being a partaker, having known that she was from him, he says: This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of her man. Therefore Adam, seeing the woman, 909 was not affected as looking upon a woman, but seeing her as himself, he rejoiced spiritually, seeing her similar and having this same constitution. Likewise the woman also, seeing the man, rejoiced greatly, understanding herself to be according to him. Therefore, while they were in the paradise of delight, God gives them a law for their benefit, to show on the one hand that their nature was free in its self-determination, and on the other hand to show that they were under a master and guardian, saying thus: Of every tree in the paradise you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die, that is, you shall become mortal. For thus also Symmachus interpreted: On whatever day he eats from the tree, you will be mortal. 1272 (207a) [13] Concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But let no one suppose that the tree was of such a nature as to provide knowledge of good and evil; for indeed there was nothing harmful in paradise, but a limit was set on the plant for the exercise of freedom. And that the tree was not the cause of knowledge for Adam is clear; for the commandment was given as to those who knew both, the good and the evil, both obedience and disobedience, so that the knowledge preceded the commandment. But it was given because, as has been said, man, being moved by a self-determining will, and having permission to partake of all the other trees, but being commanded by law to abstain from one only, might know that he is under a master who has also given the commandment. Therefore, Adam and Eve were living in this most pure place, lavishly enjoying the variety of the immortal flowers. 910 [14] Concerning the devil and the serpent. But the enemy of our nature, being envious of the great honor of man and nursing his jealousy, raised up war against him, and putting on the serpent, he approached the woman, while Adam was absent, and craftily turned her away from what was beneficial through falsehood and deceived Adam along with her, he caused them to become transgressors of the divine law. For Scripture says this about it: Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. But the serpent was called "subtle" because it was about to deceive the rational animal, man, who differed from the others in sagacity. Then it adds: And the serpent said to the woman: "Why has God said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of paradise'?" And the woman said to the serpent: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of paradise; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of paradise, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" Did the serpent then use articulate speech? Not at all, but the first-formed, being unmixed with evil, had most acute senses, and very different from ours, so that their hearing was capable of hearing every voice; and it says that the beasts and the cattle once spoke with one language, but when Adam was condemned, then they also were muzzled, and the serpent had its feet taken away and had to crawl on the ground, and poison was placed upon its tongue. Then it continues: And the serpent said to the woman: "You shall not surely die, for God knew that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be as gods, knowing good and evil." And the woman 1273 saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes to see, and a tree to be desired to make one wise; and taking of its fruit she ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and they ate, and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. 911 [15] On, "The eyes of them both were opened." Not as though the first-formed then looked up, is it said, "The eyes of them both were opened"; for they are shown to have seen even before the eating

μέτοχος ὢν, ἐγνωκὼς, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἦν, φησί· Τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστῶν μου, καὶ σὰρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου· αὕτη κληθήσεται γυνὴ, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἐλήφθη αὕτη. Ὁρῶν οὖν ὁ Ἀδὰμ τὴν γυναῖκα, οὐχ 909 ὡς γυναῖκα θεώμενος ἔπασχεν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἑαυτὸν ὁρῶν, πνευματικῶς ηὐφραίνετο, τὴν ὁμοίαν βλέπων καὶ ταύτην ἔχουσαν κατασκευήν. Ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ, θεωροῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα, μεγάλως ἠγάλλετο, κατ' αὐτὸν οὖσαν ἑαυτὴν ἐννοοῦσα. Ὄντων οὖν αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς τρυφῆς, νόμον δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ, τοῦ δεῖξαι μὲν ἐλευθέραν τὴν φύσιν ἐν τῇ αὐτεξουσιότητι, ὑποδεῖξαι δὲ ὡς ὑπὸ δεσπότην καὶ κηδεμόνα εἰσὶ, λέγων οὕτως· Ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φαγῇ, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν, οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε, τουτέστιν, θνητοὶ ἔσεσθε. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσε· Ἧ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, θνητὸς ἔσῃ. 1272 (207a) [ΙΓʹ] Περὶ τοῦ ξύλου γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν. Ἀλλὰ μή τις ὑπολάβοι, ὅτι τὸ ξύλον τοιαύτης ἦν φύσεως, ὡς γνῶσιν παρέχειν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ οὐ γὰρ δὴ βλαβερόν τι ἦν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳὅρος δὲ ἐτέθη ἐπὶ τῷ φυτῷ πρὸς γυμνασίαν τῆς ἐλευθεριότητος. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ τὸ ξύλον αἴτιον τῷ Ἀδὰμ γνώσεως γέγονε, δῆλον· ἡ γὰρ ἐντολὴ ὡς πρὸς εἰδότε ἄμφω ἐδόθη, τό τε καλὸν καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν, τήν τε ὑπακοὴν καὶ τὴν παρακοὴν, ὥστε ἡ γνῶσις προὔλαβε τὴν ἐντολήν. ∆έδοται δὲ αὐτὴ διὰ τὸ, ὡς εἴρηται, αὐτεξουσίῳ βουλήματι κινούμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπ' ἀδείας τε ἔχοντα ἀπὸ πάντων μεταλαμβάνειν τῶν ἄλλων δένδρων, ἑνὸς δὲ μόνου νόμῳ προσταττομένου ἀπέχεσθαι, γινώσκειν ὡς ὑπὸ δεσπότην ἐστὶ καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν δεδωκότα. Ἦσαν οὖν ἐν τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ τούτῳ τόπῳ ὅ τε Ἀδὰμ καὶ ἡ Εὔα διάγοντες καὶ τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν ἀθανάτων ἀνθέων δαψιλῶς ἀπολαύοντες. 910 [Ι∆ʹ] Περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἐχθρὸς τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως βασκήνας ἐπὶ τῇ πολλῇ τιμῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ φθόνον ἐγκισσήσας, τὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾔρατο πόλεμον, καὶ τὸν ὄφιν ἐνδὺς ἐπέστη τῇ γυναικὶ, ἀπόντος τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ πανούργως αὐτὴν τοῦ συμφέροντος παρατρεψάμενος διὰ ψεύδους καὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ταύτῃ συνεξαπατήσας, παραβάτας τοῦ θείου παρεσκεύασε νόμου γεγενῆσθαι. Λέγει γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ περὶ τούτου ὧδε· Ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἦν φρονιμώτατος παρὰ πάντα τὰ θηρία τῆς γῆς, ἃ ἐποίησε Κύριος ὁ Θεός. Φρόνιμος δὲ ἐκλήθη ὁ ὄφις, ὅτι τὸ λογικὸν ζῶον τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀγχινοίᾳ διαφέροντα ἐξαπατᾷν ἔμελλεν. Εἶτα ἐπιλέγει· Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί· Τί ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Οὐ μὴ φάγητε ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ; Καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ὄφει· Ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ φαγούμεθα· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ καρποῦ τοῦ ξύλου, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ παραδείσου, εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Οὐ μὴ φάγητε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ ἅψησθε αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνητε. Ἆρα δὲ καὶ ὁ ὄφις τῷ κατὰ προφορὰν λόγῳ ἐχρήσατο; Οὐ πάντως, ἀλλ' οἱ πρωτόπλαστοι, ἅτε κακίας ὄντες ἀμιγεῖς, ἀκριβεστάτας εἶχον τὰς αἰσθήσεις καὶ πολὺ τῶν ἡμετέρων διαλλαττούσας, ὥστε τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτῶν πάσης ὑπάρχειν φωνῆς ἀκουστικήν· καὶ τὰ θηρία καὶ τὰ κτήνη λαλεῖν λέγει μιᾷ γλώσσῃ ποτὲ, ὅτε δὲ Ἀδὰμ κατεδικάσθη, τότε καὶ αὐτὰ πεφιμῶσθαι, τὸν δὲ ὄφιν καὶ τοὺς πόδας ἀφαιρεθῆναι καὶ ἕρπειν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἰὸν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἐντεθῆναι. Εἶτα ἐπάγει· Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί· Οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε, ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ, γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν. Καὶ εἶδεν ἡ 1273 γυνὴ, ὅτι καλὸν τὸ ξύλον εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ ὅτι ἀρεστὸν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν καὶ ὡραῖόν ἐστι τοῦ κατανοῆσαι· καὶ λαβοῦσα τοῦ καρποῦ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγε καὶ ἔδωκε καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔφαγον, καὶ διηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν. 911 [ΙΕʹ] Εἰς τὸ, ∆ιηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο. Οὐχ, ὡς τότε ἀναβλεψάντων τῶν πρωτοπλάστων, εἴρηται τὸ, ∆ιηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο· δείκνυνται γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῆς βρώσεως ὁρῶντες