A Gathering Of Peoples

Δύο δὲ παίδων γενομένων τῷ Ἰωσὴφ, τοῦ Ἐφραϊμ καὶ τοῦ Μανασσῆ, οἱ μὲν τοῦ Ἐφραϊμ, ἀποσχίσαντες τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τῇ προλεχθείσῃ Συχὲμ τῇ καὶ Σίκιμα συνέστησαν τὸ βασίλειον· διὸ λέλεκται· Ἐφραϊμ κραταίωσις τῆς κεφαλῆς μου, ἤ ἰσχὺς τῆς ἀρχῆς μου· οἱ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Μανασσῆ γενόμενοι ἔσχον τὴν Γαλαάδ· διὸ εἴρηται· Ἐμός ἐστι Γαλαδ, καὶ ἐμὸς ἐστι Μανασσῆς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τόπος ἐκ τοῦ Γαλαὰδ ἐσημαίνετο, οἱ δὲ οἰκήτορες ἐκ τοῦ Μανασσῆ. Ὥωπερ οὖν οὗτοι, φησὶ, γεγόνασιν ἐμοὶ, οἵ τε τὴν Γαλαὰδ οἰκήσαντες υἱοὶ Μανασσῆ, καὶ οἱ ἐν Σικίμοις ἄρξαντες τοῦ λαοῦ υἱοὶ Ἐφραϊμ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἐν αὑτῇ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἱ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἰούδα βασιλεύσαντες ἦσαν ἐμοὶ, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς μερίδος βασιλεῖς· οὕτως ἔσται ποτὲ ἐμα καὶ τά τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἔθνη. Δηλοῖ δὲ πάντας ἀλλοφύλους διὰ τοῦ Μωὰβ καὶ διὰ τῆς Ἰδουμαίας, ἐκ δύο τούτων ἐθνῶν τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων εἰσιέναι εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τα λοιπὰ πάντα παραδεξάμενος. Γεγραπται γοῦν· Ἀμμανῖται καὶ Μωαβίται οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς Ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου ἔως τρίτης καὶ τετάτης γενεᾶς, καὶ ἔως εἰς τὸν αἰωνα. Μωὰβ δὲ καὶ Ἀμμὰν γεγόνασιν υἱοὶ Λὼτ ἐκ παρανόμου μίξεως τῶν αὐτοῦ θυγατέτων, ἔκ τε τοῦ Σοδομιτικοῦ σπέρματος· ὤν τὴν διαδοχὴν, Μωαβίτας καὶ Ἀμμανίτας, ἀποβλήτους ποιεῖται ὁ Μωῦσέως νόμος. Ἀλλ' ὁ παρὼν νόμος τῷ μὲν Μωὰβ εὐαγγελίζεται κάλλιστα λέγων· Μωὰβ λέβης τῆς ἐλπίδος μου· ἑτέρῳ δὲ ἔθνει τῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἠσαῦ ὑφεστῶτι τὰ χρηστὰ σημαίνει, ἐπιφέρων ἐξης· Ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν ἐκτενῶ τὸ ὑπόδημά μου. Ἰδουμαία δ' ἐκέκλητο ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἐδώμ· οὕτος δὲ ἦν ὁ Ἠσαῦ περὶ οὖ λέλεκται· Μή τις πόρνος, ἤ βέβηλος, ὡς Ἠσαῦ. Μυρίαι τε ἄλλαι προφητεῖαι κατὰ τῶν Ἰδουμαίων καὶ κατὰ τῆς Ἰδουμαίας εἴρηνται. Ἀλλ' ὁ παρὼν λόγος τὰ κάλλιστα καὶ τούτοις εὐαγγελίζεται λέγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν ἑκτενῶ τὸ ὑπόδημά μου. Εἴθ' ἐξῆς καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐθνῶν ἀδιορίστως ἐπιλέγει· Ἐμοι ἀλλόφυλοι ὑπετάγησαν, ἤ ἐφιλίασαν. Λέβητα δὲ τὸν Μωὰβ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐλπίδος καλεὶ, ἤ λέβητα τοῦ λουτροῦ ἑαυτοῦ, ἤ τῆς ἀμεριμνίας ἑαυτοῦ· ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἄλλως ἐξῆν αὐτῷ, ἄπαξ ἀποβλήτῳ γενομένῳ, εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ παταβάλλειν, μὴ οὐχὶ διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας. Ὥσπερ οὖν λέβητι ἀπολουσάμενος καὶ ἀποκαθαρθεὶς τῆς προτέρας δυσεβείας, καταξιοῦται τῆς χάριτος, καὶ  οὕτως ἀμεριμνίας τυγχάνει. Καὶ ταῦτα δι' ἔργων κεχωρηκότα πάρεστιν ὀφθαλμοῖς παραλεβεῖντῇ τῶν Ἀράβων ἐπιδημήσαντας χώρα, Θεωμένους τε τοὺς παρ' αὑτοῖς πληθύνοντας λαοὺς, Μωαβίτας καὶ Ἀμμανίτας πληροῦντας τὰς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ, Ἐπι Ἰδουμαίαν ἐπιβησομαι, φησὶ, τῷ ὑποδήματί μου, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον. Καὶ ταύτην δὲ τὴν πρόῥῥησιν οὐδὲν ἂν εἴη δυσχερὲς ἰδεῖν, τῇ τῶν Ἰδουμαίων ἐπιστάντας χώρᾳ καὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν αὐτόθι Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄψει παταλαβόντας· ὡς μὴ ὀκνῆσαι τινα ἀληθῶς ἐπίβασιν γεγονένει τοῖς τόποις ἐκείνοις ὁμολογῆσαι. Διὰ δὴ ταῦτα ἀνωτέρω ἐλέγετο· Ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλησεν ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ· Ἀγαλλιάσομαι. Μέλλον γὰρ πᾶν τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἀνακαλεῖσθαι, πρεπόντως αὐτοῦ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ συνέχαιρε τῇ τῶν σωζομένων σωτηρίᾳ. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους ψαλμους, ψαλμος ΝΘ' Source Migne PG 23.568-569

