Rahab the breadth of the church
Jesus sends spies into Jericho; they are received by the harlot Rahab. They may be read as angels God sends before his face to prepare his way. Harlots and tax collectors believed and were baptized. Rahab means “breadth” — Christ’s church gathered from sinners. She says: The place is too narrow for me; enlarge your cords. She lodges the spies upstairs; no one sent by Jesus lies low on the ground. From harlot she becomes prophetess: I know the Lord your God has given you this land. She confesses the past, believes the present, prophesies the future. Japheth too means enlargement — the people saved from the nations; Canaan is made a servant so that by obedience he may find salvation.
Latin
Mittuntur ab Iesu exploratores in Hiericho et suscipiuntur a meretrice Raab. Possunt angeli Dei putari — Ecce mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam. Meretrices et publicani credentes baptizati sunt. Raab interpretatur latitudo — ecclesia Christi ex peccatoribus collecta. Angustus mihi est locus; dilata paxillos tuos. Susceptos in superioribus collocat; nemo ab Iesu missus deorsum iacet. Ex meretrice fit prophetes: Scio quia Dominus Deus vester tradidit vobis terram. De praeteritis confitetur, de praesentibus credit, de futuris prophetat. Iapheth quoque dilatatio — populus ex gentibus; Chanaan servus fit ut oboediendo salvetur.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia III on Joshua (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–5.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII (GCS 30, 1921), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia III. Bruce FOTC 105 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia III §§1–5 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII = GCS 30 (1921) (Latin · Homilia III §§1–5)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.