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| XXXII.
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XXXII.4849
| 4849
Massuet’s Fragment xxxii. is here passed over; it is found in book
iii. chap. xviii. 7.
|
Josephus says, that when Moses
had been brought up in the royal palaces, he was chosen as general
against the Ethiopians; and having proved victorious, obtained in
marriage the daughter of that king, since indeed, out of her affection
for him, she delivered the city up to him.4850
| 4850 See Josephus’ Antiquities, book ii. chap.
x., where we read that this king’s daughter was called Tharbis.
Immediately upon the surrender of this city (Saba, afterwards called
Meroë) Moses married her, and returned to Egypt. Whiston, in the notes to
his translation of Josephus, says, “Nor, perhaps, did St. Stephen
refer to anything else when he said of Moses, before he was sent by God
to the Israelites, that he was not only learned in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, but was also mighty in words and in deeds”
(Acts vii. 22). |
punishment" title="573" id="ix.viii.xxxii-p4.1"/>Why was it,
that when these two (Aaron and Miriam) had both acted with despite
towards him (Moses), the latter alone was adjudged punishment?4851
First, because the woman was the more
culpable, since both nature and the law place the woman in a subordinate
condition to the man. Or perhaps it was that Aaron was to a certain
degree excusable, in consideration of his being the elder [brother], and
adorned with the dignity of high priest. Then again, inasmuch as the
leper was accounted by the law unclean, while at the same time the origin
and foundation of the priesthood lay in Aaron, [the Lord] did not award a
similar punishment to him, lest this stigma should attach itself to the
entire [sacerdotal] race; but by means of his sister’s [example] He
awoke his fears, and taught him the same lesson. For Miriam’s
punishment affected him to such an extent, that no sooner did she
experience it, than he entreated [Moses], who had been injured, that he
would by his intercession do away with the affliction. And he did not
neglect to do so, but at once poured forth his supplication. Upon this
the Lord, who loves mankind, made him understand how He had not chastened
her as a judge, but as a father; for He said, “If her father had
spit in her face, should she not be ashamed? Let her be shut out from the
camp seven days, and after that let her come in again.”4852
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