Homilies on Joshua — Homily 3
Latin source: Origen, In Iesu Nave homiliae (Rufinus's Latin translation), from the public-domain critical text of W. A. Baehrens, GCS 30 = Origenes Werke VII (Leipzig, 1921); cross-checked against Migne PG 12. This English translation is released into the public domain.On the two and a half tribes and the nine and a half tribes.
[§1] Moses distributed the inheritance of the land across the Jordan to two and a half tribes, that is, to "the tribe of Reuben" and "the tribe of Gad" and "the half-tribe of Manasseh." But to the remaining tribes it was not Moses but Jesus who divided the land. Nevertheless a covenant was struck with those "two and a half tribes" who had received land across the Jordan, that, leaving their "women" and their "little ones" in that land across the Jordan, they themselves should fight alongside their brothers until they too should obtain their inheritance. It was necessary, therefore, after the death of Moses, who had entered into this covenant, that Jesus should demand what was promised and remind them to bring aid to their brothers who were about to fight. This indeed the text of the narrative sets forth; but since we "have now turned to the Lord," who "takes away the veil from the reading of the Old Testament" and grants to his servants who believe in him that "with unveiled face they may behold the glory of the Lord," let us perceive that all these things, which "happened to them in a figure, were written for our sake," "upon whom the ends of the ages have come." And therefore, as we have already said before, let us attempt to ascend from the letter to the spirit, from the figures to the truth, and let us consider what pattern these "two and a half tribes" hold, which receive the land of inheritance through Moses, and what pattern the remaining "nine and a half tribes" hold, which receive the promise of the holy land through Jesus. And first of all I think that it could not have happened by chance that those who receive their portion through Moses were all firstborn. For Reuben is the firstborn from Leah, Gad the firstborn from Zilpah, and Manasseh the firstborn from Asenath the Egyptian, "the daughter of Potiphar the priest of Heliopolis," whom Joseph took to wife. I can never persuade myself that it happened by chance that all those were firstborn to whom the inheritance was decreed through Moses, but rather I judge that in these there was even then foreshadowed the pattern of two peoples: of the one, indeed, which would appear to be firstborn according to the order of nature, and of the other, which through faith and grace would receive the blessing of the inheritance. Nor is rest given to those who receive the inheritance through Moses, that is, who pleased God through the law, before they help their brothers in battle. Only the "women" and the "little ones" receive rest through Moses; but the rest do not rest, but go out to the aid of their brothers. See how today, as I labor in the contest of this life and have a struggle against enemies, that is, against the hostile powers, they come to my aid who before the coming of my Lord Jesus Christ were justified under the law. See how Isaiah furnishes me aid, when he illuminates me with the words of his reading. See Jeremiah coming girded and ready to our aid and, with the javelins of his volume, putting to flight our most fierce enemies, the darkness of my heart. Daniel too is girded for our aid, when he instructs and forewarns us concerning the presence and kingdom of Christ and concerning the future deceit of the Antichrist. Ezekiel too is present, marking for us the heavenly mysteries in the fourfold circuits of the wheels and "enclosing a wheel within a wheel." Hosea too leads the twice-six squadrons of the prophetic host, and they all march out "with their loins girded in the truth" which they preach to the aid of their brothers, so that, instructed by their volumes, we may not be ignorant of the devil's cunning. These, therefore, who are strong men, armed and "girded about the loins with truth," go out to our aid and fight alongside us. But the "little ones" and the "women" do not go out to our battle. And no wonder; for he is called an infant who does not speak. What help, then, could that one have given me who has spoken nothing? in whom I find nothing that I may read? whose word does not instruct me? But the Apostle says that "the woman" is "the weaker vessel." Hence, consequently, "the weaker vessel" does not come to the conflict, lest it be shattered and perish; for so it is said of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels that "he did not break the bruised reed." Since therefore "women" are commanded to be taught at home by their husbands and are placed rather in the person of disciples than of teachers, he does not come to my aid who cannot teach me and in whom I find nothing that I ought to imitate or hold fast.