[Magdolus is the beginning of Egypt towards these parts; Syene is the furthest part of Egypt, near and next to the Ethiopians. The Egyptians are a symbol of those men who live in sins. Egypt is the world that "lieth in the evil one," or the state of wickedness. Syene and Magdolus are the boundaries of Egypt. Those, therefore, who are in Syene are men in the very beginning of wickedness, as it were at its entrance. Nevertheless, it is necessary that all Egyptians be punished from the first to the last. All who dwell in Egypt, or rather who are in it, shall be punished therein.]
FROM THE COMMENTARIES ON HOSEA
ASince those things which are spoken in Scripture in a solecistic manner, as far as the wording is concerned, confuse the reader, so that he suspects that the passages were not written correctly, nor consistently, nor as they stand—so that some even dare, under the pretext of correction, to alter them, shifting the underlying meaning to passages that seem to be written consistently—it is necessary, since a similar instance has occurred here regarding the proposed passages as far as the wording is concerned, that we examine the meaning lying within them. For having spoken in the plural, "They wept and made supplication unto me," and again having indicated the following in the plural, "Being in the house, they found me," he then brings in what follows in the singular, saying: "And there it was spoken unto him." For one who looks only at the bare wording, erroneously thinking that it was written poorly, would either write the final part in the plural, or would transfer the preceding parts into the singular. For having read, "They wept and made supplication unto me," and, "Being in the house, they found me," one might say that what follows ought to be, "And there it was spoken unto them"—that is, unto those who wept and made supplication, and who, being in the house, found God. But by observation of similar passages, we shall show that this too has been spoken consistently.
In Genesis, God gives a commandment to Adam, saying: "From every tree in the garden you may eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." A Since he had begun in the singular by saying, "From every tree in the garden you may eat," he adds in the plural, saying, "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." For when he wishes him to live, and as long as he has maintained this commandment, he gives B it in the singular, and says: "From every tree in the garden you may eat." For those who walk according to God and embrace his commandments, though they be many, because they are like-minded and of one mind, are one. Therefore, when the commandment regarding the good is given, it is given in the singular, "you may eat"; but when he discusses the transgression, not in the singular, but in the plural he says: "You shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die." So it is here, that while they are still weeping and making supplication C to God, it is said in the plural, "they wept and made supplication"; but when they find God, it is no longer said plurally, "it was spoken there to them," but, "to him." For the many have already become one in the finding of God and in hearing his word. For the one, when he sins, is many, being separated from God and divided, and falling away from unity; but the many who follow the commandments of God are one, just as the Apostle also testifies, saying: "For we being many are one bread and one body." And again: "One God, and one Christ, and one faith, and one baptism." And elsewhere: "For we are all one in Christ Jesus." And again: "For I have espoused you to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to the Lord." And that those who are well-pleasing to the Lord are one, it is possible to see from the prayer which the Savior prays to the Father D concerning his disciples; for he says, "Holy Father, grant that, even as I and you are one, so also these may be one in us." And when the saints are said to be members of one another, what else is it but that they are one body? And in the Shepherd, the building of a tower from many stones, appearing to be one building, what else does it signify than the harmony and unity of many in the Scriptures?