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we have learned from Scripture that some teaching of the words of God has come to men, nor did a divine law preside over their being divided into various differences of tongues, so that each might speak; but God, wishing men to be in other tongues, allowed nature to proceed on its way, articulating the sound among each people according to what was pleasing, for the clarity of names. 2.1.255 Moses, then, having been born many generations after the building of the tower, uses one of the subsequent languages, historically narrating the creation of the world to us, and he ascribes certain voices to God, recounting these things in his own language in which he was both educated and accustomed, and not altering the voices of God with some different and strange character of speech, so as to contrive, through the strangeness of the custom and the variation of the names, that the voices were of God himself, but using his accustomed language, he relates both his own words and those of God in the same way. 2.1.256 But some of those who have followed the divine scriptures more carefully say that the Hebrew language does not have the antiquity of the others, but that among other wonders, this also was miraculously worked for the Israelites, that this language was suddenly improvised for the nation after Egypt. And there is a saying of the prophet that confirms this; for when he went out, it says, from Egypt, then he heard a language 2.1.257 he did not know. If, therefore, Moses was a Hebrew, and the Hebrew language was the last of the others, does not he, who was born so many thousands of years after the foundation of the world and who recounts the sayings of God in his own tongue, clearly teach that he is not recording such a voice formed in a human way for God, but that he says these things because it is not possible to express what is conceived otherwise than with human voices, while signifying through the things said some God-befitting and more magnificent meaning? 2.1.258 For to suppose that God used the Hebrew language when there was no one who understood such a voice, I do not know how a rational person will agree. In the Acts we have learned that for this reason the divine power was divided into many tongues, so that no one of other languages might be deprived of the benefit; but God, speaking in a human way before creation, 2.1.259 whom was he about to benefit from such a voice? For to accommodate speech to the capacity of the hearers for the purpose of benefit, no one would suggest is anything unworthy of the divine love for mankind, since even Paul, the imitator of the Lord, knows how to handle his speech appropriately to the states of his hearers, becoming milk to infants and solid food to the mature; but when no purpose is achieved through such use of speech, then to contrive that God recites such words to himself, when there is no one in need of the meaning conveyed through such voices, I do not know how it is not ridiculous 2.1.260 and at the same time blasphemous to suppose such a thing. Therefore, the voice of God is neither Hebrew nor uttered in any other form of those customary among the nations; but as many words of God as were written by Moses or the prophets are indications of the divine will, shining in one way or another according to the worthiness of those who partake of the grace, upon the pure and 2.1.261 ruling faculty of the saints. Therefore, Moses spoke as he was by nature and as he had been educated, but he attributed these voices to God, as has often been said, because of the childishness of those just being brought to the knowledge of God, for a clear presentation of the divine will and so that he might make the hearers more obedient, being moved by the trustworthiness of the one who spoke. 2.1.262 But Eunomius does not say so, he who brings such reproaches against us, the 20heir and advocate of the lawful custom20—for having changed the insult into a eulogy, I will greet him with his own words. but he insists 20that Moses himself testifies for him20 20that it has been given by the creator of nature to the

