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2.220 And the voice from above now agrees with the desire of the one asking and does not refuse him this additional grace, yet again it leads to despair by declaring that what he seeks is incomprehensible to human life. But God says there is a certain place with him, and in that place a rock, and a hole in the rock, in which he commands Moses to be; then God would place his hand over the opening of that hole and, passing by, would call out; and Moses, being called and coming out of the hole, would see the back of the one who called, and thus would seem to see what he sought, and the promise of the divine voice would prove true. 2.221 For if one were to look at these things literally, not only will the meaning be obscure to those who seek it, but it will not even be free from a debased conception of God. For only of things seen in a shape is there a front and a back. But every shape is a limit of a body. Therefore, one who conceives of God as having a shape will not think him to be free from a bodily nature. And every body is also certainly composite. The composite has its constitution from the coming together of heterogeneous elements. And one would not say that what is composed is indissoluble. And what can be dissolved cannot be incorruptible. For corruption is the dissolution of what is constituted. 2.222 Therefore, if one were to understand God’s back literally, he would necessarily be carried by this train of thought into this absurdity. For front and back are certainly in a shape, and shape is in a body. And this is dissoluble according to its own nature. For everything composite is dissoluble. And what can be dissolved cannot be incorruptible. Thus, one who is a slave to the letter would, through this line of reasoning, conceive of the Divine as subject to corruption. But truly God is incorruptible and incorporeal. 2.223 But what meaning, then, besides the one that comes readily to mind, will fit what is written? But if this part of what is written in the context of the passage compels us to find another meaning, it is altogether fitting to think the same concerning the whole. For as we understand the part, so necessarily we apprehend the whole. For there could not be any whole not completed from parts. Therefore, the place with God and the rock in the place and the cavity in it which is called a hole, and the entrance of Moses there and the placing of the divine hand on the opening and the passing by and the call and after this the vision of the back will be contemplated more reasonably according to the law of spiritual interpretation. 2.224 What then is conjectured? That just as downward-moving bodies, if they should receive some impulse down a slope, even if no one happens to be pushing them after the first movement, are driven by themselves downwards with a more violent motion, as long as the surface subject to the motion is inclined and sloping downwards in shape, with nothing being found to check the impulse by resistance; so in the opposite way, the soul, released from earthly attachment, becomes upward-moving and swift for the movement toward the things above, flying up from the things below to the height. 2.225 And with nothing from above checking the impulse (for the nature of the good is attractive to itself for those who look up to it), it always becomes higher than itself, stretching out along with the desire for heavenly things to the things that are before, as the Apostle says, and will always make its flight toward what is higher. 2.226 For desiring through the things already attained not to abandon the height that lies beyond, it makes its upward motion ceaseless, always renewing its tension for the flight through the things previously accomplished. For only the activity according to virtue feeds its power by toil, not slackening its tension through the work, but increasing it. 2.227 For this reason we say that the great Moses, always becoming greater, never stops in his ascent, nor sets any limit for himself for his upward course, but once having set foot on the ladder on which God was supported, as Jacob says, forever of the step that lies above

