Numbers 32:5

That the going forth from Egypt is taken in two ways has already been said often, both by our predecessors and by us. For both when someone is led from the darkness of errors to the light of recognition and is converted from an earthly manner of life to spiritual institutions, he seems to have gone out of Egypt and to have come to the wilderness, namely to that state of life in which, through silence and quiet, he may be exercised by the divine laws and be imbued with heavenly utterances; instructed and directed by these, when he has crossed the Jordan, he may hasten all the way to the land of promise, that is, through the grace of baptism he may come all the way to the evangelical institutions. But we have said that there is also that figure of going forth from Egypt when the soul leaves the darkness of this world and the blindness of bodily nature and is transferred to another age, which is indicated either as the bosom of Abraham, as in Lazarus, or as paradise, as in the thief who believed from the cross; or even if God knows there to be any other places or other dwellings, through which the soul, passing and believing God and arriving all the way to that river which gladdens the city of God, may within it receive the lot of the inheritance promised to the fathers. Therefore, since in a twofold manner, as we have recalled, the going forth from Egypt is designated, and the passage to the desert, and thence the entry to the inheritance of the holy land, let us now see what Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh mean. The inheritance which is handed over through Moses and decreed beyond the Jordan, in the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel, by certain hidden and mystical reasons embraces the figure of the whole human race, or certainly of all men who have come to the recognition of God. Of these, then, some part obtains an inheritance beyond the Jordan through Moses, but a part receives its inheritance across the Jordan and in the land of promise through Joshua. And those indeed to whom the inheritance is decreed beyond the Jordan are the firstborn; although less noble, although not without blame, they are firstborn nonetheless. For Reuben is the firstborn of Jacob; although he defiled his father's bed, he is the firstborn nonetheless. And Gad also, although of a handmaid, yet he too is a firstborn. Manasseh also, whose half-tribe obtains beyond the Jordan, he too, although born of an Egyptian woman, is nevertheless the firstborn. All these, then, are firstborn, and therefore they designate the former people, who receive the lot of inheritance not through Joshua our Lord, but through Moses beyond the Jordan. But consider more diligently also the cause by which the former ones obtain the inheritance both beyond the Jordan and set apart from the rest. "We have," he says, "beasts and much cattle." This, then, is the cause by which the former people could not attain to the inheritance of that land which flows with milk, which abounds with honey, which is a honeycomb beyond every land, nor could it recognize the Word made flesh, because it had many beasts and much cattle. For the animal man could not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God, nor discern them spiritually, because "man, when he was in honor, did not understand; but was compared to the senseless beasts and was made like to them," for which it received its inheritance beyond the streams of the Jordan and made itself a stranger to the holy land. That people, then, received an inheritance through Moses; it received the land of two kings only. For Moses could slay no more than two kings, whose land he divided among peoples having many animals and much cattle. But to those who cross the Jordan, Joshua divides the land; although they too have animals, have cattle, yet not so much as to exclude them, so that they should not cross the Jordan, but together with their women and with their little ones they strive to cross the Jordan and to attain the promises of the fathers. But those, on account of their cattle and beasts and their women and little ones, could not cross the Jordan nor enter the faith of Christ, which is the land of promise.

