Origen, on Josh 11:9

“And he did as the Lord had commanded him, he hamstringed their horses and burned their chariots.”

“If we understand the horses that are commanded by the precept of God to be hamstrung, together with their chariots, as the passions of the body—that is, lust, petulance or pride, and fickleness, by whom the unhappy soul, just as a rider, is borne and carried to great dangers—this understanding will not be contrary to our reasoning. The horse, of course, is hamstrung when the body is humbled by fastings and vigils and by every pain of self-denial. And the chariots are consumed by fire when the word of the Lord is fulfilled in us, as he says, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish that it be set ablaze!" Those persons already revealed themselves to burn in that fire who said, "Was not our heart burning within us when he opened the Scripture for us?" Also, therefore, the horse is called "false for salvation" if we allow the impulses of the body to be endured unbridled and if we do not subdue the wanton and haughty necks of the flesh by the yoke of self-denial.But now, if by chance anyone is stimulated and pricked by the words of God through what we say; if he who yesterday might have been carried into lust, flying headlong and impetuous as a horse, yet today, after hearing these things, repents and is converted; if this person even, according to the prophet, "is subdued by the fear of God," bridles himself, withdraws from sin and henceforth loves the chaste and continent life, then indeed we shall seem "to have hamstrung horses" by drawing the sword of the word of God. For the precept of God is more fittingly accomplished by this than by someone who hamstrings equine animals captured from the spoils of enemies.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.