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in spirit, not in let ter." Those of the Jews, therefore, who have believed in the Savior, having the Mosai c circumcision, received the spiritual one. The phrase "a second time," therefore, prefigures the truth; for it is impossible for the flesh to be circumcised twice. But the surface meaning of the letter signifies this: that just as God had given this law to Abraham from the beginning, so "a second time" he commanded Joshua to circumcise the uncircumcised. It is worthy to lament for the Jews, being unable to understand how those who were circumcised were destroyed, falling into various punishments, while the uncircumcised were saved; and the fathers perished, but the children received the 275 promise. Thus we also, being children, receive the kingdom of heaven; but the Jews, having the rank of fathers, fell away from eternal good things, and were cast out from kinship with the patriarchs. They ought, therefore, to have learned through these things that the practice of circumcision is not always necessary. For the Lord God, having foretold to Abraham the time of the sojourning, commanded him to be circumcised; but when they were delivered from the slavery of the Egyptians and were living in the desert, He did not require the observance of this law, nor did he exact penalties for its transgression. Since they were living by themselves and were free from mingling with foreign nations, they did not need the sign of circumcision. But when He finally led them into the promised land, he commanded them to be circumcised, so that intermingling would not harm their piety. For if it happened that someone fell into deceit, it was easy to see the sign and find the flock; for the sealed sheep, even if it is lost, is easily found. IV Why did he command them to be circumcised with stone knives? A very great multitude was being circumcised, and it was necessary to circumcise them quickly, and to celebrate the feast of the Passover. It was likely, therefore, that those who had spent so much time in the desert did not have many knives made of iron. Besides, the stone knives also prefigure our circumcision; for the Lord Christ is the rock. "For," it says, "they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ." And He Himself is also called a sword; "For," it says, "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword." And His saving teaching offers us spiritual circumcision. The history, however, taught that many of those born in Egypt also did not 276 receive circumcision, since those who had begotten them feared, as is likely, on account of the killing of the infants, to apply circumcision to them. But all, so to speak, except a few, who were born in the desert had remained uncircumcised. The place was named Gilgal, and the name signifies freedom. Then the God of all said, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." And the word signifies the deliverance from Egyptian slavery and impiety, and the recovery of the promised land. And we also learn that he who is deemed worthy of all-holy baptism, and receives spiritual circumcision, puts away the reproach of sin. V Who must be understood as the commander of the army of the Lord? Some say that God the Word appeared; but I think it was Michael the archangel. For when they sinned, the God of all said, "I will not go up with you, because the people are stiff-necked, but I will send my angel before your face, before you." I think that this one now appeared to Joshua, encouraging him and signifying divine assistance. {VI How then did he use the divine words? "for he said, 'remove the sandal from your feet; for the place on which you are standing is holy.'" Since the God of all said to him, "As I was with 277 Moses, so I will be with you." For this reason, what that one heard, this one also hears, so that he might become more courageous, as having obtained the same honor. VII Why did He command the city of Jericho to be accursed? They took this city first after crossing the river, just as he now commanded

