85

a likeness of any winged bird that flies under heaven; a likeness of any reptile that crawls on the earth, a likeness of any fish that is in the waters under the earth.” All these things, he says, God has made for your use; it is therefore the utmost folly to deify images of subjects. And he added these things: “lest looking up to heaven and seeing the sun and the moon and all the adornment of heaven, you should be led astray and worship them, which the Lord your God has distributed to all the nations under heaven.” These things, he says, the Maker created for the use of men; do not, therefore, sup 231 pose to be gods those who have been set apart by the God of all to minister to the needs of men. For thus also the others have interpreted: “which your God has set in order for the peoples under the whole heaven.” Then he frightens them with threats, that if they should dare to transgress the divine law, and to make a likeness of any of the beings and deify it, he will scatter them over all the earth, and as slaves they will worship the falsely named gods. Then again by comparison he shows the omnipotence of God. “Ask now,” he says, “of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened, or whether the like has been heard, whether any nation has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and have lived.” And he said also how he freed them from the bitter slavery of the Egyptians. Continually, however, he teaches them also that the God of all spoke to them from heaven, and using a voice from the midst of the fire, he gave the law, so that they might not make any image of the invisible God. And he also teaches that it is altogether impossible to make a divine image; for not only is his nature invisible, but also completely uncircumscribed. “For the Lord,” he says, “your God, he is God in heaven above and on the earth below, and there is no other besides him.” It must be known, however, that the prophet did not say all these things to the people on one day, but he offered them the teaching over many days. Hence he often repeats the same words, in order that by repetition he might create a lasting memory. For instance, after this discourse, he related the things concerning the 232 cities, to which he commanded those who had fallen into involuntary murders to flee. Then he taught that he again gathered the people, and reminded them of the God-given laws; and that he did not give a different law, but he instructs the former ones who, on account of their imperfect age, were unable to listen to that legislation, the very words of the prophet will teach. “For the Lord,” he says, “our God made a covenant with you at Horeb. Not with your fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with you.” For since those, having transgressed, perished, and to these he was giving the land promised to their fathers, he said the law was given to these. Then he states the commandments, the meaning of which we unfolded when interpreting Exodus; and he taught here also the purpose of the Sabbath's rest. For he said, “that your manservant and your maidservant may rest, and your beast of burden.” Just as, he says, you enjoy these things continually, so at least once in the seven days of the week let the menservants and the maidservants and the beasts of burden enjoy them. Then by the memory of the slavery in Egypt he works out their compassion; “because you were a servant,” he says, “in the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day, and to sanctify it.” You have learned by experience the bitterness of slavery; remembering those things, be gentle to your subjects and mild, and of the rest you enjoy continually, share it with them on the seventh day of the week. But in what follows, he did not forbid spiritual work. For he said: “You shall not do any servile work

