Commentary on the book of Genesis

“Interpretation of the Book of Genesis” (112 questions) is part of the essay “Questions on the Octateuch”, which is blessed. Theodoret of Cyrus dedicated it to his “beloved son Hypatius,” the chorebishop. The work was written after 453. The interpretation is compiled in the form of questions and answers. Some questions are devoted to what is silent about the Holy Scriptures. For example, questions 2-4 cover the topic of why the Bible does not say when angels were created - before the creation of heaven and earth or later. To the question why creation is spoken of twice in the Book of Genesis, Blessed. Theodoret answers that the first verses only summarize what will be discussed in more detail later. According to the blessed Theodoret, the Old Testament contains the doctrine of the Holy Trinity (especially where God is spoken of in the plural (Question 20)), the anticipation of the coming of the Savior, His expectation and prediction about Him. For example, Jacob's blessing to Judah (Gen. 49:8) can only be understood as a prediction fully fulfilled in Christ, otherwise it is meaningless (Question 112). Question 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 Question 1. Why didn’t the writer provide theology for the story about the creation of the universe? Divine Scripture usually proportions lessons to the strengths of the students, and offers the perfect to the perfect, and to the imperfect - the original and in accordance with the measure of their strength. Since the Egyptians deified the visible creation, and the Israelites, having lived with them for a long time, became involved in this same wickedness; then the writer, of necessity, offers them a doctrine about creation, and clearly teaches that creation has a beginning of existence, and that its Creator is the God of all. But he did not fail to teach Theology. For to say that heaven, earth and other parts of creation were brought into being, and to show that the Creator of this is the God of all, meant to set forth a theology sufficient for that time. The writer discovered the beginning of creatures, but could not find the beginning of the Creator. And thus, recognizing God as eternal, he called Him the Creator of the universe, and the good Creator, and very wisely combined Theology with natural science. Those who were taught this knew about the eternity of God even before. For the divine Moses, when he was sent by the God of all to Egypt, was commanded to say to his fellow tribesmen: “He has sent me to you” (Ex. 3:14). And the word: “This” expresses eternity. Those who are curious know that this was said before what was written in the book of Genesis; for Moses taught this teaching to those who lived in Egypt, but he wrote the book in the desert. Question 2: Why did Moses not mention the creation of angels? There was no firmness or consistency in the Israelites who were taught the Law. Soon after many and untold miracles, they proclaimed God - the image of a calf. What would they not do if they acquired knowledge of the invisible natures? Therefore, the God of all, before Abraham, who reached perfection, did not converse with any of the ancients through an angel. And the divine Moses mentioned the angel for the first time in the story of Hagar, for which there was a very good reason. For Hagar, according to the divine apostle, prefigured the Old Testament. “Hagar,” he says, “Mountain Sina is in Arabia, and is attached to what is now Jerusalem” (Gal. 4:25). So, since the Law was given through angels, as it is said: “The angels were given by the hand of an Advocate” (Gal. 3:19); and again: “Even if the word spoken by the angels was known” (Heb. 2:2); then it was very fitting for the God of all, through an angel, to remind Hagar about slavery and predict about the son she would give birth to. And that angels, archangels and other incorporeal beings, all except the Holy Trinity, have a created [created] nature, the Divine Scripture clearly teaches us this. For the prophet David commands them too to sing songs to God. “Praise Him,” he says, “all His angels; praise Him, all His might” (Ps. 149:2); He also adds the reason, teaching: “As He spoke, and it came to pass: He commanded, and it was created” (Ps. 149:5); and in another psalm: “make your angels spirits, and your servants a fiery flame” (Ps. 103:4). And the blessed three youths, composing a divine song in the oven, after they had uttered this beautiful and extremely decent beginning: “Bless all the works of the Lord the Lord” (Dan. 3:57), they soon added: “Bless the angels of the Lord the Lord..., bless all the powers of the Lord the Lord” (Dan. 3:58, 61). But I consider it unnecessary to talk a lot about this, because all Divine Scripture is filled with this teaching. Question 3. Did angels begin to exist before heaven and earth, or were they brought into being together with them? I consider such questions unnecessary. For what will it profit him who knows the time of the creation of angels? I know that the divine Apostle also instructs the wonderful Timothy to “teach some people not differently, but give heed to fables and endless genealogies” (1 Tim. 1:3-4). I will say, however, that I recognize it as consistent with the purpose of divine Scripture. We have been taught that God’s nature alone is unlimited, because it is uncreated, without beginning and eternal: while beings who have received the beginning of existence, as is obvious, have limited existence. Therefore, although we call the angelic nature incorporeal, we nevertheless recognize the essence of angels as limited. For how can one imagine with the mind, in the words of the divine Daniel, “thousands of thousands... and tens of them” (Dan. 7.10), without imagining each angel in a special limitation? But I think no one will argue that angels have a limited essence. For the Lord Christ said that every person is entrusted to the care of a single angel. “Take heed,” he says, “so that you do not despise only these little ones... who believe in Me: as their angels... always see the face of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18.10). Divine Scripture also testifies that an angel is placed over every nation; because the Angel, who talked with the prophet Daniel, named both the prince of Persia, and the prince of Hellenism, and Michael, the prince of the Jews. And the great Moses says in song: “When you divided the languages ​​of the High, as if you had scattered the sons of Adam, you set boundaries for the tongue according to the number of the angels of God” (Deut. 32.8). Therefore, if one angel is entrusted to rule over these, and another over those, each person spends his life under the supervision of one angel; then, obviously, angels have a limited essence. And if this is true (as indeed it is true); then they need a place; because one Deity, as unlimited, is not contained in a place. But if the angels are limited to space; then how can they exist before heaven and earth? For as long as there is no containing, can there be content? Question 4. But others say: “we must believe that angels existed before heaven and earth.” For, they continue: “While there were no angels, how was the God of all hymns?” But those who assume this do not know that this opinion makes the angels both beginningless and eternal. For if the God of all had a need for those who sang songs, and there were always those who sang songs, then the angels are co-eternal with the God of all. And if they were not always there, but when God wanted them, God created them; it was an age in which the God of all had no hymns. Therefore, the Lord God had no need for hymns; because His nature needs nothing; out of one goodness He gave existence to the angels, the archangels, and all creation. And what kind of service would the angels have had before the existence of creation, when there were no those who needed their help? For that they serve the God of all in the care of people, the divine apostle is witness to this, who cries out: “Are not all souls sent out to serve for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1.14)? Therefore, it is clear that we need their help; and God, although he does not have the slightest need for anything, but, like an abyss of goodness, wanted to impart existence to those who never existed. Those who strive to assert that angels existed before heaven and earth, as a strong and irresistible objection, present to us what was spoken by the God of all to Job: when I created “the stars, they praised Me... all the angels are Mine” (Job.38.7). They do not notice that the God of all things created the stars on the fourth day, along with the sun and moon. And it is probable that the angels were created at the same time as heaven and earth, so that, seeing how light is created from nothing, and the firmament thickens among the water, and the moist essence is separated from the earth, and the earth, according to the word of God, is decorated with all kinds of growth, and everything else, according to God’s will, comes into being - from what they saw, they knew that they themselves have a created nature, having received existence from God. For the divine apostle also adds angels to the world, saying: “The world is a disgrace, both angel and man” (1 Cor. 4.9). I say this not in the affirmative; for I consider it bold to assert decisively what the divine Scripture does not say in exact words. On the contrary, I expressed what I considered consistent with a pious way of thinking. However, it is necessary to know that all beings, except the Holy Trinity, have a created nature. And if this is recognized; It will not harm the teaching of piety if we say that hosts of angels came into being before heaven and earth. “The word is forbidden for any reason, for the ruin of those who hear,” the divine apostle forbids in exact words (2 Tim. 2.14). Question 5. If there was an earth, then how did it come into existence? And the writer says: “the earth was nothing” (Gen. 1.2). The earth was invisible and unstructured, and darkness was on top of the abyss, and the Spirit of God was carried on top of the waters. (Gen.1.2). This question is very empty and meaningless. He who said, “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Gen. 1.1) did not say that the earth is eternal, but says that after heaven, or together with heaven, it came into being. At the same time, the writer did not say in a detached sense: “there was no earth,” but added the following: “the earth was invisible and unsettled” (Gen. 1.2), i.e. brought into being by the God of all, but was still “invisible” because water covered it, and “unsettled” because it was not yet decorated with plants, flowering meadows, groves and harvests. Question 6. Moses did not teach us that God also created water. However, having said: “the earth is invisible and unstructured, and darkness is at the top of the abyss,” he showed that the nature of the waters was created with the earth. And legitimizing the Sabbath, the God of all said: “Six days you shall do..., and on the seventh day is the Sabbath (rest) of the Lord your God... In six days the Lord God created heaven and earth, the sea and everything that is in them” (Ex. 20.9-11). And from this it is clear that every being in them, visible or invisible, sensory or mental, everything except the essence of God has a created nature. And the most divine David, having said: “Blessed is the God of Jacob, his helper; his trust is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth,” added: “the sea and all that is in them” (Ps. 145.5-6). Question 7. What kind of light was found deprived of the place in the world, so that darkness could be “top of the waters” (Gen. 1.2)? We reason that if there was anything before this sensory world; then, obviously, this was in the light; because the ranks of angels and all the heavenly hosts did not live in darkness, but in light and in all spiritual joy. And this will not be disputed by anyone who admits among the promised blessings that heavenly light, about which Solomon speaks: “the light of the righteous is always” (Proverbs 13.9). And the apostle said: “giving thanks... to the Father, who has called us to partake of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Col. 1.12). So, since the sky, by God's command, suddenly spread out over everything encompassed by its own circumference, the vault of heaven has a density sufficient to separate the external from the internal; then this firmament, of necessity, cutting off the external rays, formed the dark place it encompasses. For to produce shadow three things must come together: light, body, and an unlit place. Therefore, this world darkness was produced by the vault of heaven. Question 8. If light was created by God; then how did He create darkness? Darkness and light are opposite to each other. Light and darkness are opposite to each other, but they are also necessary for people. Light helps people in their work and hard work, shows visible objects, and excites them to sing songs to their Creator. And darkness calms and renews people, puts an end to the fatigue that work produces, and gathers people into homes, and gives animals freedom to look for their own food. The divine David clearly teaches us this; for he says: “Thou hast laid down the darkness, and it has become night; in it all wild beasts will pass through: let the roaring ones snatch away and seek food for themselves from God. The sun has risen and gathered together, and they will lie down in their beds. A man will go out to his work and to his work until the evening” (Ps. 103.20-23). And having said this, he marvels at the greatness of creative deeds, and continues: “How great are Thy works, O Lord: with wisdom Thou hast done all things” (Ps. 103.24). Thus, we learned exactly that darkness is necessary. And that it is not some kind of entity, but something accidental, it is not difficult to find out; because it is a shadow cast by heaven and earth, and therefore disappears when light appears. Light is an essence, and it is independent; Having come in, it appears again, and having left, it returns again. Just as our body is a certain essence, and the shadow it produces is something accidental, and not an essence: so heaven and earth, these greatest of bodies, are different essences, and the shadow they produce, while there is no light, is called darkness. But the light that comes destroys the darkness. This can be proven in another way. A house in which there are no windows is full of darkness, but when a lamp is brought in, it is illuminated; while the darkness does not move to another place; because she had no independence, and was something without substance; it is completely dissipated by the presence of light, because it is a shadow produced by the ceiling, floor and walls, and then scattered by the rays of light. We see this repeated every day. With the removal of light, the shadow of heaven and earth produces darkness, and with the appearance of light, darkness is dispelled. Therefore, darkness is neither an uncreated entity nor any created being; on the contrary, it is a necessary phenomenon produced by created things and preaching God's wisdom. The Prophet also sees in it why the God of all should be praised; for he says: “He who created light and created darkness.” 1 He used both expressions very decently, saying: about light - “created”, and about darkness - “arranged”: because darkness is something random, composed and dissipated. And the three blessed youths, calling all creation to song, combined night with day, and added darkness to light. By their succession time is measured and human life is organized. Question 9. What spirit hovered “on top of the waters” (Gen. 1.2)? According to some, the All-Holy Spirit, who revived the watery nature and prefigured the grace of baptism. But I consider it more fair to say that the writer here refers to the air as spirit. For having said that God created heaven and earth, and under the name of the abyss he mentioned the waters, he necessarily also mentioned the air, which extends from the surface of the water to the sky, because the property of air is to float over the bodies that are below. The writer said very decently: “worn”, and not covered, because the word “worn” expresses the mobile essence of the air. And if anyone does not agree with such a thought, because it is written: “The Spirit of God is carried on the top of the water” (Gen. 1.2); then let him hear what blessed David says about the God of all: “His spirit breathes and the waters flow” (Ps. 147.7). But even if I don’t say it, it goes without saying that David called the wind the Spirit of God, because as soon as the Heur or the south wind blows, frozen water usually melts. Question 10. To whom does God say: “let there be light..., let there be firmament” (Gen. 1.3, 6)? And God said: Let there be light. And there was light. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate water from water. [And it became so.] (Gen.1.3, 6). He does not command anyone else to create, but he calls upon the non-existent. Here the command is the will itself. For it is said: “God has created everything that God wills” (Ps. 113.11). If He spoke any word, then, obviously, not for the sake of soulless elements, but for the sake of invisible forces, so that they know that by His command, even non-existent things come into being. Question 11. Why did the writer add: “and God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1.4, 8)? And God saw the light as good, and God separated between the light and between you. And God called the firmament the sky. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day. (Gen.1.4, 8). To convince the ungrateful not to blaspheme what God’s judgment calls good. Question 12. Is there one sky, or are there two? Since the Divine Scripture teaches that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and then says that after the creation of light, on the second day the firmament was created, this question shows the great foolishness of those asking. Both in time and in the method of creation it was necessary to understand the difference between the heavens: one was created before the light, the other after the light; one from nothing, the other from water. For it is said: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let there be a parting in the midst of water and water” (Gen. 1.6). Then, having said that the word became a deed (for this is indicated by the words: “and so it was”), the writer teaches how it became. For he says: “And God made the firmament: and God divided between the waters that were under the firmament, and between the waters that were above the firmament. And God called the firmament the heavens” (Gen. 1.7–8). The first heaven is not called the firmament, but from the very beginning it is called heaven. And this received its name from the thing itself. Since it was composed of the fluid essence of waters, and the liquid substance became impenetrable and solid, it is called firmament. And then, since it is above and replaces the first heaven for us, it is called heaven. God divided the watery nature of everyone into two parts: and he placed one part above the firmament, and left the other below, so that the waters that are above, with their humidity and coldness, prevented the fire of the luminaries from harming the firmament, and the waters remaining below, with their evaporations, fed the air, warmed and dried by the fire that is above. Therefore, whoever does not allow the second heaven does not follow the right path; and whoever tries to count many heavens follows fables, neglecting the teaching of the Divine Spirit. Divine Scripture refers to the heavens in the plural, saying: “the heavens of heavens” (Ps. 148.4), because in the Hebrew language neither heaven nor water are named in the singular. Much like this can be found in the Greek language. So no one calls the city of Athens in the singular; they call it Athens in the plural. And no one calls the city of Delphi Delphi, but in the plural they call it Delphi. So, not because there are many heavens, but preserving the property of the Hebrew language, Divine Scripture expressed heaven in the plural. In another psalm, teaching us this more clearly, and departing from the property of language, it said this: “heaven is the heaven of the Lord” (Ps. 113.24). From this it is clear that, just as this sky serves as a shelter for us, and the earth serves as a platform, so the visible sky has the upper sky as its shelter. Question 13. Why does Moses, having spoken of one gathering of waters, then point to many? For he says: “The waters under the heavens were gathered into their congregations” (Gen. 1.9) And God said: let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one, and let the dry land appear. And be it. And the waters under heaven were gathered into their congregations, and dry land appeared. (Gen.1.9). There is one collection of waters, because the seas are connected to each other - some below by some kind of underground channels, others on the surface itself. The writer also named the assemblies in the plural, because another is the Indian Sea, and another is the Pontic Sea, another is the Tyrrhenian, another is the Gulf of Propontis, another is the Hellespont, another is also the Aegean, and another is the Ionian. Outside them there is also a great sea, which some call the Atlantic, and others the ocean. Therefore, the writer, since the seas are connected, called them “a single assembly,” and since they are taken separately, he called them “assemblies.” Question 14. Why did God command the growth of herbs that are not suitable for food? There are many kinds of dumb animals, sometimes called beasts, sometimes cattle, sometimes reptiles, sometimes birds. God prepared food for all of them, and He created them for the benefit of people, which is why it is said that they eat for our sake. For it is said: “grass is grazing by cattle, and grain is for the service of man” (Ps. 103.14). Therefore, what is not useful to one is useful to another, and what is unnecessary for people is suitable for those created for the sake of man. Moreover, the Lord, foreseeing that people who had been sentenced to death for sin would suffer illness, commanded the earth to grow herbs that were not only edible, but also cured ailments. And this can be learned with greater accuracy from those practicing the art of medicine, namely, that what is apparently harmful heals diseases, because when mixed with other herbs it becomes a preventative and brings health. Question 15. After the creation of the luminaries, what became the original light? The Lord God creates from non-existent and creates from existing: he created the first heaven from non-existent, and the second from waters. Thus he brought into being the land that did not exist, and commanded it to grow into kinds of trees and seeds. Therefore he created the light as he pleased. But just as he divided the watery nature with the firmament, placed part above the firmament, and left part under the firmament: so, according to His will, dividing that light, He created the great and small luminaries. Question 16. What does it mean when it is said: “for signs, and for seasons, and for years, and for days” (Gen. 1.14)? And God said: let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to illuminate the earth and separate between day and night: and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years (Gen. 1.14). The sun, by its rising and setting, produces days, and as it flows through the southern and northern sides, it describes the annual circle. It also makes turns, which the Divine Scripture called at times. For, moving from the equinox to the north, it produces spring, then, beginning to return from there to the same limit, it makes a summer turn, and when from the equinox it passes to the south, then autumn occurs, and by returning from the south it produces winter. And by the course of the moon we know the number of months, for the moon completes its course in thirty days without six hours; Therefore, we call this number of days a month, because the moon is also called a month. We do not understand the phrase “for signs” in the same sense as foolish people. For neither Pythagoras, nor Socrates, nor Plato, nor the Stoics accepted the nonsense about the confluence of stars on birthdays. If those brought up in fables abhorred the wickedness of this fable; Who among those who believe in Divine words will tolerate this teaching, which is not only evil, but also extremely senseless? So, Divine Scripture calls signs that with the help of which the time is known when to sow, plant, and cut down trees suitable for building ships and houses. From here those involved in navigation learn when to set the boat in motion, and when to moor it to the shore, when to assemble and when to release the sails; because experience had taught them to notice the rising and setting of the stars. Often, when we see a comet, or a shaggy one or with a long tail, we foresee either an invasion of enemies, or an attack of locusts, or a pestilence of livestock and people. And the writer called these things signs, and not fortune-telling, filled with all sorts of foolishness and wickedness. Question 17. Why did God create plants before the light, and animals after? Animals have eyes, and would not tolerate an excess of light, but light, divided into small and large bodies, produces a radiance commensurate with the vision of animals, and the nature of plants is devoid of sense. Question 18. Why did God not bless the plants, but say to the animals: “Multiply” (Gen. 1.22) and so on? And I bless God, saying: grow and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth. (Gen.1.22). God, having desired, immediately filled the whole earth with meadows, fields and all kinds of herbs and trees, and produced dumb animals in pairs; why, not without reason, he gave them a blessing, so that, according to the fertility given to them, some would fill the seas, lakes and rivers, others would fill the air, others would fill the earth. Question 19. Why did God create animals and reptiles? For children, we need intimidation, and whips, and rods: with some you bring them into fear, with others we punish, we do the same and other things, teaching them to all decency. And since the Lord God foresaw that they would deviate into laziness, He prepared animals, like some kind of scourges and monsters, so that, by bringing us into fear, they would attract us to Himself and bring us to the need to call on Him for help. But just as adults have no regard for monsters and scourges, so the children of virtue are not afraid of the attacks of beasts, because before Adam’s sin there were beasts, recognizing their slavery, and also Noah, when he entered the ark, was followed, like sheep, by a lion, a leopard, and the most evil reptiles. And lions stood before Daniel, hungry for food, but not daring to approach, because they saw in him the God-like features of God’s image. So the viper, sinking its teeth into the apostle’s hand, and not finding sinful relaxation and exhaustion in him, immediately fell away and threw itself into the burning fire, as if punishing itself for touching a body that it should not have attacked. And we are afraid of animals because our life is not virtuous. Therefore, God, who cares about the careless, gave deserted places to the animals, and appointed the time of night for them to obtain food: for “in it,” it is said, “all the beasts of the oak trees will pass through” (Ps. 103.20). And God gave the reptiles clefts in the ground so that by hiding in them they would not harm the human race. But so that, being completely unharmed, we do not begin to despise them as least capable of harming us, God, who wisely manages our affairs, sometimes allows that out of many thousands, two or three are wounded by scorpions, or bitten by snakes, so that we, fearing to suffer something like that, call on the help of the God who created, and pray to Him to protect us with His omnipotent Providence. Besides this and in other respects, animals are not useless to us, because doctors prepare many preventative medicines from them. Therefore, let no one reproach the Creator for the animals, taking into account only that the animals are in themselves, but let him find out what benefit they have. And in the human body there is a lot of beauty, harmony, mutual correspondence of parts, but there is also phlegm, saliva and fetid excrement that separates. However, no sane person humiliates a living being for this, because without this it is impossible for him to live, and thus moistened, he grows in strength. He needs mucus, blood, and both biles; but just as it is supported by them, it is also destroyed by them; because an excess or deficiency of any of the above destroys a living being. So again, if someone cuts off one joint from the fingers, he will find it completely useless, but this joint, until it is cut off, brings very great benefit to the body. Therefore, we must act in this way: not consider each part of creation separately, what it is in itself, but seek whether it is useful for the whole universe. Fire burns, and [is] not only destructive to our bodies, but burns houses, ships, and fields, but it is one of the four elements by which everything is brought into order, and it is impossible for mortal nature to live without fire. And the water also floods the earth, destroys houses, destroys many sailors, even harms those who drink it untimely and immoderately; but no one, unless he is completely reckless, will call the water destructive; because it irrigates the earth, nourishes plants, dumb animals, and the human race. Therefore, we will consider every other creature in the same way, without inquiring whether it is harmful or useful, taken in itself, but whether it provides any benefit in its overall composition. For even animals fear man because of the power over them given to him at the beginning, but sometimes they despise him as having transgressed the Divine Law, because crafty slaves also have the custom of treating contemptuously those whom their masters ordered to rule over them, as soon as they see that by their misdeeds they have deprived themselves of the opportunity to act freely. Question 20. To whom did God say: “Let us make man in our image and likeness” (Gen. 1.26)? And God said: Let us make man in our image and likeness, and let him have the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the animals, and all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. (Gen.1.26). Some of the godless heretics claimed that God spoke this to the angels and evil demons; these mentally damaged did not understand what was said: “in our image.” For God and the angels do not have the same essence and not the same image: the nature of God is eternal, but the angels have God as their Creator and Creator, having received existence from Him, and the demons have arbitrarily turned into evil. Therefore, it is a sign of extreme foolishness to assume that both evil demons and the Sea of ​​Goodness have the same image. The Jews fell into another kind of madness: they claim that the God of all things said to Himself: “Let us make man,” in imitation of those to whom the highest power is entrusted. For city governors and military leaders have the custom of speaking in the plural: we command, we write, we decree, and the like. But these foolish ones did not understand that the God of all in many places speaks of Himself in the singular, for example: “the time of every man has come before Me” (Gen. 6.13); and: “I thought... that I would create man” (Gen.6.6); and: “I will consume man” (Gen.6.7); and: “Let there be no gods for you other than Me” (Exodus 20.3); and: “Behold, I create a new thing, even now they will shine” (Is.43.19); also: “I will open springs on the mountains and rivers on the hills” (Is. 41.18). And in all Divine Scripture in general one can see that the God of all speaks in the singular, but rarely speaks in the plural, thereby proving the number of Persons of the Trinity. Thus, when languages were mixed, he did not say in the singular: “I will come down and confuse the tongues,” but: “Come, and let us come down and confuse... their tongues” ( Gen. 11.7) Therefore, here too, since he created a rational living being, which after many births he had to renew with the sacrament of Holy Baptism, performed through the invocation of the Holy Trinity; then, intending to create this nature that could receive this sacrament, he secretly depicted the identity of the essence and the number of Persons. For, having said: “God spoke,” he made it clear the communion of the Divine nature, and by adding: “Let us create,” he made it clear the number of Persons. And so on, using the word “image” in the singular (for he did not say “in images,” but “in the image”), he showed the identity of nature; Having said “To Ours”, he depicted the number of Hypostases. The God of all, foreseeing everything that had not happened as already accomplished, contemplated the future incarnation and incarnation of the Only Begotten, knowing that He would receive human nature from the Virgin, so combine and unite it with Himself that there would be one person of God and man, and one worship would be offered to Him by all creation - very rightly and the very foundation of the race was honored with the greatest honor. And having first preceded the creation with advice to predetermine the rational nature of what is being created, and then giving the understanding of the number of Persons, so that those who will sing songs on earth will comprehend the hidden meaning of Theology, and, as if creating with His own hands, He showed special love for this creature, and good Job cries out for this, saying to God: “Thy hands create me and create me.” (Job. 10.8.). The divine David expressed himself in the same words (Ps. 119.73). The one honored with holy baptism clearly knows this, namely, that the Creator saved, and the Savior created. In addition to this, the Creator Himself, through the mouth of Jeremiah and Isaiah, says that we are “mortar”, and He is our Creator (Is. 64.8; Jer. 18.6). However, we do not assert that the Divine has hands, and that He needs advice or preliminary reflection in order, in accordance with Plato’s fable, to arrange the creation according to the conceived idea. On the contrary, all this makes it clear only that God’s special care for this living creature. Question 21. What does it mean: “in the image”? Others called the invisibility of the soul the image of God, but they said it unfairly. If the invisibility of the soul is the image of God, then angels, archangels and all incorporeal and holy natures would be called God’s image to a greater extent, as completely free from bodies, purely invisible. Others, in great simplicity, assert that the human body was created in the image of God, for they hear God’s word, which says: “Open... Your eyes, and see: incline... Your ear, and hear” (2 Kings 19.16); and: “the Lord smells the stench of fragrance” (Gen. 8.21); and: “the mouth... of the Lord, this verb” (Is.1.20); and: “in His hand... are the ends of the earth” (Ps. 94.4) and the like. But these extremely foolish ones did not understand that the Lord God, speaking to people through people, proportions His words to the weakness of those listening. And since we see through the eyes, Scripture calls His visual power eyes; and also calls the power of hearing ears, because we hear through these parts of the body; and the commandment is called mouth. But they needed to hear in Scripture not only these expressions, but also those that reveal to us the indescribability of God. For it is said: “Where will I go from Your Spirit? And do I flee from Your face? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to hell, you are there” and so on (Ps. 139.7–8). And the Lord said to the Samaritan woman: “The Spirit is God: and whoever worships Him is worthy to worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4.24). If “Spirit is God”; it is simple, uncomplicated, indescribable. But it is unnecessary to continue talking about this, because the foolishness of these people is obvious. Therefore, the words: “Let us create man in Our image and likeness” were understood by some teachers as follows: the God of all, having created a sensual and rational creature, finally created man, placing him as a kind of His image among inanimate and animate, sensual and rational creatures, so that inanimate and animate creatures, as a kind of tribute, would bring Him benefit, and rational natures would take care of Him. a person demonstrated his commitment to the Creator. The divine apostle also said this: “Are not all souls in service, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1.14)? And the Lord says in the Gospel: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones: for I say to you, for their angels in heaven daily see the face of My heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). Others said that man was created in the image of God to signify his possession, presenting as the clearest proof of this the words added by the Creator: “and let him have the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the cattle, and all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen. 1.26). God, just as He Himself has dominion over everything, has also given man power over dumb animals. But you can also find other features that show similarity to the prototype. For man, in the likeness of God the Creator, builds houses, walls, cities, piers, ships, shipyards, chariots and very many other things, such as images of the sky, the sun, the moon and stars, statues of people and the likeness of dumb animals. But the difference in creation is endless. God creates all kinds of things both from existing and from non-existent things, moreover, without labor and without prolongation of time, he only desires, and already produces what He pleases; and to prepare what is produced, a person needs substance, tools, and advice, and reflection, and time, and labor and other arts. The builder of a house needs a blacksmith, the blacksmith needs a miner and a coal burner, they all need woodcutters, and woodcutters need foresters and farmers; and thus each art borrows what it needs from other arts. But even in this way, creating, a person becomes somewhat similar to the Creator, like an image to the Prototype. For every image has a resemblance to the prototype, but, having the appearance of its parts, has no activity, because it is deprived of the soul, which sets the body in motion. So again man reigns and carries out judgment, like the God of all. But when God judges, he has no need of either accusers or witnesses. So he condemned Cain as an eye-witness of the crime. When a person judges, he needs witnesses and accusers, because he does not know how things happened. Thus, man is also called God, because he is called the image of God. For it is said: “a man... must not eat to cover the head, which is the image and glory of God” (1 Cor. 11.7). But again the God of all has a Divine nature, and not just a name; man, as an image, has only a name, but is deprived of the thing itself. Likewise, unlimitedness in the true and proper sense belongs to the God of all; In this, too, the human mind is somewhat similar to Him, because in an instant it flows around the east, and the west, and the north, and the south, and the heavenly and the underworld, but not in essence, but only in one mental image. But God is unlimited in essence, wisdom, and power. Another will find in the human soul another even more exact similarity, because it has both rational and vital force. The mind gives birth to the word, but with the word comes the spirit, which is not born, like the word, but always accompanies the word, emanating along with the word being born. However, in a person this happens only as an image, and therefore both the word and the spirit are not spontaneous. In