Adnotationes in Deuteronomium (fragmenta e catenis)

Selections of Origen on Deuteronomy.

Chapter 1

Verse 31. "As a nurse carries a child." Aquila: "As a nurse lifted up her son," he interpreted. Origen, in his homilies on Jeremiah, says: "He accommodated and descended to you, appropriating our weakness; as a teacher lisping with children, as a father nursing his own children, assuming their ways, and gradually leading them to more perfect and higher things.

Chapter 3.

Verse 18. And I commanded you. (28) He says these things to the tribe of Reuben, and to the tribe of Gad, and to the half (29) tribe of Manasseh.

Verse 27, 28. He gives more to Moses than to Aaron, namely, to see the land with his own eyes. But he does not grant entry, imposing this penalty for deficiency of faith, on account of which he removes both from the promised land at the end of their lives, even though they were able to reach it, since the goal is given only through faith. This indeed is a symbol for the law, which is unable to perfect or to restore the promise, because the righteous one will live by faith. This is an honor: to know the judgment of God and to foresee one's own death. From the same author. He brings Joshua forward, already sanctified by his following and by his stay with Moses, and about to receive the ruling spirit through Moses, so that he might set his own people in his place. Just as Elisha was present in the spirit of Elijah to perform the work of Elijah; for in the same spirit one must accomplish the same things. Take to yourself, as he says in Numbers, Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit of God in himself, and you shall lay your hands upon him. Thus also the apostles, a life-giving Spirit, inferior.

Having from the inbreathing of the Lord, they receive the principal spirit sent down from heaven; not spirit in spirit, one upon another, but an energy in the same spirit, as Paul teaches.

Chapter 4.

Verse 12. And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire a voice of words, which you heard. (32) The same author on the same passage. Another says: For it is clear that one sees and hears the thoughts with the eyes of the mind. (33) A voice of words. Here he has spoken according to nature, that hearing receives the voice. For as far as the precision of the text goes, only the Decalogue was written on the tablets, and the rest Moses taught by command of God.

Chapter 14.

Verse 19. (All creeping things of the birds shall be unclean. Of the birds, I think, those that have spurs below the knees above the feet are intended to be clean; those that do not, unclean.) So the law rejects the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey, and indeed also the vulture. For such things fly high, and love to exult in the highest regions, and despise the lower; for, it says, the young of the vulture fly high. And in this way, one who is excessively arrogant and has his mind raised up within himself, and is accustomed to despise modest and moderate thinking, and least of all loves to be drawn along with the humble. It also condemns along with these the kite, and things like it; by which is very well signified the race of men that knows how to snatch and is terrible in wickedness. And of these the kite is the prototype, but not the other, the very black and deep one. The runners into wickedness and harmful to the many are somehow dark and not evident to all, providing wickedness among themselves. The desire to be overreaching always somehow clings to those who are sick with accursed arrogance; whom chance and manifold wickednesses cannot outdo in overreaching discoveries; and thus to snatch insatiably. To this it immediately adds, saying: And the sparrow, and the gull. For these, I think, are insatiable, always gathering what falls in their way. Then it says: the hawk and things like it, and the night raven, and the cormorant, and the ibis, and the spoonbill, and the pelican, and the swan.

They would also inscribe upon themselves these things, and those who are raw and savagely plot against others, and who uncontrollably attack whomever they might happen to overpower.

broken, and having surrendered the mind to the desires of the flesh, would be marked by the wooing of a woman. For as one approaches the voice of the army herald, they withdraw from the sacred and most warlike multitude. And what it was likely that such men, when caught, would think and say, the herald, anticipating, proclaims. Or is it not true to think such things of them? They are accustomed, in persecutions, to love the unyielding and to follow the zeal for love of God, considering that, if they should suffer something while contending, they fall from households and possessions and from the desires honored among them.

(51) Verse 8. Who is the man who is fearful and faint-hearted in heart? Of the same author. He who is devoted to earthly things, and builds houses, and plants vineyards, being overcome by the pleasures of love of the flesh, will surely be in some way both cowardly and weak.

