THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Having instructed the fathers to safeguard the honor of their children with respect to the physical body, He also decrees a death penalty for any individual whose actions lead their own children to turn away from God. As stated in the Book of Leviticus, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak these things unto the children of Israel: whosoever of the children of Israel, and of the strangers among the Israelites, shall give of his children unto Moloch, let him be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him: and I will turn my face upon that man, and will destroy him out of his people, because he hath given of his children unto Moloch, to profane my sanctuary, and to dishonor my holy name” (Lev. 20:1-3).
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Palladius notes the obscurity of this law, indicating a need for clarification. Cyril responds that the Moabites, Midianites, Gergesites, Hagarites, and other tribes that inhabited the land of Judah followed the customs of the Greeks, each promoting their own forms of worship and serving whatever deities they chose. The Israelites, whose faith in God was not yet firmly rooted, were particularly susceptible to turning away from Him and found it easy to adopt the idols of neighboring nations, even mingling with the old errors of Egypt. They became ensnared by their attraction to the Midianite women, and in their infatuation, they included Beelphegor in their worship. Consequently, the Lawgiver, foreseeing their stubbornness and vulnerability, strictly prohibited them from intermarrying with foreigners, asserting: “Thou shalt not give thy daughter for his son, neither shalt thou take his daughter for thy son; for they shall turn thy sons away from me, to serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Given the likelihood that some Israelites might still have entrusted their daughters to prominent Gentiles, seduced by wealth and viewing apostasy lightly, the consequence set for such acts was severe. The penalty of death was prescribed to discourage an offense that inevitably led to idolatry, as the one who consented to such unions would invite their own ruin. Thus, the Holy and New Scriptures urge parents to raise their children “in the ... the doctrine of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4), as even the nuanced language of the law emphasizes this principle. After asserting that fathers must shield their children from shameful and immoral behaviors, it is further advised that they keep their children secure in the knowledge of God and guard them against being swayed by idolatry, regardless of the wealth a foreign spouse might possess. This echoes the notion presented in Scripture, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, but harms his own soul? Or what ransom shall a man give for his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26).