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it requires the priest; for the breastplate is a covering of the heart. And through the right arm, the right action. For faith is not sufficient for salvation, but it requires works for perfection. LXIV What is the hin? A Hebrew measure of wine and oil. And as Josephus says, it holds two Attic choes. And in these matters he is to be believed, as one who knows accurately the measures of the nation. LXV Legislating concerning the sabbaths, he said: "for it is a sign for me 147 and for the sons of Israel for your generations." How then shall we understand this? Just as when giving Abraham circumcision he said: "and it will be for a sign between me and you," so also when legislating about the sabbath he said: "for it is a sign between me and the sons of Israel for your generations." For the novelty of the way of life always caused the memory of the lawgiver to flourish, and it separated them from the other nations. For just as seals identify the flocks and herds, so the exceptional features of the Hebrew way of life both separated them from others and taught them to attend to the lawgiver. LXVI Why did Aaron carve the calf for the people? It is fitting to seek the purpose of what was done. For examining it in this way, we will find him not entirely deprived of pardon. For his brother having spent forty days on the summit of the mountain and the people having become furious and having set out to return to Egypt. First, he tried to restrain their impulse with words. But when he saw that they were disobedient, he asked for the women's gold, countering passion with passion, love of adornment and love of money against the madness of superstition. But not even this device extinguished their rage. Therefore he was compelled to carve the calf and, having used such a plan, he begged for divine loving-kindness, so as to escape punishment. And this the most divine Moses has made clear in Deuteronomy: "For I besought," he says, "the Lord concerning Aaron my brother, and he did not die." 148 LXVII How is this to be understood: "And now let me alone, and being angry with wrath against them, I will destroy them and I will make you into a great nation"? The saying declares both the impassibility of God and His loving-kindness. For he who does something in anger is also annoyed with those who entreat him; but God said: "Let me alone, and being angry with wrath against them, I will destroy them." But no one waits for those who entreat in order to be angered, but in order to be entreated. Therefore, He said, "let me alone," instead of, prevent me. For since the great Moses was ignorant of the transgression of the people, God both declared this to him and aroused him to intercession. And the "I will make you into a great nation" signifies our own affairs. For what did not happen then, has happened after the appearance of our Savior. However the lawgiver, although God had said these things to incite him to intercession on behalf of the people, did not consider himself able to stop God's wrath. Therefore he offered up the names of the patriarchs in place of a supplication and reminded Him of the oaths to them and begged that the covenants that had been made be confirmed. LXVIII Why did he shatter the tablets? Judging the people unworthy of the divine legislation. For since the tablets had the form of a dowry contract, and the bride before the bridal chamber inclined to adultery, he very fittingly tore up the dowry contract. But it is fitting to note that at that time, having accepted the supplication, the God of 149 all things postponed the punishment. But He added, "but on whatever day I shall visit, I will bring upon them all their sin." And this resembles what was said by the apostle: "not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance. But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and of revelation and of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works." However, the lawgiver, having heard that the God of all things would not endure to be with them because of their hardness and resistance, but would set an angel over them, asked indeed to know, who the one with the charge

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ἀπαιτεῖ τὸν ἱερέα· κά λυμμα γὰρ τὸ στηθύνιον τῆς καρδίας. διὰ δὲ τοῦ δεξιοῦ βραχίονος, τὴν πρᾶξιν τὴν δεξιάν. οὐκ ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ πίστις εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ δεῖται τῶν ἔργων εἰς τελειότητα. LXIV Τί ἐστι τὸ εἵν; Μέτρον ἑβραϊκὸν οἴνου καὶ ἐλαίου. δέχεται δὲ ὥς φησιν Ἰώσηπος δύο χόας ἀττικούς. πιστευτέον δὲ ἐν τούτοις αὐτῷ, ἀκριβῶς τοῦ ἔθνους τὰ μέτρα ἐπισταμένῳ. LXV Περὶ τῶν σαββάτων νομοθετῶν ἔφη· " ἔστι γὰρ σημεῖον ἐμοὶ 147 καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ". πῶς οὖν τοῦτο νοήσομεν; Ὥσπερ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τὴν περιτομὴν διδοὺς ἔφη· " καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῖον ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν ", οὕτω καὶ περὶ τοῦ σαββάτου νομοθετῶν ἔφη· " ἔστι γὰρ σημεῖον ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ". τὸ γὰρ καινὸν τῆς πολιτείας ἀεὶ τοῦ νομοθέτου τὴν μνήμην ἀνθεῖν παρεσ κεύαζε, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν ἄλλων ἐχώριζε. καθάπερ γὰρ τὰς ποίμνας καὶ τὰς ἀγέλας αἱ σφραγίδες δηλοῦσι, οὕτω τὰ τῆς τῶν ἑβραίων πολι τείας ἐξαίρετα καὶ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοὺς διεῖργε καὶ τῷ νομοθέτῃ προσεδρε ύειν ἐδίδασκεν. LXVI Τί δήποτε ὁ Ἀαρὼν τῷ λαῷ τὸν μόσχον διέγλυφεν; Τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ γινομένου προσήκει ζητεῖν. οὕτω γὰρ ἐξετάζοντες, εὑ ρήσομεν αὐτὸν οὐ παντάπασι συγγνώμης ἐστερημένον. τοῦ γὰρ ἀδελφοῦ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας διατρίψαντος ἐν τῇ τοῦ ὄρους ἀκρονυχίᾳ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ λυττήσαντος καὶ εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀναστρέψαι ὁρμήσαντος. πρῶτον μὲν ἐπειράθη λόγοις αὐτῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν χαλινῶσαι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπειθοῦντας εἶδεν, ᾔτησε τῶν γυναικῶν τὰ χρυσία, πάθει πάθος ἀντιστρατεύσας, τὸ φιλόκοσμον καὶ φιλοχρήματον τῇ τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας μανίᾳ. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὸ μηχάνημα τὴν ἐκείνων ἔσβεσε λύτταν. ὅθεν ἠναγκάσθη δια γλύψαι τὸν μόσχον καὶ τοιούτῳ δὲ σκοπῷ χρησάμενος, τῆς θείας ἐδεήθη φιλανθρωπίας, ὥστε τὴν τιμωρίαν διαφυγεῖν. καὶ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς ὁ θειό τατος ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ δεδήλωκεν· " ἐδεήθην, γάρ φησι, τοῦ Κυρίου περὶ Ἀαρὼν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου καὶ οὐκ ἀπέθανεν ". 148 LXVII Πῶς νοητέον τό· " καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτούς, ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς καὶ ποιήσω σε εἰς ἔθνος μέγα "; Καὶ τὸ ἀπαθὲς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον ὁ λόγος δηλοῖ, ὁ γὰρ θυμῷ τι πράττων, καὶ τοὺς παρακαλοῦντας δυσχεραίνει· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἔφη· " ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐκτρί ψω αὐτούς ". οὐδεὶς δὲ ἀναμένει τοὺς παρακαλοῦντας ἵνα ὀρ γισθῇ, ἀλλ' ἵνα παρακληθῇ. τὸ οὖν· " ἔασόν με ", ἀντὶ τοῦ, κώ λυσόν με, εἴρηκεν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἠγνόει Μωϋσῆς ὁ μέγας τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ πα ρανομίαν, καὶ ταύτην αὐτῷ δεδήλωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ εἰς πρεσβείαν διήγειρε· τὸ δὲ " ποιήσω σε εἰς ἔθνος μέγα ", τὰ ἡμέτερα προση μαίνει. ὅπερ γὰρ τότε οὐ γέγονε, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιφά νειαν γέγονεν. ὁ μέντοι νομοθέτης, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀρκεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ πρεσβείαν εἰρηκότος, οὐχ ὑπέλαβεν ἱκανὸς εἶναι παῦσαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὀργήν· ὅθεν τῶν πατριαρχῶν τὰς προσηγορίας ἀνθ' ἱκε τηρίας προσήνεγκεν καὶ τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους ὅρκων ἀνέμνησε καὶ τὰς γεγε νημένας συνθήκας ἐμπεδωθῆναι ἱκέτευσεν. LXVIII ∆ιὰ τί τὰς πλάκας συνέτριψεν; Ἀνάξιον κρίνας τὸν λαὸν τῆς θείας νομοθεσίας. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ προικῴων γραμματείων τύπον εἶχον αἱ πλάκες, ἡ δὲ νύμφη πρὸ τῆς παστάδος εἰς μοιχείαν ἀπέκλινε, μάλα εἰκότως τὸ προικῷον διέρρηξε γραμματεῖον. ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ προσήκει, ὡς τότε μὲν δεξάμενος τὴν ἱκετείαν ὁ τῶν 149 ὅλων Θεὸς ἀνεβάλετο τὴν τιμωρίαν. προστέθεικε δέ, " ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκέπτωμαι, ἐπάξω ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πᾶσαν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν ". ἔοικε δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποσ τόλου εἰρημένοις· " ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει· κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρό τητα σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν, θησαυρί ζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκα λύψεως καὶ δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃς ἀπο δώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ". ὁ μέντοι νομοθέτης ἀκούσας, ὡς οὐκ ἀνέξεται συνεῖναι αὐτοῖς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς διὰ τὸ σκληρὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀντίτυπον, ἀλλ' ἄγγελον αὐτοῖς ἐπιστήσει, ᾔτησε μὲν γνῶναι, τίς ὁ τὴν κηδεμονίαν