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the majesty of wisdom. "Who advised? Who counseled? Who helped?" He did not say: "when I made," but when I founded. For its very standing was a matter of great skill, having no foundation nor base nor pedestal, to fit together such a bodily mass and fix it so securely that in so much time it has not been shaken. Who has set its measures, he says, if you know, or who is it that has stretched a line upon it? We are truly learning ineffable mysteries, and what was said to Job was not said to him more than to us; gird up your loins like a man. For we too need this eagerness and rising up. Who has set its measures? Therefore it was not made so large simply, nor by chance, nor randomly, but God, looking to some purpose, made it thus symmetrical, like an excellent master craftsman. For it had to be this large, and neither smaller nor larger. But as for why, it is not possible for us to understand, but only for him who made it. For he made it with such precision as if someone had stretched a line. And it seems to me, if even the slightest thing were added, it would be inopportune, and if the slightest thing were taken184 away, it would be inopportune and would become useless. For just as with the symmetry of our limbs, if someone were to add even the slightest thing, he both ruins the beauty of the whole body and has impeded its use, so it seems to me that if someone were to add the measure of a plethron to the whole earth, he would by that logic ruin it all. Thus with precision have its measures been fashioned, and it could not stand otherwise than as God made it. Not as if these things happened, nor as if God brought a line, but because it is impossible to set a measure and to bring a line upon it, but because it was made with such precision as it would have been if these things had happened, or rather with much more. Nevertheless, through these things he shows us his wisdom, through things known to us. Upon what, he says, are its rings fastened? First, "it is suspended," he says. What rings bear it? Again, not as if these exist, but as if it stands so securely as if there were rings supporting it from above and fastened. For since a ring bears a body suspended, and what is suspended is not stable, for this reason he says: they are fastened. And who is it that has laid its cornerstone? Because it stands so firm, as if on a building resting on a secure foundation by the will of God. For in his hand are all the ends of the earth. 38,7a when the stars were made, 7b all my angels praised me with a loud voice. From this it is clear that the angels were made first, before this world. And they praised with a loud voice, that is: they were astonished by the very sight. 185 38,8a But did you shut up the sea with doors, 8b when it was being brought forth and was coming out of its mother's womb? that is: "when it came into being, did you wall it in?" But for what reason does he say: when it was being brought forth? In order to show that it came into being little by little and was not thus produced all at once. He sends the hearer then to the narrative of Moses; just as one being delivered, so first it was poured out, then it was formed and gathered together. For lest you think it is natural for it to be contained in those gulfs, he first allows the opposite to happen, permitting the water to be poured out over the back of the whole inhabited world. And this he also did in the case of the other elements. For by the ordering that was to happen after these things, he showed the former state, as for example in the case of the earth: for that by mingling with the waters it was to be mud, the first foundation of the elements declared. That the water, if not contained, was to be poured out everywhere, the sea everywhere on the inhabited world declared. That even before seeds it was possible for God to make all things, this too he showed, when even without marriage he brought forth the first-formed. And this too, that if fire had not been ordered, it would have burned up everything, he showed, when he rained fire. And in the case of the flood of Noah; for since no one was present at that ordering, he did it again with another. Not that it had a mother, nor that it came out from a womb. 38,9a And I made a cloud its garment. Do not think this either to be of nature, the vapors from the

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σοφίας τὸ μεγαλεῖον. «τίς παρῄνεσεν; τίς συνεβούλευσεν; τίς ἐβοήθησεν;» οὐκ εἶπεν· "ὅτε ἐποίησα", ἀλλ' ὅτε ἐθεμελίωσα. καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ στῆναι αὐτὴν μεγάλης τέχνης ἦν οὐκ ἔχουσαν θεμέλιον οὐδὲ κρηπῖδα οὐδὲ ὑποβάθραν, σώματος ὄγκον τοσοῦτον ἐναρμόσαι καὶ πῆξαι βεβαίως οὕτως ὡς ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ μὴ παρασαλευθῆναι. τίς ἔθετο μέτρα αὐτῆς, φησίν, εἰ οἶδας ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ' αὐτῆς. ἀπόρρητα μανθάνομεν μυστήρια ὄντως, καὶ τὸ πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ λεγόμενον οὐ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον εἴρηται μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. καὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν ταύτης δεῖ τῆς προθυμίας καὶ τῆς διαναστάσεως. τίς τέθεικεν αὐτῆς τὰ μέτρα; ἄρα οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοσαύτη γεγένηται οὐδὲ ὡς ἔτυχεν οὐδὲ εἰκῇ, ἀλλὰ πρός τινα σκοπὸν ὁ θεὸς ὁρῶν σύμμετρον οὕτως ἐποίησε καθάπερ ἀριστοτέχνης ἄριστος. τοσαύτην γὰρ ἔδει γενέσθαι καὶ οὔτε ἐλάττονα οὔτε πλείονα. τὸ δὲ διὰ τί ἡμῖν μὲν οὐ δυνατὸν συνιδεῖν, τῷ δὲ πεποιηκότι μόνῳ. μετὰ γὰρ τοσαύτης ἀκριβείας αὐτὴν ἐποίησεν ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις σπαρτίον ἐκτείνας. καὶ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, εἰ καὶ τὸ τυχὸν προσετέθη, ἄκαιρον εἶναι, καὶ εἰ τὸ τυχὸν ἀφῃρέ184 θη, ἄκαιρον εἶναι καὶ ἄχρηστον ἂν γενέσθαι. ὥσπερ γὰρ τῇ συμμετρίᾳ τῶν μελῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων εἰ προσθείη τις καὶ τὸ τυχόν, τῷ τε κάλλει λυμαίνεται τοῦ παντὸς σώματος καὶ τὴν χρείαν ἐνεπόδισεν, οὕτως ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ εἰ πλέθρου μέτρον προσθείη τις τῇ γῇ πάσῃ, τῷ λόγῳ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν λυμήνασθαι. οὕτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας αὐτῆς τὰ μέτρα διατετύπωται, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως σταίη ἢ οὕτως ὥσπερ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν. οὐχ ὡς τούτων γενομένων οὐδὲ ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ σπαρτίον ἐπαγαγόντος, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ μέτρον θεῖναι ἀδύνατον καὶ σπαρτίον ἐπενεχθῆναι, ἀλλ' ὅτι μετὰ τοσαύτης ἀκριβείας γέγονε μεθ' ὅσης ἂν εἰ ταῦτα ἐγένετο, μᾶλλον δὲ μετὰ πολλῷ πλείονος. ὅμως δὲ δείκνυσιν ἡμῖν διὰ τούτων τὴν σοφίαν, διὰ τῶν γνωρίμων ἡμῖν. ἐπὶ τίνος, φησίν, οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασιν; πρῶτον μὲν «ἐκκρεμής ἐστιν», φησίν. ποῖοι κρίκοι αὐτὴν φέρουσιν; πάλιν οὐχ ὡς τούτων ὄντων, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀσφαλῶς οὕτω βεβηκυίας αὐτῆς ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ κρίκοι ἦσαν ἄνωθεν βαστάζοντες καὶ πεπηγότες. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ κρίκος μετέωρον φέρει τὸ σῶμα, τὸ δὲ μετέωρον οὐχ ἕστηκεν, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· πεπήγασιν. τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτῆς; ὅτι οὕτως ἕστηκεν ἑδραία ὥσπερ ἐπ' οἰκοδομῆς ἐπ' ἀσφαλοῦς βεβηκυῖα θεμελιώσεως τῇ βουλήσει τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐν τῇ γὰρ γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. 38,7a ὅτε ἐγενήθησαν ἄστρα, 7b ᾔνεσάν με φωνῇ μεγάλῃ πάντες ἄγγελοί μου. ἀπὸ τούτου δῆλον, ὅτι πρῶτοι οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ κόσμου τούτου γεγένηνται. καὶ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ᾔνεσαν, τουτέστιν· ὑπὸ τῆς ὄψεως αὐτῆς ἐξεπλάγησαν. 185 38,8a ἔφραξας δὲ θάλασσαν πύλαις, 8b ὅτε ἐμαιοῦτο καὶ ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτῆς ἐξεπορεύετο; τουτέστιν· «ὅτε ἐγένετο, σὺ αὐτὴν ἐτείχισας;» τίνος δὲ ἕνεκέν φησιν· ὅτε ἐμαιοῦτο; ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι κατὰ μικρὸν γέγονε καὶ οὐχ ὁμοῦ οὕτω παρήχθη. παραπέμπει δὴ πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν τὴν Μωσέως τὸν ἀκροατήν· καθάπερ μαιουμένη οὕτω πρῶτον μὲν διεχύθη, εἶτα διεπλάσθη καὶ συνήχθη. ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς φυσικὸν εἶναι τοῦτο τὸ κατέχεσθαι αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ἐκείνοις τὸ ἐναντίον πρῶτον ἀφίησι γενέσθαι ὑπὲρ νώτων τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης διαχυθῆναι συγχωρήσας τὸ ὕδωρ. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων στοιχείων ἐποίησεν. τῇ γὰρ διακοσμήσει τῇ μετὰ ταῦτα γίνεσθαι μελλούσῃ τὴν προτέραν ἔδειξε κατάστασιν, οἷον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ὅτι γὰρ ὁμιλοῦσα ὕδασιν ἔμελλεν εἶναι πηλός, ἐδήλωσεν ἡ πρώτη καταβολὴ τῶν στοιχείων. ὅτι μὴ κατεχόμενον τὸ ὕδωρ ἔμελλε πανταχοῦ διαχεῖσθαι, ἡ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐδήλωσε θάλασσα. ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῶν σπερμάτων δυνατὸν ἦν τῷ θεῷ πάντα ποιῆσαι, καὶ τοῦτο ἔδειξεν, ὅτε καὶ χωρὶς γάμου παρήγαγε τοὺς πρωτοπλάστους. καὶ τοῦτο δέ, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ διεκεκόσμητο τὸ πῦρ, πάντα ἂν κατέφλεξεν, ἔδειξεν, ὅτε τὸ πῦρ ἔβρεξεν. καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὑετοῦ τοῦ Νῶε· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδεὶς παρῆν ἐκείνῃ τῇ διακοσμήσει, ἑτέρᾳ πάλιν ἐποίησεν. οὐχ ὅτι μητέρα εἶχεν οὐδὲ ὅτι ἀπὸ κοιλίας ἐξῆλθεν. 38,9a ἐθέμην δὲ αὐτῇ νέφος ἀμφίασιν. μηδὲ τοῦτο τῆς φύσεως εἶναι νομίσῃς τοὺς ἀτμοὺς τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν