THEOSISMaximus the Confessor
What significance does Mount Sinai hold in Horeb, and what fulfillment occurred there? The term 'Sinai' is interpreted as 'temptation,' while 'Horeb' means 'tilling the unbroken soil.' The individual aiming for the heights of wisdom must endure trials with patience, cultivate the unplowed ground of their heart, plant the seeds of virtue and righteousness, and cleanse oneself from all worldly desires. In three days, one should rid oneself of all bodily indulgences and ensure that their inner self is free from anything weak or foolish, as suggested by the term used. This implies that those who seek to be worthy of receiving the divine message should cast off all effeminacy and folly, adorning themselves instead in the brilliant vestments of virtue, and approach the mountain of knowledge.
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Much like Moses, who transcended the realm of natural understanding and the essence of time—which is symbolized by the seventy elders—those who prevail over the noise and chaos of the seen world should only bring along Aaron and his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, representing reason and its offshoots, anger and desire. However, these must also be forsaken, like fleeting smoke in a tempest, leaving only Aaron, which signifies the simple understanding of the Word, shining with Divine enlightenment. Even he must ultimately remain outside and confront the darkness of ignorance, where all is illogical and incomprehensible. The individuals who purified themselves at the foot of the mountain are symbolically those who engaged in active virtue, the seventy elders reflect those who dedicated themselves to natural contemplation, Aaron represents those who studied theology, and Moses represents those who embraced a profound, ineffable union with God.