But observe how not with iron does Zipporah circumcise the child (for the iron is an avenger, and beseems them that are under the law which punisheth) but with a stone, as it is written, understood as a type of Christ. For the indestructibility and stability in all respects of the Nature of the Only-Begotten is hereby signified. Wherefore God the Father in the holy Prophets called Christ an adamant too, saying, Behold, I am setting an adamant in the midst of My people Israel. The adamant signifies to us as in a figure, that the Divine and Ineffable Nature of the Word can never yield to those which oppose it. Thus the Divine Joshua too after Moses' leadership and death being called to the command, purified the children of Israel with a Divinely appointed stone, and since he was to withstand the hand of the enemy, right well was he commanded to arm them first in some sort by circumcision, knowing that no otherwise would they who were on the very verge of fighting be above falling and superior to death.
And thus it is written concerning him, And the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee knives of rock, of the sharp rock, and sit down, circumcise the children of Israel. And Joshua made him knives of flints, and circumcised the children of Israel. For herein the name rock signifies to us as it were the fixed and indestructible Word of God, the expression sharp points out the power of subtilely penetrating into |506 things, and its keenest energy, since Paul too, who was nourished up in the holy and Divine writings, calls the Divine Word quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, and says that it pierces even to the parting of soul and spirit. But the Word so subtle and piercing entering our hearts through His own Spirit frees them from all uncleanness, and circumcising in an expressible manner the things in respect whereof we are full of the deepest abominations, it renders us both holy and undefiled. For see herein most translucent the image of the truth. For Jesus is he who circumciseth, and they who undergo it of him, are every fresh young child, as it is written, who this day knoweth not good or evil. For they who came forth out of Egypt had the Divine wrath as the wages of their unbelief, and manifold punishment overtook them in the desert, it having been with reason determined by the all-holy God that He would not bring them into the land which He sware to their fathers. But they who came after them being free from the charges of unbelief, fulfilled the type of the new people, so as even to receive the circumcision in the spirit through Christ, the old and first people, that is, Israel, having gone to perdition, as we have just said. Nevertheless the noble and new people are circumcised, under the command of Joshua, the other side Jordan, as it is written. For the considerations that spring from the truth are thus; we shall never receive the circumcision through the Spirit in the heart, as long as we have not yet been brought over the mystic Jordan, but are still on yon side of the holy waters. But when all the people were circumcised by command of Joshua, straightway the Lawgiver makes known the utility of the thing, and says to the holy Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherein then shall we grant that Israel received benefit from circumcision or what reproach do we say was rolled away? Their bondage, their exposure from weakness to be tyrannized over, and yet more their hard labours, in clay and brick. Seest thou from how great evils the might of the circumcision in spirit delivers? For it |507 delivers the soul of man out of the hand of the devil, renders it free and let go from the sin which tyrannizes in us, and maketh it superior to all the arrogance of wicked devils. Yea it frees from both clay and brick, for no longer does it suffer one denied with the pleasures of the flesh, nor that he be intermingled with the toils of earth, but frees both from death and corruption: nor are these all the benefits which arise from circumcision, but it also renders us partakers of the Divine Nature through the participation of our Saviour Christ.
For the compiler of the book adds to what has been said, And the children of Israel kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month and did eat of the corn of the land bread unleavened and new. For no otherwise may one partake of the Very Lamb That taketh away the sin of the world, nor yet find the unleavened and new food of the Gospel preachings, unless one have first passed the mystic Jordan, received the circumcision from the Living Word, and rubbed off after some sort, as it were a spot on the soul, the reproach of Egypt, in the manner we have just expounded.
For that God loatheth, as fall of reproach and all uncleanness, him that is not yet circumcised, not as holding in abomination the flesh which He disdained not to create, but [as hating] him that is yet (so to say) in full vigour and complete, as respects pleasures in evil, by reason of his having lost nothing, we shall know when we find Him saying to holy Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof but every man's servant that is bought for money, thou shall circumcise him, and then shall he eat thereof. For He wholly excludes the stranger, thereby signifying him who is not yet joined to Christ through faith: but him that is in bondage to sin, and is in some sort sold to the devil, He very seasonably commands to be first circumcised, and purified, and then to taste the most holy Flesh. For we being pure purely shall we partake of Christ, according to that which is orderly proclaimed in our churches, Holy things to the holy. For |508 in truth it were just and meet, since our Saviour Christ died for us, and cleansed us not with the purifications of the Law but with His Own Blood, that we too should offer to Him our own life and as a just debt pay that we live no more to ourselves, but repay as it were the complete consecration unto holiness of our own souls. For that the Precious Blood and Death of Christ Who died for all, both saved us from all evil, and was the Giver of the spiritual circumcision, whereby we gain that we are joined to God Who is over all, in this too shall we see. For thus it is written in respect of him who was captain after Moses, I mean Joshua the son of Nun, And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance: there they buried with him, in the sepulchre wherein they buried him, the knives of flints wherewith he circumcised the children of Israel. For the blessed Joshua died and was buried, and profitably were the knives affixed to the sepulchre, which ministered to the type of circumcision, that we again might understand by this that the grace of circumcision in spirit the wooer for us of all heavenly goods, is bound up in the death of our Saviour Christ.
We will then understand that the circumcision on the eighth day, taking it in no Jewish sense, is the purification through the Spirit, in faith and the Resurrection of Christ, the casting away of all sin, the destruction of death and corruption, the bestower of holiness and ownness with Christ, the image of freedom, the way and door to close friendship with God.
Abundance then of spiritual considerations then having been now contributed by us from all parts to these things, and the two chapters divided as was meet, and we having concluded for each the discussion suiting it: it remains and is due to say, why the spiritual circumcision prevails over even the honour of the sabbath. For circumcision is to be received even on the sabbath day, unheeding the Law of not working thereon. Since then the rest on the seventh |509 day signifies freedom and rest from all wickedness, and cessation from sin, and circumcision in spirit means nothing different from these, as it were in another way (for I think that the being freed from superfluous lusts, and overmuch pleasure, clearly results in rest from evil), we shall find not only that circumcision in no way breaks the law respecting the sabbath, but even aids it and all but coincides in one and the same language with it, openly proclaiming that one ought to rest and to desist from evil: so that they both are the same, I mean both circumcision and the rest of the sabbath (as one will most rightly deem), according to the concurrence of both in one aim. For we will not adhere to the gross type of the history, but will rather spiritually go to the oracles of the Spirit. Unblameably therefore will the profit of circumcision on the sabbath too be brought in, since as the Saviour saith, The priests in the temple profane the sabbath by ministering thereon and not ceasing from their ordinary occupations, and are blameless, as the Judge Himself hath testified to them, with greatest reason. For what time is there wherein we ought to desist from works of holiness, and those wherein the Deity delighteth? at what time is it not hurtful to slacken zeal in piety? The rest then on the sabbath day hath a most praiseworthy ceasing and staying from wickedness only and from abominable sin, but by no means hinders us from taking pleasure in holy deeds, and whatsoever any one supposes will be of profit to his own soul, this too it enjoins him unblamed to take all pains rightly to perform. This same profitableness you may see introduced also in the force of circumcision. For in cutting away pleasure in the direction of evil, is perceived a birth of resting from sin, and a beginning of worship in spirit and most holy conversation; and the difference between them is slight, nevertheless a needful one. For in that He does not command both to be observed on the seventh day, nor yet on the eighth; the plan of each gives us to understand that there is a distinction. And this too has a meaning, and no inelegant one, as seems to me. For resting from |510 wickedness is not yet the utter casting off also of wickedness. For ofttimes our passions are quiet within us, yet are not wholly cast out of our mind, but are by sober reasoning, as it were with a bridle, forcibly brought to the rest which is uncongenial to them, yea and give way even against their will to the toils of discipline also. But shaking off one's passions, as far as a man can do, is I suppose a wholly different thing and far greater than resting from passion.
Having thus arranged our arguments on these matters, we must finally consider, that we shall not attain unto the casting away of our passions or stumblings arising from pleasure, which is the meaning of circumcision, unless we first cease from sin which goes forth into action, and hold as it were in rest the motions of our mind which run unto transgression. For by using some step of this kind, we shall easily attain what is yet greater and higher, I mean the total casting off of our passions. But the rest from passion, seems to lie in some degree in our own power (for we shall cease from evil, by giving the force of our wills to what is better), but to be released from our passions is surely not in our own power, but is verily the fitting work of Christ who suffered for us, that He might remodel all to newness of life. Therefore meetly did circumcision obtain the eighth day, introducing the renewing (so to say) time of the Resurrection, while the rest had the seventh day, its neighbour and a little behind. For rest for a season and at will, falls and comes a little short of the entire cutting off of the passions.
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Therefore meetly did circumcision obtain the eighth day, introducing the renewing (so to say) time of the Resurrection, while the rest had the seventh day, its neighbour and a little behind. For rest for a season and at will, falls and comes a little short of the entire cutting off of the passions. ----------------------------------------
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384 The PASSION willed and willed not. The Passion willed and unwilled. 385 386 The HOLY TRINITY has One Will. The Son willed to save us: kept Father's Will how. 387 388 Subjection exists not in itself but its subject. Consubstantiality independent of mere accidents. 389 390 Essences independent of accidents. The SON Archetype of honour to parents. 391 392 Christ's Death our life yet wrought by Jews' wickedness. Will of FATHER and SON not two. 393 394 The FATHER brings to the SON how. All through whole Holy TRINITY. SON GOD Who quickens. 395 396 Serpent still punishes unbelief. Christ has a Mother and is God. 397 398 Saints to be honoured; their beauty abiding. Jesus God, knowing the hearts. 399 400 JESUS GOD Who quickens: Prophets witness to Him, What Each PERSON does, that the work of whole TRINITY. 401 402 The Three Persons exist Each, Their working one. FATHER and SON suppose Each the other. GOD never seen. 403 404 The SON, of God, GOD. Christ's skill in teaching, He promises Himself. 405 The SON the True Bread. 407 408 CHRIST instructs from all sides: greater doom of disbelieving Him: our Ransom. 409 410 I sanctify Myself. Flesh gives life, full of the WORD. Resurrection universal. Eternal Life through Eucharist. 411 412 Type of CHRIST as Bread. Apostles light and loaves. The Baptist teaching-preparatory. Cakes the Apostles. 413 414 Apostles participate in their Master's. Wise search into harder, proud disown them. How, said to God, wicked. 415 416 When GOD says, to say How is disloyal. CHRIST'S skilful leading. Faith before knowledge. 417 418 CHRIST'S Body His, imparts His Life, without it none. Type from water in kettle, from paschal lamb. 419 420 CHRIST, eaten, our Life, for ever One with His own Flesh, overcomes death, the True Manna. 421 422 CHRIST'S Blood our life: we, CHRIST'S Body and immingled with it, it mighty against temptation. 423 Holy Trinity work not apart, Christ too works. 425 426 The Son God who is the Life. Divine writers spake thro' the Spirit. Working from without not by Nature. 427 428 Working from without is not By nature. The Son God, Who is Life and in Him the Father seen. 429 430 The Son That the Father is: His Gifts most magnificent, His Body gives us Life. 431 432 Heavy punishment of persistence in wrong. Jews like their fathers. Faith, search, each has its own. 433 434 Christ's Body possesses above nature of Bodies. The Body God the Son's, therefore quickeneth. 435 436 The Body Life's Body. God the Son called Spirit from His own Spirit. 437 438 Son and Spirit inseparable. Jews blind themselves. To the cleansed and believing grace given. Jews first preached to. 439 440 Jews rejection fore-shadowed of old. Weak eyes hate light. GOD's rejection follows on man's rejection of Him. 441 442 Might worshippers sought, even though few. If we let go the faith, death. 443 In cleaving to Christ, endless Life. Olden type of this. 445 446 Cloud and fire light and cooling to tempted. The Tabernacle fore-typifies Christ's Body. 447 448 The fresh spring-tide that Christ brought us. Ark type of Christ. Veil hid Him from the many. 449 450 The Ark God's Presence. Might of doxology. Saints bear CHRIST. Bread His Body. 451 452 Golden candlestick Christ: olive boughs Jews & Gentiles. Position of Altars. One Christ in all. 453 454 Rock unpreparedness of heart. Holdfast in faith yet search. Force of article. 455 456 God Incarnate One Christ. Multiform peril of sin. Freewill. Jesus God Who knows future. 457 Christ leaves the Jews.
Temple faced east. 459 460 Northwards Galilee. Christ's flight not cowardice. Vain-glory. Christ's brethren not yet believe. 461 462 Christ's brethren become Apostles. Where economy there a time for action. Christ teaches His brethren. 463 464 Not all to be rebuked. World worldlings. Christ's brethren type of Jews: Christian worship presignified. 465 466 Christ's feast foretold by Hosea, Zechariah, Psalms; abiding in Galilee, calling and love of the Gentiles. 467 468 He goes up secretly now, to His Passion openly. Of old too refused to go with them yet went. 469 470 Jews as Greeks miss. Seeking without turning to. Type from honey. He not without GOD Who does God's works. 471 472 Evil praised like blaming good, Heavy responsibility of Jews' rulers. God dwells specially in temples. 473 474 God's speaking of old also secret. Moses' type of Christ. Mind taught, advances, untaught, dulled. Degree of punishment. 475 476 Christ Fount of wisdom to all above and below. Christ God Who knoweth all things naturally. 477 478 Doctrine, the Father's. Sent as Begotten. God's will to abstain from murder. Of Myself, what. 479 480 Christ gave of old the Law and now beautifies it. To seek one's own glory untrue and unjust. 481 482 Jews' breach of Law greater than Christ's. He unknown to them. Their craft. 483 484 Jews' grave breach of the Law. God works on the Sabbath, Moses too brake that Law. 485 486 Circumcision before Moses yet ordered by him. 488 To blame Christ, acquit Moses, respect of persons. Christ may beautify His own laws. End of sabbath. 489 490 First three commandments. Sabbath a type of endless rest. 491 492 Our sabbath-rest to come: the saints shall then have joy in their good deeds. 493 494 Significance of punishment of sabbath breaker, of ceasing of all work, of bearing no burden nor leaving home. 495 496 Sabbath rest looks on to the rest to be. Release to land type of our rest. 497 Circumcision twofold. 499 500 Washing clothes type of purity. Heart must be circumcised by Spirit's sword. Dying to world, what. 501 502 Times of circumcision of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac. Circumcision of Moses' son. 503 504 Zipporah, Church. Resurrection universal, yet given to good. Stone Christ rendering mighty. 505 506 Circumcision of new people type of ours: its benefits, and necessity. Stranger may not taste the Flesh. 507 508 Christ's Death gave us spiritual Circumcision. Sabbath and circumcision akin: cutting off pleasure birth to life. 509 510 Sabbath keeping in part ours, circumcision Christ's gift.
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[Most of the footnotes, moved to the end and renumbered. The margin contains mainly biblical references and fragments of Greek. These have been omitted]
1. a See this treated of by S. Cyril in his fifth Book against Nestorius chap. 3. [p. 131 Greek.]
507 508 Christ's Death gave us spiritual Circumcision. Sabbath and circumcision akin: cutting off pleasure birth to life. 509 510 Sabbath keeping in part ours, circumcision Christ's gift. ----------------------------------------
[Most of the footnotes, moved to the end and renumbered. The margin contains mainly biblical references and fragments of Greek. These have been omitted]
1. a See this treated of by S. Cyril in his fifth Book against Nestorius chap. 3. [p. 131 Greek. ]
2. b τὰ θεωρήματα, used often by S. Cyril for the line of thought suggested by the Gospel words commented on.
3. a for ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ Υίῷ αὐτοῦ S. Cyril appears to have read ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ; see below, Book x cap. i. on xiv. 28, and compare cap. 2. on xv. 1. In his treatise however on the Right Faith to the Princesses Arcadia and Marina [p. 77 D] the whole passage is given as we have it.
4. b κατὰ θεσιν as opposed to κατὰ φύσιν: God the Son is Son κατὰ φύσιν as begotten so, we children κατὰ θέσιν, as made so.
5. c So both our remaining MSS. of S. Cyril here read, cf. supra p. 145 note c: in a fuller citation however in the end of the books against Nestorius, S. Cyril has the usual reading.
6. a κατὰ μέρος as contrasted with the ὁλόκληρος σκηνὴ the tabernacle complete with all its appurtenances.
7. b cf. the same line of thought in S. Irenaeus, fragm. 8 and (from the Syriac) fragm. a (p. 543 and 558 O. T.) and in S. Cyril in his Scholia on the Incarnation chapter xi, de Adoratione book ix. pp. 292, 293.
8. c ἀποτεθῆναι, to be put away, treasured up out of sight as covered with the veil.
9. a The words the Holy One of God have been retained here from the chief MS. The same is the reading of the Codex Sinaiticus and of the uncial MSS. B. C. L. to which S. Cyril's copy of the Gospels often approximate. In his actual comment however he keeps and insists upon the words, The Christ the Son of the Living God, as we have them now. I have thought it right to translate the verse at the head of the Comment, just as the MS. gives it. The Rev. J. W. Burgon B. D. who has given a good deal of pains to the study of the citations of the Holy Gospels preserved to us in the writings of the Fathers, has specially called my attention to the existence of cases where the text at the head of the comment while it remarkably differs from S. Cyril's own text, does yet (as here) represent a text which apparently was extant in Alexandria in his time.
10. a i. e., Pelatiah; whose death is recorded a little below in Ezek. xi. 13. This vision seems to last from Ezek. viii. 1, where the date is given, to xi. 24, in which case the death of Pelatiah would be a portion of it. Pelatiah is in the LXX Phaltias.
Cyril's own text, does yet (as here) represent a text which apparently was extant in Alexandria in his time. 10. a i. e. , Pelatiah; whose death is recorded a little below in Ezek. xi. 13. This vision seems to last from Ezek. viii. 1, where the date is given, to xi. 24, in which case the death of Pelatiah would be a portion of it. Pelatiah is in the LXX Phaltias.
11. b Mr. Parsons in the great edition of the LXX, begun by Dr. Holmes, finished by him, cites this one passage of S. Cyril for the word hearing, in place of jealousy and cites one MS. of this book which omits the word, of jealousy; below on ix. 34, S. Cyril reads the same as here.
12. a S. Cyril seems to be alluding to the words that God rested the seventh day, as being a memorial of a promise that we too shall rest, as he says above that our rest on that day signifies this.
13. c There seems to be a little confusion between αὐλαὶ courts and αὐλαῖαι, curtains: see too in S. Irenaeus, 2. 24. 3. Dr. Holmes cites S. Augustine as saying that some of the Latin interpreters give atria, courts.
14. a The words on the eighth day are added by the Septuagint translators.
15. b εὐπειθείας. Apparently ἀπειθείας, disobedience or unbelief, ought to be read.
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