85

ὁμοίωμα παντὸς ὀρνέου πετομένου, ὃ πέταται ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν· ὁμοίωμα παντὸς ἑρπετοῦ, ὃ ἕρπει ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὁμοίωμα παντὸς ἰχθύος, ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς ". ταῦτα πάντα, φησίν, εἰς χρείαν ὑμετέραν πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεός· ἀνοίας τοίνυν ἐσχάτης τὸ εἰκόνας τῶν ὑπηκόων θεοποιεῖν. προστέθεικε δὲ καὶ ταῦτα· " μὴ ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἰδῶν τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην καὶ πάντα τὸν κόσμον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πλανηθεὶς προσκυνήσῃς αὐτοῖς ἃ ἀπένειμε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου αὐτὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθ νεσι τοῖς ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ". ταῦτα φησίν, εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατεσκεύασεν χρείαν ὁ ποιητής· μὴ τοίνυν ὑπο 231 λάβῃς θεοὺς τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀφορισθέντας ὥστε ταῖς χρείαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων διακονεῖν. οὕτω γὰρ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἡρμήνευσαν· " ἅτι να διεκόσμησεν ὁ Θεός σου εἰς τοὺς λαοὺς ὑφ' ὅλον τὸν οὐρανόν ". εἶτα δεδίττεται αὐτοὺς ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς, ὡς εἰ τολμή σαιεν τὸν θεῖον παραβῆναι νόμον, καί τινος τῶν ὄντων ὁμοίωμα κα τασκευάσαι καὶ θεοποιῆσαι, εἰς πᾶσαν αὐτοὺς διασπερεῖ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ὡς δουλεύοντες τοὺς ψευδωνύμους θεοὺς προσκυνήσουσιν. ἔπειτα πά λιν ἀπὸ συγκρίσεως δείκνυσι τὸ παντοδύναμον τοῦ Θεοῦ. " ἐπερω τήσατε, γάρ φησιν, ἡμέρας τὰς προτέρας γενο μένας προτέρας σου ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἧς ἔκτι σεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, εἰ γέγονε κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, εἰ ἠκούσατε τοιοῦτον, εἰ ἀκήκοεν ἔθ νος φωνὴν Θεοῦ ζῶντος λαλοῦντος ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρός, ὃν τρόπον ἀκήκοας σὺ καὶ ἔζησας ". ἔφη δὲ καὶ ὅπως αὐτοὺς ἠλευθέρωσε τῆς πικρᾶς τῶν αἰγυπτίων δουλείας. συνεχῶς μέντοι διδάσκει αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς οὐρανόθεν αὐτοῖς ὁ τῶν ὅλων διελέχθη Θεός, καὶ ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρὸς φωνῇ κεχρημένος νενομοθέτηκεν, ἵνα μηδεμίαν εἰκόνα κατασκευάσωσι τοῦ ἀοράτου Θεοῦ. διδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὡς πάμπαν ἀμήχανον θείαν εἰκόνα κατασκευάσαι· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀόρατον ἔχει τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάμπαν ἀπερίγραφον. " Κύριος, γάρ φη σιν, ὁ Θεός σου, οὗτος Θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κάτω, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πλὴν αὐτοῦ ". ἰσ τέον μέντοι, ὡς οὐκ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ταῦτα πάντα ὁ προφήτης τῷ λαῷ διε λέχθη, ἀλλ' ἐν πολλαῖς αὐτοῖς ἡμέραις τὴν διδασκαλίαν προσήνεγκεν. ὅθεν πολλάκις τοὺς αὐτοὺς λόγους ἀνακυκλοῖ, ἵνα τῇ συνεχείᾳ παγίαν τὴν μνήμην ἐργάσηται. αὐτίκα γοῦν μετὰ τὴν διάλεξιν ταύτην, τὰ περὶ τῶν 232 πόλεων ἱστόρησεν, εἰς ἃς καταφεύγειν τοὺς ἀκουσίοις περιπεπτωκότας φόνοις ἐκέλευσεν. εἶτα ἐδίδαξεν ὅτι πάλιν συνήθροισε τὸν λαόν, καὶ θεοσ δότων ἀνέμνησε νόμων· καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ἕτερον δέδωκε νόμον, ἀλλὰ τὸν πρό τερον ἐκπαιδεύει τοὺς τῆς νομοθεσίας ἐκείνης διὰ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἀτελὲς ἐπακοῦσαι μὴ δυνηθέντας, αὐτὰ διδάξει τοῦ προφήτου τὰ ῥήματα. " Κύ ριος, γάρ φησιν, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν διέθετο πρὸς ὑμᾶς δια θήκην ἐν Χωρήβ. οὐχὶ τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν διέ θετο Κύριος τὴν διαθήκην ταύτην, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ". ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι παραβάντες διώλοντο, τούτοις δὲ τὴν τοῖς πατράσιν ἐπηγγελμένην ἐδίδου γῆν· τούτοις ἔφη τὸν νόμον δεδόσθαι. εἶτα λέγει τὰς ἐντολάς, ὧν τὸν νοῦν ἀνεπτύξαμεν τὴν Ἔξοδον ἑρμηνεύον τες· ἐδίδαξε δὲ κἀνταῦθα τὸν τῆς ἀργίας τοῦ σαββάτου σκοπόν. ἔφη γάρ, " ἵνα ἀναπαύσηται ὁ παῖς σου καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου, καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιόν σου ". καθάπερ, φησί, σὺ τούτων ἀπολαύεις διαπαντός, οὕτως ἅπαξ γοῦν ἀπολαυσάτωσαν ἐν ταῖς ἑπτὰ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμέραις οἱ θεράποντες καὶ αἱ θεράπαιναι καὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια. ἔπειτα τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δουλείας τὴν συμπάθειαν πραγμα τεύεται· " ὅτι οἰκέτης, φησίν, ἦσθα ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ἐξήγαγέ σε Κύριος ἐκεῖθεν ἐν χειρὶ κραταιᾷ καὶ ἐν βραχίονι ὑψηλῷ· διὰ τοῦτο συνέταξε Κύ ριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὥστε φυλάττεσθαί σε τὴν ἡμέ ραν τῶν σαββάτων, καὶ ἁγιάζειν αὐτήν ". τῇ πείρᾳ μεμάθηκας τὸ τῆς δουλείας πικρόν· ἐκείνων ἀναμιμνησκόμενος, ἥμερος γενοῦ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις καὶ πρᾶος καὶ ἧς ἀπολαύεις ἀναπαύλης διηνεκῶς, μετάδος τούτοις ἐν τῇ ἑβδόμῃ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμέρᾳ. ἐν δὲ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα τὸ πνευματικὸν οὐκ ἀπηγόρευσεν ἔργον. ἔφη γάρ· " πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε