§49διὰ τοῦτο μέντοι κἀν τῷ νόμῳ τῆς λέπρας ὁ μέγας πάντα Μωυσῆς τὴν μὲν κίνησιν καὶ ἐπὶ πλέον αὐτῆς φορὰν καὶ χύσιν ἀκάθαρτον, τὴν δ’ ἠρεμίαν καθαρὰν ἀναγράφει· λέγει γὰρ ὅτι „ἐὰν διαχέηται ἐν τῷ δέρματι, μιανεῖ ὁ ἱερεύς. ἐὰν δὲ κατὰ χώραν μείνῃ τὸ τηλαύγημα καὶ μὴ διαχέηται, καθαριεῖ“(Lev. 13,22. 23)·
Therefore, indeed, even in the law of leprosy, the altogether great Moses records its movement and further rush and spreading as unclean, but its rest as clean; for he says: "If it spreads in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; but if the bright spot remains in its place and does not spread, he shall pronounce him clean" (Lev. 13:22-23); so that the quiet and remaining of the vices and passions in the soul—for these are what he allegorically refers to by leprosy—is not blameworthy, but their movement and rush is deservedly liable.
ὥστε τὴν μὲν ἡσυχίαν καὶ μονὴν κακιῶν καὶ παθῶν τῶν κατὰ ψυχὴν — ταῦτα γὰρ αἰνίττεται διὰ τῆς λέπρας — οὐχ ὑπαίτιον εἶναι, τὴν δὲ κίνησιν καὶ φορὰν ὕποχον δέοντως. §50τὸ παραπλήσιον καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τὸν Κάιν χρησθεῖσι λογίοις περιέχεται σημειωδέστερον· λέγεται γὰρ πρὸς αὐτόν· ὦ οὗτος, „ἥμαρτες, ἡσύχασον“(Gen. 4,7), τοῦ μὲν ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι κινεῖσθαι καὶ ἐνεργεῖν κατὰ τὴν κακίαν ἦν, ὄντος ἐνόχου, τοῦ δ’ ἡσυχάζειν, ὅτι ἴσχεσθαι καὶ ἠρεμεῖν, ἀνυπαιτίου καὶ σωτηρίου.
Something similar is contained even more significantly in the oracles declared to Cain; for it is said to him: "O you, you have sinned, be quiet" (Gen. 4:7), since sinning, because it was to move and act according to vice, is liable, but being quiet, because it is to be held back and remain at rest, is blameless and saving.
§51Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἱκανῶς γε, οἶμαι, προείρηται.
These things indeed, I think, have been sufficiently said.
τὰς δ’ ἀρὰς [ἔχοντα], ὃν ἔχουσι λόγον, ἴδωμεν· „ἐπικατάρατος“φησί „Χαναάν· παῖς οἰκέτης ἔσται τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ“· καὶ „εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς Σήμ, καὶ ἔσται Χαναὰν δοῦλος αὐτοῖς“(Gen. 9, 25. 26).
Let us now see the curses, what meaning they have; "Cursed," he says, "be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brethren"; and "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall be their servant" (Gen. 9:25-26).
§52ἔφαμεν πάλαι, ὅτι Σὴμ ἐπώνυμός ἐστιν ἀγαθοῦ, καλούμενος οὐκ ὀνόματος εἴδει, ἀλλ’ ὅλον τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ ὄνομα, παρόσον τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὀνομαστὸν μόνον καὶ εὐφημίας καὶ εὐκλείας ἄξιον, ὡς ἔμπαλιν ἀνώνυμον καὶ δυσώνυμον τὸ κακόν.
We said long ago that Shem is the namesake of the good, being called not by a species of name, but his whole genus is the name, inasmuch as the good alone is famous and worthy of fair fame and glory, whereas on the contrary the bad is nameless and ill-famed.
τίνος οὖν τὸν τῆς φύσεως τἀγαθοῦ μεμοιραμένον εὐχῆς ἀξιοῖ;
Of what prayer, then, does he deem worthy the one who has received a portion of the nature of the good?
§53τίνος;
Of what?
καινοτάτης καὶ παρηλλαγμένης, ᾗ θνητὸς οὐδεὶς ὑπηρετῆσαι δυνατός, ἀφ’ ἧς σχεδὸν ὥσπερ ἀπ’ ὠκεανοῦ ῥέουσιν αἱ ἄφθονοι καὶ ἀέναοι πλημμυροῦσαι καὶ ἀναχεόμεναι τῶν καλῶν πηγαί.
A most novel and extraordinary one, which no mortal is able to minister to, from which, almost as if from an ocean, flow the abundant and ever-flowing, overflowing and spreading fountains of good things.
τὸν γὰρ κύριον καὶ θεὸν τοῦ τε κόσμου καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ πάντων ἰδίᾳ θεὸν κατ’ ἐξαίρετον χάριν τοῦ Σὴμ ἀνακαλεῖ.
For the Lord and God of both the world and all things in it, he calls specifically the God of Shem by a special grace.
§54καὶ ὅρα· τίνας ὑπερβολὰς τοῦτο οὐχ ὑπερβάλλει;
And see: what limits does this not transcend?
σχεδὸν γὰρ ἰσότιμος ὁ τούτου λαχὼν γίνεται κόσμῳ· ὅτε γὰρ τὸ ἐπιστατοῦν καὶ κηδόμενον ἀμφοῖν ταὐτόν, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτροπευόμενα κατ’ ἀναγκαῖον εὐθύς ἐστιν ἰσότιμα.
For the one who has obtained this becomes almost equal in honor to the world; for when that which presides over and cares for both is the same, those things which are cared for are by necessity straightway equal in honor.
§55μήποτε δὲ καὶ ἐπιδαψιλεύεται τὰ τῶν δωρεῶν· τοῦ μὲν γὰρ αἰσθητοῦ κόσμου δεσπότης καὶ εὐεργέτης ἀνείρηται διὰ τοῦ κύριος καὶ θεός, τοῦ δὲ νοητοῦ ἀγαθοῦ σωτὴρ καὶ εὐεργέτης αὐτὸ μόνον, οὐχὶ δεσπότης ἢ κύριος· φίλον γὰρ τὸ σοφὸν θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ δοῦλον.
But perhaps he even bestows the gifts more abundantly; for of the sensible world he is declared master and benefactor through the words "Lord and God", but of the intelligible good, savior and benefactor only, not master or lord; for the wise is rather a friend to God than a slave.
§56παρὸ καὶ σαφῶς ἐπὶ Ἀβραὰμ φάσκει· „μὴ ἐπικαλύψω ἐγὼ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ φίλου μου“(Gen. 18, 17); ὁ δὲ ἔχων τὸν κλῆρον τοῦτον πέραν ὅρων ἀνθρωπίνης εὐδαιμονίας προελήλυθε· μόνος γὰρ εὐγενὴς ἅτε θεὸν ἐπιγεγραμμένος πατέρα καὶ γεγονὼς εἰσποιητὸς αὐτῷ μόνος υἱός· οὐ πλούσιος, ἀλλὰ πάμπλουτος, ἐν ἀφθόνοις καὶ γνησίοις, οὐ χρόνῳ παλαιουμένοις, καινουμένοις δὲ καὶ ἡβῶσιν ἀεὶ τρυφῶν ἀγαθοῖς μόνοις· §57οὐκ ἔνδοξος, ἀλλ’ εὐκλεής, τὸν μὴ κολακείᾳ νοθούμενον, ἀλλὰ βεβαιούμενον ἀληθείᾳ καρπούμενος ἔπαινον· μόνος βασιλεύς, παρὰ τοῦ πανηγεμόνος λαβὼν τῆς ἐφ’ ἅπασιν ἀρχῆς τὸ κράτος ἀνανταγώνιστον· μόνος ἐλεύθερος, ἀφειμένος ἀργαλεωτάτης δεσποίνης, κενῆς δόξης, ἣν ὑπέραυχον οὖσαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀκροπόλεως ἄνωθεν ὁ ἐλευθεροποιὸς καθεῖλε θεός.
Wherefore also he says clearly regarding Abraham: "Shall I hide from Abraham my friend?" (Gen. 18:17); and the one who has this portion has gone beyond the boundaries of human happiness; for he alone is well-born, inasmuch as he has registered God as father and has become his only adopted son; not rich, but all-rich, reveling only in abundant and genuine goods, not made old by time but always being renewed and in full bloom; not famous, but glorious, reaping praise not adulterated by flattery, but confirmed by truth; alone king, having received from the ruler of all the undisputed sovereignty of dominion over all things; alone free, having been released from a most grievous mistress, empty glory, whom, though she was arrogant, God the deliverer cast down from her citadel on high.
§58τούτῳ δὴ τῷ τοσούτων καὶ οὕτως ὑπερβαλλόντων καὶ ἀθρόων ἀξιωθέντι ἀγαθῶν τί προσήκει ποιεῖν ἢ λόγοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς καὶ ὕμνοις τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀμείβεσθαι;
To this man indeed, who has been deemed worthy of so many and such transcending and abundant goods, what is fitting to do other than to repay his benefactor with words and songs and hymns?
τοῦτ’ ἔσθ’, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὃ αἰνίττεται διὰ τοῦ „εὐλογημένος κύριος ὁ θεὸς Σήμ“, ἐπειδὴ τῷ τὸν θεὸν ἔχοντι κλῆρον εὐλογεῖν καὶ ἐπαινεῖν αὐτὸν ἁρμόττει μόνον τοῦτ’ ἀντιπαρασχεῖν δυναμένῳ, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα ἀνὰ κράτος πάνθ’ ἁπλῶς ἀδυνατοῦντι. §59Τῷ μὲν δὴ Σὴμ εὔχεται ταῦτα·
This is, as it seems, what he allegorically refers to through: "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem", since for him who has God as his portion, it is fitting to bless and praise Him, as he is able to offer this alone in return, while in all other things he is simply utterly unable, even with all his might.
τῷ δ’ Ἰάφεθ ὁποῖα, θεασώμεθα· „πλατύναι“φησίν „ὁ θεὸς τῷ Ἰάφεθ, καὶ κατοικησάτω ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τοῦ Σήμ, καὶ γενέσθω Χαναὰν δοῦλος αὐτοῖς„ (Gen. 9, 27).
These things indeed he prays for Shem; but what kind for Japheth, let us see: "May God enlarge," he says, "Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be their servant" (Gen. 9:27).