276. 5907. This house - which I do not yet wish to name - is such that he* wishes, aided by incredible cunning, and by various techniques, to make himself righteousness, as if thus to emulate God the Messiah, striving to possess the Kingdom of Heaven. It is therefore no wonder that here, Ai near Bethel was taken by ambush, since that person is here portrayed who, because he is deceitful, must be parried by a like deceit, this due simply to the law of retaliation and not to any other cause whatsoever. For he is as easily dashed down as the least thing on earth, etc. etc. [Abraham; Jacob] 5908. About this people being called "the house of God the Messiah," see the next Chapter 9: verse 23.
[See WE 5912-21, explaining Joshua 10.] 5922. Who is meant by "the King of Jerusalem" [verse 3] can be evident to some extent from what has been said before, namely, the one whom they worship as God, that is, who * Thus in the original Latin.
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