Homilies on Numbers 27.9–27.12

The sons of Israel go out of Egypt, then, and, setting out from Rameses, they come to Succoth. This order of departure and distinction of stations is very necessary and to be observed by those who follow God and think about advances in the virtues. About this order I remember that we have already gone through it elsewhere too, when we said some things for the sake of edification, as the Lord deigned to grant. But now too, with your prayers, we will remind you of it briefly. The first departure, then, is made from Rameses; and whether the soul, setting out from this world, goes to the age to come, or is converted from the errors of life to the way of virtue and knowledge, it sets out from Rameses. For Rameses is called in our language “turbulent commotion,” or “commotion of the moth.” By this it is surely shown that everything in this world is placed in commotions and disturbances, and in corruption: for this is what the moth indicates. In these the soul ought not to stay, but to set out and come to Succoth. And Succoth is interpreted “tents.” The first advance of the soul, then, is to be taken away from earthly commotion and to know that it must dwell in tents as a sojourner, so that, placed as it were in readiness for battle, it may go out unencumbered and free to meet those who lie in wait. From there, when it feels itself prepared, it sets out from Succoth and encamps at Etham. Etham is called “valley.” We said that in these is the advance of virtues. Virtue is gained only by exercises and labour, and is tested not so much in prosperity as in adversity. One comes to the valley. And in valleys and lower places the contest is held against the devil and the opposing powers. In the valley, then, the struggle must be waged, and in the valley one must fight. Indeed Abraham too fought in the vale of the salt pits against barbarian kings, and there obtained the victory. This traveller of ours, then, goes down to those who are in the depths and the lowest places, not to stay there but to win the victory there. And they set out from Etham and encamped at the mouth of Hiroth. Hiroth is interpreted “village.” For one does not yet come to a city, nor are perfect things yet held, but meanwhile small things are taken first. For this is advance, to come from small things to great. One comes, then, to Hiroth, that is, to the first entrance of a village, which is the beginning of conduct and of moderate abstinence. For in the beginnings great and immoderate abstinence is dangerous. And this Hiroth is set opposite Baal-zephon and opposite Migdol. Baal-zephon is interpreted “ascent of the watchtower,” or “tower.” One ascends, then, from small things to great; and it is not yet on the watchtower itself, but opposite the watchtower, that is, set in sight of the watchtower. For it begins to keep watch, and to look ahead to the future hope and contemplate the height of advances, and little by little it grows, while it is nourished by hope more than it is wearied by labours. This station or encampment is opposite Migdol, not yet at Migdol itself. For Migdol is called “magnificence.” Having, then, in view both the ascent of the watchtower and the magnificence of things to come, it is fed and nourished, as we said, by great hopes. For it is still in advances, not yet placed in perfection.

After this they set out from Hiroth and pass through the midst of the Red Sea, and encamped at the bitter waters. We said that the time of advances is a time of dangers. How troublesome a temptation it is to pass through the midst of the sea, to see the waves rise into a heap, to hear the voices and roar of the raging waters! But yet, if you follow Moses, that is, the law of God, the waters will become a wall for you on the right and on the left, and you will find a way on dry ground in the midst of the sea. And that heavenly journey too which we say the soul makes may perhaps have something of waters; perhaps waves are found there: for there is some part of the waters there, and some part under heaven; and we meanwhile endure the waves and billows of these waters that are under heaven: God will see whether those are calm and peaceful and not stirred by any winds blowing. But we meanwhile, when we come to the crossing of the sea, even if we see Pharaoh and the Egyptians pursuing, let us not tremble at all; let there be no fear, no dread of them. Let us only believe in the one true God and in his Son Jesus Christ whom he sent. And if it is said that the people believed God and his servant Moses, we too, according to this, believe Moses also, that is, the law of God and the prophets. Be steadfast, then, and a little later you will see the Egyptians lying on the seashore. And when you see them lying there, rise up and sing to the Lord in songs, and praise him who cast horse and rider into the Red Sea. They encamped, then, at the bitter waters. When you hear of bitter waters, do not be afraid or terrified. For all discipline for the present seems not to be sweet but bitter; but afterwards it yields the sweetest fruit and the most peaceful fruit of righteousness to those trained by it, as the Apostle teaches. Indeed we are commanded to eat unleavened bread with bitterness; and it is not possible to come to the land of promise unless we pass through bitter things. For just as physicians put certain bitter things into medicines with a view to health and the cure of the sick, so too the physician of our souls, with a view to salvation, willed that we should suffer the bitter things of this life in various temptations, knowing that the end of this bitterness wins for our soul the sweetness of salvation: just as, on the contrary, the end of the sweetness which is in bodily pleasure, as the example of that rich man has taught, yields a bitter end in the underworld of punishments. You, then, who walk the road of virtue, do not shrink from encamping at the bitter waters. For you will set out from there too, as did the sons of Israel.