Verse 10. "If you approach a city to make war against it." Similar to: "Into which again you enter, examine (53) who among them is worthy." And the phrase "with peace" is similar to the apostolic saying: "For a servant of the Lord must not fight.

Verse 13. "And you shall strike every male of it with the death of the sword." Of the same. The sword of the spirit would be the Word of God. And the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, with which the inspired disciples slew every male of the opposing power, such as Simon and Elymas the magicians, and they destroyed their strong doctrines; but they preserved the women, and souls capable of saying: "Because of your fear, Lord, we conceived until upon the earth"; and likewise the infants, to whom Paul writes: "Little children, do not be infants in your minds, but be infantile in wickedness." And as for the cattle, he says, preserve them. For the righteous man has pity on the souls of his poor, alluding through the cattle to the more irrational ones. Cornelius was also cattle, according to the vision concerning the quadrupeds that appeared to Peter.

Chapter 22.

Verse 6. You shall not take the mother with the young. Because the young cannot feed themselves if the mother is taken.

Chapter 23.

Verse 3. "An Ammonite shall not enter." Why does it forbid intermarriage with Moabites and Ammonites not for a certain time, but forever? First, because of their lawless origin; for they were born from an unlawful union. Then, because of the impiety, which they also taught the Israelites.

they made them share by beautifying the women, and through them ensnared them into the worship of idols. The law, however, commands that the Idumaean and the Egyptian be admitted after the third generation, the one as a brother, the other as a benefactor who appeared at a time of need. For when a famine occurred, their fathers entered Egypt and were sustained. Thus the law teaches us not to be unmindful even of an ancient benefaction.

Verse 14. What does it mean, "Because the Lord your God walks within your camp"? He knows that air often filled with foul odors can cause plague. Therefore he commanded them, when encamping, to bury the excrement that is discharged. And so that they might not disobey and incur harm, he necessarily added: "Because the Lord your God walks within your camp." And he teaches the reason: "To choose you, and to deliver your enemy before your face." Through this he instructs them to do nothing unlawful. For this he adds: "And your camp shall be holy, and no deed of indecency shall be found in you.

Verse 12. "And the place shall be for you," he says, "outside the camp, and you shall go out there.

Verse 13. "And a peg shall be for you upon your girdle. And it shall be when you sit outside, and you dig with it, and having drawn back you shall cover your own indecency.

Verse 14. "That your Lord God walks about in the camp to rescue you and to deliver your enemy into your hands. And your camp shall be holy, and no indecency of any matter shall be seen in you." For it is fitting that those who desire to subdue the conceptual enemies should renounce every form of impurity. But since we all stumble often, and human nature is prone to slip into transgression, no one is unaware of faults, according to the words of the Psalmist: "Let it be," he says, "that one of the innate impurities among you is almost shattered and caught, as if you were sick with something outside the law and a holy way of life." For the law of sin dwells in the members of the flesh. First, let the faults arising from weakness not be done openly and unconcealed, nor in the sight of many, but rather as if hidden outside, and as far as possible from the camp; then let them be covered by corrections, he says. For the wise will conceal their own shames, according to what is written. For when we cease from transgressions and, by turning toward better things, reshape the mind, as it were, to choose what is beneficial, we remove the faults from the midst; and having overcome the disorderly sin by the good odors of what follows, we will again enter the camp of the saints, that is, the church of the firstborn. And this is fulfilled in Christ, if we take up his cross, employing a swift and most agile mindset. For having a peg upon our girdle—that is,

This wood is obliquely hinted at. Spiritually, then, making a typification of the intelligible things through the bodily: for we are not in impurities, going into latrines for the aid of the God who made us. We must therefore bury impurities, because the Lord walks about in the camp. For Christ dwells in us and walks about within us.

Chapter 24.

