Joshua 17:14

For after these things this is to be seen, that "the sons of Joseph" raise a question about the inheritance and demand a greater portion, "saying to Jesus": "why have you given us for an inheritance one portion and one measured plot? But I am a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed me." If, then, we too are a "numerous people" and the "Lord blesses" us, we hear from Jesus: "you are a numerous people, go up into the forest and clear for yourself and prepare a place in the land. And clean out the Perizzites and the Raphain." It is necessary, therefore, for us to "cast out the Perizzites." Now we find that "Perizzites" is interpreted as fructification. But, as we have often already said concerning other names, in this too the interpretation is twofold; for there is a good fructification and a bad fructification, just as it is indicated in the Gospels that: "a good tree produces good fruits, and a bad tree produces bad fruits." We ought, therefore, to expel everything whatever that does not fructify well, and to cut away the fruit of sin and to clean out the fruits of unrighteousness. But "the Raphain also," it says, "expel" — or rather "clean out" — from you. We find that "Raphain" is interpreted as slackened mothers. There is in our soul a certain power which gives birth to the senses and is, as it were, the mother of those senses or understandings which proceed from us, according to what is said in a mystery concerning the soul as though concerning a woman: "but she shall be saved through the bearing of children, if they remain in faith and truth." These mothers, then, that is, this power of the soul, in those in whom it is strong and vigorous and robust, generates senses that are vigorous and powerful and that cannot be overcome by an adversary. In others, indeed, this power is slackened and relaxed, which is shown from the senses, when certain feeble and inept ones are brought forth, containing in themselves no strength. This, then, is signified under the name "Raphain," that we should "clean out" from ourselves mothers of this sort, slackened ones, which give birth to enervated and useless senses. And well did he preserve the propriety of the spiritual understanding; for he did not say that the "Raphain" were to be exterminated, but to be "cleaned out." For it is not commanded that the natural motions of the soul themselves be overturned and…