49

to offer sacrifice in the place. 133 XLV Why did he command the ear of the Hebrew who did not wish to accept his freedom to be pierced? He teaches them to value freedom above all things. Therefore, he commands the one who does not cling to it, but embraces servitude, to receive this sign as a disgrace. In addition to this, the sign also signifies obedience through hearing, and being at the door, the not being permitted to go forth when the master does not allow it. XLVI Why is it added, "and he shall serve him forever," since human life is finite? From this it is clear that "forever" does not always signify the infinite, but sometimes it also signifies a limited time. Thus also the blessed David says, "our age is in the light of your face." And so he named the human life. XLVII Why does he command the one who has killed unintentionally to flee? To heal their murderous disposition, and to teach that if killing unintentionally makes one liable to punishment, much more is intentionally killing worthy of chastisement. And in addition to this, he also makes those who cut wood and those who hurl stones more careful, and indeed he prepares those who do 134 any other such thing to be afraid and tremble, so that they might not unintentionally harm any of those nearby or those who are far off. And he also restrains the anger of the relatives of the one killed by the flight of the one who killed him. XLVIII What is "formed"? They say that when the body has been completely formed in the womb, then the embryo is ensouled. For the creator also first formed the body of Adam, and then breathed in the soul. Therefore the lawgiver commands that, if a pregnant woman miscarries in a fight, if the infant should come out formed, that is, shaped, the deed is to be called murder, and the one who did it is to undergo the same punishment; but if it should not come out shaped, it is not to be reckoned as murder, since it was miscarried before it was ensouled; but the one responsible is to pay a fine. XLIX Why does he command the goring bull to be killed? Both to teach the rational through the irrational how great an evil murder is. L Why was the one who stole a calf commanded to pay fivefold, but the one who stole a sheep fourfold? Because greater sins are worthy of greater penalties; so also the Lord taught: "for to whom," he says, "much 135 is given, much will also be required of him." LI How is "you shall not speak evil of the gods" to be understood? He calls the judges gods, as being entrusted to judge in imitation of the God of all. The prophet David taught this more clearly; for having said, "God stood in the assembly of gods, and in the midst he judges gods," he added: "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to sinners? Judge the orphan and the poor, do justice to the lowly and the needy. Rescue the needy and the poor; deliver him from the hand of the sinner." Then, accusing, he added: "they did not know nor did they understand, they walk about in darkness," and he also shows his own generosity. "For I," he says, "said: 'you are gods and all sons of the Most High. But you die like men, and fall like one of the rulers.'" So also here, "you shall not speak evil of the gods, and you shall not speak ill of a ruler of your people." LII For what reason does he forbid eating meat torn by beasts? He teaches them a more rational life and exhorts them to have nothing beastly. For beasts do not first sacrifice, and then eat. For this reason, a little later, he also commands to take care of enemies and not to overlook the wandering ox of one who is hostilely disposed, but to return it to the hostile person's 136 house, and to raise up the fallen beast of burden and to devise reconciliations by such good deeds. And through these things he teaches that there is one lawgiver of the old and new covenant, and that he who gave this law also bestowed the gospel. LIII What is: "you shall not appear before the Lord your God empty"? When you go to worship the Lord God, offer the gifts that you can. But for us the word

