OT § 36
Holy Tuesday, Theophany Eve Vespers
And having opened it, she sees the babe weeping in the ark: and the daughter of Pharao had compassion on it, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrew’s children.
ἀνοίξασα δὲ ὁρᾷ παιδίον κλαῖον ἐν τῇ θίβει, καὶ ἐφείσατο αὐτοῦ ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραὼ καὶ ἔφη· ἀπὸ τῶν παιδίων τῶν ῾Εβραίων τοῦτο.
Ѿве́рзши же, ви́дитъ ѻ҆троча̀ пла́чꙋщеесѧ въ ковче́жцѣ, и҆ пощадѣ̀ є҆̀ дще́рь фараѡ́нѧ, и҆ речѐ: ѿ дѣте́й є҆вре́йскихъ сїѐ.
And his sister said to the daughter of Pharao, Wilt thou that I call to thee a nurse of the Hebrews, and shall she suckle the child for thee?
καὶ εἶπεν ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ τῇ θυγατρὶ Φαραώ· θέλεις καλέσω σοι γυναῖκα τροφεύουσαν ἐκ τῶν ῾Εβραίων καὶ θηλάσει σοι τὸ παιδίον;
И҆ речѐ сестра̀ є҆гѡ̀ дще́ри фараѡ́новѣ: хо́щеши ли, призовꙋ́ ти женꙋ̀ корми́лицꙋ ѿ є҆врє́й, и҆ воздои́тъ тѝ ѻ҆троча̀;
And the daughter of Pharao said, Go: and the young woman went, and called the mother of the child.
ἡ δὲ εἶπεν ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραώ· πορεύου. ἐλθοῦσα δὲ ἡ νεᾶνις ἐκάλεσε τὴν μητέρα τοῦ παιδίου.
И҆ речѐ є҆́й дще́рь фараѡ́нова: и҆дѝ. Ше́дши же ѻ҆трокови́ца, призва̀ ма́терь ѻ҆троча́те.
And the daughter of Pharao said to her, Take care of this child, and suckled it for me, and I will give thee the wages; and the woman took the child, and suckled it.
εἶπε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραώ· διατήρησόν μοι τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο καὶ θήλασόν μοι αὐτό, ἐγὼ δὲ δώσω σοι τὸν μισθόν. ἔλαβε δὲ ἡ γυνὴ τὸ παιδίον καὶ ἐθήλαζεν αὐτό.
Рече́ же къ не́й дще́рь фараѡ́нова: соблюди́ ми ѻ҆троча̀ сїѐ и҆ воздо́й мѝ є҆̀: а҆́зъ же да́мъ тѝ мздꙋ̀. Взѧ́ же ѻ҆троча̀ жена̀ и҆ доѧ́ше є҆̀.
And when the boy was grown, she brought him to the daughter of Pharao, and he became her son; and she called his name, Moses, saying, I took him out of the water.
ἀδρυνθέντος δὲ τοῦ παιδίου, εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὸ πρὸς τὴν θυγατέρα Φαραώ, καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτῇ εἰς υἱόν· ἐπωνόμασε δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μωυσῆν λέγουσα· ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος αὐτὸν ἀνειλόμην.
Возмꙋжа́вшꙋ же ѻ҆троча́ти, введѐ є҆̀ ко дще́ри фараѡ́новѣ, и҆ бы́сть є҆́й въ сы́на, и҆ наречѐ и҆́мѧ є҆мꙋ̀ мѡѷсе́й, глаго́лющи: ѿ воды̀ взѧ́хъ є҆го̀.
And the daughter of Pharao came down to the river to bathe; and her maids walked by the river’s side, and having seen the ark in the ooze, she sent her maid, and took it up.
κατέβη δὲ ἡ θυγάτηρ Φαραὼ λούσασθαι ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμόν, καὶ αἱ ἅβραι αὐτῆς παρεπορεύοντο παρὰ τὸν ποταμόν. καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὴν θῖβιν ἐν τῷ ἕλει, ἀποστείλασα τὴν ἅβραν ἀνείλατο αὐτήν.