Verse 6. "You shall not take a mill or an upper millstone as a pledge, for that would be to take a life as a pledge." On the same passage, another interpretation. A mill or an upper millstone is not a life, but it contributes to the production of bread, by which humans especially live. One must note this because of the blood. For it was said concerning this: "The blood of the body is the soul." Therefore, these things must be understood figuratively. For neither the blood nor the mill is a soul, but they contribute to living.

Chapter 27.

(61) Verse 15. "And he shall place it in a secret place." Since it was likely that some, through fear of punishment, would strive to escape notice and practice impiety in a hidden and clandestine manner, he subjects those who commit sin without witness to greater fear and threat, and to curses. Such are those who feign a counterfeit piety, while burying their passions within and, in the movement of their mind, revel in every form of depravity. These are the ones who place the idols in a secret place.

(62) Verse 17. "Cursed is the one who moves the boundaries of his neighbor." The one who moves the boundaries of his neighbor is also he who, from true knowledge of God and from the divinely inspired way of life, disturbs the one found within. And the following words make this clear (63).

(64) Verse 18. "Cursed is the one who leads a blind man astray on the road." The same author. Such are also those from idolatry who also draw those from the circumcision into abominable heresies. For they, being blind and not yet having the light of truth and knowledge of God, are deceived and led astray, as they point out another road instead of the apostolic one.

(65) Verse 19. "Cursed is the one who perverts judgment for the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow." He places under the same curse those who similarly pervert judgment for the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow, saying the same thing again in another way. For if the literal sense has its usefulness, yet the spiritual interpretation has the higher meaning. For proselytes are those from the Gentiles who enter the holy Church of God. Orphans properly are those who have renounced their own father, Satan, but have not yet put on Jesus, but are still numbered among the catechumens. Similarly, these are also widows, having turned away from the one who sows into them.

the seeds of destruction; but not yet united with Christ, as a pure virgin, according to the divine Apostle. Therefore those who pervert judgment concerning these, and do not deliver to them the mystery of piety unadulterated, are under a curse. And one who diligently goes through the other matters will be able to consider them spiritually, while the interpretation is preserved.

(67) Verse 26. "Cursed is every person who does not abide by all the words of the law." The phrase "in all," found in the Septuagint, is confirmed by the Samaritan copy, in which we found the word *chol*, which means "all" or "everything," carried. With this the Apostle also agrees, saying: "For those who are from the works of the law are under a curse." Hence those of the circumcision are proven to be under a curse, because they do not do all things.

Chapter 33.

Verse 6. "Let Reuben live, and let him not die." Because Jacob, when dying, cursed Reuben, saying, "Do not boil over like water." Moses, blessing him, says, "Let Reuben live, and let him not die." Both are fitting. For the father cursed him for having lain with his concubine, instructing and frightening him accordingly; and Moses justly blesses him afterward, since he alone spared Joseph when his brothers sought to kill him. And it would be absurd for a curse to proceed against one who had sinned, but for a blessing not to be given to one who had done right. Chapter 1.

Verse 31. "As a man might nurse a child." Aquila interpreted it as "As a nurse lifted up her son." Origen, in his Homilies on Jeremiah, says: "He accommodated himself and descended to you, appropriating our weakness; as a teacher lisping with children, as a father nursing his own children, and putting on their ways, and gradually leading them to more perfect and higher things." Verse 31. "As a man might nurse a child." Aquila interpreted it as "As a nurse lifted up her son." Origen, in his Homilies on Jeremiah, says: "He accommodated himself and descended to you, appropriating our weakness; as a teacher lisping with children, as a father nursing his own children, and putting on their ways, and gradually leading them to more perfect and higher things." Chapter 3.

Verse 18. "And I commanded you." (28) He says this to the tribe of Reuben, and to the tribe of Gad, and to the half (29) tribe of Manasseh.

Verses 27, 28. He gives more to Moses than to Aaron, the ability to see the land with his own eyes. But he does not give entry, imposing this penalty for lack of faith, by which he removes both from the promised land before death, and (30) though they were able to arrive, the end being given only through faith. This indeed is a symbol for the law, which is unable to perfect or restore the promise, because the righteous will live by faith. This is the honor: to know the judgment of God and to foresee one's own end. By the same author. He brings Joshua forward, already sanctified by his following and by the (51) presence of Moses, and about to receive the ruling spirit through Moses, so as to set his own in his place. Just as Elisha was present in the spirit of Elijah to perform Elijah's work; for in the same spirit one must accomplish the same things. Take to yourself, as he says in Numbers, Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the spirit of God in himself, and you shall lay your hands upon him. Thus also the apostles, a life-giving spirit, are inferior.

Having from the Lord's inbreathing, they receive the principal spirit sent down from heaven; not spirit in spirit, one upon another, but an energy in the same spirit, as Paul teaches. Verse 18. And I commanded you. (28) He says this to the tribe of Reuben, and to the tribe of Gad, and to the half (29) tribe of Manasseh. Verses 27, 28. He gives more to Moses than to Aaron, the ability to see the land with his own eyes. But he does not give entry, imposing this penalty for lack of faith, by which he removes both from the promised land from life, and (30) though able to arrive, the end is not given through faith. This indeed is a symbol for the law, unable to perfect nor to restore the promise, because the righteous will live by faith. This honor is to know the judgment of God, and to foresee one's own death. From the same author. He brings forward Joshua, already sanctified from following, and from the presence (51) of Moses, about to receive the principal spirit through Moses in order to set up his own in his place. Just as Elisha was present in the spirit of Elijah to do the work of Elijah; for in the same spirit the same things must be accomplished. Take to yourself, as he says in Numbers, Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the spirit of God in himself, and you shall lay your hands upon him. Thus also the apostles, a life-giving spirit, inferior. (29) Thus we have restored, for "the half." Ed. PATROL. (30) Perhaps "not" for "and." (31) Perhaps "presence.

Having from the Lord's inbreathing, they receive the principal spirit sent down from heaven; not spirit in spirit, one upon another, but an energy in the same spirit, as Paul teaches. Chapter 4.

Verse 12. And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire a voice of words, which you heard. (32) By the same author on the same passage. Another says: For it is clear that one sees and hears thoughts with the eyes of the mind. (33) A voice of words. Here he has spoken according to nature, that hearing receives the voice. For as far as the precision of the text goes, only the Decalogue was written on the tablets, and the rest Moses taught through a command of God. Verse 12. And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire a voice of words, which you heard. (32) By the same author on the same passage. Another says: For it is clear that one sees and hears thoughts with the eyes of the mind. (33) A voice of words. Here he has spoken according to nature, that hearing receives the voice. For as far as the precision of the text goes, only the Decalogue was written on the tablets, and the rest Moses taught through a command of God. Chapter 14.

Verse 19. (34 All creeping things of the birds shall be unclean. Of the birds, I think, it intends those that have spurs below the knees above the feet to be clean; those that do not, unclean.) So the law rejects the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey, and also indeed the vulture. For such things fly high, and love to exalt themselves exceedingly in the highest regions, and despise the lower. For it is said, "The young of the vulture fly high." And in this way, one who has his mind excessively raised and puffed up, and is accustomed to despise equitable and moderate thought, and least of all loves to be drawn along with the lowly. It also condemns along with these the kite, and things like it; by which is very well signified both the habit of snatching and the race of men terrible for wickedness. And of these the kite is the prototype, but not the other, the very black and deep one. For the runners into wickedness are somehow dark and not clear to all, and harmful to the many, while among themselves they provide depravity. It is somehow always attached to those who are sick with accursed arrogance the desire to overreach; whom ordinary and manifold wickednesses cannot overreach with their inventions; and thus to seize insatiably. To this it then adds, saying immediately: And the sparrow, and the gull. For these, I think, are insatiable, always collecting what falls in their way. Then it says, that the hawk and things like it, and the night raven, and the cormorant, and the ibis, and the spoonbill, and the pelican, and the swan.

