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as the light travels through one part, with the earth blocking it on the opposite side by its own mass, a certain portion of darkness is left behind by the shadow, and as the ever-moving revolution of the celestial pole necessarily carries around with it also the gloom resulting from the shadow, God ordained this cyclical period to become the measure of the extension of time; and this measure is day and 2.1.278 night. For this reason, according to his own wisdom, Moses, clarifying for us such doctrines in a more historical manner, named the gloom which comes on from the obstruction of the earth the separation of light and darkness, and he called the ever-occurring measured succession of light to darkness around the terrestrial space day and night. So that the light was not called day as a surname, but just as light came to be and not a mere name of light, so also the measure of time came to be, and the name followed the measure, not coming into being by the sound of words from the Creator, but by the very nature of the thing itself drawing to itself the meaning through 2.1.279 the word. And just as if this had been clearly stated by the lawgiver, that everything that appears and is named is not self-generated nor uncreated, but has its substance from God, we would have understood by ourselves that God made the whole cosmos and the parts in it and the order observed within it and the faculty for knowing beings, so also through what he said he leads us to this thought, to believe that nothing that exists is without a beginning. And looking to this, he goes through the subsequent events methodically and in order, enumerating the sequence of things that came to be. 2.1.280 And these things could not be presented otherwise in the account, without conveying the meaning through identifying names. Since, then, it is written that “God called the light Day,” it must be understood that God made day from the light, being something different according to its own principle. For you would not give the same definition for light and for day, but light is that which is understood as the opposite to darkness, while day is the measure of a certain interval in the 2.1.281 light. Likewise you will also understand night and darkness according to the same distinction of reason, defining darkness as that which is understood as the opposite to light, and naming night as a certain circumscription of darkness. Therefore our argument is strengthened through all this, even if it is not technically formulated according to the figures of dialectic, showing that God is a creator of things, not of mere words. For not for His sake, but for ours, are names imposed on things. 2.1.282 For because it is not always possible for us to have all existing things before our eyes, we know some of the things that are always present, and others we inscribe in memory. Otherwise it is not possible for our memory to be kept unconfused, without the meaning of names distinguishing from one another the things stored in the mind. But for God all things are present and he has no need of memory, since all things are comprehended and beheld by his all-seeing 2.1.283 power. What need, then, has he of a word or a name, when his very wisdom and power contains the nature of existing things unconfused and distinct? Therefore, from God are all existing and subsisting things, but for the sake of our guidance the signifying names of things are attached to them. And if someone says these come to be according to what pleases the customs of men, he will in no way offend against the doctrine of providence. For we do not say that the nature of existing things comes 2.1.284 from us, but the names. The Hebrew names the heaven one way and the Canaanite another, but each understands it in the same way, in no way differing concerning the understanding of the object because of the difference of sounds. But the overly pious will-worship of these wise men, by which, if it were granted that the words for things come from men, it establishes that men are 20more originative20 than God, is proved to be some vain and unsubstantial thing and through the very thing according to

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καθ' ἓν μέρος τοῦ φωτὸς διο δεύοντος ἀντιφραττούσης κατὰ τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ ὄγκῳ τῆς γῆς ὑπολειφθῆναί τινα διὰ τοῦ ἀποσκιάσματος μοῖραν τοῦ σκότους, τῆς δὲ ἀεικινήτου περιφορᾶς τοῦ πόλου συμπεριαγούσης ἑαυτῇ κατ' ἀνάγκην καὶ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἀπο σκιάσματος ἐπισυμβαίνοντα ζόφον τὴν ἐγκύκλιον ταύτην περίοδον τάξαι τὸν θεὸν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι μέτρον τῆς χρο νικῆς παρατάσεως· τὸ δὲ μέτρον τοῦτο ἡμέρα ἐστὶ καὶ 2.1.278 νύξ. διὰ τοῦτο κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σοφίαν ἱστορικώτερον τὰ τοιαῦτα τῶν δογμάτων ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἡμῖν σαφηνίζων τὸν ἐξ ἀντιφράξεως τῆς γῆς ἐπεισιόντα ζόφον χωρισμὸν φωτὸς καὶ σκότους ὠνόμασε καὶ τὴν ἀεὶ γινομένην περὶ τὸν περί γειον χῶρον τοῦ φωτὸς πρὸς τὸ σκότος ἔμμετρον διαδοχὴν ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα προσεῖπεν. ὥστε οὐχὶ ἐπίκλητον τὸ φῶς ἡμέρα προσηγορεύθη, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐγένετο φῶς καὶ οὐχὶ ψιλὴ προσηγορία φωτός, οὕτως καὶ τοῦ χρόνου τὸ μέτρον ἐγένετο, ἐπηκολούθησε δὲ τῷ μέτρῳ τὸ ὄνομα, οὐκ ἐν ῥημάτων ψόφῳ παρὰ τοῦ πεποιηκότος γενόμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτῆς τῆς τοῦ πράγματος φύσεως ἐπισπασαμένης τὴν διὰ 2.1.279 τῆς φωνῆς σημασίαν. καὶ ὥσπερ εἰ τοῦτο σαφῶς εἴρητο παρὰ τοῦ νομοθέτου, ὅτι πᾶν τὸ φαινόμενον καὶ ὀνομαζό μενον οὐκ αὐτοφυές ἐστιν οὐδὲ ἀποίητον, ἀλλ' ἐκ θεοῦ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἔχει, ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν ἂν συνεθήκαμεν τὸ πάντα τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ μέρη καὶ τὴν ἐνθεωρουμένην τάξιν καὶ τὴν γνωριστικὴν τῶν ὄντων δύναμιν τὸν θεὸν πεποιη κέναι, οὕτως καὶ δι' ὧν εἶπε πρὸς ταύτην ἐνάγει ἡμᾶς τὴν διάνοιαν, εἰς τὸ πιστεύειν τὸ μηδὲν τῶν ὄντων ἄναρχον εἶναι. καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο βλέπων ὁδῷ καὶ τάξει τὰ καθεξῆς διεξέρχεται, τὴν τῶν γεγονότων ἀκολουθίαν ἀπαριθμούμενος. 2.1.280 ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ ἦν ἄλλως παραστήσασθαι τῷ λόγῳ, μὴ διὰ τῶν γνωριστικῶν ὀνομάτων τὴν σημασίαν ποιούμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν γέγραπται ὅτι Ἐκάλεσεν ὁ θεὸς τὸ φῶς ἡμέραν, νοητέον ὅτι ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ φωτὸς ἡμέραν ἕτερόν τι οὖσαν κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον. οὐ γὰρ ἂν τὸν αὐτὸν ἀποδοίης φωτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας λόγον, ἀλλὰ φῶς μὲν τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου πρὸς τὸ σκότος νοούμενον, ἡμέρα δὲ τὸ τοσόνδε τοῦ ἐν τῷ 2.1.281 φωτὶ διαστήματος μέτρον. ὡσαύτως καὶ νύκτα καὶ σκότος κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ λόγου διαίρεσιν κατανοήσεις, σκότος μὲν τὸ ἐξ ἐναντίου πρὸς τὸ φῶς νοούμενον ὁριζόμενος, νύκτα δὲ τὴν τοσήνδε τοῦ σκότους περιγραφὴν ὀνομάζων. οὐκοῦν ἔρρωται διὰ πάντων ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τεχνι κῶς κατὰ τὰ σχήματα τῆς διαλεκτικῆς συνηρώτηται, δεικνὺς ὅτι θεὸς πραγμάτων ἐστὶ δημιουργός, οὐ ῥημάτων ψιλῶν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκείνου χάριν, ἀλλ' ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν ἐπίκειται τοῖς πράγμασι τὰ ὀνόματα. 2.1.282 ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ μὴ πάντοτε δυνατὸν ἡμῖν εἶναι πάντα ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἔχειν τὰ ὄντα τὸ μέν τι τῶν ἀεὶ παρόντων γινώ σκομεν, τὸ δὲ τῇ μνήμῃ ἐναπογράφομεν. ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀσύγχυτον φυλαχθῆναι ἡμῖν τὴν μνήμην, μὴ τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων σημασίας διαστελλούσης ἀπ' ἀλλήλων τὰ ἐναποκείμενα τῇ διανοίᾳ πράγματα. θεῷ δὲ πάντα πάρ εστι καὶ οὐδὲν δεῖ μνήμης αὐτῷ, πάντων τῇ διορατικῇ 2.1.283 δυνάμει περικρατουμένων τε καὶ θεωρουμένων. τίς οὖν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ χρεία ῥήματος ἢ ὀνόματος, αὐτῆς τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ σοφίας τε καὶ δυνάμεως ἀσύγχυτόν τε καὶ διακεκριμένην τὴν τῶν ὄντων φύσιν περιεχούσης; οὐκοῦν παρὰ θεοῦ μὲν τὰ ὄντα καὶ ὑφεστῶτα πάντα, τῆς δὲ ἡμετέρας ἕνεκεν ὁδηγίας ἔπεστι τοῖς οὖσι τὰ σημειωτικὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ὀνόματα. ταῦτα δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἀρέσκον ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων συνηθείαις γίνεσθαί τις εἰπὼν οὐδὲν εἰς τὸν τῆς προνοίας πλημμελήσει λόγον. οὐ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν τῶν ὄντων γίνεσθαι 2.1.284 παρ' ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ὀνόματα λέγομεν. ἄλλως ὀνομάζει τὸν οὐρανὸν ὁ Ἑβραῖος καὶ ἑτέρως ὁ Χαναναῖος, νοεῖ δὲ ὡσαύτως ἑκάτερος, οὐδὲν τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν φθόγγων περὶ τὴν κατανόησιν τοῦ ὑποκειμένου διαμφιβάλλοντες. ἡ δὲ λίαν εὐλαβὴς τῶν σοφῶν τούτων ἐθελοθρησκεία, δι' ὧν, εἰ δοθείη παρὰ ἀνθρώπων εἶναι τοῖς πράγμασι τὰς φωνάς, τὸ 20ἀρχηγικωτέρους20 εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους κατασκευάζει, ἐλέγχεται ματαία τις οὖσα καὶ ἀνυπόστατος καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κατὰ