And when He says, "Let my lambs stand on my right," He alludes to the simple children, as if they were sheep and lambs in nature, not men; and the lambs He counts worthy of preference, from the superior regard He has to that tenderness and simplicity of disposition in men which constitutes innocence. Again, when He says, "as suckling calves," He again alludes figuratively to us; and "as an innocent and gentle dove," the reference is again to us. Again, by Moses, He commands "two young pigeons or a pair of turtles to be offered for sin; " thus saying, that the harmlessness and innocence and placable nature of these tender young birds are acceptable to God, and explaining that like is an expiation for like. Further, the timorousness of the turtle - doves typifies fear in reference to sin.

Καὶ τὰ ἀρνία δέ μου͵ ὅταν λέγῃ͵ στήτω ἐκ δεξιῶν͵ τοὺς ἀφελεῖς αἰνίττεται͵ παῖδας ὡς ἄρνας͵ οὐκ ἄνδρας ὡς πρόβατα ὄντας κατὰ γένος͵ τὰ δὲ ἀρνία προνομίας ἠξίωσεν͵ τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἁπαλότητα καὶ ἁπλότητα τῆς διανοίας͵ τὴν ἀκακίαν͵ προτιμῶν. Αὖθίς τε ὅταν φῇ ὡς μοσχάρια γαλαθηνά͵ ἡμᾶς πάλιν ἀλληγορεῖ͵ καὶ ὡς περιστερὰν ἄκακον καὶ ἄχολον͵ πάλιν ἡμᾶς. Νεοττούς τε ἔτι δύο περιστερῶν ἢ τρυγόνων ζεῦγος ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας κελεύει διὰ Μωσέως προσφέρεσθαι͵ τὸ ἀναμάρτητον τῶν ἁπαλῶν καὶ ἄκακον καὶ ἀμνησίκακον τῶν νεοττῶν εὐπρόσδεκτον εἶναι λέγων τῷ θεῷ καὶ τὸ ὅμοιον τοῦ ὁμοίου καθάρσιον ὑφηγούμενος· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δειλὸν τῶν τρυγόνων τὴν πρὸς τὰς ἁμαρτίας εὐλάβειαν ὑποτυποῦται.