They would also record against themselves these things, and those who are raw and savagely plotting against others, and those who attack without restraint whatever they might chance upon. Verse 19. (34 All creeping things of the birds shall be unclean. Of the birds, I think, it intends those that have spurs below the knees above the feet to be clean; those that do not, unclean.) So the law rejects the eagle, and the griffin, and the osprey, and indeed also the vulture. For such things fly high, and they love to exult in the very highest regions, and they despise the lower things. For it is said, "The young of the vulture fly high." And in this way, one who is excessively haughty and has a mind raised up within himself, and is accustomed to despise equitable and moderate thought, and least of all loves to be drawn along with the lowly. It also condemns along with these the kite, and things like it; by which is very well signified the race of men skilled at seizing and terrible in wickedness. And of these, the kite is the prototype, but not the other, the very black and deep one. And the runners in wickedness are somehow dark and not clear to all, and harmful to the many, providing depravity among themselves. To those who are sick with accursed arrogance, the desire to overreach always somehow clings; whom the ordinary and manifold wickednesses cannot overreach with their inventions; and thus they also seize this insatiably. To this it immediately adds, saying: "And the sparrow, and the gull." For these, I think, are insatiable, always gathering whatever falls in their way.

Then he says: the hawk and things like it, and the night-raven, and the cormorant, and the ibis, and the hoopoe, and the pelican, and the swan. They would also record against themselves these things, and those who are raw and savagely plotting against others, and those who attack without restraint whatever they might chance upon; the broken one, and the one who has given his mind over to the desires of the flesh, would signify the wooing of a woman. For as one approaches the voice of the army-herald, they withdraw from the sacred and most warlike multitude. And what it was likely that such persons, when caught, would think and say, the herald, having anticipated this, proclaims aloud. Or is it not true that they consider such things? Those who love in persecutions are accustomed to cherish the unyielding, and to follow the zeal for love of God, thinking that if they should suffer something while contending, they fall from houses and possessions and from the desires that are honored among them.

(51) Verse 8. Who is the man who is fearful and cowardly at heart? Of the same author. He who is devoted to earthly things, and builds houses, and plants vineyards, being overcome by the pleasures of love of the flesh, will surely be cowardly and weak.

Verse 10. If you approach a city to make war against it. Similar to: Into which again you enter, you examine (53), who among them is worthy. And the phrase, "with peace," is similar to the apostolic saying: that a servant of the Lord ought not to fight.

Verse 13. And you shall strike every male of it with the sword of slaughter. By the same author. The sword of the spirit would be the word of God. And the sword of the spirit (54), which is the word of God, with which the inspired disciples killed every male of the opposing power, such as Simon and Elymas the magicians, and they destroyed their strong doctrines; but they spared the women, and souls capable of saying: Because of fear of you, Lord, we conceived until on the earth; and likewise the infants, to whom Paul writes: Children, do not be infants in mind, but be infantile in wickedness. And livestock, he says, spare. For the righteous man has pity on the souls of his poor, hinting through livestock at the more irrational ones. Cornelius was also livestock, according to the vision about the quadrupeds that appeared to Peter. Broken, and having surrendered the mind to the desires of the flesh, would signify the wooing of a woman. For when approaching (49) the voice of the military herald, they withdraw from the sacred and most warlike multitude. And what it was likely for such persons, taken together, to think and say, the herald, having anticipated, proclaims. Or is it not true for them (50) to think such things? They are accustomed, loving in persecutions, to love the unchangeable, and to follow the zeal for love of God, thinking that, if they should suffer while contending, they fall from houses and possessions and the desires honored among them. (51) Verse 8. Who is the man who is fearful and cowardly in heart? By the same author.

