41

the memory, Rahab the prostitute bears witness, saying to the spies, "your fear and your dread has fallen upon us; for we heard how the Lord your God dried up the Red Sea before your face." and the foreigners also bear witness, seeing the ark from afar, and crying out; "Woe to us foreigners, this is the God who struck Egypt." XIII But why did God allow the people to suffer these things? So that they might hate not only the Egyptians, but also their gods 111 as having suffered such things from them; and so that they might quickly obey when ordered to depart. For if, even when these things had happened so, they remembered the luxury in Egypt and often attempted to turn back, who would have persuaded them to leave Egypt having suffered nothing terrible from them? XIV Why did the angel want to kill Moses? His wife indeed surmised it was because one of the children had not been circumcised according to the law of the Hebrews; at any rate, she immediately performed the circumcision on him. But some say, because having been sent for the freedom of his kinsmen he had his spouse as a companion on the journey. These people should have understood that, wishing to persuade his father-in-law that he would not despise his wife nor prefer another to her, he was forced to take her, and was not contemptuously ministering to the divine command. At any rate, immediately taking the occasion from the angel, he ordered his wife to return to her family. And that this is true, the history teaches; for after the exodus from Egypt, when they had crossed the sea and had come to Mount Sinai, his father-in-law came to him with his wife. And the history says thus: "And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after her dismissal, and his two sons, and came to Moses in the desert." Therefore, preparing something else, the angel showed his naked sword. For since the great Moses feared Pharaoh and often showed this 112 fear, now saying, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh king of Egypt?"; and now, "Appoint another capable person whom you will send." And again, "I am of a weak voice and a slow tongue." the angel threatens him with punishment, driving out fear with fear, the lesser with the greater; as if saying through the drawn sword, if you fear Pharaoh, fear me more, who am able to bring the blow upon you even invisibly. XV What is, "My name Lord I did not make known to them"? It teaches of how much honor and good will He deemed him worthy. For the name which He did not make known to the patriarchs, this He made known to him; for He said to him, "I am the one who is." And this is called unutterable among the Hebrews; for it is forbidden for them to pronounce this with the tongue, but it is written with the four letters; for which reason they also call it Tetragrammaton. This was also inscribed on the golden plate, which was placed on the forehead of the high priest, being bound by the headband on his head. And the Samaritans call it Iabe, but the Jews Ia. XVI Why indeed has he made known to us of Aaron's wife, not only the father, but also the brother? It teaches the intermingling of the royal and the priestly tribe. For Nahshon was the son of Amminadab; and Amminadab of Aram; and Aram 113 of Hezron; and Hezron of Perez; and Perez of Judah. And this Nahshon was a leader of the tribe of Judah; from the kinship of these the Lord was born according to the flesh. Not in vain, therefore, did it teach the intermingling of the royal and the priestly tribe, but showing that the Lord Christ sprang from both, being called king and priest according to his humanity. XVII How did Moses become a god to Aaron? Just as God commanded Moses, so in turn did Moses command Aaron; wherefore indeed Aaron was also called the prophet of Moses. XVIII Why indeed did God allow the magicians to do the same things as Moses? There are some even now of those living in impiety, who

