1 Now, in that Moses said, "You shall not eat swine, nor an eagle, nor a hawk, nor a crow, nor any fish which has no scales on itself," he included three doctrines in his understanding.
2 Moreover he says to them in Deuteronomy, "And I will make a covenant of my ordinances with this people." So then the ordinance of God is not abstinence from eating, but Moses spoke in the spirit.
3 He mentioned the swine for this reason: you shall not consort, he means, with men who are like swine, that is to say, when they have plenty they forget the Lord, but when they are in want they recognize the Lord, just as the swine when it eats does not know its master, but when it is hungry it cries out, and after receiving food is again silent.
4 "Neither shall you eat the eagle nor the hawk nor the kite nor the crow." You shall not, he means, join yourself or make yourself like to such men, as do not know how to gain their food by their labor and sweat, but plunder other people's property in their iniquity, and lay wait for it, though they seem to walk in innocence, and look around to see whom they may plunder in their covetousness, just as these birds alone provide no food for themselves, but sit idle, and seek how they may devour the flesh of others, and become pestilent in their iniquity.
5 "You shall not eat," he says, "the lamprey nor the polypus nor the cuttlefish." You shall not, he means, consort with or become like such men who are utterly ungodly and who are already condemned to death, just as these fish alone are accursed, and float in the deep water, not swimming like the others but living on the ground at the bottom of the sea.
6 "Nor will you eat the hare." You shall not be, he means, a seducer of boys nor will you make yourself like to such men. For every year the hare the hare every year grows itself another new orifice, so that it has as many orifices as years it has lived.
7. "Nor shall you eat," he says, "the hyena"; that is, you shall not be a cheater or adulterer, nor a seducer, nor like to any of these. For this animal changes its nature every year, and at one time acts male, at another time female.
8. But, as he says, you should hate the weasel. You shall not, he means, be like those men who immorally use their mouths to do forbidden things, nor shall you associate with women who use their mouths to do forbidden things. For this animal conceives through its mouth.
9 Moses received three doctrines concerning food and thus spoke of them in the Spirit; but they [the Jews] received them as really referring to food, owing to the lust of their flesh.
10 But David received knowledge concerning the same three doctrines, and says: "Blessed is the man who has not gone in the counsel of the ungodly" as the fishes go in darkness in the deep waters, "and has not stood in the way of sinners" like those who seem to fear the Lord, but sin like the swine, "and has not sat in the seat of the scorners" like the birds who sit and wait for their prey. Grasp fully the doctrines concerning food.
11 Moses says again, "Eat of every animal that is cloven hoofed and ruminant." What does he mean? That he who receives food knows him who feeds him, and rests on him and seems to rejoice. Well did he speak with regard to the commandment. What then does he mean? Consort with those who fear the Lord, with those who meditate in their heart on the meaning of the word which they have received, with those who speak of and observe the ordinances of the Lord, with those who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate on the word of the Lord. But what does "the cloven hoofed" mean? That the righteous both walks in this world and looks forward to the holy age. See how well Moses legislated.
12 But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things? But we having a righteous understanding of them announce the commandments as the Lord wished. For this cause he circumcised our hearing and our hearts that we should comprehend these things.
1 But let us ask if the Lord took pains to foretell the water of baptism and the cross. Concerning the water it has been written with regard to Israel that they will not receive the baptism that brings the remission of sins, but will build something else for themselves.
2 For the Prophet says, "Be astonished, O heaven, and let the earth tremble the more at this, that this people has committed two evils: they have deserted me, the spring of life, and they have dug for themselves a cistern of death.
3 Is my holy mountain Sinai a desert rock? For you shall be as the fledgling birds, fluttering about when they are taken away from the nest."
4 And again the Prophet says, "I will go before you and I will make mountains level, and I will break gates of brass, and I will shatter bars of iron, and I will give you treasures of darkness, secret, invisible, that they may know that I am the Lord God."
5 And, "You shall dwell in a lofty cave of a strong rock." And, "His water is sure, you shall see the King in his glory, and your soul shall meditate on the fear of the Lord."
6 And again he says in another Prophet, "And he who does these things shall be as the tree, which is planted at the partings of the waters, which shall give its fruit in its season, and its leaf shall not fade, and all things, whatever he does, shall prosper.
7 It is not so with the wicked, it is not so; but they are even as the chaff which the wind drives away from the face of the earth. Therefore the wicked shall not rise up in judgment, nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish."
8 Mark how he described the water and the cross together. For he means this: blessed are those who hoped on the cross, and descended into the water. For he speaks of their reward "in his season"; at that time, he says, I will repay. But now when he says, "Their leaves shall not fade," he means that every word which shall come forth from your mouth in faith and love, shall be for conversion and hope for many.
9 And again another Prophet says, "And the land of Jacob was praised above every land." He means to say that he is glorifying the vessel of his Spirit.
10 What does he say next? "And there was a river flowing on the right hand, and beautiful trees grew out of it, and whoever shall eat of them shall live for ever."