For there were two sons of Joseph Ephraim and Manasseh. Those of Ephraim withdrew from Jerusalem into Samaria, or into what was named Shechem and Sicima, and there established a kingdom, whence it is said, 'Ephraim is the strength of my head,' 1 or 'My strong ruler' Those of  Manasseh held Gilead, and so it is said 'Mine is Gilead and mine is Manasseh.'  1 For the place is called Gilead and the people dwelling there are of Manasseh. So therefore these, He says, were mine, that is, the sons of Manasseh dwelling in Gilead and those people who held rule in Shechem, the sons of Ephraim, as even those ruling in Jerusalem, who are of the tribe of Judah, were mine and their kings my portion, so at sometime shall be the foreign peoples. Clearly all foreign folk are understood by Moab and Idumea, these two nations who were prohibited from entering into the assembly of God, and these two standing for all the rest. For is it written, 'The Ammonite and the Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord, even to the third and fourth generation, and even unto eternity.'  2 Moab and Ammon were sons of Lot, and issued from the criminal coupling with his daughters, and from the Sodomitical seed, whence their descendants, the Moabites and Ammonites, rejected the Mosaic law. But the present law proclaims fairest things to Moab saying, 'Moab, is the pot of my hope.' 3 And good is also spoken of other people who are born of Esau, for it continues, ' Into Idumea I shall extend my heel.' And Idumea is derived from the name of Edom. This is that Esau of whom it was said, 'Not he who is an adulterer or profane, like Esau.' 4  Many other Prophets also spoke against the Idumeans and Idumea, but this present word proclaims most fair things to them, speaking of God: ' Into Idumea I shall extend my heel.' 3 Then next concerning the rest of the nations it is said indiscriminately, 'To me all foreign peoples are subdued.' or 'have been made friends.' And Moab is named the pot of His hope or 'the pot of His cleansing', or 'His security', because it was in no other way permitted that there be entry into the assembly of God unless through the washing of regeneration. Thus with the pot of washing and the cleansing of previous impieties, with grace given, so security is obtained. And that these things have been accomplished one can confirm with the eyes among those dwelling in the Arab regions, seeing the people of the Moabites and Ammonites in great number filling the church of God.  And likewise it says, 'In Idumea I shall place my heel, according to Symmachus' translation, which proclamation again is understood without difficulty seeing the inhabitants of the places of Idumea who have come to stand in the assembly of God. Thus one must not scruple to admit that what had been foretold of these places has been done. And before these things it was said, 'God has spoken in His holy place, I shall rejoice.'  5 For when all the human race has been called to salvation, as befits His love toward men, so he shall take joy in the salvation of the saved. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 59 1 Ps 59.9 2 Deut 23.3 3 Ps 59.10 4 Heb 12.16  5 Ps 59.8