[§2] Let us see, then, what those who come from that land which Moses distributed say to Jesus: "as we obeyed Moses," they say, "so will we obey you also." Nothing is so true as that everyone who "obeys Moses obeys" also Jesus our Lord. "For of" Jesus "he wrote." Hence the Lord too in the Gospel, reproving them because, from the fact that they do not believe him, they do not believe Moses either, says: "if you believed Moses, you would surely believe me also; for of me he wrote." Yet to me this too does not seem idle, that these tribes which are dispensed through Moses are not three whole tribes, and those which obtain the inheritance through Jesus are not nine whole ones, but "two and a half" here and "nine and a half" there, and that one tribe is divided into two parts, whereby neither here is the third number filled up whole, nor there is the tenth perfectly and wholly completed. In which I judge this to be indicated: that even those former ones, who were governed under the law, did indeed touch upon the knowledge of the Trinity, yet not wholly and perfectly, but "in part." For there was lacking to them, within the Trinity, the knowledge also concerning the incarnation of the Only-begotten. For although they believed concerning his coming and concerning the rest of his dispensations not only believed but even preached, yet they could not also see and attain the things which they had believed; just as the Lord too says to his disciples concerning these: "many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them." For their faith was not whole, inasmuch as the dispensation of the flesh had not yet been fulfilled in Christ; and what we now already believe to have been done and fulfilled, they believed only as yet to come. Therefore, then, those tribes are neither two, lest the fathers should be outside the faith and salvation of the Trinity, nor three whole and perfect, lest the mystery of the blessed Trinity should already seem to have been fulfilled in them. But they did indeed touch upon the third number and, as the Lord said, "desired to see the things which we see, and to hear the things which we hear," but they were by no means able, because the Son of Man had not yet been "lifted up," nor had "the fullness of the times" yet come. Here something more even moves me. I think that perhaps not even in the coming of Jesus and his incarnation do we yet learn that which is perfect and whole; nor even if he be led to the cross and be consummated in all things, nor even if he rise from the dead, will he lay open to us through himself all the things that are perfect. We still have need of another, who may open and reveal to us all things. Hear the Lord himself saying in the Gospels: "I have yet many things which I would say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, will come, and he will receive of mine: and he will show you all things." You see that not only is that third number not shown to be fulfilled in Moses, but even Jesus still says to his disciples: "you cannot yet hear," unless that Paraclete come, "the Spirit of truth," because through him and in him the perfection of the Trinity is fulfilled. For also as to the fact that it is "nine and a half tribes" which act under Jesus as leader, and not ten whole ones — which number is said to be in all things consummate and perfect —, the same reasoning is without doubt found, so that this, which is said to be reserved by the Lord Jesus for the Holy Spirit, may appear half-full and midway. For although through the Lord and Savior repentance is preached, and conversion from evils to good things, and remission of sins is given to all believers, and all the things which seem to tend toward the perfection of the decade are completed, nevertheless the perfection and sum of all good things consists in this, if after all these things one should merit to receive the grace of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise nothing will be thought perfect in him to whom the Holy Spirit is lacking, through whom the mystery of the blessed Trinity is fulfilled. Do you wish that I prove to you still more evidently that among that former people, whom Moses foreshadowed in the "two and a half tribes," not all things were whole nor perfect? That history also declares it, which is written in this very little book of Jesus of Nave, when it says that the true altar was indeed in that land which Jesus was dispensing, yet these who were across the Jordan, that is, "Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, made themselves an altar," but not a true altar, but one that held the type and pattern of the true altar which was with Jesus. Marvel, then, not at all if those who had built neither a whole nor a true altar had not received a whole knowledge of the Trinity. Therefore, in the end, neither are many enemies nor several kings of the hostile powers said to have been cast down by them. He says only that they cast down "Sihon, king of the Amorites," and "Og, king of Bashan," and the Amalekites across the Jordan. But Jesus, where he leads the army, now "five kings" fall together, who "had fled into the caves," and not only do they fall, but they are also "hanged upon the tree"; now "twenty-nine" are slaughtered together, and immense multitudes of the opposing army are laid low, and all are exterminated who possess the holy land in uncleanness, who hold "the land flowing with milk and honey" in the bitterness of malice.
[§3] Meanwhile spies are sent by Jesus into Jericho and are received by "the harlot" Rahab. These spies, who are sent "before the face" of Jesus, can also be thought to be the angels of God, as it is written: "behold, I send my angel before your face, who shall prepare your ways." Which through others indeed was fulfilled invisibly, but through John visibly; concerning whom this very thing was written. Finally, concerning the baptism of John it is said by the Lord that the scribes and Pharisees did not believe him, but the "harlots" and the "publicans" believed and were baptized. So therefore in this too it is fulfilled, that the "harlot" received the spies of Jesus, through whom she is reported to have been snatched from the destruction of the whole hostile nation.
