Origen, on Josh 17:15

“And Josue said to them: If thou be a great people, go up into the woodland, and cut down room for thyself in the land of the Pherezite and the Raphaims: because the possession of mount Ephraim is too narrow for thee.”

“It also says drive away, or rather, "purge the Rephaites from you." We find Rephaites to be interpreted "slack mothers." According to that which is said in a mystery concerning the soul as though concerning a woman, there is a certain power in our soul that brings forth perceptions and is, so to speak, the mother of those perceptions or understandings that proceed from us; "and she will be saved through the begetting of children, if they have persevered in the faith and in truth." Therefore, those mothers, that is, that power of the soul, begets sound and powerful perceptions among those in whom it is strong, sound and robust. These cannot be overcome by someone contradicting them. In others, that power indicated by perceptions is indeed slack and languid when certain weak and absurd points possessing no strength are put forth. Therefore, this is indicated under the name Rephaites, so that we may purge ourselves of these languid mothers, who bear weak and useless thoughts. And this name adequately preserves the peculiar nature of the spiritual understanding, for it did not say that the Rephaites must be destroyed but purged. For we are not enjoined to demolish and to destroy the natural impulses of the soul, but to purge, that is, to purify and to drive away the filth and uncleanness that reached them from our negligence. Then the natural vigor of its own innate strength may shine forth.”

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