Now what do you suppose this to be a type of, that a command was given to Israel, that men of the greatest wickedness¹⁵⁴¹

1541 Literally, “men in whom sins are perfect.” Of this, and much more that follows, no mention is made in Scripture.

1542 Cod. Sin. has “upon sticks,” and adds, “Behold again the type of the cross, both the scarlet wool and the hyssop,”—adopted by Hilgenfeld.

1543 Cod. Sin. has, “the law is Christ Jesus,” corrected to the above.

1544 The Greek text is, “then no longer [sinful] men, no longer the glory of sinners,” which Dressel defends and Hilgenfeld adopts, but which is surely corrupt.

And the boys that sprinkle are those that have proclaimed to us the remission of sins and purification of heart. To these He gave authority to preach the Gospel, being twelve in number, corresponding to the twelve tribes¹⁵⁴⁵

1545 Literally, “in witness of the tribes.”

of Israel. But why are there three boys that sprinkle? To correspond¹⁵⁴⁶

1546 “In witness of.”

to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, because these were great with God. And why was the wool [placed] upon the wood? Because by wood Jesus holds His kingdom, so that [through the cross] those believing on Him shall live for ever. But why was hyssop joined with the wool? Because in His kingdom the days will be evil and polluted in which we shall be saved, [and] because he who suffers in body is cured through the cleansing¹⁵⁴⁷

1547 Thus the sense seems to require, and thus Dressel translates, though it is difficult to extract such a meaning from the Greek text.

efficacy of hyssop. And on this account the things which stand thus are clear to us, but obscure to them because they did not hear the voice of the Lord.

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