De synagogae defectu DE SYNAGOGE DEFECTU SEU TRANSNOMINATIONE ABRAMI IN

ABRAHAMUM.

Of Saint Cyril, from the discourse whose inscription is: A proof through the divine oracles that have been from the beginning to the divine patriarchs concerning the alteration and transfer of the Jews and of the nations.

The change of name of Abram has been understood as signifying the triadic

number of the divine hypostases; for since the divine patriarch was named Abram, he was renamed Abraham by God. If one should choose to interpret this, taking the initial letter of the name, the α, with what is joined and adjacent to it, I mean the β, he will certainly find by transposition of the α after the ρ, that it signifies Father; for 'aba' is indeed interpreted as 'father'.

But if again, separately, he wishes to explain the second letter in position, I mean the β, with what is joined and adjacent to it, the ρ, again he will find, by a similar transposition of the same α, that it signifies Son; for 'bar' is indeed interpreted as 'son'. And if he should wish to read and explain the final letter, I mean the μ, with what is joined and adjacent to it, 76.1424 again, conversely, he will find by a combination with the same ρ, that it signifies 'most high'; for 'mar' is clearly interpreted as 'most high'; which alludes to the hypostasis of the all-holy Spirit; the word periphrastically teaching us that He is and exists as God; for the 'most high' is nothing else but certainly God by nature. Therefore, this change of name having been given by God to the patriarch, the most ineffable and mystical dogma of the Holy Trinity is found clearly prefigured and foretold, the appellation of Abraham clearly showing from the name, signifying, and initiating into the mystery of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, according to the most manifest naming and enumeration and tradition of Christ our Savior in theology.

De synagogae defectu DE SYNAGOGE DEFECTU SEU TRANSNOMINATIONE ABRAMI IN

ABRAHAMUM.

Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ λόγου, οὗ ἡ ἐπι γραφή· Ἀπόδειξις διὰ τῶν ἀρχῆθεν γεγενημένων θείων χρησμῶν τοῖς θεσπεσίοις πα τριάρχαις περὶ τῆς ἀμείψεως καὶ μεταθέσεως τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν.

Ἡ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἀντωνομασία κατείληπται σημαίνουσα τὸν τριαδικὸν

ἀριθμὸν τῶν θεαρχικῶν ὑποστάσεων· ἐπεὶ γὰρ Ἄβραμ ὠνομάσθη ὁ θεσπέσιος πατριάρχης, Ἀβραὰμ ἀντωνομάσθη θεόθεν. Εἰ μέν τις ἕλοιτο διερμηνεῦσαι τουτὶ, τοῦ ὀνόματος τὸ προκαταρκτικὸν στοιχεῖον τὸ α ἄγων μετὰ τοῦ συνημμένου καὶ συμπελάζοντος αὐτῷ, τοῦ β φημι, πάντως εὑρήσει καθ' ὑπερβιβασμὸν τοῦ μετὰ τὸ ρ α, σημαῖνον Πατήρ· τὸ γὰρ ἀβὰ, πατὴρ ἑρμηνεύεται δήπουθεν.

Εἰ δέ γε πάλιν διῃρημένως τὸ δεύτερον τῇ θέσει στοιχεῖον, λέγω δὴ τὸ β, μετὰ τοῦ συνημμένου καὶ συμπελάζοντος αὐτῷ ρ, διασαφῆσαι θελήσει, πάλιν εὑρήσει καθ' ὑπερβιβασμὸν ὡσαύτως τοῦ αὐτοῦ α, σημαῖνον Υἱός· τὸ γὰρ βὰρ, υἱὸς ἑρμηνεύεται δήπουθεν. Εἰ δὲ τὸ τελικὸν στοιχεῖον, λέγω δὴ τὸ μ, μετὰ τοῦ συνημμένου καὶ συμπελάζοντος αὐτῷ προσαναγνῶναι καὶ διασαφῆσαι βουληθείη, 76.1424 πάλιν ἀνθυποστρόφως εὑρήσει κατὰ σύλληψιν τοῦ αὐτοῦ ρ, σημαῖνον ὕψιστος· ἑρμηνεύεται γὰρ δηλονότι τὸ μὰρ, ὕψιστος· ὅπερ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος αἰνίττεται τὴν ὑπόστασιν· Θεὸν αὐτὸν πεφυκέναι καὶ εἶναι περιφραστικῶς ἡμᾶς διδασκούσης τῆς λέξεως· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἕτερον ὁ ὕψιστος πέφυκεν, ἀλλ' ἢ πάντως κατὰ φύσιν Θεός. Ταύτης οὖν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τῷ πατριάρχῃ δοθείσης ἀντωνομασίας, εὕρηται σαφῶς προγεγραμμένον τε καὶ προδεδηλωμένον καὶ τὸ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ἀποῤῥητότατον καὶ μυστικώτατον δόγμα, σαφῶς ἐξ ὀνόματος Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐμφαινούσης καὶ σημαινούσης καὶ μυσταγωγούσης τῆς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ προσηγορίας, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θεολογίας ἀριδηλοτάτην ὀνομασίαν καὶ ἀπαρίθμησιν καὶ παράδοσιν.