Didymus the Blind, On Genesis

of virtue, as also those set forth before. For from a lesser virtue, which was signified by the first names, having passed over to a greater, they appropriately received appellations of [virtue], as it is possible for one who encounters the interpretations of these to see. For Abram is interpreted 114 among other things as "father of a son", but Abraham as "father of sons", with the first indicating a didactic disposition, not yet able to pass to all, which the second indicated; And Sara, with one rho being added, is interpreted "smallness", which indicates the introductory manner, but Sarra "ruling" by which is indicated the perfection of virtue; for this is ruling and most powerful. Jacob, being interpreted "supplanter", represents the ascetic and the resistant to passions, but Israel, being renamed by God who does nothing in vain, represents the contemplative and the purity of mind, by which he sees God, which happens after moral achievement; for Israel is interpreted "mind" "seeing God". But what must one say about the leader of the apostles, when our Lord Jesus Christ openly in the Gospel called him thus on account of his confession; for to the one who said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" he replied: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." And this much about these things; but let us return to the beginning: "And he placed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned to guard the way to the tree of life." And it is possible from these things also to refute those who think that paradise is even now on the earth, asking them how an inanimate sword guards, if it is taken thus; for to guard belongs not only to an animate but also to a rational being, and especially God's paradise. And what account will they give concerning the fact that nothing else was given to guard the way of the tree 115 of life than the transcendent rational cherubim? For from the guardians it is possible to perceive the greatness of that which is guarded. But how is the singular form spoken of for the sword, but a multitude for the cherubim? Therefore, since nothing will be said by them except some cold things, which it is not even good to speak of, it is time for us, understanding the guard that was given as worthy of the divine paradise, to discuss this appropriately, as God gives. Therefore, the one sword, which is a sign of chastising power, signifies the philanthropy of the God of all, the one guarding, but "a multitude" "of knowledge" which leads to divine virtue. For God does not inflict punishments according to sins, giving many opportunities that lead to salvation. And that he does not punish according to what is deserved, the psalm declares: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, who shall stand? For with you there is forgiveness." But of those things that call to virtue, the causes are many, first the gift of common notions, by which, being kept undistorted, virtue is achieved, and when these have been covered over by a multitude of sin, patriarchs, law, prophets, and at the consummation of the ages the Lord, who also gave the apostles, and in general there is nothing from providence which does not call to salvation. But the sword has also been placed usefully and for this very reason. Or is not the word of scripture also a divine paradise, having in itself both the threats against those not willing to follow the commands of God and the myriad corrections calling to virtue? For these, being productive of the entrance into paradise, also prevent the bitterness of punishment. But that the sword is used for punishment in the scriptures 116 can be witnessed from many places; "By the sword," it says, "all the sinners of my people shall die"; and certainly not all die by the sword, but the punishment that is to be brought upon sinners, the [punishment] of the sword

ἀρετῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ προεκτεθ[έν]τες. Ἀπὸ γὰρ ὑποδεεστέρας ἀρετῆς, ἥτις διὰ τῶν πρώτω[ν ὀ]νο- μάτων ἐσημαίνετο, διαβάντες ἐπὶ μείζονα, οἰκείως [ἀρετ]ῆς τὰς προσηγορίας ἐδέξαντο, ὡς ἔνεστιν ἐντύχοντα τα[ῖς τ]ούτων ἑρμηνείαις θεωρῆσαι. Ἀβρὰμ μὲν γὰρ ἑρμηνεύε[ται] 114 πρὸς ἑτέραις καὶ "3πατὴρ υἱοῦ"3, Ἀβραὰμ δὲ "3πατὴρ υἱῶν"3, τοῦ μὲν πρώτου δηλοῦντος διδασκαλικὴν ἕξιν, οὐ´̣πω δὲ διαβαίνειν εἰς πάντας δυναμένην, ὅπερ ἐδήλου δε̣ύτερον· Σάρα δέ, ἑνὸς προσγραφομένου ῥῶ, "3μικρότης"3 ἑρμηνεύεται, ὅπερ δηλοῖ τὸν εἰσαγωγικὸν τρόπον, Σάρρα δὲ "3ἀρχοῦσα"3 δι' οὗ δηλοῦται ἡ τελειότης τῆς ἀρετῆς· ἀρχικὸν γὰρ αὕτη καὶ δυνατώτατον. Ἰακὼβ "3πτερνιστὴς"3 ἑρμηνευόμενος παρίστησι τὸ ἀσκητικὸν καὶ πρὸς τὰ πάθη ἀντιστατικόν, Ἰσραὴλ δὲ πρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ μετονομαζόμενος τοῦ μηδὲν εἰκαίως ποιοῦντος, παρίστησιν τὸ θεωρητικὸν καὶ τὴν τοῦ νοῦ καθαρότητα, καθ' ἣν Θεὸν ὁρᾷ, [ὅπ]ερ μετὰ τὴν ἠθικὴν κατόρθωσιν συμβαίνει· "3νοῦς"3 γὰρ "3[ὁρῶ]ν Θεὸν"3 Ἰσραὴλ ἑρμηνεύεται. Τί δὲ δεῖ περὶ τοῦ προκρ[ίτο]υ τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγειν, ὅποτε ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς φανε[ρῶ]ς ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ διὰ τὴν ὁμολογίαν αὐτὸν οὕτω κέ[κ]ληκεν· εἰπόντι γὰρ "6Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος"6 [ἀπε]κρίνατο· "6Σὺ εἶ Πέτ̣ρος καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομή[σω] μου τὴν ἐκκλησία̣ν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐ[τῆς]."6 Καὶ τα[ῦτα] μὲν περὶ τούτων· ἐπανέλθωμεν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ε᾿̣[ξ ἀ]ρχῆς· "6Κ[αὶ] ἔταξεν τὰ χερουβεὶμ καὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομ[φα]ίαν τὴν στρεφομένην φυλάττειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύ[λου] τῆς ζωῆς"6. Κα̣ὶ ἔστιν καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐλέγξαι τοὺς κ[αὶ νῦ]ν εἶναι νομίζον̣τας ἐπὶ γῆς τὸν παρά- δεισον, ἐρω̣[τῶν]τας αὐτοὺς πῶς ῥο̣μφαίαφυλάττει ἄψυχος, εἰ οὕτω λ[αμβά]νοιτο· <τὸ> γὰρ φυλάττειν οὐκ ἐμψύχου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ λο[γικοῦ] τυγχάνει, καὶ μάλιστα Θεοῦ παράδεισον. Τίνα δὲ δώσουσι[ν λό]γον περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἕτερά τινα δεδόσθαι φυλάττειν τὴν ὁδὸ[ν το]ῦ ξύλου 115 τῆς ζωῆς ἢ τὰ ὑπερανεβεβηκότα λογικὰ χερουβείμ; Ἐκ γὰρ τῶν φυλαττόντων τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ φυλαττομένου ἔστιν μὲν νοεῖν. Πῶς δὲ ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ῥομφαίας ὁ ἑνικὸς εἴρηται χαρακτήρ, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν χερουβεὶμ πλῆθος; Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν παρ' ἐκείνων ἢ ψυχρά τινα, ἃ οὐδὲ λέγειν καλόν, λεχθήσεται, ὥρα ἡμᾶς, ἀξίαν τοῦ θείου παραδείσου ἐννοοῦντας τὴν δοθεῖσαν φυλακήν, οἰκείως περὶ τούτου, Θεοῦ δίδοντος, διαλαβεῖν. Φιλανθρωπίαν μὲν οὖν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων σημαίνει τὸ μίαν εἶναι ῥομφαίαν, ὅπερ σημεῖόν ἐστι κολαστικῆς δυνάμεως, τὴν φυλάσσουσαν, "3πλῆθος"3 δὲ "3[τ]ῆς γνώσεως"3 τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν ἀρετὴν ἀγούσης. Οὐ γὰρ κα[τ]ὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἐπάγει Θεὸς τὰς κολάσεις, πολλὰς διδο[ὺ]ς ἀφορμὰς ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν ἄγουσας. Καὶ ὅτι μὲν οὐ κατ' ἀξίαν κ[ολ]άζει, δηλοῖ ὁ ψαλμός· "6Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, τί[ς] ὑποστήσεται; ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν"6. Τῶν δ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἀ[ρετ]ὴν καλούντων πολλὰ τὰ αἴτια, πρῶτον ἡ τῶν κοινῶν ἐνν[οιῶ]ν δόσις, καθ' ἃς σῳζόμενας ἀδιαστρόφους ἡ ἀρετὴ κατο[ρ- θο]ῦται, ἐπὶ τούτων διὰ πλῆθος ἁμαρτίας κα[λυφ]θεισῶν [π]ατριάρχαι, νόμος, προφῆται καὶ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν [α]ἰώνων [ὁ] Κύριος, ὃς καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους δέδωκεν, καὶ ὅλως οὐδὲν τῶν πα[ρὰ] τῆς προνοίας ἐστὶν ὃ μὴ ἐπὶ σωτηρία̣ν καλεῖ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ [ῥ]ομφαία χρησίμως καὶ δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο τέθειται. Ἢ οὐ θε[ῖος] παράδεισός ἐστιν καὶ ὁ τῆς γραφῆς λόγος ἔχων ἐν ἑαυ[τῷ] καὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς τὰς κατὰ τῶν μὴ βουλομένων ἕπεσθ[αι τ]αῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ προστάξεσιν καὶ τὰς μυρίας διορθώσεις ἐπὶ τὴ[ν ἀ]ρετὴν καλοῦσας; Καὶ γὰρ αὕται, ποιητικαὶ τυγχάνουσαι τῆ[ς] ἐπὶ τὸν παράδεισον εἰσόδου, κωλύουσι καὶ τῆς κολάσεως [τ]ὴν πικρίαν. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ ῥομφαία ἀντὶ κολάσεως ἐν ταῖς γραφ[αῖς] 116 φέρεται, ἔστιν ἐκ πολλῶν μαρτύρασθαι· "6Ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ"6 φησὶν "6τελευτήσουσιν πάντες ἁμαρτωλοὶ λαοῦ"6· καὶ οὐδήπου πάντες διὰ ξίφους ἀποθνῄσκουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἐπιφέρεσθαι κόλασιν τὸ τῆς ῥομφαίας