Locutiones in Heptateuchum

III. THE SEVEN BOOKS OF LOCUTIONS ON THE HEPTATEUCH. BOOK ONE. LOCUTIONS ON GENESIS. Locutions of the scriptures which seem to be according to the properties—which are called idioms in Greek—of the Hebrew or Greek language. And let them divide between the middle of the day and between the middle of the night. Flying creatures flying over the earth according to the firmament of the sky. It is asked how “according to the firmament” is to be taken. Likewise: Let us make man according to the image and according to the likeness; which many Latin codices have as “to the image and likeness.” Fill the earth and be lords of it. For the Latin locution is: be lords over it. And man was not to work the earth; which Latin codices have as: who would work the earth. God planted a paradise according to the east; which Latin codices have as “to the east.” What many Latin codices have: and the tree of knowing good and evil, or: the tree of knowledge of good and evil, or: the tree of knowing of good and evil, and whatever other varieties of this matter there are among translators, the Greek has: and the tree for knowing the knowable of good and evil; which I do not know whether it is a locution and not rather suggests some definite sense.

The Latin codices have: "from every tree, which is in paradise, you shall eat of food." It is not to be divided as "paradise of food," but "you shall eat of food"; for the Latin locution "you shall eat of food" is admissible, since they are accustomed to use the ablative or what they call the seventh case in place of the Greek dative in locutions of this kind. Or certainly the order of the words is: "from every tree of food." "The serpent was the most prudent of all the beasts," which many Latin copies have; for φρονιμώτατον is written in Greek, not σοφώτατον. Concerning what is written about Adam and Eve: "their eyes were opened," although it is absurdly believed that they wandered in paradise blind or with their eyes closed before, it is a locution, such as is also written about Hagar: "she opened her eyes and saw the well"—for she was not sitting with her eyes closed before—and what is said in the breaking of the bread: "the eyes of those who recognized the Lord after the resurrection were opened"; for they were not walking with him along the road with their eyes closed.

Many codices have: "and I will place enmity between you and between the woman," but the Greek has: "in the midst of you and in the midst of the woman," which is a locution; for it is equivalent to when it is said: "between you and between the woman." This is also the case in what follows: "in the midst of your seed and in the midst of his seed." Many Latin codices have: "because you heard the voice of your woman and you ate from the tree, from which I had commanded you not to eat from it alone," but the Greek has: "you ate from the tree, from which I had commanded you not to eat from it alone, you ate from it"; other Greek interpreters, however, have: "you ate" or "you consumed," so that the sense according to them is: "because you heard the voice of your woman and you ate from the tree from which I had commanded you not to eat from it alone, you ate from it." And he proceeded to bear his brother Abel. This is a frequent locution in the scriptures: "he proceeded to say." And it happened, while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him: this is a locution; for even if it did not have "and it happened," the sense could be complete: "and while they were in the field.

What is written in some Latin codices: "and he repented, and God said: I will destroy the man whom I made from the face of the earth," is found in Greek as διενοήθη, which is said to signify more "he reconsidered" than "he repented." This word also some Latin codices have. What most Latin codices have: "you will make nests into the ark," whereas the Latin locution is not "into the ark" but "in the ark," the Greeks have neither "into the ark" nor "in the ark" but: "you will make nests the ark," which is understood to mean that the ark itself would be the nests. What most codices have: "you will make a door of the ark from the side," some have: "from the transverse"; for thus they wished to interpret what in Greek is said ἐκ πλαγίων. What is written: "for yet seven days I will bring a flood of water upon the earth," which some Latin codices have, is found in Greek as: "I will bring rain upon the earth." The Greek locution has the genitive case, not the accusative, so that if we express this in Latin, it is said thus: "for yet of seven days I will bring rain upon the earth.

And what is written: "and Noah did all things, whatsoever the Lord God commanded him, thus he did," is a locution similar to that in the condition of creation, where after it is said: "and thus it was done," it is added: "and God did." What is written: "I will destroy every raising up," it is to be noted that it does not say "creation"; for ἀνάστασιν is written in Greek. This name is also frequently placed for resurrection in the Greek scriptures, although it could be said ἀνάστασις, so that "raising up" is ἀνάστασις, "resurrection" is ἐξανάστασις. Which word the apostle also used: "if somehow I should meet in the resurrection of the dead"; for there the Greeks have not ἀνάστασιν, but ἐξανάστασιν. What is written: "and all the beasts according to their kind, and all the cattle according to their kind, and every creeping thing that moves upon the earth, according to its kind, and every flying thing according to its kind, entered to Noah into the ark, two by two from every flesh in which is the spirit of life," the phrase "in which" does not refer back unless you understand "kind" as its antecedent, that is, "in which kind"; for if we were to understand "flesh," it would have had to be said "in which" (feminine singular), which only the translator Symmachus said.

Again it is written: "and every living thing was destroyed" — it should be noted that this is a locution for what would be expressed as "the condition or creation of flesh." When it said: "and every living thing that was upon the face of all the earth, from man to beast and creeping things and birds of the sky, was destroyed," and then added: "and they were destroyed from the earth," it should be noted that this is that locution of repetition which Scripture familiarly uses. What is written: "he sent out a raven to see if the water had subsided; and it went out and did not return, until the water dried up from the earth" — this is a locution customary in the Scriptures, which now begins to be noticed: for it did not return afterward, because it is said that it did not return until the water dried up. What is written: "and he stretched out his hand, took her, and brought her to himself into the ark" — this is a locution which I think is Hebrew for that reason, because it is also very familiar in the Punic language, in which we find many things consonant with Hebrew words; for surely it would have sufficed: "and he stretched out his hand," even if it did not add "his." The same sort is what it says a little later: "it had a twig of olive leaves in its mouth.

And he did not add to return to him again: this is a very familiar locution in the scriptures. What is written: "and I will not add to curse further upon the earth" is similar to the above: "and he did not add to return to him." "And I will not add to strike every living flesh" is the same locution. "And indeed your blood of your souls," when either "your blood" or "the blood of your souls" would have sufficed. "This sign of the covenant, which I place between me and you" — that is, "between me and you." "Here was a giant hunter against the Lord God." It is uncertain whether it can be understood as "before the Lord God," because this is how what is said in Greek is usually understood. "Whence the Philistine went out from there," when "whence the Philistine went out" would have sufficed. "And the whole earth was one lip" — which we commonly say as "one tongue." "And the whole earth was one lip": it should be noted that "the whole earth" is called all the men who were then, although not yet in the whole earth.

And they had bricks instead of stone. The Greek has: "and they had bricks into stone." If it were said in Latin, the expression would be less understood. Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, whose top will reach to the sky. This is said according to hyperbole, if this type of expression is to be understood here; but if "to the sky" is taken as said literally, let it be considered among the questions. What some Latin codices have: "Shem, son of Noah, was one hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad," the Greek has: "Shem, son of one hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad," where there is an ellipsis, because "was" is missing. But that they do not have "son of Noah," but only "son," is a new expression. And Sarah was barren and did not bear children, when it could suffice: "and Sarah was barren." "It will be, therefore, when the Egyptians see you, they will say, because this is his wife": a type of expression where "because" is added; for it could suffice: "this is his wife.

What the scripture says: "And it happened, however, as soon as Abram entered Egypt" would be sufficient; but it says "as soon, however, as Abram entered Egypt." "What have you done to me, because you did not announce to me that she is your wife?" when "you did not announce" would be sufficient. And the phrase "you did announce" itself is said in the manner of the scriptures; for most Latin manuscripts have: "you did not say." "Now Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all his possessions and Lot with him, into the desert" — "they went up" is understood. Yet it is not properly said that "he went up" with what was inanimate, such as gold and silver and all household goods; and through this a figure of speech is understood, which in Greek is called σχῆμα κατὰ σύνεσιν. "And a quarrel arose between the shepherds of Abram's flocks and the shepherds of Lot's flocks": whence almost all Latin manuscripts did not translate that expression, but speak in the way our custom has it. And we have decided not to note it further; for it is the same throughout in the Greek scripture, wherever something of the sort is said.

Since we are brothers, men. Abraham says to Lot: from which it is understood that it is the custom of Scripture to speak in such a way that those of one kinship are called brothers, even if they differ in degree of blood, so that one is in a higher, the other in a lower degree, as in this passage; for Abraham was his uncle. "And it happened in the kingdom of Amraphel, king of Shinar." According to our manner of speaking, it would be sufficient to begin thus: "But in the kingdom of Amraphel." Therefore, what Scripture says: "And it happened," it spoke in its own manner. "In the fourteenth year of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him," "were" is understood: whence by some Latin translators it has even been added. "And the Horites who were in Mount Seir," "were" is understood. "But a certain one of those who had escaped, coming, announced to Abraham across the river—he himself, however, was dwelling at the oak of Mamre—of Amor, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, who were confederates of Abraham": an obscure hyperbaton. For the order is: "But a certain one of those who had escaped, coming, of Amor, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, who were confederates, announced to Abraham across the river; he himself, however, was dwelling at the oak." This hyperbaton becomes more obscure also through ellipsis; for when it had been said: "a certain one of Amor, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner," it is not said "what" of the brother, but "son" is understood: just as it is said "James of Alphaeus," although "son" is not said, nothing else is understood; and there are many such locutions of the Scriptures, where "son" is omitted and understood.

What some Latin manuscripts have: "And Abram said to the king of Sodom: I will stretch out my hand to the most high God, who created heaven and earth, if from the thread to the shoelace," misled the translators, because the Greek has σπάρτον, which in Latin is understood as "thread," and this is a locution of the Scriptures. "I will stretch out my hand to the most high God, who created heaven and earth, if I take anything from all your goods": for if he said "I will stretch out my hand to the most high God" instead of that, as if he were saying "I swear," it is not a customary locution in Latin, unless it is said thus: "I stretch out my hand to the most high God that I will not take anything from all your goods." "Knowing you will know, because your seed will be a stranger in the land": this is indeed a very customary locution of the Scriptures; but the Greek has "knowing you will know," which is almost the same. "And she gave her to Abram, her own husband, as a wife": it has the extra "her own." "When, however, she saw herself to be pregnant, I was despised before her." The Greek has at this point a participle, which the Latin language does not have, that is, ἰδοῦσα; but as if it were said: "Seeing, however, herself to be pregnant, I was despised before her," it sounds like a solecism. So also through that participle which is said τοὔδασα, for which we said "seeing.

What the Latin manuscripts have: "I will increase you very much," the Greek manuscripts have: "very, very." And I will give to you and to your seed after you the land in which you dwell, all the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. It must be considered whether this is an expression, that he said "eternal" — the Greek manuscripts have αἰώνιον — and that he said: "and to your seed after you"; for there he wished "to you" to be understood from what he had said. You will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations: "you will keep" for "keep"; he placed a future indicative for an imperative mood. And every male of yours of eight days will be circumcised: for "every male," as if it could be circumcised unless it were male. And Abraham fell on his face and said in his heart, saying: if to me, who am a hundred years old, one will be born, and if Sarah, who is ninety years old, will give birth! That this is an expression of one wondering, not of one doubting, is not to be doubted. Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. He did not say: "by the flesh" or "in the flesh.