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ἐν πνεύματι, οὐ γράμ ματι ". οἱ τοίνυν ἐξ ἰουδαίων τῷ σωτῆρι πεπιστευκότες, τὴν μωσαϊ κὴν περιτομὴν ἔχοντες, προσέλαβον τὴν πνευματικήν. τὸ τοίνυν " ἐκ δευτέρου " τὴν ἀλήθειαν προτυποῖ· τὴν γὰρ σάρκα δὶς περιτμηθῆ ναι τῶν ἀδυνάτων. ἡ δὲ ἐξεπιπολῆς τοῦ γράμματος διάνοια τοῦτο δηλοῖ· ὅτι καθάπερ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦτον ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Θεὸς ἐδεδώκει τὸν νόμον, οὕτως " ἐκ δευτέρου " προσέταξε τῷ Ἰησοῦ τοὺς ἀπεριτμήτους περι τεμεῖν. θρηνῆσαι δὲ ἄξιον ἰουδαίους, συνιδεῖν οὐ δυναμένους, ὡς οἱ περι τετμημένοι μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν διαφόροις τιμωρίαις περιπεσόντες, οἱ δὲ ἀπε ρίτμητοι διεσώθησαν· καὶ οἱ μὲν πατέρες διώλοντο, οἱ δὲ παῖδες τὴν ἀπαγ 275 γελίαν ἐδέξαντο. οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς παῖδες ὄντες τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν προσδε χόμεθα βασιλείαν· ἰουδαῖοι δὲ τάξιν ἔχοντες πατέρων τῶν αἰωνίων ἐξέπεσον ἀγαθῶν, καὶ τῆς τῶν πατριαρχῶν ἐξεβλήθησαν συγγενείας. ἐχρῆν τοίνυν αὐτοὺς διὰ τούτων μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐκ ἀεὶ τῆς περιτομῆς ἀναγκαῖον τὸ χρῆμα. προμηνύσας γὰρ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τῆς παροικίας τὸν χρόνον ὁ δεσπότης Θεός, περιτμηθῆναι προσέταξε· τῆς αἰγυπτίων δὲ δουλείας ἀπαλλαγέντας, καὶ ἐν ἐρήμῳ διάγοντας, οὐκ ἀπῄτησε τοῦδε τοῦ νόμου τὴν φυλακήν, οὐδὲ τῆς παραβάσεως εἰσέπραξε δίκας. ἐπειδὴ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ζῶντες καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν ἐπιμιξίας ἀπηλλαγμένοι, τοῦ σημείου τῆς περιτομῆς οὐκ ἐδέοντο. ὅτε δὲ λοιπὸν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην εἰσή γαγε γῆν περιτμηθῆναι προσέταξεν, ἵνα μὴ ἡ ἐπιμιξία τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ λυμή νηται. εἰ γὰρ καὶ συνέβαινε περιπεσεῖν ἀπάτῃ τινά, ῥᾴδιον ἦν τὸ σημεῖον ἰδεῖν καὶ τὴν ἀγέλην καταλαβεῖν· τὰ γὰρ ἐσφραγισμένα πρόβατα, κἂν ἀπόληται ῥᾳδίως εὑρίσκεται. IV ∆ιὰ τί μαχαίραις αὐτοὺς πετρίναις περιτμηθῆναι προσέταξεν; Πάμπολυ πλῆθος ἦν τὸ περιτεμνόμενον, καὶ συντόμως ἔδει περιτμηθῆναι, καὶ ἐπιτελέσαι τοῦ Πάσχα τὴν ἑορτήν. εἰκὸς οὖν ἦν, τοὺς ἐν ἐρήμῳ το σοῦτον διάγοντας χρόνον μὴ ἔχειν πολλὰς ἐκ σιδήρου κατασκευασμένας μαχαίρας. ἄλλως τε καὶ προτυποῦσιν αἱ πέτριναι μάχαιραι τὴν ἡμετέραν περιτομήν· πέτρα γὰρ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός. " ἔπινον, γάρ φησιν, ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός ". ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς καὶ μάχαιρα κέκληται· " ζῶν, γάρ φησιν, ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον ". ἡ δὲ σωτήριος αὐτοῦ διδασκαλία τὴν πνευματικὴν ἡμῖν προσφέρει περιτομήν. ἡ μέντοι ἱστορία ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τεχθέντων τὴν περιτομὴν οὐκ 276 ἐδέξαντο, δεισάντων, ὡς εἰκὸς τῶν ἐκείνους γεγεννηκότων διὰ τὴν τῶν βρεφῶν ἀναίρεσιν, προσενεγκεῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν περιτομήν. ἅπαντες δέ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, πλὴν ὀλίγων, οἱ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ φύντες ἀπερίτμητοι μεμενήκασι. Γάλγαλα δὲ ὁ τόπος ὠνομάσθη, τοὔνομα δὲ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν δηλοῖ. τότε ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεός· " ἐν τῇ σήμερον ἡμέρᾳ ἀφεῖλον τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν Αἰγύπτου ἀφ' ὑμῶν ". δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος τὴν τῆς αἰγυπτιακῆς δουλείας καὶ δυσσεβείας ἀπαλλαγήν, καὶ τῆς ἐπηγ γελμένης γῆς τὴν ἀπόληψιν. καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ μανθάνομεν, ὡς ὁ τοῦ παναγίου βαπτίσματος ἀξιούμενος, καὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν περιτομὴν δεχόμενος, τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὄνειδος ἀποτίθεται. V Τίνα νοητέον τὸν ἀρχιστράτηγον τῆς δυνάμεως Κυρίου; Τινές φασι τὸν Θεὸν λόγον ὀφθῆναι· ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι Μιχαὴλ τὸν ἀρχάγγελον εἶναι. ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐπλημμέλησαν, ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεός· " οὐ μὴ συ ναναβῶ μετὰ σοῦ διὰ τὸ τὸν λαὸν σκληροτράχη λον εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἀποστελῶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου πρότερόν σου ". τοῦτον οἶμαι νῦν ὀφθῆ ναι τῷ Ἰησοῦ παραθαρρύνοντα, καὶ τὴν θείαν βοήθειαν προσημαίνοντα. {VI Πῶς τοίνυν τοῖς θείοις ἐχρήσατο ῥήμασι; " λῦσον, γὰρ ἔφη, τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου· ὁ γὰρ τόπος ἐφ' ᾧ ἕστηκας ἅγιός ἐστιν ". Ἐπειδὴ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός, " ὡς ἐγενόμην μετὰ 277 Μωϋσῇ, ἔσομαι καὶ μετὰ σοῦ ". τούτου χάριν ὧν ἤκουσεν ἐκεῖνος, ἀκούει καὶ οὗτος, ἵνα θαρσαλεώτερος γένηται, ὡς τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξίας τετυχηκώς. VII ∆ιὰ τί τὴν Ἰεριχὼ πόλιν ἀναθεματισθῆναι προσέταξεν; Πρώτην ταύτην εἷλον πόλιν μετὰ τὸ διαβῆναι τὸν ποταμόν, ὥσπερ τοί νυν προσέταξεν