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He taught them to keep the commandment. But he did not hinder the course of nature. For the sun rises and the moon likewise and the clouds travail with rain, and winds blow, and women give birth, and the species of irrational animals. XXXIII What weapons did they use when fighting Amalek? When the Egyptians had been drowned, their bodies were cast out onto the shore with their weapons; having plundered these, they used them in the wars. XXXIV Why did Israel conquer when the hands of Moses were extended, but was defeated when they were lowered? 125 By extending his hands, he fulfilled the type of the one crucified for us. Therefore, the power of the truth was also shown in the type; for just as Amalek fell when the servant extended his hands, so when the Master extended his hands, the cohort of the devil was destroyed, and in that war the namesake of our savior erected the trophy, having then received this appellation, and using the chosen men as his co-workers, as the Lord Christ used the holy apostles as ministers. XXXV What is, "you shall be to me a peculiar people from all the nations; for all the earth is mine"? I am, he says, the maker and master of all, and as maker I provide for all; but you, as a chosen people, I have dedicated to myself. For he added this: "and you shall be to me a royal priesthood, a holy nation." For just as he preferred the Levites, being Israelites, above the other tribes, and set them apart for the divine liturgy, not neglecting the others, but through these taking care of them; so he chose the seed of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; first, because from them the Lord Christ was to spring forth according to the flesh; then, by the things done for them, showing his own power, and teaching all men the way of the knowledge of God, these things, however, having been said: "all the people answered and said: All that God has said, we will do and we will hear." This covenant of the people is like the signature of a document; wherefore, having transgressed their own agreement, they were subjected to the curses of the legislation, from which the Lord Christ freed those who have believed in him. "For Christ," it says, "has redeemed 126 us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us." However, Symmachus translated "peculiar" as "chosen." XXXVI Why were they commanded not only to purify themselves, but also to wash their garments, when they received the law? Through the physical he guides them to the spiritual, and instills fear, and makes them more reverent. For from these things they reasoned that it is much more fitting to purify the mind. For this reason also there were sounds of trumpets and crashes of thunder and darkness and a storm and fire on the summit of the mountain, and inexpressible smoke being sent forth; in order that through all these things he might soften their stony heart. For since they had seen the punishments inflicted on the Egyptians, but had not themselves experienced the discipline, through these things he frightens them like children; so that they might not only love on account of the unspeakable benefits, but also fear on account of the punishments. For this reason he also said concerning the priests: "Let the priests who draw near to the Lord God be sanctified, lest the Lord make a breach among them." For since it was likely that they would be confident, as having been entrusted with the divine liturgy, he teaches that it is fitting for those appointed to minister to God to be superior to earthly things. XXXVII How is "you shall have no other gods beside me" to be understood? Those who confess one substance of the Trinity keep the law of the divine voice. For they do not tolerate deifying anything other than the divine nature. 127 But those who are clothed in the disgrace of Arius and Eunomius openly transgress the divine law, confessing the Son to be God, but calling him created and alien to the divine substance. For when God says "you shall have no other gods beside me," these men introduce another God. XXXVIII What difference is there between "idol and likeness"? The

