Forty stripes shadow Christ’s passion; fifth hour and eighth day

Palladius: And what word would again be seen by us, of needing those condemned to be struck with blows by a number of forty alone? And how it shames some, say the thing beyond this.

Cyril: In many modes for us the mystery of Christ is well sketched through the ancient commandment, and the saving passion is somehow molded for us, in which and through which we have been released from everything able to harm, and casting us into incurable misfortunes; and as I said just now, the being released through seven years of those who have owed somehow hints the time of the release of all. For we have been justified in Christ, and have been taught to say in prayers, toward the Father and God in the heavens, ‘Forgive us our debts’; so also here, the advancing as far as forty blows for those striking, or being struck, the outrages through whips, shows the thrice-longed time for us of the economy with flesh of the Only-begotten, according to which by his bruise we were healed, and he himself has been softened because of our sins, those from Israel having insolently treated him, and Pilate having brought the blows upon the back, yet we have been taken out from penalty and punishment. For of old many were the whips of the sinner, according to what has been written, but Christ was whipped for us; for just as he died for all, so also again he was being whipped for all, being one worth all. And having cut the forty-day number into five times eight, you will find useful for the signifying of the time the five and the eight, for the Only-begotten has visited in a fifth time, according at least to the Gospel parable; for someone was hiring the workers into the vineyard; and going out about the first hour, and third and sixth, and ninth and eleventh; and he has been raised according to the eighth, having dissolved the power of death, and destroying together with it the mother of the brought-in corruption—that is, sin—which having been taken away, whips also must be idle, and the penalties and punishments through it. Therefore the law does not allow the whip still to overrun the fortieth number, as far as the presence of Christ and somehow standing the punishments, and marking down the time of the release. For the types of the truth travail the beauty. And one must know that Israel having struck against, was wandering the desert a fortieth year; for God swore with an oath not to lead them into the land of the promise. And this was a bound for them of the anger, and the time having passed, the anger has been loosed, and those from them crossed the Jordan, and entered into the land, the indignation not having overrun the fortieth year. So then a clear type also of this is some being struck as far as forty blows, for the time after this is of release, bringing in for us the mystical crossing of the Jordan, and indeed also flint knives—that is, the circumcision in spirit—and the generalship of Jesus