§32Ἀριθμῷ τεσσαράκοντα μαστιγώσουσιν αὐτόν. Ἀεί γε τετηρήκαμεν κακωτικὸν ὄντα τὸν μ΄ ἀριθμόν· ὅθεν Μωῦσῆς ὁ μέγας τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας νηστεύσας, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ὁ Ἠλίας· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου οὐκ ἔφαγεν μ΄ ἡμέρας καὶ μ΄ νύκτας· καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ κατακλυσμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γίνεται, ὕοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα νύκτας.
"They shall scourge him forty times in number." We have always observed that the number forty is of an afflictive nature; whence great Moses fasted forty days, and after him Elijah; and indeed our Savior, being tempted by the devil, did not eat for forty days and forty nights; and the great deluge also occurred upon the earth, God raining for forty days and forty nights.
Οὐκ ἐπιβαλεῖς αὐτοῖς σίδηρον. Ζητητέον διὰ τί σίδηρον οὐκ ἐᾷ τῶν λίθων ἅψασθαι εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου χρησιμευόντων.
"You shall not apply iron to them." We must inquire why He does not allow iron to touch the stones that serve for the building of the altar.
Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ λίθους ἀπελεκήτους προστάττει συναγαγεῖν, καὶ οἰκοδομῆσαι.
But even after this, He commands to gather unhewn stones for the building of the temple, and to build it.
Εἰ γὰρ ἄτοπον τὸ σίδηρον ἅπτεσθαι τοῦ λίθου πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν ἁρμόττοντος, πῶς οὖν ἄρα οἱ κίονες. πῶς οὖν αἱ σανίδες καὶ αἱ τούτων κεφαλίδες εἰργάσθησαν;
For if it is improper for iron to touch a stone suited for building, how then were the pillars, how were the planks and their capitals fashioned?
Ἢ πῶς ὅσα ἐκ χαλκοῦ γέγονεν ἢ χρυσοῦ ἢ ἀργύρου, κατεσκευάσθη ἄρα ἄνευ σιδηροῦ;
Or how indeed could all things made of bronze, or gold, or silver, be constructed without iron?
Καὶ πῶς οἷόντε;
And how is it possible?
Διὰ τούτωνφανερὸν μὲν, ὅτι οὐχ ἀπλῶς ἀπαγορεύει τὸ σίδηρον ἅψασθαι τῶν λίθων.
By these things it is manifest that He does not simply forbid iron to touch the stones.
Τίς οὖν ἡ αἰτία;
What then is the cause?
Λέγομὲν οὐ διϊσχυριζόμενοι.
We speak, not asserting dogmatically.
Ταῦτα δὴ τοίνυν.
Indeed, it is these very things.
Σκληρὸν σιδήριον ἐπιβάλλειν, πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον ἀπαγορευτέον σκληρῷ ἐπιβάλλειν καὶ συγκρούειν κωλύει.
How is it not rather forbidden to apply hard iron, and how does He prevent applying it and striking it against a hard thing?
Μεγάλα γὰρ φιλεῖ τίκτεσθαι κακὰ ἐκ αῆς τῶν σκληρῶν συμμίξεως καὶ συγκρούσεως.
For great evils are wont to be generated from the intermingling and striking of hard things.
Ἢ τὸν φόνον ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω τῆς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκβάλλει· καὶ μάλα δικαίως.
Or, He casts out murder as far as possible from the hearts of men, and very justly so.
Εἰ γὰρ οὐ χρὴ λίθῳ τῷ οἰκοδομουμένῳ εἰς τὴν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κατασκευὴν, ἢ τοῦ ναοῦ, σιδήριον ἐπιβάλλειν, πῶς οὐ μἄλλον ἀπαγορευτέον τὸ σίδηρον ἁρπάζειν, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον φονᾷν; ΄
For if one must not apply iron to a stone being built for the construction of the altar or the temple, how much more should it be forbidden to seize iron and murder one's neighbor?
§33Οὗτοι στήσοται εὐλογεῖν τὸν λαόν. Παρατηρητέον ὅτι οἱ εὐλογεῖν ταχθέντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐλευθέρων γυναικῶν καὶ συγγενῶν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐγεννήθησαν· οὕτω οἱ δὲ καταρᾶσθαι ἀφορισθέντες ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρους Γεβὰλ, ἀπὸ τῶν παιδισκῶν ἦσαν, πλὴν τοῦ Ῥουβὶμ καὶ τοῦ Ζαβουλών.
"These shall stand to bless the people." It must be observed that those appointed to bless were born of the free wives and relatives of Jacob; but those set apart to curse from Mount Ebal were from the handmaids, except Reuben and Zebulun.
Τέτακται δὲ ὁ Ῥουβὶμ μετὰ τῶν καταρωμένων, ὡς καὶ καταρώμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός.
And Reuben is arranged among those who curse, as being also cursed by his father.
Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν Λευὶ κατηράσατο, ἀλλὰ λελύτρωται αὐτὸς τῇ ἱερατικῇ ἀξία.
And even if he cursed Levi as well, yet Levi has been redeemed by his priestly dignity.
Μάλιστα γὰρ ἱερέως ἐστὶ τὸ τὸν λαὸν εὐλογεῖν.
For it belongs especially to a priest to bless the people.
Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Συμεὼν ὡς ἐν μέσῳ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς οἰκήσας, καὶ ὥσπερ μέρος αὐτῆς γεγονὼς, διὰ τοῦτο ὅπου Ἰούδας, ἐκεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀριθμεῖται.
Moreover, Simeon, having dwelt in the midst of the tribe of Judah, and having become as it were a part of it, is for this reason numbered wherever Judah is.
§34Καὶ αὕτη ἡ εὐλογία ἣν ηὐλόγησε Μωϋσῆς. Αἱ παρὰ Ἰακὼβ προῤῥήσεις, οὕτε πᾶσαι εὐλογίαι ἦσαν, οὕτε πᾶσαι ἀραί· αἱ δὲ παρὰ Μωῦσέως, πᾶσαι εὐλογίαι.
"And this is the blessing with which Moses blessed." The predictions by Jacob were neither all blessings nor all curses; but those by Moses were all blessings.
§35Καὶ κατέσπευσεν ἐξ ὄροῦς Φαράν. Τουτέστι τῷ μηκέτι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ χρηματίζειν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἔστησε.
"And He hasted from Mount Paran." That is, by no longer speaking to Israel, but to those of the nations, and He established the law.
Τοῦτο γὰρ, « κατέ σπευσεν ἐξ ὅρους Φαρὰν, » εἴτουν « κατέπαυσεν. » ὅπερ ἑτέρα περιέχει γραφὴ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, σπουδαίως τὴν σκιὰν καταλείψει, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἡμῖν φανερώσει.
For this, "He hasted from Mount Paran," or "He rested," as another scripture contains, is instead of saying, He will swiftly leave the shadow behind and manifest the truth to us.
§36Σὺν μυριάσι Κάδης. Νῦν Κάδης οὐ τὸν τόπον λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἁγίους.
"With myriads of Kadesh." Here "Kadesh" does not speak of the place, but of the holy ones.
Κάδης γὰρ τὸ ἄγιον λέγεται τῇ Ἑδραΐδι γλώττῃ.
For "Kadesh" is called "holy" in the Hebrew tongue.
§37Καὶ ἐφείσατο τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ἔσωσε παραγενόμενος τοὺς οὐ λαοὺς ποτὲ, νῦν δὲ λαοὺς Θεοῦ, τοὺς οὐκ ἠλεημένους, νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντας.
"And He spared His people." That is, having arrived, He saved those who were once not a people but are now the people of God, those who had not received mercy but have now received mercy.
« Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος, ἐφανερώθη ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν. » Καὶ ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης λέγει ἐν τῇ καθολικῇ, ὅτι « τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα ζήσωμεν διʼ αὐτοῦ. » Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλός φησιν· « Ὅ γε τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. » Ἐφείσατο οὖν τοῦ λαοῦ.
"For in this," says the apostle Peter, "the love of God was manifested among us." And Saint John says in his Catholic Epistle, "God has sent His only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through Him." And the blessed Paul also says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all." Therefore, He spared the people.
§38Καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡγιασ μένοι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖράς σου. Πάντων γὰρ κρατεῖ, ὡς βασιλεὺς οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς.
"And all the sanctified ones are under your hands." For He rules over all, as King of heaven and earth.
Ὡς βασιλεῖ παριστάμενοι, ὡς Θεῷ λειτουργοῦντες, ὡς ποιητῇ προσκυνοῦντες, καὶ ὑπʼ αὐτόν εἰσιν· « αὐτὸς γὰρ καὶ τὰ πάντα ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. » §39Συναχθέντες ἄρχοντες λαῶν. Οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ, ᾗ φησι καὶ ὁ Δαυὶδ ἐκ προσώπου αὐτῶν· « Ὑπέταξε λαοὺς ἡμῖν, καὶ ἔθνη ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν. » Καὶ πάλιν· Ἄρχοντες λαῶν συνήχθησαν μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἀβραάμ. » Τὴν κλῆσιν οὖν δηλοῖ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὦς τοῦ Θεοῦ μέλλοντος ἄρξειν ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν.
Standing before Him as King, serving Him as God, worshiping Him as Creator, they are also under Him; "for He Himself subjected all things under His feet." "The rulers of the peoples being gathered." These are the divine disciples, as David also says in their person: "He subjected peoples to us, and nations under our feet." And again: "The rulers of the peoples gathered together with the God of Abraham." It indicates, therefore, the calling of the nations, as God is going to rule over both Israel and the nations at the same time.
« Ἠγαπημένος » δὲ λέγεται ὁ Υἱός. « Οὗτος γάρ ἐστι, φησὶν, ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός. » Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἄρχει ἡμῶν ὁ Παπτὴρ καὶ βασιλεύει.
And the Son is called "the Beloved." "For this," he says, "is my beloved Son." And through Him, the Father rules and reigns over us.