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of a harbor, and those pursued by enemies and foes or even wild beasts, need a wall for refuge; and with all these things the man of God wrestles in this present life; he is necessarily taught to consider his own Lord a refuge for himself and a wall, and a saving harbor; so that, whether in times of persecution we are driven by enemies, or warred against by invisible foes, or conspired against by those who try 23.1125 to plot against us, we might soberly flee to our Lord and God, who becomes in every generation a champion and defender of those who call upon him. But instead of, 'In generation and generation,' Symmachus has rendered it more clearly, saying, 'In each generation'; and again: 'Before the mountains were brought forth, and the earth and the world were formed,' Aquila and Symmachus together say in agreement: 'Before the mountains were born and the earth and the world travailed.' And it seems to me that the Hebrew wording has rendered a natural account, teaching in these things that the mountains on it did not co-exist with the earth from the beginning, but grew up in the manner of those that are born; for which reason it is said: 'Before the mountains were brought forth,' or, 'Before mountains were born'; and it is likely that when the mountains were born and put forth from the earth, analogously to infants, they did not have the size they now possess, but having just been generated and born, like newborn infants, they were small and very little, and in the long course of time they increased in growth and size. At any rate, some of the natural philosophers say that even to this day the mountains are growing, and the rocks are becoming larger than themselves through certain very small additions over long periods, which escape our notice. And since the translators, following the Hebrew, have also said that the earth and the world travailed, is it not proper to think something similar concerning the earth as with the mountains, that it came forth from another element, and first travailed like women in labor, and endured birth pangs in giving birth? If, then, the account of the natural philosophers stands, which says that the first element was water, and then from water and the moist substance the remaining elements came to be; one might say that this is also signified in the present Scripture, which indicates that there was a time when the earth, being in another element, was hidden, being conceived and apprehended in the nature of the moist substance. For this reason also it is said in the creation account: 'But the earth was invisible and unformed; and darkness was over the abyss;' but later, as if born, it came forth from the substance of the waters, not without a divine power and a greater necessity imposed upon it; and this was the will of the Creator. For just as with women in labor, when force and necessity come upon them, what is in the womb is brought forth, when the appointed time for giving birth has arrived, at which they travail and give birth; in the same way, by the power and wisdom of the creator of all things, the waters brought forth the earth and the world of men. And this was fulfilled, when God said: 'Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one collection, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so. For behold in your mind the earth formerly hidden within the waters, dissolved like mud, and mixed with the multitude of the waters, so as to be hidden and invisible; for which reason it is said: 'But the earth was invisible and unformed;' then later by the will of God, it was gathered together, first being compacted and solidified, and after this, being suddenly brought up 23.1128 to come forth into the light, and to emerge into the pure air. And behold, how at that time it seemed to differ in nothing from things born from the womb. When, therefore, it was put forth, having emerged from the waters, it resembled being born and begotten; but before its birth, being turned into mud and solidified within the waters, and like mud settling and subsiding to its proper weight, it was then being conceived; so that later also

