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not to be corruptible, if indeed later our fathers received death through sin. But if paradise is also some divine place, let them say how each of the members there, not having been created in vain, performed its proper function. Concerning, then, the term 'nostril' being used by Aquila and Symmachus, or 'face' by the Seventy for the one who was formed, into which God breathed the breath of life, it must be said that one must not cling to the letter of Scripture as if it were true, but must seek the hidden treasure in the letter. And He placed the cherubim. Not only do the ministering spirits guard the way of the tree of life, being sent for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation, but also opposing powers guard it, hindering those who wish to approach the tree of life. And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go out into the field. In the Hebrew, what was said by Cain to Abel is not written; and those around Aquila showed that the Hebrews say this lies here in a hidden place according to the version of the Seventy. And Cain said to the Lord God: My sin is too great to be forgiven. He did not divide correctly; he despised the divine lawgiving; he killed a brother; in addition to this, he also killed a just man; he lied; he asked for death in the disapproval of life and repentance. 12.104 And he begot according to his idea and according to his image. To those who think that the image of God is one thing, and that which is 'according to the image' is another, it must be said, whether Adam is one thing, and his image another; and whether Adam is a third thing according to him whose image he is. And they will use this: 'Lord, in your city you will despise their image;' and this: 'Surely man walks about in an image.' But it must be investigated in what way the idea of Adam differs from his image. And Enoch pleased God after he begot Methuselah. If he pleased God after begetting Methuselah, before this, according to Scripture, he was not pleasing. It is clear that he pleased God out of repentance, when he begot the sending forth of death, which they had before begetting him. And God said: I will wipe out the man, whom I have made, from the face of the earth. Not that I will simply wipe out once and for all, but from the earth. For he who was made is not by nature to be completely wiped out, since he who was made has been made according to the image of God. And these are the generations of Noah, and what follows. If these things were written more commonly, it would have been necessary to add to 'These are the generations of Noah,' 'Noah begot three sons.' But now, since his generation is of righteousness, 'these are the generations' is placed first, and then is added 'being a just man.' Noah pleased God. And Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. It contains in the preceding passages that 'Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-eight years, and begot Noah.' And Lamech lived, after he begot Noah, five hundred and sixty-five years; and all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and fifty-three years, and he died. And Noah was five hundred years old, and he begot three sons. And in this we find a discrepancy of sixty-five years for Noah. But here Scripture says that Noah pleased God, just as it is also written concerning Enoch. For when he pleased God, then He also translated him. Therefore, similarly, the divine Scripture did not reckon to Noah the sixty-five years before his pleasing God. Just as also in the case of Abraham the sixty years before his knowledge of God were not reckoned for life, and for Enoch thirty years; and for Saul twenty years, and for Solomon forty years, and for Hezekiah seventeen years; but also concerning Methuselah a discrepancy of fifteen years is found. 12.105 But the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with iniquity; and the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. Iniquity corrupts the earth, but righteousness saves it; and the one who sins, as much as is in his power, corrupts the earth. The earth did not become corrupted in the flood (for then it washed away the corruption),