And "to the cattle Abraham ran." It does not say: "to the cattle." "Now Abraham and Sarah, advanced in days, had progressed": which the Greek has as "advanced in days." "Then the Lord said: the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has been fulfilled, and their sins are very great." Scripture is accustomed to use "cry" for such great shamelessness and license of iniquity that it is hidden by neither shame nor fear. "And he said, because I will not destroy, if I find there forty-five": "because" seems superfluous, and therefore it is not read in some Latin manuscripts. "Surely, Lord, if I speak": "you will be angry" or something of this sort is understood. "When the Lord was overthrowing the cities in which he was dwelling in them." "In every place where we will have entered there." "And God opened his eyes, and he saw a well of living water." This is an expression; for he was not with closed eyes. We have already spoken about this at the beginning of the book, where it is written: "and their eyes were opened.

And the land which you inhabited in it. And they both arranged a testament. Or they both testified; the scripture loves to call a covenant by the name of "testament." Take your beloved son: that expression "take" is used in the same way as also to Hagar concerning her son. And Abraham looking with his eyes, when "looking" would have sufficed. I swore by myself: unless blessing I will bless you. As if to say: I swore by myself that blessing I will bless you, or with no word added simply: I swore by myself: blessing I will bless you. And multiplying I will multiply your seed, when "I will multiply" could have sufficed. And it was announced to Abraham saying, when the customary way of speaking has: they announced to Abraham saying. Or: it was announced by those saying. And Abraham arose from his dead one: he did not say "from his dead woman." And again concerning the same: and I will bury, he says, my dead one: which the Greek scripture shows is said not in the neuter as if a dead body, but in the masculine gender.

And I will adjure you by the Lord God of heaven and the God of earth. The Greek does not have "by," but: I will adjure you, the Lord God of heaven. With whom I dwell among them. Lest at any time the woman should not wish to go with me: it is proper to that language to call a woman "femina." Into the land from which you came out. Take heed to yourself, lest you recall my son thither: by these words a threat is usually declared. And the boy placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham and swore to him concerning this matter. Therefore it is a locution, by which Abraham had said: I adjure you, as if he had said: swear to me; but we are not accustomed to speak thus. But it must be observed whether there are in the scriptures other similar locutions; for also what Abraham said: if the woman should not wish to come with you, you will be free from this oath, he made it clear that he had spoken thus: I adjure you, as if he were saying: swear to me. What is written about Rebecca: but the virgin was very beautiful of face; she was a virgin, a man had not known her, this repetition suggests a commendation of virginity. But why it was added: a man had not known her, unless it is a locution, it is a wonder if it can be taken thus, that "virgo" is a name of age, not of integrity. But the Greek does not have "had known," but "knew": which seems inconsistent.

He worshipped to the Lord: which for us it is customary to say "he worshipped the Lord." Because he did not abandon justice and truth from my lord, that is, justice and truth which is from my lord, as if to say: which my lord made. And the running girl announced in the house of her mother: as if she herself were not also of her father's house. And water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. The Lord whom I have pleased before him himself will send his angel with you; as if "whom I have pleased" were not enough. Or could he please him except before him? If you prosper my way which I now enter upon into it. When Abraham's servant recounted his words, which he spoke when about to approach the spring, he recounted thus: and there will be a virgin, to whom I will say: give me a little water to drink from your pitcher, and she will say to me: and you drink, and I will draw for your camels. This woman is the one whom the Lord prepared for his servant Isaac. By which words it is quite clearly expressed that even women were called by the Hebrew expression, who were virgins.

And I blessed the Lord God of my lord Abraham. This is an expression of honorificence and is very familiar in the Scriptures, just as "the God of Elijah." Report to me, so that I may return on the right or the left. By "right" he signified prosperity, by "left" adversity; that is, "right" if they granted it, "left" if they did not grant it; for he was certainly going to return by the same road by which he had come. This expression of the Scriptures will also be indicated by other passages of them, because "right" is named in all good things, "left" in bad things, whether happiness and unhappiness or justice and injustice, and sometimes "right" in eternal things, "left" in temporal things. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael according to the names of their generations: as if he had said, according to which names their generations were called. He took Rebecca, daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Mesopotamia, sister of Laban the Syrian, for himself as a wife, when it could have been said only "wife," or "a wife for himself.

And there were twins in her womb, when it could have been omitted that "her" was said. But the young men grew. This is a type of expression also found in secular authors, such as: "and they hide the shields by concealing," that is, by concealing they make them hidden. So also here "the young men grew," when they were infants, is understood: by growing they became young men. Jacob to Esau: sell me today your birthright to me; for thus the Greek manuscripts have it. Having seen, we saw, because the Lord is with you. And we will make a covenant with you. The Scriptures love to use "testamentum" for "pactum," that is, what the Latin texts have: "and we will make a covenant with you, that you do no evil to us," as if it were said, that you covenant not to do evil to us. And he called his older son Esau and said: in this place the name "older" does not signify advanced age, but greater by comparison. Now therefore take your vessel and quiver and bow: he did not say "vessels," but "vessel." What he intended to be understood is not apparent, unless perhaps it is an expression, that he wanted "vessel" to be understood as "quiver" and, explaining what he meant by "vessel," added "and quiver and bow," as if he had said: take your vessel and quiver, as if he were saying: take your vessel, that is, the quiver, then another thing "and bow," which does not pertain to that vessel, which is the quiver.

or certainly he wanted to call the quiver and bow a "vessel," using the singular number for the plural, as if he were to say: "take your garment," by which name we would understand multiple garments, just as we understand "soldier" for soldiers, and there are many other such examples. Go out into the plain and hunt me a hunt. And go to the sheep and take me from there two tender and good goats. By the name "sheep" he signified the kind of both flocks, because they were together in the same pastures. And let him give you the blessing of your father Abraham: Isaac says to his son about his grandfather, his own father. And he went out into Mesopotamia of Syria: as if Mesopotamia is called anything other than of Syria; although the Septuagint is said not to have "of Syria," but it is written with an asterisk. God to Jacob: I will not abandon you until I do everything that I have spoken with you, as if he were going to leave him when he had done it; not at all, but it is a manner of speaking. And Jacob rose from his sleep and said that the Lord is in this place, but I did not know: the sense is complete, even if it does not have "that.

The Lord is in this place," as if he were saying: this is a demonstration of the Lord; for the Lord is not in a place. Jacob, when he asks, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nachor?"—since he was the son of Bathuel—it must be understood that Nachor was more noble, and that by reason of his dignity it came about that he was asked about him. Moreover, it is a very common expression to call someone the son of his grandfather, great-grandfather, or any more distant ancestor from whom he is descended. Hence it is that Isaac called Abraham the father of his son, as I mentioned a little earlier. "There is still much of the day left; it is not yet time to gather the flocks." "And he gave him Balla, his own handmaid, as a wife to him": it would be complete even if "to him" were not added. "If I have found favor before you, I would have divined; for God blessed me at your entrance." It does not seem consistent, because here it should have been said: "If I had found favor before you, I would have divined"; but now "if I have found" is the order. That is: "If I have found favor before you, permit me to divine"; for he spoke thus: "I would have divined," as if he were saying: "O if only I had divined!"—that is, to have you in my house as a good omen.

My righteousness will hear me on the morrow: that is, will cause me to be heard. And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as on yesterday and the day before: a very familiar expression in the scriptures; he placed "yesterday and the day before" for past time. And I saw with my eyes in sleep, when the eyes of the body are closed in sleep. I am the god who appeared to you in the place of god, is an expression. Or is "god in the place of god" to be understood in the same way as: the Lord rained from the Lord, the Son from the Father? But Jacob answered and said to Laban: for I said: lest perhaps you take away your daughters from me and all that is mine. And Laban entered and searched in the house of Leah: it is to be noted how it is called the house of the wife, when they were overtaken by Laban on the journey; unless perhaps the custom of the scriptures calls a house a bedroom or a tent, in the same way it also speaks of the houses of the handmaids. Jacob says to Laban: because you have searched all the vessels of my house: now he calls one house, whose parts were the houses of his wives and concubines, so that it is understood that they were called houses, when they were bedrooms or tents, which they also call pavilions.

Unless the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac were with me: he calls his grandfather his father, just as his father Isaac had told him. Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, into the land of Seir, into the region of Edom, and he instructed them, saying: "Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: 'Thus says your servant Jacob: I have dwelt and sojourned with Laban up to now; and I have acquired oxen and asses and sheep and male servants and female servants; and I have sent word to my lord Esau.'" He did not say: "I have sent word to you." If Esau asks you, saying: "Whose are you? And where are you going? And whose are these that precede you?" you shall say: "Your servant Jacob's." It would be full and complete, even if it did not have "and." He sent gifts to my lord Esau, and behold, he himself is behind us. But it should have been said in the usual expression: "I sent gifts to my lord for you," or: "He sent gifts to his lord for you." Then he arose that same night and took two wives and two handmaids. Here they are distinguished from the wives, whom the scripture had previously called wives.

And he took two wives and two handmaidens: it is to be noted in what manner it is said by the custom of the scriptures "he took"; for he did not then lead them as wives or then receive them from his father-in-law. What the Latin codices have: and sheep and oxen give birth, the Greek codices have: give birth upon me. This was said with that meaning, so that it is understood as "upon my concern or care," in the way we are accustomed to speak when we say something is upon our head, of which we bear the greatest care. And the sons of Jacob came from the field and, when they had heard, the men were stung, and it was very grievous to them, that he had done a shameful thing in Israel, that he had slept with the daughter of Jacob; and it will not be so. Such a form of speech is difficult to find in the scriptures without the person of the speakers being introduced, the writer having inserted their words; for it does not say: and they said. But with this unspoken, he spoke their words. For who else could have said: and it will not be so, except those who, gravely indignant, were plotting vengeance?

It is to be noted that when Emmor speaks of Dina to Jacob and his sons, he says "your daughter"; he does not say "thy daughter, the sister of these." "In this we will be like you and we will dwell among you," that is, among you. "For he was attached to the daughter of Jacob," that is, he loved her. "And they killed his son Sychem with the edge of the sword": as if he were saying "by the sword." What the sons of Jacob carried off from the city of Sicimoram Salem, when they had stormed it, is enumerated thus: "their sheep and their cattle and their asses, whatever was in the city and whatever was in the field they took. And all their bodies and all their furniture and their wives they took captive, and they plundered whatever was in the city and whatever was in the houses." Among all these things it is not sufficiently understood what he said: "and their bodies"; for it is not to be suspected that they carried off the bodies of the slain, but the things which are possessed corporeally are to be understood, so that the execution of what follows—"and furniture" and the rest—belongs to them, just as in law "delivery of bodies" is said. Although the Greeks call slaves "somatia" by a very common expression; but, since it is not σωμάτια but σώματα that is said here, it is not rashly to be affirmed that slaves are signified; yet it can happen that this is more likely.