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λιμένος, οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων ἢ καὶ θηρῶν ἀγρίων διωκόμενοι, τείχους εἰς καταφυγὴν δέονται· πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον παλαίει· ἀναγκαίως διδάσκεται καταφυγὴν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τεῖχος, λιμένα τε σωτήριον ἡγεῖσθαι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Κύριον· ἵν', εἴτε ἐν καιροῖς διωγμῶν ὑπ' ἐχθρῶν ἐλαυνώμεθα, εἴτε ὑπὸ ἀοράτων πολεμίων πολεμούμεθα, εἴτε ὑπὸ τῶν συσκευάζεσθαι ἡμᾶς πει 23.1125 ρωμένων ἐπιβουλευοίμεθα, νηφόντως ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν Θεὸν καταφύγοιμεν, τὸν κατὰ γενεὰν καὶ γενεὰν ὑπέρμαχον γιγνόμενον καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴν τῶν ἐπικαλουμένων αὐτόν. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Ἐν γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ, σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν εἰπὼν, Ἐν ἑκάστῃ γενεᾷ· καὶ πάλιν· Πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη γενηθῆναι καὶ πλασθῆναι τὴν γῆν καὶ οἰκουμένην, συμφώνως ὁμοῦ Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχός φασι· Πρὶν ὄρη τεχθῆναι καὶ ὠδινηθῆναι γῆν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην. Καί μοι δοκεῖ ἡ Ἑβραϊκὴ λέξις φυσικὸν ἀποδεδωκέναι λόγον, ἐν αὐτοῖς διδάσκουσα μὴ ἀρχῆθεν συνυπάρξαι τῇ γῇ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ὄρη, ἀλλ' ἀναφυῆναι δίκην τῶν τικτομένων· διὸ εἴρηται· Πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη γενηθῆναι, ἢ, Πρὶν ὄρη τεχθῆναι· καὶ εἰκὸς ἅμα τῷ τεχθῆναι τὰ ὄρη καὶ προβληθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καταλλήλως τοῖς βρέφεσι, μὴ ὁποῖα νῦν τὸ μέγεθος ὑποστῆναι, ἀλλ' ἄρτι μὲν γεννηθέντα καὶ τεχθέντα, ὥσπερ ἀρτιγενῆ τῶν βρεφῶν, μικρὰ καὶ ἐλάχιστα ὑπάρξαι, τῷ δὲ μακρῷ αἰῶνι αὔξην καὶ μέγεθος ἐπιδοῦναι. Φασὶ γοῦν εἰς ἔτι δεῦρό τινες τῶν φυσιολόγων αὔξειν τὰ ὄρη, καὶ τὰς πέτρας μείζους ἑαυτῶν γίνεσθαι κατά τινας λανθανούσας ἡμᾶς διὰ μακρῶν περιόδων βραχυτάτας προσθήκας. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ὠδινηθῆναι τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰρήκασιν οἱ ἑρμηνεύσαντες, ἐξακολουθήσαντες τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ, μήποτε καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὸ παραπλήσιον τοῖς ὄρεσι νοῆσαι προσήκει, ὡς ἐξ ἑτέρου στοιχείου προελθούσης αὐτῆς, καὶ πρότερον μὲν ὠδινηθείσης δίκην τῶν κυοφορουσῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ τίκτειν ὑπομενουσῶν ὠδῖνας; Εἰ δ' οὖν συνέστηκεν ὁ τῶν φυσικῶν λόγος ὁ φάσκων, πρῶτον στοιχεῖον γεγονέναι τὸ ὕδωρ, εἶτα ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας ὑποστῆναι τὰ λοιπὰ στοιχεῖα· εἴποι ἄν τις τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης Γραφῆς σημαίνεσθαι δηλούσης, ὅτι ἦν ὅτε ἐν ἑτέρῳ οὖσα ἡ γῆ στοιχείῳ ἀφανὴς ἦν, κυουμένη καὶ συλλαμβανομένη ἐν τῇ φύσει τῆς ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν τῇ κοσμοποιίᾳ εἴρηται· Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος· καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου· ἀλλ' ὕστερον ὥσπερ ἀπογεννηθεῖσα προῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων οὐσίας, οὐκ ἄνευ θείας δυνάμεως καὶ κρείττονος ἀνάγκης ἐπιτεθείσης αὐτῇ· αὕτη δὲ ἦν ἡ τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ βούλησις. Ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν κυοφορουσῶν γυναικῶν, βίας καὶ ἀνάγκης ἐπελθούσης αὐταῖς, τὸ κατὰ γαστρὸς προάγεται, τοῦ ὡρισμένου χρόνου τῆς ἀποτέξεως ἐπιστάντος, καθ' ὃν ὠδίνουσαι τίκτουσι· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον δυνάμει καὶ σοφίᾳ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων δημιουργοῦ γῆν καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκουμένην τὰ ὕδατα προηνέγκατο. Καὶ τοῦτ' ἐπληροῦτο, ὁπηνίκα εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Συναχθήτω τὰ ὕδατα ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς συναγωγὴν μίαν, καὶ ὀφθήτω ἡ ξηρά. Καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτω. Θέα γάρ μοι τῇ διανοίᾳ τὴν γῆν ἔνδον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι πάλαι πρότερον ἐγκεκρυμμένην, τρόπον τε ἰλύος ἀναλελυμένην, καὶ τῷ πλήθει τῶν ὑδάτων ἀνακεκραμένην, ὡς ἀφανῆ εἶναι καὶ ἀόρατον· διὸ λέγεσθαι· Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος· εἶθ' ὕστερον βουλήσει Θεοῦ αὐτὴν συναγομένην πιλοῦσθαι πρότερον καὶ συμπήγνυσθαι, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀθρόως ἀναδοθεῖσαν 23.1128 εἰς φῶς προελθεῖν, καὶ ἀνακύψαι εἰς καθαρὸν ἀέρα. Καὶ ἰδὲ, ὡς οὐδὲν τῶν γεννωμένων ἀπὸ γαστρὸς διαφέρειν ἐδόκει τότε. Ὅτε μὲν οὖν προβέβλητο τῶν ὑδάτων ἀνακύψασα, τικτομένη καὶ γεννωμένη ἐοίκει· πρὸ δὲ τῆς γεννήσεως ἔνδον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι συμπηλουμένη πηγνυμένη τε, καὶ δίκην ἰλύος ἐπὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον βάρος ὑφισταμένη καὶ συνιζάνουσα, τὸ τηνικαῦτα συνελαμβάνετο· ὡς ὕστερον δὲ καὶ