Josh 17:15

“Thus if we too are a numerous people and the Lord blesses us, we hear from Jesus, "You are a numerous people; go up into the forest, and clear and prepare a place for yourself in the land. Purge the Perizzites and Rephaites." Therefore, we must cast out the Perizzites. Moreover, we find the Perizzites to mean "fructification." But just as we have already often said concerning other names, the meaning in this one is also twofold, for there is a good fructification and a bad one, as it is pointed out in the Gospels, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit." Therefore, it is fitting for us to expel everything that does not bear fruit properly and to cut away the fruit of sin and to purge the fruit of unrighteousness.”

“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.”