§50ἀνάγκη γὰρ ὑγιεῖ κανόνι τὰ παρατιθέμενα εὐθύνεσθαι.
For it is necessary that things which are compared be directed by a sound rule.
διὰ τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ὁ περισσὸς τῦφος, ἐπίκλησιν Ἰοθόρ, καταπλαγεὶς τὴν ἀρρεπῆ καὶ ἰσαιτάτην καὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχουσαν προαίρεσιν τοῦ σοφοῦ σχετλιάζειν καὶ ἀναπυνθάνεσθαι τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον· „διὰ τί σὺ κάθησαι μόνος„ (Exod. 18,14); §51ἰδὼν γάρ τις τὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ συνεχῆ πόλεμον ἀνθρώπων οὐ κατὰ ἔθνη καὶ χώρας καὶ πόλεις αὐτὸ μόνον συνιστάμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατ’ οἰκίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ καθ’ ἕνα ἄνδρα ἕκαστον, καὶ τὸν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἄλεκτον καὶ βαρὺν χειμῶνα, ὃς ὑπὸ βιαιοτάτης φορᾶς τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον πραγμάτων ἀναρριπίζεται, τεθαύμακεν εἰκότως, εἴ τις ἐν χειμῶνι εὐδίαν ἢ ἐν κλύδωνι κυμαινούσης θαλάττης γαλήνην ἄγειν δύναται.
For this reason, it seems to me that even that superfluous pride, called Jethro, being struck with amazement at the unbending, most equal, and constant disposition of the wise man, which is always in the same state and in the same manner, complained and inquired in this way: "Why do you sit alone?" (Exod. 18:14); For if anyone sees the continuous war of men in time of peace, which is established not only among nations, countries, and cities, but also in every household, and even within each individual man, and the unspeakable and heavy storm in their souls, which is stirred up by the most violent impulse of the affairs of life, he would naturally wonder whether anyone in a storm is able to enjoy fair weather, or to keep calm in the surging waves of a tempestuous sea.
§52ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐδὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς λόγος ἐνδιατρίβειν ἀεὶ καὶ ἐνσχολάζειν τοῖς ἁγίοις δόγμασι δυνάμενος ἄδειαν ἔσχηκεν ἀνὰ πάντα καιρὸν πρὸς αὐτὰ φοιτᾶν, ἀλλ’ ἅπαξ δι’ ἐνιαυτοῦ μόλις (Lev. 16,2. 34);
Do you see that not even the high-priestly Word, though able to abide always and devote leisure to holy doctrines, has obtained freedom to approach them at all times, but scarcely once a year (Lev. 16:2, 34)?
τὸ μὲν γὰρ μετὰ λόγου τοῦ κατὰ προφορὰν οὐ βέβαιον, ὅτι δυάς, τὸ δ’ ἄνευ φωνῆς μόνῃ ψυχῇ τὸ ὂν θεωρεῖν ἐχυρώτατον, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν §53ἀδιαίρετον ἵσταται μονάδα.
For that which is accompanied by the spoken word is not secure, because it is a dyad, whereas to contemplate Being with the soul alone without voice is most secure, because it stands according to the indivisible monad.
ὥστε οὖν ἐν μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς, τουτέστι τοῖς πολλὰ τοῦ βίου τέλη προτεθειμένοις, οὐ καταμένει τὸ θεῖον πνεῦμα, κἂν πρὸς ὀλίγον χρόνον ἀναστραφῇ, μόνῳ δὲ ἀνθρώπων εἴδει ἑνὶ παραγίνεται, ὃ πάντα ἀπαμφιασάμενον τὰ ἐν γενέσει καὶ τὸ ἐσωτάτω καταπέτασμα καὶ προκάλυμμα τῆς δόξης ἀνειμένῃ καὶ γυμνῇ τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς θεὸν ἀφίξεται.
Therefore, indeed, in the multitude—that is, in those who have set before themselves many ends of life—the divine spirit does not remain, even if it should visit for a short time, but it comes to only one kind of men, which, having stripped off all things in generation and the innermost veil and covering of glory, will arrive before God with a relaxed and naked intellect.
§54οὕτως καὶ Μωυσῆς ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ τοῦ σωματικοῦ παντὸς στρατοπέδου πήξας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σκηνήν (Exod. 33, 7), τουτέστι τὴν γνώμην ἱδρυσάμενος ἀκλινῆ, προσκυνεῖν τὸν θεὸν ἄρχεται καὶ εἰς τὸν γνόφον, τὸν ἀειδῆ χῶρον, εἰσελθὼν αὐτοῦ καταμένει τελούμενος τὰς ἱερωτάτας τελετάς.
Thus Moses also, having pitched his tabernacle outside the camp and all the bodily army (Exod. 33:7)—that is, having established his mind so as to be unbending—begins to worship God, and entering into the darkness, the invisible place, abides there, being initiated into the most sacred rites.
γίνεται δὲ οὐ μόνον μύστης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἱεροφάντης ὀργίων καὶ διδάσκαλος θείων, ἃ τοῖς ὦτα κεκαθαρμένοις ὑφηγήσεται.
And he becomes not only an initiate, but also a hierophant of the mysteries and a teacher of divine things, which he will impart to those whose ears have been purified.
§55τούτῳ μὲν οὖν τὸ θεῖον ἀεὶ παρίσταται πνεῦμα πάσης ὀρθῆς ἀφηγούμενον ὁδοῦ, τῶν δὲ ἄλλων, ὡς ἔφην, τάχιστα διαζεύγνυται, ὧν καὶ τὸν βίον ἐν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν ἀριθμῷ πεπλήρωκε· λέγει γάρ· „ἔσονται αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἴκοσιν“(Gen. 6,3).
To him, therefore, the divine spirit is always present, guiding him in every right way; but from others, as I said, it very quickly departs, and He has filled their life with the number of one hundred and twenty years; for He says: "Their days shall be one hundred and twenty years" (Gen. 6:3).
§56ἀλλὰ καὶ Μωυσῆς τῶν ἴσων γενόμενος ἐτῶν τοῦ θνητοῦ βίου μετανίσταται (Deut. 34,7).
But Moses also, having reached the same number of years, departed from this mortal life (Deut. 34:7).
πῶς οὖν εἰκὸς ἰσοχρονίους εἶναι τοὺς ὑπαιτίους τῷ πανσόφῳ καὶ προφήτῃ;
How then is it reasonable for those who are guilty to have the same lifespan as the all-wise prophet?
εἰς μὲν οὖν τὸ παρὸν ἀρκέσει τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τὰ ὁμώνυμα οὐ πάντως ἔσθ’ ὅμοια, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ὅλῳ γένει διέζευκται, καὶ ὅτι τὸ φαῦλον τῷ σπουδαίῳ δύναται μὲν καὶ ἀριθμοὺς καὶ χρόνους ἔχειν τοὺς ἴσους, ἐπεὶ καὶ δίδυμον εἰσάγεται, ἀπηρτημένας δὲ καὶ μακρὰν ἀλλήλων διῳκισμένας δυνάμεις.
For the present, it will suffice to say this: that homonymous things are not entirely similar, and often they are separated even by a whole genus, and that the base man can have the same numbers and times as the virtuous man—since twins are also introduced, yet they have powers that are disconnected and widely separated from one another.
§57τὸν δὲ ἀκριβῆ λόγον τῶν εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν ὑπερθησόμεθα εἰς τὴν τοῦ προφητικοῦ βίου παντὸς ἐξέτασιν, ὅταν αὐτὸν ἱκανοὶ γενώμεθα μυεῖσθαι, νυνὶ δὲ τὰ ἑξῆς λέγωμεν.
But we shall postpone the precise explanation of the one hundred and twenty years to the examination of the entire prophetic life, when we become capable of being initiated into it, and for now let us speak of what follows.
§58„Οἱ δὲ γίγαντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις“(Gen. 6,4).
"And the giants were upon the earth in those days" (Gen. 6:4).
ἴσως τις τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ποιηταῖς μεμυθευμένα περὶ τῶν γιγάντων οἴεται τὸν νομοθέτην αἰνίττεσθαι πλεῖστον ὅσον διεστηκότα τοῦ μυθοπλαστεῖν καὶ τοῖς ἀληθείας ἴχνεσιν αὐτῆς ἐπιβαίνειν ἀξιοῦντα.
Perhaps someone thinks that the lawgiver is hinting at the myths told by the poets about the giants, but he is as far as possible from myth-making, and he deems it worthy to tread upon the footprints of truth itself.
§59παρὸ καὶ εὐδοκίμους καὶ γλαφυρὰς τέχνας, ζωγραφίαν καὶ ἀνδριαντοποιίαν, ἐκ τῆς καθ’ αὑτὸν πολιτείας ἐξήλασεν, ὅτι τὴν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ψευδόμεναι φύσιν ἀπάτας καὶ σοφίσματα δι’ ὀφθαλμῶν ψυχαῖς εὐπαραγώγοις τεχνιτεύουσι.
Therefore he also banished the famous and refined arts, painting and sculpture, from his commonwealth, because they falsify the nature of the true reality and contrive deceptions and sophistries through the eyes for easily-led souls.