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for he says, he will enter from a prostitute into the assembly of the Lord ".

XXVI Why does it forbid intermingling with Moabites and Ammonites, not for a specified time, but forever? First, because of their unlawful root; for they were born of an unlawful union. Then, because of their impiety, in which they also prepared the Israelites to partake, by making their women beautiful, and through them ensnaring them into the worship of idols. The Idumean, however, and the Egyp 248 tian, it commands to be admitted after the third generation; the one as a brother, the other as having become a benefactor in time of need. For when famine befell them, their fathers went down into Egypt and were nourished, therefore the law teaches us not to be unmindful even of an old benefaction.

XXVII What is, "for the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp"? The air, often filled with foul odors, is known to cause plague. Therefore, it commanded them when encamped to bury the excreted dung. And so that they might not suffer harm by disobeying, it necessarily added: "for the Lord, God walks in the midst of your camp", and it teaches the reason: "to deliver you and to give up your enemy before you". And through this it instructs not to do anything unlawful. For it adds this: "and your camp shall be holy, and no unseemly thing shall be found in you".

XXVIII What is a `telesphoros` and a `teliskomenos` and a `teliskomenē`? Just as we call "the faithful" those who partake of the divine mysteries, so the nations called "the initiated" those who were taught the mysteries of certain demons. Therefore, it calls the mystagogue `telesphoros`, and the one being initiated `teliskomenos`.

XXIV What is, "You shall keep what has gone out of your lips"? 249 When you make a promise to God, consider the promise a debt; hasten, therefore, to pay it promptly. For he said this: "you shall not be slow to pay your vow, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it will be sin to you". Then, teaching that it is in the power of one's will to promise or not, he added: "but if you refrain from vowing, it will not be sin to you". Whence also the blessed David: "I will pay you my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken in my affliction". Again, however, having set down the law concerning leprosy, he made mention of Miriam, saying: "remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way", teaching that the plague is sent by God and that God inflicted it on them when they sinned; and again, in turn, he stopped it when they repented. And indeed, concerning the threat to the children, he resolved the ambiguity. For he said: "fathers shall not die for children, nor children for fathers. Each will die for his own sin". For it is likely both for fathers to advise their children what is expedient, but to gain nothing on account of their disobedience; and for children to become better than their fathers.

XXX Why, when God commanded the transgressor to receive forty lashes, do the Jews inflict one stripe less? Because the greater number dishonors the one being tormented: "for if they should add to flog him, your brother will be degraded before you". They give one less, so that by observing the exact number, they might not even unwillingly dishonor the one being beaten by inflicting the extra one. 250

XXXI What is, "you shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain"? The divine apostle clearly taught us the allegorical meaning. And the literal meaning itself is pious; for it is unjust for the one who has plowed the earth and cut the sheaves with labor, not to share in the fruit.

XXXII Why does it command that the man who is unwilling to marry his childless brother's wife be spat upon? Imposing upon them the necessity of brotherly love through dishonor, for it was better to provide for the deceased on account of nature. But since not all respect the law of nature, he imposed on them the necessity of dishonor.

XXXIII Why does it command Amalek to be given over to utter destruction? They were both impious and haters of their brethren. For their race was from Esau

