Origen pursues the mystical explanation of the wars of this 11th chapter copiously, in his usual way (homily 14 and 15); and he fetches [derives] it almost entirely from the names of the Kings and kingdoms. “The first,” he says, “of all — who was also named the author of this war, gathering the rest and inviting [them] to a conspiracy of crime — is named Jabin, who was King of Asor. For he it is who is said also to have called together the rest. But ‘Jabin’ is interpreted ‘sense [understanding],’ or ‘prudence.’ Who, then, is this sense, or prudence, but that one whom the Prophet Isaiah calls ‘the great sense’? For he says: ‘And I will bring upon [against] the great understanding the prince of the Assyrians’ — who said: ‘By my [own] strength I will do [it], and by the wisdom of my understanding I will take away the borders of the nations, and will plunder their strength’ [Isa. 10:13]. This one, therefore, is he who there indeed is called ‘the sense, the great King of the Assyrians’; but here, ‘Jabin, sense or prudence.’ For indeed the serpent is said to have been in paradise ‘more prudent than all the beasts which were upon the earth’ [Gen. 3:1]. And the steward of iniquity too is said to have done ‘prudently’ the [things] which he did [Luke 16:8]. This Jabin, therefore, is King of Asor. But ‘Asor’ is interpreted ‘a court [aula].’ Therefore all the earth is the court of this king, who holds the principate of the whole earth as [it were] the court of one — [that king] who is the devil.” To the same form he fits the rest. For the chief author, often, of the war against the Israelites is the prudence of the flesh, and [that] wisdom which, to St. James (Epistle, ch. 3, v. 15), is “earthly, animal [sensual], diabolical.” To his camp and standards fly gladly “Jobab,” who is expounded by him [Origen as] “foe and enemy,” as [if] it were “Aiab” or “Ioab,” since it is “willing, or grieving.” And the other kings run together, concerning whom above (q. 2) — whence thou wilt correct the errors that are in Origen, as “King Maron Simeon,” and the like. But “Cinereth” — although in the same place I expounded [it as] “a cithara [harp]” — yet Origen himself compounds that name from two particles, “ce” and “ner,” so that it be “as [it were] a Lamp [Lucerna]”; and he adds this beautiful sentence: “they are, of those who teach the Catholic faith in the Church, and illumine the people of God by the word of truth, burning lamps. But those who teach heretical dogmas out of the testimonies of Holy Scripture by false assertions — for the fact that they read the Scriptures, they seem to kindle lamps; but because they use false assertions, they are not Lamps, but as [it were] Lamps.”
(col. 1081)