[§4] But let us see at last who this "harlot" is. She is called "Rahab," and "Rahab" is interpreted "breadth." What, then, is breadth, if not this Church of Christ, which has been gathered out of sinners as out of harlotry? And she says: "the place is too narrow for me, make me a place where I may dwell. But who has nourished these for me?", and again, she to whom it is said: "widen your stakes, and stretch out your tents." This, therefore, is the breadth which received the spies of Jesus. I know that once, disputing in a certain church concerning the two harlots, of whom it is written in the third book of Kingdoms, who had come to the judgment of Solomon, of whom one had a "living" infant and the other a "dead" one, I discussed the matter rather carefully and said that that "harlot" was this one, to whom Solomon — not that one, but this one who came "to make peace between the things that are in heaven and the things that are on earth" — ordered the "living" infant to be restored, but that other one, who had the "dead" infant, was either the synagogue of that former people or of those who have declined into heresy. There is also another "harlot" whom in Hosea the prophet is commanded to "take," without doubt as a figure of this one, which has been gathered "out of the nations." Such, therefore, is this "harlot" also said to be, who received the spies of Jesus; but she places them, once received, in the upper regions and establishes them in the lofty and exalted mysteries of the faith. For no one who is sent by Jesus is found lying down below and on the ground, but he remains in the upper regions; and not only does he himself remain in the upper and exalted regions, but that "harlot" too, who received them, is made from a harlot now a prophetess; for she says: "I know that the Lord your God has delivered this land to you." You see how she who was once a "harlot" and impious and unclean is now already filled with the Holy Spirit, and concerning things past indeed confesses, concerning things present believes, and prophesies and foretells concerning things to come. So therefore "Rahab," which is interpreted "breadth," is widened and advances, until "into all the earth her sound goes out." But Japheth likewise is interpreted "enlargement," who indeed himself also bore the pattern of this people "which is saved out of the nations," and Canaan the boy is subjected to him as a servant by his father, and to his brother Shem, who bears the pattern of those who are saved out of the circumcision. In which the kindness and providence of God is to be admired, who, wishing to furnish a remedy to the sinner Canaan and to confer salvation upon him, made him a servant to his brothers, just as Esau too was made to serve his brother Jacob — not indeed that he should perish, but that he should acquire salvation by obeying his betters. For it is granted, as the greatest of gifts, to the evil and to sinners, who know not how to govern themselves, that they should not be entrusted to themselves, but should become servants of the saints and be subject to their betters, so that they may be governed not by their own evil sense, but by the good sense of those others. You see how great is the kindness of the Lord, which he hides and conceals from the ears of the common crowd, and which he covers with rather harsh words, lest perhaps the evil and ungrateful servant become a despiser, when he has understood the exceeding goodness of his Lord.
[§5] But let us see what this wise "harlot" did with the spies. She gives them counsel mystical and heavenly, having nothing earthly. "Go by the mountains," she says, do not walk through the valleys, flee the low and the cast-down things; the things that are lofty and sublime, preach. And she herself places a "scarlet sign" in her house, through which she was to be saved from the destruction of the city. There was no other sign that she should receive except the scarlet one, which bore the form of blood. For she knew that there was salvation for no one except in the blood of Christ. This command too is given to her who was once a "harlot": "All," she says, "who shall be found in your house shall be saved. But those who go out of the house — we are free from this oath of yours." If anyone, therefore, wishes to be saved, let him come into this house of her who was once a "harlot." Even if someone from that people wishes to be saved, let him come to this house, that he may be able to obtain salvation. Let him come to this house, in which the blood of Christ is the sign of redemption. For among those who said, "his blood be upon us and upon our children," the blood of Christ is unto condemnation. For Jesus "was set for the fall and for the rising again of many," and therefore, to those who contradict his "sign," "his blood" is made unto punishment, but to those who believe, unto salvation. Let no one, therefore, persuade himself, let no one deceive himself: outside this house, that is, outside the Church, no one is saved; if anyone goes outside, he becomes guilty of his own death. This is the sign of the blood, because here too is the purification which is established through the blood. But that this sign hangs "in the window," this I judge to be indicated: that the window is that which illuminates the house, and through which we take in not the whole light, but only as much as suffices for our eyes and sight. Since therefore the incarnation of the Savior too did not bring in to us the pure and whole sight of the Deity, but, as though through a window, made us through his incarnation behold the light of the Deity, for that reason it seems to me that the sign of salvation was given through the window; by which sign all may obtain salvation who shall be found in the house of her who was once a "harlot," cleansed in water and in the Holy Spirit and in the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, "to whom is glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen!"