The one who is devoted to earthly things, building houses and planting vineyards, being overcome by the pleasures of love of the flesh, will surely be in some way cowardly and weak. Verse 10. But if you approach a city to make war against it. Similar to: Into which again you enter, you examine who among them is worthy. And the phrase "with peace" is similar to the apostolic saying: A servant of the Lord must not fight. Verse 13. And you shall strike every male of it with the sword of slaughter. By the same author. The sword of the spirit would be the word of God. And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, with which the inspired disciples slew every male of the opposing power, such as Simon and Elymas the magicians, and they destroyed their strong doctrines; but they preserved the women, and souls able to say: Because of your fear, Lord, we conceived even upon the earth; and likewise the infants, to whom Paul writes: Children, do not be infants in your minds, but be infantile in wickedness. And cattle, he says, preserve. For the righteous man has pity on the souls of his poor, hinting through the cattle at the more irrational ones. Cornelius was also a beast, according to the vision concerning the quadrupeds that appeared to Peter. Chapter 22.

(55) Verse 6. You shall not take the mother together with the young. Because the young cannot feed themselves when the mother has been taken. (55) Verse 6. You shall not take the mother together with the young. Because the young cannot feed themselves when the mother has been taken. Chapter 23.

(56) Verse 3. An Ammonite shall not enter. Why does it forbid intermarriage with Moabites and Ammonites not for a certain time, but forever? First, because of their lawless origin; for they were born from an unlawful union. Next, because of their impiety, from which they also sought to lead the Israelites astray.

they prepared to make them partake, having adorned the women, and through these they ensnared them into the worship of idols. However, the Edomite and the Egyptian he commands to admit after the third generation, the one as a brother, the other as a benefactor who proved so in time of need. For when a famine occurred, their fathers entered Egypt and were fed. Thus the law teaches us not to be forgetful even of an ancient benefaction.

Verse 14. What is this: "Because the Lord your God walks about in your camp"? He knows that air often filled with foul odors can cause plague. Therefore he commanded them, when encamping, to bury the excrement that is discharged. And so that they might not, by disobeying, incur harm, he necessarily added: "Because the Lord your God walks about in your camp." And he teaches the reason: "To deliver you and to give your enemy into your hands before you." Through this he instructs them to do nothing unlawful. For he adds: "And your camp shall be holy, and no deed of indecency shall be found in you.

Verse 12. "And the place shall be for you," he says, "outside the camp, and you shall go out there.

Verse 13. "And a peg shall be for you upon your girdle. And it shall be when you sit outside, and you dig with it, and having drawn up, you shall cover your own indecency.

Verse 14. "For the Lord your God walks about in the camp to rescue you and to deliver your enemy into your hands. And your camp shall be holy, and no indecency of any matter shall be seen in you." For it is fitting that those who desire to subdue the conceptual enemies should renounce every form of uncleanness. But since we all stumble often, and human nature is prone to slip into transgression, and no one is aware of his own faults, according to the words of the Psalmist: "Would that," he says, "one of the innate impurities within you were, as it were, broken off, and that you were caught having fallen ill from something outside the law and a holy life." For the law of sin dwells in the members of the flesh. First, let the faults arising from weakness not be done openly and unconcealed, nor in the sight of many; but rather, as if hidden outside, and as far as possible from the camp; then, let them be covered over by corrections, he says. For the wise will conceal their own shames, according to what is written. For, ceasing from transgressions and, by inclinations toward better things, in a way re-forming the mind to choose what is beneficial, we remove the stumblings from our midst; and, having overcome the disorderly sin by the good odors of subsequent actions, we will again enter into the camp of the saints, that is, into the church of the firstborn. And this is fulfilled in Christ, if we take his cross, employing a swift and most agile mind. For having a peg upon our girdle, that is,

this wood is hinted at obliquely. So spiritually, making the corporeal things a pattern of the intelligible: for we are not in impurities, going into the latrines of the God who made us to help with our eyes. Therefore we must bury impurities, because the Lord walks about in the camp. For Christ dwells in us and walks about within us. (56) Verse 3. An Ammonite shall not enter. Why does it forbid intermarriage with Moabites and Ammonites not for some specified time, but forever? First, because of their lawless origin; for they were born from an unlawful union. Then, because of their impiety, which they also [taught] the Israelites.

