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

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 they flee to Armenia. And by his sons we will understand the evil thoughts born from him, by whom he is destroyed, when we use them for good; and by the very means through which he hastened to capture, by these we destroyed him. Who also flee to a deposit of rest. For Armenia is interpreted as a deposit of rest. For they entrust us to rest thereafter. But these things are so. A river flowing through the city is, to speak more clearly, the knowledge of sensible things according to natural contemplation; which, passing through the middle of the soul, becomes a boundary between the extremities, of mind and sensation, joining the mind to sensation through itself. For the knowledge of sensible things, insofar as it is impressed with a form by the shapes of sensible things, partakes of the mind. And the combination of the words indicates the union of the mind and of sensation. For it is knowledge of sensible things. And knowledge is proper to the mind; but sensible things are proper to sensation. And King Hezekiah prayed, and Isaiah the son of Amoz, and they cried out to heaven, and the Lord sent an angel, and wiped out every mighty man and warrior, and ruler and general, in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he turned back with shame of face. It is necessary for one who contemplates the divine Scripture gnostically to be practiced also in the interpretations of the names, which are often able in themselves to clarify the whole meaning of what is written; if indeed he is not to bring down the height of the spirit to body and earth alone in a Judaic manner. Ahaz begot Hezekiah. And Ahaz is interpreted as strength; but Hezekiah as divine power. And strength is taken 77.1269 to mean the practice of the holy commandments; but divine power to mean virtue. And just as Ahaz begot Hezekiah, so too does practice beget virtue; by which wickedness is destroyed. Again, therefore, Amoz begot Isaiah. And Amoz is interpreted as the toil of the people; but Isaiah as divine height, and toil is taken to mean the sweat in the practice of the virtues, or the labors in natural contemplation, but height to mean the knowledge of the truth, which is begotten by the sweat in the practice of the virtues, or the toils of the contemplation of created things, destroying the opposing power of falsehood. Just as a vow is a promise of good things offered by men to God according to a profession; so prayer, according to probable reason, will clearly be the request for the good things supplied by God to men for salvation, bringing a requital for the preceding good disposition. And a cry is the virtuous ways in practice and the gnostic theorems in contemplation, in the time of the insurrection of the wicked demons, an advance and an increase; which God naturally hears not least of all, receiving instead of a loud voice the disposition of those who care for virtue and knowledge. And heaven is often said in Scripture to be God himself, as in, "A man can receive nothing from himself, unless it has been given to him from heaven," instead of, "from God." And this [Scripture] also calls the heavenly powers heaven. As in, "Heaven is my throne." And heaven is also said to be the height of true knowledge among men. For he who knows with practice, and practices with knowledge, is a throne and footstool of God. A throne because of knowledge, in which God is enthroned; and a footstool because of practice, which receives upon itself the divine steps. With these things thus contemplated beforehand, then every pious man guarded by virtue and knowledge, or by practice and contemplation, when he sees the wicked and destructive power rising up against him through the passions, just as both Hezekiah and Isaiah saw coming upon them the

