Heretics seize honor; Num 28 Passover holocausts with calves/rams/lambs
Cyril: …the law — those who twist what is right, the heretics, slaughter the lamb neither in the holy city nor through the hand of those chosen by the Spirit for priestly service, but, as divine Paul writes for us, ‘taking the honor for themselves,’ and offering in every place. (Heb 5:4)
For like insolent and arrogant bulls they rush indiscriminately toward whatever seems good to them alone. But those who practice such unbridled and mindless leaning will pay bitter penalties to the Judge of such designs.
Let us go back to the familiar and undistorted path, testing that law which was brought forward. You heard him say clearly: ‘Keep the month of new grain, and you shall keep the Passover to the Lord your God…’ and again the continual offerings with the feast holocausts — calves, rams, lambs, and a goat. (Dt 16:1; Num 28:16-25)
Greek
νόμον, οἱ τὰ ὀρθῶς ἔχοντα διαστρέφοντες αἱρετικοὶ καταθύουσι γὰρ τὸν ἀμνὸν, οὐκ ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ πόλει, οὔτε μὴν διὰ χειρὸς τῶν ἐξειλεγμένων διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰς ἱερουργίαν, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁ θεῖος ἡμῖν γράφει Παῦλος, ἑαυτοῖς ἁρπάζοντες τὴν τιμὴν, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ προσάγοντες. Ταῦροι γὰρ ὥσπερ ὑβρισταὶ καὶ ἀγέρωχοι, πρὸς μόνον ἀδιακρίτως ἴενται τὸ σφίσι δοκοῦν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν πολὺ τὸ ἐξήνιον καὶ τὸ νενευκὸς εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐπιτηδεύοντες, πικρὰ τῷ κριτῇ τῶν τοιῶνδε διασκεμμάτων τίσουσι δίκας. Ἴωμεν δὲ πάλιν ἡμεῖς εἰς οἶμον τὴν ἐντριβῆ τε καὶ ἀδιάστροφον, ἐκεῖνο τοῦ παρενηνεγμένου δοκιμάζοντες νόμου. Διεπύθου γάρ που λέγοντος σαφῶς, ὅτι «Φυλάξατε τὸν μῆνα τῶν νέων, καὶ ποιήσεις τὸ Πάσχα Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου, πρόβατα καὶ βόας.» Καί τοι τί δή ποτε, φαίη τις ἂν, τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ Πάσχα νόμον τοῖς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τιθεὶς, ἕνα μόνον ἐκέλευσε καταθύειν ἀμνόν· προβάτων δὲ καὶ μόσχων μεμνημένον οὐχ εὑρήσομεν; Ἆρ' οὖν τοῦ πρέποντος διημάρτηκεν ὁ Μωσῆς; Οὐδαμῶς· ἐν γάρ τοι τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς προσεπάγεσθαι τῷ ἀμνῷ βοῦς τε καὶ ὄεις ἐπενομοθέτει Θεὸς οὕτω λέγων· «Καὶ ἐν τῷ μηνὶ τῷ πρώτῳ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς Πάσχα τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς τούτου ἑορτὴ, ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας ἄζυμα ἔδεσθε, καὶ ἡμέρα ἡ πρώτη ἐπίκλητος ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν, πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε. Καὶ προσάξετε ὁλοκαυτώματα κάρπωμα Κυρίῳ, μόσχους ἐκ βοῶν δύο, κριὸν ἕνα, ἀμνοὺς ἐνιαυσίους ἑπτὰ, ἄμωμοι ἔσονται ὑμῖν, καὶ θυσία αὐτῶν σεμίδαλις ἀναπεποιημένη ἐν ἐλαίῳ, τρία δέκατα τῷ μόσχῳ τῷ ἑνὶ, καὶ δύο δέκατα τῷ κριῷ τῷ ἑνί. Δέκατον δέκατον ποιήσεις τῷ ἀμνῷ τῷ ἑνὶ, τοῖς ἑπτὰ ἀμνοῖς, καὶ χίμαρον ἐξ αἰγῶν ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας, ἐξιλάσασθαι περὶ ὑμῶν. Πλὴν τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως τῆς διαπαντὸς τῆς πρωϊνῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ὁλοκαύτωμα ἐνδελεχισμοῦ. Ταῦτα κατὰ ταῦτα ποιήσετε τὴν ἡμέραν εἰς τὰς ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, δῶρον κάρπωμα εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας Κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὁλοκαυτώματος τοῦ διαπαντὸς, ποιήσεις τὴν σπονδὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἡμέρα ἡ ἑβδόμη κλητὴ ἁγία ἔσται ὑμῖν, πᾶν ἔργον λατρευτὸν οὐ ποιήσετε ἐν αὐτῇ.» Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐν μηνὶ τῷ πρώτῳ, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τὸ Πάσχα πληροῦν ἀνάγκη κατὰ τὸν νόμον, φθάσαντες ἤδη προείπομεν. Τί δ' ἂν βούλοιτο δηλοῦν καὶ τῶν ἀζύμων ἡ βρῶσις, καὶ ἡ κατὰ Σάββατον ἀργία, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἔτι τὸ ὠνομάσθαι κλητὰς ἁγίας τήν τε πρώτην καὶ τὴν ἑβδόμην ἡμέραν, προαπέδειξε σαφῶς ὁ λόγος. Τοιγάρτοι μεθεὶς τὸ ἔν γε τουτοισὶ διαμέλλειν ἔτι, ἐπὶ τοὺς τῶν θυσιῶν πάλιν ἴωμεν τρόπους. Δύο μὲν τοίνυν οἱ μόσχοι, πρὸς ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ θυσίαν, εἷς δὲ κριὸς, καὶ μὴν καὶ ἀμνοὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑπτὰ, πάντες ἄμωμοί τε καὶ ἐνιαύσιοι, καὶ θυσία μὲν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, σεμίδαλις ἐλαιόδευτος. Πλὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ μέτρῳ· τρία μὲν γὰρ ἑκάστῳ μόσχῳ δέκατα, δύο δὲ τῷ κριῷ, καὶ ἓν ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀμνῶν. Εἶτα συνεισφέρεται καὶ χίμαρος ἐξ αἰγῶν, ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας· «Καὶ ταυτὶ δὴ πάντα,» φησὶ,
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 17 of a seventeen-book dialogue — the final book of the series.
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 17 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
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- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 17 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 17)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 17)
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.