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2.220 Καὶ ἡ ἄνωθεν φωνὴ νῦν μὲν τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τοῦ αἰτοῦντος συντίθεται καὶ τὴν προσθήκην αὐτῷ τῆς χάριτος ταύτης οὐκ ἀπαναίνεται, πάλιν δὲ εἰς ἀπελπισμὸν ἄγει δι' ὧν ἀποφαίνεται ἀχώρητον εἶναι τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωῇ τὸ παρ' ἐκείνου ζητούμενον. Ἀλλά τινα τόπον εἶναι παρ' ἑαυτῷ φησιν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ πέτραν καὶ ὀπὴν ἐν τῇ πέτρᾳ, ἐν ᾗ κελεύει γενέσθαι τὸν Μωϋσέα, εἶτα ἐπιβαλεῖν τὸν Θεὸν τὴν χεῖρα τῷ στομίῳ τῆς ὀπῆς ἐκείνης καὶ παρελθόντα προσκαλέσασθαι, τὸν δὲ Μωϋσέα προσκληθέντα καὶ τῆς ὀπῆς ἔξω γενόμενον τὰ ὀπίσθια ἰδεῖν τοῦ καλέσαντος καὶ οὕτως ἐκεῖνόν τε τὸ ζητούμενον ἰδεῖν δόξαι τῆς τε θείας φωνῆς ἀψευδῆ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν γενέσθαι. 2.221 Ταῦτα γὰρ εἴ τις κατὰ τὸ γράμμα βλέποι, οὐ μόνον ἀσαφὴς τοῖς ζητοῦσιν ἔσται ἡ διάνοια, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ καθαρεύσει τῆς ἀπεμφαινούσης περὶ Θεοῦ ὑπολήψεως. Μόνων γὰρ τῶν ἐν σχήματι θεωρουμένων τὸ μὲν ἐμπρόσθιον, τὸ δὲ ὀπίσθιον. Πᾶν δὲ σχῆμα σώματος πέρας ἐστίν. Ὥστε ὁ σχῆμα περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἐννοῶν οὐδὲ τῆς σωματικῆς φύσεως καθαρεύειν αὐτὸν οἰηθήσεται. Πᾶν δὲ σῶμα καὶ σύνθετόν ἐστι πάντως. Τὸ δὲ σύνθετον ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἑτερογενῶν συνδρομῆς ἔχει τὴν σύστασιν. Τὸ δὲ συντιθέμενον οὐκ ἄν τις ἀδιάλυτον εἶναι εἴποι. Τὸ δὲ διαλυόμενον ἄφθαρτον εἶναι οὐ δύναται. Φθορὰ γὰρ ἡ διάλυσις τοῦ συνεστῶτός ἐστιν. 2.222 Εἰ οὖν τις τὸ ὀπίσθιον τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸ γράμμα νοήσειεν, εἰς ταύτην τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας κατ' ἀνάγκην ἀπενεχθήσεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἐμπρόσθιόν τε καὶ ὀπίσθιον ἐν σχήματι πάντως, τὸ δὲ σχῆμα ἐν σώματι. Τοῦτο δὲ διαλυτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν φύσιν ἐστί. ∆ιαλυτὸν γὰρ ἅπαν τὸ σύνθετον. Τὸ δὲ διαλυόμενον ἄφθαρτον εἶναι οὐ δύναται. Ἄρα ὁ τῷ γράμματι δουλεύων φθορὰν διὰ τῆς ἀκολουθίας τῶν νοημάτων περὶ τὸ Θεῖον ἐννοήσειεν. Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἄφθαρτος ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἀσώματος. 2.223 Ἀλλὰ τίς ἄρα τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐφαρμόσει διάνοια παρὰ τὸ ἐκ προχείρου νοούμενον; Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τῶν ἐν τῇ συμφράσει τοῦ λόγου γεγραμμένων ἑτέραν ἡμᾶς ἐξευρεῖν ἀναγκάζει διάνοιαν, προσήκει πάντως καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὅλου τὸ ἴσον διανοεῖσθαι. Οἷον γὰρ ἐν τῷ μέρει νοήσωμεν, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκῃ καὶ τὸ ὅλον καταλαμβάνομεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴη τι ὅλον μὴ ἐκ μερῶν συμπληρούμενον. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὁ τόπος ὁ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἡ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ πέτρα καὶ τὸ ἐν ταύτῃ χώρημα, ὅπερ ὀπὴ ὀνομάζεται, καὶ ἡ ἐκεῖ τοῦ Μωϋσέως εἴσοδος καὶ ἡ τῆς θείας χειρὸς ἐπιβολὴ τοῦ στομίου καὶ ἡ πάροδος καὶ ἡ κλῆσις καὶ μετὰ ταύτην ἡ τῶν ὀπισθίων θεωρία εὐλογώτερόν τι τῷ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς νόμῳ θεωρηθήσεται. 2.224 Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ εἰκαζόμενον; Ὅτι καθάπερ τὰ κατω φερῆ τῶν σωμάτων, εἴ τινα κατὰ τοῦ πρανοῦς ὁρμὴν λάβοι, κἂν μηδεὶς ἐπωθῶν μετὰ τὴν πρώτην κίνησιν τύχῃ, αὐτὰ δι' ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ κάταντες ἐν σφοδροτέρᾳ τῇ φορᾷ συνελαύ νεται, ἕως ἂν ἐπικλινὲς ᾖ καὶ ὑποκατίῃ τῷ σχήματι τὸ τῇ φορᾷ ὑποκείμενον, μηδενὸς εὑρισκομένου τοῦ ἐξ ἀντιβάσεως τὴν ὁρμὴν ἀνακόπτοντος, οὕτω κατὰ τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἡ ψυχὴ τῆς γηΐνης προσπαθείας ἀπολυθεῖσα ἀνωφερής τε καὶ ὀξεῖα γίνεται πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω κίνησιν, ἀπὸ τῶν κάτω πρὸς τὸ ὕψος ἀνιπταμένη. 2.225 Μηδενὸς δὲ ὄντος ἄνωθεν τοῦ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπικόπτοντος (ἑλκτικὴ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἡ τοῦ καλοῦ φύσις ἐστὶ τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνην ἀναβλεπόντων), ἀεὶ πάν τως ὑψηλοτέρα ἑαυτῆς γίνεται, τῇ τῶν οὐρανίων ἐπιθυμίᾳ συνεπεκτεινομένη τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, καὶ πάντοτε πρὸς τὸ ὑψηλότερον τὴν πτῆσιν ποιήσεται. 2.226 Ποθοῦσα γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἤδη κατειλημμένων μὴ καταλιπεῖν τὸ ὕψος τὸ ὑπερκείμενον, ἄπαυστον ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω φοράν, ἀεὶ διὰ τῶν προηνυσμένων τὸν πρὸς τὴν πτῆσιν τόνον ἀνανεάζουσα. Μόνη γὰρ ἡ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνέργεια καμάτῳ τρέφει τὴν δύναμιν, οὐκ ἐνδιδοῦσα διὰ τοῦ ἔργου τὸν τόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπαύξουσα. 2.227 ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φαμεν καὶ τὸν μέγαν Μωϋσέα ἀεὶ μείζω γινόμενον μηδαμοῦ ἵστασθαι τῆς ἀνόδου, μηδέ τινα ὅρον ἑαυτῷ ποιεῖσθαι τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω φορᾶς, ἀλλ' ἅπαξ ἐπιβάντα τῆς κλίμακος ᾗ ἐπεστήρικτο ὁ Θεός, καθώς φησιν Ἰακώβ, εἰσαεὶ τῆς ὑπερκειμένης βαθμίδος