If you believed Moses you would believe me; bush unconsumed
—ses, upon whom you have hoped; for if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for about me that one wrote. And if you do not believe his words, how will you believe my words?’ For those who most ignorantly push away the elementary teaching through Law — how would they receive the one bringing in through Christ the knowledge of the perfectly good? Seeing the bush burning, yet not being burned down, nor yielding to the fire, blessed Moses was thereafter amazed — why the bush is not consumed. For one would be struck at Israel’s utter senselessness: they who received from God a Law as helper and ally, and who were enriched with the illumination through it, then counting the thing worthy of no word, nor having housed what was given into mind and heart, have remained without profit; for their mind is reasonably as dead and chilled for them. And one would also reasonably say upon them: Why is the bush not consumed? for they would have become with us boiling in the Spirit.
Palladius: You have spoken well.
Cyril: And the thing seems also to hint for us a not-ignorant contemplation of other thoughts. For when those from Israel were already about to leave the Egyptians’ land, and as it were not yet to shake off the yoke of unwilling service — for this reason to strike still against the wraths of the one ruling is a sign—
—of God. For Moses is the face. Cyril: Israel has been called, then, and the flock according to Law and under Law. ‘For the Lord,’ it says, ‘the God of the Hebrews has called us.’ And he obeyed God who calls, just as also Moses: ‘For all that the Lord God said, we will do, and we will hear.’ And since the power of the subordination according to Law is not sufficient unto cleansing — ‘For it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins’—
Greek
σῆς, ἐφ' ὃν ὑμεῖς ἠλπίκατε· εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωσῇ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί· περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν. Εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου ῥήμασιν οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασι πιστεύσετε;» Οἱ γὰρ ὅλως τὴν διὰ νόμου στοιχείωσιν ἀμαθέστατα διωθούμενοι, πῶς ἂν εἰσδέξαιντο διὰ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ τελείως ἀγαθοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν εἰσφέροντα; Καιόμενον μὲν βλέπων, καταφλεγόμενον δὲ οὐχὶ τὸν βάτον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εἴκοντα τῷ πυρὶ, κατετεθήπει λοιπὸν ὁ μακάριος Μωσῆς, τί ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος. Καταπλαγείη γὰρ ἄν τις τῆς εἰσάπαν ἀναισθησίας τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, οἱ συλλήπτορά τε καὶ ἀρωγὸν τὸν παρὰ Θεοῦ δεξάμενοι νόμον, καὶ τὸν δι' αὐτοῦ φωτισμὸν πλουτήσαντες, εἶτα λόγου μηδενὸς ἀξιοῦντες τὸ χρῆμα, μήτε μὴν εἰς νοῦν καὶ καρδίαν εἰσοικισάμενοι τὸ δοθὲν, ἀνωφέλητοι μεμενήκασι· νεκρὸς γὰρ ὥσπερ αὐτοῖς εἰκότως καὶ ἀπεψυγμένος ὁ νοῦς· εἴποι δ' ἄν τις καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς εἰκότως· Τί ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος; ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἐγένοντο μεθ' ἡμῶν τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὖ ἔφης.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἔοικε δὲ καὶ ἑτέρων ἡμῖν ἐννοιῶν οὐκ ἀμαθῆ θεωρίαν ὑποφαίνειν τὸ χρῆμα. Μέλλουσι γὰρ ἤδη τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ γῆς τῆς Αἰγυπτίων ἀπαίρειν, καὶ οἷον οὐδέπω τὸν τῆς ἀνεθελήτου θητείας ἀποσείεσθαι ζυγὸν, διάτοι τοῦτο ταῖς τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἔτι προσκρούειν ὀργαῖς σημεῖον ἐδίδου Θεὸς τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου δρώμενον· ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῦ πυρὸς ἀμείνους ἔσονται πολὺ, καὶ τοῖς ἀδικεῖν ἰσχύουσιν οὐχ ἁλώσιμοι, κατά γε τὸ, οἶμαι, θεοπρεπῶς εἰρημένον· «Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι μετὰ σοῦ εἰμι. Φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε, ποταμοὶ οὐ συγκλείσουσί σε.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Εὐφυὴς ὁ λόγος.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἐτεθήπει μὲν ὧδε τὸ ὅραμα Μωσῆς· καὶ δὴ καὶ προσέθει τὸ ἀγχοῦ γενέσθαι ποθῶν. «Ὡς δὲ εἶδε, φησὶ, Κύριος ὅτι προσάγει ἰδεῖν, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ βάτου, λέγων· Μωσῆ, Μωσῆ. Ὁ δὲ εἶπε· Τί ἐστι; Μὴ ἐγγίσῃς ὧδε, λύσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου, ὁ γὰρ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ σὺ ἕστηκας, γῆ ἁγία ἐστί.» Νόμου δὲ τύπος ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος ἔσται Μωσῆς· «Μωσέα γὰρ ἔχουσι καὶ τοὺς προφήτας,» ἐν εὐαγγελικοῖς θεσπίσμασί φησιν ὁ μακάριος Ἀβραάμ. Μή πως ἀπίθανόν σοι τὸ ῥῆμα δοκεῖ;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Οὐ μὲν οὖν· νόμου γὰρ πρόσωπον ὁ Μωσῆς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Κέκληται τοίνυν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἡ κατὰ νόμον καὶ ὑπὸ νόμον ἀγέλη. «Κύριος γὰρ,» φησὶν, «ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Ἑβραίων προκέκληται ἡμᾶς.» Καὶ ὑπήκουσε μὲν τῷ καλοῦντι Θεῷ, καθὰ καὶ ὁ Μωσῆς· «Πάντα γὰρ ὅσα εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ποιήσομεν, καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα.» Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τῆς κατὰ νόμον ὑποταγῆς ἡ δύναμις οὐχ ἱκανὴ πρὸς κάθαρσιν, «Ἀδύνατον γὰρ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων ὑφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας·»
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.