49

τῷ χωρίῳ θυσίαν προσενεγκεῖν. 133 XLV ∆ιὰ τί τοῦ ἑβραίου, τοῦ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν δέξασθαι μὴ βουλομένου, διατρη θῆναι τὸ ὠτίον προσέταξεν; Πάντων αὐτοῦς προτιμᾶν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν διδάσκει. τὸν τοίνυν ταύτης οὐκ ἀντεχόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὴν δουλείαν ἀσπαζόμενον, εἰς αἰσχύνην τοῦτο λα βεῖν τὸ σημεῖον παρακελεύεται. πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ ὑπακοὴν διὰ τῆς ἀκοῆς τὸ σημεῖον ἐμφαίνει, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τὴν θύραν τὸ μὴ ἐξεῖναι προβαίνειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέποντος τοῦ δεσπότου. XLVI ∆ιὰ τί πρόσκειται " καὶ δουλεύσει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ", δήλης οὔσης τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς; Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὡς οὐ πανταχοῦ ὁ αἰὼν τοῦ ἀπείρου δηλωτικός, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ ὡρισμένου χρόνου σημαντικός. οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος λέγει ∆αβίδ· " ὁ αἰὼν ἡμῶν εἰς φωτισμὸν τοῦ προσώπου σου ". τὸν δὲ ἀνθρώπινον οὕτως ὠνόμασε βίον. XLVII Τὸν ἀκουσίως πεφονευκότα, διὰ τί φεύγειν παρακελεύεται; Τὴν φονικὴν αὐτῶν ἰατρεύων γνώμην, καὶ διδάσκων, ὡς εἰ τὸ παρὰ γνώ μην ἀνελεῖν ἔνοχον τῇ τιμωρίᾳ ποιεῖ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ γνώμῃ φονεύειν κολάσεως ἄξιον. πρὸς δὲ τούτῳ καὶ τοὺς τέμνοντας ξύλα, καὶ τοὺς ἀκον τίζοντας λίθους, προμηθεστέρους ἐργάζεται, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς ἄλλο 134 τι τοιοῦτο δρῶντας παρασκευάζει δεδιέναι καὶ τρέμειν, ἵνα μὴ παρὰ γνώ μην τινὰ τῶν πελαζόντων ἢ πόρρωθεν ὄντων πημαίνωσι. χαλινοῖ δὲ καὶ τὸν τῶν συγγενῶν τοῦ πεφονευμένου θυμὸν τῇ τοῦ πεφονευκότος φυγῇ. XLVIII Τί ἐστιν " ἐξεικονισμένον "; Φασὶ τοῦ σώματος ἐν τῇ μήτρᾳ τελείου διαπλασθέντος, τότε ψυχοῦσθαι τὸ ἔμβρυον. καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τὸ σῶμα πρότερον ὁ ποιητὴς διαπλάσας, οὕτως ἐνεφύσησε τὴν ψυχήν. κελεύει τοίνυν ὁ νομοθέτης, γυναικὸς ἐγκύ μονος ἀμβλωσάσης ἐν μάχῃ, εἰ μὲν ἐξεικονισμένον ἐξέλθοι τὸ βρέφος, του τέστι μεμορφωμένον, φόνον τὸ πράγμα καλεῖσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἴσην ὑπέχειν τιμωρίαν τὸν δεδρακότα· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐξέλθοι μεμορφωμένον, μὴ λογίζεσθαι φόνον, ἐπειδήπερ οὐδέπω ψυχωθὲν ἐξημβλώθη· ἀλλὰ ζημίαν τίνειν τὸν αἴτιον. XLIX ∆ιὰ τί τὸν κερατιστὴν ταῦρον ἀναιρεῖσθαι κελεύει; Καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀλόγων παιδεύων τοὺς λογικοὺς ἡλίκον ὁ φόνος κακόν. L ∆ιὰ τί ὁ μόσχον κεκλοφὼς πενταπλάσια ἐκτίνειν ἐκελεύσθη, ὁ δὲ πρόβατον τετραπλάσια; Ὅτι τὰ μείζονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μειζόνων ἄξια τιμημάτων· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐδίδαξεν· " ᾧ μέν, γάρ φησι, πολὺ 135 δοθήσεται, πολὺ καὶ ἀπαιτήσουσι παρ' αὐ τοῦ ". LI Πῶς νοητέον τὸ " θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις "; Τοὺς κριτὰς ὀνομάζει θεούς, ὡς κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ κρίνειν πεπιστευμένους. τοῦτο σαφέστερον ἐδίδαξεν ὁ προφήτης ∆αβίδ· εἰπὼν γάρ, " ὁ Θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρίνει ", ἐπήγαγεν· " ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδι κίαν καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; κρί νατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε. ἐξέλεσθε πένητα καὶ πτωχόν· ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ῥύσασθε αὐτόν ". εἶτα κατηγορῶν προστέθεικεν· " οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὐδὲ συνῆκαν ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται ", ἐπιδείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὴν οἰκείαν φιλοτιμίαν. " ἐγώ, γάρ φησιν, εἶπον· θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες. ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνῄσκετε, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε ". οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, " θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς ". LII Τίνος ἕνεκεν θηριάλωτα κρέα ἐσθίειν ἀπαγορεύει; Λογικωτέραν αὐτοὺς διδάσκει ζωὴν καὶ μηδὲν ἔχειν θηριῶδες παρεγγυᾷ. τὰ γὰρ θηρία οὐ θύει πρότερον, εἶθ' οὕτως ἐσθίει. διὰ τοῦτο μετ' ὀλίγα καὶ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι κελεύει καὶ τοῦ δυσμενῶς διακειμένου τὸν βοῦν πλανώμενον μὴ παρορᾶν ἀλλ' ἐπιστρέφειν εἰς τὴν τοῦ δυσμενοῦς 136 οἰκίαν, καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιον πεπτωκὸς ἀνιστᾶν καὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις εὐερ γεσίαις τὰς καταλλαγὰς μηχανᾶσθαι. διδάσκει δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὡς εἷς πα λαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης νομοθέτης, καὶ ὁ τοῦτον δεδωκὼς τὸν νόμον καὶ τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν ἐδωρήσατο. LIII Τί ἐστιν· " οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου κενός "; Ἀπιὼν προσκυνῆσαι τῷ δεσπότῃ Θεῷ, τὰ δυνατά σοι πρόσφερε δῶρα. ἡμᾶς δὲ ὁ λόγος