TRV
Origen of Alexandria
Ante-Nicene · to AD 325 · 2,651 passages across 61 books
Commentary
Numbers 33:12
And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.
Raphaca [Dophkah] means “health.” You see the order of the progresses, how when the soul is once made spiritual and begins to have the discernment of heavenly visions, it arrives at health.… For the soul has many infirmities. Avarice is one of the worst of its infirmities; pride, anger, boasting, fear, inconstancy, timidity, and the like. When, Lord Jesus, will you cure me of all these infirmities? When will you heal me so that I may say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, who heals all your infirmities” so that I may be able to make a stage at Raphaca [Dophkah], which is healing?
Numbers 33:13
And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.
Halus [Alush] means “toils.” Nor should you be surprised if toils follow health. For the soul acquires health from the Lord in order to accept toils with delight and not unwillingly.
Numbers 33:14
And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.
Now Raphidin [Rephidim] means “praise of judgment.” Praise most justly follows toils, but what is the praise of? Judgment, it says. Therefore the soul becomes worthy of praise when it judges rightly, discerns rightly, that is, when it judges all things spiritually and is itself judged by no one.
Numbers 33:15
And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.
Sina itself is a place in the wilderness that was earlier mentioned as Sin. But this place is, rather, the name of the mountain that is in that wilderness; it is called Sina after the name of the wilderness. Therefore, after the soul has been made praiseworthy in judgment and begins to have a right judgment, then it is given the law by God, since it has begun to be capable of receiving divine mysteries and heavenly visions.
Numbers 33:16
And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.
From there they come to the Tombs of Lust [Kibroth-hattavah]. What are the Tombs of Lust? Doubtless it is where lusts are buried and covered over, where all desire is quenched and the flesh no longer lusts against the spirit, since it has been put to death by the death of Christ.
Numbers 33:17
And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.
Next they come to Aseroth [Hazeroth]. This means “perfect halls” or “blessedness.”Consider quite carefully, each of you wanderers, what the order of progress is. After you have been buried and have handed over the lusts of the flesh to death, you will come to the spacious dignity of halls, you will come to blessedness. For blessed is the soul that is no longer driven by any vices of the flesh.
Numbers 33:20
And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.
Next they came to Lebna [Libnah], which means “whitewashing.” I know that in some respects whitewashing has a pejorative connotation.… But this whitewashing is that concerning which the prophet says, “You will wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.…” So then, this whitewashing must be understood to come from the radiance of the true light and to descend from the brightness of heavenly visions.
Numbers 33:21
And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah.
The next stage takes place in Ressa [Rissah], which could be put into our words as “visible or praiseworthy temptation.” Why is it that however great the progress made by the soul nonetheless temptations are not taken away from it? Here it becomes clear that temptations are brought to it as a kind of protection and defense. For just as meat, if it is not sprinkled with salt, no matter how great and special it is, becomes rotten, so also the soul, unless it is somehow salted with constant temptations, immediately becomes feeble and soft.
Numbers 33:22
And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.
From it they come to Macelath [Kehelathah], which is “sovereignty” or “staff.” Power seems to be meant by both and that the soul has progressed so far as to rule over the body and to obtain by that the staff of power. Indeed, it is power not only over the body but also over the whole world that Paul means when he says, “By the cross the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Numbers 33:24
And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.
Next they arrive at Charadath [Haradah], which in our language signifies “made competent.” Indeed, this is just what Paul says, “He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant.”
Numbers 33:25
And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.
From there a stage is made at Maceloth [Makheloth], which means “from the beginning.” For the person who strives for contemplation contemplates the beginning of things, or rather he refers everything to him who was in the beginning, nor is there any time when he abandons that beginning.
Numbers 33:26
And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.
Next a stage is made at Cataath [Tahath], which is “encouragement” or “endurance.” For it is necessary for someone who wants to be of use to others to suffer many things and to bear them all patiently, as it is said of Paul, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Numbers 33:28
And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.
Next they come to Matheca [Mithkah], which means “new death.” What is the new death? When we die with Christ so that we may live with him.
Numbers 33:29
And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.
From there they come to Asenna [Hashmonah], which is said to mean “bone” or “bones.” By this it is doubtless strength and the firmness of endurance that is revealed.
Numbers 33:30
And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.
Now from here a stage is made at Mesoroth [Moseroth], which is thought to mean “shutting out.” What do they shut out? Doubtless the wicked suggestions of the opposing spirit from their thoughts.
Numbers 33:31
And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.
Next they come to Banaim [Bene-jaakan], which means “springs” or “filterings,” that is, where one draws water from the springs of divine words until one filters them by drinking.… Thus a person filters the word of God when he does not omit even the least commandment, indeed when he gains the understanding that not even one iota or one dot in the word of God is insignificant.
Numbers 33:33
And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.
When you pass through them, you will camp at Tabatha [Jotbathah]. Tabatha means “good things.” Thus they do not come to good things except after the trials of temptations.
Numbers 33:34
And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.
From there, it says, they camped at Ebrona [Abronah], which is “passage.” For everything must be passed through. Even if you have come to good things, you must pass through them to better things until you come to that good thing in which you should always remain.
Numbers 33:35
And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.
Next they come to Gasiongaber [Ezion-geber], which means “the purposes of a man.” If someone ceases to be a child in understanding, he arrives at the purposes of a man, just as Paul, who said, “When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
Numbers 33:36
And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.
From there they come again to Sin [Zin]. And again Sin is “temptation.” For we said that there is no other way of furthering our embarking upon this journey.