Numbers 32:1

That the going forth from Egypt is taken in two ways has already been said often, both by our predecessors and by us. For both when someone is led from the darkness of errors to the light of recognition and is converted from an earthly manner of life to spiritual institutions, he seems to have gone out of Egypt and to have come to the wilderness, namely to that state of life in which, through silence and quiet, he may be exercised by the divine laws and be imbued with heavenly utterances; instructed and directed by these, when he has crossed the Jordan, he may hasten all the way to the land of promise, that is, through the grace of baptism he may come all the way to the evangelical institutions. But we have said that there is also that figure of going forth from Egypt when the soul leaves the darkness of this world and the blindness of bodily nature and is transferred to another age, which is indicated either as the bosom of Abraham, as in Lazarus, or as paradise, as in the thief who believed from the cross; or even if God knows there to be any other places or other dwellings, through which the soul, passing and believing God and arriving all the way to that river which gladdens the city of God, may within it receive the lot of the inheritance promised to the fathers. Therefore, since in a twofold manner, as we have recalled, the going forth from Egypt is designated, and the passage to the desert, and thence the entry to the inheritance of the holy land, let us now see what Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh mean. The inheritance which is handed over through Moses and decreed beyond the Jordan, in the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel, by certain hidden and mystical reasons embraces the figure of the whole human race, or certainly of all men who have come to the recognition of God. Of these, then, some part obtains an inheritance beyond the Jordan through Moses, but a part receives its inheritance across the Jordan and in the land of promise through Joshua. And those indeed to whom the inheritance is decreed beyond the Jordan are the firstborn; although less noble, although not without blame, they are firstborn nonetheless. For Reuben is the firstborn of Jacob; although he defiled his father's bed, he is the firstborn nonetheless. And Gad also, although of a handmaid, yet he too is a firstborn. Manasseh also, whose half-tribe obtains beyond the…

After these things there follows the account concerning the inheritance of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh; concerning which, purposing to discuss some things, we wish first to alert the diligence of our hearers and to rouse their minds to the contemplation of spiritual understanding. All the things that are said must be weighed not only from the word itself which is spoken, but the person of the speaker also must be greatly considered. For example, if it is a boy who speaks, we fit our minds to the hearing of a boyish utterance, and we expect nothing more in the things that are said than in so far as a boy could perceive. But if he who speaks is a man, we straightway consider whether the things said are worthy of a man. And again, if that man who speaks is learned, we weigh the words also according to the view of his learning. But if he is indeed a man, yet unskilled and an untutored layman, we receive the things said in another way. So likewise, if it be an elder who speaks, and of much and proven skill, inasmuch as he has grown old in learning, there will be held in him a far greater expectation of his words. But why we have premised these things, wishing to expound the account of the inheritance of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, hearken. He who narrates these deeds which we read is neither a boy, such as we described above, nor any such man, nor an elder, nor any human being at all; and, to say something further, neither is he any one of the angels or of the heavenly powers. But, as the tradition of our forefathers holds, the Holy Spirit narrates these things. For whence could Moses narrate either the things that were done from the beginning of the world or the things that were to be done at its end, except through the inspiration of the Spirit of God? Whence could he have prophesied concerning Christ, except by the Holy Spirit speaking? For thus Christ himself renders testimony to him and says: "If you believed Moses, you would surely believe me also; for he wrote concerning me; but if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" It is established, then, that these things were spoken through the Holy Spirit, and therefore it seems fitting that they be understood according to the dignity, or rather according to the majesty, of the speaker. But I judge it most apt to recall in this place also that, when…