41

ἡ μνήμη, μαρτυρεῖ μὲν Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη λέγουσα τοῖς κατασκόποις, ὅτι " ὁ φόβος ὑμῶν καὶ ὁ τρόμος ὑμῶν ἐπέπεσεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς· ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ ὅπως κατεξήρανε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν πρὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν ". μαρτυ ροῦσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πόρρωθεν τὴν κιβωτὸν θεασάμενοι, καὶ βοή σαντες· " οὐαὶ ἡμῖν ἀλλόφυλοι, οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ πα τάξας τὴν Αἴγυπτον ". XIII ∆ιὰ τί δὲ συνεχώρησεν ταῦτα παθεῖν τὸν λαὸν ὁ Θεός; Ἵνα μὴ μόνον τοὺς αἰγυπτίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων μισήσωσι θεοὺς 111 ὡς τοιαῦτα παρ' αὐτῶν πεπονθότες· καὶ ἵνα συντόμως ὑπακούσωσιν ἐξελθεῖν κελευόμενοι. εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτων οὕτω γεγενημένων ἀνεμιμνῄσ κοντο τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τρυφῆς καὶ πολλάκις ἐπειράθησαν ἀναστρέψαι, τίς ἂν αὐτοὺς ἔπεισε καταλιπεῖν τὴν Αἴγυπτον μηδὲν παρ' αὐτῶν πε πονθότας δεινόν; XIV ∆ιὰ τί ἠβουλήθη ὁ ἄγγελος ἀνελεῖν τὸν Μωϋσῆν; Ἡ γυνὴ μὲν ἐτόπασε διὰ τὸ θάτερον τῶν παιδίων μὴ περιτμηθῆναι κατὰ τὸν τῶν ἑβραίων νόμον· παραυτίκα γοῦν αὐτῷ τὴν περιτομὴν προ σενήνοχε. τινὲς δέ φασιν, ἐπειδὴ πεμφθεὶς ἐπ' ἐλευθερίᾳ τῶν ὁμοφύλων κοινωνὸν εἶχε τῆς ὁδοῦ τὴν ὁμόζυγα. οὓς ἐχρῆν συνιδεῖν, ὅτι πεῖσαι τὸν κηδεστὴν βουλόμενος, ὡς οὐ καταφρονήσει τῆς γυναικὸς οὐδὲ ἑτέραν αὐτῆς προτιμήσει, λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ἠναγκάσθη, ἀλλ' οὐ καταφρονητικῶς διακονῶν τῷ θείῳ προστάγματι. αὐτίκα γοῦν λαβὼν τὴν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ ἀγγέλου, τὴν γυναῖκα πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους ἀναστρέψαι προσέταξε. καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθές, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἔξοδον τὴν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, διαβάντων αὐτῶν τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ εἰς τὸ Σίναιον παραγε νομένων ὄρος, ἀφίκετο σὺν τῇ γυναικὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ κηδεστής. λέγει δὲ οὕτως ἡ ἱστορία· " ἔλαβε δὲ Ἰοθὼρ ὁ γαμβρὸς Μωϋ σῆ Σεπφώραν τὴν γυναῖκα Μωϋσῆ, μετὰ τὴν ἄφεσιν αὐτῆς, καὶ τοὺς δύο υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς Μωϋσῆν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ". τοιγάρτοι ἄλλο τι κατασκευάζων ὁ ἄγγελος ἔδειξε τὴν ῥομφαίαν γυμνήν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μέγας Μωϋσῆς ἐδεδίει τὸν Φαραὼ καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο τὸ δέος ἐδή 112 λωσε, νῦν μὲν λέγων, " τίς εἰμι ἐγώ, ὅτι πορεύσομαι πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου "; νῦν δέ, " προ χείρισαι ἄλλον δυνάμενον ὃν ἐξαποστελεῖς ". καὶ πάλιν, " ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος ἐγώ εἰμι ". ἀπειλεῖ αὐτῷ τιμωρίαν ὁ ἄγγελος, φόβῳ φόβον ἐξελαύνων, τῷ μείζονι τὸν ἐλάττονα· μονονουχὶ λέγων διὰ τῆς γεγυμνωμένης ῥομ φαίας, εἰ τὸν Φαραὼ δέδοικας, μᾶλλον δεῖσον ἐμὲ τὸν καὶ ἀοράτως σοι τὴν πληγὴν ἐπενεγκεῖν δυνάμενον. XV Τί ἐστι, " τὸ ὄνομά μου Κύριος οὐκ ἐδήλωσα αὐ τοῖς "; ∆ιδάσκει πόσης αὐτὸν καὶ τιμῆς καὶ εὐμενείας ἠξίωσεν. ὃ γὰρ τοῖς πα τριάρχαις οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν ὄνομα, τοῦτο αὐτῷ δῆλον ἐποίησεν· ἔφη γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν, " ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν ". τοῦτο δὲ παρ' ἑβραίοις ἄφραστον ὀνομάζεται· ἀπείρηται γὰρ αὐτοῖς τοῦτο διὰ τῆς γλώττης προφέρειν, γράφεται δὲ διὰ τῶν τεσσάρων στοιχείων· διὸ καὶ τετράγραμμον αὐτὸ λέγουσι. τοῦτο καὶ τῷ πετάλῳ ἐπεγέγραπτο τῷ χρυσῷ, ὃ τῷ μετώπῳ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἐπετίθετο τῇ ταινίᾳ τῆς κεφαλῆς προσδεσμούμενον. κα λοῦσι δὲ αὐτὸ σαμαρεῖται μὲν Ἰαβέ, ἰουδαῖοι δὲ Ἰά. XVI Τί δήποτε τῆς τοῦ Ἀαρὼν γυναικός, οὐ τὸν πατέρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν δῆλον ἡμῖν πεποίηκεν; Τῆς βασιλικῆς καὶ τῆς ἱερατικῆς φυλῆς τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν διδάσκει. ὁ γὰρ Ναασσῶν υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀμιναδάβ· ὁ δὲ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ· ὁ δὲ Ἀρὰμ 113 τοῦ Ἐσρών· ὁ δὲ Ἐσρὼν τοῦ Φαρές· ὁ δὲ Φαρὲς τοῦ Ἰούδα. αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ναασσῶν φύλαρχος ἦν τοῦ Ἰούδα· ἐκ τῆς τούτων συγγενείας ὁ Κύριος κατὰ σάρκα γεγέννηται. οὐ μάτην τοίνυν τῆς βασιλικῆς καὶ τῆς ἱερα τικῆς φυλῆς τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν ἐδίδαξεν, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς ὡς ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἐβλάστησεν, ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἱερεὺς κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον χρηματίσας. XVII Πῶς ἐγένετο τοῦ Ἀαρὼν θεὸς ὁ Μωϋσῆς; Ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς προσέταττε τῷ Μωϋσῇ, οὕτως πάλιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς τῷ Ἀαρών· διὸ δὴ καὶ προφήτης ὁ Ἀαρὼν προσηγορεύθη τοῦ Μωϋσέως. XVIII Τί δήποτε συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς φαρμάκοις ταὐτὰ δρᾶσαι τῷ Μωϋσῇ; Εἰσί τινες καὶ νῦν τῶν δυσσεβείᾳ συζώντων, οἵ