On Pascha · §1.71

From the lambs and the goats

And since such people are more, the barley loaves are seven, since this is also the full number and the number of idleness — according to which number the greatest crowd, the one that has idle hands and does not work while it is day, also lives.

Greek

Καὶ επεὶ πλείους οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἑπτὰ οἱ κρίθινοι τυγχάνουσιν ἄρτοι, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ πλήρης ἀριθμὸς οὗτος καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀργίας, καθ' ὃν ἀριθμὸν καὶ ὁ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ὁ χεῖρας ἔχων ἀργὰς καὶ μὴ ἐργαζόμενος ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστίν ἀναστρέφεται·