§23« Καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματά μου, ἃ παραθήσῃ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν.
““And these are my ordinances which you shall set before them.
Ἐὰν κτήσῃ παῖδα Ἑβραῖον,» καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς. Ἀναγκαῖον ἐξετάσαι τί νόμος, καὶ τί πρόσταγμα, τί δὲ δικαιώματα, καὶ κρίματα, καὶ καρτύρια, καὶ ἐντολαί.
If you buy a Hebrew slave,” and so forth.” It is necessary to examine what is law, and what is decree, and what are ordinances, and judgments, and testimonies, and commandments.
Δικαιώματα μὲν οὖν ἐστι, τὸ ἐνθάδε εἰρημένον, « Ἐὰν κτήσῃ παῖδα Ἑβραῖον, » καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς, περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰρημένα· κρίμα δὲ, ἵνα ἱερέως θυγάτηρ ἐὰν μοιχευθῇ, πυρὶ κατακαίηται· ἐντολαὶ δὲ, « Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι· » πρόσταγμα δὲ, « Καταβὰς διαμάρτυραι τῷ λαῷ, καὶ πλυνάτωσαν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν· » μαρτύρια δὲ, « Διαμαρτύρομαι ὑμἴν σήμερον τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. » §24« Ἕξ ἔτη δουλεύσει σοι· τῷ δὲ ἔτει τῷ ἑβδόμῳ, ἀπελεύσεται ἐλεύθερος δωρεάν. » Σημαίνει ἡ ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἐλευθέρωσις, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ τῶν ἔργων κατάπαυσις τὴν ἐν χάριτι ἡμῖν διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐλευθερίαν.
Now ordinances are what is said here: “If you buy a Hebrew slave,” and so forth, which is said concerning him; and judgment is that, if a priest’s daughter commits adultery, she should be burned with fire; and commandments are: “You shall have no other gods;” and decree is: “Go down and warn the people, and let them wash their garments;” and testimonies are: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day.” ““Six years he shall serve you, and in the seventh year he shall go out free for nothing.”” The release in the seventh year, and furthermore also the cessation of works on the Sabbath, signify our freedom in grace through Christ.
§25« Προσάξει αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ κριτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος εἶπον, « πρὸς τοὺς θεούς. » Θεοὺς δὲ τοὺς κριτὰς ὀνομάζουσι, καὶ θεοῦ κριτήριον, τὴν τούτων ψῆφον. §26« Τρεῖς καιροὺς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἑορτάσατέ μοι.
““His master shall bring him to the judgment seat of God.”” Aquila and Symmachus said: “to the gods.” For they call the judges “gods,” and their decision “the judgment seat of God.” ““Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me.
Τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἀζύμων φυλάξασθε.
You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread.
Ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἔδεσθε ἄζυμα, καθάπερ ἐνετειλάμην σοι, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ μηνὸς τῶν νέων.
Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time of the month of new things.
Ἐν γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐξῆλθες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου.
For in it you came out of Egypt.
Οὐκ ὀφθήσῃ ἐνώπιόν μου κενὸς, καὶ ἑορτὴν τοῦ θερισμοῦ πρωτογεννημάτων ποιήσεις τῶν ἔργων σου. » Αἱ ἑορταὶ τοίνυν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἷς ἐστι πνεῦμα, πνευματικαί εἰσι· καὶ οὐδεὶς χοϊκὸς ἑορτάζει τὰς ἑορτὰς πνευματικῶς. « Τίς γὰρ συμφωνία δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀνομίας; ἵνα μὴ τὰ ἐξῆς λέγω. Οὐ δύναται χοῖκὸς ἑορτάσαι ἑορτὰς πνευματικὰς, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ πνευματικὸς ἑορτὴν χοϊκήν.
You shall not appear before me empty. And you shall keep the feast of harvest, of the firstfruits of your labors.”” Therefore, to those who have the spirit, the feasts of God are spiritual; and no one of dust celebrates the feasts spiritually. ““For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness?” — lest I speak of what follows.” One of dust cannot celebrate spiritual feasts, just as a spiritual person cannot celebrate a feast of dust.
Καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα. Τί ἐστιν ὁ μὴν τῶν νέων;
And after a few words: “What is the month of new things?
τοὺς αἰσθητοὺς φήσεις καρπούς·
You will say: the sensible fruits.
οὕπω ἐνέστηκεν ὁ μὴν τῶν νέων, τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ φέρε εἰπεῖν ὀψιμωτέρου ὄντος.
The month of new things has not yet arrived, let us say, when the year is later.
Τὸ δὲ, ἐὰν γένηταί ποτε ἐνιαυτὸς, ὥστε μηδὲ φέρειν τὴν γῆν τοὺς καρποὺς, ἆρα δυνάμεθα ἑορτάζειν ἐν τῷ μηνὶ τῶν νέων, ὡς κεκέλευκεν ὁ Θεὸς ἑορτάζειν τοὺς ἑορτάζοντας;
But as for this: if a year should ever occur such that the land does not even bear fruit, can we indeed celebrate in the month of new things, as God has commanded those who celebrate to celebrate?
Οὐκοῦν δεῖ κατʼ ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν ἑορτὴν ἑορτάζειν.
Therefore, we must celebrate the feast year by year.
Ἐπαπορῶ δὲ πάλιν καὶ περὶ τοῦ δευτέρου νόμου, τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν τὴν δευτέραν.
But I raise a further doubt also concerning the second law, that which is according to the second feast.
Φησὶ γὰρ « ἑορτὴν τοῦ θερισμοῦ τῶν πρωτογενημάτων. » Ἐάν τις σπείρῃ, καὶ μὴ γένωνται οἱ καρποὶ πρῶτοι, ἀλλὰ τελευταῖοι, οὗτος οὐκ ἄν δύναιτο ἑορτάσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ θερισμοῦ τῶν πρωτογενημάτων.
For it says: “the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits.” If anyone should sow, and the fruits should not become the first, but the last, this person would not be able to celebrate the beginning of the harvest of the firstfruits.
Δεῖ γὰρ ἔχειν σε γεννήματα, ἵνα δυνηθῇς ἑορτάζειν.
For you must have produce in order to be able to celebrate.
Τί δὲ, ἅν χώραν μὴ ἔχω, πῶς ἂν δυναίμην τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην ἑορτάζειν, τῆς λέξεως λεγούσης, « Καὶ ἑορτὴν θερισμοῦ τῶν πρωτογεννημάτων ποιήσεις τῶν ἔργων σου, ὦν ἐὰν σπείρῃς ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ σου;
And what if I do not have land? How could I celebrate this feast, when the text says: “And you shall keep the feast of harvest of the firstfruits of your labors, of what you sow in your field”?
» οὐκ ἔσπειρα, οἰκοδόμος εἰμί· οὐκ ἔσπειρα, ὑφάντης εἰμί· ἀγρὀν οὐκ ἔχω, πῶς δύναμαι τὴν δευτέραν ἑορτάζειν ἑορτήν;
I did not sow, I am a builder; I did not sow, I am a weaver; I do not have a field, how can I celebrate the second feast?
Καὶ δὴ καὶ περὶ τὴν τρίτην, « Καὶ ἑορτὴν συντελείας ἐπʼ ἐξόδῳ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ. »
And indeed also concerning the third: “And the feast of completion at the end of the year.””