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return to your former nature. And why does the sin seem to be small? He had given him authority over all the plants, but had forbidden the eating of one only. But he, having left all the others, harvested this fruit both first and alone; for this the Lord God also blamed him; "For who," he says, "told you that you are naked, unless from the 40 tree from which I commanded you of this alone not to eat, from it you ate"? And the devil also revealed this through what he said to Eve; "Why is it that God said, you shall not eat from any tree in paradise"? But if he had seen that they had eaten, he would not have thought that they had received the commandment concerning all the trees. Therefore the transgression is not small; for they partook first of that which alone they were commanded not to partake. XXXVIII For what reason, when God had said, "but on whatever day you eat from the tree, you shall surely die," did he not immediately die when he transgressed the commandment? This is a contradictory accusation; for a short while ago calling God harsh, now you accuse His philanthropy; but one ought rather to praise, and not accuse the goodness of God. For He is accustomed to threaten greater things, but to inflict punishments less than the threats; and this can be found in many places in the divine scripture; here, however, He named the state of mortality 'death'; for so also Symmachus interpreted it, "but on whatever day you eat from the tree, you shall be mortal." For indeed after the divine sentence, each day, so to speak, he expected death; thus those who have believed in the Lord Christ, even when slaughtered, live, awaiting the resurrection and the kingdom of heaven. "For in hope we were saved." XXXIX How should the garments of skin be understood? The allegorists say the skins are mortal flesh; but some others 41 have said these were made from the barks of trees. But I, for my part, accept neither of these; for the one is over-curious, the other excessively mythical. For since the divine scripture says the body was formed even before the soul, how is it not mythical to say that after the transgression of the commandment they received mortal flesh? And indeed to be meddlesome about whence God got skins, and for this reason to devise a new kind of clothing, seems to me to be superfluous. One must therefore be content with what is written and know that nothing is impossible for the creator of all, and marvel at His infinite goodness, that He cares even for transgressors, and when they needed coverings He did not overlook them naked. XL What is "Behold, Adam has become like one of us"? Since the devil said, "you will be like gods, knowing good and evil," but he received the sentence of death having transgressed the commandment, the God of all said this ironically, showing the falsehood of the diabolical promise; and He prevented him from partaking of the fruit of the tree of life, not grudging him immortal life, but checking the course of sin; death, therefore, is a remedy, not a punishment; for it checks the impulse of sin; "for he who has died," he says, "is freed from sin." And he commanded him to live opposite the paradise, so that coming into remembrance of the sorrowless life, he might hate sin as the cause of the toilsome life. 42 XLI If Cain was grieved that what was offered by him was not accepted, it is clear that he repented; for grief belongs to those who repent. His own offense did not vex him, but his brother's success; for Aquila also hinted at this; and he spoke thus; "And it was very wrathful to Cain, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said to Cain, why is it wrathful to you"? XLII What sign did God set on Cain? The decree of God itself was a sign, preventing him from being killed; and the trembling of his limbs itself made him marked and conspicuous. XLIII What wife did Cain have? Clearly his sister; but this was not an accusation at that time, as no law forbade it. Besides, it was not possible for the race to be increased otherwise; and God willed from one man and one woman

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τὴν προτέραν ἐπάνελθε φύσιν. ἀνθ' ὅτου δὲ σμικρὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ ἁμάρτημα; πάντων αὐτῷ τῶν φυτῶν ἐδεδώκει τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἑνὸς δὲ μόνου τὴν ἐδωδὴν ἀπηγορεύ κει. ὁ δὲ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα καταλιπών, τοῦτον καὶ πρῶτον καὶ μόνον ἐτρύ γησε τὸν καρπόν· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ ὁ δεσπότης Θεὸς ἐμέμψατο· " τίς, γάρ φησιν, ἀνήγγειλέ σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ 40 τοῦ ξύλου οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες "; δεδήλωκε δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ διάβολος δι' ὧν ἔφη τῇ Εὔᾳ· " τί ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ Θεός, οὐ μὴ φάγητε ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδεί σῳ "; εἰ δὲ εἶδεν ἐδηδοκότας, οὐκ ἂν ᾠήθη περὶ πάντων αὐτοὺς τῶν δένδρων εἰληφέναι τὴν ἐντολήν. οὐ σμικρὰ τοιγαροῦν ἡ παράβασις· πρώ του γὰρ μετέλαβον οὗ μόνου μὴ μετασχεῖν ἐκελεύσθησαν. XXXVIII Τίνος ἕνεκα τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰρηκότος, " ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου θανάτῳ ἀποθανῇ ", οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπέθανε τὴν ἐντολὴν παρα βάς; Ἐναντία αὕτη κατηγορία· πρὸ βραχέος γὰρ ἀπηνῆ τὸν Θεὸν ἀποκαλοῦν τες, νῦν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν κατηγορεῖτε· ὑμνεῖν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐχρῆν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατηγορεῖν τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ. εἴωθε γὰρ μείζονα μὲν ἀπειλεῖν, ἐλάττους δὲ τῶν ἀπειλῶν τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγειν· καὶ τοῦτο πολλαχῇ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ· ἐνταῦθα μέντοι τὸν τῆς θνητότητος ὅρον ὠνόμασε θάνατον· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν " ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, θνητὸς ἔσῃ ". μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν θείαν ἀπόφασιν, καθ' ἑκάστην, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, ἡμέραν τὸν θάνατον προσεδέχετο· οὕτως οἱ πεπιστευκότες τῷ δεσπότῃ Χριστῷ, καὶ σφαττό μενοι, ζῶσι προσμένοντες τὴν ἀνάστασιν καὶ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασι λείαν. " τῇ γὰρ ἐλπίδι ἐσώθημεν ". XXXIX Τοὺς χιτῶνας τοὺς δερματίνους τί νοητέον; Οἱ μὲν ἀλληγορηταὶ τὴν θνητὴν σάρκα φασὶ τὰ δέρματα· ἄλλοι δέ τινες 41 ἀπὸ φλοιῶν δένδρων τούτους κατεσκευᾶσθαι εἰρήκασιν. ἐγὼ δέ γε οὐδέ τερον τούτων προσίεμαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ περίεργον, τὸ δὲ ἄγαν μυθῶδες. τῆς γὰρ θείας γραφῆς καὶ πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ σῶμα διαπεπλᾶσθαι φησά σης, πῶς οὐ μυθῶδες τὸ λέγειν μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν τῆς ἐντολῆς σάρκα αὐτοὺς εἰληφέναι θνητήν; τὸ δέ γε πολυπραγμονεῖν, πόθεν τῷ Θεῷ δέρ ματα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καινὸν εἶδος περιβολαίων ἐπινοεῖν, περιττὸν εἶναί μοι δοκεῖ. χρὴ τοίνυν στέργειν τὰ γεγραμμένα καὶ εἰδέναι ὡς οὐδὲν ἄπορον τῷ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργῷ, καὶ θαυμάζειν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄπειρον ἀγαθότητα, ὅτι καὶ παραβεβηκότων ἐπιμελεῖται, καὶ δεηθέντων περιβολαίων οὐ περι εῖδε γυμνούς. XL Τί ἐστι τὸ " ἰδοὺ γέγονεν Ἀδὰμ ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν "; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ διάβολος εἶπεν " ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν ", ἐδέξατο δὲ τοῦ θανάτου τὸν ὅρον τὴν ἐντολὴν παραβάς, εἰρωνικῶς τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός, δεικνὺς τῆς διαβολικῆς ἐπαγγελίας τὸ ψεῦδος· μεταλαβεῖν δὲ αὐτὸν τοῦ καρποῦ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς διεκώλυσεν, οὐ φθονῶν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀθανάτου ζωῆς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπέχων τὸν δρόμον· ἰατρεία τοίνυν ὁ θάνατος, οὐ τιμωρία· ἐπέχει γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ὁρμήν· " ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανών, φησί, δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ". καταντικρὺ δὲ αὐτὸν τοῦ παραδείσου διάγειν προσέταξεν, ἵνα τῆς ἀλύπου βιοτῆς εἰς μνήμην ἐρχόμενος, μισῇ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὡς πρόξενον τῆς ἐπιπόνου ζωῆς. 42 XLI Εἰ ἐλυπήθη ὁ Κάϊν μὴ δεχθέντων τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ προσενεχθέντων, δῆλον ὅτι μετεμελήθη· τῶν γὰρ μεταμελουμένων ἡ λύπη. Ἠνίασεν αὐτὸν οὐχ ἡ αὐτοῦ πλημμέλεια, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ εὐπραξία· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας ᾐνίξατο· ἔφη δὲ οὕτως· " καὶ ὀργίλον τῷ Κάϊν σφόδρα, καὶ ἔπεσε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Κάϊν εἰς τί ὀργίλον σοι "; XLII Ποῖον σημεῖον ἔθετο τῷ Κάϊν ὁ Θεός; Αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅρος σημεῖον ἦν, κωλύων αὐτὸν ἀναιρεθῆναι· καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τῶν μελῶν ὁ κλόνος ἐπίσημον αὐτὸν καὶ δῆλον εἰργάζετο. XLIII Τίνα ὁ Κάϊν ἔσχε γυναῖκα; ∆ῆλον ὅτι τὴν ἀδελφήν· οὐκ ἦν δὲ τοῦτο τηνικαῦτα κατηγορία, οὐδενὸς ἀπαγορεύοντος νόμου. ἄλλως τε οὐδὲ οἷόν τε ἦν ἄλλως αὐξηθῆναι τὸ γένος· ἠβουλήθη δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐξ ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς καὶ μιᾶς γυναικὸς