[100] Jubal, the lawgiver tells us, was the brother of Jobel (Gen. 4:21). “Jubal” is akin in meaning to “Jobel,” for it means “inclining now this way now that,” and it is a figure for the uttered word, which is in its nature brother to mind. It is a most appropriate name for the utterance of a mind that alters the make of things, for its way is to halt between two courses, swaying up and down as if on a pair of scales, or like a boat at sea, struck by huge waves and rolling towards either side. For the foolish man has never learned to say anything sure or well-grounded.
[101] Moses thinks that none ought to turn away either to the right or to the left or to the parts of the earthly Edom at all, but to go by along the central road, to which he gives the most proper title of the king’s highway or royal road; for since God is the first and sole King of the universe, the road leading to Him, being a King’s road, is also naturally called royal. This road you must take to be philosophy, not the philosophy which is pursued by the sophistic group of present-day people, who, having practised arts of speech to use against the truth, have given the name of wisdom to their rascality, conferring on a sorry work a divine title. No, the philosophy which the ancient band of aspirants pursued in hard-fought contest, eschewing the soft enchantments of pleasure, engaged with a fine severity in the study of what is good and fair.
[102] This royal road then, which we have just said to be true and genuine philosophy, is called in the Law the utterance and word of God. For it is written “Thou shalt not swerve aside from the word which I command thee this day to the right hand nor to the left hand” (Deut. 28:14). Thus it is clearly proved that the word of God is identical with the royal road. He treats the two as synonymous, and bids us decline from neither, but with upright mind tread the track that leads straight on, a central highway.