δι' ἑαυτῶν αὖθις ἀποστρέφουσιν αὐτὸν, φεύγοντα εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ· ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ παγία τῆς κακίας ἕξις, ὃν φεύγοντα ἀναιροῦσιν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ φεύγουσιν εἰς Ἀρμενίαν. Υἱοὺς δὲ αὐτοῦ νοήσομεν τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τικτομένους πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς, ὑφ' ὧν ἀναιρεῖται, ὅτε συγχρησόμεθα τούτοις εἰς ἀγαθόν· καὶ δι' ὧν ἐσπούδασεν ἑλεῖν, διὰ τούτων ἀνέλωμεν αὐτόν. Οἳ καὶ φεύγουσιν εἰς παράθεσιν ἀναπαύσεως. Ἀρμενία γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται παράθεσις ἀναπαύσεως. Παρατιθέασι γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἀναπαύσει λοιπόν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως. Ποταμὸς δὲ διορίζων διὰ τῆς πόλεως, ἡ κατὰ τὴν φυσικὴν θεωρίαν γνῶσις τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἵνα σαφέστερον εἴπωμεν· ἥτις διερχομένη διὰ μέσης τῆς ψυχῆς, μεθόριον τῶν ἄκρων γίνεται, νοῦ καὶ αἰσθήσεως, δι' ἑαυτῆς συνάπτουσα τὸν νοῦν τῇ αἰσθήσει. Ἡ γὰρ γνῶσις τῶν αἰσθητῶν, καθ' ὃ μὲν εἰς εἶδος τυποῦται τοῖς σχήμασι τῶν αἰσθητῶν, κοινωνεῖ τῷ νῷ. Καὶ ἡ συνθήκη δὲ τῶν λέξεων δηλοῖ τὴν σύνοδον τοῦ νοῦ καὶ τῆς αἰσθήσεως. Γνῶσις γὰρ τῶν αἰσθητῶν. Καὶ ἡ μὲν γνῶσις οἰκεία τῷ νῷ· τὰ δὲ αἰσθητὰ, οἰκεῖα τῇ αἰσθήσει. Καὶ προσηύξατο Ἐζεχίας ὁ βασιλεὺς, καὶ Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμμῶς, καὶ ἐβόησαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἀπέστειλε Κύριος ἄγγελον, καὶ ἐξέτριψε πάντα δυνατὸν καὶ πολεμιστὴν, καὶ ἄρχοντα καὶ στρατηγὸν, ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ βασιλέως Ἀσσούρ. Καὶ ἀπέστρεψε μετ' αἰσχύνης προσ ώπου. Χρὴ τὸν γνωστικῶς θεωροῦντα τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν ἀσκηθῆναι καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείας, αὐτόθεν δυναμένας πολλάκις ὅλην σαφηνίζειν τῶν γεγραμμένων διάνοιαν· εἴπερ μέλλοι μὴ πρὸς σῶμα μόνον καὶ γῆν Ἰουδαϊκῶς κατάγειν τὸ ὕψος τοῦ πνεύματος. Ἄχαζ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἐζεχίαν. Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἄχαμὲν ἰσχύς· Ἐζεχίας δὲ κράτος θεῖον. Καὶ λαμβάνε 77.1269 ται ἡ μὲν ἰσχὺς εἰς τὴν πρᾶξιν τῶν ἁγίων ἐντολῶν· τὸ δὲ θεῖον κράτος εἰς τὴν ἀρετήν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Ἄχαζ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἐζεχίαν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ πρᾶξις τὴν ἀρετήν· ὑφ' ἧς διαφθείρεται ἡ κακία. Πάλιν οὖν, Ἀμμῶς ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἡσαΐαν. Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἀμμῶςμὲν λαοῦ πόνος· Ἡσαΐας δὲ ὕψος θεῖον, καὶ λαμβάνεται ὁ μὲν πόνος εἰς τοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ πράξει τῶν ἀρετῶν ἱδρῶτας, ἢ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ φυσικῇ θεωρίᾳ καμάτους, τὸ δὲ ὕψος εἰς τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς ἀληθείας, ἣν γεννῶσιν οἱ ἐπὶ τῇ πράξει τῶν ἀρετῶν ἱδρῶτες, ἢ τῆς τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίας οἱ πόνοι, διαφθείρουσαν τὴν ἀντικειμένην αὐτῇ δύναμιν τοῦ ψεύδους. Ὥσπερ εὐχή ἐστιν ὑπόσχεσις τῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων Θεῷ κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν προσαγομένων καλῶν· οὕτω προσευχὴ, κατὰ τὸν εἰκότα λόγον, ἔσται σαφῶς ἡ τῶν ἐκ Θεοῦ πρὸς σωτηρίαν χορηγουμένων τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀγαθῶν ἐξαίτησις, ἀντίδοσιν φέρουσα τῆς τῶν προηγουμένων καλῆς διαθέσεως. Βοὴ δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἐναρέτων τρόπων καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν θεωρίαν γνωστικῶν θεωρημάτων, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς τῶν πονηρῶν δαιμόνων ἐπαναστάσεως, ἐπίδοσίς τε καὶ ἐπαύξησις· ἧς πάντων οὐχ ἥκιστα φυσικῶς ἀκούει Θεὸς, ἀντὶ μεγάλης φωνῆς τὴν τῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἐπιμελουμένων λαμβάνων διάθεσιν. Οὐρανὸς δὲ πολλάκις κατὰ τὴν Γραφὴν λέγεται αὐτὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς τὸ, Οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος λαμβάνειν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καλεῖ δὲ οὐρανὸν αὕτη καὶ τὰς οὐρανίας δυνάμεις. Ὡς τὸ, Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος. Λέγεται δὲ οὐρανὸς καὶ τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀληθοῦς γνώσεως. Ὁ γὰρ μετὰ πράξεως γινώσκων, καὶ μετὰ γνώσεως πράττων, θρόνος καὶ ὑποπόδιόν ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Θρόνος μὲν διὰ τὴν γνῶσιν, ᾗ ὁ Θεὸς ἐνθρονίζεται· ὑποπόδιον δὲ διὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν, ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς δεχομένην τὰς θείας βάσεις. Τούτων οὕτω προθεωρηθέντων, λοιπὸν πᾶς εὐσεβὴς ἀρετῇ καὶ γνώσει, ἢ πράξει καὶ θεωρίᾳ φρουρούμενος, ἐπειδὰν ἴδῃ διὰ τῶν παθῶν ἐπαναστᾶσαν αὐτῷ τὴν πονηρὰν καὶ ὀλέθριον δύναμιν, καθάπερ καὶ Ἐζεχίας καὶ Ἡσαΐας εἶδον ἐπερχόμενον αὐτοῖς τὸν