On Interpreting The Parables

Nos autem quia non ex parabolis materias commentamur, sed ex materiis parabolas interpretamur, nec ualde laboramus omnia in expositione torquere, dum contraria quaeque caueamus. Quare centum oues? Et quid utique decem drachmae? Et quae illae scopae? Necesse erat, qui unius peccatoris salutem gratissimam Deo uolebat exprimere, aliquam numeri quantitatem nominaret, de quo unum quidem perisse describeret; necesse erat, ut habitus requirentis drachmam in domo tam scoparum quam lucernae adminiculo adcommodaretur. Huiusmodi enim curiositates et suspecta faciunt quaedam et coactarum expositionum subtilitate plerumque deducunt a ueritate. Sunt autem, quae et simpliciter posita sunt ad struendam et disponendam et texendam parabolam, ut illuc perducantur, cui exemplum procuratur. Tertullianus, De Pudicitia

For indeed we do not study the subject from the parables, but from the subject we interpret the parables, nor do we work hard to twist everything in the exposition, while taking care to avoid every contradiction. Why exactly one hundred sheep? And why, indeed, just ten drachmas? And what was the meaning of the broom? It was necessary that He who wished to express the delight which the salvation of one sinner gives to God, should name some numerical quantity by which he might describe that one had perished. It was necessary that the style of one engaged in searching for a drachma in a house, should be equipped with the helpful accompaniment of a broom as well as of a lamp. For such curiosity not only breeds distrust, but the subtlety of such forced explanations generally lead away from the truth. There are some things there which are just simply placed with a view to the arrangement and disposition and texture of the parable, in order that it may proceed to the example to which one should direct one's care. Tertulian, On Modesty