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πινον, θεοῦ ῥημάτων τινὰ διδασκαλίαν γεγενῆσθαι τοῖς ἀν θρώποις παρὰ τῆς γραφῆς μεμαθήκαμεν οὔτε εἰς ποικίλας γλωσσῶν διαφορὰς διατμηθέντων ὅπως ἂν ἕκαστος φθέγγοιτο θεῖος ἐπεστάτησε νόμος· ἀλλὰ θελήσας ὁ θεὸς τοὺς ἀν θρώπους ἐν ἄλλαις γενέσθαι γλώσσαις ἀφῆκεν ὁδῷ τὴν φύσιν πορεύεσθαι κατὰ τὸ ἀρέσκον διαρθροῦσαν παρ' ἑκά στοις τὸν ἦχον πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὀνομάτων σαφήνειαν. 2.1.255 Ὁ τοίνυν Μωϋσῆς πολλαῖς ὕστερον γενεαῖς τῆς πυργο ποιΐας γενόμενος μιᾷ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα κέχρηται γλώσσῃ ἱστορικῶς τὴν κοσμογένειαν ἡμῖν διηγούμενος καί τινας τῷ θεῷ προσάπτει φωνάς, τῇ ἑαυτοῦ γλώσσῃ καθ' ἣν πεπαί δευτό τε καὶ συνείθιστο ταῦτα διεξιὼν καὶ οὐκ ἐξαλλάσσων τὰς τοῦ θεοῦ φωνὰς ἀλλοιοτρόπῳ τινὶ καὶ ξενίζοντι φωνῆς χαρακτῆρι, ὥστε διὰ τοῦ ξένου τῆς συνηθείας καὶ παρηλ λαγμένου τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὰς φωνὰς κατασκευάζειν, ἀλλὰ τῇ συνήθει χρώμενος γλώσσῃ ὁμοίως 2.1.256 τά τε ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ διεξέρχεται. φασὶ δέ τινες τῶν ἐπιμελέστερον ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ἐπηκολουθηκότων μηδὲ ἀρχαΐζειν τὴν Ἑβραίων φωνὴν καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν λοιπῶν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων θαυμάτων καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις θαυματοποιηθῆναι, τὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν ταύτην ἀθρόως μετὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐνσχεδιασθῆναι τῷ ἔθνει. καί τις ἐστὶ τοῦ προφήτου λόγος τὸ τοιοῦτον πιστούμενος· ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτόν, φησίν, ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τότε γλῶσσαν 2.1.257 ἣν οὐκ ἔγνω ἤκουσεν. εἰ οὖν Ἑβραῖος μὲν Μωϋσῆς, τε λευταία δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἡ τῶν Ἑβραίων φωνή, ὁ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου σύστασιν τοσαύταις ἐτῶν χιλιάσιν ὕστερον γε γονὼς καὶ τῇ καθ' ἑαυτὸν φωνῇ τὰς τοῦ θεοῦ διηγούμενος ῥήσεις ἆρ' οὐχὶ σαφῶς διδάσκει τὸ μὴ τοιαύτην φωνὴν τὴν κατὰ ἄνθρωπον σχηματιζομένην ἀναγράφειν ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν λέγειν διὰ τὸ μηδὲ δυνατὸν εἶναι τὸ νοηθὲν ἑτέρως εἰπεῖν ἢ ἀνθρωπίναις φωναῖς, σημαίνειν δὲ διὰ τῶν λεγομένων θεοπρεπῆ τινα καὶ μεγαλοφυεστέραν διάνοιαν; 2.1.258 τὸ γὰρ οἴεσθαι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι γλώσσῃ τὸν θεὸν κεχρῆσθαι μηδενὸς ὄντος τοῦ τοιαύτης φωνῆς ἐπαΐοντος οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὁ λελογισμένος συνθήσεται. ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι μεμαθή καμεν διὰ τοῦτο τὴν θείαν δύναμιν εἰς πολλὰς διεσχίσθαι φωνάς, ὡς ἂν μηδεὶς τῶν ἑτερογλωσσῶν ἀποστεροῖτο τῆς ὠφελείας· ὁ δὲ θεὸς πρὸ τῆς κτίσεως ἀνθρωπικῶς διε 2.1.259 λέγετο τίνα ὠφελεῖν μέλλων ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης φωνῆς; τὸ μὲν γὰρ συνδιατίθεσθαι τῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων δυνάμει τὸν λόγον πρὸς τὸν τῆς ὠφελείας σκοπόν, οὐδὲν ἄν τις ἀνάξιον τῆς θείας εἶναι φιλανθρωπίας ὑποτυπήσειεν, ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος ὁ μιμητὴς τοῦ κυρίου πρὸς τὰς τῶν ἀκουόντων ἕξεις οἶδεν ἁρμοδίως τὸν λόγον μεταχειρίζεσθαι, γάλα τοῖς νηπίοις γινόμενος καὶ στερεὰ τοῖς τελείοις τροφή· τὸ δὲ μηδενὸς κατορθουμένου σκοποῦ διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης τοῦ λόγου χρήσεως ἔπειτα κατασκευάζειν τοιάδε τινὰ ῥήματα τὸν θεὸν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ ῥαψῳδεῖν, οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ δεομένου τῆς διὰ τῶν τοιού των φωνῶν σημασίας, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ἐστι μὴ καταγέλαστον 2.1.260 ἅμα καὶ βλάσφημον τὸ τοιοῦτον οἴεσθαι. οὔτε οὖν Ἑβραία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ φωνὴ οὔτε καθ' ἕτερόν τινα τύπον τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι νενομισμένων προφερομένη· ἀλλ' ὅσοι τοῦ θεοῦ λόγοι παρὰ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἢ τῶν προφητῶν ἐγράφησαν, ἐν δείξεις εἰσὶ τοῦ θείου θελήματος ἄλλως καὶ ἄλλως κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τῶν μετεχόντων τῆς χάριτος τῷ καθαρῷ τε καὶ 2.1.261 ἡγεμονικῷ τῶν ἁγίων ἐλλάμπουσαι. οὐκοῦν ἐφθέγγετο μὲν ὁ Μωϋσῆς ὡς ἐπεφύκει τε καὶ πεπαίδευτο, προσετίθει δὲ τῷ θεῷ τὰς φωνὰς ταύτας καθὼς εἴρηται πολλάκις διὰ τὸ νηπιῶδες τῶν ἄρτι τῇ θεογνωσίᾳ προσαγομένων πρὸς ἐναργῆ τε παράστασιν τοῦ θείου θελήματος καὶ ὡς ἂν εὐπειθεστέρους ἀπεργάσαιτο τοὺς ἀκούοντας τῇ ἀξιοπιστίᾳ τοῦ εἰρηκότος δυσωπουμένους. 2.1.262 Ἀλλ' οὔ φησιν ὁ Εὐνόμιος ὁ τοιαύτας καθ' ἡμῶν τὰς λοιδορίας προφέρων, ὁ τῆς 20ἐνθέσμου συνηθείας κληρονόμος τε καὶ συνήγορος20-ὑπαλλάξας γὰρ τὴν ὕβριν εἰς εὐφημίαν τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτὸν δεξιώσομαι. ἀλλ' 20αὐτὸν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖν τὸν Μωϋσέα20 διϊσχυρίζεται 20παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος τὴν φύσιν δεδω ρῆσθαι τοῖς