Chapter LVII.—The Jew objects, why is He said to have eaten, if He be God?
Answer of Justin.
Then Trypho said when I was silent, “That Scripture compels us to admit this, is manifest;
but there is a matter about which we are deservedly at a loss —namely, about what was said
to the effect that [the Lord] ate what was prepared and placed before him by Abraham; and
you would admit this.”
I answered, “It is written that they ate; and if we believe384 that it is said the three ate,
and not the two alone—who were really angels, and are nourished in the heavens, as is
evident to us, even though they are not nourished by food similar to that which mortals
use—(for, concerning the sustenance of manna which supported your fathers in the desert,
Scripture speaks thus, that they ate angels’ food): [if we believe that three ate], then I would
say that the Scripture which affirms they ate bears the same meaning as when we would say
about fire that it has devoured all things; yet it is not certainly understood that they ate,
masticating with teeth and jaws. So that not even here should we be at a loss about anything,
if we are acquainted even slightly with figurative modes of expression, and able to rise above
them.”
And Trypho said, “It is possible that [the question] about the mode of eating may be
thus explained: [the mode, that is to say,] in which it is written, they took and ate what had
been prepared by Abraham: so that you may now proceed to explain to us how this God
who appeared to Abraham, and is minister to God the Maker of all things, being born of
the Virgin, became man, of like passions with all, as you said previously.”
Then I replied, “Permit me first, Trypho, to collect some other proofs on this head, so
that you, by the large number of them, may be persuaded of [the truth of] it, and thereafter
I shall explain what you ask.”
And he said, “Do as seems good to you; for I shall be thoroughly pleased.”
384 Literally, “hear.”
Chapter LVII.—The Jew objects, why is He said to have eaten, if He be God? Answer of Justin.
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Chapter LVII.—The Jew objects, why is He said to have eaten, if He be God?…