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μὴ εἶναι φθαρτὰ, εἴγε ὕστερον τὴν νέ κρωσιν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν εἰλήφασιν. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ὁ παράδεισος θεῖόν τι χωρίον ἐστὶ, λεγέ τωσαν πῶς ἕκαστον ἐκεῖ τῶν μελῶν μὴ μάτην δεδη μιουργημένον τὴν οἰκείαν ἐνέργειαν ἐνήργει. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ μυκτῆρα λέγεσθαι παρὰ τῷ Ἀκύλᾳ καὶ Συμμάχῳ, ἢ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα τοῦ πεπλασμένου, εἰς ὃ ἐνεφύσησεν ὁ Θεὸς πνοὴν ζωῆς, λεκτέον, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ περιέχεσθαι τοῦ γράμματος τῆς Γραφῆς ὡς ἀληθοῦς, τὸν δὲ κεκρυμμένον θησαυρὸν ἐν τῷ γράμματι ζητεῖν. Καὶ ἔταξε τὰ χερουβίμ. Οὐ μόνον τὰ λει τουργικὰ πνεύματα φυλάσσουσι τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐναντίαι δυνάμεις φυλάττουσι, κωλύουσαι τοὺς βουλομένους προσπο ρευθῆναι τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς ζωῆς. Καὶ εἶπε Κάϊν πρὸς Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· ∆ιέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. Ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷτὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάϊν πρὸς τὸν Ἄβελ οὐ γέγραπται· καὶ οἱ περὶ Ἀκύλαν ἔδειξαν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ φασὶν οἱ Ἑβραῖοι κεῖσθαι τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα κατὰ τὴν τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα ἐκδοχήν. Καὶ εἶπε Κάϊν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν· Μείζων ἡ ἁμαρτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με. Οὐ διεῖλεν ὀρ θῶς· τῆς θείας νομοθεσίας κατεφρόνησεν· ἀπέκτεινεν ἀδελφόν· ἀπέκτεινε πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ δί καιον· ἐψεύσατο· θάνατον ᾐτήσατο ἐν ἀπευδοκιμήσει ζωῆς καὶ μετανοίας. 12.104 Καὶ ἐγέννησε κατὰ τὴν ἰδέαν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ. Πρὸς τοὺς οἰομένους ἄλλην μὲν εἶναι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἄλλον δὲ τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα, λεκτέον, εἰ ἄλλος μὲν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, ἄλλος δὲ ἡ εἰκὼν αὐ τοῦ· καὶ εἰ τρίτος κατὰ τὸν οὗ κατ' εἰκόνα ὁ Ἀδάμ. Χρήσονται δὲ τῷ· Κύριε, ἐν τῇ πόλει σου τὴν εἰ κόνα αὐτῶν ἐξουδενώσεις· καὶ τῷ· Μέντοιγε ἐν εἰκόνι διαπορεύεται ἄνθρωπος. Ζητητέον δὲ τίνι διαφέρει ἡ ἰδέα Ἀδὰμ τῆς εἰκόνος αὐτοῦ. Εὐηρέστησε δὲ Ἐνὼχ τῷ Θεῷ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Μαθουσάλα. Εἰ μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι τὸν Μαθουσάλα εὐηρέστησε, πρὸ τούτου κατὰ τὴν Γρα φὴν οὐκ ἦν εὐάρεστος. ∆ῆλον, ὅτι ἐκ μετανοίας εὐη ρέστησεν, ὅτε ἐγέννησεν τὴν τοῦ θανάτου ἐξαποστο λὴν, ὃν εἶχον πρὶν γεννῆσαι αὐτόν. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Ἀπαλείψω τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὃν ἐποίησα, ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. Οὐχ ἁπαξ απλῶς ἀπαλείψω, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. Οὐ γὰρ πέ φυκε παντελῶς ἀπαλείφεσθαι ὁ ποιηθεὶς, ἐπεὶ ὁ ποιηθεὶς κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ πεποίηται. Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Νῶε, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἰ κοι νότερον ἐγράφετο ταῦτα, ἐχρῆν ἐπιφέρεσθαι τῷ, Αὗται αἱ γενεαὶ Νῶε, Νῶε ἐγέννησε τρεῖς υἱούς. Νῦν δὲ ἐπεὶ δικαιοσύνης ἡ γένεσις αὐτοῦ, προτέ τακται μὲν τὸ, αὗται αἱ γενέσεις, ἐπιφέρεται δὲ τὸ, ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος ὤν. Τῷ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησε Νῶε. Ἐγέννησε δὲ Νῶε τρεῖς υἱοὺς, τὸν Σὴμ, τὸν Χὰμ, τὸν Ἰάφεθ. Πε ριέχει ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, ὅτι Ἔζησε Λάμεχ ἔτη ἑκατὸν καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ, καὶ ἐγέννησε Νῶε. Καὶ ἔζησε Λάμεχ, μετὰ τὸ γεννῆσαι αὐτὸν τὸν Νῶε, ἔτη πεντακόσια καὶ ἑξήκοντα καὶ πέντε· καὶ ἐγένοντο πᾶσαι αἱ ἡμέραι Λάμεχ ἔτη ἑπτακόσια καὶ πεντήκοντα τρία, καὶ ἀπέθανε. Καὶ ἦν Νῶε ἐτῶν πεντακοσίων, καὶ ἐγέννησε τρεῖς υἱούς. Καὶ εὑρίσκομεν ἐν τούτῳ διαφωνίαν ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἐτῶν τοῦ Νῶε. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει, ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησε Νῶε, καθὼς γέγραπται καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἐνώχ. Κἀκεῖνος γὰρ ὅτε εὐηρέστησε τῷ Θεῷ, τότε καὶ μετέθηκεν αὐτόν. Ὁμοίως οὖν καὶ τοῦ Νῶε τὰ πρὸ τῆς εὐαρεστήσεως ἑξήκοντα καὶ πέντε ἔτη οὐκ ἐλογίσατο αὐτῷ ἡ θεία Γραφή. Ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη εἰς ζωὴν τὰ ἑξήκοντα ἔτη τὰ πρὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ Ἐνὼχ ἔτη τριά κοντα· καὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἔτη εἴκοσι, καὶ τοῦ Σολομῶν τος ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα, καὶ τοῦ Ἐζεκίου ἔτη δέκα καὶ ἑπτά· ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Μαθουσάλα εὑρίσκεται δια φωνία ἐτῶν δεκαπέντε. 12.105 Ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας· καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη· ὅτι κατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἀδικία μὲν φθείρει τὴν γῆν, δικαιοσύνη δὲ σώζει· καὶ ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, φθείρει τὴν γῆν. Οὐκ ἐν τῷ κατακλυσμῷ γέγονε κατεφθαρμένη ἡ γῆ (τότε γὰρ ἀπελούσατο τὴν φθορὰν),