Collectio dictorum veteris testamenti

 is forced to descend into a foreign state and if the demons should see any good understanding accompanying him, they hasten to subject it to the sowi

 escaping. The heifer, taken first, signified the first generation. For just as the heifer struggles against the yoke, so also the first generation of

 the river, but to keep alive every female. For the devil, the spiritual Pharaoh, also conceived a threefold manner of plotting against the spiritual I

 He interprets what that one speaks spiritually and obscurely, and transforms his weak voice to be more melodious. For I have not come, he says, to abo

 the Gospel according to Christ, had as a son the multitude of those being reborn to it through the Holy Spirit whom she also circumcised with a stone

 and easy to comprehend is the mystery concerning Christ. But God did not lead the Jews to this immediately, but through the long law and the many ridd

 Moses commanded Joshua son of Nun to choose mighty men and go out and fight 77.1196 Amalek, signified that Jesus Christ would be subject to the comman

 of the people of the Jews, and servant of God, he ascends to the highest knowledge of God but the people are prevented from approaching, lest they di

 coming after it, demands this final penalty, as one who, after being freed from the burden of sin, is again voluntarily subjected to it. And He comman

 But the eighth ineffably suggests the mystery of the eternal well-being of the 77.1204 beings. The sixth day is called Preparation, because on it the

 and poverty of intellect, they make their neighbors, that is, those of the same faith, partners, so that through one another they may be raised to hig

 unmixed with wickedness, those partaking of the true Lamb nourish their own soul, throughout the whole weekly age, which is measured by the week. And

 the body bears uncircumcision. Circumcision is mystical, a voluntary removal of the passions. The circumcision of circumcision is the putting away of

 of rational discernment, as Israel did in the time of Moses, commits idolatry. For having cast into the fire of the passions the words concerning theo

 to do good things, and to walk toward good things. Humpbacked is the one bent downwards, and not able to look up from earthly things. Sun-spotted is o

 God, ostracizing stupidity, and wishing his subjects to belong to necessity alone, through the not weaving together of linen and wool, banished variet

 but in heaven God Himself whom alone they both worship and attend. And on the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, an

 they were catechized by the evangelists. Or otherwise, the four types of meanings were a symbol of the four types of moral discourse. Of which the one

 Aaron's rod, as a symbol of watchfulness. For to Jeremiah, seeing a staff of a nut tree, God says: Behold, I am watchful over my words. And it budded

 bracelets, and rings, and armlets, and braided chains. For the leaders of the people in Christ and the eminent often surpass the evangelical commands

 with bodily ways of the ministry of the virtues, they return to the contemplation of kindred intelligible things. A foreign boy and a servant-girl are

 undertaking. For she will pay the penalty for the offense to God, the Father of spirits, and she will be his wife, as having already been joined to hi

 of the other man wherefore he is required to pay the penalty for the murder, but he alone suffers loss in his soul. For this, I think, is what this m

 war for one year he shall cheer his wife, whom he has taken. For it is not right that one who has just taken a spouse for himself should be led out t

 Virtue is the mother of the good deeds from it. And its nest is the soul in which it dwells. It is necessary for those who encounter them to be benefi

 its fruit for three years will be unpurified for you. It shall not be eaten, and in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy to the Lord. But in th

 dragging down to earth, those things that draw up to heaven. Saul, is the natural 77.1249 law, which from the beginning received from the Lord the lot

 David is the law according to the spirit, who reigns over the Christians who worship God spiritually. But Saul is the law according to the letter, who

 the face of the Lord, according to David, and learns the cause of such a famine, that this injustice was against Saul, and against his house, with whi

 taking from the spiritual David, that is, the law according to the spirit, may kill the aforementioned sons and grandsons of 77.1257 Saul then in eve

 of knowledge, if it should receive the divine and discerning word, which brings to memory former sins, and will prefer even to nature itself the heali

 The Lord in the desert I mean in the world, and in the nature of men, digging out and cleansing the hearts of the worthy from material weight and min

 of the city. Since Hezekiah is interpreted as 'strength of God,' every mind 77.1265 that through practical philosophy has acquired divine strength, wh

 through themselves they again turn him away, as he flees into his land which is the fixed habit of evil, whom his sons kill as he is fleeing, and the

 the king of the Assyrians, flees to God, and silently cries out to Him, through progress in virtue and knowledge, and receives an angel as an ally th

 at once a philosopher and a lover of God has both Judah and Jerusalem the one taken as the habit of confession and repentance for Judah is interpret

 becomes a lofty and exalted mind, and in the good things given to it by God, boasts as if in its own accomplishments. There comes by providence upon t

 the spear and the flask of water that is, the power of practical virtue, and the grace of gnostic contemplation, even if he again gives these things

 of king Darius, I mean of the natural law, having conquered by him, lifts up his face to heaven, that is, the disposition of the soul, in which are th

 not being guarded. For lead is a symbol of punishment, but silver of brightness. And the seven eyes of this practical faith are the seven gifts of the

 constituted. For since matter is indeed a tetrad, because of the tetraktys of its elements, and form is a pentad, because of the fivefold nature of se

 they rise up for mischief. And approaching Zerubbabel, and Joshua and the leaders of the families, they say to them: We will build with you for like

Collectio dictorum veteris testamenti

A COLLECTION OF THE ANAGOGICALLY INTERPRETED SAYINGS OF THE OLD HOLY SCRIPTURE

Compiled according to a synopsis and clearer exposition, from the works of the divine Cyril, and of the great Maximus, and of other exegetes.

BOOK OF GENESIS.

77.1176 Cursed is the ground in thy works. The ground cursed in Adam's works is the flesh of the earthly mind; whose works are the passions of dishonor. Therefore it is also cursed. This flesh yields to him, as thorns, cares and anxieties; and as thistles, temptations and dangers, according to reason and anger and desire. And, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread, may be understood also concerning action and contemplation; for through the labor of the practical he eats the bread of the contemplative. Cain, then, is the mind of the flesh, which Adam first begot through disobedience; Abel, however, is the mind of the spirit, which the same Adam later begot through repentance. Therefore, when the mind of the spirit according to Abel, before it has reached a perfect state, goes out together with the mind of the flesh according to Cain into the field, I mean the breadth of natural contemplation, it is killed by it. For it is good, before reaching a perfect state, not to touch natural contemplation, lest in seeking spiritual principles from sensible things ..... collecting passions. For in the imperfect, the visible forms of sensible things have more power over the senses than the principles of things that have come to be, which are hidden in the visible forms, have over the soul. Whoever slays Cain shall loose seven vengeances. Cain is the thought of gluttony. And seven vengeances, that is, things worthy of punishment. The thought of fornication and of avarice, and that of sadness, and that of anger, and that of acedia, and that of vainglory and that of pride. He, therefore, who has killed gluttony through continence has killed with it also the passions that follow it, having paralyzed their connections. 77.1177 Concerning the building of the tower. Those who were building the tower of Chalane, having moved from the land of light in the east, I mean from the one and true knowledge of God, came to the land of Shinar, which is interpreted Blasphemous teeth, and having fallen into many opinions concerning God, they put together the principle of each opinion as if it were bricks, and built, as it were a tower, the polytheistic atheism. Just as the Lord did not appear to Abraham while he was dwelling in his own land; but when he was called and went out, and came to the land that was shown to him, He appeared and gave him the great promises, and allowed him to build an altar and to sacrifice; so also to us who remain in the world, and in its structural pleasures, no illumination comes from God; but to those who obey the divine commands, and arrive where the Lord commands, He reveals knowledge concerning Himself, as far as is possible; He provides great hopes, and strengthens our mind; so as to raise up to Him an altar, the heart; and to sacrifice good deeds, and spiritual contemplations. And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down into Egypt. When the mind of each one falls into a famine of divine thoughts and of the food that spiritually nourishes the soul,

Collectio dictorum veteris testamenti

ΣΥΝΑΓΩΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΑΓΩΓΙΚΩΣ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΥΟΜΕΝΩΝ ΡΗΤΩΝ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΛΑΙΑΣ ΑΓΙΑΣ ΓΡΑΦΗΣ

Ἐρανισθεῖσα κατὰ σύνοψιν καὶ σαφεστέραν ἀπαγγελίαν, ἔκ τε τῶν τοῦ θεσπεσίου Κυρίλλου, καὶ τῶν τοῦ μεγάλου Μαξίμου, καὶ λοιπῶν ἐξηγητῶν.

ΒΙΒΛΟΣ ΓΕΝΕΣΕΩΣ.

