Translation Hide
Against Lying

27.

There are some things of this sort even of our Saviour in the Gospel, because the Lord of the Prophets deigned to be Himself also a Prophet. Such are those where, concerning the woman which had an issue of blood, He said, "Who touched Me?" ¹ and of Lazarus. "Where have ye laid him?" ² He asked, namely, as if not knowing that which in any wise He knew. And He did on this account feign that He knew not, that He might signify somewhat else by that His seeming ignorance: and since this signification was truthful, it was assuredly not a lie. For those were signified, whether by her which had the issue, or by him which had been four days dead, whom even He Who knew all things did in a certain sort know not. For both she bore the type of the people of the Gentiles, whereof the prophecy had gone before, "A people whom I have not known hath served Me:" ³ and Lazarus, removed from the living, did as it were in that place lie in significative similitude where He lay, Whose voice that is, "I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes." ⁴ And with that intent, as though it were not known by Christ, both who she was and where he was laid, by His words of interrogating a figure was enacted and by truthful signification all lying left apart.

Translation Hide
Contre le mensonge. À consentius

27.

Il y a des traits de ce genre même dans l'Evangile du Sauveur, parce que lui, le Dieu des Prophètes, a aussi daigné être Prophète. Telle est la question qu'il fait, à l'occasion de la femme qui souffrait d'un flux de sang : « Qui m'a touché¹ ? » Et cette autre, en parlant de Lazare? « Où l'avez-vous mis² ? » Il interroge, comme s'il ignorait ce qu'il sait. Mais cette feinte ignorance a une autre signification, et comme cette signification est vraie, il n'y a pas de mensonge. Cette femme souffrant d'un flux de sang, ce mort de quatre jours, figuraient ceux qui, en un certain sens, n'étaient point connus de Celui qui connaissait tout. Car cette femme était la figure du peuple des gentils, de ce peuple dont le Prophète avait dit : « Un peuple que je ne connaissais pas, m'a servi³ » ; et Lazare, effacé du nombre des vivants, représente, dans le tombeau où il est couché, celui qui a tenu ce langage : « J'ai été rejeté loin de vos yeux⁴ ». C'est donc en figure que le Christ interroge, comme s'il ignorait quelle est cette femme, où l'on a mis ce mort; et la vérité de la signification fait disparaître tout mensonge.