they prepared them to partake, having adorned the women, and through these they hunted them into the worship of idols. The Idumaean and the Egyptian, however, he commands to be admitted after the third generation, the one as a brother, the other as a benefactor who had arisen in time of need. For when a famine occurred, their fathers entered Egypt and were sustained. The law therefore teaches us not to be unmindful even of an ancient benefaction. Verse 14. What is this: "That the Lord your God walks within your camp"? The air, often filled with foul odors, can produce plague. He therefore commanded them, when encamping, to bury the excrement that is discharged. And so that they might not, by disobeying, incur harm, he necessarily added: "That the Lord your God walks within your camp." And he teaches the reason: "To choose you, and to deliver your enemy before your face." Through this he instructs them to do nothing unlawful. For he adds: "And your camp shall be holy, and no deed of indecency shall be found in you." Verse 12. "And the place," he says, "shall be for you outside the camp, and you shall go out there." Verse 13. "And you shall have a peg on your belt. And it shall be, when you sit outside, and you dig with it, and having drawn back you shall cover your own indecency." Verse 14. "That the Lord your God walks within your camp to choose you, and to deliver your enemy into your hands. And your camp shall be holy, and no indecency of deed shall be seen in you.

It is fitting, then, that those who desire to take courage against the enemies of the intellect should renounce every form of impurity. But since we all often stumble, and human nature is prone to slipping into error, and no one will understand transgressions, according to the voice of the Psalmist: "Would that," he says, "one of the innate impurities within you were merely broken off, and that you were caught, having sickened from something outside the law and a holy life." For the law of sin dwells in the members of the flesh. First, let the faults arising from weakness not be done openly and unconcealedly, nor in the sight of many, but rather as if hidden outside, and as far as possible from the camp; then let them be covered over by corrections, he says. For the wise will conceal their own shames, according to what is written. For, ceasing from our transgressions and, by inclinations toward better things, in a way re-forming the mind to choose what is beneficial, we remove the offenses from our midst; and having overcome the disorderly sin by the good odors of what follows, we will enter again into the camp of the saints, that is, into the church of the firstborn. And this is fulfilled in Christ, if we take up his cross, employing a swift and most agile mind. For having a peg on our belt, that is,

This wood obliquely hints at something. Spiritually, then, we make bodily things a pattern of intellectual things; for we are not in impurities, going into the latrines to defend against the God who made us. We must, therefore, bury impurities, because the Lord walks in the camp. For Christ dwells in us and walks about among us. Chapter 24.

Verse 6. You shall not take a mill or an upper millstone as a pledge, because you would thus be taking a soul as a pledge. On the same passage, another interpretation. A mill or an upper millstone is not a soul, but it contributes to the production of bread, by which especially human beings live. One must note it on account of the blood. For it was said concerning this: That the blood of the body is the soul. Therefore these things must be understood by a misuse of terms. For neither the blood nor the mill is a soul, but they are things that contribute to living. Verse 6. You shall not take a mill or an upper millstone as a pledge, because you would thus be taking a soul as a pledge. On the same passage, another interpretation. A mill or an upper millstone is not a soul, but it contributes to the production of bread, by which especially human beings live. One must note it on account of the blood. For it was said concerning this: That the blood of the body is the soul. Therefore these things must be understood by a misuse of terms. For neither the blood nor the mill is a soul, but they are things that contribute to living. Chapter 27.

Verse 15. And he shall place it in a secret place. Since it was likely that some, out of fear of punishment, would be eager to escape notice and practice impiety in a hidden and clandestine manner, he subjects those who commit sin without witness to greater fear and threat, and to curses. Such are those who feign a counterfeit piety, while burying their passions within and, in the movement of their mind, running riot toward every form of depravity. These are the ones who place the idols in a secret place.

Verse 17. Cursed is the one who removes the boundaries of his neighbor. The one who removes the boundaries of his neighbor is also the one who, from true knowledge of God and from the divinely inspired way of life, disturbs the inner person found within. And the following verses make this clear.

