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established upon the winds and he says the clouds above become strong and the springs under heaven secure, and the phrasing contains many such things, requiring much of the meaning in the preceding text which is found through a certain subtle and discerning mind. What is the throne established upon the winds? What is the security of the springs under heaven? 3.1.38 How do the clouds above become strong? For if anyone should judge the statement by appearances, he will find a great conflict between the facts and what is said. For who does not know that the extremities under heaven are uninhabitable, either because they converse too much with the heat of the sun or because they are excessively distant, due to the immoderation in each case, the one becoming dry and torrid beyond measure, the other abounding in moisture and frozen solid, and that only those parts are inhabited which are equally removed from each extreme of the opposites? 3.1.39 But if the middle of the earth is occupied by men, how does the proverb say that the extremities under heaven are inhabited? For what strength could be observed in the clouds, so that the statement might be true according to its surface meaning, which says that the clouds above have become strong? For the nature of a cloud is a certain rather tenuous vapor diffused through the air, which is borne up by the atmospheric wind, becoming light through its great subtlety, but when it flows together upon itself from compression, it falls through the supporting wind, 3.1.40 becoming a heavy drop. What then is the strength in these things, in which there is no resistance to those who touch them? For the tenuous and easily diffused nature of the air can be seen also in the case of a cloud. And how again is the divine throne established upon the unstable nature of the winds? And as for being created first and being said at the end to be begotten and between these to be founded, what reason could one say this has in accordance with common and surface notions, and that which was questioned before these in the discourse, how the reporting of daily events and the memory of the enumeration of things from eternity become, as it were, a certain cause for saying that wisdom was created by God? 3.1.41 Therefore, since it has been clearly shown through what has been said that there is nothing of such a kind in these things that the statement should be accepted unexamined and unconsidered, it would be well, in a manner similar to the rest, to interpret "the Lord created me" not according to the meaning that immediately arises in us from the word, but to seek with all attention and care the pious meaning intended through what is said. 3.1.42 But to have comprehended precisely the meaning of the preceding matters would belong only to those who search out the depths with the Holy Spirit and know how to speak the divine mysteries in the Spirit; but from our part, the discourse will be occupied with the preceding matters only so much as not to overlook entirely the unconsidered scope in these things. What then is our argument? It is not possible, I think, for wisdom which arises in someone from divine illumination to come about alone, without the other gifts of the Spirit, but the grace of prophecy must by all means enter in together with it. 3.1.43 For if the apprehension of the truth of existing things is proper to wisdom, while prophecy contains the clear knowledge of future things, one would not be in the perfect gift of wisdom without, through the cooperation of prophecy, also including in his knowledge that which is to be. Since, therefore, Solomon does not testify to some human wisdom for himself when he says "God has taught me wisdom," and attributes his entire discourse to God in that he says "My words are spoken from God," it would be well to investigate the prophecy mingled with wisdom in this part of the 3.1.44 proverb. We say, therefore, that in the preceding words, by saying that wisdom built her house for herself, he hints through the statement at the preparation of the flesh of the Lord; for true wisdom did not dwell in another's building, but built for herself the dwelling place from the virgin's body. 3.1.45 But here he sets forth in the discourse that which was united from both, I mean of the house and of the wisdom which built the house,

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ἀνέμων ἀφοριζόμενον καὶ ἰσχυρὰ γίνεσθαι τὰ ἄνω νέφη λέγει καὶ ἀσφαλεῖς τὰς ὑπουρανίους πηγὰς καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα περιέχει ἡ σύμφρασις, πολλὴν ἐπιζητοῦντα τὴν διὰ λεπτῆς τινος καὶ διορατικῆς φρενὸς εὑρισκομένην ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις διάνοιαν. τίς ὁ ἐπ' ἀνέμων ἀφοριζό μενος θρόνος; τίς ἡ ἀσφάλεια τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν πηγῶν; 3.1.38 πῶς ἰσχυρὰ γίνεται τὰ ἄνω νέφη; εἰ γάρ τις πρὸς τὰ φαινόμενα κρίνοι τὸν λόγον, πολλὴν εὑρήσει μάχην τῶν πραγμάτων πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ἢ τῷ λίαν καθομιλεῖν τῇ τοῦ ἡλίου θερμότητι ἢ τῷ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἀφεστάναι διὰ τὴν καθ' ἑκάτερον ἀμετρίαν ἐστὶν ἀοίκητα, τὰ μὲν ξηρά τε καὶ διακαῆ πέρα τοῦ μετρίου γινόμενα, τὰ δὲ τῷ ὑγρῷ πλεο νάζοντα καὶ κατεψυγμένα διὰ τῆς πήξεως, οἰκεῖται δὲ μόνα ὅσα τῆς καθ' ἑκάτερον τῶν ἐναντίων ἀκρότητος ἐπί 3.1.39 σης ἀπῴκισται; εἰ δὲ τὸ μέσον τῆς γῆς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀν θρώπων διείληπται, πῶς τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν οἰκεῖσθαι ἡ παροιμία λέγει; τίς γὰρ ἰσχὺς ἐνθεωρηθείη τοῖς νέφεσιν, ὡς ἀληθεύειν τὸν λόγον κατὰ τὴν πρόχειρον ἔννοιαν, ὅς φησιν ἰσχυρὰ γεγενῆσθαι τὰ ἄνω νέφη; μανό τερος γάρ τίς ἐστιν ἀτμὸς ἡ τοῦ νέφους φύσις κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα διαχεόμενος, ὃς ἐποχεῖται μὲν τῷ ἐναερίῳ πνεύματι διὰ πολλὴν λεπτότητα κοῦφος γινόμενος, συρρυεὶς δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τῆς συμπιλήσεως διεκπίπτει τοῦ ἀνέχοντος πνεύ 3.1.40 ματος, σταγὼν βαρεῖα γινόμενος. τίς οὖν ἐστιν ἐν τούτοις ἡ ἰσχύς, ἐν οἷς οὐδεμία τοῖς ἁπτομένοις ἀντίληψις γίνεται; τὸ γὰρ μανὸν τοῦ ἀέρος καὶ εὐδιάχυτον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ νέ φους ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. πῶς δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀστάτῳ τῶν ἀνέμων φύσει ὁ θεῖος ἀφορίζεται θρόνος; τὸ δὲ πρῶτον κτίζεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει λέγειν γεννᾶσθαι καὶ διὰ μέσου τούτων θε μελιοῦσθαι, τίνα λόγον εἴποι τις ἂν ἔχειν ταῖς κοιναῖς τε καὶ προχείροις ἐννοίαις συμβαίνοντα, τό τε πρὸ τούτων ἐπαπορηθὲν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ, πῶς ἡ ἀναγγελία τῶν καθ' ἡμέ ραν γινομένων καὶ ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἐξαριθμήσεως τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ὥσπερ αἰτία τις γίνεται τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν σοφίαν λέγειν; 3.1.41 Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ δέδεικται φανερῶς διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων μηδὲν ἐν τούτοις τοιοῦτον εἶναι, ὡς ἀνεξετάστως τε καὶ ἀθεωρήτως παραδεχθῆναι τὸν λόγον, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ τὸ Κύριος ἔκτισέ με μὴ κατὰ τὴν αὐτόθεν ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ῥήματος ἐγγινομένην διάνοιαν ἑρμηνεύειν, ἀλλὰ ζητεῖν κατὰ πᾶσαν προσοχήν τε καὶ ἐπι 3.1.42 μέλειαν τὸ εὐσεβῶς διὰ τοῦ λεγομένου νοούμενον. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἀκριβῶς κατειληφέναι τὴν τῶν προκειμένων διάνοιαν μόνων ἂν εἴη τῶν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τὰ βάθη διερευνών των καὶ λαλεῖν ἐπισταμένων ἐν πνεύματι τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια· παρ' ἡμῶν δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις ὁ λόγος ἀσχο ληθήσεται, ὅσον μὴ πάντη περιϊδεῖν τὸν ἐν τούτοις σκοπὸν ἀθεώρητον. τίς οὖν ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος; οὐκ ἔστιν, οἶμαι, δυνατὸν τὴν ἐκ θείας ἐλλάμψεως γινομένην ἔν τινι σοφίαν μόνην ταύτην δίχα τῶν λοιπῶν χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος παραγενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ χρὴ πάντως συνεισελθεῖν ταύτῃ καὶ 3.1.43 τῆς προφητείας τὴν χάριν. εἰ γὰρ ἴδιον σοφίας ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς τῶν ὄντων ἀληθείας κατάληψις, προφητεία δὲ τὴν τῶν μελλόντων περιέχει σαφήνειαν, οὐκ ἂν ἐν τῷ τελείῳ τις τῆς σοφίας εἴη χαρίσματι μὴ διὰ τῆς προφητικῆς συν εργίας συμπεριλαβὼν τῇ γνώσει καὶ τὸ ἐσόμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην τινὰ σοφίαν ἑαυτῷ προσμαρτυρεῖ Σολο μὼν ὁ εἰπὼν ὅτι Ὁ θεὸς δεδίδαχέ με σοφίαν, καὶ πάντα τὸν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ λόγον ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ θεῷ ἐν οἷς φησιν ὅτι Οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ἀπὸ θεοῦ, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι τὴν ἀνα μεμιγμένην τῇ σοφίᾳ προφητείαν ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ τῆς 3.1.44 παροιμίας διερευνήσασθαι. φαμὲν τοίνυν ὅτι ἐν μὲν τοῖς πρὸ τούτου λόγοις εἰπὼν τὴν σοφίαν ἑαυτῇ ᾠκοδομηκέναι τὸν οἶκον τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς τοῦ κυρίου κατασκευὴν διὰ τοῦ λόγου αἰνίσσεται· οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ οἰκοδομήματι ἡ ἀληθινὴ σοφία κατῴκησεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῇ τὸ οἰκητήριον 3.1.45 ἐκ τοῦ παρθενικοῦ σώματος ἐδομήσατο. ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ ἑνωθὲν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῷ λόγῳ προτίθησι, τοῦ τε οἴκου λέγω καὶ τῆς σοφίας τῆς οἰκοδομησάσης τὸν οἶκον,