77.1176 Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου. Κατηραμένη γῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, ἡ σάρξ ἐστι τοῦ γεωθέντος νοῦ· οὗ ἔργα τὰ πάθη τῆς ἀτιμίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ κατήραται. Ἥτις σὰρξ ἀναδίδωσιν αὐτῷ, ὡς μὲν ἀκάνθας, μερίμνας, καὶ φροντίδας· ὡς δὲ τριβόλους, πειρασμοὺς, καὶ κινδύνους, κατά τε λόγον καὶ θυμὸν καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐν ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προσώπου σου φάγῃ τὸν ἄρτον σου, λαμβάνοιτ' ἂν καὶ περὶ πράξεως καὶ θεωρίας· ἐν πόνῳ γὰρ τῆς πρακτικῆς φάγῃ τὸν ἄρτον τῆς θεωρητικῆς. Κάϊν μὲν, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, ὃ πρῶτον ἐγέννησεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς· Ἄβελ δὲ, τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅπερ ὕστερον ἐγέννησεν ὁ αὐτὸς Ἀδὰμ, διὰ τῆς μετανοίας. Τὸ τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν Ἄβελ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος πρὸ τῆς τελείας ἕξεως συνεξελθεῖν τῷ κατὰ τὸν Κάϊν φρονήματι τῆς σαρκὸς εἰς τὸ πεδίον, λέγω δὲ τὸ πλάτος τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας, ἀποκτείνεται παρ' αὐτοῦ. Καλὸν γὰρ πρὸ τῆς τελείας ἕξεως, μὴ ἅπτεσθαι φυσικῆς θεωρίας, ἵνα μὴ λόγους πνευματικοὺς ἐκ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐπιζητοῦντες ..... πάθη συλλέγοντες. Ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἀτελέσι, πλέον τὰ φαινόμενα τῶν αἰσθητῶν σχήματα δυναστεύει πρὸς τὴν αἴσθησιν, ταῖς πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν, οἱ ἐγκεκρυμμένοι φαινομένοις σχήμασι, λόγοι τῶν γεγονότων. Πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. Κάϊν μὲν ὁ τῆς γαστριμαργίας λογισμός. Ἑπτὰ δὲ ἐκδικούμενα, τοῦτ' ἔστι, κολάσεως ἄξια. Ὁ τῆς πορνείας λογισμὸς καὶ τῆς φιλαργυρίας, καὶ ὁ τῆς λύπης, καὶ ὁ τῆς ὀργῆς, καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀκηδίας, καὶ ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας καὶ ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας. Ὁ τοίνυν τὴν γαστριμαργίαν ἀποκτείνας δι' ἐγκρατείας συναπέκτεινεν αὐτῇ καὶ τὰ παρεπόμενα αὐτῇ· πάθη, παραλύσας τὰς συναφείας. 77.1177 Περὶ τῆς πυργοποιΐας. Οἱ τὸν τῆς Χαλάνης πύργον οἰκοδομοῦντες, τῆς τοῦ φωτὸς χώρας τῆς ἀνατολῆς κινηθέντες, λέγω δὲ τῆς μιᾶς καὶ ἀληθοῦς θεογνωσίας, ἦλθον εἰς τὴν γῆν Σενὰρ τὴν ἑρμηνευομένην Βλασφήμους ὀδόντας, καὶ εἰς πολλὰς περὶ Θεοῦ δόξας καταπεσόντες, τὸν ἑκάστης λόγον δόξης οἱονεὶ πλίνθους τινὰς συνθέντες, ᾠκοδόμησαν καθάπερ πύργον τὴν πολύθεον ἀθεΐαν. Ὥσπερ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ οἰκοῦντι μὲν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ γῇ οὐκ ὤφθη Κύριος· κληθέντι δὲ καὶ ἐξελθόντι, καὶ εἰς τὴν ὑποδειχθεῖσαν γῆν ἀφικομένῳ ὤφθη καὶ τὰς μεγάλας ἐπαγγελίας δέδωκε, καὶ θυσιαστήριον ἀφῆκεν οἰκοδομεῖν καὶ θῦσαι· οὕτω καὶ ἡμῖν παραμένουσι τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ ταῖς οἰκοδομικαῖς ἡδοναῖς, οὐδεμία γίνεται θεόθεν ἔλλαμψις· πειθομένοις δὲ τοῖς θείοις προστάγμασι, καὶ ἔνθα κελεύει Κύριος ἀφικνουμένοις, ἐμφανίζει μὲν τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν, ὅσον ἐγχωρεῖ· παρέχει δὲ μεγάλας ἐλπίδας, ῥωννύει δὲ τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν· ὡς ἐγεῖραι μὲν αὐτῷ θυσιαστήριον, τὴν καρδίαν· θύειν δὲ πράξεις ἀγαθὰς, καὶ θεωρίας πνευματικάς. Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ κατέβη Ἀβραὰμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς ἑκάστου λιμῷ περιπέσῃ θείων ἐννοιῶν καὶ τῆς διατρεφούσης τὴν ψυχὴν πνευματικῶς βρώσεως,