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To the lower ones: The 'us' must be considered in common. Note how he says above that the angelic orders are divided into three, into substance and power and energy, but here he states the reason for which they are all called powers.

They have in abundance also the: He seems somehow to say here that the angelic orders were established by the Creator according to merit, but he does not state this clearly: for above in the chapter before this he clearly states their desire and intellection to be the causes of their higher order, indeed that he said they are purified and enlightened and perfected. It is possible, then, to attempt to say piously that God, foreknowing their movement of desire, also produced their orders worthy of them, from which one would not say that they are able to fall, because of having acquired a certain disposition towards the good through extreme volition; but the angels, that is, the last orders, may perhaps also be turned toward the worse; for he called them "around the world," from among whom I think the devil also once was before he fell; and if anyone knows these things more perfectly, I ask to learn. And note how the angelic orders were produced in sequence by the Creator.

ON CHAPTER 12

(14Ε_298> § 1. The question is raised: How are our priests called angels. § 2. a'. For we say that of the whole: Note that even if of the higher

powers the last ones fall short of the totality, yet they too partake of a partial wisdom and knowledge.

b'. But those under them: What is the whole wisdom and participation, and what is the partial; and 'according to their own power' must here be understood as the power of choice.

c'. It is determined: Note that "it is determined" does not indicate a certain fate and inviolable necessity, as many are accustomed to say, but 'it is determined' is instead of 'it has been arranged' according to a certain defined analogy of power, of the intellect perhaps, beyond which one ought not to think.

§ 3. d'. You will find: How both angels by a common name and God-loving men are called gods, according to "I said: you are gods."

Of the exceptional: How and what and in what respect it has been deemed worthy of the divine names.

ON CHAPTER 13 § 1. The seraph: Note "the seraph" with masculine declension. For someone might raise a difficulty: Since it seems to be contrary to what has been said; for he said

before this that the lower orders are initiated by those immediately above them, but not by the highest, for instance the third order by the middle, and the middle by the highest of all. But these things were investigated and resolved in various ways.

§ 2. a'. Of the mentioned sins: That it is not possible to be initiated into the (14Ε_300> divine things, unless there first comes a remission of sins. For the seraph is interpreted as 'one who sets on fire,' or 'one who warms.'

§ 3. b'. But another you exceedingly: Note that 'you exceedingly' is not entirely said for comparison with the moderate; for instance, 'not exceedingly' strange is not said in such a way that we should think that it is strange in any case, but moderately strange; but it is also used instead of the positive, that is, it does not seem strange to me, speaking reverently in the manner of a philosopher, but it is also used instead of 'in no way', as if he were saying, in no way strange.

c'. Having formed: Note that he says the angels who preside over them, by forming the divine visions of the prophets, bring them to the imagination of the

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Ταῖς ὑφειμέναις: Κατά κοινοῦ τό 'ἡμᾶς' οἰητέον. Σημείωσαι, πῶς ἀνωτέρω μέν φησιν, ὅτι εἰς τρία διαιροῦνται αἱ ἀγγελικαί τάξεις, εἰς οὐσίαν καί δύναμιν καί ἐνέργειαν, ἐνταῦθα δέ λέγει τόν λόγον, δι' ὅν δυνάμεις πᾶσαι καλοῦνται.

Περισσῶς ἔχουσι καί τάς: ∆οκεῖ πως ἐνταῦθα λέγειν, ὅτι· κατ' ἀξίαν αἱ ἀγγελικαί διακοσμήσεις δημιουργικῶς ἐτάχθησαν, οὐ σαφῶς δέ τοῦτο παρίστησιν: ἄνω γάρ ἐν τῷ πρό τούτου κεφαλαίῳ φανερῶς τήν αὐτῶν ἔφεσιν καί νόησιν λέγει, αἰτίας αὐτάς εἶναι τῆς ὑπερτέρας αὐτῶν τάξεως, ἀμέλει ὅτι καί καθαίρεσθαι καί φωτίζεσθαι καί τελειοῦσθαι εἶπεν αὐτάς. Ἔστιν οὖν ἐπιχειρήσαντα εἰπεῖν εὐσεβῶς, ὅτι ὁ Θεός, προειδώς αὐτῶν τήν τῆς ἐφέσεως κίνησιν, καί τάς αὐτῶν τάξεις ἀξίας αὐτῶν παρήγαγεν, ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ἄν εἴποι τις αὐτάς δύνασθαι ἐκπεσεῖν, διά τό ἕξιν τινά κτήσασθαι πρός τό ἀγαθόν διά τῆς ἅγαν θελήσεως· τούς δέ ἀγγέλους, τουτέστι τούς τελευταίους διακόσμους ἐνδέχεσθαι ἴσως καί ἐπί τό χεῖρον τραπῆναι· εἶπεν αὐτούς γάρ περικοσμίους, ἐξ ὧν οἶμαι καί τόν διάβολόν ποτε εἶναι πρό τοῦ μή ἐκπεσεῖν· καί εἴ τις τούτων τελειότερον οἶδεν, αἰτῶ μαθεῖν. Σημείωσαι δέ, πῶς κατά τάξιν αἱ ἀγγελικαί διακοσμήσεις δημιουργικῶς παρήχθησαν.

ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΒ'

(14Ε_298> § 1. Ζητεῖται: Πῶς οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἱερεῖς ἄγγελοι λέγονται. § 2. α'. Φαμέν γάρ ὅτι ὁλικῆς: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι εἰ καί τῆς τῶν ἀνωτέρω

δυνάμεων ἀποδέουσιν ὁλότητος οἱ ἔσχατοι, ἀλλ' οὖν μερικῆς μετέχουσι σοφίας τε καί γνώσεως καί αὐτοί.

β'. Αἱ δέ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτούς: Τίς ἡ ὁλική σοφία καί μέθεξις, καί τίς ἡ μερική· τό δέ 'κατά δύναμιν οἰκείαν' τήν προαιρετικήν δύναμιν νοητέον ἐνταῦθα.

γ'. Ὥρισται: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι ὥρισται οὐ δηλοῖ εἰμαρμένην τινά καί ἀπαράβατον ἀνάγκην, ὡς εἰώθασι πολλοί λέγειν, ἀλλά τό 'ὥρισται' ἀντί τοῦ διατέτακται κατά ὡρισμένην τινά ἀναλογίαν δυνάμεως, τοῦ νοῦ τυχόν, ὑπέρ ἥν νοῆσαι οὐ χρή.

§ 3. δ'. Εὑρήσεις: Πῶς καί θεοί λέγονται, οἵ τε ἄγγελοι κοινῷ ὀνόματι καί οἱ φιλόθεοι ἄνθρωποι, κατά τό, «ἐγώ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε».

Ἐξῃρημένης: Πῶς καί ποῖα καί κατά τί τῶν θείων ὀνομάτων ἠξίωται.

ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΙΓ' § 1. Ὁ σεραφίμ: Σημείωσαι ὁ σεραφίμ ἀρσενικῇ κλίσει. Καί γάρ ἀπορήσειέ τις: Ἐπειδή ἐναντιοφανές εἶναι δοκεῖ τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν· ἔφη

γάρ πρό τούτων, ὅτι τά κατώτερα ὑπό τῶν ὑπερκειμένων αὐτά, οὐ μήν ἐκ τῶν ἀνωτάτω μυοῦνται, οἷον ἡ τρίτη τάξις ἐκ τῆς μέσης, καί ἡ μέση ἐκ τῆς ὅλων ἀνωτέρας. Ἐζητήθη δέ ταῦτα καί διαφόρως ἐπελύθη.

§ 2. α'. Εἰρημένων ἁμαρτιῶν: Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι μυηθῆναι τά (14Ε_300> θεῖα, εἰ μή γένηται πρότερον ἁμαρτιῶν ἄφεσις. Ὁ γάρ σεραφίμ 'ἐμπρηστής', ἤτοι 'θερμαίνων' ἑρμηνεύεται.

§ 3. β'. Ἕτερος δέ σύ σφόδρα: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι τό 'σύ σφόδρα', οὐ πάντως πρός σύγκρισιν τοῦ μετρίου εἴρηται· οἷον οὐχ οὕτως εἴρηται τό 'οὑ σφόδρα' ἄτοπον, ὥστε νομίσαι ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἄτοπον μέν ἔστι πάντως, μετρίως δέ ἄτοπον· ἀλλά καί ἀντί τοῦ θετικοῦ κεῖται, τουτέστιν, οὐ δοκεῖ μοι ἄτοπον εἶναι εὐλαβῶς ἀποφαινόμενος ἔθει φιλοσόφῳ, ἀλλά καί ἀντί τοῦ οὐδαμῶς κεῖται, ὠσεί ἔλεγεν, οὐδαμῶς ἄτοπον.

γ'. ∆ιαπλάσας: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι τάς θείας τῶν προφητῶν ὁράσεις, τούς ἐφεστῶτας αὐτοῖς ἀγγέλους φησί διαπλάττοντας εἰς φαντασίαν ἄγειν τῶν