Verse 18. Cursed is the one who leads a blind man astray on the road. Of the same author. Such are also those from idolatry who draw those of the circumcision into abominable heresies. For they, being blind themselves and not yet having the light of truth and knowledge of God, deceive and lead astray, pointing out another way instead of the apostolic one.

Verse 19. Cursed is the one who perverts judgment for the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow. He places under the same curse those who likewise pervert judgment for the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow, saying the same thing again in another way. For if the literal sense has its usefulness, yet the spiritual interpretation has the higher meaning. For proselytes are those who come from the nations into the holy Church of God. Orphans in the proper sense are those who have renounced their own father, Satan, but have not yet put on Jesus, and are still numbered among the catechumens. Similarly, these are also widows, having turned away from the one who sows in them

the seeds of destruction; but not yet united with Christ, as a pure virgin, according to the divine Apostle. Therefore those who pervert judgment in these matters and do not deliver to them the uncorrupted mystery of piety are under a curse. And one who diligently examines the rest will be able to contemplate spiritually, while preserving the interpretation.

(67) Verse 26. "Cursed is every man who does not abide by all the words of the law." The phrase "in all," present in the Septuagint, is confirmed by the Samaritan copy, in which we found the word "chol," which means "all" or "everything." The Apostle also agrees with this, saying: "For all who are of the works of the law are under a curse." Hence those of the circumcision are proven to be under a curse, because they do not do all things. (68) Verse 15. "And he shall place it in a secret place." Since it was likely that some, out of fear of punishment, would strive to hide and secretly practice impiety in a hidden manner, he subjects those who commit sin without witness to curses, for greater fear and threat against those doing these things. Such are those who feign piety outwardly, but bury their passions within, and in the movement of their mind are frenzied toward every form of depravity. These are the ones who place the idols in a secret place. (62) Verse 17. "Cursed is he who removes the boundaries of his neighbor." He also removes the boundaries of his neighbor who, from true knowledge of God and divine conduct, disturbs the one found within. And the following verses make this clear. (63) (64) Verse 18. "Cursed is he who leads a blind man astray on the road." Of the same author. Such are also those who, from idolatry, draw those of the circumcision into abominable heresies. For they, being blind and not yet having the light of truth and knowledge of God, are deceived and led astray, as they show another road instead of the apostolic one. (65) Verse 19. "Cursed is he who perverts judgment for a proselyte, an orphan, and a widow.

Under the same curse he places those who similarly pervert judgment concerning the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow, saying the same thing again in another way. For if the literal sense has its usefulness, yet the spiritual interpretation has the higher value. For proselytes are those who come from the nations into the holy Church of God. Orphans in the proper sense are those who have renounced their father, Satan, but have not yet put on Jesus, and are still numbered among the catechumens. Similarly, these are also widows, having turned away from the one who sows in them.

the seeds of destruction; but not yet having been joined to Christ, as a pure virgin, according to the divine Apostle. Therefore those who pervert judgment concerning these things, and do not deliver to them the mystery of piety unadulterated, are under a curse. And one who diligently goes through the other matters will be able to consider them spiritually, while preserving the interpretation. (67) Verse 26: Cursed is every man who does not abide by all the words of the law. The phrase "in all," present in the Septuagint, is confirmed by the Samaritan copy, in which we found the word "chol," which means "all" or "everything," being carried. With this the Apostle also agrees, saying: For those who are from the works of the law are under a curse. Hence those of the circumcision are proven to be under a curse, because they do not do all things. CHAP. 33.

Verse 6. “Let Reuben live, and let him not die.” Since Jacob, when dying, cursed Reuben, saying, “Do not boil over like water.” Moses, blessing, says, “Let Reuben live, and let him not die.” Both are fitting. For the father cursed him because he had intercourse with the concubine, thereby instructing and frightening him for the future; and Moses justly blesses him afterwards, because he alone spared Joseph when his brothers wanted to kill him. And it would be absurd for a curse to proceed against one who had sinned, but for a blessing not to be given to one who had done right.