rescued

And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.

This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

And the king of Sodom came to him and bowed himself before him, and said: 'Our Lord Abram, give unto us the souls which thou hast rescued, but let the booty be thine.'

I was rescued from my bonds and unto thee, my God, I fled:

But thou, Lord, deliver me from his hands, and I shall be rescued from his mouth, lest he tear me asunder and cast me into the flame of fire, and the fire cast me into storm, and the storm prevail over me in darkness and cast me into the depth of the sea, and the great beast who is from everlasting swallow me up, and I perish for ever.

"I wish to destroy all this only in order to come safely into the city so that I may take as profit the rescued ship and the best of my things."

Surely Pharaoh the former, thy father's father, raised Joseph the son of Jacob above all the princes of the land of Egypt, when he saw his wisdom, for through his wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine.

And all Israel called his name Shemaiah, son of Nethanel, for they said, In his days has God heard their cries and rescued them from their oppressors.

But when Johanan and the rulers with him heard of what was done at Mispah by Ishmael, and of the death of Gedaliah, they had indignation at it, and every one of them took his own armed men, and came suddenly to fight with Ishmael, and overtook him at the fountain in Hebron. And when those that were carried away captives by Ishmael saw Johanan and the rulers, they were very glad, and looked upon them as coming to their assistance; so they left him that had carried them captives, and came over to Johanan: then Ishmael, with eight men, fled to the king of the Ammonites; but Johanan took those whom he had rescued out of the hands of Ishmael, and the eunuchs, and their wives and children, and came to a certain place called Mandra, and there they abode that day, for they had determined to remove from thence and go into Egypt, out of fear, lest the Babylonians should slay them, in case they continued in the country, and that out of anger at the slaughter of Gedaliah, who had been by them set over it for governor.

And by this means let those who have the capacity of comprehending truths so profound, learn that he to whom were allotted those who had not formerly sinned is far more powerful than the others, since he has been able to make a selection of individuals from the portion of the whole, and to separate them from those who received them for the purpose of punishment, and to bring them under the influence of laws, and of a mode of life which helps to produce an oblivion of their former transgressions. But, as we have previously observed, these remarks are to be understood as being made by us with a concealed meaning, by way of pointing out the mistakes of those who asserted that “the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning distributed among different superintending spirits, and being allotted among certain governing powers, were administered in this way;” from which statement Celsus took occasion to make the remarks referred to. But since those who wandered away from the east were delivered over, on account of their sins, to “a reprobate mind,” and to “vile affections,” and to “uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,” in order that, being sated with sin, they might hate it, we shall refuse our assent to the assertion of Celsus, that “because of the superintending spirits distributed among the different parts of the earth, what is done among each nation is rightly done;” for our desire is to do what is not agreeable to these spirits. For we see that it is a religious act to do away with the customs originally established in the various places by means of laws of a better and more divine character, which were enacted by Jesus, as one possessed of the greatest power, who has rescued us “from the present evil world,” and “from the princes of the world that come to nought;” and that it is a mark of irreligion not to throw ourselves at the feet of Him who has manifested Himself to be holier and more powerful than all other rulers, and to whom God said, as the prophets many generations before predicted: “Ask of me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.” For He, too, has become the “expectation” of us who from among the heathen have believed upon Him, and upon His Father, who is God over all things.

The remarks which we have made not only answer the statements of Celsus regarding the superintending spirits, but anticipate in some measure what he afterwards brings forward, when he says: “Let the second party come forward; and I shall ask them whence they come, and whom they regard as the originator of their ancestral customs. They will reply, No one, because they spring from the same source as the Jews themselves, and derive their instruction and superintendence from no other quarter, and notwithstanding they have revolted from the Jews.” Each one of us, then, is come “in the last days,” when one Jesus has visited us, to the “visible mountain of the Lord,” the Word that is above every word, and to the “house of God,” which is “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” And we notice how it is built upon “the tops of the mountains,” i.e. the predictions of all the prophets, which are its foundations. And this house is exalted above the hills, i.e. those individuals among men who make a profession of superior attainments in wisdom and truth; and all the nations come to it, and the “many nations” go forth, and say to one another, turning to the religion which in the last days has shone forth through Jesus Christ: “Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in them.” For the law came forth from the dwellers in Sion, and settled among us as a spiritual law. Moreover, the word of the Lord came forth from that very Jerusalem, that it might be disseminated through all places, and might judge in the midst of the heathen, selecting those whom it sees to be submissive, and rejecting the disobedient, who are many in number. And to those who inquire of us whence we come, or who is our founder, we reply that we are come, agreeably to the counsels of Jesus, to “cut down our hostile and insolent ‘wordy’ swords into ploughshares, and to convert into pruning-hooks the spears formerly employed in war.” For we no longer take up “sword against nation,” nor do we “learn war any more,” having become children of peace, for the sake of Jesus, who is our leader, instead of those whom our fathers followed, among whom we were “strangers to the covenant,” and having received a law, for which we give thanks to Him that rescued us from the error [of our ways], saying, “Our fathers honoured lying idols, and there is not among them one that causeth it to rain.” Our Superintendent, then, and Teacher, having come forth from the Jews, regulates the whole world by the word of His teaching. And having made these remarks by way of anticipation, we have refuted as well as we could the untrue statements of Celsus, by subjoining the appropriate answer.