When Scripture mentions the nation of Edom, that is, of the Idumaeans, and those who had reigned in it, it later says: "These are the names of the princes of Esau according to their places in their regions and in their nations," calling the families of a single nation "nations" because of the multiplied generations of the families. For he himself was also called Edom, whence the nation which he propagated was named, whose father he certainly was. But when Reuben heard, he freed him from their hands and said: "Let us not strike him in the soul." Therefore he did not free him and then say this; rather, by saying this he freed him. So first it says "he freed him," and then by a brief recapitulation it indicates how he freed him. "Let us not strike him in the soul." In this passage, by the name "soul" it signifies the life of the animate body, through the efficient cause for that which is effected. According to this, it can also be seen as said to the devil concerning Job: "Do not touch his soul," that is, do not kill him. For according to that meaning by which the nature of the soul is recalled, it is said by the Lord: "Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

Judas says: "But let not our hands be upon him," that is, what we usually say, "let us not lay hands on him." "Because he is our brother and our own flesh": this is not a different statement, but the same thing said twice, as if explaining what "our brother" means, that is, "our own flesh," because they had been procreated from the same flesh. "They killed a kid of the goats." Scripture is accustomed to speak in this way, just as in the Psalm: "like lambs of the sheep." As if it could be either a kid except of goats, or lambs except of sheep. "And it was announced to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, saying"; but it should have been said "they announced, saying." "And having put off her garments of widowhood from herself." What would be lacking if "from herself" were not added? "And he did not further approach to know her": instead of "to have intercourse with her." "And Joseph found favor in the sight of his master." This expression is familiar to no one in the Scriptures. "And he did not know the things that were around him, nothing." This expression is commonly used among the Greeks, but it is not correct among us; rather, we say "he did not know something.

Beyond the bread which he himself ate. By "bread" he certainly wanted all things pertaining to his sustenance to be understood. Hence, for daily sustenance, bread alone is understood to be placed in the Lord's Prayer. And the wife of his master cast her eyes upon Joseph: this expression is also commonly used among us in everyday speech for "she loved him." And he said: "Sleep with me." This too is a common expression for "lie with me." And the keeper of the prison gave the prison through the hand of Joseph: for "into the hands of Joseph," by which it means "into his power." And they said: "We have seen a dream, and there is no one to interpret it." Although each one had seen his own dream, they did not say "we have seen dreams," but "we have seen a dream." Three foundations are three days; he did not say "three days signify." And this expression is very much to be noted, where things that signify are called by the name of the things they signify. Hence what the apostle says: "But the rock was Christ"; he did not say "the rock signified Christ.

And you shall give the cup of Pharaoh into his hand, when it was full, even if "into his hand" were not added. And Pharaoh shall take your head from you: it would be complete, even if it did not have "from you." And the birds of the air shall eat your flesh from you: a similar expression to the above. And it happened after two years of days: what would be lacking if it did not have "of days"? But Pharaoh awoke, and it was a dream. The scriptures love to speak thus of dreams, when one has woken up, as if the truth of the waking state having been restored to a person, then that appears to be a dream which, when it was seen, was as if it were truth. I remember my sin today. Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put us in prison: he was speaking as if about another. And we both saw a dream one night, I and he: as if it were not sufficient that he had said "both." Then also here he says "we saw a dream," not "we saw dreams," as if the two had seen one dream.

But it happened, just as he prepared for us, so it also occurred. "But it happened"; thus Scripture is accustomed to put it. For it would be complete: just as he prepared for us, so it also occurred. Such as I have never seen, more shameful in all the land of Egypt: but it could be said in our manner "than which I have never seen more shameful" or "such as I have never seen" or "I have never seen such." And rising up, I slept. "Rising up" stands for "waking up." How much God does, he shows to Pharaoh: when he speaks to him, he speaks as if about another. And the famine will consume the land: for "the men who are in the land." Now therefore provide a prudent and intelligent man and set him over the land of Egypt; and let Pharaoh do and let him appoint local rulers over the land. As if one is the person to whom he said: provide a prudent man, and another is the one about whom he says: let Pharaoh appoint. And let the wheat be gathered under the hand of Pharaoh; that is, "under his authority.

Nevertheless, I will precede you on the throne. Thus the words in Greek, which Pharaoh said to Joseph, are expressed. But "precede you" is a common expression among the Greeks, whereas among us it is said "precede you"; that "precede you on the throne" is not even common among the Greeks, but "precede you in the throne," that is, in the honor of the seat, which is understood as "precede you in the kingdom"; for he says this to him also later. I am Pharaoh; without you, no one will lift his hand over all the land of Egypt. As if he were saying: "I am the king, but you are the prince or governor of Egypt." For Pharaoh is not the name of a man, but of royal power. But Jacob, seeing that there is selling in Egypt, said to his sons: Why are you idle? Behold, I have heard that there is selling in Egypt. It is to be noted that what he says he heard, the Scripture had said he saw. Buy for us small foods, so that we may live and not die. One of these would suffice: either "so that we may live" or "so that we may not die.

We are pacified; your servants are not spies. As if they had said about others: "Your servants are not spies," when they could have said "we are not"; but they spoke in this way, especially out of a custom of respect. We are twelve of your servants, brothers in the land of Canaan, although later they say that one of them is not there, namely, thinking that Joseph himself is not, that is, has perished. By this expression it was also said: "These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia," although Benjamin was not born there. And what they said: "We are in the land of Canaan," when at the time they were speaking they were in Egypt, "we are" is said for "we dwell"; for they had come from there and were about to return immediately, remaining there. This is what I said to you, saying, that you are spies: what would be lacking, even if he did not add "saying"? But you yourselves go and conduct the purchase of your wheat. "Conduct" for what is "carry"; for because the pack animals, on which it is carried, are led, this too is said to be "conducted.

Did I not speak to you, saying: do not harm the boy, and you did not listen to me? It is to be noted that "listening" is not only that which God hears. But they themselves were unaware that Joseph understands. "Understands" for "comprehends"; for he hears voices with his ear, even a tongue which he does not understand. That expression is repeated when they relate to their father what happened to them in Egypt and what they said to Joseph. We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is not, but the little one is with our father today in the land of Canaan. There are many kinds of expressions in these few words: both that which I mentioned a little earlier, "we are twelve," when they themselves say: one is not, and: we are sons of our father, as if they could be sons not of their own father. "The little one is with our father today in the land of Canaan," and they did not say "is" or anything of this sort. Then it is to be noted, which seems most necessary on account of the narratives of the evangelists, how when those things which were said are reported as having been said, they are not repeated in exactly the same way, although in the diversity of words nothing of the truth of the meaning is lost. For what they said was said to them by Joseph: "and trade in the land," is not found to have been said by him. But they said it without falsehood, because they recognized from the words which he had spoken what his will was; for words are necessary only to express and convey to the notice of the hearers, as much as we can, the will.

And the binding of each one's silver was in their sack: he did not say "in his sack" or "in their sacks," but as if there were one sack for all. All these things have been done upon me, that is: they burden me with misery. Then Judas said to him, saying: it could have been full, even if it did not have "saying." Questioning, the man questioned us. Such a form of speech is frequent in the scriptures: "questioning, the man questioned us," or "by questioning he questioned," and similar expressions. For with me men will eat breads at midday: surely not only breads? But from that which is prominent, the rest of the expression is implied. For "with me men will eat breads at midday": what he says, "at midday," signifies the midday meal, which takes place at noon; for that is midday. That he may take us as slaves and our donkeys. Certainly "slaves" is not to be understood; for what the Latin codices have as "slaves," in the Greek is read as [something that can in no way be donkeys]. Therefore, only "our donkeys" is understood as the object of "he may take.

We opened our sacks, and this silver of each one in his sack: he did not add "was found" or "appeared" or "was" or anything of the sort. Propitious to you, do not be afraid. In these words, by which it was said: "propitious to you," there are two words that are understood, both "be" and "God," for it is full: "May God be propitious to you," which is altogether most customary in Greek. Your servant is safe, our father, he still lives. Here it is shown more explicitly that by the word "boy" a slave is usually meant; for in that old man this could not be a name of age. For the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews; for it is an abomination to the Egyptians. That expression is frequent, that by "breads" all foods are understood. The portion of Benjamin was made great in comparison with the portions of all fivefold to theirs: now because it had been said: "in comparison with the portions of all," it could have not been said "to theirs.

Finding them, however, he said to them according to these words. He could have said: he said to them these words. Or is this not a type of expression, but does it also make a difference in meaning? For it is one thing to say the words themselves, another to say according to them, so that whatever other words are spoken, the same meaning is maintained which is contained in those words; that is, "according to them" even if not the very words. But because it follows, with them replying: why does the lord speak according to these words? who certainly ought to have said in the usual manner "why does the lord speak these words"? it is established that this is a type of expression. Far be it from your boys to do according to this word. They could have said: far be it from us. But that is a customary honorific in the scriptures to speak thus, as if about others; and "boys" is said for "slaves". And we also will be slaves to our lord. Here too the Greek has παῖδες, that is "boys", which the scripture so constantly uses for slaves that it is rarely found not calling slaves by this name.

But how shall I go up to my father, since the boy is not with us? that I may not see the evils which will find my father! Customary speech more demanded that it be said: that I may see the evils which will find my father, that is: how shall I go up, that I may see? Therefore, by a new manner of speaking, what he said with "how" he said as if he had said "not." For this is the usual order of those words: I shall not go up to my father, since the boy is not with us, that I may not see the evils which will find my father. When Joseph wept, as he was being recognized by his brothers, the scripture says: But all the Egyptians heard, and it was heard in the house of Pharaoh. Then follows what it was narrating: But Joseph said to his brothers. Therefore the scripture first said what happened later; for this happened by the renown of the report, that it became known to all the Egyptians; and afterwards the narrative returned to what was being said by a brief recapitulation.

And the report was spread in Pharaoh’s house, saying: Joseph’s brothers have come. It put *dicentes* for *dicentium*; for the report of those saying was spread: Joseph’s brothers have come. And he answered, what is it, saying? The order is: And he answered, saying: what is it? God says to Jacob: And I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will make you ascend in the end. Thus the Greek have it, which the Latin have: and I will lead you down in the end. But he sent Judah before him to Joseph, that he might come to meet him near the city of Heroum. I do not know whether the name Heroum is easily found in the scriptures. In the words of Joseph, when he says to his brothers: Going up, I will announce to Pharaoh and say to him: my brothers and the house of my father, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; but they are men, shepherds — for they were men, feeders of flocks — and they have brought cattle and sheep and all their possessions. What is interposed: for they were men, feeders of flocks, the writer interposed from his own person and returned to the words of Joseph by adding: and they have brought cattle and all their possessions, so that the order in the words of Joseph is: but they are men, shepherds, and they have brought cattle and sheep and all their possessions.

But Pharaoh said to Jacob: How many years of the days of your life? The word "are" is understood. Small and evil were the days of the years of my life. "Small" is put for "few": for the days of no one's life can be shorter in the space of hours than those of others. But Jacob said this in comparison with the life of his ancestors; for certainly the one hundred and thirty years, which he was then living, no one now lives. Wheat according to body, that is, according to the number of bodies; for by "body" it means the number of bodies, by the number of bodies it means the number of men. But the famine had grown very strong, and the land of Egypt had failed. It put "land" for the men who were in the land. And all the Egyptians came to Joseph saying: give us bread. By "bread" it means wheat, a figure of speech by which that which is produced stands for that which produces it. And the land became Pharaoh's, it does not say "of Pharaoh." The scripture loves to speak thus, as in the psalm it is said: and I kept your law. This became for me, because I sought your ordinances: it said of the law of the Lord: this became for me, that is, for my benefit.

Except for the land of the priests only, Joseph did not possess. As if he had said: "Except for the land of the priests only, Joseph possessed all the land." And Joseph set for them as a command up to the present day in the land of Egypt, that they should render a fifth to Pharaoh. From this it is understood that the name "Pharaoh" was a title of royal power, because it said: "up to the present day." For the Egyptians could not render to that Pharaoh who then lived up to that day on which these things were being written, when he was no longer alive. And the days of Jacob were the years of his life: "days of years" Scripture often says, when it could once say "years." What is written: "It was announced to Joseph that your father is troubled," some manuscripts have "is vexed," some "is in a fever," and others something else, as Latin translators were able to render what in Greek is written συγχύττει. And therefore "troubled" seems more suitably said, because this is customarily said of those who are tossed about by bodily affliction with death approaching. And from this also "turba" is said; for "turba" is a disordered multitude, not as "populus," which is said δῆμος, nor as "plebs," which is said λαός, but as ὄχλος, which is said "turba.

Jacob, blessing his grandsons the sons of Joseph, says among other things: "And my name and the name of my fathers will be invoked in them." Hence it is to be noted that not only is "exauditio" [hearing] spoken of, but also "invocatio" [invocation] is sometimes said, which is not of God, but of men. For here the primitive [text] lacks "est" according to the Greek codices. In the blessing of Joseph, Jacob says among other things: "From him who strengthened Israel." It is surprising if "est" is not understood, so that the full phrase is: "It is from him who strengthened Israel." What is written: "Joseph said to his servants, the embalmers, that they should bury his father," the Latin language does not find how to call the ἐνταφιασταί; for they do not themselves "sepelire" [bury], that is, commit the bodies of the dead to the earth, which is not in Greek ἐνταφιάζω, but θάπτω. Those therefore who are ἐνταφιασταί do what is performed for bodies to be buried, whether by embalming or drying or wrapping and binding, in which work the care of the Egyptians especially excels. What therefore he says: "They also buried," we must understand as "they took care of"; and what he says: "forty days of burial," are to be taken as of that same care. For that man was not buried except where he had ordered himself to be buried.

Speak into the ears of Pharaoh: this is a customary expression in the scriptures. And Pharaoh said to Joseph: go down and bury your father. Even if it was through those powerful men, through whom Joseph had sent word, that Pharaoh spoke, so that they would convey it to Joseph, he certainly spoke only to Joseph himself. Hence there is that passage in the Gospel, where one of the evangelists says that the centurion came to the Lord and said to him: my boy lies at home, paralyzed; but another, narrating the whole matter more carefully, records that his friends sent him to the Lord, to say this to him: among which friends he himself certainly came, whose will was present in them. Hence the saying: he who receives you, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him who sent me. They mourned him with a great and strong mourning. They mourned a mourning, not they mourned with a mourning. This is an expression not unknown in the Latin language, just as one says: he served a servitude, he served a military service, and the like.

And he will repay us all the evil that we have shown him. From this expression the apostle also says: Alexander the coppersmith showed me many evils; for "we have shown" or "he has shown" is said instead of "we have done" or "he has done." Take the iniquity of the servants of your father God. This is a new expression: "take the iniquity" for "pardon" or "forgive" or "overlook." But I think it is said "take" as if one were saying "take it with equanimity," that is, do not take it ill. And coming to him they said. They did not come again, but what was said was said again; Scripture often does this. BOOK TWO. EXPRESSIONS FROM EXODUS. And they grew very, very strong. What is it that is said about the midwives: and they made houses for themselves, because they feared God? For it was foretold: God was doing well with the midwives. And this seems to pertain to the fact that they made houses for themselves out of fear of God, as if the benefits of God profited them to this end, that they might make houses for themselves. Is it to be understood that they did not have houses before? Or does this word pertain to wealth, or rather to some suitable resources of household property? For this seems similar to what Jacob also said after fourteen years of his servitude to his father-in-law, who wanted to keep him with him still: Now then, when shall I also make a house for myself? For he had said that Laban's flocks had increased under him, just as Laban himself had confessed, saying: God blessed me at your coming.

When, therefore, he says: "When shall I also make a house for myself?" "as you also" is understood. For this seems to be the force of what "and I" says, so that it appears to pertain to the making of the house itself, which subsequently, with respect to Laban, the wages themselves are proposed to be established. And "vivify all that feminine": for thus the Greeks have it; the Latins do not have "that". Now there was a certain man from the tribe of Levi, and he took for himself from the daughters of Levi: "wife" is understood, which some Latin translators thought should even be added; it follows, however: "and he had her, and she conceived." What "tibin" is, it is difficult to know for this reason, because neither the Greek translator from the Hebrew nor the Latin from the Greek rendered this name; but he translated it as he found it. But Moses was afraid and said: "If this word has been divulged thus..." There are two things to be noted in this expression: first, that the sentence is left hanging and is thus abandoned; then, that "word" is put for "deed.

And God looked upon the sons of Israel and became known to them: it is put for: and became known. That is: he acted among them in those things by which they would understand God's care for themselves. Having seen, I saw the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. And Moses said to God: Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh king of Egypt and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt? But he said: because I will be with you: thus the Greek has; the Latin, however, said "and who am I" and did not say: that I should go and that I should lead, but: to go and to lead. And what the Greek has: but he said because I will be with you, it is understood of course that he said it to Moses; the Latin, however, added all this and said: but God said to Moses. God says what Moses says to the sons of Israel: visiting I have visited you and whatever things happened to you in Egypt; the Greek has: by visitation I have visited you. God says to Moses concerning the sons of Israel: and they will hear your voice. The Greek has: and they will hearken to your voice, because hearkening is also said of a man.

What the Latin has: "the woman shall ask from her neighbor and from her lodger silver and gold vessels and clothing," the Greek has: "from her cohabitant," that is, σύν-οικον, which some Latin translators have rendered as "from her fellow-cellar-dweller." Moses says: "What? if they will not have believed me nor have heard my voice": which the Latin has translated as "heard." "Stretch out your hand and seize the tail" the Greek has; but the Latin has translated as "your hand and the tail of it." And stretching out his hand he seized the tail, and it became a rod in his hand. And he said to him: "that they may believe you, because the Lord God of their fathers appeared to you." The Greek does not have "and he said to him," but immediately added: "that they may believe you," that is, the words of God after that miracle had been performed, as if he were still speaking and had just now fulfilled the sentence of his words. For the order of the words is: "stretch out your hand and seize the tail, that they may believe you"; but the narration of the deed is inserted, and afterwards it is resumed: "that they may believe you.

What the Latin has: "and his hand became leprous like snow," the Greek does not have "leprous," but only: "became like snow." But if they do not hear the voice of the first sign: the Greek has it thus; the Latin, however: "your voice of the first sign." And so it follows: "they will believe you in the voice of the following sign." And the water which you take from the river will be blood upon the dry land, or rather: upon the dry thing, that is, upon that which is dry. What the Latin said: "blood upon the earth." Moses says: "I pray, Lord, I am not eloquent before yesterday and the day before yesterday." And you shall take this rod in your hand, in which you will make signs in it, when it could be said: "in which you will make signs" or certainly: "you shall take this rod in your hand and make signs in it." But now both are said, according to the usual expression of the Scriptures. But after those many days, the king of Egypt died. And the Lord said to Moses in Midian: "Go, proceed to Egypt; for all who were seeking your life are dead." Many kinds of expressions are to be noted in these words: first, "Go, proceed to Egypt," as if "go" alone or "proceed" alone would not suffice; then, "for all who were seeking your life are dead," although Scripture said only the king of Egypt died and it had been said previously about him alone that he sought to kill Moses. Or did he die last after other enemies? If that is so, it is not an expression, but a meaning. Likewise: "who were seeking your life," not only in a bad sense.

But it is also customary to be used in a good sense in the Scriptures; for just as here it is said in a bad sense, so also in the Psalms: "Let them be confounded and ashamed, who seek my soul," in a good sense: "Flight has perished from me, and there is none who seeks my soul," unless perhaps it is said that there is some difference between those who seek and those who require, so that the former is to be understood in a bad sense, the latter in a good sense. And they said to the people, saying: "Thus says Pharaoh": which expression the Latin translator was reluctant to render. "May God see you and judge, because you have made our odor abominable before Pharaoh and before his servants, to put a sword into his hands, that he may kill us." For thus the Greek has it; but the Latin, which we used to read as the best, says: "that you might put a sword into his hands": which solecism was made from no necessity of translation, because it is not in the Greek. And I established my covenant with them, so that I would give them the land of the Canaanites and the land which they inhabited, in which they also dwelt. For thus the Greek has it, which indeed even in the Greek language seems to sound absurd. And yet the authority of the Septuagint translators is so great, that they were not reluctant to speak thus. What if, indeed, a meaning lies hidden here? But if there is none, the expression itself is to be noted, lest when found elsewhere it impede the sense or compel one to seek something where nothing is to be sought.

The Latin text has: "I have heard the groan of the sons of Israel, how the Egyptians afflict them"; the Greek has: , which could be interpreted as "they reduce them to servitude"; for it cannot be expressed in a single word. And Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel: and they did not listen to Moses because of faintness of heart and hard labors: it says "they listened," not "they heard." "For I am ineloquent," which Moses says to the Lord; the Greek said, not "unskilled," as if or . These are Aaron and Moses, to whom God said that they should lead the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt; for thus the Greek has. "Behold, I have a thin voice, and how will Pharaoh listen to me?" It is to be noted that it says "will listen," not "will hear." But Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them; they did so. What would be lacking if it were not said: "they did so"? "If Pharaoh speaks to you saying: give us a sign or a portent, and you will say to your brother Aaron: take the rod." Does not the custom of our speech and a certain completeness of it demand that it be said thus: "If Pharaoh speaks to you saying: give us a sign or a portent, you will say to your brother Aaron: take the rod"? Why then is "and" added there, if not by some peculiarity of Hebrew speech? For it is not said to be Greek either.

The Latin translators do not seem to me to have rendered it quite suitably: of Pharaoh, so that they said "sapientes"; for they are called "sophoi" in Greek. But the Latin interpreter could have said "sophistas", since there is no way to say it in Latin. And therefore we already use that word as Latin, just as we say "philosophia" not only in Greek but also in Latin; the most eloquent authors of Latin literature have called them "sophistas". And the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods: as if it said: the serpent of Aaron. What was said about Pharaoh: "behold, he himself goes out to the water," the Greek has "upon the water." "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the desert. And behold, you have not listened up to now." How often is it said: "you have listened," when it is spoken to a man! "And the magicians of Egypt likewise did the same with their sorceries. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them," as the Lord said: because it is the usage of Scripture to say "he listened," even when it speaks of a man.

Let my people go, so that they may serve me, not that they may serve: this manner of speaking is hardly ever found except where the thing itself, though singular, consists of many. For "people" is said in the singular, but it consists of many. So also: "Let every land adore you," because "every land" is said for "the men who are in the land." Behold, I strike all your territories with frogs; for the Greek has it thus in a very elegant expression, so that the frogs themselves are understood as the plague by which the land of Egypt is struck. And the river will belch forth frogs; and they will go up and enter into your houses and into the storerooms of your bedrooms and onto your beds and into the houses of your servants and your people and into your doughs and into your ovens; and upon you and upon your people and upon your servants the frogs will go up. It is to be noted that when it had said "into the houses" and the rest, it kept the accusative case, and "onto the beds" and the rest, where it said "upon," it similarly kept the accusative; but in "into the doughs" and "into the ovens" it shifted to the ablative; for the Greek also changed the preposition, which the Latin does not change. For the Greek has: εἰς τοὺς οἴκους, "into the houses," but in "into the doughs" it has ἐν τοῖς φυράμασιν: where it is a wonder if the sense is not different, not just the expression, so that it perhaps intends the frogs to be understood as having arisen in the doughs and in the ovens, not as having come up or burst in from outside, and because it predicts that the river will belch them forth, it fills everything from there.

And Aaron stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt and brought forth frogs; and a frog was brought forth and covered the land: the repetition is shifted from the plural to the singular number; for clearly "frog" is placed for a multitude of frogs. But in some way, through the custom of speaking, the senses of men, once imbued, often perceive more in what is said in the singular than in the plural; for more is understood when, for example, it is said: there is a soldier there, than: there are soldiers there, and: there is a fish there, than: there are fish there. And they gathered them in heaps, heaps: this repetition signifies a multitude of heaps and is familiar in the Scriptures. What the Latin has: stretch out your rod with your hand and strike the earth, not strike the earth, the Greek has: a mound of earth; if, however, this word is correctly interpreted, what was said: to c But the magicians likewise did with their sorceries, to bring forth gnats, and they were not able. It is to be noted that *they did* is said for that which is: they attempted to do. For clearly if they did likewise, without doubt they brought forth gnats; but because it follows: to bring forth, and they were not able, therefore they did not do likewise, but they attempted to do likewise. Or if perhaps they themselves, although they acted with sorceries, nevertheless stretched out a rod in the same manner of acting, which the Scripture did not express, this is to be referred to: they did likewise.

And upon the land upon which they are upon it. And I will make glorious on that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell upon it. And Moses said: I will go out from you and pray to God, and the dog-fly will go out from Pharaoh and from his servants: as if he were saying to another person "I will go out from you" and then about another Pharaoh it would follow, from whom the dog-fly was to go out. Let my people go, that they may serve me. Behold, I will rain this hour tomorrow day very much hail). But hail very very much. And the voices and the hail will cease. It is to be noted that Scripture is accustomed to call thunder "voices," which voices of God Pharaoh also called above, saying: pray for me to the Lord, that the voices of God may cease to happen, where there is also that expression, that he did not say: let the voices cease to happen. That you may recount in the ears of your sons and the sons of your sons whatever I did to mock the Egyptians. It is to be noted how it is said "I mocked," lest perhaps it is said thus: this serpent, which you fashioned for mocking him, and that in Job: this is the beginning of the Lord's creation, which he made for mocking by his angels.

Behold, I bring this hour tomorrow a great locust. Behold, just as above it said "a frog," where we said that often more is understood when something of this kind is said in the singular than if it were said in the plural. For it is clear that "a great locust" sounds more than if it said: many locusts. But "who and who are those who will go?" We say daily in more familiar usage: "than who and who will go?" Nothing green was left in the trees. It should have been said in our manner of speech: nothing green was left in the trees. Pharaoh to Moses: I have sinned before the Lord your God and against you; therefore accept my offense. By this expression the brothers of Joseph also used, where they said: accept the iniquity of the servants of the God of your father. What the Latin has: "and no one saw his brother for three days," the Greek has: "and no one saw no one his brother"; it is also to be noted that "brother" is said of any man.

Pharaoh says to Moses and Aaron: "Go and serve your lord God; except for the sheep and cattle, leave them behind"; for thus the Greek has it. This is a very unusual expression, unless after the punctuation "leave behind" is supplied and "those things" is understood, so that the sense is: "Go, except for the sheep and cattle, and leave those things behind"; for such an ellipsis often occurs in the expressions of the Scriptures. And we will not leave a hoof: as if, when the herds are taken away, a hoof could remain; for what else is "we will not leave a hoof" except "we will not leave even a hoof"? Pharaoh to Moses: "Take care for yourself from now on to present yourself to see my face," instead of what is: "Take care for yourself not to see my face from now on." And let each one ask from his neighbor and a woman from her neighboress for silver and gold vessels and clothing: it is to be noted that the Egyptians are called neighbors of the Hebrews. And there will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as has not been, and such and such will not yet be added. But among the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue from man to beast. This is a most elegant expression; for by the dog he signified the extreme, whether of men or of beasts, thus commending how great a quiet was to be among the Hebrews while the Egyptians cried out in bitter bereavement.

Let each one take a sheep by the houses of the families. What he means by "families" is not easy to understand: whether the cities in which they lived together, or rather the numerous households propagated from someone's, as it were, paternity; for this is said to be more what is signified in Greek. But if there are few who are in the house, so that they are not suitable for a sheep—that is, that the small number itself is not suitable for consuming a sheep—the house will take its nearest neighbor with it, that is, the house itself will take a neighbor. He used "neighbor" for "person," and the singular for the plural—for not one, but as many as suffice. When the Scripture was speaking about consuming a sheep, it says, "according to the number of souls, each one what suffices for himself"—"souls" for "persons," a part for the whole. They shall take from the blood and place it on the two doorposts and on the lintel in the houses in which they will eat them in them. Although it said "in which," it also said "in them" in a very usual manner; but "they will eat them" raises the question of what is meant, and it is understood as the meat. For this follows: "and they will eat the meat roasted by fire that night," which the Latin codices have as "who will eat the meat," but the Greek has *krea*, that is, "meats," but in the neuter gender; therefore in Greek it is: "in the houses in which they will eat them in them.

This, however, is a form of expression, such that it first says "those" before it indicates in what follows what it meant by "those," similar to the expression we explained concerning the son of Moses, when the angel wanted to kill him, and we adduced an example from the Psalm: "Its foundations in the holy mountains; the Lord loves the gates of Zion": for we do not understand whose foundations except from what follows; so also here "in which they will eat them in them," that is, in which houses they will eat them, is understood as the meats, about which he speaks subsequently. "Moreover, you shall take for yourselves a bunch of hyssop and you shall dip it in the blood which is near the door and you shall smear it upon the lintel and upon both doorposts with the blood." Here too "a bunch of hyssop" signifies many bunches, just as "frog" signifies many frogs and "locust" many locusts; but this trope, when it occurs in things which are not customarily spoken of by us in this way, creates obscurity.

And it will be when your sons say to you: What is this servitude? and you will say to them: This is the paschal sacrifice to the Lord: even if it did not have "and," it would be complete: you will say to them. And coming, the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, they did so: it would not add: they did so, unless it were the custom of the scriptures. And it happened on that day the Lord led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. But the Lord said to Moses, saying. Every one opening the womb, masculine. It introduced the plural number with the singular, because that which is said: every one opening, is certainly understood not in one, but in many. A similar expression is: pay attention, my people. Such also is what follows shortly after: every one that opens the womb of the herds and of the flocks, whatever shall be born to you. Every one whatever shall be born to you is the same mode of expression. Every one opening the womb of a she-ass. The Greek has "of a he-ass" in that mode of expression — which we have already noted in Genesis — where the masculine is put for the feminine, concerning the death of a woman, the scripture saying: Abraham rising from the dead, and: I will bury my dead, and such things are often said there about a dead woman.

For this reason I sacrifice to the Lord every male that opens the womb: a locution similar to the previous one. And it will be a sign upon your hand, that is, upon your works: where perhaps the sense is more at issue than the locution. And the Lord shook out the Egyptian into the middle of the sea. The Greek has: "and the Lord shook out the Egyptians in the middle of the sea." But Israel saw the great hand which the Lord made for the Egyptians. Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord and said, "to say"; for the Greek has: καὶ ᾖσαν εἰπεῖν. And they were not finding water, that they might drink. It could have lacked: "that they might drink." And the people murmured against Moses, saying: not "saying" but "saying"; for the people consists of many. And the whole synagogue of the sons of Israel came into the desert: it did not say "came" (singular), because the synagogue consists of many. The whole synagogue of the sons of Israel was murmuring against Moses and Aaron: this too is the same kind of locution.

And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I will rain down bread for you from heaven: he promised that manna would rain down bread. It is a locution whereby bread is put for food; moreover, Scripture prefers to say "breads" in the plural rather than "bread" in the singular. "You will see," he says, "the glory of the Lord in the morning, when he hears your murmuring against God," that is, because you murmur against God: which is equivalent to saying "against God." Then it is to be noted that here "hearing" is said in a new way, not of those praying but of those murmuring, since Scripture certainly reproaches murmuring. It is as if he said that God took note of their murmuring, and he called that knowledge of God "hearing." "Approach before God; for he has heard your murmur": again, "hearing" does not signify that of prayers and petitions but even that of the murmuring of the wicked; and later God says this: "I have heard the murmur of the children of Israel." "And behold, on the face of the desert, something fine like coriander." Since God so often says "the face of the earth," as here: "the face of the desert," it is remarkable how men err so greatly, when they have heard "face," that they imagine something like the face of a human or of some living creature.

According to the number of your souls; each one with those dwelling with you gather. How often does Scripture call men "souls" by part for whole — but not easily "carcasses" for men, but "carcass," as it is: I will not fear what the carcass does to me, which more plainly in the same psalm says: what will man do to me. Yet it would not say: according to the number of your carcasses, as it said: according to the number of your souls. And they gathered it morning morning: just as wells wells, heaps heaps, so it is said: morning morning. Let none of you go out, each one from his place on the seventh day: that which is inserted: each one, could also have been left unsaid. But there was no water for the people to drink, that is, for drinking. And the people cursed at Moses: that is, they assailed Moses with curses, that is, they cursed him; for this in what follows he himself said: why do you curse me? And the people murmured at Moses saying.

And the rod with which you struck the river, take in your hand. It said "in which you struck" instead of what we say "with which you struck," and this expression is very frequent in the scriptures. And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took the holocausts and sacrifices to God: "took" instead of "offered." Or perhaps the meaning is not a figure of speech, but that he is understood to have taken those things which Moses had offered, although Moses is not recorded above as having sacrificed, nor Aaron, nor any of the Hebrews who were led out of the land of Egypt, but only that above it is written that Moses set up an altar and called it "the Lord is my refuge"? But we read that this Jethro was a priest of Midian, that is, of the people of Midian. It is remarkable, however, if with his arrival Moses began to sacrifice and not rather Jethro himself, who was already a priest. This word is burdensome to you. "Is" is understood. And you will show them the ways in which they will walk in them.

Now they were reporting a grave word against Moses; for thus the Greek has it, which the Latin interpreters rendered as "to Moses." In that very expression, the concern is also indicated by which it was said "against Moses," as if a burden were imposed upon him. Moreover, "grave word" was said for "a serious question." Whence it follows: "But every light word they themselves judged." What the Greek has, "I will surname" or "I will give a name to," is expressed more precisely; which more commonly some have interpreted as "I will cognominate." But "I will cognominate" does not have the necessary signification; however, "I will cognominate" is closer than "I will name." For some interpreters have also said this. "And I will come to you and I will bless you." When above he spoke in the plural, "you will do and you will sacrifice," he says: "I will come to you," as if to Israel itself, that is, to the people. "And these are the ordinances which you will set before them: if you buy a Hebrew slave," etc. A locution to be noted, how, when that was said to Moses, that is, "these are the ordinances which you will set before them," the rest is said both to the people themselves and to Moses: "if you buy a Hebrew slave." For this was not said to Moses, but, what he would say to the people, he was saying only to the people themselves.

He will pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him forever or for eternity, which the Greek has: εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. See how Scripture in many places speaks according to this Greek word "sempiternum" or "aeternum," where that eternity is not understood according to which eternity is promised to us, or according to which, on the contrary, the wicked will be burned by eternal fire! For neither could that slave, who could not live forever, serve forever; but "aeternum" is understood to be said of that whose time has no end. Or certainly something eternal is signified by this sacrament. I will give you a place to which he who has killed may flee. If anyone strikes his male slave or his female slave with a rod: which is "with a rod." The bull will be stoned with stones: as if it could be stoned except with stones. This expression differs somewhat from that one in which it would say, in the manner of Scripture, "it will be stoned by stoning," but it is nevertheless similar.

If, however, a bull was horn-goring before yesterday and the day before yesterday: for the past time it placed a part for the whole, however much that might have been, in the manner of the scriptures. But if someone opens a pit or digs a pit and does not cover it, and a calf or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit will pay. And this expression is to be understood as a part standing for the whole; for it is not that if a horse or a sheep falls into the pit, he will therefore not pay, because this is not written. But whatever has died, it will be his, for "it will be of him." But if someone grazes a field or a vineyard and allows his livestock to graze another field, that is, "another's." But if you take a garment of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him before sunset. It placed the genus for the species: for it is spoken as if he gave a pledge of every garment, when from what follows the scripture testifies that it speaks specifically about him who has only that garment with which he covers himself at night.

And behold, I send my angel before your line, to guard you on the way, to lead you into the land which I have prepared for you. Pay attention to yourself and listen to him. God commands that his angel be listened to by the people, not as one asking, but as one commanding. And I will send wasps before you, and it will drive out the Amorites: it turns from the plural to the singular number. But it is understood: the wasp will drive out the Amorites, just as the frog, just as the locust, not because it is one, but because the plural number is understood through the singular. I will drive them out from you in parts. You will not make a pact with them and their gods; and they will not settle in your land, lest they make you sin against me: it did not say "against me," yet it means the same. And all the people answered with one voice, saying. And they saw the place where the God of Israel had stood there. "Where he had stood" could suffice, but these are said to be Hebrew expressions. And you will gild those with gold. The expression is similar to "he will be stoned with stones.

The cups in which they will sacrifice in them. Two bases of one column on both sides of it and two bases of one column on both sides of it. Lest he speak of all, he speaks of two in his usual manner by doubling, as "wells wells," "heaps heaps," "generations and generations" and the like. And you will gild the columns with gold and you will gild the bars with gold. And you will plate them with bronze: such a locution is as "you will gild with gold." Outside the veil which is over the testament concerning the lamp to be lit when he spoke, he said this, that is, that it would be lit outside, where the holy place is, not inside the veil, which is over the testament, that is, the holy of holies. Therefore "over" is not said as if it were a roof or a vault or the firmament of the sky or the lid of the ark, but also that which is placed in place of a wall, he said "over": as we say someone reclining or standing above, not at all that one is carried by the other.

A perpetual statute for your descendants: in the same way "perpetual" as we have said many times above. And Aaron shall take the names of the sons of Israel on the rational of judgment upon his breast entering into the sanctuary. It would have been consistent for him to say: "entering into the sanctuary," that is, "Aaron shall take, entering," which some Latin translators, avoiding a solecism, have rendered. But because the Greek has "entering" (dative) and some Latin versions agree, I thought it better to note the locution rather than correct it. And you shall place on the rational of judgment fringed chains. Here too some Latin translators, avoiding a solecism, have rendered "fringed chains" (accusative plural neuter agreeing with feminine). But the Greek has: κροσσωτοὺς τὰ ἁλυσιδωτά. This we are accustomed to call an absolute locution, when a neuter is introduced after a masculine or feminine gender, as if we were to say: "earthly justices are not stable things." And when Aaron has begun to perform the priesthood, his voice shall be heard by one entering into the sanctuary in the sight of the Lord and by one departing. He spoke of his voice from the bells, which is rather its sound. "Entering" and "departing" (dative) he placed for "of one entering and of one departing" (genitive), putting the dative for the genitive.

And the two kidneys and the fat which is upon them, "is" is understood, which some translators have added. And you shall separate it by separation. And when Aaron lights the lamps, in the evening he will light upon that. He said "sero" for "vespere" and therefore this expression is to be noted; for the Greek has "opse." But "sero" is not usually said properly except when the time has passed in which something ought to have been done, which is said to have been done late. If you take the census of the sons of Israel in their visitation and each will give the ransom of his soul to the Lord and there will not be among them a plague in their visitation and this is what they will give to you. This expression is suspended, because a copulative conjunction has been inserted: which, if it were not inserted, would not be suspended. But it is placed in three places, any one of which if removed makes the sentence complete. Again where it is said: if you take the census of the sons of Israel in their visitation, and each will give the ransom of his soul to the Lord; for if it had not said "and they will give," but had only said "they will give," the sentence would be finished and would not be suspended. For it would be said thus: if you take the census of the sons of Israel in their visitation, each will give the ransom of his soul to the Lord. But if this conjunction is placed here, it must be removed below, so that it is said thus: if you take the census of the sons of Israel in their visitation and each will give the ransom of his soul to the Lord and there will not be among them a plague in their visitation, this is what they will give.

Or certainly in the middle, where it is said: "and there will not be ruin among them," if you remove the conjunction, the sentence will not be suspended; for the sense will be: if you take the census of the sons of Israel in their visitation and each gives the redemption of his soul to the Lord, there will not be ruin among them. But when the same conjunction is placed everywhere, it makes the expression suspended; therefore we thought it should be noted. "The people rose up against Aaron and said to him." This is a customary expression, because the people consist of many. Then note the whole put for a part. For the apostle, as indeed was the case, said that some of them did this, not the whole people, where he says: "Let us not serve idols as some of them did." "Arise and make us gods, who will go before us." Were they speaking to him while he was sitting? Or rather is the expression to be noted, because of what is often said: "Arise, O Lord," or: "Arise, God, judge the earth." "And now let me be and angry with anger," just as "he will die by death"; Scripture loves to speak in this way.

Those who have gold, take it off: he did not say what gold. Whence the Latin interpreters said: "Whoever has gold, let him take it off." Who to the Lord? Let him come to me. They made for themselves golden gods: concerning one calf. Therefore he placed the plural number for the singular. Hence also that: "These are the gods of Israel, who led you out of the land of Egypt." These expressions are certainly not found, where the plural is put for the singular, except in that kind of matter in which it could also be made or understood concerning more than one. For not because that calf was one, therefore could not more be made, or therefore had it not been similar to many idols. By this expression it is said that robbers insulted the Lord, although Scripture testifies that one did this, but he had not been the only robber. Indeed, even when this expression occurs through proper names, as we have not yet discovered it done in the Scriptures, more are understood there, just as some have said "Phaedras" and "Medeas," when there was one Phaedra and one Medea; but they called all similar to Phaedra and Medea "Phaedras" and "Medeas." Thus not without cause nor just anyhow and indiscriminately as is done faultily by the unskilled, but in a certain way and by certain rules these expressions are interposed.

Go up from here, you and your people, whom you led out of the land of Egypt, not "whom" you led out: which is so customary that it is more rarely said otherwise. And the Lord said: put off your garments of glory and your adornment, and I will show what I am going to do for you. He ended the expression from the plural to the singular number, because there were many and the people were many, just as he had said to them: you are a stiff-necked people; he did not say "you are a people," but: you are a people, when "you" is of the plural number, but "people" is of the singular number. If I have found favor in your sight, let my lord walk with us at the same time: as if speaking about someone else. These expressions are frequent, but when it is said to God, it is thought to be said by the Father about the Son. However, when such things were said to Pharaoh and to Joseph and to others in many places, the type of expression was understood. Do not ever make a testament for those who sit upon the earth: as if he were saying "they have seats," which means "they dwell.

And you shall not make for yourself molten gods. This is a figure of speech signifying the whole from a part; for he did not, by naming only molten gods, permit the making of carved, beaten, or molded gods, or any kind of images or any sort of manufactured gods whatsoever. Every creature that opens the womb to me) male. That is: every creature that opens the womb to me shall be from among those that are male. You shall redeem the firstborn of a beast of burden with a sheep. And this is a figure of speech signifying the whole from a part; for even if a beast of burden is not any kind of pack animal whose flesh is rejected as unclean, it does not follow that it is not to be redeemed or that it is to be redeemed with something other than a sheep. You shall not kill over the leavened bread the blood of my sacrifices: this is a figure of speech, "kill the blood," for what is meant: you shall shed blood by killing. And the sacrifice of the Passover solemnity shall not sleep until morning. It said "sleep" for "remain"; for how does the flesh of a slaughtered and cooked animal sleep? Therefore, what is said: why do you sleep, O Lord, is said and understood in this kind of figure of speech: why do you delay, that is, why do you not take vengeance.

Concerning the forty-day fast of Moses, Scripture speaks thus: He did not eat bread and he did not drink water. A part for the whole, that is, by "bread" signifying all food and by "water" all drink. "Carve for yourself two stone tablets just as the first," "were" is understood; hence our translators thought this word should even be added, since such an ellipsis is unusual in the Latin language. And Moses said to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel, saying: it would be complete even if it did not have "saying." And they each brought what their heart offered. It could more commonly be said: and each brought what his heart offered. And those to whom it seemed to their souls brought a donation to the Lord; it did not say: and as it seemed to their souls. And everyone with whom red-dyed ram skins were found, which would be said commonly: and all with whom red-dyed ram skins were found. Everyone bringing a donation, silver and bronze, they brought donations to the Lord. It would be said more commonly: "everyone brought" rather than "everyone brought.

And among those with whom they were found, there were incorruptible woods: "among them" is added in the manner of the Scriptures; for without this, the sentence would be complete. And every wise woman spins with her hands. As if she could spin not with her hands; and "wise to spin" is an elegant and unusual expression. Then: "every woman brought" is concluded in the plural by the custom of the above, because "every woman brought" would be said more commonly. And all the women to whom it seemed good in their own judgment spun goat hair in wisdom. It is to be noted that Scripture often calls skill in these arts "wisdom," that is, τέχνη. And the compositions and the oil of anointing and the composition of incense: we should not understand some other compositions, but, when it had been said: "and the compositions," by the copulative conjunction it did not add something else but explained what it had said, so that we would know which compositions: "and the oil," it says, "of anointing and the composition of incense." But it calls them "compositions" because these things are made from many ingredients.

And every man and woman whose mind brought them, so that they might enter and do all the work which the Lord commanded to be done through Moses, the children of Israel brought an offering to the Lord. Therefore, "every man and woman" is understood as the children of Israel. The remaining expressions are similar to the earlier ones. "To make gold and silver and bronze": instead of "to make from gold and silver and bronze"; for they were not making gold, but making from gold. Similar is what is said a little later: "and to work wood," that is, from wood. "To make all the works of the sanctuary, to weave textiles and various things with crimson and byssus, to make every architectural work of variety." Behold, even in textile matters he calls it an "architectural work"; this is surprising unless it is because they were being made for the tabernacle, which was like a building and was erected as a kind of house. But what he says, "works of the sanctuary," does not clearly appear whether it means of the holy priest, since these things are said about his stole or stoles, or of the holy God, in whose worship these things were made, or "works of the sanctuary," as "sanctuary" and "holy of holies" were spoken of.

The shoulder-pieces containing from both its sides: he did not say from both their sides, although he had said shoulder-pieces in the plural, not shoulder-piece, as he usually says shoulder-piece; for he called it in the plural shoulder-pieces, just as he says stole and the same stoles. And Eliab son of Achisamach of the tribe of Dan, who was master-builder of woven and sewn work and to weave of various colors from scarlet and fine linen. In a novel manner they are said to be master-builders of woven work. Also that phrase is to be understood as a part for the whole, when he says: to weave from scarlet and fine linen: for from these we understand the rest as well, that is, purple and hyacinth. And the children of Israel did, as the Lord commanded Moses, so they did: it would be complete, even if it were not added: so they did. And Moses did all things which the Lord commanded him, so he did: similarly, as was said also of the children of Israel. BOOK THREE. LOCUTIONS FROM LEVITICUS. If a man among you has offered gifts to the Lord from the flocks, from the cattle and from the sheep you shall offer, that is: if you offer from the flocks, from the cattle, from the sheep you shall offer. By the name of sheep he also included the genus of goats, as he is accustomed to do in other places as well.

And you will break them into pieces, that is: by breaking you will make them into pieces. And if the sin which he sinned in it becomes known to him. Two modes of expression are to be noted here: both "he sinned a sin" and what he added: "in it." For in what, if not in the sin itself? But if a soul sins and hears the voice of an oath and he himself is a witness or has seen or is aware, if he does not report it, he will also receive the sin. The "and" seems to be superfluous; for if it were removed, the sentence follows completely: he will receive the sin. But if a soul sins and hears the voice of an oath and he himself is a witness or has seen or is aware, if he does not report it. "And" is placed for "that is"; for it could be said in the manner of our speech: But if a soul sins, that is, hears the voice of an oath, etc. Or if he has touched from the uncleanness of a man, from all his uncleanness which if he touches he is defiled, and it was hidden from him, but afterwards he has known and has committed an offense, when in the correct order it should be said: and he has committed an offense, but afterwards he has known.

If the soul has been hidden from him by forgetfulness and he has sinned unwillingly. It does not say "if it has been hidden from her," because it puts "soul" for "man," as it also does in other places, where it first said "soul," which is feminine in gender, and afterwards introduces the masculine gender referring to the man. But here this expression is much more compressed, since both genders are placed continuously, so that it is said: "the soul if it has been hidden from him." This expression frightened the Latin translators and they were unwilling to translate it, but they put it thus: "the soul if any has been hidden and has sinned unwillingly," although it is certainly one thing if the soul is hidden, another if it is hidden from the soul; but the scripture says: if it is hidden from her, not if she herself is hidden. In the Greek, however, we find elsewhere: "the soul if it has been hidden from her by forgetfulness"; but even there he introduced the masculine in what follows, saying: "the priest will pray for him, and it will be forgiven him," which there has αύτῳ. Hence it appears that the writer feared a solecism, yet could not persist in the feminine gender, overcome by the evidence of the subsequent scripture.

This holocaust, upon its burning on the altar, all night until morning, and the fire of the altar will burn upon it: it could have lacked "and" and thus been said: all night until morning the fire of the altar will burn. But this conjunction, when added, creates obscurity for those who are not accustomed to such locutions in the Scriptures. This is the law of the sacrifice which the sons of Aaron, the priests, will offer before the Lord: nothing would be lacking if it did not have "that." Sancta sanctorum est. The Greek also has it thus; but it is a Greek locution, which some of our translators, unwilling to render, have said: sancta sanctorum sunt. They shall kill the ram which is for the offense before the Lord. Latin translators have added "est" and said: which is for the offense. Which the Greek does not have. And if he has sacrificed his gift as a vow or voluntary offering, on whatever day he has offered the sacrifice, it shall be eaten on the morrow. Instead of that which is "on the next day": whence others have translated "on the other day.

Cook the meat in the court of the tabernacle of testimony in the holy place, and there you shall eat it, and the breads that are in the basket of completion, as it was commanded to me saying: Aaron and his sons shall eat them. Some translators, unwilling to render this expression, said: "as he commanded me saying," because this seems to follow, but in the custom of our speech it is a solecism. And at the door of the tabernacle of testimony you shall sit seven days day and night, instead of "you shall dwell." And Moses said to Aaron: approach the altar and do what is for your sin and your holocaust, and pray for yourself and your house, and make the gifts of the people and pray for them, as the Lord commanded Moses. He did not say "as the Lord commanded me," but spoke as if there were one Moses to whom the Lord commanded, and another who was speaking this to Aaron. And the Lord spoke to Aaron saying: you shall not drink wine and strong drink, and so on. He concludes this speech of the Lord thus: all the statutes which the Lord spoke to them through the hand of Moses. When the Lord was speaking, he did not say: "which I spoke to them through the hand of Moses," but used that expression which Moses himself used above.

A perpetual statute for your descendants to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, and so forth. Note how he says "perpetual," which certainly will not be without end. Moses, speaking to Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar his sons, among other things also says this: "From the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. The shoulder of removal and the breast of separation upon the fat-offerings they shall offer the separation to separate before the Lord. And it shall be for you and your sons and your daughters with you a perpetual statute," although all this was to have an end. When he was giving instructions about the animals that are in the waters, which of them are clean or unclean, he says: "in the waters, and in the sea, and in the torrents." But the Latin codices have "in the sea" because it was too unusual to translate the plural number from the Greek and not say "in the sea" but "in the seas," especially on account of the ambiguity, lest "seas" be understood not as "seas" but as "males." For it is no less unusual that which nevertheless has been translated concerning "bloods," because the Latin language does not admit the plural number of "blood" even in the nominative case. For although from that which is "sea" no one says "seas," yet "seas" are spoken of, while "bloods" are not spoken of, and yet it is written: "free me from bloods," and: "I will not gather their assemblies from bloods." Therefore "seas" could be said in that way, unless, as I said, ambiguity were avoided.

torrents, however, in this passage the scripture has placed for rivers, since torrents are properly called winter streams, which dry up in summer and therefore cannot have fish. Hence some of our translators preferred to interpret not as torrents but as rivers. Moreover, that the word torrents is used for rivers in the scriptures is sufficiently shown by that passage of the psalm where it is read: "and with the torrent of your delight you will water them." For it did not wish something of the kind to be understood by the name of torrent that would flow for a time and then dry up, since it follows and says: "because with you is the fountain of life," which is certainly eternal and unfailing. But you shall eat these from the creeping birds, which walk on four, which have the upper legs of its feet: it did not say "of its own feet." And you will be holy, because I am holy. "I am" is understood. Hence most of our translators have rendered: because I am holy.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying. This is a very common and frequent expression in the scriptures: "spoke, saying." But what follows is found more rarely and is constrained by the poverty of the Latin language. For the Greek has: καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων, which could be expressed in Latin as "et dices ad eos dicens"; but it is less offensive if it is said "et inquies ad eos dicens," and it is more similar to the Greek, because the Greek did not say: λέγει πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων, but: ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων. A woman, whoever has received seed and has given birth to a male, and she will be unclean for seven days. Most of our translators did not wish to translate it, but they said: "A woman, whoever has received seed and has given birth to a male, will be unclean for seven days." That expression, therefore, since it is also unusual in Greek eloquence, could not be translated even into Greek; but because the Greeks were not reluctant to translate it, I do not know why the Latins were reluctant.

Thirty-three days she will sit in her own blood of purification. And similarly concerning the woman who gave birth to a female, it is said: she will sit in her own blood of purification, but with the same days doubled, that is, sixty-six days. Therefore "she will sit" is said to mean "she will remain"; for it was not that she was not allowed to get up from her seat for all those days. If a man has a mark of a bright sign on the skin of his body. It is to be noted that scripture calls a "scar" not only that of a wound, but also a mark of mere color. And there is on the skin of his color a touch of leprosy. It calls the spot itself a "touch." That the man himself is a touch of leprosy. And the priest will see him and will declare him unclean: instead of "he will pronounce him unclean." And the hair that is in the touch turns white: that is, turns to white. And the priest will purify him: for it is a sign. He will pronounce him purified. Just as "he will declare unclean," which he said above: he will pronounce him unclean.

And the priest sees him. And behold, the sign in the skin has changed. And the priest will declare him unclean. It has an extra "and": for if that conjunction is removed, the sense is complete in this way: "But if the sign in the skin has turned, after the priest has seen him, so that he may purify him, and he has been seen again by the priest, and the priest sees him, and behold, the sign in the skin has changed. The priest will declare him unclean." And if a touch of leprosy is on a man, he will come to the priest; and the priest will see, and behold, a white scar on the skin, and this has changed the white hair, and from the healthy living flesh in the scar. That is: it has changed the hair to a white color in the scar; but it has changed from the healthy living flesh, that is, because the hair is not of such a kind as that which is healthy in living flesh. When speaking about the leper, it says: "And unclean, unclean he will be called," as if it were not enough to say once: "unclean he will be called." Although some manuscripts have it thus, in another Greek text we find it said once: "unclean he will be called." Likewise, a little later it says: "Since he is unclean, unclean he will be," which could not be expressed in Latin from the Greek as it is set down. For the Greek says: ἀκάθαρτος ὢν ἀκάθαρτος ἔσται; as if to say "unclean existing, unclean he will be." But this is not "existing," which the Greek said with ὤν, but if it could be said "essent" from that which is "esse," not from that which is "existere.

And if there is in a garment a touch of leprosy in it. He could have said in the usual way: "and if in a garment there is a touch of leprosy." Or in any leather vessel, in whatever there is a touch in it. It could have been sufficient: "in whatever there is a touch." And behold, the touch did not change its aspect, that is, its color, in which it is looked at. For it does not mean the aspect by which it itself looks; it calls the spot itself the "touch." And the priest, taking from a hemina of oil, will pour it into the left hand of the priest. He did not say "into his own left hand," although he is certainly doing it into his own. To a man, to any man whatsoever there has been a flux. And to a man from whom a discharge of seed has gone out. And everything upon which he sleeps upon it. And everything upon which he sits upon it will be unclean. And he will send out into the hand of a man prepared in the desert. That is: he will send out into the desert in the hand of a man prepared for this: he was speaking about the scapegoat when he said this. But it should be noted how Scripture says "in the hand.

A man, a man of the sons of Israel, that is: from the sons of Israel. But this repetition seems to signify any man whatsoever, that is: this one or that one. You shall not reveal the shame of your father and the shame of your mother. By this expression he forbade intercourse with these persons. You shall not reveal the shame of your father’s brother and you shall not go in to his wife; for she is your close relative. And he put it for “that is”; for he calls this the shame of his father’s brother, that is, the shame of the paternal uncle: the private parts of the uncle’s wife. And the earth shuddered at them, who sit upon it, that is: have seats, which is “dwell.” And while you are reaping the harvest of your land, you will not complete your harvest, to reap your field. This, which began from the plural and ended in the singular number, many Latin translators did not wish to render. But they said: your fields, where it was said: your field, as if a Greek could not say this; therefore the expression should have been noted rather than corrected.

Whoever takes his sister from his father or from his mother and sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace; they shall be cut off in the sight of their kindred: he has revealed the nakedness of his sister, they shall receive [their] sin. He placed "sin" for "punishment of sin." And you shall separate yourselves between the midst of clean animals and the midst of unclean animals and between the midst of clean and unclean birds. He said, "you shall separate yourselves" between the midst of clean and unclean, because clean are separated from unclean or unclean from clean; it is an entirely new expression. For it is one thing to say "you shall separate between the midst of clean animals and between the midst of unclean animals," as he very often speaks, and another thing, which he now says: "you shall separate yourselves," as though they, by separating those from each other, separate themselves from both, as if judging between the two.

Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and you shall say to them: they shall not be polluted in their souls among their people except by a relative who is nearest to them. He speaks of mourning, which is owed to the souls of the dead; for mourning is done because they have departed. And you shall not shave your head over a dead person, and you shall not make incisions upon your flesh. The expression "they shall not make incisions upon their flesh" would have been customary. They shall not take a fornicating and profane woman, nor a woman cast out by her husband, because he is holy to his Lord God. He did not say "because they are holy," but as if speaking of one person, although he began with a plural. Then he continues in the singular: he will sanctify him; he will offer the gifts of your Lord God; he is holy, because I, the Lord, am holy, who sanctifies them; he concluded again with the plural. But if a priest has acquired a soul bought with money, he shall eat of his bread. He did not say: she shall eat. Although he said "soul," which is feminine in gender, he rather had regard to what he meant to signify by "soul," that is, a human being.

And the daughter of a man who is a priest, if she should be with a foreign husband, that is: if she should marry a foreign husband. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: a calf or a sheep or a goat, when it has been born and will be seven days under its mother. This seems to have more, and according to the most customary expressions in the scriptures which most Latin translators have been unwilling to render. And I will be sanctified in the midst of the sons of Israel: which means "I will be held as holy." For the Lord is not without sanctity even apart from the sons of Israel. It is said in that sense also in the Lord's Prayer: may your name be sanctified, that is, may it be held as holy by men. Speak to the sons of Israel and you shall say to them: the solemnities of the Lord which you will call called holy are these my solemnities. For six days you shall do work. When he had spoken to many, he afterwards speaks as if to one. And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, on which he offered the sheaf of the offering, you shall count seven full weeks. He did not say "you shall count" (plural), although he was speaking to many above.

And when the son of the Israelite woman had named, he cursed the name. Here he did not add "of God." It is manifest, and yet it must be understood that it is the name of God which he cursed. A man, a man if he curses his own god, he will receive sin. Behold where it sufficiently appears that it is a manner of speech, when it is said: a man, a man, as if to say "that man or that man." That is, any man whatsoever, not, as some have thought: a man, a man is said in such a way as if it were uttered praiseworthily, as if it were said: a man, but a man; that is: not some sort of man like a beast, but one who is truly a man. That this sense is not true, but that this is a manner of speech of the Scriptures, is openly shown here, when it is said of one who is blamed, not of one who is praised. When he was treating of slaves, whom it was permitted for the Israelites to have, "and they will be yours," he says, "in possession forever," although certainly neither masters nor slaves could be eternal by dying. Therefore he said "forever" where there is no fixed limit of time, as long as they serve, just as a limit is set for those whom he orders to be released to their own freedom in the remission.

If you walk in my precepts and observe my commandments and do them, I will give you rain in its season. The "and" is superfluous according to the custom of our speech, but it is added in the manner of the scriptures; for it followed: I will give you. And if until now you have not obeyed me, I will also chastise you seven times in your sins. Here too the "and" is superfluous; for it followed: I will chastise you. Moreover, what it says "seven times" is to be taken for every number. BOOK FOUR. LOCUTIONS FROM NUMBERS. And with you will be each one according to the tribe of each of the princes. To the sons of Symeon according to their kinships, according to their peoples, according to their households of families, according to the number of their names, according to their head, all males from twenty years and above, everyone who goes forth in strength, their census. This locution, that it does not say: the sons of Symeon or from the sons of Symeon, but to the sons of Symeon in the dative case. And it maintains this henceforth in the other tribes; it was not translated by the Latin translators whom we were able to inspect. Only in the tribe of Ruben, which was numbered first, is this locution not present: for it does not say: to the sons of Ruben according to their kinships, etc., but it says: and the sons of Ruben, the firstborn of Israel, were according to their kinships, and then similarly as in the others.

The children of Israel did everything that the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron; they did it thus. The priests who are anointed, whose hands they have consecrated, to perform the priesthood. And they shall place upon it all its vessels, with which they minister in them. And he shall give back to whom he has wronged him. Some, unwilling to translate this expression, have rendered the words in a corrected order, saying: and he shall give back to him whom he has wronged. A man or a woman, whoever has committed any of the human sins. It does not say: whichever woman has committed; but it is an expression where the masculine gender claimed the pronoun, although the feminine is placed later, which expression is not customary. Men, men, if his wife has been unfaithful: not only because it doubled the noun, saying "men, men," but also because it added "his," the expression is to be noted. If the spirit of jealousy comes upon him, but she has not been defiled, and the man brings his wife to the priest: the "and" is superfluous, but it is a customary expression in the scriptures.

This will be the water of testing which is cursed." This expression was made unusual by the order of the words; for it could be said in the usual way thus: "This will be the water of testing which is cursed," or: "This will be this water of testing which is cursed," or whatever else can be said by arranging the words in a usual manner. "Be innocent of the water of testing which is cursed this." In this expression not only does the order of the words sound unusual, but also the case has been changed; for it would be complete and usual: "Be innocent of this water of testing which is cursed," or: "of this water of testing, which is cursed." "And he will swell the belly" for "he will swell in the belly." This expression is also frequent among Latin authors; but our translators who did not wish to render it said: "And his belly will swell." "A man or woman whoever has vowed a great vow," it did not say: "whichever woman." "And he will shave his head," such an expression is like the one above: "he will swell the belly.

Six covered wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon from two leaders and a calf from each one. In this expression I thought it noteworthy that they called the same animals calves which they had called oxen; but this is also said to be a Greek idiom. One leader daily, a leader daily offer their gifts, instead of saying: each day each leader. One calf for oxen and one goat from the goats. And there will not be among the sons of Israel any of the sons of Israel approaching the holy things. It seems it could have sufficed: and there will not be among the sons of Israel any approaching the holy things, or certainly: there will not be of the sons of Israel any approaching the holy things. And Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly of the sons of Israel did for the Levites; according to what the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did for them. And a man, any man who is clean and is not on a long journey and fails to perform the Passover, that soul shall be cut off from its people. Therefore "a man, a man" is an expression, as if one were to say: any man, this one or that one.

And when the cloud had risen from the tabernacle, then the children of Israel moved forward. It could have been complete: "And when the cloud had risen from the tabernacle, the children of Israel moved forward." And the order of the camp of the children of Judah moved forward first. And the children of Gershon and the children of Merari will move forward. He placed a verb of future tense, although he narrates a past event, as in the earlier passage where he spoke about the cloud, at whose movement or halt the camps would move forward or halt. And so thereafter, in the movements of many, he uses this verb. And Moses said to Hobab, son of Raguel the Midianite, the son-in-law of Moses; he does not say: "his son-in-law." And he said to him: "I will not go, but to my own land and to my own kindred," the word "I will go" is understood. And the mixed multitude that was among them desired a desire. He used the singular for the plural, so that he said "mixed multitude," not "mixed multitudes"; and yet he rendered the plural when he said "they desired.

Now our soul is dry, our eyes are nothing but on the manna. The words "is" and "are" are missing; for it would be complete: our soul is dry, our eyes are nothing but on the manna. For some translators rendered it thus and added words which are not in the Greek. And they ground it in a mill. Six hundred thousand foot soldiers, among whom I am among them. And he took away from the spirit which was upon him; "was" or "will be" is understood. But this expression, which is called ellipsis, is most familiar in Greek speech and, I think, also in Hebrew; Latin translators were reluctant to render it, although it is frequent in the Latin language, though less so than in Greek. And the Lord struck the people with a very great plague: the expression "struck a plague" was to be noted, not "struck with a plague," which is the usual form. And the man Moses was very gentle; "was" is understood. And the anger of the Lord's wrath was upon them; "was made" is understood.

And behold, Mary leprous as snow: and here "became" is understood. And what land on which they sit upon it; and what cities in which they dwell in them. The place itself which they named the Valley of Botrus, although earlier he had said: they came into the Valley of Botrus. Therefore it is said by anticipation, not because it was already called this when they came, but when this book was being written, it was already called this. Since he is stronger than us, a more usual expression would be if it did not have "more." And they brought forth the terror of the land which they had explored it. The land which we crossed, to explore it, is a land that devours those who dwell upon it. But it ought to have been said in the usual way: the land which we crossed to explore. The land which we explored it is very, very good. And the whole synagogue said to stone them with stones. It is not said "with stones," although "to stone" itself could suffice in the usual expression.

And how long will they not believe me in all the signs which I performed among them? He does not say: which I performed among them. But my servant Caleb, because there is another spirit in him and he has followed me, and I will lead him into the land. It would have been usual, if it did not have: and. And I will lead him into the land, into which he entered there. The usual expression would suffice: into which he entered. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying. This is inserted, since the Lord was already speaking above. Scripture often does this; when it wants to say something else, it again introduces the speaker, who was already speaking. However many murmured against me. He does not say "about me" or "against me". And they will possess by inheritance the land, which you departed from it. It would have been usual: from which you departed; but now both "which you departed" is said in a novel manner and "from it" is added, as the scriptures are accustomed to speak. Just as: and they deeply resounded the rocks they approached. That is: they approached the rocks, he does not say: to the rocks; and: they arrived at places, he does not say: to the places. Thus "which you departed", he does not say: from which you departed.

I, the Lord, have spoken: unless I do this to that evil assembly. It must be inquired what it is that is placed in Greek; for our interpreters have almost everywhere translated this as "unless." Into the land into which I lead you, there. But if one soul has sinned not voluntarily, he will offer one one-year-old she-goat for the sin. And the priest will pray for the unwilling soul and for the one who has sinned unwillingly before the Lord to pray for him; and it will be remitted to him. In this sentence, that expression was also to be noted, that it says: and the priest will pray and afterwards said: to pray — for both could be said together thus: he will pray to pray — and that, because beginning from the feminine gender it closed with the masculine. For when it had said: if one soul has sinned, it concluded saying: to pray for him: where "for that man" is understood. For also what it added: and it will be remitted to him, in Latin indeed it does not appear, because this pronoun is of every gender; but in Greek the masculine is evident, where it has αυτῳ, which is placed here as "to him." But what is said here: for the unwilling soul, is understood as "which has sinned unwillingly, not that it is unwilling to be offered for itself." For this also it subsequently explained, when it says: and which has sinned unwillingly. And therefore "unwilling" is placed, because in Latin it could not be expressed what was said in Greek: ακουσίως; for it could not be said "unwillingly" or anything else from the fact that it did unwillingly.