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ἐδίδαξε φυλάττειν τὴν ἐντολήν. τὸν δὲ τῆς φύσεως οὐκ ἐκώλυσε δρόμον. ἀνίσχει γὰρ ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰ νέφη τὸν ὑετὸν ὠδίνει, καὶ ἄνεμοι πνέουσι, καὶ γυναῖκες τίκτουσι καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ γένη. XXXIII Ποίοις ὅπλοις ἐχρῶντο τῷ Ἀμαλὴκ πολεμοῦντες; Τῶν αἰγυπτίων ὑποβρυχίων γεγενημένων, ἐξεβράσθη αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν ἠϊόνα μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων τὰ σώματα· ταῦτα σκυλεύσαντες, ἐχρῶντο τού τοις ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις. XXXIV ∆ιὰ τί τῶν Μωϋσέως χειρῶν ἐκτεταμένων ἐνίκα Ἰσραήλ, καθιεμένων δὲ ἡττᾶτο; 125 Τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπλήρου τὸν τύπον ἐκτείνων τὰς χεῖρας. ἐδείχθη τοίνυν καὶ ἐν τῷ τύπῳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ δύναμις· ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ θεράποντος τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνοντος ἔπεσεν Ἀμαλήκ, οὕτως τοῦ δεσπό του τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείναντος, κατελύθη τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ στῖφος, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ δὲ τῷ πολέμῳ ὁ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὁμώνυμος τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστησε τότε ταύτην τὴν προσηγορίαν λαβών, καὶ τοῖς λογάσι χρησάμενος συ νεργοῖς, ὡς ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ὑπουργοῖς τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἀποστόλοις. XXXV Τί ἐστιν, " ἔσεσθέ μοι λαὸς περιούσιος ἀπὸ πάν των τῶν ἐθνῶν· ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστι πᾶσα ἡ γῆ "; Πάντων εἰμί, φησί, ποιητὴς καὶ δεσπότης, καὶ πάντων ὡς ποιητὴς προ μηθοῦμαι· ὑμᾶς δὲ οἷόν τινα λαὸν ἐξαίρετον ἐμαυτῷ ἀφιέρωσα. τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· " ὑμεῖς δὲ ἔσεσθε μοι εἰς βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον ". ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς λευΐτας, ἰσραηλίτας ὄντας, τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν προτετίμηκε, καὶ εἰς τὴν θείαν ἀφώ ρισε λειτουργίαν, οὐ τῶν ἄλλων ἀμελῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτων τὴν ἐκείνων ποιούμενος ἐπιμέλειαν· οὕτω τὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐξελέξατο σπέρμα· πρῶτον ἐπειδὴ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἤμελλε κατὰ σάρκα βλαστάνειν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός· ἔπειτα διὰ τῶν εἰς τούτους γινομένων τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδεικνὺς δύναμιν, καὶ πάντας διδάσκων ἀνθρώπους τὴν τῆς θεογνωσίας ὁδόν, τούτων μέντοι εἰρημένων· " ἀπεκρίθη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ εἶπε· πάντα ὅσα εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα ". αὕτη δὲ ἡ τοῦ λαοῦ συνθήκη ὑπογραφῇ τινι ἔοικε γραμματίου· ὅθεν τὴν οἰκείαν παραβάντες ὁμολογίαν, ταῖς τῆς νομοθεσίας ἀραῖς ὑπεβλήθησαν, ὧν τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότας ὁ δεσ πότης Χριστὸς ἠλευθέρωσε. " Χριστός, γάρ φησιν, ἐξηγό 126 ρασεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενό μενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα ". τὸ μέντοι " περιού σιος", "ἐξαίρετος " ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν. XXXVI Τί δήποτε οὐ μόνον ἁγνισθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλῦναι τὰ ἱμάτια προσετάχ θησαν, ἡνίκα τὸν νόμον ἐδέχοντο; ∆ιὰ τῶν σωματικῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ ποδηγεῖ, καὶ δέος ἐντί θησι, καὶ εὐλαβεστέρους ποιεῖ. ἐλογίζοντο γὰρ ἐκ τούτων ὡς πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν διάνοιαν καθαρεύειν προσήκει. διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ σαλπίγγων φωναὶ καὶ κτύποι βροντῶν καὶ γνόφος καὶ θύελλα καὶ πῦρ ἐν τῇ τοῦ ὄρους ἀκρωρείᾳ, καὶ κάπνος ἄφραστος ἐκπεμπόμενος· ἵνα διὰ τούτων ἁπάντων τὴν λιθίνην αὐτῶν καταμαλάξῃ καρδίαν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰς μὲν τοῖς αἰγυπτίοις ἐπενεχθείσας ἐθεάσαντο τιμωρίας, αὐτοὶ δὲ πεῖραν τῆς παιδείας οὐκ ἔλαβον, διὰ τούτων δεδίττεται οἷα δὴ παῖδας· ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἀγαπᾶν διὰ τὰς ἀρρήτους εὐεργεσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεδιέναι διὰ τὰς τιμωρίας. τούτου χάριν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἱερέων ἔφη· " οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ ἐγ γίζοντες Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἁγιασθήτωσαν, μή ποτε ἀπαλλάξῃ ἀπ' αὐτῶν Κύριος ". ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς θαρρεῖν, ἅτε δὴ τὴν θείαν λειτουργίαν πεπιστευμένους, διδάσκει ὡς διαφερόντως τοὺς λειτουργεῖν τῷ Θεῷ προτεταγμένους ὑπερ τέρους εἶναι τῶν γηΐνων προσήκει. XXXVII Πῶς νοητέον τὸ " οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ "; Οἱ μίαν οὐσίαν τῆς τριάδος ὁμολογοῦντες φυλάττουσι τὸν νόμον τῆς θείας φωνῆς. ἄλλο γάρ τι παρὰ τὴν θείαν φύσιν θεοποιεῖν οὐκ ἀνέχονται. 127 οἱ δὲ τὴν Ἀρείου καὶ Εὐνομίου περικείμενοι λώβην, τὸν θεῖον νόμον ἄν τικρυς παραβαίνουσιν, Θεὸν μὲν τὸν υἱὸν ὁμολογοῦντες, κτιστὸν δὲ ἀπο καλοῦντες καὶ τῆς θείας οὐσίας ἀλλότριον. τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ λέγοντος " οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ ", οὗ τοι ἕτερον Θεὸν ἐπεισάγουσιν. XXXVIII "Εἴδωλον καὶ ὁμοίωμα" ποίαν ἔχει διαφοράν; Τὸ