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and birds flying upon the earth according to the 42 firmament of heaven. And it was so. And God made the great sea creatures and every soul of creeping living things, which the waters brought forth according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that they were good. And he blessed them, until the fifth day. Since the primary creation on earth is that concerning men, being mortal creatures, consequently the other animals and plants were created for his need; for he takes some for food, and others for his own healing; and there are others made, some for bearing burdens, and others for some need of his; for nothing came into being without a purpose. Therefore God says: "Let the waters bring forth creeping things with living souls, and birds flying upon the earth." For these too had to come into being for the need of men. And having said 'creeping things' of their bodies, he speaks of them all as 'living souls'; for even if it is irrational, yet it provides a vital power to the body, perishing along with it, whereas that of man subsists even after the dissolution of the body. And concerning the birds, since some fly high, but the majority have a low flight, especially those assigned to men for food, it is said from the majority: "and birds flying upon the earth". For it is likely that for this reason they do not fly to a height like the eagle and similar birds, so that they may be easily caught by men, for whom they were also made. And "according to the firmament" "of heaven" is said, not because they approach it in flying, but because they are under it, even if they do not reach it. For instance, scripture also calls the clouds that bear the rain "heavens," and the rain to come "from heaven," although the clouds are formed in the air, from which the rain is also carried, which clouds are said to be not more than ten stadia above the earth, since mountains are often found above the clouds and the clouds lie upon them. This is therefore resolved by the air often being called 43 heaven and firmament. And the phrase "and it was so" must be understood in the same way as the preceding ones. And what of "and God made the great sea creatures"? It should be noted that concerning the sea creatures he does not say "let the waters bring forth sea creatures", but that he himself made them. These happen to be exceedingly large, as even those who have recorded them marvel exceedingly, so as to say they are similar to islands, onto which they say men have often gone out thinking they were going out onto dry land, only realizing that they are sea creatures when their moving gives the sensation. But pay attention also to "God made the great sea creatures and every soul of creeping living things", that the waters bring forth their bodies, I mean of those formed from the waters, but God makes the sea creatures along with the other animals, providing them with vital power, not, of course, with their bodies pre-existing and thus being ensouled—for the soul of irrational creatures does not have life separately—but that, as they came into being at the same time by the will of God, scripture says their bodies came forth from the waters, but that God made their souls, that is, the ensoulment and the movement, not from the waters but from such a will of God. Clear also is "according to their kinds", species here being understood instead of genus. "And" he says "God saw that they were good." For in the case of the preceding things it is said "that it was good" because what came into being was either one thing or was formed in one part of the world; but since the things now have been allotted different regions, as some of them are creatures of the air, and others of the water, accordingly "God saw that they were good" is said. "And God blessed them." Why, when in the other cases before these a blessing is not added, is it said here: "And God blessed them"? And see if this was not added because from them succession is established. For they are not blessed in the same way as men, concerning whom it is said: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

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καὶ πετεινὰ πετόμενα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὸ 42 στερέωμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως. Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ κήτη τὰ μεγάλα καὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζῴων ἑρπετῶν, ἃ ἐξήγαγεν τὰ ὕδατα κατὰ γένη αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶν πετεινὸν πτερωτὸν κατὰ γένος. Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλά. Καὶ ηὐλόγησεν αὐτά, ἕως τοῦ ἡμέρα πέμπτη. Ἐπεὶ προηγουμένη κτίσις ἐστὶν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἡ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ζῷα θνητὰ τυγχάνον[τα]ς, ἀκολούθως τὰ ἄλλα ζῷά τε καὶ φυτὰ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ χρείαν δεδημιούρ- γηται· τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τροφήν, τὰ δὲ εἰς θεραπείαν ἑαυ[τ]οῦ παραλαμβάνει· ἔστιν δ' ἕτερα τὰ μὲν εἰς τὸ ἀχθοφορεῖν, τὰ δὲ εἴς τινα αὐτοῦ χρείαν γεγενημένα· οὐδὲν γὰρ εἰκαίως ὑπέστη. Λέγει οὖν ὁ Θεός· "6Ἐξαγαγέτω τὰ ὕδατα ἑρπετὰ ψυχῶν ζωσῶν καὶ πετεινὰ πετόμενα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς."6 Ἔδει γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ὑποστῆναι χρείαν. Ἑρπετὰ δὲ τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν εἰπὼν ψυχὰς ζώσας τὰς πάσας λέγει· κἂν γὰρ ἄλογος ᾖ, ἀλλὰ ζωτικὴν δύναμιν τῷ σώματι παρέχει συμφθειρομένη αὐτῷ, τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος διάλυσιν ὑφισταμένης. Τῶν πετεινῶν δὲ τῶν μὲν ὑψιπετῶν ὄντων, τῶν δὲ πλειόνων ταπεινὴν ἐχόντων τὴν πτῆσιν, μάλιστα τῶν πρὸς τροφὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀπονεμηθέντων, ἀπὸ τοῦ πλεονάζοντος εἴρηται· "6καὶ πετεινὰ πετόμενα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς"6. Εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὰ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲ εἰς ὕψος κατὰ τὸν ἀετὸν καὶ τὰ ὅμοια ἵπτασθαι, ἵν' εὐχείρωτα ᾖ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, δι' οὓς καὶ γέγονεν. "6Κατὰ τὸ στερέωμα"6 δὲ "6τοῦ οὐρανοῦ"6 εἴρηται, οὐχ ὅτι πλησιάζει ἱπτάμενα τούτῳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὑπ' αὐτό εἰσιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ φθάνουσιν ἐκεῖ. Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ τὰ νέφη τὰ φέροντα τὸν ὑετὸν οὐρανοὺς καλεῖ ἡ γραφὴ καὶ τὸν ὑετὸν οὐρανόθεν ἔρχεσθαι, καίτοι τῶν νεφῶν περὶ τὸν ἀέρα συνισταμένων, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ ὁ ὑ<ε>τὸς φέρεται, ἅτινα νέφη οὐ πλέον δεκὰ σταδίων ὑπὲρ γῆς λέγεται εἶναι, ὑπὲρ νεφῶν πολλάκις ὀρῶν εὑρισκομένων καὶ τῶν νεφῶν αὐτοῖς ἐπικειμένων. Λύεται οὖν τοῦτο τῷ πολλάκις τὸν ἀέρα καὶ 43 οὐρανὸν καλεῖσθαι καὶ στερέωμα. Τὸ δὲ "6καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως"6 ὁμοίως τοῖς φθάσασιν νοητέον. Τί δὲ "6καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ κήτη τὰ μεγάλα"6; Σημειωτέον ὡς οὐ λέγει περὶ τῶν κητῶν ὅτι "3ἐξαγέτω τὰ ὕδατα κήτη"3, ἀλλ' ὅτι αὐτὸς αὐτὰ πεποίηκεν. Ὑπερμεγέθη δὲ ταῦτα τυγχάνει, καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἱστορήσαντες ὑπερθαυμά- ζουσιν, ὡς καὶ νήσοις λέγειν αὐτὰ ἐμφερῆ εἶναι, εἰς ἃ πολλάκις φασὶν ἐξεληλυθέναι ἀνθρώπους ὡς εἰς χέρσον οἰομένους ἐξιέναι, τότε μόνον γινώσκοντες ὅτι κήτη εἰσίν, ὅτε αὐτὰ κινούμ̣ε̣να παρέχει τὴν αἴσθησιν. Πρόσσχες δὲ ἔτι καὶ τῷ "6ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ κήτη τὰ μεγάλα καὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζῴων ἑρπετῶν"6, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ὕδατα ἐξάγει αὐτῶν τὰ σώματα, αὐτῶν λέγω τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων συστάντων, τὰ δὲ κήτη μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ζῴων ποιεῖ Θεὸς τὴν ζωτικὴν αὐτοῖς παρέχων δύναμιν, οὐ δήπου τῶν σωμάτων προυποκειμένων καὶ οὕτω ψυχουμένων, -οὐ γὰρ ἔχει χωρὶς τὴν ζωὴν ἡ τῶν ἀλόγων ψυχή, -ἀλλ' ὅτι, ἅμα αὐτῶν ὑποστάντων θελήματι Θεοῦ, τὰ μὲν σώματα ἐκ τῶν ὑδάτων ἐξεληλυθέναι λέγει ἡ γραφή, τὰς δὲ ψυχὰς τὸν Θεὸν πεποιηκέναι, ὅ ἐστιν τὴν ψύχωσιν καὶ τὴν κίνησιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων ἀλλ' ἐκ βουλήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ τοιούτου. Σαφὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ "6κατὰ γένη αὐτῶν"6, νοουμένου ἐνταῦθα τοῦ εἴδους ἀντὶ τοῦ γένους. "6Καὶ εἶδέν"6 φησιν "6ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλά."6 Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν προλαβόντων εἴρηται "6ὅτι καλὸν"6 διὰ τὸ ἢ ἓν εἶναι τὸ γινόμενον ἢ ἐν ἑνὶ τοῦ κόσμου μέρει συστῆναι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰ νῦν διαφόρους χώρας εἴληχεν, ὡς τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν εἶναι ἀεροπόρα, τὰ δὲ ἔνυδρα, ἀκολούθως τὸ "6εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλὰ"6 εἴρηται. "6Καὶ ηὐλόγησεν αὐτὰ ὁ Θεός."6 Τί δήποτε, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς πρὸ τούτων μὴ προσκειμένης εὐλογίας, ἐνταῦθα εἴρηται· "6Καὶ ηὐλόγησεν αὐτὰ ὁ Θεός"6; Καὶ ὅρα γε μὴ ἄρα διὰ τὸ ἐξ αὐτῶν διαδοχὴν συνίστασθαι τοῦτο προσετέθη. Οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εὐλογοῦνται, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· "6Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