Chapter LVIII.—The same is proved from the visions which appeared to Jacob.

Then I continued, “I purpose to quote to you Scriptures, not that I am anxious to make merely an artful display of words; for I possess no such faculty, but God’s grace alone has been granted to me to the understanding of His Scriptures, of which grace I exhort all to become partakers freely and bounteously, in order that they may not, through want of it,202    Literally, “for this sake.” [Note here and elsewhere the primitive rule as to the duty of all men to search the Scriptures.] incur condemnation in the judgment which God the Maker of all things shall hold through my Lord Jesus Christ.”

And Trypho said, “What you do is worthy of the worship of God; but you appear to me to feign ignorance when you say that you do not possess a store of artful words.”

I again replied, “Be it so, since you think so; yet I am persuaded that I speak the truth.203    Or, “speak otherwise.” But give me your attention, that I may now rather adduce the remaining proofs.”

“Proceed,” said he.

And I continued: “It is again written by Moses, my brethren, that He who is called God and appeared to the patriarchs is called both Angel and Lord, in order that from this you may understand Him to be minister to the Father of all things, as you have already admitted, and may remain firm, persuaded by additional arguments. The word of God, therefore, [recorded] by Moses, when referring to Jacob the grandson of Abraham, speaks thus: ‘And it came to pass, when the sheep conceived, that I saw them with my eyes in the dream: And, behold, the he-goats and the rams which leaped upon the sheep and she-goats were spotted with white, and speckled and sprinkled with a dun colour. And the Angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob, Jacob. And I said, What is it, Lord? And He said, Lift up thine eyes, and see that the he-goats and rams leaping on the sheep and she-goats are spotted with white, speckled, and sprinkled with a dun colour. For I have seen what Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God who appeared to thee in Bethel,204    Literally, “in the place of God.” where thou anointedst a pillar and vowedst a vow unto Me. Now therefore arise, and get thee out of this land, and depart to the land of thy birth, and I shall be with thee.’205    Gen. xxxi. 10–13. And again, in other words, speaking of the same Jacob, it thus says: ‘And having risen up that night, he took the two wives, and the two women-servants, and his eleven children, and passed over the ford Jabbok; and he took them and went over the brook, and sent over all his belongings. But Jacob was left behind alone, and an Angel206    Some read, “a man.” wrestled with him until morning. And He saw that He is not prevailing against him, and He touched the broad part of his thigh; and the broad part of Jacob’s thigh grew stiff while he wrestled with Him. And He said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. But he said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. And He said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; for thou hast prevailed with God, and with men shalt be powerful. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me Thy name. But he said, Why dost thou ask after My name? And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of that place Peniel,207    Literally, “the face of God.” for I saw God face to face, and my soul rejoiced.’208    Gen. xxxii. 22–30. And again, in other terms, referring to the same Jacob, it says the following: ‘And Jacob came to Luz, in the land of Canaan, which is Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And there he built an altar, and called the name of that place Bethel; for there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother Esau. And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and Jacob called the name of it The Oak of Sorrow. And God appeared again to Jacob in Luz, when he came out from Mesopotamia in Syria, and He blessed him. And God said to him, Thy name shall be no more called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name.’209    Gen. xxxv. 6–10. He is called God, and He is and shall be God.” And when all had agreed on these grounds, I continued: “Moreover, I consider it necessary to repeat to you the words which narrate how He who is both Angel and God and Lord, and who appeared as a man to Abraham, and who wrestled in human form with Jacob, was seen by him when he fled from his brother Esau. They are as follows: ‘And Jacob went out from the well of the oath,210    Or, “Beersheba.” and went toward Charran.211    So, LXX. and N.T.; Heb. “Haran.” And he lighted on a spot, and slept there, for the sun was set; and he gathered of the stones of the place, and put them under his head. And he slept in that place; and he dreamed, and, behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, whose top reached to heaven; and the angels of God ascended and descended upon it. And the Lord stood212    Literally, “was set up.” above it, and He said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham thy father, and of Isaac; be not afraid: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and shall be extended to the west, and south, and north, and east: and in thee, and in thy seed, shall all families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, keeping thee in every way wherein thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done all that I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And Jacob rose up in the morning, and took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it; and Jacob called the name of the place The House of God, and the name of the city formerly was Ulammaus.’ ”213    Gen. xxviii. 10–19. [Οὐλαμλοὺζ. Sept. Luz Eng.]

[58] Κἀγὼ εἶπον: Γραφὰς ὑμῖν ἀνιστορεῖν μέλλω, οὐ κατασκευὴν λόγων ἐν μόνῃ τέχνῃ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι σπεύδω: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναμις ἐμοὶ τοιαύτη τίς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ χάρις παρὰ θεοῦ μόνη εἰς τὸ συνιέναι τὰς γραφὰς αὐτοῦ ἐδόθη μοι, ἧς χάριτος καὶ πάντας κοινωνοὺς ἀμισθωτὶ καὶ ἀφθόνως παρακαλῶ γίνεσθαι, ὅπως μὴ καὶ τούτου χάριν κρίσιν ὀφλήσω ἐν ᾗπερ μέλλει κρίσει διὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ ποιητὴς τῶν ὅλων θεὸς ποιεῖσθαι. Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων: Ἀξίως μὲν θεοσεβείας καὶ τοῦτο πράττεις: εἰρωνεύεσθαι δέ μοι δοκεῖς, λέγων δύναμιν λόγων τεχνικῶν μὴ κεκτῆσθαι. Κἀγὼ πάλιν ἀπεκρινάμην: Ἐπεί σοι δοκεῖ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν, ἐχέτω: ἐγὼ δὲ πέπεισμαι ἀληθῶς εἶναι. ἀλλ' ἵνα μᾶλλον τὰς ἀποδείξεις τὰς λοιπὰς ἤδη ποιήσωμαι, πρόσεχε τὸν νοῦν. Κἀκεῖνος: Λέγε. Κἀγώ: Ὑπὸ Μωυσέως, ὦ ἀδελφοί, πάλιν γέγραπται, ἔλεγον, ὅτι οὗτος ὁ ὀφθεὶς τοῖς πατριάρχαις λεγόμενος θεὸς καὶ ἄγγελος καὶ κύριος λέγεται, ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τούτων ἐπιγνῶτε αὐτὸν ὑπηρετοῦντα τῷ τῶν ὅλων πατρί, ὡς ἤδη συνέθεσθε, καὶ διὰ πλειόνων πεπεισμένοι βεβαίως μενεῖτε. ἐξηγούμενος οὖν διὰ Μωυσέως ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ περὶ Ἰακώβ, τοῦ υἱωνοῦ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ, οὕτως φησί: Καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα ἐκίσσων τὰ πρόβατα ἐν γαστρὶ λαμβάνοντα, καὶ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτὰ ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ: καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ τράγοι καὶ οἱ κριοί, ἀναβαίνοντες ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τὰς αἶγας, διάλευκοι καὶ ποικίλοι καὶ σποδοειδεῖς ῥαντοί. καὶ εἶπέ μοι ὁ ἄγγελος τοῦ θεοῦ καθ' ὕπνους: Ἰακώβ, Ἰακώβ. ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον: Τί ἐστι, κύριε; καὶ εἶπεν: Ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ἴδε τοὺς τράγους καὶ τοὺς κριοὺς ἀναβαίνοντας ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τὰς αἶγας, διαλεύκους καὶ ποικίλους καὶ σποδοειδεῖς ῥαντούς: ἑώρακα γὰρ ὅσα σοι Λάβαν ποιεῖ. ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὀφθείς σοι ἐν τόπῳ θεοῦ, οὗ ἤλειψάς μοι ἐκεῖ στήλην καὶ ηὔξω ἐκεῖ εὐχήν. νῦν οὖν ἔξελθε καὶ ἀνάστηθι ἐκ τῆς γῆς ταύτης καὶ ἄπελθε εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς γενέσεώς σου, καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλοις λόγοις περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ λέγων οὕτως φησίν: Ἀναστὰς δὲ τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην ἔλαβε τὰς δύο γυναῖκας καὶ τὰς δύο παιδίσκας καὶ τὰ ἕνδεκα παιδία αὐτοῦ καὶ διέβη τὴν διάβασιν τοῦ Ἰαβώχ, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτοὺς καὶ διέβη τὸν χειμάρρουν καὶ διεβίβασε πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ. ὑπελείφθη δὲ Ἰακὼβ μόνος: καὶ ἐπάλαιεν ἄγγελος μετ' αὐτοῦ ἕως πρωΐ. εἶδε δὲ ὅτι δύναται πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ πλάτους τοῦ μηροῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνάρκησε τὸ πλάτος τοῦ μηροῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῷ παλαίειν αὐτὸν μετ' αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ: Ἀπόστειλόν με: ἀνέβη γὰρ ὁ ὄρθρος. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν: Οὐ μή σε ἀποστείλω, ἂν μή με εὐλογήσῃς. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ: Τί τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐστίν; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν: Ἰακώβ. εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ: Οὐ κληθήσεται τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακώβ, ἀλλὰ Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου: ὅτι ἐνίσχυσας μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνθρώπων δυνατὸς ἔσῃ. ἠρώτησε δὲ Ἰακὼβ καὶ εἶπεν: Ἀνάγγειλόν μοι τὸ ὄνομά σου. καὶ εἶπεν: Ἵνα τί τοῦτο ἐρωτᾷς τὸ ὄνομά μου; καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ. καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἰακὼβ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Εἶδος θεοῦ: εἶδον γὰρ θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐχάρη ἡ ψυχή μου. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέροις περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐξαγγέλλων ταῦτά φησιν: Ἦλθε δὲ Ἰακὼβ εἰς Λουζᾶ, ἥ ἐστιν εἰς γῆν Χαναάν, ἥ ἐστι Βαιθήλ, αὐτὸς καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαός, ὃς ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ. καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Βαιθήλ: ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἐφάνη αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῷ ἀποδιδράσκειν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἠσαῦ. ἀπέθανε δὲ Δεβόρρα, ἡ τροφὸς Ῥεβέκκας, κατωτέρω Βαιθὴλ ὑπὸ τὴν βάλανον, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἰακὼβ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Βάλανον πένθους. ὤφθη δὲ ὁ θεὸς Ἰακὼβ ἔτι ἐν Λουζᾶ, ὅτε παρεγένετο ἐν Μεσοποταμίᾳ τῆς Συρίας, καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεός: Τὸ ὄνομά σου Ἰακὼβ οὐ κληθήσεται ἔτι, ἀλλὰ Ἰσραὴλ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου. θεὸς καλεῖται καὶ θεός ἐστι καὶ ἔσται. Καὶ συννευσάντων ταῖς κεφαλαῖς ἁπάντων ἔφην ἐγώ: Καὶ τοὺς λόγους, οἳ ἀγγέλλουσι πῶς ὤφθη αὐτῷ, φεύγοντι τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἠσαῦ, οὗτος καὶ ἄγγελος καὶ θεὸς καὶ κύριος, καὶ ἐν ἰδέᾳ ἀνδρὸς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ φανεὶς καὶ ἐν ἰδέᾳ ἀνθρώπου αὐτῷ τῷ Ἰακὼβ παλαίσας, ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι εἰπεῖν ὑμῖν λογιζόμενος, λέγω. εἰσὶ δὲ οὗτοι: Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἰακὼβ ἀπὸ τοῦ φρέατος τοῦ ὅρκου καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Χαράν. καὶ ἀπήντησε τόπῳ καὶ ἐκοιμήθη ἐκεῖ: ἔδυ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος. καὶ ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τῶν λίθων τοῦ τόπου καὶ ἔθηκε πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκοιμήθη ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ἐκείνῳ καὶ ἐνυπνιάσθη: καὶ ἰδοὺ κλῖμαξ ἐστηριγμένη ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἧς ἡ κεφαλὴ ἀφικνεῖτο εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνέβαινον καὶ κατέβαινον ἐπ' αὐτῆς, ὁ δὲ κύριος ἐστήρικτο ἐπ' αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν: Ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος, ὁ θεὸς Ἀβραάμ, τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ Ἰσαάκ. μὴ φοβοῦ: ἡ γῆ, ἐφ' ἧς σὺ καθεύδεις ἐπ' αὐτῆς, σοὶ δώσω αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου: καὶ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς γῆς, καὶ πλατυνθήσεται εἰς θάλασσαν καὶ νότον καὶ βορρᾶν καὶ ἀνατολάς, καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μετὰ σοῦ, διαφυλάσσων σε ἐν ὁδῷ πάσῃ ᾗ ἂν πορευθῇς, καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε εἰς τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ὅτι οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω ἕως τοῦ ποιῆσαί με πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησά σοι. καὶ ἐξηγέρθη Ἰακὼβ ἐκ τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν ὅτι Ἔστι κύριος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν. καὶ ἐφοβήθη, καὶ εἶπεν: Ὡς φοβερὸς ὁ τόπος οὗτος. οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀλλ' ἢ οἶκος τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. καὶ ἀνέστη Ἰακὼβ τῷ πρωΐ, καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν λίθον ὃν ὑπέθηκεν ἐκεῖ πρὸς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸν στήλην καὶ ἐπέχεε τὸ ἔλαιον ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἰακὼβ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου Οἶκος θεοῦ: καὶ Οὐλαμμάους ἦν τὸ ὄνομα τῇ πόλει τὸ πρότερον.