And for what it’s worth, every such language (PHP, Python, Ruby, etc.) does something similar, with variations.   The source-code files are located and, if you will, “semi-compiled” into the data structures that actually drive the execution-engine.   The relationship between the two is very fluid:   you can on-the-fly eval certain text-strings, require certain files, and so on.   But there are still two (or more) distinct stages in the process ... getting from source-code to what is actually executed; and, executing that.

Even a great many “pure compilers” do something very similar, because there is very little pragmatic overhead to this vis-a-vis “straight code,.” and very-appealing space savings.   Even the venerable Apple-][ computer had a “Sweet-16” p-machine as part of its Integer BASIC!