After this, as though his object was to swell the size of his book, he advises us “to choose Jonah rather than Jesus as our God;” thus setting Jonah, who preached repentance to the single city of Nineveh, before Jesus, who has preached repentance to the whole world, and with much greater results. He would have us to regard as God a man who, by a strange miracle, passed three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; and he is unwilling that He who submitted to death for the sake of men, He to whom God bore testimony through the prophets, and who has done great things in heaven and earth, should receive on that ground honour second only to that which is given to the Most High God. Moreover, Jonah was swallowed by the whale for refusing to preach as God had commanded him; while Jesus suffered death for men after He had given the instructions which God wished Him to give. Still further, he adds that Daniel rescued from the lions is more worthy of our adoration than Jesus, who subdued the fierceness of every opposing power, and gave to us “authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” Finally, having no other names to offer us, he adds, “and others of a still more monstrous kind,”—thus casting a slight upon both Jonah and Daniel; for the spirit which is in Celsus cannot speak well of the righteous.

But the inhabitants of Maronæa rescued them with great tumult, because they thought that he was not to be buried there.

And Terah, the father of Abraham, lived two hundred and fifty years, and he died, and Abraham and Lot buried him in Harr4n. And there God spoke unto Abraham, and said unto him, “‘ Get thee forth from thy land, and from among thy people, and come to the land which I will show thee.” And Abraham took his household, Sara his wife, and Lot, his brother’s son, and he went up to the land of the Amérayé (Amorites); and he was seventy-five years old when he crossed the desert from the Euphrates. And he was eighty years old when he pursued the kings, and rescued Lot, his brother’s son.

After Joseph was dead, and another king had arisen who knew not the Israelitish people, the people increased and became strong in Egypt. And Pharaoh was afraid of them, and laid a burden upon them, and oppressed them with hard work in clay, and demanded a tale of bricks from them without giving them straw. At that time Moses the son of Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, was born. Levi was forty-six years old when he begat Kohath; Kohath was sixty-three years old when he begat Amram; and Amram was seventy years old when he begat Moses. When Moses was born, Pharaoh the king commanded to throw the new-born children of the Israelites into the river. Moses was beautiful in appearance, and he was called Pantil and Amlakya; and the Egyptians used to call him the Shakwitha of the daughter of Pharaoh. The name of Moses’ mother was Yokabar (Jochebed). When the command of the king went forth for the drowning of the infants, she made a little ark covered with pitch, and laid the child in it; and she carried it and placed it in a shallow part of the waters of the river Nile (that is Gihon); and she sat down opposite (that is, at a distance), to see what would be the end of the child. And Shipor, the daughter of Pharaoh, came to bathe in the river — some say that she was called Tharmesis 4 — and she saw the ark and commanded it to be fetched. When she opened it, and saw that the appearance of the child was beautiful and his complexion comely, she said, ‘ Verily this child is one of the Hebrews children;’ and she took him, and reared him up as her son. She sought a Hebrew nurse, and the mother of the child Moses came, and became a nurse to him; and he was reared in the house of Pharaoh until he was forty years old. One day he saw Pethkom the Egyptian, one of the servants of Pharaoh, quarrelling with an Israelite and reviling him. Moses looked this way and that way, and saw no man; and zeal entered into him, and he slew the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. Two days after, he saw two Hebrews quarrelling with one another. And he said to them, ‘Ye are brethren; why quarrel ye with one another? ’ And one of them thrust him away from him, saying, ‘ Dost thou peradventure seek to kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then Moses feared lest Pharaoh should perceive (this) and slay him; and he fled to Midian, and sat by the well there. Now Reuel the Midianite had seven daughters, who used to come to that well and water their father’s flocks; and the shepherds came and drove them away; and Moses arose and delivered them, and watered their flocks. When they went to their father, he said to them, ‘Ye have come quickly to-day.’ They said to him, ‘An Egyptian rescued us from the hands of the shepherds, and watered the flocks also.’ He said to them, ‘ Why did ye not bring him? Go quickly and call him hither to eat bread with us.’ When Moses came to the house of Reuel and dwelt with him, Reuel loved him and gave him his daughter Zipporah the Cushite to wife. And he said to him, ‘ Go into the house, and take a shepherd’s crook, and go feed thy flocks.’ When Moses went into the house to take the rod, it drew near to him by divine agency; and he took it and went forth to feed his father-in-law’s flocks.