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εἰσελεύ σεται, γάρ φησιν, ἐκ πόρνης εἰς ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου ". XXVI Τί δήποτε τὴν πρὸς μωαβίτας καὶ ἀμμανίτας ἐπιμιξίαν κωλύει, οὐ κατὰ ῥητόν τινα χρόνον, ἀλλ' ἕως εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα; Πρῶτον διὰ τὴν παράνομον αὐτῶν ῥίζαν· ἐκ παρανόμου γὰρ γεγέννηνται συνουσίας. ἔπειτα διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν, ἧς καὶ τοὺς ἰσραηλίτας μεταλαχεῖν παρεσκεύασαν, ὡραΐσαντες τὰς γυναῖκας, καὶ διὰ τούτων αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων λατρείαν ἀγρεύσαντες. τὸν μέντοι ἰδουμαῖον καὶ τὸν αἰγύπ 248 τιον, μετὰ τρίτην κελεύει προσίεσθαι γενεάν· τὸν μὲν ὡς ἀδελφόν, τὸν δὲ ὡς εὐεργέτην ἐν καιρῷ γεγενημένον. λιμοῦ γὰρ προσπεσόντος, εἰς Αἴγυπ τον εἰσελθόντες οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν διετράφησαν, διδάσκει τοίνυν ἡμᾶς ὁ νόμος μηδὲ παλαιᾶς εὐεργεσίας ἀμνημονεῖν. XXVII Τί ἐστιν, " ὅτι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἐμπεριπατεῖ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ σου "; Οἶδε πολλάκις δυσοσμίας ὁ ἀὴρ ἐμπιπλάμενος λοιμὸν ἐμποιεῖν. ἐκέλευσε τοίνυν αὐτοῖς στρατοπεδευομένοις τὴν ἐκκρινομένην καταχωννύναι κό προν. ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἀπειθήσαντες βλάβην εἰσδέξωνται, ἀναγκαίως ἐπήγαγεν· " ὅτι Κύριος, ὁ Θεὸς ἐμπεριπατεῖ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ σου ", καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διδάσκει· " ἐξελέσθαι σε καὶ παρα δοῦναι τὸν ἐχθρόν σου πρὸ προσώπου σου ". διὰ δὲ τούτου παιδεύει μηδὲν πράττειν παράνομον. τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπάγει· " καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρεμβολή σου ἁγία, καὶ οὐχ εὑ ρεθήσεται ἐν σοὶ ἀσχημοσύνη πράγματος ". XXVIII Τί ἐστι τελεσφόρος καὶ τελισκόμενος καὶ τελισκομένη; Ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς πιστοὺς ὀνομάζομεν τοὺς τῶν θείων μυστηρίων μετέχοντας, οὕτως τετελεσμένους ἐκάλει τὰ ἔθνη τοὺς δαιμόνων τινῶν διδασκομένους μυστήρια. τελεσφόρον τοίνυν καλεῖ τὸν μυσταγωγοῦντα, τελισκόμενον δὲ τὸν μυσταγωγούμενον. XXIV Τίνα ἐστί, " τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα διὰ τῶν χειλέων σου φυλάξῃ "; 249 Ἐπαγγελλόμενος τῷ Θεῷ, χρέος νόμιζε τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν, σπούδασον τοίνυν ταύτην ἀποδοῦναι συντόμως. τοῦτο γὰρ ἔφη· " οὐ χρονιεῖς ἀπο δοῦναι τὴν εὐχήν σου, ὅτι ἐκζητῶν ἐκζητήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ ἔσται σοι ἁμαρ τία ". εἶτα διδάσκων, ὅτι τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐστὶ τῆς γνώμης τὸ ὑποσχέσθαι ἢ μή, ἐπήγαγεν· " ἐὰν δὲ μὴ θελήσῃς εὔξασθαι, οὐκ ἔσ ται σοι ἁμαρτία ". ὅθεν καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβίδ· " ἀποδώσω σοι τὰς εὐχάς μου, ἃς διέστειλε τὰ χείλη μου, καὶ ἐλάλησε τὸ στόμα μου ἐν τῇ θλίψει μου ". πά λιν μέντοι τὸν περὶ τῆς λέπρας τεθεικὼς νόμον, τῆς Μαρίας ἀνέμνησε, λέγων· " μνήσθητι ὅσα ἐποίησε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τῇ Μαριὰμ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ", διδάσκων ὡς θεήλατος ἡ πληγὴ καὶ ταύτην αὐτοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπέφερεν ὁ Θεός· καὶ αὖ πάλιν μεταμελου μένων ἔπαυσε. καὶ μέντοι καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν παίδων ἀπειλῆς τὸ ἀμφίβολον ἔλυσεν. ἔφη γάρ· " οὐκ ἀποθανοῦνται πατέρες ὑπὲρ τέκνων, οὐδὲ τέκνα ὑπὲρ πατέρων. ἕκαστος τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖται ". εἰκὸς γὰρ καὶ πατέρας συμ βουλεῦσαι μὲν παισὶ τὰ συμφέροντα· μηδὲν δὲ διὰ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀπείθειαν ὀνῆσαι· καὶ παῖδας κρείττους τῶν πατέρων γενέσθαι. XXX Τί δήποτε τοῦ Θεοῦ κελεύσαντος τεσσαράκοντα λαμβάνειν τὸν πλημμελή σαντα μάστιγας, παρὰ μίαν πληγὴν ἐπιφέρουσιν ἰουδαῖοι; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ πλείων ἀριθμὸς τὸν αἰκιζόμενον ἀτιμοῖ· " ἐὰν γὰρ προσ θῶσι μαστιγῶσαι αὐτόν, ἀσχημονήσει ὁ ἀδελ φός σου ἐναντίον σου ". παρὰ μίαν διδόασιν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀκρι βῆ φυλάττοντες ἀριθμὸν καὶ ἄκοντες τὸν τυπτόμενον ἀτιμάσωσι, τὸν περιττὸν ἐπιφέροντες. 250 XXXI Τί ἐστιν, " οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα "; Τὸ μὲν τῆς ἀναγωγῆς νόημα σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος. καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ πρόχειρον εὐσεβές· ἄδικον γὰρ τὸν ἀρόσαντα τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ δράγματα σὺν πόνῳ τέμνοντα, μὴ μεταλαγχάνειν τοῦ καρποῦ. XXXII Τί δήποτε ἐμπτύεσθαι κελεύει τὸν τοῦ ἄπαιδος ἀδελφοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα μὴ βουλόμενον γῆμαι; Ἀνάγκην αὐτοῖς διὰ τῆς ἀτιμίας φιλαδελφίας ἐπιθείς, ἄμεινον μὲν γὰρ ἦν διὰ τὴν φύσιν προμηθεῖσθαι τοῦ τεθνηκότος. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ἅπαντες αἰδοῦνται τὸν τῆς φύσεως νόμον, τὴν τῆς ἀτιμίας αὐτοῖς ἀνάγκην ἐπέ θηκεν. XXXIII ∆ιὰ τί πανωλεθρίᾳ κελεύει παραδοῦναι τὸν Ἀμαλήκ; Καὶ δυσσεβεῖς ἦσαν καὶ μισάδελφοι. καὶ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ τὸ γένος