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he interpreted the dreams for those servants; had he not interpreted them, he would not have become known to Pharaoh; had he not become known, he would not have revealed the prophecy of the dreams. Had he not done this, he would not have been entrusted with the reins of Egypt; had he not received the rule of Egypt, he would not have brought the patriarch with his family into Egypt. From the outcome, therefore, the purpose of the divine economy becomes clear. CII Therefore did the brothers not sin, serving the divine economy? Their deed was one of malice and envy, but God, being wise, used their 87 wickedness for the opposite purpose; for through the very means by which they tried to prevent the outcome of the dreams, through these he brought the dreams to their fulfillment. CIII Why did he behave so harshly toward his brothers as soon as he saw them? Remembering what had been done to him, and not seeing Benjamin, he suspected that he too had suffered the same things from them; but when he saw his brother alive, he deemed them worthy of forgiveness and all kinds of care. CIV What is the interpretation of "Psomithom Phanech"? He called him interpreter of secrets, as one who clarified the dreams. CV Why did he order the second, and not the first, of the brothers to be imprisoned? He knew Reuben's intention and knew clearly how many pleas he had made to the brothers on his behalf, and how much effort he had made for his salvation. Since, therefore, Simeon did not cooperate with Reuben, he very justly ordered him to be imprisoned; but when the brothers had departed, he deemed him worthy of every care. While these things were happening, however, their conscience could not keep silent, but it reminded them of the transgression committed against their brother; "for he says, each one said to his brother: 'Truly, for we are in sins 88 concerning our brother, because we disregarded the affliction of his soul, when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen to him. For this reason this affliction has come upon us.'" And Reuben also opportunely brought his rebuke: "for he says, he said to them: 'Did I not speak to you, saying, Do not harm the child, and you did not listen to me? And behold, his blood is required.'" From this it is possible to know clearly the unwavering judgment of the conscience; for it recalls a transgression that happened twenty-two years before. CVI Why did the father not dare to give Benjamin to Reuben? He was suspect to him because of his unlawful intercourse and the defilement of his bed; and he did not know how much effort he had made on behalf of Joseph. CVII What is "he divines by divination with it"? Wishing to magnify the crime of the supposed theft, they call the cup an instrument of divination; and Joseph himself said this: "Do you not know that a man such as I will surely divine by divination?" But he said these things, not because he used divination and omens, but shaping his words to the matter at hand; and it is worthy to admire the precision of his words. For not even while pretending did he endure to attribute divination to himself, but to some other person entrusted with the same authority; for he did not say "I divine," but "a man such as I will surely divine by divination." 89 CVIII Why did he devise the drama concerning the cup? He wished to test the disposition of his brothers, and to know clearly if they would stand with Benjamin who was being falsely accused; for this very reason he also hid the cup in his sack. But when he saw them not simply pleading for him, but also fighting for him, he threw off the mask and showed his brotherly face; and when they were terrified, and the earth all but wished to swallow them, he encouraged them, saying: "Now therefore do not be afraid, nor let it seem a hard thing to you that you sold me here. For God sent me before you to preserve life." And very graciously, as he sent them on their way, he advised them: "for he says, 'Do not be angry on the way,'" instead of "do not do such things as you dared to do to me." CIX Why did he also acquire the land of the Egyptians and their cattle