Сни́де же дще́рь фараѡ́нова и҆змы́тисѧ на рѣкꙋ̀, и҆ рабы̑ни є҆ѧ̀ прохожда́хꙋ при рѣцѣ̀. И҆ ви́дѣвши ковче́жецъ въ лꙋчи́цѣ, посла́вши рабы́ню, взѧ̀ и҆̀.
"Seeing," then, these of the tribe of Levi "that the infant was comely, they concealed him for three months. And when they could no longer conceal him, his mother took," it says, "an ark and daubed it with bitumen and placed the infant in it and set it in the marsh beside the river. And his sister watched from afar, to see what would happen to him. But the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself in the river, and she heard the infant crying, and she sent," it says, "and took him up, and the daughter of Pharaoh said that this is of the infants of the Hebrews." After this it is then related how his sister spoke, that she might call the mother of the boy to nurse him. "And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her," it says, "keep this infant for me, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages. And when she had nursed him, as he grew stronger, she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he became to her a son, and she named his name Moses, saying: because I took him up out of the water." Each of these things is filled with immense mysteries and demands a great length of time, and if we should spend the space of a whole day upon them, it would perhaps scarcely suffice. Yet briefly some things must be knocked upon by us for the edification of the church. I think the daughter of Pharaoh can be seen as the church, which is gathered from the nations, which, although she has an impious and iniquitous father, yet to her it is said through the prophet: "hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and the house of your father, because the king has desired your beauty." This, then, is she who goes out from her father's house and comes to the waters, that she may be washed from the sins she had contracted in her father's house. Finally, straightway she takes up "the bowels of mercy" and has compassion on the infant. This church, therefore, coming from the nations, finds Moses lying in the marsh, cast off by his own and exposed, gives him to be nursed, he is nursed among his own, there he passes his infancy. But when "he has grown stronger," then he is brought to her and adopted as a son. That Moses is called the law has already often been treated in many places. Coming, therefore, to the waters of baptism, the church received also the law — the law, however, which was shut up within an "ark," daubed with pitch and "bitumen." An "ark" is a kind of covering woven from twigs or from papyrus, or even formed from the bark of trees, within which the infant, once placed in it, appeared exposed. The law, therefore, lay shut up within coverings of this kind and daubed with pitch and "bitumen"; hedged about by the base and foul senses of the Jews, it lay in squalor, until the church should come from the nations and take it up out of the muddy and marshy places and receive it within the halls of wisdom and the royal roofs. This law, nevertheless, passes its infancy among its own. For among those who do not know how to understand it spiritually, it is a little one and an infant, having the food of sucklings; but when it comes to the church, when it enters the house of the church, Moses is stronger and more robust. For once the veil of the letter is removed, "perfect" and "solid food" is found in the reading of it. Yet what is it that she, among whom the law was both born and nursed, receives the wages of her nursing from the daughter of Pharaoh? What is it that the synagogue receives from the church? I think it can be understood as that which the same Moses writes, saying: "I will lead you into jealousy over that which is no nation, over a foolish nation I will provoke you to wrath." The synagogue, then, receives this as its wages from the church, that it no longer worship idols. For seeing those who are of the nations so converted to God that they no longer know idols, and venerate no one except the one God, she herself is ashamed any longer to worship idols. This benefit, therefore, the synagogue receives from the church, in that she was seen to have nursed the law as a little one. But we too, even if we have had Pharaoh for a father, even if "the prince of this world" begot us in evil works, when we come to the waters, let us take up to ourselves the law of God, and let not the base and obscure covering of its letter be squalid to us; the things that are little and of sucklings in it let us yield up, but the things that are perfect and robust let us take, and let us place these within the royal roofs of our heart. Let us have a great and robust Moses; let us think nothing about him that is little, nothing lowly, but wholly magnificent, wholly excellent, wholly comely. For everything is great, whatever is spiritual, whatever is of sublime understanding. And let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, that he himself may reveal and show to us how "great" Moses is and how sublime he is. For he himself "reveals" to whom he wills "through the Holy Spirit." "To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen."
HOMILIES ON EXODUS 2