“They set out,” it says, “from the bitter waters and came to Elim.” Elim is where there are twelve springs of water and seventy-two palm trees. You see after the bitter waters, after the harshness of temptations, how pleasant are the places that receive you. You would not have come to the palms unless you had endured the bitterness of temptations, nor would you have come to the sweetness of the springs unless you had first overcome what was sad and harsh: not that the end of the journey and the perfection of all things is already here; but God, the steward of souls, inserts even into the journey itself, among the labours, certain refreshments, by which the soul, restored and renewed, may return more readily to the remaining labours. And Elim is interpreted “rams.” Rams are the leaders of flocks. Who, then, are the leaders of the flock of Christ, if not the apostles, who are also the twelve springs? But since our Lord and Saviour chose not only those twelve, but also another seventy-two, for this reason not only twelve springs are written, but also seventy-two palm trees; for they too are called apostles, as Paul himself says when he set out the resurrection of the Saviour: “He was seen,” he says, “by the eleven; then he appeared also to all the apostles.” In this he shows that there are also other apostles besides those twelve. This pleasantness, then, will receive you after bitterness, this rest after labour, this grace after trials. “They set out,” it says, “from Elim, and encamped by the Red Sea.” Observe that they no longer enter the Red Sea (it is enough to have entered it once); now they encamp by the sea, so that they may indeed see the sea and look at its waves, yet by no means fear its movements and onrush. “And they set out from the Red Sea and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.” Sin is interpreted “bush,” or “temptation.” The hope of good things, then, now begins to smile on you. And what is the hope of good things? From the bush the Lord appeared and gave answers to Moses, and from there the beginning of the Lord’s visitation to the sons of Israel was made. But not idly is Sin also interpreted “temptation.” For there is usually temptation in visions. For sometimes the angel of iniquity transforms himself into an angel of light. And therefore one must beware and act carefully, so that you may discern knowingly the kind of visions, as Joshua son of Nun too, when he saw a vision, knowing that there was temptation in this, at once asks him who appeared and says: “Are you ours, or of the adversaries?” So, then, the advancing soul, when it has come to the point of beginning to have discernment of visions, will be proved spiritual by this, if it knows how to discern all things. That, finally, is why among the spiritual gifts too the discernment of spirits is recorded as one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Setting out from the wilderness of Sin, they came to Dophkah. Dophkah is interpreted “health.” You see the order of the advances: how, when the soul has now become spiritual and has begun to have discernment of heavenly visions, it comes to health, so that it may rightly say: “Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, his holy name.” What Lord? “Who heals,” it says, “all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction.” For there are many diseases of the soul. Avarice is a disease of it, and indeed the worst. Pride, anger, boasting, fear, inconstancy, faint-heartedness, and the like. When, Lord Jesus, will you cure me of all these diseases? When will you heal me, so that I may say: “Bless the Lord, my soul, who heals all your diseases,” so that I too may make a station at Dophkah, which is health? It would be long if we wished to go through each of the stations, and so we will run through them in such a way that we give you not so much a full explanation, since the time does not allow it, as occasions of understanding in them. They set out, then, from Dophkah and come to Alush. Alush is interpreted “labours.” And do not wonder if labours follow health. For this is why the soul obtains health from the Lord, that it may take up labours with delight and not unwillingly. For it is said to it: “You shall eat the labours of your fruits; you are blessed, and it will be well with you.” After this they come to Rephidim. And Rephidim is interpreted “praise of judgment.” Most justly praise follows after labours: but praise of what? “Of judgment,” it says. The soul, then, becomes worthy of praise which judges rightly, discerns rightly, that is, which judges all things spiritually and is itself judged by no one. After this one comes to the wilderness of Sinai. Sinai is indeed a place of the wilderness, which he mentioned above as Sin; but here rather the place of the mountain, which is in that wilderness, is called by it; and it too is named Sinai by the name of the wilderness. After the soul, then, has become one of praiseworthy judgment and has begun to have right judgment, then the law is given to it by God, when it has begun to be capable of divine secrets and heavenly visions. From there one comes to the graves of craving. What are the graves of craving? Without doubt where cravings are buried and covered over, where all desire is extinguished, and the flesh no longer craves against the spirit, being mortified, namely, by the death of Christ. After this one comes to Hazeroth, which is interpreted “perfect courts,” or “blessedness.” Look more carefully, my traveller, at what the order of advances is: after you have buried and handed over to death the cravings of the flesh, you will come to the breadth of the courts, you will come to blessedness. For blessed is the soul which is no longer pressed by any vices of the flesh. From there one comes to Rithmah or Paran. Rithmah is interpreted “consummated vision,” and Paran “visible mouth.” Why should not the soul grow in this way, so that, when it has ceased to be pressed by the troubles of the flesh, it has consummated visions and takes a perfect understanding of things, knowing more fully and more deeply the causes of the incarnation of the Word of God and the reasons of his dispensations? From here one comes to Rimmon-perez, which in our language is called “lofty cutting off,” that is, where there is for you a separation and distinction of great and heavenly things from earthly and lowly ones. For as the understanding of the soul grows, knowledge of lofty things is given it, and judgment is granted, by which it knows how to cut off eternal things from temporal, and to separate perishable things from perpetual. After this one comes to Libnah, which is interpreted “whitening.” I know that in other places whitening is put blameworthily, as when a whitened wall and whitened tombs are spoken of. But here it is that whitening of which the prophet says: “You will wash me, and I shall be whitened above snow.” And again Isaiah: “If your sins are like scarlet, I will whiten them like snow, and make them white like wool.” Likewise in the Psalm: “They will be whitened with snow in Selmon.” And the hairs of the Ancient of Days are said to be white, that is, white like wool. So, then, this whitening is to be understood as coming from the splendour of the true light and descending from the brightness of heavenly visions. After this a station is made at Rissah, which can be called with us “visible” or “praiseworthy temptation.” What is this, that although the soul has great advances, yet temptations are not taken away from it? From this it appears that temptations are applied to it as a kind of guard and defence. For just as flesh, if it is not sprinkled with salt, however large and choice it is, decays, so too the soul, unless it is in a certain way salted with constant temptations, at once becomes slack and relaxed. Hence it is clear that it was said for this reason that every sacrifice is to be salted with salt. Thence it is, finally, that Paul too said: “And lest I be exalted by the greatness of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet me.” This, then, is the visible or praiseworthy temptation. From this one comes to Kehelathah, which is “principality” or “rod.” From both, power seems to be indicated, because the soul has advanced so far that it rules the body and itself holds the rod of power over it, indeed not only over the body but also over the whole world, when it says: “But the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.” From there one comes to Mount Shepher, which is called “trumpeting.” The trumpet is the signal of war. When, then, the soul feels itself armed with so many and such great virtues, it necessarily goes out to war, which is against principalities and powers and against the rulers of the world; or certainly it sounds the trumpet in the word of God, that is, of preaching and teaching, so as to give a distinct sound through the trumpet, so that he who hears may be able to prepare himself for war. After this one comes to Haradah, which in our language sounds “made sufficient,” so that he too may say that he has made us sufficient ministers of the new covenant. Then a station is held at Makheloth, which is interpreted “from the beginning.” For he who strives toward contemplation contemplates the beginning of things, or rather refers all things to him who was in the beginning, and never departs from this beginning. After this a station is made at Tahath, which is “confirmation” or “patience.” For he who wishes to profit others too must suffer much and bear all things patiently, as was said of Paul: “For I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” From there one comes to Terah, which is understood with us as “contemplation of amazement.” We cannot express in the Latin language in one word the Greek word which they call ekstasis, that is, when the mind is struck with amazement in admiration of some great thing. This, then, is what it calls contemplation of amazement, when in the knowledge of great and wonderful things the mind is astonished and amazed. After this one comes to Mithkah, which is interpreted “new death.” What is the new death? When we die with Christ so that we may also live with him. From there one comes to Hashmonah, which is said to mean “bone” or “bones.” By these, doubtless, virtue and the strength of patience are declared. From here, then, … [Moseroth] is thought to mean “excluding.” What is excluding? Without doubt the malignant suggestions of the opposing spirit from one’s thoughts. For so the Wisdom of God says: “If the spirit of one who has power rises up against you, do not leave your place.” The place must be held, then, and the adversary excluded, so that he may not find a place in our heart, as the Apostle says: “Give no place to the devil.” After this one comes to Bene-jaakan, which means “springs,” or “strainings,” that is, where one draws the springs of the divine words until one strains them out by drinking. Here “strains out” is said from straining, not from cultivating. One strains out the word of God, then, when one passes over not even the least commandment, or rather when not even one iota or one stroke of the word of God is held to be idle in one’s understanding. After this one comes to Hor-haggidgad, which is interpreted “trial” or “crowding.” Trial, as I see, is a certain strength and defence of the soul. For it is so mixed with the virtues that without it virtue seems neither seemly nor full. And therefore for those advancing to virtue there are various and frequent stations among temptations. When you have passed them, you will encamp at Jotbathah. Jotbathah is interpreted “good things.” To good things, then, one comes only after the experience of trials. From there they encamped, it says, at Abronah, which is “passage.” For all things must be passed through; because even if you come to good things, you must pass on to better, until you come to that good in which you must always remain. After this one comes to Ezion-geber, which is interpreted “counsels of a man.” If anyone has ceased to be a child in understanding, he comes to the counsels of a man, like him who said: “But when I became a man, I put away the things of a child.” He has, then, the great counsels of a man, as that one says: “Deep water is counsel in the heart of a man.” From here one comes again to Zin. Zin is again temptation. For we said that it is not expedient to walk this journey otherwise: just as, for example, if a goldsmith wishes to make a needed vessel, he often moves it to the fire, often puts it under the hammers, often scrapes it with files, so that it may become purer and be brought to that form which the craftsman foresees and to that beauty. After this one encamps at Paran Kadesh, which is “holy fruit-bearing.” You see where one comes from there; you see that holy fruit-bearing follows the furrows of temptations. From there one encamps at Mount Hor, which is interpreted “mountainous.” For he comes to the mountain of God, so that he too may become a fertile mountain and a curdled mountain, or may be called mountainous because he always dwells on the mountain of God. After this follows the station Zalmonah, which is interpreted “shadow of the portion.” I think that shadow is meant of which the prophet too said: “The breath of our face, Christ the Lord, of whom we said: In his shadow we shall live among the nations.” And similar to this is that shadow of which it is said: “The Spirit of the Lord will overshadow you.” The shadow of our portion, then, which gives us shade from all the heat of temptations, is Christ and the Holy Spirit. From here one comes to Punon, which we think is interpreted “sparing of the mouth.” For he who has been able to behold the mystery of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, and has seen or heard the things which it is not lawful for men to speak, will necessarily have sparing of the mouth, knowing to whom, or when, or how one ought to speak of the divine mysteries. After this … so that in this name too, as in all the others, the sequence of advances is preserved. After this follows the station which is called Iye, which is interpreted “chaos.” For through these advances he draws near to the bosom of Abraham, who says to those who are in torments that “between you and us a great chasm has been fixed,” so that he too may rest in his bosom like blessed Lazarus. From there one comes again to Dibon-gad, which is said to mean “beehive of temptations.” O the wonderful caution of divine providence! Behold, this traveller of the heavenly journey is now very near to the highest perfection through the succession of virtues, and yet trials are not lacking to him; but I hear of trials of a new kind: “a beehive,” it says, “of temptations.” The bee is set in the Scriptures as a praiseworthy creature, whose labours kings and common people use for health; which is rightly taken of the words of the prophets and apostles and all who wrote the sacred volumes; and I think this beehive is most worthily understood as the whole number of the divine Scriptures. There is, then, for those who strive toward perfection, some temptation even in this beehive, that is, in the prophetic and apostolic words. Do you wish to see that there is no small temptation in them? In this beehive I find it written: “See,” it says, “lest, looking at the sun and moon, you worship those things which the Lord your God has assigned to the nations.” You see what temptation comes out of this beehive? And again when it says: “You shall not curse the gods.” And again in the beehive of the New Testament, where we read: “Why do you wish to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you?” And again elsewhere the Lord himself says: “Therefore I speak to them in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand, lest perhaps they be converted and I heal them.” And also when the Apostle says: “In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers”; and you will find many trials of this kind in this divine beehive, to which each one must come … from the age, and departs: as it is written of Enoch: “And he was not found, because God had translated him.” And even if he who is such seems still to be in the age and to dwell in the flesh, yet he is not found. In what will he not be found? He is found in no worldly act, in no carnal thing, in no conversation of vanity. For God has translated him from these and made him to be in the region of virtues. The last station is west of Moab by the Jordan. For this whole course is run and the race is run for this reason, that one may come to the river of God, that we may become near to the streams of wisdom and be watered by the waves of divine knowledge, so that, thus purified in all things, we may deserve to enter the land of promise. These things meanwhile we have been able to touch on in passing and bring forward about the stations of Israel according to one mode of explanation. But so that an explanation of this kind, which runs through the Hebrew language and the meanings of names, may not seem affected and violently forced to those who do not know the peculiarity of that language, we will also give a likeness in our own language, by which the reason of this sequence may become plain. In the school of letters, where boys receive the first elements, some are called “alphabet pupils,” others “syllable pupils,” others “name pupils,” others now “reckoners”; and when we hear these names, we recognize from them what advances there are in the boys. Likewise in the liberal studies, when we hear someone reciting a commonplace, or an address, or an encomium, and other subjects in order, we perceive from the name of the subject the advance of the young man. How, then, should we not believe that through these things which are recorded as names of places, as of subjects, the advances of learners in divine instruction can be indicated? And just as there, lingering on each of the subjects of speaking, they seem to make as it were certain stations in them, and to set out from one to another, and from that again to another, so too here, why should not the name of the stations and the departure from one to another, and from that again to another, be believed to indicate the advance of the mind and signify the increases of the virtues? That other part of the explanation I leave to all the prudent to conjecture and contemplate from this one. For it is enough for the wise to have been given an occasion; because it is not expedient that the understanding of the hearers should remain wholly idle and sluggish. From the comparison of these, then, let him meditate on those too, or rather contemplate something more penetrating and more divine: “For God does not give the Spirit by measure”; but because the Lord is the Spirit, therefore he breathes where he wills; and we pray that he may breathe on you too, so that you may perceive in the words of the Lord things better and higher than these, journeying through these things which we have described according to our modest ability; so that in that superior and loftier way we too may be able to walk with you, our Lord Jesus Christ himself leading us, who is the way and the truth and the life, until we come to the Father, when he has handed over the kingdom to God the Father and subjected to him every principality and power. To him be glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen.