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Against Heresies

St Irenaeus of Lyons, ANF 1

Fragments, Fragment 20 · “And he laid his hands upon him.” The countenance of Joshua was…

XX

“And¹ he laid his hands upon him.”² The countenance of Joshua was also glorified by the imposition of the hands of Moses, but not to the same degree [as that of Moses]. Inasmuch, then, as he had obtained a certain degree of grace, [the Lord] said, “And thou shall confer upon him of thy glory.”³ For [in this case] the thing given does not cease to belong to the giver.

Notes

Massuet seems to more than doubt the genuineness of this fragment and the next, and would ascribe them to the pen of Apollinaris, bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia, a contemporary of Irenæus. Harvey passes over these two fragments.
Num. xxvii. 23.
Num. xxvii. 20.