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Quaestiones in Octateuchum QUAESTIONES IN GENESIN

And other learned men have promised to resolve the apparent problems of the divine scripture, to unfold the meaning of some and to declare the reasons for others, and simply to render clear what to many does not seem so. But you especially, dearest of children Hypatius, have urged me to do this, asserting strongly that this treatise would be beneficial to many. For this reason, although my body is not well disposed, I have chosen this labor; not trusting in myself, but in the one who commanded that these things be written so. For it is his to reveal the meaning hidden in the letter; for he, even in the holy gospels, both offered his teaching in parables and gave the interpretation of what was spoken enigmatically. Therefore, having beseeched to receive from him the intelligible ray, I will try to dare to enter the inner sanctuary of the all-holy Spirit. But it must be known before all else that not all have a harmonious purpose in their questioning, but some ask impiously, thinking to refute the divine scripture; now, on the grounds that it does not teach correctly, now, on the grounds that it teaches contradictions. Others, however, seek with a love of learning, and long to find what is sought. Therefore we shall shut, so to speak with God's help, their blasphemous mouths, by demonstrating both the harmony and the excellent teaching of the divine scripture; and to these others we shall offer, as far as is possible, the solution to their difficulties. And I shall make the beginning of these things the beginning of creation; for this is the beginning and prelude of the divinely inspired scripture. 4 I Why did the author not place a theology before the creation of all things? The divine scripture is accustomed to measure out lessons to those being instructed, and to offer to the perfect what is perfect, but to the imperfect what is elementary and in accordance with their own capacity. Since, therefore, the Egyptians deified the visible creation, and Israel, living with them for a very long time, shared in this impiety, it necessarily offers them lessons about creation, and teaches them expressly that it both had a beginning of its being, and that it has the God of all things as its creator. And yet it has not omitted the account of theology. For to say that the heaven and the earth, and all the other parts of creation, are created, and to show the God of all things as their creator, offered sufficient theology for those at that time. For of them it declared the beginning; but of Him it was not able to find the beginning. Therefore, having known God as eternal and having named him creator of the universe, and a good creator, it most wisely harmonized the theological with the physical. Besides, those who were being taught these things had already learned of the eternity of God. For the divine Moses, having been sent to Egypt by the God of all things, was commanded to say to his kinsmen: "I AM has sent me to you." And "I AM" is indicative of the eternal; and it is clear to the learned, that 5 those things were said before these. For he brought that teaching to them while they were still dwelling in Egypt; but these things he wrote in the wilderness. II Why did he not mention the creation of the angels? Those receiving the law had nothing firm or steadfast; for instance, after many and unspeakable wonders, they proclaimed the image of the calf a god. And those who so easily deified the images of cattle, what would they not have done, if they had received knowledge of the invisible natures? For this reason, until the perfection of Abraham, the God of all things did not speak to any of the ancient men through an angel; but in the case of Hagar the divine Moses first made mention of an angel; and very appropriately; for Hagar is a type of the old covenant according to the divine apostle; "for Hagar," he says, "is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem." Since, therefore, the law through angels

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Quaestiones in Octateuchum QUAESTIONES IN GENESIN

Καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν φιλομαθεῖς ἄνδρες ἐπηγγείλαντο διαλῦσαι τῆς θείας γραφῆς

τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ζητήματα, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀναπτύξαι τὸν νοῦν τῶν δὲ τὰς αἰτίας δηλῶσαι, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀποφῆναι σαφῆ τὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς οὐ τοιαῦτα φαινόμενα. σὺ δὲ διαφερόντως, φίλτατε παίδων Ὑπάτιε, τοῦτο με πρᾶξαι παρώτρυνας, πολλοῖς ὠφέλιμον ἔσεσθαι καὶ τόδε τὸ σύγγραμμα λίαν ἰσχυρισάμενος. οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα καίτοι τοῦ σώματος οὐκ εὖ μοι διακειμέ νου, τόνδε προειλόμην τὸν πόνον· οὐκ ἐμαυτῷ γε θαρρῶν, ἀλλὰ τῷ ταῦθ' οὕτω συγγραφῆναι προστεταχότι. αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐστιν ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν ἐν τῷ γράμματι κεκρυμμένην διάνοιαν· αὐτὸς γὰρ κἀν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις, καὶ παραβολικῶς τὴν διδασκαλίαν προσέφερε, καὶ τῶν αἰνιγματωδῶς εἰρημένων ἐποιεῖτο τὴν ἑρμηνείαν. παρ' αὐτοῦ τοίνυν τῆς νοερᾶς ἀκτῖνος ἀντιβολήσας τυχεῖν, τῶν τοῦ παναγίου πνεύματος ἀδύτων κατατολμῆσαι πειράσομαι. ἰστέον δὲ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ὡς οὐχ ἅπαντες σύμφωνον ἔχουσι τῆς ἐρωτήσεως τὸν σκοπόν, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν δυσσεβῶς ἐρωτῶσι, διελέγχειν οἰόμενοι τὴν θείαν γραφήν· νῦν μέν, ὡς οὐκ ὀρθὰ παιδεύουσαν, νῦν δέ, ὡς ἐναντία διδάσκουσαν. οἱ δὲ φιλομαθῶς ζητοῦσι, καὶ ποθοῦσιν εὑρεῖν τὸ ζητούμενον. κἀκείνων τοίνυν ἐμφράξομεν, σὺν θεῷ φάναι, τὰ βλάσφημα στόματα, τῆς θείας ἐπιδεικνύντες γραφῆς καὶ τὴν συμφωνίαν καὶ τὴν ἀρίστην διδασκαλίαν· καὶ τούτοις ὡς οἷόν τε τῶν ἐπαπορουμένων τὴν λύσιν προσοίσομεν. ἀρχὴν δὲ τούτων ποιήσομαι τῆς κτίσεως τὴν ἀρχήν· αὕτη γὰρ ἀρχὴ καὶ προοίμιον τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς. 4 I Τί δή ποτε μὴ προτέταχε τῆς τῶν ὅλων δημιουργίας θεολογίαν ὁ συγ γραφεύς; Μετρεῖν εἴωθε τοῖς παιδευομένοις ἡ θεία γραφὴ μαθήματα, καὶ τοῖς μὲν τελείοις προσφέρειν τὰ τέλεια, τοῖς ἀτελέσι δὲ τὰ στοιχειώδη, καὶ τῇ σφῶν δυνάμει συμβαίνοντα. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν αἰγύπτιοι τὴν ὁρωμένην κτίσιν ἐθεοποίουν, τούτοις δὲ συνδιάγων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ταύτης τῆς δυσσεβείας μετέλαχεν, ἀναγκαίως τὰ περὶ τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοῖς προσφέρει μαθήματα, καὶ διδάσκει διαρρήδην ὅτι καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔσχε τοῦ εἶναι, καὶ ὅτι ποιητὴν ἔχει τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν. οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸν τῆς θεολογίας παραλέ λοιπε λόγον. τὸ γὰρ φάναι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα τῆς κτίσεως μόρια γενητά, καὶ δεῖξαι τούτων δημιουργὸν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν, ἀρκοῦσαν τοῖς τότε θεολογίαν προσήνεγκε. τῶν μὲν γὰρ ἐδήλωσε τὴν ἀρχήν· τοῦ δὲ εὑρεῖν οὐκ ἴσχυσε τὴν ἀρχήν. καὶ ἀΐδιον τοίνυν ἐγνωκὼς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ποιητὴν τοῦ παντὸς ὀνομάσας, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ποιητήν, τῷ φυσιολογικῷ τὸ θεολογικὸν μάλα σοφῶς συνήρμοσεν. ἄλλως τε καὶ προ μεμαθήκεσαν οἱ ταῦτα διδασκόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀΐδιον. ἀποσταλεὶς γὰρ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ὁ θεσπέσιος Μωϋσῆς προσετάχθη τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις εἰπεῖν· " ὁ ὢν ἀπέσταλκέ με πρὸς ὑμᾶς ". τὸ δὲ " ὁ ὢν " τοῦ ἀϊδίου δηλωτικόν· δῆλον δὲ τοῖς φιλομαθέσιν, ὡς 5 ἐκεῖνα πρὸ τούτων ἐρρέθη. ἐκείνην γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἔτι τὴν Αἴγυπτον οἰκοῦσι προσήνεγκε· ταῦτα δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ συνέγραφε. II Τί δή ποτε τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων οὐκ ἐμνήσθη δημιουργίας; Οὐδὲν στερρὸν εἶχον βέβαιον οἱ νομοθετούμενοι· αὐτίκα γοῦν μετὰ πολλὰ καὶ ἄφραστα θαύματα, τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ μόσχου θεὸν ἀνηγόρευσαν· οἱ δὲ τὰ τῶν κτηνῶν ἰνδάλματα ῥᾳδίως οὕτω θεοποιήσαντες, τί οὐκ ἂν ἔδρασαν, εἰ τῶν ἀοράτων φύσεων τὴν γνῶσιν ἐδέξαντο; οὗ χάριν μέχρι τῆς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τελειότητος, οὐδενὶ τῶν πάλαι ἀνθρώπων δι' ἀγγέλου ὁ τῶν ὅλων διελέχθη Θεός· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς Ἄγαρ πρῶτον ἀγγέλου μνήμην ὁ θεσπέ σιος ἐποιήσατο Μωϋσῆς· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· τύπος γὰρ ἡ Ἄγαρ τῆς πα λαιᾶς διαθήκης κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ἀπόστολον· " τὸ γὰρ Ἄγαρ φησί, Σινᾶ ὄρος ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ, συστοιχεῖ δὲ τῇ νῦν Ἰερουσαλήμ ". ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν δι' ἀγγέλων ὁ νόμος