Chapter 43
The authority of Moses
| 1 Καὶ τί θαυμαστόν, εἰ οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ πιστευθέντες παρὰ θεοῦ ἔργον τοιοῦτο κατέστησαν τοὺς προειρημένους; ὅπου καὶ ὁ μακάριος πιστὸς θεράπων ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ Μωϋσῆς τὰ διατεταγμένα αὐτῷ πάντα ἐσημειώσατο ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς βίβλοις, ᾧ καὶ ἐπηκολούθησαν οἱ λοιποὶ προφῆται, συνεπιμαρτυροῦντες τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ νενομοθετημένοις. |
Isn’t it wonderful that those in Christ, who were entrusted by God for such work, appointed the previously mentioned people? As for even blessed Moses, who was a faithful servant in all His house, he recorded in the sacred books all the instructions that were given him. And the rest of the prophets followed him, corroborating the laws that were enacted by him. |
| 2 ἐκεῖνος γάρ, ζήλου ἐμπεσόντος περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης καὶ στασιαζουσῶν τῶν φυλῶν, ὁποία αὐτῶν εἴη τῷ ἐνδόξῳ ὀνόματι κεκοσμημένη, ἐκέλευσεν τοὺς δώδεκα φυλάρχους προσενεγκεῖν αὐτῷ ῥάβδους ἐπιγεγραμμένας ἑκάστης φυλῆς κατ' ὄνομα· καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὰς ἔδησεν καὶ ἐσφράγισεν τοῖς δακτυλίοις τῶν φυλάρχων, καὶ ἀπέθετο αὐτὰς εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τοῦ θεοῦ. |
For when jealousy arose concerning the priesthood and rebelling among the tribes about which of them was to be decorated with the glorious name, he commanded the leaders of the twelve tribes to bring him rods inscribed with the name of each tribe.
And after taking them, he tied them, and sealed them with the signet rings of the leaders of the tribes. Then he put them on the table of God in the tent of testimony. |
| 3 καὶ κλείσας τὴν σκηνὴν ἐσφράγισεν τὰς κλεῖδας ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰς ῥάβδους, | After shutting the tent, he sealed the keys and also the doors. |
| 4 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἧς ἂν φυλῆς ἡ ῥάβδος βλαστήσῃ, ταύτην ἐκλέλεκται ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸ ἱερατεύειν καὶ λειτουργεῖν αὐτῷ. | Then he said to them, “Brothers, the tribe whose rod blossoms is the one God has chosen to be priests and to minister to Him.” |
| 5 πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης συνεκάλεσεν πάντα τὸν Ἰσραήλ, τὰς ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας τῶν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἐπεδείξατο τοῖς φυλάρχοις τὰς σφραγῖδας, καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ προεῖλεν τὰς ῥάβδους· καὶ εὑρέθη ἡ ῥάβδος Ἀαρὼν οὐ μόνον βεβλαστηκυῖα, ἀλλὰ καὶ καρπὸν ἔχουσα. |
When it became morning, he called all Israel together, all six hundred thousand men. He showed the seals to the leaders of the tribes then opened the tent of testimony and brought out the rods. Aaron’s rod was found not only having blossoms, but it was also having fruit. |
| 6 τί δοκεῖτε, ἀγαπητοί; οὐ προῄδει Μωϋσῆς τοῦτο μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι; μάλιστα ᾔδει· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἀκαταστασία γένηται ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, οὕτως ἐποίησεν, εἰς τὸ δοξασθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ μόνου θεοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. |
So what do you think, dear friends? Didn’t Moses know beforehand that this would happen? Certainly he knew it. But in order that confusion wouldn’t arise in Israel, he did this so that the Name of the true and only God might be glorified, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. |
Summary
In Chapter 43, Clement reinforces his argument regarding divine order and apostolic appointments by appealing to the typological example of Moses and the budding of Aaron’s rod (Numbers 17:1–11). He argues that if Moses—the "faithful servant in all God’s house" (Numbers 12:7 / Hebrews 3:2, 5)—duly recorded and established all divine ordinances, it should be no surprise that Christ’s apostles appointed overseers and deacons for their work.
Clement retells the narrative of the rebellion against the Aaronical priesthood (ζήλου ἐμπεσόντος... καὶ στασιαζουσῶν τῶν φυλῶν). When jealous strife erupted among the twelve tribes regarding which tribe held the priestly glory, Moses gathered twelve rods, sealed them with the chieftains' rings, and locked them in the tent of testimony (σκηνὴ τοῦ μαρτυρίου). God’s choice was miraculous and public: Aaron’s rod not only sprouted (βεβλαστηκυῖα) but bore fruit (καρπὸν ἔχουσα).
Crucially, Clement asks his readers whether Moses already knew what the outcome would be. He asserts that Moses knew full well through prophetic foresight, but acted in this meticulous manner precisely to prevent disorder and chaos (ἀκαταστασία) in Israel and to glorify the true God. By invoking this typological narrative, Clement directly accuses the Corinthian faction of igniting the very same envy (zēlos) and rebellion (stasis) against appointed presbyters that Moses worked so carefully to resolve.
Significant Greek Expressions
πιστὸς θεράπων (Faithful servant): Direct quotation of Numbers 12:7 LXX (cf. Hebrews 3:5). Uses therapōn (an attendant, dedicated servant, or minister holding an honorable office) rather than doulos (slave), honoring Moses' distinct role as mediator of divine revelation.
ζήλου ἐμπεσόντος... καὶ στασιαζουσῶν τῶν φυλῶν (Jealousy having fallen in... and the tribes being in faction / rebellion):
Zēlos: envy, rivalry, jealousy—one of Clement’s central terms for the root cause of ecclesial division.
Stasiazō: to revolt, form a faction, engage in sedition (from stasis, internal strife/rebellion). Connects the Old Testament tribal rebellion directly to the current Corinthian uprising (stasis).
ἐσφράγισεν (He sealed): Aorist active of sphragizō (to seal with a signet ring, secure, authenticate). The sealing of the keys and rods ensured an indisputable, untampered divine verdict before all 600,000 men of Israel.
βεβλαστηκυῖα... καὶ καρπὸν ἔχουσα (Having sprouted... and bearing fruit): Perfect active participle of blastanō (to bud, sprout, produce growth). Life and fruitfulness serve as the objective divine mark of legitimate, chosen priesthood—contrasted with the dead, fruitless claims of self-appointed rebels.
ἵνα μὴ ἀκαταστασία γένηται (In order that disorder / anarchy might not arise): Uses akatastasia (instability, confusion, disorder, anarchy; cf. 1 Corinthians 14:33: "God is not a God of confusion/disorder, but of peace"). Clement identifies the preservation of peace and orderly structure (taxis) as the primary motivation for divine cultic directives.