Ambrose: Seven Exegetical Works: Flight from the world, p.317 kirjoitti:Todellakin, Heprealaisiin naisiin liittyen löydät kirjoitettuna, että he
synnyttivät ennenkuin kätilöt saapuivat. Tämä on näin, koska elävästi uskovat
eivät odottele järkeen perustuvan tiedon suuntauksia, eivätkä tarvitse
apua synnytyksessä, vaan synnyttävät jälkikasvunsa spontaanisti ja odottavat
laskettua aikaa.
Indeed, in regard to other Hebrew women you find it written that the Hebrew
women gave birth before the midwives arrive (Exod.1:19). This is so, because
the souls of the just do not wait upon branches of learning arranged according
to kinds of knowledge, nor do they require assistance in parturition, but they
bring forth their offspring spontaneously and anticipate the expected time.
Ambrosen kohta: 'eivätkä tarvitse apua synnytyksessä' on tiivistetty ja oikeastaan
en heti hoksaa mitä hän tarkoittaa. Ilmeisesti koko odottamis/synnytykseen ja siihen liittyviin
seikkoihin ei päässyt lainkaan järkiperäinen perhesuunnittelu, vaan voimana oli Kaikkivaltiaan
tahto. Senkaltaista järkiperäistä suunnittelua edusti Saara, kun Ismaelia haki.
Senkaltaista on maailma täynnänsä - halutaan lapsia, silloin kun itselle sopii.
Ambrose oli lukenut Origen:n tekstit, ja alla on aiheesta katkelmia. Yllä näkyy
Ambrosen tiivistys, alla kaikanlaista selitystä. Olennaista on, että Origen oli
(200-luvulla) kuullut opetettavan, että kätilöt Sifra ja Pua tarkoittivat järkiperäistä ajattelua:
Origen: Homilies on Genesis and Exodus kirjoitti:"And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was
named Sephora and the other Phua, and said, 'When you shall server as midwives
to the Hebrew women and they shall be near birth, if it be a male child, kill it;
if a female, preserver it.' But the following statement adds: 'But the midwives
feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, and they
preserved the male childred.'
If what is written were to be taken to relate historical facts, the statement
in Scripture that 'the midwives did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them',
would seem impossible of being correct. For we find no evidence that the midwives
did not preserve the lives of the females whom the king of Egypt ordered preserved.
For thus he said, 'If it is a male child, kill it; if a female, preserve it.'
And if 'the midwives did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded,' they should,
certainly, as they were preserving the male childred against the command of the
kind, so have killed the females, that this also might be against the command
of the king. For to have preserved the lives of the females is to have acted
according to the Pharao's command. These words, however, are for those who are
friends of the letter and do not think that the Law is spiritual and is to be
understood spiritually. But we, who have learned that all things which are
written are written not to relate ancient history, but for our disciple and use,
(1.Cor.10:11) understand that these things which are said also happen now not
only in this world, which is figuratively called Egypt, but in each of us also.
Let us inquire, therefore, why the king of Egypt, who is 'the prince of this
world,' (John 16:11) does not wish the male childred to be preserved and wishes
the females preserved. If you remember, we have often pointed out in our
discussions that the flesh and the passions of the flesh are designated by the
females, but the man is the rational sense and the intellectual spirit (Philo).
Pharao, king and prince of Egypt, therefore, hates the rational sense which is
able to understand heavenly things, to perceive God, and 'to seek the things
which are above' (Col.3:1). He desires this sense to be killed and destroyed.
He desires, however, that whatever things are of flesh live.
...
Their names are also indicated to us by the providence of the Holy Spirit who
wished these things to be written. "Sephora", the text says was 'one', which
is translated as 'sparrow', and 'Phua', which we can call either 'blushing' or
'modest'. By these women, therefore, Pharao seeks to kill the males and to
preserve only the females.
But what does Scripture say? "The midwives feared God and did not do as the king
of Egypt commanded them".
Some before us have said that those midwives represent rational understanding.
For the midwives are as intermediates and assist the males being born as well as
the females. That common understanding of rational knowledge, therefore, falls
to nearly every mind, instructs all, assists all. Should one be masculine soul
and wish to seek heavenly things and follow divine things, he will come better
prepared for and understanding of divine things as if attended and assisted by
understanting of that kind. For one midwife is like a sparrow who teaches
lofty things and calls forth souls to fly to the heights on rational wings of
instruction. The other, who is blushing and modest, is moral. She regulates
morals, teaches modesty, and institutes integrity.
It seems to me however, since Scripture says of these women, "Because they
feared God, they did not carry out the command of the king of Egypt", that the
two midwives serve as a figure of the two testaments. "Sephora", which is
translated as sparrow, can be applied to the Law which "is spiritual". But "Phua",
who is blushing or modest, indicates the Gospels which are red with the blood
of Christ and glow reddish through the whole world by the blood of his passion.
The souls, therefore, which are born in the Church are attended by these
testaments as if by midwives, because the entire antidote of instruction is
conferred on them from the reading of the Scriptures.
ja juuri se opetus voi olla jopa opetuslapsilta.