Homilies on Numbers — Homily 19
Latin source: Origen, In Numeros homiliae (Rufinus's Latin translation), from the public-domain critical text of W. A. Baehrens, GCS 30 = Origenes Werke VII (Leipzig, 1921). This English translation is released into the public domain.[§1] This fifth and likewise final vision of Balaam is now to be examined by us, concerning which, just as in the others, let us beseech the Lord that at the end He may not forsake us, so that we may be able to grasp the meaning of this vision too not far from the truth. Its beginning, then, is in these words: "And when Balaam saw Amalek," it says, "taking up his parable, he said: The beginning of the nations is Amalek, and their seed shall perish." It seems necessary to me to search out in the divine Scriptures in what places or at what time the name of Amalek is written, and from what stock that nation descends. For what is sought will be more easily recognized if it is brought forward from the several places that are written about the same matter. Therefore in the reading of Genesis, where five kings assembled to make war upon the four kings who were reigning in Sodom, after some space it is thus reported: "And returning," it says, "they came to the fountain of judgment, this is Kadesh, and they slew all the princes of Amalek and the Amorites, who were dwelling in Hazazon." In these places I first find Amalek named. But perhaps it may be asked whether there are two nations of the same name, since indeed in the catalogue of the sons of Esau and of the leaders who had descended from his stock Amalek is also mentioned. For it is thus written: "Now these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in mount Seir. And these are the names of the sons of Esau: Eliphaz the son of Adah, the wife of Esau, and Raguel the son of Basemath, the wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were: Teman, Sophar, Gatam, Kenaz. And Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz himself; and these are the sons of Adah, the wife of Esau." And after a little: "And these," it says, "are the leaders from the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, who was the firstborn of Esau: leader Teman, leader Omar, leader Sophar, leader Kenaz, leader Korah, leader Gatam, leader Amalek." This Amalek, therefore, was the son of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau, born of a concubine named Timna. But let us return to the first mention of Amalek, where those who returned and came to the fountain of judgment, which is called Kadesh, slay all the princes of Amalek. For Kadesh is interpreted "sanctification" or "holy"; but Amalek is interpreted "one who licks up the people" or "one who turns the people aside." Therefore those who return to the holy and turn themselves to sanctification slay and destroy Amalek, namely that one who licks up the people or turns the people aside. But who else is it who turns the people aside from God, except the adverse power and the spiritual wickednesses? Who then are the princes of these? Those principalities, without doubt, against whom the saints have their wrestling. For against the principalities and powers and the rulers of this world are their struggles; yet they will not be able to overcome them unless they turn to holiness. Yet in that very holiness, which is Kadesh, is the fountain of judgment. For everyone who turns himself to holiness has always before his eyes the fountain of judgment. For he looks ahead to the day of judgment, and with a purified heart he beholds both the punishments of the wicked and the blessednesses of the pious; and doing these things he lays low and casts down all the princes of the Amalekites. But if any do not turn themselves to Kadesh, that is, to holiness and the fountain of judgment, nor think upon the coming day of judgment, these are subjected to the princes of Amalek; for he licks up and consumes this people, and such a people he turns aside from God. Let these things be referred to that first Amalek. But now let us look also at this Amalek, the son of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau, whom Timna his concubine bore to him; whose father is Eliphaz, which is interpreted "God has scattered me," but his mother Timna, who herself too is first of all base-born, and then is interpreted "commotion of failing"; and of necessity, indeed, whoever is begotten of such as these is an enemy of Israel, licking up or turning aside the people. For he himself first attacked the Hebrews, when they had gone out from Egypt, in battle at Rephidim, then when Moses said to Joshua: "Choose for yourself men, and go out, and fight with Amalek tomorrow; and behold, I stand on the top of the hill, and the rod of God shall be in my hand." And Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek; but Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass that, when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed. And after a little it is again written that Joshua put Amalek to flight and cast down his people with the sword, then when the Lord said to Moses: "Write these things for a memorial in a book, and deliver them into the ears of Joshua, for wiping out I will wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." And Moses built an altar and named its name: "The Lord is my refuge," and said: "For with a hidden hand the Lord makes war upon Amalek from generation to generation." Understand from this more evidently who ought to be understood as Amalek, whom God is said to make war upon with a hidden, that is, an invisible hand, from generation to generation. But also in Deuteronomy it is thus written: "Remember how much Amalek did to you on the way, when you had gone out of Egypt, how he opposed you on the way and cut off your tail, all who were toiling behind you, while you were hungry and toiling, and you did not fear God." Observe therefore in these things also how Amalek opposed Israel on the way, but nevertheless was not able to cut off its head, but only the tail: that is, he was able only to seize those who were set in the rear, who followed last, and who, not forgetting the things that were behind, did not stretch themselves toward the things that are ahead. And for this reason I think the Lord gave the precept in the Gospels, saying: "No one putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." And rightly; for if anyone be found behind in the tail, Amalek will cut him off. But we will bring forward yet another history concerning Amalek as well, so that from more places of Scripture what we seek may be more clearly perceived. In the first book of Kingdoms, Samuel says to Saul: "The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel, and now hear the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: I have called to mind all that Amalek did against Israel, how he smote him on the way, when he was coming up out of Egypt. Now therefore go and smite Amalek and put under the ban all that he has, and do not spare, but slay all, from man to woman, and the little ones and the sucklings and the bulls and the flocks of sheep and the camels and the asses." And Saul commanded the people, and reviewed them in Gilead, two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and three thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and set an ambush in the valley. And Saul said to the Kenite: "Go you and depart out of the midst of Amalek, lest perhaps you too be added together with him. For you did mercy with all the sons of Israel, when they were coming up out of the land of Egypt." And the Kenite departed out of the midst of Amalek. And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah as far as Shur, which is over against the face of Egypt. And he took Agag the king of Amalek alive, and put all his people under the ban by the mouth of the sword. And Saul and the people spared king Agag, and preserved everything that was good of the sheep and oxen, and also the fruitful ones of all the good cattle, and would not utterly destroy them; but everything that was contemptible and despised, this they put under the ban. And the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying: "It repents me that I anointed Saul as king." Here too, then, observe how God through the prophet commands king Saul to make war upon Amalek and to spare none of them, and, because he spared Agag the king of Amalek, he incurs an offense that cannot be expiated, so that he moved God to this point, that, contrary to what that nature admits, He said: "It repents me that I anointed Saul as king." It is not expedient for us, therefore, to spare that one who turns the people aside or licks up and devours; that invisible Amalek, namely, who resists on the way those who wish to come up out of Egypt and to escape from the darkness of this world and to press on to the land of promise, and assails us, and, if he finds us weary and worn out and looking back and set among the last and in the tail, cuts us off and destroys us. And for this reason we must always press forward, and hasten to the things that are ahead, nay rather even ascend to the top of the mountain, and always lift up our hands to heaven in prayers, so that at last in this way Amalek may be conquered and fall. But do you wish to know that one does not cross over to the holy land nor arrive at the kingdom unless Amalek be first conquered? Although David had waged many wars and there had been for him most sharp and frequent conflicts against the Philistines, nevertheless he is not written to have obtained the kingdom until he had first subdued Amalek. For the Scripture says: "And David returned, after Amalek had fallen, and received the kingdom of Saul," though Amalek himself is described as having first made many slaughters among the people of Israel and burned very many of their cities. For truly, before the coming of the true David, of Him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, the Amalekites, who are the adverse powers, made many spiritual slaughters among the people of Israel. But also, it says, they took captive both the wives of David himself. I think the first is called the Jewish and the second the Gentile people; for it is established that both Jews and Gentiles were all shut up under sin. But the outcome of things did not remain in this state; for hear what David, coming, does. "And David found," it says, "the Amalekites scattered, eating and drinking, and exulting over the plunder which they had carried off; and he smote them," it says, "from the first night until the evening of the next day." And after this slaughter of the Amalekites he returned and received the kingdom.
[§2] This Amalek, therefore, seeing him, Balaam the son of Beor, a man truly seeing and hearing the words of God, who knows the knowledge of the Most High and sees the visions of God, having taken up his parable as is written in the earlier visions also, says: "The beginning of the nations is Amalek, and their seed shall perish." As for what he says: "The beginning of the nations is Amalek," it is certain that it can in no way be referred to that Amalek who then existed in the flesh, for neither was he first in the antiquity of origin, but it is better referred to the invisible Amalek, who from turning the peoples aside from God and making Gentiles out of the worshipers of God is named Amalek. And therefore he is rightly called the beginning of the nations, as being a certain such adverse power which first gave the beginning for men to become Gentiles, by changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed beasts and of serpents, and by serving the creature rather than the Creator. For just as among the people of God it is written that the beginning is Christ, so on the contrary among the people who turns aside from God and becomes Gentile, the beginning is Amalek. "And their seed shall perish." Their seed is the persuasion and teaching by which they taught men to turn aside from God. This evil seed, then, and this worst teaching shall perish, not they themselves in whom it was sown. For they themselves, when they groan being converted, shall be saved. And see whether such an exposition may not also fittingly stand against those who accuse the God of the law as of harshness and cruelty, in that He pronounces that not only the nation of Amalek but also its seed shall perish; when indeed the nation is referred to the spiritual wickednesses, but its seed is expounded as the teaching of the superstitions of the Gentiles and the worship of idols and every sect which persuades the people to turn aside from God.
[§3] But the prophecy makes mention of the Kenite after Amalek, saying: "And seeing the Kenite, taking up his parable, he said: Strong is your dwelling, and if you set your nest in the rock, and if Beor be to you a nest of cunning, the Assyrians shall lead you captive." It seems to me that he names the Kenite not very blameworthily; for he is the one to whom in the earlier passages Saul also said: "Depart out of the midst of Amalek, and I will not smite you, because you did mercy in Israel, when it was coming up out of Egypt." Of this one, therefore, it is now said also that his dwelling is strong, if he sets his nest in the rock. The rock is Christ. If therefore he sets his nest in the rock, his dwelling is strong, provided that Beor does not become for him a nest of cunning. Beor is the father of Balaam, who can be taken in the person of the heretics; so that this seems to be said, that the Kenite can be saved if he sets his nest in the rock, that is, if he places his hope in Christ and does not surround and circumscribe him with the cunning of the heretics. For if this should happen, it will profit him nothing that he seems to be set in the rock, which is Christ; for he will be led captive by the Assyrians, that is, by the malignant powers, which lead captive and take into their power those whom heretical error has enveloped. It seems indeed, according to this exposition which we have set forth concerning the Kenite, that the conjunction "and" also disturbs the sense. But it must be known that it is a native property of the Hebrew tongue to use the conjunction "and" frequently in such a way that at times it is superfluous and, as appears in our language, seems inserted among unnecessary things. This certainly must be received with indulgence; for each language has something of its own property which among other languages may seem faulty. And here therefore the conjunction "and" is to be held as, so to speak, superfluous and redundant. Let the Kenite, therefore, who is interpreted "possessing," beware — let him beware, I say — even if he possesses and earns this grace, that he be in the Church of Christ, lest perhaps the cunning of Beor circumvent him and turn him aside to depraved and perverse doctrines and for this cause he be handed over to the Assyrians. For those who blaspheme, being set within the Church, are handed over to Satan, as Phygelus and Hermogenes, of whom Paul says: "Whom I handed over," he says, "to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." Therefore for this reason he who has turned aside into heretical blasphemy is handed over to the Assyrians, because the Assyrians are interpreted "directing"; and for this cause those who are handed over are handed over to these, not that they may perish, nor that they may utterly be destroyed, but that they may be directed and corrected and, as Paul himself says: "that they may learn not to blaspheme."
[§4] But after these things Balaam concludes the discourse of his prophecy in these words, saying: "And having taken up his parable, he said: Oh, oh, who shall live, when God shall do these things? And he shall come forth out of the hands of the Kittim, and they shall afflict Asshur, and they shall afflict the Hebrews, and they themselves shall likewise perish." That Balaam is said to speak through each detail by way of a parable strikes shame into the reader, lest in these things that are said he should think anything said not as in a parable, but according to the letter. He says, then: "Oh, oh, who shall live, when God shall do these things?" Here he names not this common life, but that life which is according to God, and this is what he says: that, when all these things shall come to pass, when a star shall arise out of Jacob, and a man shall rise up out of Israel and shall destroy Amalek and shall bring his seed to perdition, that is, when Christ shall come and shall destroy the worship of idols and shall subject the power of all the demons, who shall be so blessed, so happy, as to see these things? that is, who shall perceive and understand and believe that God has done these things thus? "And they shall come forth out of the hands of the Kittim, and they shall afflict the Assyrians." The Kittim are interpreted "the stroke of the end." These, therefore, who, being converted to the Lord and instructed by Christ, escape the stroke which shall come upon the impious at the end of the age, they themselves shall afflict the Assyrians, that is, these, for whom, being set in the contest of piety, God shall crush Satan under their feet, they themselves shall afflict the Assyrians, namely the nation of demons. For they shall tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, and shall afflict them. "And they shall afflict the Hebrews, and they themselves shall likewise perish." The Hebrews are interpreted "those passing over." This same people, therefore, is also called Hebrew, because it passes over from Egypt to the land of promise, from darkness to light, from death to life. But since these things, as we have said, cannot be obtained without a contest nor without a great struggle, as one set in the contest he now afflicts, now is afflicted, and now smites the adversary, now is himself beaten by the adversary. Therefore the Assyrians themselves also shall afflict the Hebrews, that is, the people of God, just as they are afflicted by them; but they themselves, that is the Assyrians, when they shall have done these things and when they shall have poured out all their strength upon afflicting the Hebrews, immediately they themselves also shall perish. As for what he says, then: "And they shall afflict the Hebrews, and they themselves shall likewise perish," it is not to be taken as though the Assyrians shall perish together with the Hebrews; but "likewise," that is, immediately as they shall have done these things, as they shall have afflicted the Hebrews, they themselves also shall perish; for the Greek word puts "likewise" for "immediately." This, therefore, shall be the end of all things, that even Asshur, to whom were handed over those who were transgressing from the people of God, either unto the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved, or that they might learn not to blaspheme, shall himself also perish at the hands of Him who has the power to destroy in Gehenna. For it shall be said to them by the just judge: "Go into the eternal fire, which God prepared for the devil and his angels." There, therefore, Asshur shall perish. And indeed one sheep too out of the hundred sheep once perished, but this sheep the good shepherd, leaving the ninety and nine in the mountains and descending to this valley of ours, the valley of tears, and seeking it, found it and, having laid it upon his shoulders, carried it back and joined it to that number which in the passages above remained saved. But this Asshur, who is said to be about to perish at the end of all things, I know not whether he can ever either be sought or be found; for he perishes not by error, but by judgment, nor moved by a lapse, but hardened by perseverance. For as to what is written: "I will kill and I will make to live, I will lead down into hell and I will bring back," I know not whether it looks generally to all or only to those whom the deception of the devil caused to be led down into death. Let these things too concerning the last prophecy of Balaam be said by us according to our strength, which, because of the difficulty of the passages, it has seemed good to unfold rather with the pen of one explaining than of one delivering a formal discourse. For what does it matter, provided that all things be said unto edification and all things be done unto the glory of God? Who is blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.