After these things there follows the account concerning the inheritance of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh; concerning which, purposing to discuss some things, we wish first to alert the diligence of our hearers and to rouse their minds to the contemplation of spiritual understanding. All the things that are said must be weighed not only from the word itself which is spoken, but the person of the speaker also must be greatly considered. For example, if it is a boy who speaks, we fit our minds to the hearing of a boyish utterance, and we expect nothing more in the things that are said than in so far as a boy could perceive. But if he who speaks is a man, we straightway consider whether the things said are worthy of a man. And again, if that man who speaks is learned, we weigh the words also according to the view of his learning. But if he is indeed a man, yet unskilled and an untutored layman, we receive the things said in another way. So likewise, if it be an elder who speaks, and of much and proven skill, inasmuch as he has grown old in learning, there will be held in him a far greater expectation of his words. But why we have premised these things, wishing to expound the account of the inheritance of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, hearken. He who narrates these deeds which we read is neither a boy, such as we described above, nor any such man, nor an elder, nor any human being at all; and, to say something further, neither is he any one of the angels or of the heavenly powers. But, as the tradition of our forefathers holds, the Holy Spirit narrates these things. For whence could Moses narrate either the things that were done from the beginning of the world or the things that were to be done at its end, except through the inspiration of the Spirit of God? Whence could he have prophesied concerning Christ, except by the Holy Spirit speaking? For thus Christ himself renders testimony to him and says: "If you believed Moses, you would surely believe me also; for he wrote concerning me; but if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" It is established, then, that these things were spoken through the Holy Spirit, and therefore it seems fitting that they be understood according to the dignity, or rather according to the majesty, of the speaker. But I judge it most apt to recall in this place also that, when Abraham heard that rich man set in torments beg him that he might be released and, coming, might admonish his brothers to live piously, lest they too descend into that place of torments, he answered him that "they have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." He certainly did not mean any men set in the body as Moses and the prophets, but these things which were written through Moses at the dictation of the Spirit of God, these he named Moses. Let someone, then, say: since these things are thus written, if Abraham sends me to the words of Moses, that by reading them I may be able to escape that place of torments, what will it help me toward escaping Gehenna, if I read how the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh receive an inheritance from Moses across the Jordan, because they had much cattle beyond the other tribes, and how Moses says to them: "See that you do not exasperate God, as did also those ten who were sent with Joshua and Caleb to explore the land," and who said that the land is such and such, and "we cannot take it"; and how to these things the sons of Reuben and the rest with them answered: "Give us this land and its inheritance, and we shall no longer seek within the Jordan a land of inheritance with our brothers, but here we shall leave our beasts and our baggage and our women and our little ones, but our men shall go along and shall cross the Jordan"; and how after these things Moses commends them to Joshua the son of Nun and to Eleazar the priest, the son of Aaron, under this condition, however, that they cross over with the sons of Israel and fight with them against the enemies who were across the Jordan, until the land be freed from them, and then they receive the land which they demanded, of King Sihon and King Og, and to them alone the inheritance beyond the Jordan is given through Moses, but to all the rest the inheritance within the Jordan through Joshua. Let someone, then, say: what do these things profit toward that which Abraham said: "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them," namely so that those who read and hear these things may not come into that place of torments? Now we have said these things to arouse the minds of the hearers, that they may more vigilantly attend to the things that are read or said, and that in the writings of Moses, with the veil of the letter removed, they may so understand the things that are written that they may find in each and every one of them that things are said which, if they be understood and observed, the hearers may be able not to be led to that place of torment, whither that rich man, who scorned to hear these things which are written in secret, was carried off, but that they may go into the bosom of Abraham, where Lazarus reposes. Let us pray, therefore, to the Lord that the veil may be taken away from our hearts in the reading of the Old Testament, that we may be able to see the things that are hidden and concealed in the writings of Moses, according to the admonition of the prophet who says: "And unless you hear in secret, your soul shall weep." And indeed, that these things are mystical and contain some divine meaning, I think that no one can be in doubt from the things that have been asserted above, however insatiably he be given over to Jewish fables; yet, just as I think no one denies this, so what those things are which are indicated by these narratives, and what the face of realities is which is covered under this veil, to know clearly I think belongs to the Holy Spirit himself, who inspired these things to be written, and to our Lord Jesus Christ, who said of Moses: "For he wrote concerning me," and to the almighty God, whose ancient counsel is indicated to the human race not naked, but veiled in letters. But let us pray from the heart to the Word of God, who is his only-begotten and who reveals the Father to whom he wills, that he may deign to reveal these things also to us: for in these there are mysteries of the promises, which he promised to those who love him, that we too may know the things that have been given to us by God. But do you also help us in your prayers and diligently attend, not so much to us who speak as to the Lord who enlightens those whom he shall find worthy of his enlightenment. By the contemplation of these things may he deign to give a word to us also in the opening of our mouth. But come now, if you have lifted up your hearts to the Lord and have sought the illumination of his holy word, let us come to searching out the meaning of the things which seem to lie hidden.