cerning all things richly,[1] that Abraham, the first who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, practised that rite, having received the mysteries[2] of the three letters. For [the Scripture] saith, "And Abraham circumcised ten, and eight, and three hundred men of his household."[3] What, then, was the knowledge given to him in this? Learn the eighteen first, and then the three hundred.[4] The ten and the eight are thus denoted—Ten by I, and Eight by H.[5] You have [the initials of the name of] Jesus. And because[6] the cross was to express the grace [of our redemption] by the letter T, he says also, "Three Hundred." He signifies, therefore, Jesus by two letters, and the cross by one. He knows this, who has put within us the engrafted[7] gift of His doctrine. No one has been admitted by me to a more excellent piece of knowledge[8] than this, but I know that ye are worthy.
Chap. x.—Spiritual significance of the precepts of Moses respecting different kinds of food.
Now, wherefore did Moses say, "Thou shalt not eat the swine, nor the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the raven, nor any fish which is not possessed of scales?"[9] He embraced three doctrines in his mind [in doing so]. Moreover, the Lord saith to them in Deuteronomy, "And I will establish my
- ↑ Cod. Sin. has "children of love," omitting "richly," and inserting it before "looking forward."
- ↑ Literally, "doctrines."
- ↑ Not found in Scripture; but comp. Gen. xvii. 26, 27, xiv. 14.
- ↑ Cod. Sin. inserts, "and then making a pause."
- ↑ This sentence is altogether omitted by inadvertence in Cod. Sin.
- ↑ Some mss. here read, "and further:" the above is the reading in Cod. Sin., and is also that of Hefele.
- ↑ This is rendered in the Latin, "the more profound gift," referring, as it does, to the Gnosis of the initiated. The same word is used in chap. i.
- ↑ Literally, "has learned a more germane (or genuine) word from me," being an idle vaunt on account of the ingenuity in interpreting Scripture he has just displayed.
- ↑ Cod. Sin. has "portion," corrected, however, as above. See Lev. xi. and Deut. xiv.