Rebbi Levi said, in the end it will come over anybody engaged in divination. What is the reason? For there is no divination in Jacob; for divination is his. Rebbi Aḥa bar Zeˋira said, the place of anybody not divining will be like that of the Angels of Service. What is the reason? At that time it will be said to Israel what God wrought. Rebbi Ḥanina the son of Rebbi Abbahu said, this evildoer lived halfway through the existence of the world. What is the reason? At that time it will be said to Israel what God wrought. Rebbi Jeremiah ben Eleazar said, in the future a disembodied voice will explode in the tents of the Just and say, everybody who worked with God should come and take his reward. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Cahana: In the future the Holy One, praise to Him, will make place for the Just inside the place of the Angels of Service; the Angels of Service will ask them and say to them, what did God do? What did the Holy One, praise to Him, teach you? Rebbi Levi bar Ḥayta said, did He not already do this in this world? That is what is written, Nebuchadnezzar started and said, but I am seeing four free men walking in the fire and no blemish is on them. Why does the verse say, and no blemish is on them? This teaches that they were eunuchs but were healed. It is not written “and the looks of the first”, but and the looks of the fourth; they were suppressing the fire before him. Is similar to a son of gods. [Rebbi] Reuben said, at that moment an angel descended, hit that evildoer on his mouth, and told him, correct your words; does He have a son? He continued and said, praised be the God of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abed-Nego; it does not say “Who sent His son” but Who sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him.

Rebbi Berekhia, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Levi bar Sisi explained in Nahardea: They saw the God of Israel and below His feet like the work of a brick of sapphire, and like the true sky in purity. That is, before they were freed. But after they were freed, (it was not its way to be put) [where usually the brick is put] there it is put. Rebbi Berekhia said, it is not written here the work, but like the work, it and all its tools, (it and the basket and the rake.) [it and all its merchandise. Rebbi Miasha said, in Babylonia it is written, like the looks of sapphire stone, but in Egypt it is written, like the work of] a brick of sapphire. To teach you that just as the stone is harder than the brick, so the servitude of Babylonia was harder than the servitude of Egypt. Bar Qappara stated, before Israel was rescued from Egypt it was traced in the sky; after they were rescued it was no longer seen in the sky. What is the reason? and like the true sky in purity, the sky if it is empty of clouds.

Rebbi Berekhia, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Levi bar Sisi explained in Nahardea: They saw the God of Israel and below His feet like the work of a brick of sapphire, and like the true sky in purity. That is, before they were freed. But after they were freed, (it was not its way to be put) [where usually the brick is put] there it is put. Rebbi Berekhia said, it is not written here the work, but like the work, it and all its tools, (it and the basket and the rake.) [it and all its merchandise. Rebbi Miasha said, in Babylonia it is written, like the looks of sapphire stone, but in Egypt it is written, like the work of] a brick of sapphire. To teach you that just as the stone is harder than the brick, so the servitude of Babylonia was harder than the servitude of Egypt. Bar Qappara stated, before Israel was rescued from Egypt it was traced in the sky; after they were rescued it was no longer seen in the sky. What is the reason? and like the true sky in purity, the sky if it is empty of clouds.

A parable : to what is this like ? To a man walking by the way, when a wolf attacked him and he was rescued from it ; then he is fond of relating his adventure with the wolf. [Later on] a lion attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he is fond of relating his adventure with the lion. [After that] a serpent attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he forgets his two previous adventures, and relates the incident of the serpent. So is it also with Israel ; later troubles cause the former to be forgotten.

A parable : to what is this like ? To a man walking by the way, when a wolf attacked him and he was rescued from it ; then he is fond of relating his adventure with the wolf. [Later on] a lion attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he is fond of relating his adventure with the lion. [After that] a serpent attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he forgets his two previous adventures, and relates the incident of the serpent. So is it also with Israel ; later troubles cause the former to be forgotten.

A parable : to what is this like ? To a man walking by the way, when a wolf attacked him and he was rescued from it ; then he is fond of relating his adventure with the wolf. [Later on] a lion attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he is fond of relating his adventure with the lion. [After that] a serpent attacked him and he was rescued from it ; so he forgets his two previous adventures, and relates the incident of the serpent. So is it also with Israel ; later troubles cause the former to be forgotten.

A parable : [It may be likened] to a king who was enraged against his son, and he struck him a violent blow. His friend was sitting in his presence but was afraid to say anything to him. The king exclaimed, "Were it not that my friend were sitting in my presence, I would kill thee." [The friend] said [to himself], "This matter depends upon me." He at once stood up and rescued him.

Lo, there was the man who was journeying by 'Eber Jamina when a lion attacked him, and a miracle was wrought for him and he was rescued. He came before Raba who told him : Whenever thou reachest that spot, say "Blessed... Who hast wrought a miracle for me in this place." And Mar b. Rabina was passing through the valley of 'Arabot and thirsted for water ; a miracle was wrought for him and a well was created and he drank.

Three verses in which the word "redeem" occurs — "He hath redeemed my soul in peace so that none came nigh me" (Ps. Iv. 19) ; "And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion...and sorrow and sighing shall flee away" (Is. 35:10) ; "And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel?... So the people rescued [padah] Jonathan, that he died not" (I Sam. xiv, 45).

R. Abbahu entered a bath-house, and its floor gave way beneath him. A miracle occurred, and he stood upon a pillar and rescued a hundred and one men with one arm. He exclaimed, "This is what R. Aha meant."