Juízes 3

Origen of Alexandria · Comentário Patrístico (catena)

Juízes 3:8

Now Chusarsaton's name is translated as "humiliation." They were delivered, then, to the hands of one who would humiliate them. And it was because they acted wickedly on the heights of the mountains against the Most High that he sent them to their humiliation. But I don't want you to think that it is only in relation to the ancients that divine providence delivers those who were exalted in wickedness for the purpose of humiliating them and that they may be healed by such a wholesome remedy. Presently as well, almighty God's healing providence is [not] lacking in relation to his church. Even now, there is a "Chusarsaton king of Mesopotamia" to whom souls are handed over for humiliation and affliction, souls who had moved themselves from despised Christian humility into pride and arrogance. The vice of pride is utterly hateful in the sight of God, for, as Scripture says, "pride is the beginning of departure from God" and, again, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." — HOMILIES ON JUDGES 3.1

Juízes 3:9

It calls the savior "Othniel," which means "the time of God for me." Through this first Othniel, then, the people were delivered from their humiliating servility and were restored to peace rather than having their longstanding pride and various deeds removed. But because we already said that a certain spiritual identity can be found in King Chusarsaton as one of the adversaries and a prince of the "powers of the air," it seems to me fitting to say that Othniel likewise, who was raised up to deliver the people, is a member of the "host of heaven" and of the throng of archangels who "are sent to support those who receive the inheritance of salvation." These angels are saviors, moreover, designated under the form of Othniel or Ehud, for, as we have often shown, we do not fight alone against the powers of the enemy, but good forces and powers are also sent to our aid by the Lord. — HOMILIES ON JUDGES 3.3

Juízes 3:15-21

Let's observe how Ehud, whose name means "praise," discharged his leadership. History teaches us, in its writings about King Eglon, how this most wise Ehud with particular skill and, if I may say, cunning but praiseworthy deception, would kill the tyrant Eglon, whose name means "round" or "circular." It was necessary, then, to have the quality of judges of our people as was this Ehud, whose name means "praise," so to cut through all his rolling motion and circuit of evil ways and to destroy the king of the Moabites. But Moabite is translated as "flow" or "effusion." Who can the ruler or leader of this flowing and dissolute people be seen or understood to be, therefore, other than the word of that philosophy which adjudges pleasure to be the highest good, a philosophy which the word of the gospel, which has been compared to a sword, killed and destroyed? And this prophetic word would become enclosed within their belly and lowest stomach by means of the "ambidextrous" judge's arguments, to extinguish the Moabites by assertion of the truth, enclosing also every sense of perverse doctrine and dull understanding "which extols itself and rises against the spiritual knowledge of Christ," so that by acting thus and by doing battle with the word of God, each judge of the church may also become a praising Ehud, about whom the Lord would say, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few, so I will set you over many." — HOMILIES ON JUDGES 4.1