νεωτάτῳ παιδί, δείσας μὴ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς παραπλησίως καὶ αὐτὸς τελευτήσῃ ἠναγκάσθη κλέψαι τῆς