11 He means to say that we go down into the water full of sins and foulness, and we come up bearing the fruit of fear in our hearts, and having hope on Jesus in the Spirit. "And whoever shall eat of them shall live for ever." He means that whoever hears and believes these things spoken shall live for ever.
1 Similarly, again, he describes the cross in another Prophet, who says, "And when shall all these things be accomplished? says the Lord. When the tree shall fall and rise, and when blood shall flow from the tree." Here again you have a reference to the cross, and to him who should be crucified.
2 And he says again to Moses, when Israel was warred upon by strangers, and in order to remind those who were warred upon that they were delivered unto death by reason of their sins -- the Spirit speaks to the heart of Moses to make a representation of the cross, and of him who should suffer, because, he says, unless they put their trust in him, they shall suffer war for ever. Moses therefore placed one shield upon another in the midst of the fight, and standing there raised above them all kept stretching out his hands, and so Israel again began to be victorious: then, whenever he let them drop they began to perish.
3 Why? That they may know that they cannot be saved if they do not hope on him.
4 And again he says in another Prophet, "I stretched out my hands the whole day to a disobedient people and one that refuses my righteous way."
5 Again Moses makes a representation of Jesus, showing that he must suffer, and shall himself give life, though they will believe that he has been put to death, by the sign given when Israel was falling (for the Lord made every serpent bite them, and they were perishing, for the fall took place in Eve through the serpent), in order to convince them that they will be delivered over to the affliction of death because of their transgression.
6 Moreover, though Moses commanded them: -- "You shall have neither graven nor molten image for your God," yet he makes one himself to show a type of Jesus. Moses therefore makes a graven serpent, and places it in honor and calls the people by a proclamation.
7 So they came together and asked Moses to offer prayer on their behalf for their healing. But Moses said to them, "Whenever one of you," he said, "be bitten, let him come to the serpent that is placed upon the tree, and let him hope, in faith that it though dead is able to give life, and he shall straightway be saved." And they did so. In this also you have again the glory of Jesus, for all things are in him and for him.
8 Again, why does Moses say to Jesus [Joshua], son of Nun, when he gives him, prophet as he is, this name, that the whole people should listen to him alone? Because the Father was revealing everything concerning his Son Jesus.
9 Moses therefore says to Jesus the son of Nun, after giving him this name, when he sent him to spy out the land, "Take a book in your hands and write what the Lord says, that the Son of God shall in the last day tear up by the roots the whole house of Amalek."
10 See again Jesus, not as son of man, but as Son of God, but manifested in a type in the flesh. Since therefore they are going to say that the Christ is David's son, David himself prophesies, fearing and understanding the error of the sinners, "The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand until I make your enemies thy footstool."
11 And again Isaiah speaks thus, "The Lord said to Christ my Lord, whose right hand I held, that the nations should obey before him, and I will shatter the strength of Kings." See how "David calls him Lord" and does not say Son.
1 Now let us see whether this people [Christians] or the former people [Jews] is the heir, and whether the covenant is for us or for them.
2 Hear then what the Scripture says concerning the people: "And Isaac prayed concerning Rebecca his wife, because she was barren, and she conceived. Then Rebecca went forth to inquire of the Lord and the Lord said to her: two nations are in your womb, and two peoples in your belly, and one people shall overcome a people, and the greater shall serve the less."
3 You ought to understand who is Isaac and who is Rebecca, and of whom he has shown that this people is greater than that people.
4 And in another prophecy Jacob speaks more plainly to Joseph his son, saying, "Behold the Lord has not deprived me of your presence; bring me your sons, that I may bless them."
5 And he brought Ephraim and Manasseh, and wished that Manasseh should be blessed, because he was the elder; for Joseph brought him to the right hand of his father Jacob. But Jacob saw in the spirit a type of the people of the future. And what does he say? "And Jacob crossed his hands, and placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the second and younger son, and blessed him; and Joseph said to Jacob, Change your right hand on to the head of Manasseh, for he is my first-born son. And Jacob said to Joseph, I know it, my child, I know it; but the greater shall serve the less, and this one shall indeed be blessed."
6 See who it is of whom he ordained that this people is the first and heir of the covenant.
7 If then besides this he remembered it also in the case of Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge. What then does he say to Abraham, when he alone was faithful, and it was counted him for righteousness? "Behold I have made your, Abraham, the father of the Gentiles who believe in God in uncircumcision."
1 So it is. But let us see whether the covenant which he swore to the fathers to give to the people -- whether he has given it. He has given it. But they were not worthy to receive it because of their sins.
2 For the Prophet says, "And Moses was fasting on Mount Sinai, to receive the covenant of the Lord for the people, forty days and forty nights. And Moses received from the Lord the two tables, written by the finger of the hand of the Lord in the Spirit"; and Moses took them, and carried them down to give them to the people.
3 And the Lord said to Moses, "Moses, Moses, go down quickly, for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have broken the Law. And Moses perceived that they had made themselves again molten images, and he cast them out of his hands, and the tables of the covenant of the Lord were broken."
4 Moses received it, but they were not worthy. But learn how we received it. Moses received it when he was a servant, but the Lord himself gave it to us, as the people of the inheritance, by suffering for our sakes.
5 And it was made manifest both that the tale of their sins should be completed in their sins, and that we through Jesus, the Lord who inherits the covenant, should receive it, for he was prepared for this purpose, that when he appeared he might redeem from darkness our hearts which were already paid over to death, and given over to the iniquity of error, and by his word might make a covenant with us.
6 For it is written that the Father enjoins on him that he should redeem us from darkness and prepare a holy people for himself.
7 The Prophet therefore says, "I the Lord your God did call you in righteousness, and I will hold your hands, and I will give you strength, and I have given you for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, and to bring forth from their fetters those that are bound and those that sit in darkness out of the prison house." We know then whence we have been redeemed.
8 Again the Prophet says, "Lo, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, to be for salvation unto the ends of the earth, thus says the Lord the God who did redeem you."
9 And again the Prophet says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the Gospel of grace to the humble, he sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim delivery to the captives, and sight to the blind, to announce a year acceptable to the Lord, and a day of recompense, to comfort all who mourn."
CHAPTER 15
1 Furthermore it was written concerning theSabbath in the ten words which he spoke on Mount Sinai, face to face to Moses. "Sanctify also the Sabbath of the Lord with pure hands and a pure heart."
2 And in another place he says, "If my sons keep the Sabbath, then will I bestow my mercy upon them."
3 He speaks of the Sabbath at the beginning ofthe Creation, "And God made in six days the works of his hands and on the seventh day he made an end, and rested in it and sanctified it."
4 Notice, children, what is the meaning of "He made an end in six days"? He means this: that the Lord will make an end of everything in six thousand years, for a day with him means a thousand years. And he himself is my witness when he says, "Lo, the day of the Lord shall be as a thousand years." So then, children, in six days, that is in six thousand years, everything will be completed.
5 "And he rested on the seventh day." This means, when his Son comes he will destroy the time of the wicked one, and will judge the godless, and will change the sun and the moon and the stars, and then he will truly rest on the seventh day.
6 Furthermore he says, "You shall sanctify it with clean hands and a pure heart." If, then, anyone has at present the power to keep holy the day which God made holy, by being pure in heart, we are altogether deceived.
7 See that we shall indeed keep it holy at that time, when we enjoy true rest, when we shall be able to do so because we have been made righteous ourselves and have received the promise, when there is no more sin, but all things have been made new by the Lord:then we shall be able to keep it holy because we ourselves have first been made holy.
8 Furthermore he says to them, "Your new moons and the sabbaths I cannot abide." Do you see what he means? The present sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but that which I have made, in which I will give rest to all things and make the beginning of an eighth day, that is the beginning of another world.
9 Wherefore we also celebrate with gladness the eighth day in which Jesus also rose from the dead, and was made manifest, and ascended into Heaven.
CHAPTER 16
1 I will also speak with you concerning the Temple, and show how the wretched men erred by putting their hope on the building, and not on the God who made them, and is the true house of God.
2 For they consecrated him in the Temple almost like the pagans. But learn how the Lord speaks, in bringing it to naught, "Who has measured the heaven with a span, or the earth with his outstretched hand? Have not I? says the Lord. Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, what house will you build for me, or what is the place of my rest?" You know that their hope was vain.
3 Furthermore he says again, "Lo, they who destroyed this temple shall themselves build it."
4 That is happening now. For owing to the [Jewish] war [66-73 CE] it was destroyed by the enemy; at present even the servants of the enemy will build it up again.
5 Again, it was made manifest that the city and the temple and the people of Israel were to be delivered up. For the Scripture says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days that the Lord shall deliver the sheep of his pasture, and the sheep-fold, and their tower to destruction." And it took place according to what the Lord said.
6 But let us inquire if a temple of God exists. Yes, it exists, where he himself said that he makes and perfects it. For it is written, "And it shall come to pass when the week is ended that a temple of God shall be built gloriously in the name of the Lord."
7 I find then that a temple exists. Learn then how it will be built in the name of the Lord. Before we believed in God the habitation of our heart was corrupt and weak, like a temple really built with hands, because it was full of idolatry, and was the house of demons through doing things which were contrary to God.
8 "But it shall be built in the name of the Lord." Now give heed, in order that the temple of the Lord may be built gloriously. Learn in what way. When we received the remission of sins, and put our hope on the Name, we became new, being created again from the beginning; wherefore God truly dwells in us, in the habitation which we are.
9 How? His word of faith, the calling of his promise, the wisdom of the ordinances, the commands of the teaching, himself prophesying in us, himself dwelling in us, by opening the door of the temple (that is the mouth) to us, giving repentance to us, and thus he leads us, who have been enslaved to death into the incorruptible temple.
10 For he who desires to be saved looks not at the man, but at him who dwells and speaks in him, and is amazed at him, for he has never either heard him speak such words with his mouth, nor has he himself ever desired to hear them. This is a spiritual temple being built for the Lord.
Adapted from the translation of Kirsopp Lake (1912).