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ὀνείρους τοῖς οἰκέταις ἐκείνοις ἡρμήνευσεν· μὴ ἑρμηνεύσας δὲ γνώριμος οὐκ ἂν ἐγεγόνει τῷ Φαραώ· γνώριμος δὲ μὴ γενόμενος, οὐκ ἂν τὴν διὰ τῶν ὀνείρων ἐσα φήνισε πρόρρησιν. τοῦτο δὲ μὴ δεδρακώς, οὐκ ἂν ἐπιστεύθη τῆς Αἰγύπ του τὰς ἡνίας· τῆς Αἰγύπτου δὲ μὴ παραλαβὼν τὴν ἀρχήν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν πατριάρχην μετὰ τοῦ γένους ἤγαγεν εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον. ἐκ τοῦ τέλους οὖν γίνεται δῆλος τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας ὁ σκοπός. CII Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἐξήμαρτον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἰκονομίᾳ ὑπουργήσαντες θείᾳ; Τὸ μὲν ἐκείνων ἔργον βασκανίας καὶ φθόνου, σοφὸς δὲ ὢν ὁ Θεός, τῇ πο 87 νηρίᾳ τῇ ἐκείνων εἰς τοὐναντίον ἐχρήσατο· δι' ὧν γὰρ ἐπειράθησαν κωλῦσαι τῶν ὀνείρων τὴν ἔκβασιν, διὰ τούτων ἐπιτέθεικε τοῖς ὀνείροις τὸ τέλος. CIII Τίνος χάριν εὐθὺς ὀφθεῖσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὠμότερον προσηνέχθη; Μεμνημένος τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένων, καὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶν οὐκ ἰδών, ὑπε τόπασε κἀκεῖνον ταὐτὰ παρ' αὐτῶν πεπονθέναι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ζῶντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἶδε, καὶ συγγνώμης καὶ παντοδαποῦς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσε. CIV Τίνα ἑρμηνείαν ἔχει τό " ψομιθὸμ φανέχ "; Τῶν ἀπορρήτων ἑρμηνευτὴν αὐτὸν κέκληκεν, ὡς τοὺς ὀνείρους διασα φήσαντα. CV Τίνος ἕνεκεν τὸν δεύτερον, καὶ οὐ τὸν πρῶτον, τῶν ἀδελφῶν καθειρχθῆ ναι προσέταξεν; Ἐγνώκει τοῦ Ῥουβὴν τὸν σκοπὸν καὶ ᾔδει σαφῶς ὁπόσους ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐποιήσατο λόγους, καὶ ὅσην ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτη ρίας εἰσενηνόχει σπουδήν. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οὐ συνήργησεν ὁ Συμεὼν τῷ Ῥουβὴν μάλα δικαίως αὐτὸν καθειρχθῆναι προσέταξεν· ἀλλ' ἐκδεδη μηκότων τῶν ἀδελφῶν, πάσης αὐτὸν θεραπείας ἠξίωσε. τούτων μέντοι γινομένων ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν τὸ συνειδὸς οὐκ ἠνείχετο, ἀλλὰ τῆς γεγενη μένης εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν παρανομίας ἀνέμνησεν· " εἶπε, γάρ φησιν, ἕκασ τος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· ναί, ἐν ἁμαρτίαις 88 γάρ ἐσμεν περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ὑπερεί δομεν τὴν θλῖψιν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτε κατε δέετο ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ. ἕνε κεν τούτου ἐπῆλθεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἡ θλῖψις αὕτη ". καὶ ὁ Ῥουβὴν δὲ εἰς καιρὸν ἐπάγει τὸν ἔλεγχον· " εἶπε, γάρ φησιν, αὐ τοῖς· οὐκ ἐλάλησα ὑμῖν, λέγων, μὴ ἀδικήσητε τὸ παιδάριον, καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσατέ μου; καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐκζητεῖται ". ἐντεῦθεν ἐστι γνῶ ναι σαφῶς τὸ ἀκλινὲς τοῦ συνειδότος κριτήριον· τῆς γὰρ πρὸ δύο καὶ εἴκοσι ἐτῶν γεγενημένης ἀναμιμνῄσκει παρανομίας. CVI ∆ιὰ τί τῷ Ῥουβὴν οὐκ ἐθάρρησε δοῦναι τὸν Βενιαμὶν ὁ πατήρ; Ὕποπτος ἦν αὐτῷ διὰ τὴν παράνομον συνουσίαν καὶ τῆς εὐνῆς παροι νίαν· ἠγνόει δὲ καὶ ὅσην ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ εἰσενηνόχει σπουδήν. CVII Τί ἐστιν " οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνίζεται ἐν αὐτῷ "; Αὐξῆσαι τῆς δοκούσης κλοπῆς τὸ ἔγκλημα βουληθέντες, μαντείας ὄργα νον τὸ ποτήριον ὀνομάζουσι· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφη Ἰωσήφ· " οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἰωνισμῷ οἰωνιεῖται ἄνθρωπος οἷος ἐγώ "; ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐ μαντείᾳ καὶ οἰωνοῖς κεχρημένος, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν προκειμένην ὑπόθεσιν σχηματίζων τοὺς λόγους· ἄξιον δὲ αὐτοῦ θαυ μάσαι τῶν λόγων τὸ ἀκριβές. οὐδὲ ἀδελφοὺς γὰρ ὑποκρινόμενος ἠνέσχετο ἑαυτῷ τὸν οἰωνισμὸν περιθεῖναι, ἀλλ' ἄλλῳ τινὶ τὴν αὐτὴν πεπιστευ μένῳ ἀρχήν· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν οἰωνίζομαι, ἀλλ' " οἰωνισμῷ οἰω νιεῖται ἄνθρωπος οἷος ἐγώ ". 89 CVIII Τί δήποτε τὸ κατὰ τὸ κόνδυ κατεσκεύασε δρᾶμα; Βασανίσαι τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἠβουλήθη τὴν γνώμην, καὶ γνῶναι σαφῶς, εἰ τῷ Βενιαμὶν συκοφαντουμένῳ συναγωνίζονται· διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τὸν ἐκείνου σάκκον τὸ κόνδυ κατέκρυψεν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς συνηγο ροῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπερμαχοῦντας ἐθεάσατο, ῥίψας τὸ προσωπεῖον τὸ ἀδελφικὸν ἐπέδειξε πρόσωπον· ἐκείνων δὲ καταπτηξάντων, καὶ μονονουχὶ χάναι αὐτοῖς βουληθέντων τὴν γῆν, αὐτὸς παραθαρρύνει λέγων· " νῦν οὖν μὴ φοβεῖσθε, μηδὲ σκληρὸν ὑμῖν φανήτω ὅτι ἀπέδοσθέ με ὧδε. εἰς γὰρ ζωὴν ἀπέσταλκέ με ὁ Θεὸς ἔμπροσθεν ὑμῶν ". μάλα δὲ χαριέντως καὶ προπέμπων αὐτοὺς παρῄνεσεν· " μὴ ὀργίζεσθε, γάρ φησιν, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ", ἀντὶ τοῦ μὴ τοιαῦτα δράσητε οἷα εἰς ἐμὲ τετολμήκατε. CIX Τί δήποτε καὶ τὴν γῆν τῶν αἰγυπτίων καὶ τὰ κτήνη προσεπόρισε