Moses’ bush: Law burns but does not consume Israel
—they reshaped skillfully unto what seems to be best. And as a kind of first-fruit of the words unto these things we will make the hierophant Moses, and having touched in a run-through upon the history according to him, I will try very well to give full assurance and to show clearly that the Law has perfected nothing, nor is sufficient unto salvation; but redeemer of all and Savior is Christ.
Palladius: Know that you give no measured help, showing yourself better than hesitation even in this; for the things in hand are very hard to reach, and the knowledge of what is sought is altogether hard to see — yet God who unveils is rich.
Cyril: You speak well, and your word sharpenes me thereafter to go track-wise, equal to the keenest-nosed dogs, of the thoughts in depth and more unseen. Once, then, in the desert according to the so-called Midian, while blessed Moses was shepherding flocks of sheep and was at the very foothills of the mountain Horeb, a strange and not unmarvelous thing was shown, God filling it. ‘For an angel appeared to him,’ it says, ‘in a flame of fire from a bush; and he saw that the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. And Moses said: Having come near I will see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ And the bush is not of the cultivated woods, but rather a kind of wild thorn, and mountain—
—growth. And that a light from the Law has come to be among the Jews, the Savior himself will make clear saying: ‘Search the Scriptures, because you think to have eternal life in them; and those are the ones witnessing about me. And you are not willing to come to me, that you may have eternal life.’ And after other things again, toward the leaders of the Jews, and toward all the people: ‘Do not think that I will accuse you toward the Father; the one accusing you is Mo—
Greek
τὸ ἐν χερσὶ, μεταρυθμίζουσιν εὐτέχνως ἐπὶ τὸ ὡς ἄριστα ἔχειν δοκοῦν. Ἀπαρχὴν δὲ ὥσπερ τινὰ τῶν εἴς γε ταυτὶ ποιησόμεθα λόγων τὸν ἱεροφάντην Μωσέα, καὶ τῆς κατ' αὐτὸν ἱστορίας ἐπιδρομάδην ἁψάμενος, πληροφορεῖν εὖ μάλα πειράσομαι, καὶ καταδεῖξαι σαφῶς, τετελειωκότα μὲν τὸν νόμον οὐδὲν, οὔτε μὴν ἀποχρῶντα πρὸς σωτηρίαν· λυτρωτὴν δὲ τῶν ὅλων καὶ σωτῆρα Χριστόν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Οὐ μετρίαν ἴσθι τοι διδοὺς τὴν ὄνησιν, ὄκνου κρείττονα σαυτὸν κἂν τούτῳ δεικνύς· δυσέφικτα μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἐν χερσὶ λίαν, καὶ δυσκάτοπτος κομιδῇ τῶν ζητουμένων ἡ γνῶσις, πλούσιός γε μὴν ὁ ἐκκαλύπτων Θεός.
{ΚΥΡ.} Εὖ λέγεις, καὶ δή με κυσὶ ταῖς εὐρινωτάταις ἐν ἴσῳ, κατ' ἴχνος ἰέναι λοιπὸν τῶν ἐν βάθει τε καὶ ἀφανεστέρων ἐννοιῶν, ὁ σὸς παραθήγει λόγος. Οὐκοῦν ἐν ἐρήμῳ ποτὲ τῇ κατὰ τὴν καλουμένην Μαδιὰμ, ὀΐων ἀγέλας διαποιμαίνοντι τῷ μακαρίῳ Μωσῇ πρὸς αὐταῖς τε ταῖς ὑπωρείαις ὄντι τοῦ ὄρους Χωρὴβ, χρῆμά τι ξένον καὶ οὐκ ἀθαύμαστον Θεοῦ πληροῦντος ἐδείκνυτο. «Ὤφθη γὰρ αὐτῷ, «φησὶν,» ἄγγελος ἐν πυρὸς φλογὶ ἐκ βάτου· καὶ ἑώρα ὅτι ὁ βάτος ἐκαίετο πυρὶ, ὁ δὲ βάτος οὐ κατεκαίετο. Εἶπε δὲ Μωσῆς· Παρελθὼν ὄψομαι τὸ ὅραμα τὸ μέγα τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος.» Ξύλον δὲ οὐχὶ τῶν ἡμέρων ὁ βάτος, ἀγρίας δὲ μᾶλλον ἀκάνθης εἶδος, καὶ ὀρεσιτρόφου ῥίζης, ἐφ' ᾗ τὸ φρικτὸν ἐπράττετο θαῦμα, μυστηρίου τύπον εὖ μάλα πληροῦν. Ἄγγελος γὰρ ἦν ὡς ἐν εἴδει πυρὸς ὅλον διόλου καταβοσκόμενος, αἴσθησιν δὲ τῷ ξύλῳ μηδεμίαν ἐντιθεὶς τῆς τοῦ πυρὸς ἐνεργείας, ἐν ἴσῳ δὲ ὥσπερ εἰ καὶ μὴ παρῆν, μηδ' ὅσον εἰπεῖν θερμασίας που τάχα τῆς ὡς ἐκ πυρὸς τοῦ ξύλου μετεσχηκότος.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Τί οὖν τοῦτό γε;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ξύλῳ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἀγρίῳ γεγονότι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ καρποὺς ἡμέρους δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔχοντι· τοῖς γὰρ Αἰγυπτίων ἐτρέφοντο νόμοις· ὁ δι' ἀγγέλων ἔμελλε δοθήσεσθαι νόμος, φωτίζειν μὲν ἱκανὸς, εἰ γοῦν νοοῖτο πνευματικῶς, καὶ τὸν εἰς νοῦν ἀποπέμψαι σκότον, ἐνέργεια γὰρ καὶ ἤδε πυρὸς, πλὴν τοῖς λαβοῦσιν ἀνόνητος, καὶ οὔτι που πάντως δι' ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπεί τοι τὸ φῶς μὴ εἰς νοῦν ἐδέχοντο καὶ καρδίαν, οἱ πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος, ἔξωθεν δὲ ὥσπερ φωτισμοῦ δόκησιν τὸ γράμμα πλουτήσαντες, ὅπερ ἔχειν ἐνόμιζον, οὐκ εἶχον ἀληθῶς. Τοιγάρτοι περὶ τὸν βάτον μὲν ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ πῦρ, μὴ μὴν ἔτι καὶ θερμασίας αἴσθησιν ἐνιέναι τῷ ξύλῳ, παραδηλοῖ τι τοιοῦτον ὥς γέ μοι δοκεῖ. Ὅτι δὲ ἀνόνητον Ἰουδαίοις τὸ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου γέγονε φῶς, σαφηνιεῖ λέγων αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτήρ· «Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφὰς ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν· καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ. Καὶ οὐ θέλετε ἐλθεῖν πρὸς μὲ, ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχητε.» Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα πάλιν, πρὸς τοὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων καθηγητὰς, καὶ πρὸς πάντα δὲ τὸν λαόν· «Μὴ δοκεῖτε ὅτι ἐγὼ κατηγορήσω ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα· ἔστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν Μω
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius on worship in spirit and truth. Book 2 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 2 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 2 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 2)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 2)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.