the Holy Trinity we understand three Hypostases, both inextricably united and independent. For before the ages, God the Word was born of the Father, and He is inseparable from Him who gave birth. The Holy Spirit also comes from God and the Father, and He is mentally represented in His own Hypostasis. For it is said: “all... one and the same Spirit acts, dividing power to each as he wills” (1 Cor. 12.11). But there is no need to continue talking about this, because thousands of proofs of this can be found in Divine Scripture. Question 22: Why did God preferentially bless the seventh day? Each of the other days is associated with the creation of something special. Since God created all creation before the seventh day, instead of creation he gave it a blessing, so that this one day, of all others, would not go unrewarded. It is said: “sanctify him” instead of: separated. For in many places one can find that this word is understood in this way in Divine Scripture. It is said about the Medes: “they are sanctified, and I lead them” (Is. 13.3), i.e. are separated for this. Moreover, having written this to the Jews, Moses, of necessity, expressed himself: “and sanctify it,” so that great honor would be given to the Sabbath. For, and decreeing the law, he said: “In six days the Lord your God made the heavens and the earth” (Ex. 20.11), “and rest on the seventh day from all His works that He had done” (Gen. 2.2), “and sanctify it.” Question 23. What does it mean when it is said: “a fountain came up from the earth and watered all the face of the earth” (Gen. 2.6)? A fountain came out of the earth and watered the whole face of the earth (Gen. 2.6). The writer briefly repeats what was said about creation, and teaches that God produced the elements out of nothing, separated them one from the other, and brought each of them into such a structure as He pleased; and the earth, when no man cultivated it, and the clouds did not shed rain on it, as the Creator soon desired, began to grow, irrigated by the vapors and moisture that remained in it after the separation of the waters. This is how Aquila translated it: “a gushing spring came out of the earth and covered the entire face of the earth’s land.” Question 24. If the soul received its existence from Divine inspiration, then of course it is from the essence of God? Such a thought is filled with extreme wickedness and blasphemy. For the Divine Scripture with the word: “I will breathe” (Gen. 2.7) shows ease in creation; Moreover, it makes clear the nature of the soul, namely, that it is a created, invisible, rational spirit, free from bodily fatness. It should also be noted that if you understand ordinary inhalation, then you need to first imagine the lungs, the muscles that compress and tighten them, the fighting vein connected to the lungs, the larynx and the mouth. And if the Divine is incorporeal, then inhalation must be understood in a divine way. Question 25. Why did God plant paradise when he would soon expel Adam from it for sin? Firstly, the Sovereign God does not condemn according to foreknowledge; therefore, foreseeing Adam’s crime, he imparted good things to him. Moreover, He wanted Adam to know God’s gifts, and as a result, when he lost them, he hated sin, which had deprived him of so many benefits. And moreover, the righteous ascetic recognized that it was necessary for the ascetics of virtue to offer victorious rewards. Therefore, about the Kingdom he said: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25.34). Question 26. Others say that heaven [was] in heaven Since the Divine Scripture says: “God has grown from the earth every red tree for vision and good food for food” (Gen. 2.9), then it is very bold, leaving the teaching of the Spirit, to follow your own conclusions. Question 27. “The tree of life..., and the tree of the understanding of good and evil” (Gen. 2.9) what should it be called? Are they mental or sensory trees? And from the earth God grew every red tree for vision and good food: both the tree of life in the midst of paradise, and the hedgehog tree of the understanding of good and evil. (Gen.2.9). Divine Scripture says that these trees also grew from the earth, and therefore have no other nature, different from the nature of other plants. Just as the tree of the cross is actually a tree, and is called saving for the sake of salvation acquired from faith in its power: so these trees grew from the earth, but, according to God’s definition, one of them is called the tree of life, and the other is called the tree of “the understanding of good and evil”; because at the last tree there was a feeling of sin, and the feat offered to Adam concerned it, while the tree of life was offered as a reward to those who kept the commandment. So the patriarchs gave names to places and treasures; another treasure was called the treasure of “vision” (Gen. 16.14), not because it bestowed the power of insight, but because the Lord of all appeared with it; the other is a storehouse of “space” (Gen. 26.22), because the inhabitants of Gerar, who often quarreled over other storehouses, did not disturb those who built this storehouse. So there was a treasure trove of oaths, because oaths were taken with it. So, Luza is called Bethel, i.e. the house of God, because in this place the Creator of all things appeared to Jacob. And the hill is called a witness, not because the hill was animate, but because mutual conditions were concluded in this place. Likewise, baptism is called living water, not because the water of baptism has a different nature, but because through this water Divine grace bestows eternal life. So the tree of life is named according to God’s determination about it, and the tree of knowledge is named so because of the feeling of sin that occurred with it. For those who had not previously experienced sin and then tasted the forbidden fruit, as if they had transgressed the commandment, felt a pang of conscience. Question 28. Did Adam and Eve really have no knowledge of good and evil before eating the forbidden fruit? Is it possible that those who are distinguished by reason and created in the image of God cannot distinguish between good and evil? And God - the abyss of truth - how would he give them the law, who did not have such knowledge in their nature, and did not know that keeping the commandment is good, but breaking it is disastrous? Therefore, of course, [they] had knowledge, but they experienced it later by experience. Question 29. How is it that after eating, “you understood, like Nazi besha” (Gen. 3.7), but before eating you did not feel this? And the eyes of both were opened, and they understood, as if the Nazis were besha: and they sewed together the fig leaves, and made girdles for themselves. (Gen.3.7). Small children, when their clothes are taken off, usually do not blush, but soon, when the body grows and the mind begins to reveal what is inherent in it, nakedness becomes unbearable for young men, they blush and cover themselves, and if someone takes away the clothes, they cover their private parts with their hands. But for many, habit takes away this shame. Swimmers, when they swim naked, and those who wash, when they see each other naked, no longer have this shame, but if someone is naked outside of the bathhouse, he is extremely ashamed of it. So Adam and Eve, soon after creation, as newborn babies and strangers to sin, having no coverings on them, were not ashamed. But after tasting sin, some parts of the body were covered with leaves. Question 30. How does Moses say that the Tigris and Euphrates come from paradise, when, according to some, they flow from the Armenian mountains? You can see that other rivers emerge in one place, then disappear into the ground through some depressions, and flow out to the top again. The same thing happened with these rivers. For they come from paradise, as the Divine Scripture says, and then, passing through some underground channels, in the Armenian mountains they receive other beginnings. It was not in vain that the God of all things arranged this, but in order to suppress excessive human curiosity. For, if their course were obvious, then others would attempt to walk along their banks to find a place of paradise; but they would not have achieved what they wanted, tired by the distance of the journey, and exhausted in strength by the lack of necessary needs, delving sometimes into impassable places, sometimes into deserts, and sometimes falling into the hands of barbarians and cruel people. Therefore, the merciful God, providing for this, made the flow of these rivers unknown. Question 31. Why did God create a wife from Adam's rib? The Creator of nature deigned to bring both sexes into unanimity; for this purpose he created Adam from the earth, and made a wife from Adam, in order to show the identity of nature, and to put in them a certain natural commitment to each other. If, when created in this way, husbands quarrel with wives and wives with husbands, then what would not have been done if God had created wife from something else? And therefore, wisely, he divided and combined again; because marriage unites both sexes into one. For it is said: “You will two become one flesh” (Gen. 2.24). And that this is true is evidenced by the consequence: for in marital cohabitation one fruit grows from both, sown by one, nourished by the other, and completed by the Creator of nature. Question 32. If the serpent is wise, is he worthy of praise, because wisdom is a part of virtue? Many names are pronounced about various objects. For they also called idols “language gods” (2 Chronicles 32.17). This is actually said about the demon acting in the serpent. But the foolish ignorantly called those who studied fables wise. So the Divine Scripture says: “God has chosen the world to put to shame the wise” (1 Cor. 1.27); and again: “Where is the wise?” (1 Cor. 1.20). And through the prophet God said: “Be wise to do evil” (Jer. 4.22). Therefore, here too Moses called the serpent wise, as the most cunning. This is how Aquila translated: “The serpent was the most cunning of all the beasts of the field that the Lord God created.” Question 33. How did the serpent, who is dumb, talk to Eve? He was a tool of the enemy of truth. The Lord made this clear in the Holy Gospel, for, having said to the Jews: “You are of your father the devil,” he added: “He is a murderer from time immemorial” (John 8.44). Therefore, the devil spoke to Eve through the serpent. Since the ancestors from the God of all took dominion over all the dumb, the devil laid a net through one of Eve’s subordinates, making the deception more seductive through this. And that the very one who acted through the serpent is called a serpent by the Divine Scripture, this is witnessed by the prophet Isaiah, to whom he proclaims: “On that day God will bring his sword, holy, great and mighty, against the dragon of the serpent who flees... which is in the sea” (Is. 27.1). And the Lord said to the sacred disciples: “Behold, I have given you power to tread on the serpent and the scorpion and all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10.19). Question 34. What does it mean when it is said: “the eyes of both were opened” (Gen. 3.7)? That Adam and Eve had eyes that were not adjacent even before eating is obvious to those who want to be attentive. For how can “a woman see as a good tree for food, and see as it pleases with her eyes, and eat as red as she knows” (Gen. 3.6), if she had unopened eyes? Therefore, Divine Scripture gave this name to the feeling that followed sin, because after sin the conscience was immediately wounded. Question 35. Why is the serpent punished for deception caused by the devil? God actually pronounced a curse on the one who acted in the serpent, because he, too, is called a serpent, although he did not receive the nature of a serpent from the God of all, for he was created together with incorporeal forces and was created good. And since he voluntarily strayed into wickedness, he is deprived of the honor that he received at the beginning and cast down to the earth. However, the animal itself suffered a curse for the benefit of people. For seeing the serpent drawn and creeping on the earth, we remember the ancient oath, and we recognize how much evil sin causes, not only to those who do it, but also to those who promote sin. And although the serpent himself does not suffer any harm from this (it became natural for him to walk, because by nature he already has this type of movement, and what is natural does not seem difficult), nevertheless, man receives great benefit from this. Question 36. Why did God create the serpent, foreseeing that he would be an instrument of evil? This may also say something different about a person. For God foresaw that he too would transgress the commandment. However, it was not difficult for the devil to carry out deception through another beast. Question 37. Why did God create the devil, knowing that he would be like this? God created all the incorporeal nature, making it rational and immortal; A rational being is characterized by freedom. And some of these creatures remained grateful to the Creator, while others turned into deceit. The same can be seen in people; some are lovers of virtue, while others are practitioners of vice. Therefore, if anyone complains that evil ones were created, then he deprives the ascetics of virtue of their victorious rewards. For if the desire for virtue did not depend on arbitrary choice, but were unchangeable by nature, then there would be no worthy and victorious ascetics of piety. Since the choice of what is good and what is contrary depends on the will, it is fair that some receive victorious crowns, while others bear punishment for arbitrary sins. Question 38. Why, calling God good, do you attribute such cruelty to Him? For it is merciless and inhuman to impose such a punishment for a small taste, not only on those who have sinned, but also on those descended from them Those who decide to remain in piety must first of all make sure that everything done or commanded by the God of all is holy, and righteous, and good, and philanthropic. For if we confess that all this is characteristic of God, then we must regard His orders and commands as such. Moreover, you need to know that every law, especially the divine law, even if it prescribes small things, has equal force with the law that commands or prohibits doing great things. For example, the law commands circumcision; he who transgresses it does not do any harm to his neighbor, however, the Lawmaker says: every “uncircumcised... male who is not circumcised... on the 8th day will be destroyed” (Gen. 17.14); and whatever punishment he prescribed for murderers and adulterers, he prescribed the same for this one. But vile heretics, clearly rebelling against the Old Testament Scriptures, will probably condemn this law as well. Therefore, I will present evidence from the Gospel law. In these laws we find that he who looks lustfully at his wife is accused of adultery (Matthew 5.8), and he who is angry in vain is guilty of judgment; and whoever calls a brother “cancer” is subject to accusation, and whoever calls a brother “freak” is worthy of Gehenna (Matt. 5.22), and the one who swears, even if he swears in the truth, belongs to the devilish society (Matt. 5.37). So, why is the Gospel Lawgiver called good, and the Old Testament Lawgiver unmerciful? Because, in their opinion, some laws are stricter than others. But only these detractors tend to dare such a verdict. We know that these and other laws were given by one God; the difference is produced by the quality of those to whom the laws are given. For, as a wise teacher, God has ordained imperfect things for the imperfect, and perfect things for the perfect. Moreover, it must be taken into account that punishments without pardon are imposed on those who break the laws, so that others, seeing execution, do not dare to commit [similar] crimes. So it was with the Sabbath law. For the one who dared to gather wood on the Sabbath and was the first to break the Sabbath law was stoned by all the people. And this was done by God’s command, so that, having themselves become the perpetrators of punishment, they would be horrified by lawlessness, as bringing execution. Later, when many began to violate the Sabbath law, the Lawgiver patiently endured the crime. So God subjected Cain, the first murderer, to merciless punishments in order to frighten those who lived with him and after him, and so that they would not dare to do such things. Subsequently, there were many murderers, and God did not suddenly impose punishment on them. Therefore, Adam, who was the first to accept the law, and the easiest law (because God gave him an abundance of all kinds of fruits, but forbade him to eat only one), it was necessary, for the benefit of the human race, to be punished for his crime. And if God imposed the death penalty for a small taste, because, as the vile Marcion said, He is indomitable in anger, then why did He not give over the final destruction of all people when they turned into wickedness and lawlessness, but gave His Son, and through His cross and suffering granted salvation? And I say this to those who believe that the God of all things did this out of some kind of anger, and do not know the secrets of the economy. For those who have studied the divine, I think, know that the God of all things is not accustomed to create anything contrary to the once accepted intention, because this deficiency is characteristic of those who have a changeable nature, who like this one thing or that, and who do not know the future at all. The God of all has an unchangeable nature, and what has not yet been accomplished, He already knows as having already been accomplished. So, for example, having foreseen about Adam and foreknowing that, having transgressed the commandment, he would become mortal, he arranged his nature this way, and according to his bodily composition he formed the male and female sexes. The same bodily structure is characteristic of mortals, who need childbearing to continue the race. For immortal nature has no need of the female sex. Therefore, the Creator suddenly brought into existence the entire number of incorporeal beings, and created two mortal living beings in each generation - husband and wife, and gave them the blessing to reproduce. For he said: “Grow and multiply” (Gen. 1.22). So he created man, husband and wife, and gave them the same blessing: “grow and multiply, and fill the earth, and rule over it” (Gen. 1.28). Therefore, the God of all, foreseeing everything, not only created them this way, but gave them the law regarding food. For he said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing herb that yields seed, which is on the top of the earth; and every tree that has seed in it shall be for you to eat: and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to every creeping thing that moves on the earth, which has life in itself; and every green herb I have given to you for food” ( Gen.1.29–30). The God of all spoke this to Adam before the commandment. This food is suitable for mortals, for immortal nature has no need for nutrition. Teaching this, the Lord said: after the resurrection, “they neither marry nor encroach, but like angels... are in heaven” (Matthew 22.30). Therefore, punishment is not due to wrath, but is a dispensation of the highest wisdom. In order for the human race to hate sin as the cause of death, the All-Wise One, upon transgression of the commandment, pronounces a death sentence, thereby instilling hatred of sin, while preparing for the human race a salvific medicine that, through the incarnation of the Only Begotten, would make possible the Resurrection from the dead and immortality. What is cruel in this definition: “you are earth and you will go back to earth” (Gen. 3.19)? From the earth I created you, says God, and called you into a much better nature. Since you did not want to keep My commandment, then return to your original nature. To what extent does sin seem unimportant to you? God gave man the freedom to use all plants, but forbade the eating of one, and he, leaving all the others, delighted this first and only fruit. For this, the Lord God condemned him. For he says: “Who can tell you that you are naked, except from the tree of which you were commanded not to eat?” (Gen. 3.11)? The devil also expressed this in what he said to Eve: “What did God say: Do not eat from every tree of paradise” (Gen. 3.1)? And if I had known that they had already eaten, I would not have thought that they had received a commandment not to eat the fruit of every tree. Therefore, the crime is not unimportant, because first of all they took up that fruit, which alone they were commanded not to eat. Question 39. Why, when God said: “In that day, if you cut down from the tree, you will surely die” (Gen. 2.17), did man, having transgressed the commandment, not die immediately? But from the tree, which means good and evil, you will not cut it from it: but if you cut it down one day, you will die. (Gen.2.17). This accusation is the opposite of the previous one, for having recently called God cruel, now you accuse Him of loving mankind. It would be more appropriate to sing songs, and not to blame the goodness of God. God usually threatens more and sends punishments with lesser threats. And this can often be found in Divine Scripture. However, here He called the mortal definition death. For this is how Symmachus translated it: “from the day on which you eat of the tree, you will die”; because a person, after pronouncing God’s sentence, every day, so to speak, expected himself to die. Likewise, those who believed in the Lord Christ, and those who were put to death, remain alive, awaiting the resurrection of the Heavenly Kingdom, “for we are saved through hope” (Rom. 8.24). Question 40. What should be understood by leather garments (Gen. 3.21)? And the Lord God made Adam and his wife garments of leather, and clothed them. (Gen.3.21). Fans of allegories call mortal flesh skins. Others argued that these vestments were made from tree bark. And I do not allow either one or the other; because one interpretation is forced, and the other is too fabulous. If the Divine Scripture says that the body was created even before the soul, then is it not fabulous to assert that, after breaking the commandment, the first parents took on mortal flesh? To go into research about where God took the skins from, and therefore to invent a new type of clothing, seems to me unnecessary. Therefore, one must be content with what is written, know that nothing is difficult for the Creator of all things, and be amazed at His boundless goodness, because He cares for those who transgressed the commandment, and did not leave naked those who needed clothing. Question 41. What do the words mean: “Behold Adam was one of Us” (Gen. 3.22)? And God said: Behold, Adam was one of us, knowing good and evil: and now, let him not stretch out his hand and take from the tree of life and eat it, and live forever. (Gen.3.22). Since the devil said: “You will be like gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3.5), and the death sentence was pronounced to those who transgressed the commandment, then the God of all spoke this as a reproach, showing the falsity of the devil’s communication. He forbade man from partaking of the fruit from the tree of life, not in order to deny him immortal life, but in order to stop the flow of sin. Therefore, death is a cure, not a punishment, because it stops the tendency of sin. “If you die,” as it is said, “be free from sin” (Rom. 6.7). But man was commanded to live “right in paradise” (Gen. 3.24), so that, bringing to mind a carefree life, he would hate the sin that led to a difficult life. Question 42. If “Cain was sad” (Gen. 4.5) when his offerings were not accepted, then he repented, because sadness is characteristic of those who repent Cain and his sacrifices are not heeded. And Cain was greatly saddened, and his face disappeared. (Gen.4.5). He was saddened not by his own sin, but by his brother’s successful deed. Akila also made this clear. He expressed himself this way: “And Cain was very annoyed, and his face fell. And the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry?” Question 43. What sign did God put on Cain (Gen. 4.15)? And the Lord God said to him: not like this: everyone who kills Cain will be avenged seven times. And the Lord God put a sign on Cain, so that everyone who finds him will not kill him. (Gen.4.15). God's very decree was a sign forbidding him to be killed, and the shaking of his limbs made it noticeable and obvious. Question 44. Who did Cain marry (Gen. 4.17)? And Cain knew his wife, and conceived Enoch. (Gen.4.17). Obviously a sister; then this did not serve as an accusation, because no law prohibited it. Moreover, it was impossible for the race to multiply otherwise. It pleased God to produce from one husband and from one wife all tribes of people (Acts 17:26), so that, firstly, as descended from one couple, they would know the identity of nature, and, moreover, as having flourished from one root, they would live in harmony. For, if even under such dispensations of God of all kinds people dare to commit thousands of murders, then what would they not dare to do if they considered themselves to have descended from different ancestors? That is why God created one man from the earth, and from him he created one wife, and from them he already filled the whole universe with the human race. For the same reason, He initially allowed the combination of marriage with a sister, but when the family multiplied, He forbade such a marriage as lawless. Therefore, together with Noah and his sons, he saved their wives in the ark, so that their sons could marry their cousins. Question 45. Who did Lamech kill (Gen. 4.23)? Lamech said to his wives: Ada and Sella, hear my voice, O wives of Lamech, inspire my words: for I have killed a man for my wound and a young man for my sore (Gen. 4.23). Not two, as some supposed, and not Cain, as others fabled, but one, and a young man at that. For he says: “I killed a man for my wound, and a young man for my sore” (Gen. 4.23), that is, he killed a man who was in his youth. However, he avoided punishment by confessing his sin, and by pronouncing judgment on himself, he stopped the judgment of God. Question 46. Where did God “translate” Enoch (Gen. 5.24)? And if Enoch pleased God, and if he was not found, God would change him away. (Gen.5.24). There is no need to search for what is silent; one should be content with what is written. But I think that God did this to encourage the ascetics of virtue. Since Abel, the first to become the fruit of righteousness, was prematurely flogged and uprooted, and the hope of resurrection had not yet encouraged people, God converted Enoch, who had pleased everyone, and excommunicated him from the life of mortals, so that each of those who intended to live piously, as gifted with reason, reasoned that He who honored Enoch, as a truthful person and governing everything truthfully, would not leave without reward and Abel. That is why he allowed one to be put to death, and sacrificed the other, in order to announce the future resurrection through the announcement of Enoch. For whoever has not received rewards for virtue in this life will obviously receive them in another life. Question 47: Why, when Adam sinned, did the righteous Abel die first? God was pleased to make the foundation of death weak. For if Adam had died first, then death would have had support by accepting the sinner as the first dead man. But since she was the first to accept the one killed unrighteously, then [she] has an unreliable basis. Question 48. Whom did Moses call the sons of God (Gen. 6.2)? Having seen the sons of God, the daughters of men, as if they were good, they girded for themselves wives from all those whom they had chosen. (Gen.6.2) Some foolish and extremely stupid people assumed that these were angels, thinking, perhaps, to find an excuse for their own lewdness if they accused angels of something similar. But they had to listen to what the God of all things says: “My Spirit shall not abide in these men forever, for they are flesh: but their days shall be an hundred and twenty years” (Gen. 6.3), and understand from this that the nature of the incorporeal has neither flesh nor life limited to a certain time, because they were created immortal. The following has the same meaning. For it is said: “When the Lord God saw the wickedness of men multiply on the earth, everyone diligently thinks evil in his heart all the days. And God thought, that He had created man on the earth... And God said: I will consume man whom I created from the face of the earth, from man even to cattle, and from the creeping things even to the birds of the air: I thought beforehand that I have created” (Gen. 6.5-8). And He also said to Noah: “The time of every man has come before Me, because the land is filled with wickedness because of them: and behold, I will destroy them and the land” (Gen. 6.13). Yet this shows that the sons of God were people who loved a lawless life. And if the angels mixed with the daughters of men, then people would suffer injustice from the angels in that they forcibly corrupted the daughters of men, and they would also suffer injustice from the God who created them, suffering punishment for the lustful angels. But I don’t think the father of lies himself would dare to say this. For Divine Scripture gives many indications to see that people have sinned, and that God’s judgment has been pronounced on people. The reason for the ignorance of many [was] a superficial reading of the Divine Scripture. The writer, having said that Seth was born from Adam, and Enos from Seth, added: “This is the hope of calling on the name of the Lord God” (Gen. 4.26). Aquila translated it as follows: “then they began to be called by the name of the Lord.” This makes it clear that Enos was the first to receive the divine name for his piety, and his relatives called him god, which is why those born from him received the name sons of God, just as we are called Christians by the name of the Lord Christ. If anyone does not accept this understanding, because Aquila translated it this way, then let him listen to what God says through the prophet David: “Az reh: you are gods by nature and sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81.6); and again: “God is in the company of gods, but in the midst the gods will judge” (Ps. 81.1); He calls princes this way, as can be seen from the following words: “How long will you judge unrighteousness and accept the faces of sinners? Judge the poor and the poor, justify the lowly and the poor,” and so on. (Ps.81:2-3). And again: “The God of gods, the Lord of the verb, and called the earth” (Ps. 49.1), obviously God spoke about those who were worthy of such a name by grace. So, the legislator says: “Do not speak evil of the gods, and do not speak evil to the rulers of your people” (Ex. 22.28). So the descendants of Seth, as pious, were called the sons of God, because the family of Seth was separated and did not mix with those descended from Cain, due to the oath imposed on it by the God of all. But after a long time (because God brought the flood after more than two thousand years), seeing the beautiful daughters from the descendants of Cain, and being seduced, probably, by the musical instruments invented by them (because Jubal, who descended from Cain, “showed a singer and a harp” (Gen. 4.21)), they mixed with them and corrupted their own nobility, and suffered the same thing that happened to The Israelites, who, having mixed with the daughters of the Midianites, participated in their wickedness and suffered punishment from God. About the latter, the divine David said: “and mixed among the nations, and practiced their deeds: and worked with their graven images” (Ps. 105.35–36). Likewise, those who descended from Seth, although in ancient times, as practitioners of virtue, were called the sons of God, but, caught by the beauty of lawless women, they mixed up the previously separated generations, and as the fruit of their inheritance they accepted final destruction. However, it should also be noted that the divine word accuses them not just of sin, but of lawlessness, which they indulged in with diligence and diligence. This is expressed in the words: “Everyone thinks evil in his heart all the days” (Gen. 6.5). For those who are grieved by the attack of sin, but overcome by vices through relaxation, subsequently grieve and sigh, and therefore partly have some small excuse. Those who have completely deviated into lewdness and vices, and have made reason a slave to passions, so that they themselves invent new types of vices, and do this not just once or twice, but throughout their entire lives, are they worthy of any forgiveness? What punishment would not be small for people who thus betrayed themselves to destruction? Question 49. Whom does Divine Scripture call giants (Gen. 6.4)? Perform the byahu on the earth in those days: and then, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and I rejoiced for myself: perform these beahu, from the beginning of time, men of means. (Gen.6.4). Some mean by giants those who have lived for many years, and others mean people who are God-hating and godless. Thus, those who understand this do not claim that giants surpass other people in the enormity of their bodies. But when I hear what the Divine Scripture says about Anak, namely, that he came from the giants (Num. 13.34), and about Og, that his bed was of iron, nine cubits in length and four cubits in breadth (Deut. 3.11), and that he “remained from the Raphains”; when I hear the spies say: “I ran before them, like the Jews” (Num. 13.34), and God confirms these words and says: “I gave you the Amorite..., who was as tall as... Cedars, and strong as an oak" (Amos.2.9); when I hear about Goliath that “his height is six laps and a span” (1 Samuel 17.4); I think that the giants were some tall people. And God wisely arranged this, making it known that it was not out of weakness that the Creator allocated such a measure to people (it was easy for Him to create them with a larger measure), but, eradicating arrogance and forbidding arrogance, He did not give people huge bodies. For if even in small bodies they exalt themselves not only before each other, but also before the Creator himself, then what would they not do if they received bodies of greater measure? Question 50. Why did the ancients live long? In order to multiply more during a long life; For this purpose they entered into marriage with many wives. So after the flood, before the patriarchs, people lived long; when they filled the universe, the number of years was already diminished. Question 51. Why did God destroy so many people with a flood? He wanted to destroy the family of Cain, and with him the generation of the pious was mixed, which is why they also participated in the punishment. Having desired to make some kind of beginning of a new life, God protected Noah and his sons and their wives, because Noah was pious and righteous, came from the tribe of the pious, and hated lawless mixing. God did this not in some kind of anger or repentance, as some claim, because these are human passions, and God’s nature is free from passions. Moreover, repentance is characteristic of those who, through testing, recognize the nature of things. For, not knowing the future, they think about the matter, and then, having learned from experience that they thought about it incorrectly, they repent. But God sees what will happen after many births as already accomplished; therefore he controls everything, as foreseeing and foreknowing. Why should He repent when He orders everything according to His own foreknowledge? Therefore, in God, repentance is a change of order. “He repented,” he says, “because he anointed Saul to be king” (1 Samuel 15.11), that is, he decided to depose Saul and install another. So here, too, what is said: “thought... that I had created man” (Gen. 6.6–7), means: he decided to destroy the human race. But, as a lover of mankind, God preserved the seed of nature - Noah. Since the dumb generations were created for human needs, he destroyed the dumb ones along with people, except for those who escaped with Noah in the ark. For the Lord God commanded that from each generation of those considered unclean, a pair should be saved, and from the pure, seven. Since he decided to allow people to eat meat, and since the pets of piety had to make sacrifices to Him, he ordered that clean animals be preserved in greater numbers, namely: three pairs for propagation of the race, and one more in addition for sacrifice. For Noah, immediately after the end of the punishment, brought to God, as it is said, a thanksgiving sacrifice “from all clean cattle and from all clean birds” (Gen. 8.20). From this it is clear that from each kind of clean animals God commanded that seven be brought into the ark precisely so that Noah, having sacrificed one animal from each kind, would not break the pair. Question 52: What did the animals eat in the ark? Obviously grass and seeds. For God said to Noah: “Take for yourself from all the waste that you have to eat, and gather them to yourself, and they will be waste for you and them” (Gen. 6.21). He also legalized it for people to eat. For it is said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing herb that yields seed, which is on the top of the whole earth; and every tree that has seed in it shall be for you to eat: and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to every creeping thing that moves on the earth, which has life in itself, and every green grass for food” ( Gen.1.29–30). And from this it is clear that both people and animals abstained from eating meat, and they served as food the fruits growing from the earth. Instead of the words: “sowing seed,” Aquila translated: bearing seed. Question 53. How to understand what was said: “The Lord will remember Noah” (Gen. 8.1)? And God will remember Noah, and all the beasts, and all the livestock, and all the birds, and every creeping thing that creeps, that ran with him in the ark: and God brought spirit upon the earth, and the water ceased. (Gen.8.1). Divine Scripture speaks to people by adapting to them; and how they can understand, this type of speech gives. Therefore, as repentance of God is a change in disposition; it is said: “I repented, because I anointed Saul’s kingdom” (1 Sam. 15.11), when it should have been said: I decided to put another in place of one; this is how it should be understood here; it is said: “I considered that I had created man” (Gen. 6.7), when it should have been said: I decided to send final destruction upon them. Therefore, this: “God will remember Noah,” does not indicate the previous oblivion, but depicts God’s ineffable love for mankind, namely, that out of love for Noah he commanded that that immense and immeasurable amount of water be swallowed up as soon as possible. Depicting God’s unspeakable goodness, Moses added: “And all the livestock and all the birds and every creeping thing that creeps was with him in the ark” (Gen. 8.1). For our sake he has made them worthy of their industry. For the great David also cries out about this: “grass for cattle, and grain for the service of man” (Ps. 103.14); and again: “Lord, save men and beasts” (Ps. 35.7). For for our sake he cares about what is ours. Question 54. What does this mean: “the Lord smells a fragrant aroma” (Gen. 8.21)? And the Lord smells the stench of fragrance. And the Lord God said: I will not cause anyone to curse the earth because of the deeds of man, for the thought of evil is due to man from his youth: for I will not cause anyone to smite all living flesh as I have created (Gen. 8.21). God approves of Noah’s gratitude, not enjoying the smoke (for there is nothing more stinking than burning bones), but praising the disposition of the one who brought it. God has no bodily members, and therefore nostrils cannot be attributed to Him; For the sense of smell, nostrils are needed. So, he rewards Noah with a blessing, and since he was the seed of the race, the root of nature, the second Adam, he gives him the blessing that was given to the newly created Adam: “grow and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it. And your fear and trembling will be on all the beasts of the earth..., on all the birds of the air, and on everything that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea: I have breathed in your hands” (Gen. 9.1-2). And the word became deed; All animals, swimming, terrestrial, and flying in the air, are afraid of the human shadow itself. Then God gave Noah a law on eating meat, commanding him to eat meat in the same way as vegetables. Question 55: Why does God forbid eating blood? This was shown more clearly in the law, for it says that in man there is soul, but in dumb things there is blood (Lev.17.11). Therefore, when you eat meat without blood, you eat them in some way like vegetables, because a vegetable is inanimate; and if you eat with blood, you consume the soul. Therefore, of course, here he said: “Don’t eat the meat in the blood of your soul.” For your blood, your souls, I will seek it out, at the hand of every beast I will seek it out: and at the hand of a man his brother I will seek out his soul (Gen. 9.4–5). And by this he foretells the resurrection, not only meaning that he will gather beasts for judgment and punish them for devouring men, but that he will gather and resurrect the bodies devoured by beasts. For “in his hand are all the ends of the earth” ( Ps.94.4), and it is not difficult for Him to gather our body from everywhere. But here he expressed this mysteriously, but through Ezekiel he preached the resurrection more clearly (Ezek.37.1-14). Question 56. Why did God legitimize eating meat? When he first created man, God gave him the fruits of the earth, commanding him to eat seeds and tree fruits; after the flood, he rewarded him with greater means of pleasure, ordering him to slaughter and eat animals flying in the air, swimming in the waters and amphibians, repelling one misfortune with another and healing the greater with the smaller. For foreseeing that those who have fallen into extreme madness will deify everything, God, in order to stop wickedness, allows the use of animals for food, because it is a matter of extreme foolishness to worship what is used for food. For this reason, he calls some animals unclean and others clean, so that, while abhorring some as unclean, they do not deify them, and others, eating them as food, do not worship them. Question 57. Why was Noah, having fallen into rapture, not reproached for it? This happened from inexperience, and not from intemperance. Noah, the first of the people, squeezed juice from a grape fruit and did not know not only to what extent, but also how to use this drink, not knowing that it must first be dissolved and then drunk, he was put to sleep. There was nothing unusual in the fact that he was naked; because even now others are revealed to be sleepy, when sleep takes away the feeling. The intoxication that accompanies sleep makes nudity even more excusable. Question 58. Why, when no law had yet been established commanding the honor of father and mother, was Ham condemned as a parricide? The Creator decreed the necessary laws for nature itself; Thus, he condemned Cain, because nature itself taught him how unlawful murder is. Therefore, Cain, using deception to help, and taking his brother away from his parents, kills him; and when God asks: “Where... Abel, your brother” (Gen. 4.9)? – renounces. It is obvious that, knowing how much bad he had done, he renounced what he had dared to do. And when he was convicted by a righteous Judge, he then admitted that he had sinned unforgivably. For he says: “My greatest guilt will remain with me” (Gen. 4.13). Yes, and Adam, sensing God’s coming, tried to hide, as if he knew that theft [theft] was a bad thing. So Ham was accused of parricide, as having violated the natural law. For that nature itself taught to honor parents, Ham’s brothers testify to this, who, having learned from him what happened to their father, with great respect “went back with their eyes” (Gen. 9.23), and covered their father so as not to see his nakedness; why they quite rightly acquired their father’s blessing. Question 59. Why, when Ham fell, did his son bear the curse (Gen. 9.25)? And he said: Cursed be the lad Canaan: he will be a servant to his brethren. (Gen.9.25). After the end of the flood, everyone became partakers of the Divine blessing; Therefore, Noah considered it impertinent to pronounce a curse on the one who had become a partaker of the Divine blessing. For this reason, he placed a curse on his son. Justice is seen in punishment. Since Ham, being a son, sinned against his father, he accepts punishment by cursing his son. Moreover, it is necessary to take into account the fact that if Ham himself had been cursed, the punishment would have extended to his entire family. But God transferred the punishment to the youngest son. You should also know that the words of the righteous are a prediction, and not a curse. Since the Israelites, descended from Shem, were supposed to take possession of Palestine, but in ancient times it was inhabited by those descended from Canaan, Noah gives this prediction the appearance of a curse, foretelling the future and frightening subsequent generations so that they would not sin against their parents. And the blessing given to Shem clearly teaches us this; for it is said: “Blessed is the Lord God of Shem: and Canaan... will be his servant” (Gen. 9.26). He subjugated Canaan not to both Shem and Japheth, but to Shem alone. And he predicted a large number of descendants for Japheth, and piety for Shem, for he predicted that God would “dwell in the villages of Shem” (Gen. 9.27). God dwelt in the patriarchs who descended from Shem, and in the prophets who descended from the patriarchs, and first in the Tabernacle, and subsequently in Jerusalem. The definite end of this prophecy had the sacrament of economy, when God the Word himself, the Only Begotten Son of God the Father, became incarnate and became man, and called His received flesh from the seed of David and Abraham: for from Shem were descended both David and Abraham. And the slavery of Canaan came to an end in the Gibeonites (Joshua 9.3–27). Question 60. Some of the teachers argued that asphalt (Gen. 11.3) is asbestos And the man said to his neighbor: Come, let us make plinths and bake them with fire. And they became stone plinths, and clay instead of chalk. (Gen.11.3). Those who probably did not know the sources, which were in Assyria, thought that the Babylonian pillar was built from asbestos. But from those who were there, I learned for sure that in Assyria there are springs that spew out asphalt along with water, and that those who use it in buildings lay burnt plinths on it. So, they say, the pillar was built. The self-witnesses made an effort to recapture some of it and reliably learned that asphalt was laid under each row of burnt plinths. Moreover, they say that in Assyria there is a shortage of stones, and therefore plinths are used instead of stones. Without stones, where will asbestos come from? Question 61. What is the oldest language? The names show this. For Adam, Cain, Abel, Noah are names peculiar to the Syrian language. The Syrians customarily call the red earth: adampha. Therefore, Adam is translated: earthly or earthy. And Cain means: acquisition; Adam also said this when he sang to God: “Man has been acquired by God” (Gen. 4.1). Abel means: crying; because he was the first to cause the parents to cry. Noah means: rest. Question 62: Where did the Hebrew language come from? I think that this is a sacred language. For just as in the Hellenic churches there were special certain types of letters that were called sacred: so the God of all through Moses gave this language, not natural, but learned. All others speak the language of the people in which they were born: and those born in Italy use the Italian language, among the Hellenes - Hellenic, in Persia - Persian, in Egypt - Egyptian, but you will not find that Jewish children at the very beginning use the Hebrew language, on the contrary, they speak the language of the place where they were born, then, having come to adolescence, they learn the outline of writing, and through writing they study the Divine Scripture written in Hebrew. I think that the same thing is meant by blessed David in the eighteenth psalm: “I heard a tongue that I did not know” (Ps. 80.6). On the contrary, others say that the Hebrew language is so named from Eber, because he alone preserved the original language, and from him the Jews received the name. But I think that the Jews got their name from the fact that the Patriarch Abraham from the Chaldean land entered Palestine, crossing the Euphrates River: because the word “Eura” in the Syriac language is called a stranger. And if the Jews received their name from Eber, then they would not be the only ones who should be called so, because many nations descend from Eber, and if we do not mention all the others, then from him are the Ishmaelites, who descended from Keturah from him, and the Edomites, and the Amalekites, and the Moabites, and the Ammonites, and those who inhabit Carrhae; for the latter descend from Nahor and Laban. But none of these peoples use the Hebrew language. Abraham himself was called a Jew, and the Divine Scripture is a witness to this; for it is said that after the captivity of Lot, someone came to “tell Abraham the stranger” (Gen. 14.13), and in Hebrew, as I found, the word is put here: Evri, and from Evri in Greek the word is formed: ebraoj “Jew.” For in the place where the Egyptian woman said about Joseph: “bring in a young Hebrew to us to scold us” (Gen. 39.14), in Hebrew it is written: Hebrew. But it is unnecessary to argue about this matter, because it does not harm the teaching of piety whether we accept one or the other. Question 63: Do others say that Pharaoh slept with Sarah? Therefore, what care did Abraham see for himself from the God of all, if He allowed Abraham’s wife to become guilty of adultery? Why “torture... with great and terrible executions Pharaoh and his whole house” (Gen. 12.17), if he did not want to prevent the lawless union? And Pharaoh himself, as an excuse, represents ignorance, reproaches Abraham for calling his wife sister, and assures that he took Sarah with the intention not to offend her, but to have her as a wife. For he says: “What hast thou done to me, since thy wife is thy wife? Do you advertise that you have sisters? and I will marry you to my wife. And now your wife is before you: eat and go away” (Gen. 12.18–19). And he not only said, but also did it, and took every care of him, for it is said: “Pharaoh commanded the husband concerning Abraham, to conduct him, and his wife, and all the fir that was his” (Gen. 12.20). Thus it is clear that the Ruler of all bound Pharaoh with illness as soon as Sarah was kidnapped, and illness extinguished lust; and the fisherman, having prey in his nets, did not enjoy his catch, because illness prevented him. Question 64. Why did Scripture here remain silent that Sarah remained blameless, but in the story of Abimelech it expressed this clearly (Gen. 20.4)? But Abimelech will not touch her and say: Lord, will you destroy the ignorant tongue and the righteous? (Gen.20.4). Then Sarah was to give birth to Isaac. Therefore, so that there would be no suspicion about Abraham’s seed, the Divine Scripture said there clearly that Abimelech “I will not touch her.” But from both places one can see how nature has taught the most barbarians that adultery is a bad deed and worthy of punishment. This was expressed by Pharaoh, reproaching Abraham, and Abimelech said to the God of all: “Lord, have you killed the ignorant and the righteous? Didn’t you just say: I have a sister? And this is what I said: Do I have a brother? with a pure heart and righteous hands I did this” (Gen. 20.4–5). The writer also gives God's answer. For he says: “God said to Abimelech in a dream: And I knew that with a pure heart I had done this, and spared you to touch it, so that you would not sin against Me: for this reason, you did not allow you to touch it. Now give your wife to your husband, for there is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you and your whole house will be saved; if you do not give it, you will surely die” (Gen. 20.6-7). The divine word teaches us that God does not allow lovers of truth to sin out of ignorance. Therefore, it is clear that he prevented Pharaoh from sinning, as, according to the law of marriage, he took Abraham’s sister for himself. Since Abimelech was probably better than Pharaoh; then God restrained Pharaoh from lawlessness by admonishing him, and Abimelech himself did not give forgiveness for the offense and crime, but waited for the offended one to ask him for it, and honored him with His meek appearance, and in condescending words showed what kind of lawlessness he had dared to commit. “And Abimelech said to Abraham: What purpose didst thou do this? Abraham said: “There is no piety in this place, and the wives will kill me for my sake.” For truly I am a sister through my father, and not through my mother” (Gen. 20.10–12). She really is my sister; because my father’s daughter, however, is not my mother’s daughter. Question 65: Where did Melchizedek come from? When the divine Paul says: “without father, without mother, without parable of generation” (Heb. 7.3.), who knows the truth? It is likely that Melchizedek descended from the tribes that inhabited Palestine; because they had a king and a priest. The priest was the God of all, for it is said: “He was... the priest of the Most High God” (Gen. 14.18). Therefore, Patriarch Abraham brings him a tithe of military spoils as a gift, and as a righteous man and friend of God, he receives a blessing from him. For Melchizedek had upon himself the image of the Sovereign Priesthood; why, of course, he gave bread and wine to Abraham as a gift, as he was accustomed, perhaps, to bring this as a gift to the God of all kinds, because in this too he had to show an image in himself. Question 66. How is Abraham called faithful when he said: “By this means I will understand that the Imam will inherit” (Gen. 15.8)? And he said: Master Lord, by what means will I understand how the Imam will inherit? (Gen.15.8). The words: “by the means I will understand” were spoken not to unbelievers, but to those who want to know the method of inheritance. Since he saw many thousands inhabiting Palestine, he wanted to know in what way he would take possession of this land, whether by the law of war, or without war, whether the inhabitants would remain alive, or would be exterminated, or expelled. That is why the God of all things said: “He who knows, hangs him, that your seed will be in vain in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave me, and they will embitter me, and I will be humbled for four hundred years. But to the tongue that they have worked for, I judge: to this day they will come forth with much wealth. You will go back to your father in peace, and be nourished better in your old age. In the fourth generation these will return: the sins of the Ammorites were not fulfilled until now” (Gen. 15.13–16). From the Divine answer one can learn the power of the question. Since Abraham said: “I will understand that the imam will inherit it,” then it was given to him to know how long his descendants will be migrants, and how they will be in poverty, what kind of industry they will be awarded; because those who wished to attack them will be punished, and they will take advantage of the property of the hostiles; Abraham himself, having not experienced anything like this, will end his life in the world. The Lord also revealed to him the reason for the delay, so that no one would conclude that the Lord God, due to the multitude of inhabitants on this earth, could not give it to the possession of the sons of Abraham. He said this: “The sin of the Ammorites has not been fulfilled until now,” that is, they have not yet done anything worthy of final destruction, and according to foreknowledge, punishment should not be imposed before the sin. But that at that time they were pious is shown by Melchizedek, Abimelech and the inhabitants of Hebron, who provided the patriarch with many services, and their exclamation is worth noting: “You are a king from God in us: in our chosen tombs bury your dead man” (Gen. 23.6). Question 67. Why did God command Abraham to slaughter “a maiden of three years old..., and a ram of three years old” and so on. (Gen.15.9)? He said to him: take me a three-year-old youngster, and a three-year-old goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtle dove, and a dove. (Gen.15.9). These were secret predictions of what would come true for his family. So, after the sacrifices were made, God said: “You who know hang them, that your seed will be utterly in a land that is not theirs,” and added: “In the fourth... generation these will return.” Therefore, he commanded that three clean four-legged animals be sacrificed, each three years old, to designate the three generations that would be in migration. The turtledove pointed to another race, as if it had flown away and left Egypt, but settled in the desert; because this bird is desert-loving. And the dove meant another race that occupied the promised land; because the animal is meek and loves to live in houses. That is why he did not separate the birds as signifying liberation from slavery, but divided the four-legged ones as signifying suffering in Egypt. The birds that flew to the cut-up victims, whom the Patriarch drove away from them, symbolized the murderous intention of the Egyptians, which the Lord God made impossible to fulfill, faithfully keeping the promises given to Abraham. For just as in the prototype Abraham drove away the carnivorous birds, so the Egyptians were tormented by the honor of Abraham. The appearance of a smoking oven and fiery candles, when the sun was in the west, both meant that the sacrifices were accepted, and foreshadowed the appearance of the God of all at the end of the predicted time; because God appeared in fire to Moses the lawgiver, and then to the whole people. Moreover, the Lord taught that the offering of these animals would later be legalized. Others say that, wanting to show the firmness of the promise, God acted according to the custom observed when concluding treaties. For, as they say, they had the custom of cutting victims in half, and making oaths over them. I have presented both here so that the readers may choose what seems more fair to them. Question 68. Many of the dissolute people take the fact that Patriarch Abraham had a concubine as a reason for [their] lewdness (Gen. 16.2) Sarai said to Abram: Behold, the Lord shut me up so that I will not give birth: come down now to my handmaid, that I may make children from her. Abram listened to the voice of Sarin. (Gen.16.2). Every action is judged by the purpose for which it is being done. This is how we will look at the behavior towards Hagar. And if we see that the Patriarch has enslaved himself to lust, then we will call this a deed worthy of reproach. And if the wife revealed the weakness of her nature, confirmed that the Creator created her womb barren, and expressed a desire to have children, and therefore asked Abraham to enter Hagar so that Sarah could appropriate the baby she had born to herself; then did Abraham sin in any way when neither nature nor any written law forbade polygamy, but his wife was barren and insistently demanded that the husband take a slave as his wife, not to please voluptuousness, but so that he, by nature, and she, by appropriation, could be called parents? And that this divine man was alien to vile lust, this is evidenced not only by this, but also by what follows. For when Hagar, having conceived in her womb, turned this into a reason for arrogance, and behaved impudently before her mistress, Sarah was upset and began to wrongly complain about the Patriarch; then he, very calmly accepting her ardor, gave her a slave for punishment, without waiting for the birth of the baby carried in her womb. For he says: “Behold your handmaid is in your hand: do to her as you please” (Gen. 16.6). Question 69. Why did God command Abraham to be circumcised (Gen. 17.9–11)? And God spoke to Abraham: You will keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. And this covenant which thou shalt keep between Me and you, and between thy seed after thee throughout their generations: Every male shall be circumcised of you, and you will circumcise your foreskin, and it will be for a sign of the covenant between Me and you. (Gen.17.9–11). Having predicted his descendants' emigration, he provides for some kind of protection of piety, so that, having mixed with wicked people, they would not corrupt [their] nobility, but, looking at the sign, would retain an indelible memory of the One who gave this sign. For, having spent forty years in the desert, separated from other nations, living on their own, they considered circumcision unnecessary; and when they had already entered the promised land, then the God of all again commanded Joshua to circumcise everyone, and then transfer the land to them for possession; because they were preparing to get closer to foreign peoples, and therefore a seal was needed to distinguish them from foreign tribes. If the Jews think highly of circumcision; then let them know that not only the Patriarch was circumcised, but also the half-slave Ishmael, household and purchased slaves, Edomites and those descended from Keturah. The Egyptians also learned from the Israelites how to be circumcised. Therefore circumcision does not make one righteous; because all those named are accused by divine Scripture as wicked. Consequently, it was not circumcision that justified Abraham, but faith that made him righteous. Virtue brought him glory, but circumcision was given as a sign of faith. Question 70. Divine Scripture narrates that the Angels in Abraham’s booth “were poisonous” (Gen. 18.8) And he took the oil, and the milk, and the calf, which he had prepared; and he offered it to them, and ate it; and he stood before them under the tree. (Gen.18.8). And the same Scripture says that Abraham “saw... men” (Gen. 18.2). Therefore, if we take Scripture unfoundedly, then “the poisoned men” and not the Angels; and if we delve into the meaning, then [they] seemed only to be eating. How they themselves and their Lord, having an incorporeal nature, seemed to have bodies (because through this they became visible); This is how they presented themselves as eating, not bringing food into their mouths and bellies (because they did not have bodies), but destroying it as they pleased. For it is a matter of extreme foolishness to be curious about how the ineffable happened. Question 71: Why is Lot not accused of incest with his daughters? And it is the custom of people to excuse those who have sinned out of ignorance. Therefore, someone would unfairly accuse Lot of incest, because he did not know what he had done. His intoxication deserves reproach, but is also somewhat excusable, because, being very amazed and alarmed, as if he had suddenly lost everything he had, on top of everything else and his wife herself, he allowed his daughters to bring him wine beyond his needs, not knowing what they were planning, expecting himself to have consolation and consolation in this. And daughters are not subject to charges at all. For, seeing that the four cities and all the villages were burned by the fiery rain, and the inhabitants of Zoar were swallowed up by the earth (this is what the name itself means, because Zoar is interpreted as absorption), they concluded that the entire human race had completely perished, and seeing the desolation surrounding them, considering the infirmity of old age, they set out to acquire seed for the race, and for themselves some consolation. Thus, guided by reasoning, and not pleasing lust, they used wine as an aid, through the excessive use of which they stole the consciousness of the parent, and made it appear that the father had given them the seed. Question 72: Why did God not prevent the lawless incest? Foresaw the wickedness of the race; because the Moabites served Chemosh, and the Ammonites served Michal. Therefore, so that the Israelites would not become wicked among them, as among related nations, he did not prevent the lawless union, wanting to make them hateful and vile to the Jews. The God of all expressed this through the lawgiver Moses, commanding: “let not the Ammonite and the Moabite enter the church of the Lord until the tenth generation... and even until the age” (Deut. 23.3). Question 73. It seems very cruel that young Ishmael is expelled from his father’s house with only his mother and a bottle of water (Gen. 21.14) And Abraham rose up in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar: and put it on her shoulder, and sent her away. (Gen.21.14). And this fully proves the virtue of Abraham. For when Sarah said: “destroy this servant and her son” (Gen. 21.10), he did not listen; but as God quickly commanded, he accompanied this word with action, with all his love for Ishmael. And although God Himself, when He promised Sarah’s childbearing, said: “Let this Ishmael live before you” (Gen. 17.18); however, Abraham, loving the boy greatly, fulfilled what the Master commanded. But he believed so much in the divine promises that, without giving either male or female slaves, or gold or silver, he sent the boy away from the house with only his mother, with a small amount of loaves of bread and a skin of water. For he knew that the promise of the Commander was not false. God promised him to create him into a “great tongue” (Gen. 17.20), as one who was deemed worthy to come from Abraham, which he actually fulfilled. For, as soon as the boy cried out, wanting something to drink, an Angel sent by God pointed out a well of potable water. The fact that according to the promise he gave abundant childbearing is evidenced by the visible; because, from the borders of Egypt to Babylon, the whole desert is filled with this kind. Abraham gave names according to piety and places. For, having planted a field near the oath storehouse, he called the name of that place: “Eternal God” (Gen. 21:33). Question 74. If God knows everything in advance, then why did he tempt Abraham (Gen. 22.1)? And it was according to these words that God tempted Abraham and said to him: Abraham, Abraham. And he said: behold. (Gen.22.1). Not in order to find out for himself what he did not know, but to teach those who do not know how much he justly loved the Patriarch. Therefore, for three days and three nights (Gen. 22.3), he tested his divine love. For the Patriarch, drawn and overcome by nature and faith, gave victory to faith; and God, showing his piety, kept him from sacrificing; because He who prohibits even a wordless sacrifice, how would he tolerate such a sacrifice? He did not cease to blame the Jews for this, and through the Prophet David he cried: “having devoured his sons and his daughters by the demon. And she shed innocent blood, the blood of his sons and daughters, even devouring the idols of Canaan” (Ps. 105:37-38); And through Ezekiel he says: “And you took your sons and your daughters that you had given birth to, and brought them to your caretakers”; and then, showing the excessiveness of the incongruity, he adds: “more than all your fornication” (Ezek. 16.20, 22). Therefore, would He who accuses those who dare to do this agree to accept the only begotten son offered by the father? But this was a shadow of the perfect economy for us; because the Father brought his beloved Son for the world. Isaac was the image of the Divine, and the ram was the image of humanity; and the time itself is equal: both here and there are three days and three nights. Question 75. What does it mean when it is said: “Put your hand under my thigh” (Gen. 24.2)? And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his household, who possesses all of him: put your hand under my thigh (Gen. 24.2). Abraham sent the oldest of the servants on the occasion of a marriage, knowing that the Canaanite family was cursed, but his own family was blessed. So, since in his seed he received the blessing and the promise of good things, he commanded the servant to put his hand where he had the sign of faith, because, having believed the Divine promises, he received the seal of circumcision. He ordered to place his hand there so that the slave, remembering both the Divine promise and circumcision, would not humiliate the nobility of his master by marrying a foreigner. You need to know that the hand was placed “under the hip”, and the oath was made in the name of the God of all. For Abraham said: “I adjure thee by the Lord God of heaven and... earth, that thou shalt not get my son Isaac a wife from the daughters of the Canaanites; I live with them in them” (Gen. 24.3), and so on. But the servant’s question is also very wise. For, respecting the oath, he asks that the rules about marriage be made clear to him, and says: “if the girl chosen as a bride does not want to come here, but demands that the groom come to her; Will you command the son to go to this people” (Gen. 24.5)? Patriarch Abraham knew that his Divine calling had brought him to Canaania, but the Divine law was not given to him about marriage, but he himself, as one brought up in piety, wished that his wife be betrothed to his son from his family; and therefore prohibits doing what is prohibited by Divine law, but leaves everything else to Divine care. This hopeful slave set off on his journey. He did not bring prayer in the form of fortune-telling, as some of the unsophisticated people assumed. On the contrary, since he chose God as his partner in choosing the bride, he asked to show him any signs by which he wanted to know whether the choice of the bride was pleasing to God. The sign was: not physical beauty, not nobility of the family, not anything else that was considered honorable, but love of country, courtesy and quietness of disposition. For he says: “There will be a maiden, and I tell her to bow down your waterpot, that I may drink; and he will say to me, ‘Thou shalt drink, and I will give thy velvets a drink, until they are filled with water: this thou hast prepared for thy servant Isaac: and for this reason I will know that thou hast done kindness to my lord Abraham” (Gen. 24.14). Since the Patriarch was especially adorned with these advantages, it was desirable for the slave that the bride would be similar in character to Abraham, and that the opposite character would not cause any quarrel or contradiction. And that this was not fortune-telling, but expressed faith and piety, this is evidenced first by the diligence of prayer, and then by the servant’s waiting for the will of God. For this is what divine Scripture teaches. “A man who understands and keeps silent may understand, whether God has made his way good or not” (Gen. 24.21). While the maiden drew water and brought it to the camels, he continued to see if she would satisfy the needs of everyone upon request. And when the camels got drunk, he immediately offered gifts, signifying her election as a bride. Having learned her family and relationship with the master, as it is said: “Having blessed a man, bow down to the Lord. And he said: Blessed is the Lord God of my master Abraham, who forsaken not his righteousness and his mercy from my master: and the Lord brought me by the way to the house of my master’s brother” (Gen. 24.27). And the whole conversation of the slave proclaims the piety of his spirit; and after the conversation he also shows good spirits. When did the girl’s parents agree to the marriage? he, as it is said, immediately “worshiped the Lord to the ground” (Gen. 24.52). And after this I remained with the same thought. For he says: “Do not hold me back, for the Lord has made my way good” (Gen. 24.56). Question 76. Why are the wives of the Patriarchs barren? For Sarah was barren, and so was Rebekah, and then Rachel and Leah. It is said: “When... the Lord... saw that Leah was barren, he opened her lie” (Gen. 29.31). God, having desired to produce an Israeli race, shows that many children are acquired not by natural order, but by generosity and grace. This race was the subject of such God's care because from it the Only Begotten Son of God, the Lord Christ, was to come in the flesh. Question 77. From whom did Rebekah want to know about the children she was carrying in her womb (Gen. 25.22)? The baby plays in her, and he says: if this is how we want to be, why should we do this? And go ask the Lord. (Gen.25.22). Others say that she went to Melchizedek, as to the priest of the Most High God, a man distinguished by piety and very famous. But since the Patriarchs had the custom in the places where they lived to erect altars to God, then Rebekah probably went to one of these altars to pray to the God of all and find out what would happen. Question 78. Why does God forbid Isaac to go to Egypt when hunger forced him to do so (Gen. 26.2)? The Lord appeared to him and said: do not go into Egypt, but dwell in the land where there is a river (Gen. 26.2). The Lord God allows everyone to see His own wisdom and care. For he also allowed Patriarch Abraham to go to Egypt, not because it was difficult for him to live in Palestine, but to show the Egyptians the piety of this man, and to encourage them to compete with the virtue of the Patriarch. He ordered Isaac to stay in Palestine and provided him with an abundance of everything he needed, showing that he could provide his father with everything that he had so generously bestowed on his son. For, with poverty and a lack of necessary things, when the earth became barren, Isaac, having sowed, reaped abundant fruit (Gen. 26.12). Question 79. Why did Isaac want to give a blessing to Esau (Gen. 27.4)? And create food for me, as I love: and bring it to me, so that I may bless you, before I even die (Gen. 27.4). By natural law; because Esau was the firstborn; and the firstborn received the first and last portion. The father’s love and helpfulness of the son increased, “as if his catch had been cruel to him” (Gen. 25.28). And helpfulness is able to soften not only a tenderly loving father, but even the most cruel. We can find that the divine Apostle rewarded those who served him with many blessings. Question 80. Why was Rebekah sure that Jacob would receive a blessing, and, moreover, she was so sure that she could say: “Your oath is upon me, son: just listen to my voice” (Gen. 27.13)? His mother said to him: Your oath is upon me, child: just listen to my voice, and go and bring it to me. (Gen.27.13). She first learned from the God of all things that “the greater will do the work of the lesser” (Gen. 25.23). Believing this prophecy, she put into action all means so that Jacob would receive his father’s blessing. Question 81: Why did God not reveal His will to Isaac? So that God's care for Jacob may become clear; and this is revealed in the fact that Isaac tried to bless Esau, but God’s goodness, against the will of Isaac, attracted the blessing to Jacob. Isaac himself understood this. For, having used all means, when he sent Esau to hunt, and Jacob, who brought food, he asked many times: is he really the firstborn Esau? and not only asked, but also touched it with his hands, then, upon Esau’s return, horrified by what had happened, he was not upset, as if he had been deceived by his son, but recognized God’s intention and confirmed the blessing given to him. Question 82. Does Jacob seem to have lied when he said: “I am Esau your firstborn” (Gen. 27.19)? And Jacob said to his father: I am Esau, your firstborn, who has done as you told me: rise, sit and eat of my catch, so that your soul bless me. (Gen.27.19). He bought himself the birthright, so he spoke the truth when he called himself the firstborn. Question 83: What is the significance of Isaac's blessing? From Jacob was to come in the flesh the Lord Christ, the hope of the tongues, the Savior and Ruler of the whole universe. Anticipating this, the Patriarch says: “Behold the stench of my son, like the stench of the fields, so bless the Lord” (Gen. 27.27). And that the Divine Scripture often calls the world a field, the Lord is witness to this. For in the Holy Gospel, interpreting the parable, he says: “a village is a world, but he who sows good seed is the Son of man” (Matthew 13.37–38). Therefore, see in Jacob the salvation of the entire universe. That is why Isaac promises him “the dew of heaven and... the fatness of the earth,” and this, according to the meaning of Scripture that appears at first glance, depicts grace from above and the abundance of earthly blessings, but in accordance with the interpretation given to the field, he makes it clear in the Lord Christ by the dew of the Divinity, and by the fatness of the earth the humanity received from us. For blessed David, foretelling this, said: “It will fall like rain on the fleece, and like a drop falling on the ground” (Ps. 71.6). Just as dew descends invisibly, but unites below and becomes visible; so God the Word, being invisible, through the flesh became visible on earth, “and lived with men” (Bar.3.38), and according to the word of the divine Apostle, “appeared in the flesh” (1 Tim.1.15). And “wheat and wine” are a prototype of the divine mysteries. The following is in agreement with this concept: “And let the nations work for You” (Gen. 27.29). For the divine David says: “all the nations will serve Him” (Ps. 71.11). “And let the princes bow down” (Gen. 27.29). For it is said: “The kings of Tarsistia and the islands will bring gifts, the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring them: and all the kings of the earth will worship Him” (Ps. 71.10-11). Isaac confirmed this blessing when he sent Jacob to Mesopotamia. For he says: “You will be in the assembly of tongues. And may the Lord give you the blessing of your father Abraham” (Gen. 28.3–4). And what a blessing this is, it is not difficult for anyone to find out. For the God of all things spoke to Abraham: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your seed” (Gen. 22.18). Question 84: Why does Jacob, having received so many blessings, run away from his brother and go alone, deprived of what he needs? In these imaginary disasters, God's care is revealed more clearly. Those who live in prosperity do not know how many blessings they enjoy. For this reason, Jacob runs and goes alone, so that, having returned with great possessions, he himself will know what the providence of the God of all is, and teach others this. God immediately revealed His care for Jacob by appearing. For he showed him a ladder reaching to heaven itself, and holy angels ascending and descending [on it]. He himself, standing above, encouraged him and warded off fear from him. And the Angels opened their divine service. For the divine Paul said about them: “Are not all souls ministering, sent into service for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1.14)? And one of these was enough to put courage into the Patriarch. For all this taught him that the God of all things does not leave anything without special care; on the contrary, He Himself governs everything, using the holy Angels as servants. He also gave Jacob the blessing that was given to his father and grandfather about the fertility of the seed and about the Ruler of the universe. For he says: “All the tribes of the earth will be blessed because of your seed” (Gen. 28.14). Then he promises him His care in the upcoming matter. For he says: “Behold, I... am with you, keep you on every path, and even if you go, I will return you to this land: for the imam will not leave you until I can create all that is great in my words” (Gen. 28.15). Question 85. Why does Jacob pour oil on the stone (Gen. 28.18)? What he had, he gave back to the great-gifted Lord; for he set up the stone which he had put under his head, and poured oil on it. This can still be found today: many women who have entrusted their work to the Lord have the custom in divine churches of pouring oil on the barrier separating the sanctuary and on the shrines of the holy martyrs. And this depicts the nobility of the soul. The humane Lord accepts even small things, approving the intention with which this is done. Question 86. Many people use the fact that Jacob had four wives as a reason for obscenity. You need to delve into the intention of each thing. Reasoning in this way, we find that Patriarch Jacob, having become engaged to one Rachel, entered into an alliance with Leah against his will. Why, having soon learned the deception, he became upset and complained about his father-in-law. He took Valla as his wife not out of voluptuousness, but to console his wife. For when Rachel was sad about the loss of children, and foolishly said: “Give me children, or else I will die” (Gen. 30.1); The Patriarch piously reproached her and pointed to the Creator of nature, admonishing her that it is not marriage that produces children, but God, the establisher of marriage, gives them. For he said to her: “I am food instead of God, who has deprived you of your womb fruit” (Gen. 30.2)? But together, comforting her, he agreed to the request; She asked to take her slave as his wife, so that she could call what was born of the slave her child. It was the same in Zilpah’s reasoning; because Leah, having also stopped giving birth, begged him to give her fruit from this field. And this in no way allows us to see voluptuousness in the Patriarch; it shows the meekness of Jacob, and how he tried to please his wives. Moreover, it must be taken into account that no law prohibited polygamy at that time, and those who became fathers of many children were considered very happy. And that this is true is evidenced by Divine promises. For the God of all things spoke to Abraham: “Look up to heaven and count the stars, if you can count them out...,” and added: “So shall your seed be” (Gen. 15.5). And again: “I will make your seed... like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude” (Gen. 22:17, 32:12). But God would not have given this promise if he had not recognized that having many children is a great good. Question 87. Why were wives jealous of each other? The daughters of the ungodly husband, who called idols gods, were [themselves] imperfect. That is why the lawmaker God forbids such a marriage and says: “Thou shalt not take thy wife’s sister to be a concubine” (Lev.18.18). Question 88. Why does Scripture mention the incident (Gen. 30.11)? And Leah said: it’s good for me. And he called his name Gad. (Gen.30.11). Scripture proper belongs to the words of the Spirit, Divine commandments, and the sayings of pious people; the rest it conveys historically. Therefore, you need to pay attention not only to the words, but also to the face of the speaker. The words: “it has happened to me well” (Gen. 30.11) were spoken not by Jacob, but by his wife Leah, who, as they say, was not brought up in piety, and was little taught in the divine. So her father said: “I saw by the flight of birds” (Gen. 30.27); and Divine law prohibits guessing by the flight of birds. Therefore, no one recognizes such words as actually divine Scripture; because the writer, as the one who tells the story, also brings in what was said by the ungodly. Thus, the most divine Moses also introduced the word blasphemous to Pharaoh: “We do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go” (Ex. 5.2). But this word is not of the Divine Spirit, but of the evil king. So we hear again, says Sennacherib: Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, saying about him that the Lord will save Jerusalem from my hand (2 Kings 18.32, etc.). But we learn from this not to blaspheme, but to condemn blasphemy. Question 89. And Jacob himself said to Laban: “The Lord bless you with my foot” 2 (Gen. 30.30) For I have many of yours, and your age is many: and the Lord bless you with my coming (Gen. 30.30). The meaning of the saying is clear; “foot” he called the coming, as if saying: “because of my arrival and my care, you enjoyed God-given blessings; because God, looking at my piety, has granted every blessing entrusted to me by you.” Question 90. Why did Jacob lay sharpened rods for the drinking sheep (Gen. 30.37)? Jacob took for himself a rod of green styrakin, and nuts, and sycamore: and I Jacob took forts with white motley stripes, cutting off the bark: and what appeared on the rods was white, the hedgehog of the fort was motley. (Gen.30.37). How he took wives, desiring childbearing, but believed that hope was to be born not in marriage, but in the establisher of marriage - God; So he sharpened the rods, not relying on them, but expecting Divine help. Therefore, he was honored with the Divine appearance, and heard a voice: “Look with your eyes, and see goats and rams ascending on sheep and goats, white and motley, and ashen motley: I saw that Laban is doing great things for you. “I am God, who appeared to you in the place of God, where he anointed the pillar, and promised me a vow” (Gen. 31.12–13). Since the dark and speckled cattle were given to the sons of Laban, and their herds were three days' journey away; then the Defender of the Offended shows Jacob the motley rams and goats that are being eaten, so that he may learn by experience what kind of providence is used by those who have placed their trust in the God of all. It should be noted that, having called the one who appeared above an Angel, he now shows that He is also God, because He Himself says: “I am the God who appeared to you” on the way. He saw Angels ascending and descending along the ladder, and the Lord established himself at the top of it. He was called here both Angel and God - God by nature, but Angel, so we know that the one who appeared was not the Father, but the only begotten Son. For whose Angel will the Father be? The Son is both God and the Angel of the great council; because he told us the secrets of the Father. 3 For he says: “What I heard from My Father told you” (John 15.15). So he who called Abraham was called both Angel and God. Question 91. For what purpose were Rachel's idols stolen (Gen. 31.19)? Laban went away and sheared his sheep; Rachel stole her father’s idols. (Gen.31.19). Others say that Rachel stole them because of her favor. But I assume the opposite, namely, that I abducted them with the intention of freeing my father from superstition; because the Divine Scripture also makes known her piety. It is said: “God will remember Rachel, and God will hear her, and open her womb” (Gen. 30.22). For, having heard from Jacob: “I am food instead of God, who has deprived you of your womb fruit” (Gen. 30.2)? - She most earnestly offered a prayer to God, and received what she asked for. And after giving birth, she discovered her piety. It is said: “Rachel said: God take away my reproach. And they called his name Joseph, saying: May God give me another son” (Gen. 30.23.24). Therefore, having such a commitment to God, could she serve those who are not gods? I think there is something else represented in this; because Jacob bore the image of the God of all. And God had two peoples, the older one, who had a veil over his heart, and the younger one, adorned with the beauty of faith. And Jacob had two wives, Leah, who had “sick eyes,” and Rachel, “kind in appearance, and red in the eyes” (Gen. 29.17); and the eldest had many children, and the younger was barren. For the Church of the pagans was also barren in ancient times, but after that it became full of children. It is said: “The barren one who does not give birth rejoices, the one who is not sick with the stomach shouts and cries, for there are many more empty children than those who have husbands” (Is. 54.1). So, since the Church, having believed in the Savior God, uprooted the errors of its ancestors, Rachel, being the image of the Church, stole her father’s idols, in order to thereby show in herself the shadow of truth. Question 92. What does it mean when it was said: “Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac” (Gen. 31.53)? Let the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac (Gen. 31.53). The fear of Isaac was called piety, that is, the fear of God; because Isaac carried the fear of God in [his] soul. Question 93. Why does the Angel fight with Jacob (Gen. 32.25)? You see that he cannot resist him: and I will touch the breadth of his whip: and he endured the breadth of Jacob's whip, when he fought with him. (Gen.32.25). Gives courage to Jacob, who was afraid of his brother. That is why he concedes the victory to him, almost saying: “You have overcome me, and are you afraid of a man?” But so that Jacob would not think highly of himself, dreaming that he had overcome God, by touching the whip the Angel showed that he was voluntarily conceding the victory; because the touch produced numbness. Jacob, having recognized the power of the One who appeared, asks for blessing. And He gives what is asked and changes the name. For he says: “No one will call your name Jacob, but Israel will be your name: because you have become strong with God, you will be strong with men” (Gen. 32.28). At the same time, he showed the reason for the victory. For he says: “Do not be afraid of man, since I have given you victory over Me.” But even after Jacob awakened, his leg remained sore, and he continued to limp, so that he would not consider the vision a dream, but would accurately know the truth of the dream. Therefore, having asked what the name of the Fighter was, he not only did not achieve what he asked, but also heard the reproach as having transgressed the measure of nature. He was told: “Everything... you ask... in My name! It’s a wonderful thing to eat” (Gen. 32.29). But here it should be noted that he called the same thing both man and God. For he said: “You have become strong with God, and you will be strong with men.” “And I called the name of that place: The View of God: for I saw God face to face, and my soul was saved” (Gen. 32.30). And again: “the sun rose up for him, when the sight of God passed away” (Gen. 32.31). From all this we know that here too the only begotten Son of God and God appeared to Jacob. Question 94. What does it mean when it is said: “This is Anah, who found Yamen in the wilderness, when she fed the yoke of her father Sebegon” (Gen. 36.24)? And these are the sons of Sebegon: Aie and Ana: this is Ana, who found Jamin in the wilderness, when she tended the yoke of her father Sebegon. (Gen.36.24). The Syriac translator says that he found the source, because the source in the Syriac language is called “ayna”. Question 95. Where does Job come from? From Esau. His history shows this; for it is said: “man... lived in the country of Austidia” (Job.1.1). Blessed Moses declared the same thing. For, describing the succession of those who reigned from the family of Esau, he said this: “And Balak died, and Job the son of Zerin became king after him from Bozherra” (Gen. 36.33). This is similar to the story of Job. Question 96: Why was Joseph envied by his brothers? Joseph was loved by his father, both as one born late, and as the son of Rachel, and as distinguished by virtue. Therefore, the brothers, seeing him as preferred, were stung by envy, and at first tried to put their father in a bad position towards him, many times resorting to slander, but not achieving their intention, they attempted to destroy him, and then, after consulting, they sold him. The dream of sheaves foreshadows worship for wheat, because, having come to Egypt to buy wheat, the brothers, according to the prophecy, worshiped Joseph. Question 97: Why did Tamar, disguised as a harlot, deceive her father-in-law? The family of Abraham became very famous for their piety. Knowing this, Tamar zealously desired to have children from this family. Since her father-in-law did not take her as a wife for his youngest son, so that he would not die like his brothers, she was forced to steal for herself a means of childbearing, when she was clearly forbidden to receive this. Moreover, she accuses her father-in-law of the fact that, without observing chastity himself, he forced her to a chaste life. This is what he discovered in his court. For having learned what Tamar was carrying in her womb, he sentenced her to death. Having found out from whom she was pregnant, he recognized her as innocent, but condemned himself. For he said: “Tamar was justified more than me, because he did not give it to my mighty son” (Gen. 38.26). And that Tamar intended this for childbearing, and not out of voluptuousness, this is clear from what follows; because she had no more communication with Judas or anyone else, but was content with being called the mother of those descended from Judas’ seed. Question 98. What did Zara and Fares indicate? Two nations: Perez - the Jews, and Zara - the pagan believers. For even before the law there were many children of piety who lived by faith, or by the law. Therefore, Zara “raised his hand” (Gen. 38.28), pointing to living before the law; because even before the law there were many pious and virtuous people. And the scarlet rope was an indication of the Old Testament sacrifices. For the Old Testament [righteous] people propitiated God with sacrifices: Abel, and Enoch, and Elijah, and Melchizedek, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. Then, when “you draw your hand... Zara, go out... Perez” (Gen. 38.29); because the law separates those who lived before the law and those who lived under the law. Therefore, blessed Paul says: “The law has come” (Rom. 5.20), teaching this that even before the law they were justified by faith, but through the law grace shone. Yes, and the Lord came into existence in the flesh from Perez. For it is said: “whose fathers are, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God above all” (Rom. 9.6), and in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “It is manifest that from... Judah our Lord Jesus Christ rose up” (Heb. 7.14). Blessed Matthew also taught this when he wrote his genealogy. And blessed Moses placed this narrative, teaching the Jews that the glorious line of David came from foreign wives, so that they would not boast before the pagan believers, as if they had preserved their nobility unalloyed. Question 99. Suppose that Leah, as imperfect in piety, said: “It is good for me that it happened”; How did the historical writer, speaking about Joseph, say: “The man was prosperous” (Gen. 39.2)? And the Lord was with Joseph: and the man was prosperous, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. (Gen.39.2) Read the speech given at the beginning and you will find the solution. For, having said: “The Lord was with Joseph...,” he added: “And the husband was prosperous,” and continued: “And he was in the house of the master... the Egyptian.” But his master knows that the Lord is with him, and the Lord creates great things, and the Lord makes things good” (Gen. 39.2-3). So Joseph prospered in everything, because the Lord was with him. He improved what Joseph was doing. Moses said this, telling about the imprisonment of Joseph: “Everything was in the hands of Joseph, even though the Lord was with him; and the great thing that he did, the Lord made haste in his hand” (Gen. 39.23). Question 100. How did the archmagir, being a eunuch, have a wife (Gen. 39.1)? Joseph was quickly brought to Egypt. And Pentephrius, the eunuch of the pharaohs, the archmagir, an Egyptian husband, bought him from the hands of the Ismailites, who brought him there. (Gen.39.1). Although “eunuch” and “eunuch” are for the most part the same names, it is not impossible for a eunuch to have a wife in the house who would take care of household chores. Question 101. Why did Joseph not let his father know about his slavery for such a [long] time, and God did not inform Jacob about this through revelation? According to the prophecy of Abraham, Jacob and his children and offspring were to move to Egypt. But if he had known about Joseph, then, without a doubt, having sent a ransom, he would have returned him. For this reason, God left Jacob lamenting in order to fulfill his dispensation and subsequently make his life more pleasant. And Joseph himself explains God’s economy to the brothers; “For life,” he says, “God sent me before you... to nourish a great people” (Gen. 45:5, 7). David also notes this: “and he called a famine on the land: every grain crop was wiped out. He sent a man before them, Joseph was sold as a slave,” etc. (Ps. 104:16-17). And if the Patriarch had learned about the slavery of his son, then, without a doubt, would have ransomed him, but the ransomed man would not have been thrown into prison, and if this had not happened, he would not have interpreted the dreams to the king’s servants; without having interpreted them, he would not have become known to the Pharaoh, and if he had not become known to the king, he would not have been entrusted with the reins of Egypt. with his family. Therefore, the end makes clear the purpose of God's economy. Question 102. Therefore, the brothers did not sin by contributing to God’s economy? They acted out of envy and hatred; but God, Who is wise, used their malice to achieve the opposite. For by trying to prevent the dreams from coming true, God brought them to fruition through that very thing. Question 103: Why did Joseph treat them harshly when his brothers first arrived? Remembering what the brothers did to him, and not seeing Benjamin, he thought that they had done the same to him. And when he saw his brother alive, then he forgave them and showed them all care. Question 104. What is the meaning of the name: “Psonphomphanih” (Gen. 41.45)? And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Psonphomphanih: and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Petefria the priest of Iliopolis, to be his wife. (Gen.41.45). Joseph, as the one who explained the dreams to Pharaoh, he called the interpreter of the mysteries. Question 105. Why did Joseph order not the first, but the second brother to be imprisoned (Gen. 42.24)? Turning away from them, Joseph wept: and again he came to them and spoke to them. And Simeon sang from them, and his bond was before them. (Gen.42.24). He knew Reuben's intention, and [he] knew well how much Reuben spoke to his brothers for him, and what efforts he made about saving him. Since Simeon did not cooperate with Reuben, he quite rightly ordered him to be imprisoned; however, after the departure of the brothers, he honored him with all sorts of helpfulness. When this happened, conscience did not leave the brothers alone, but reminded them of the lawlessness committed against their brother. For it is said: “And every man said unto his brother, Yea, for we are in sins for our brother’s sake, for we despised the sorrow of his soul when he prayed to us, and did not listen to him: and for this reason this sorrow has come upon us” (Gen. 42.21). And Reuben at the same time denounces them; for it is said: “He said to them: Did you not swear, saying: Do not harm the children? and you did not listen to me: and behold, his blood will be required” (Gen.42.22). From this one can clearly see the inexorable judgment of conscience, because it reminds us of the lawlessness committed over twenty-two years. Question 106. Why did the father not dare to give Benjamin to Reuben (Gen.42.38)? He said: my son will not go with you, because his brother has died, and he is the only one left: and evil will happen to him on the way, if you go, you will bring my old age with sorrow to hell. (Gen.42.38). [He] was suspicious of him because of his lawless cohabitation and desecration of the bed (Gen. 35.22), but Jacob did not know how much effort he made about Joseph. Question 107. What does it mean when it is said: “He uses magic on her” (Gen. 44.5)? Why did you steal my silver cup? Isn’t this what my lord drinks from? He also performs sorcery in her: you have done evil, even as you have done. (Gen.44.5). Wanting to strengthen the accusation of imaginary theft, they call the cup a fortune-telling instrument. Joseph himself said the same thing: “Do you not know how a man like me practices sorcery” 5? He said this, not actually using fortune telling and sorcery, but applying the words to the present circumstance. The accuracy in his words is worthy of surprise. Even feignedly, in front of his brothers, he did not agree to attribute magic to himself, but attributes it to someone else, invested with the same power; for he did not say: “I do magic,” but: “A man like me does magic.” Question 108. Why did Joseph arrange this whole thing with the cup (Gen. 44.2)? And put my silver cup into the sackcloth of the man, and the price of his wheat. It happened according to the word of Joseph, as it was spoken. (Gen.44.2) I wanted to test the brothers’ disposition and reliably find out whether they would stand for the slandered Benjamin. That is why he hid the cup in his sackcloth. When he saw that they were not only protecting him, but also standing firmly for him; he put off his boss’s face and showed them his brother’s face. And since they were terrified, and almost wished that the earth would open up under them; then he himself encourages them, saying: “Now do not grieve, for it will appear cruelly to you that you will sell this, for God has sent me before you for life” (Gen. 45.5). And when he released them, he very kindly gave them advice. For he says: “Do not be angry on the way” (Gen. 45.24), instead of saying: “Do not do the same as you did to me.” Question 109. Why did Joseph acquire the land of the Egyptians and their cattle as property for the king (Gen. 47.18–23)? With the shortage and high cost of wheat, the Egyptians were not able to feed their livestock and sow the land. Therefore, having taken it during the famine, he subsequently returned it, legalizing the contribution of a fifth of the profit (Gen. 47.24), so that in cases of shortage they would have in reserve the means to maintain life. He left only the priestly land exempt from taxes to the king (which is an honor that the priests of the true God do not have). So much honor was given to those who are not gods at all! Question 110. Why does Jacob order his body to be buried in Hebron (Gen.47.30)? But may I rest in peace with my fathers: and you carried me out of Egypt, and buried me in their tomb. He said: I will do according to your word. (Gen.47.30). Not worrying about the grave, but comforting their family and teaching that the Lord God will resettle them all from Egypt and give them the Promised Land. Joseph expressed this thought more clearly; because, dying, he said this: “I am dying: God will visit you and bring you from the sowing land to the land about which God swore to our father, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Joseph cursed the children of Israel, saying: In a visitation, God will visit you with them; bring up my bones from here with you” (Gen. 50.24-25). And therefore it is clear that both Joseph and Jacob, predicting the return, gave the commandment about burial. Question 111. What does it mean when it is said: “And Israel bowed down to the end of his staff” (Gen. 47.31)? The speech is: swear to me. And they swear to him. And Israel bowed down to the end of his staff. (Gen.47.31). Being old and in a sickly state, Jacob lay in bed, but having learned about the coming of his son, he stood up and sat, but taking the rod, leaned on it, clasping the end of the rod with his right hand, and resting his face on his hand. Delighted by the sight of Joseph and the promise of burial, he bowed, pressing his head to the staff. And with this, first of all, he fulfilled Joseph’s dream, in which Joseph saw the sun, moon and eleven stars worshiping him; and moreover, Jacob predicts royal power for the tribe of Ephraim, and subordination for the ten tribes. For this was also spoken by the divine Apostle: “By faith Jacob...bless the son of Joseph every time: and bow down upon the top of his staff” (Heb. 11.21). He also gave him a special lot. For he says: “Ephraim and Manasseh will be like Reuben and Simeon to me” (Gen.48.5). But prophetically he chose Ephraim over Manasseh. For when Joseph gave preference to Manasseh as the firstborn, and placed both sons in that order, the Patriarch, “changing his hands” (Gen. 48.14), laid his right hand on the younger one, and his left hand on the older one. Then, when Joseph thought that Jacob did this out of ignorance, he assumed the reason for this was weakness of vision, and said: “not so, father” (Gen. 48.18), because this is the eldest; then it was said to him: “I am a child, and this one will be one of the people, and this one will be exalted: but his youngest brother will be greater than him” (Gen. 48.19). It should be noted that those who follow them are always preferred to the first-born. For Abel was preferred to Cain, and Shem to Japheth, who was second and was called the brother of “Japheth the elder” (Gen. 10.21), Isaac to Ishmael, Jacob to Esau, Judah and Joseph to Reuben, Manasseh to Ephraim. This can also be found among those who lived after this. For Moses was presented to Aaron, and David was the youngest of the seven brothers. Patriarch Jacob showed with a prophecy why he asked for a burial place. For he said: “Behold, I am dying: and God will be with you, and your fathers will bring you back from the land of sowing to the land” (Gen. 48.21). Question 112: Why is it said that Jacob blesses the children when he curses some? The last words of the Patriarch are not curses or blessings, but predictions; he says: “Gather together, so that I will tell you what will happen to you in the last days” (Gen. 49.1). I also mentioned the actions of some not because the children bore the punishment for their father’s sins; on the contrary, he gives the appearance of an oath and blessing to his words for the common benefit of future readers. He reproaches Reuben for his stubbornness, insolence and desecration of his father’s bed, and therefore predicts that his descendants will be few in number. For this is meant by the words: “like water... do not boil” (Gen. 49.4), that is, you will not multiply, you will not have many children. He is indignant at Simeon and Levi, complaining about the unrighteous death of the Shechemites, and does not want to have any fellowship in this lawlessness. But he curses not them themselves, but their evil passions, anger, rage. And he called anger lust; because anger originates from it, and the angry one longs to take revenge on the enemy. And this punishment was only a prediction. For he says: “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49.7). But the tribe of Levi was scattered because of high honor, so that in each tribe there would live Levites and priests, and everyone would benefit from them. They did not receive a special lot, but in each tribe several cities were allocated to them, and in the outskirts they were given land for a certain number of cubits. And the tribe of Simeon did not have a separate lot, but according to the prediction of the Patriarch it was scattered among other tribes. Jacob says a lot of praise to Judas. “Judah, your brethren will praise you; your hands will be upon your enemies; your father’s sons will worship you. The skimen of the lions Judah: from the growth of the summer my son came up: he lay down and fell asleep... like a lion, and like a skimen: who will stir him up” (Gen. 49.8–9.)? However, none of this can be applied to Judah, but is applied to the tribe that descended from him; because it was royal; David reigned first, and then the descendants of David. And of all the other tribes it was the most powerful. When King David ordered the people to be numbered, he found four hundred thousand in the tribe of Judah, and nine hundred thousand in the other tribes. And when they were numbered in the wilderness, the tribe of Judah turned out to be the most numerous of the other tribes. But exactly this prophecy was fulfilled in the Lord Christ, Who, according to Patriarch Jacob, came “from the summer growth”, and, according to the Prophet Isaiah, “came a rod from the root of Jesse, and a flower from his root came up” (Is. 11.1). The words also befit him: “You lay down and fell asleep like a lion, and like a tent of lions”; because, just as a lion and a sleeper are terrible, so the Master’s death became terrible both to death and to the devil. The Patriarch called him both the lion and the lion's skim, as the Tsar and the Son of the Tsar, as God and the Son of God; because according to humanity he came from David, and like God before the ages he was born of the Father. And the words: “Who will stir Him up?” show His ineffable power. For He resurrected Himself, according to His own prophecy: “Destroy this church, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2.19). The Patriarch also predicts the time of His coming. “A prince shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from between his feet, until he comes; but unto him is the desire of the tongues set aside” (Gen. 49.10). This is the clearest sign of the Lord's coming. Among the Jews, not only kings, but also bishops and prophets became impoverished, as proof of the fulfillment of this prediction. When our Savior was about to be born, foreign kings prevailed over the Jews, and hereby the eternal King was indicated - “the hope of the tongues,” according to the promise given by God to all Patriarchs. For the God of all promised to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, that in their seed he would bless all the nations of the earth. Patriarch Jacob expressed this here too, blessing Judas. For he says: “The prince will not fail from Judah, nor the leader from his feet, until he comes, but the desire of the tongues is set aside for Him.” Then he points to a people made up of pagans and Jews. “Bind your lot to the vine, and bind your donkey to the priest’s vine” (Gen. 49.11). That Israel was called the vine, all the Prophets teach this. David says: “Thou broughtest grapes from Egypt,” and so on. (Ps.79.9); and Isaiah: “The Beloved received grapes in a rose in a fat place” (Is.5.1). And through Jeremiah the God of all said: “I planted fruitful grapes for you, all true” (Jer. 2.21); and through the Lawgiver: “from the vines of Sodom their grapes” (Deut. 32.32). And the Lord in the Holy Gospel says: “A certain man planted grapes, and he became a laborer thereof, and he went away” (Luke 20.9). And Jacob calls the pagan people a stallion, as if they had not yet been tamed and had no tamer. For the Lord made this clear to the Apostles, commanding them to go “all straight” and to set aside the tied donkey and her lot, “to the tender, as it is said, no one... from man everywhere” (Luke 19.30); because neither the Patriarch, nor the legislator, nor the Prophet took care of the salvation of the pagans; The divine Apostles, having received the command to teach all nations and baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, gave up the donkey, that is, human nature, bound by the captivity of sin; They also cast away the lot - the people descended from her, and putting their clothes on him, that is, the grace that they themselves had received ("for those who were baptized into Christ, put on Christ" (Gal. 3.27)), made the indomitable stallion obedient, so that the Master sat on him, and tied him to the vine, that is, to themselves. For the Apostles were from the Jews, and not only they alone, but also the seventy disciples and those three thousand whom the first of the Apostles suddenly caught in his trap, and those five thousand, and those many thousands about which the blessed James told the most divine Paul. Therefore, those who believed entered into unity not only with the Apostles, but also with the Apostolic disciples. And seeing this, the Patriarch said: “Tie your lot to the vine, and tie your donkey to the vine.” Then he predicts suffering. “He shall stain his garments with wine, and his garments with the blood of grapes. His eyes are glad because of wine, and His teeth are whiter than milk” (Gen. 49.11–12). He calls His body clothing, and His blood wine, just as the Lord called the mysterious wine blood. But let us listen to the Evangelist John, who reports that when the soldier pierced His side, “blood and water came forth” (John 19.34). These streams were worn out by the body; That’s why the Patriarch says: “He will wash his clothes with wine.” Then he shows the joy that will come from suffering. “His eyes are glad because of wine”; because saving suffering is joy for the universe. And what Moses meant by this suffering is witnessed by the Lord Himself, who says: “Father... if it is possible... let this cup pass by from Me” (Matthew 26.39). So he said to the sons of Zebedee: “Can you drink the cup that Az Imam drinks” (Matthew 20.22)? Therefore, the joyfulness of the eyes means joy after suffering; I mean that after suffering and resurrection, the disciples were sent into the whole universe to proclaim salvation to the believers. The Patriarch likened the clarity and purity of teaching to the whitest teeth. For he says: “and his teeth are whiter than milk.” The Patriarch predicted so many things when blessing Judas. He predicted a settlement by the sea for Zebulun; and to Issachar - agriculture, and to Dan, according to some, what happened under Sampson, because he came from this tribe, but he was also numbered among the judges. Therefore it is said: “His people were given judgment, as one tribe in Israel” (Gen. 49.16). Others say that Jacob foretold what would happen to the city of Laissa, which is now called Papeada. For several people from this tribe, suddenly rushing and attacking the mentioned city, took it by force, settled in it and gave it their name, “naming... for its name is given” (Judges 18.29). But I think that the Spirit of God, who predicted through the Patriarch about our Savior, in this prediction also speaks about the Antichrist. What is written is very fitting for him. It is said: “His people are given judgment, as one tribe in Israel”; that is, how our Savior and Lord, who came from the tribe of Judah, will save the universe; so the destructive serpent will come out of the tribe of Dan. For this is what the Patriarch also says: “And let the serpent be given along the way, sitting at the crossroads, biting the heel of the horse: and the horseman will fall back, waiting for the salvation of the Lord” (Gen. 49.17-18). Since the Antichrist, using all kinds of deception, will attempt to trap into destruction those led by him into deception; then the Patriarch likens him to some kind of serpent, nesting in a hole along some path, and causing harm to those passing by. I think he calls the body a horse, and a horseman the soul. And falling backwards, that is, lying on your back, represents death; because this is the appearance of the dead. By the word “heel” he meant deception. Because he deceives some, and causes very grievous torment to others; then the horse designated the body, through the remorse and damage of which death occurs, bringing the fruits of hope to those who wait; the fruit of such hope is salvation. The Patriarch also predicts the intrigues of Gad that he will suffer from the predatory invasions. This is expressed in the words: “temptation will tempt him” (Gen. 49.19). It also foretells his future victory; for he says: “and he... tempted him at his feet” (Gen.49.19). He also predicts a grain-growing country for Asher, and an increase in the number of descendants for Naphtali. For he expressed this with the words: “as the stem blossoms, show kindness to the branches” (Gen. 49.21). Then, having shown envy and all kinds of intrigues against Joseph, he praises God’s care through which he overcame those who were at enmity. For he says: “And the strength of their bows was cut off, and the sinews of their hands were weakened, by the hand of the mighty Jacob: from there was Israel strengthened from God your Father. And my God will help you: and bless you with the blessing of heaven from above, and with the blessing of all who have the earth: blessings for the sake of your breasts and wombs, the blessings of your father and your mother: above all are the blessings of the mountains that remain, and the desires of the everlasting hills: they will be on the head of Joseph, and on the side of the brothers who possess them” (Gen. 49.24-26). Nevertheless, the Patriarch turned this to the glory of his God, who also granted him superiority over his warring brother, and made his son invincible from the malicious intent of many brothers. You have been honored with this care, he says, as a reward for your helpfulness to those who gave birth. This is what he expresses in the words: “blessings for the sake of the breasts and wombs, blessings of your father and your mother”; because he became a zealous caregiver for his father in his old age. The services rendered to him alone are called common services to father and mother, because the mother would have enjoyed the same care if she had not previously left life. Then he promises him celebrity, so that he will become famous for everyone. For he says: “before the blessings of the abiding mountains, and the desires of the everlasting hills: they will be on the head of Joseph, and on the side of the brothers, who possess them.” Since hills and mountains are visible from a distance; then he promises him that, like them, he will become famous and very famous among everyone. And he called Benjamin “a predatory wolf” (Gen. 49.27), because of what his knee was subjected to. Therefore, he added: “Eat early..., and gives food for the evening”; because, having won the first and second battles, subsequently all the descendants of Benjamin completely died, with the exception of a very small number, over whom the winners took pity, and although they did not dare to give them wives because of the oath, they nevertheless came up with another marriage for them. You should know that some attributed this prophecy to the divine Paul; mail that, like a wolf, “he made the church angry by entering into houses” (Acts 8.3), and subsequently taught spiritual food to the universe. When Jacob said this and mentioned his own death, then, the writer noted, “laying... his nose... on the bed of death: and he was venerated to his people” (Gen. 49.33). And with these words he conveyed the thought of the hope of resurrection. For if people completely perished, and did not pass on to another life, then he would not have said: “Take yourselves to your people.” The God of all things also spoke to Abraham: “You will go back to your fathers in peace, and be nourished in good old age” (Gen. 15.15). And the Lord from here brought forth a denunciation of the unbelief of the Sadducees, saying: “About the resurrection of the dead, did you speak...: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; there is no God, the God of the dead, but the God of the living” (Matthew 22.31–32). This passage in the prophet Isaiah now reads like this: “I am the one who made the light and created the darkness” (Is.45.7). In Slavic translation: “by my coming.” Compare: “We should not be surprised that Christ is called the Angel of Almighty God. Just as because of the image of a servant in which Christ appeared to people, He is a servant: so He is an Angel because of the Gospel that He announced to people. If these two words are translated from Greek, then the Gospel means “Good News”, and the Angel means “messenger” (Blessed Augustine of Hippo †430). According to the Slavic translation, this place reads like this: “like a man who is a sorcerer, like I” (Gen. 44.15) You might be interested in: