The Nature of Species and the Sowing of Thorns
For something to be destroyed is held back until the bad planting. And God saw that it was good. The stripping bare of the underlying things of the dryness, so that land might become, God saw as good; as to the spoken word again this is evident. The land, therefore, having been hidden under the waters, was not dry and was not such as to feed animals or bear fruits.
And even after the establishment of the world and the being of animals, from which the successions come, to this it is good to be plants and trees and delicious fruits, from which the animals took sustenance. Since, therefore, as also previously was said, God seeing the analogy accepted and approved it, for this reason it is said: 'God saw that it was good' (Gen 1:10), the seeing being understood in the words to follow as meaning that not [the...]. Just as the craftsmen see the artificial things, and much more the God sees by a superabundance, He does not perceive sensually.
And God said: 'Let the earth bring forth grass.' The underlying earth, having separated itself from the moisture, was named dry, being called land, and it has power to bear fruit. It must be observed that throughout the whole cosmopoeia what God said is intended and God made it, which shows the creative power; for especially through this precedence the creative is shown, but the name Lord shows the meaning of ruler and king. And 'In the beginning' (Gen 1:1) therefore 'God made' (Gen 1:1) is said, not the King or Lord, not that He is another, but that the name God presents the creative more emphatically. When therefore a command is given to Adam, it is said: 'The Lord God commanded Adam' (Gen 2:16), and rightly; for it is the work of a lord and king to give laws and commands.
And God therefore said: 'Let the earth bring forth grass, bearing seed according to its kind and according to likeness.' For of those growing from the earth, some are trees and some are vegetable plants. And Moses, wishing to call the trees in Deuteronomy, says simply 'the woody ones' for trees, the wooden ones, saying the vine, the fig, the olive, but it is evident also as many herbs as to the many people...
Regarding the medical treatments of bodies, Solomon shows that he has received from God the useful knowledge of these things, saying: 'For He himself gave to me the knowledge of what exists, to know the constitution of the world and the operation of the elements' (Job 28:23) and, with a little 'difference of plants and the powers of roots' and the nearby things, not yet calling them wood, but there he calls the herb or grass all things leafy, which also is called field-grass, just as in the Gospel it is called a plant in general, showing it through the similarity of the species.
For since even the Scripture knows the meaning of the species, it says: 'Abstain from every kind of evil' (2 Cor 7:1), using the word species specifically, and often instead of form it says: 'And we saw him, and he had neither species nor beauty' (Isa 53:2), and: 'For we walk by faith, not by sight' (2 Cor 5:7), meaning that the one who does not know through form walks by faith, but the one who walks by sight. Having spoken thus about the weeds or wild plants, 'sowing seed according to its kind' (Gen 1:11), he proceeds to the trees, 'wood that produces fruit' (Gen 1:11); for in every plant is the nature of its seed, whether they are edible, or for some other use, being known to men, or known only to God.
These things are regarding the literal sense, but regarding the allegorical, I think he has this manner: God, having created man, intended for him to bear the fruits of virtues and to make much progress in the knowledge of truth, so He gave him good concepts; but through the ascent, the earth was drawn away from its own purpose, and the man sowed thorns through transgression. As for those who, having received divine instruction, did not attend to the sowing of the word, hearing: 'Sow fire and reap thorns' (Hos 10:12). For he did not plow so that thorns might be reaped; this is not having farmed them well, nor to miss the blessing which Jacob blessed his son saying:
Greek
γὰρ εἶνα̣ι´̣ τι ἀπόλλυσιν ἕως τῇ κακῇ φυτείᾳ ἐνέχεται. ι, 10. Κ̣α̣ι`̣ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλόν. Τ̣ο`̣ γυμνωθη῀̣ναι τ̣ῶν ἐπικειμένων τὴν ξηράν, ἵνα γῆ 31 γένηται, καλὸν εἶδεν ὁ Θεός· ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν πάλιν τοῦ[το δῆλον. Ἡ γῆ οὖ]ν κεκρυμμένη ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων οὐκ ἦν ξηρά κα[ὶ οἷόν τε ἦν οὔ]τε ζῷα τρέφειν οὐδὲ καρποὺς φέρειν. Καιὸν ο[ὖν μετὰ τὴν κατά]στασιν κόσμου καὶ τὰ ζῷα εἶναι, ἐξ ὧν αἱ διαδ[οχαί, πρὸς τού]τοις καλὸν τὸ εἶναι φυτὰ καὶ δένδρα καὶ καρποὺς ἐ[δωδίμους, ὧν] μετελάμβανον τὰ ζῷα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν, ὡς καὶ πρότερ[ον εἴρηται, τ]η`̣ν ἀναλογίαν ἰδὼν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεδέξατο καὶ ἐπῄ[νεσεν, διὰ τοῦτο] εἴρηται· "6Εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς ὅτι καλόν"6, τοῦ εἶδεν οὕτ[ω νοουμένου ὡς] ἐντοῖς προλαβοῦσιν ἑρμη- νεύεται, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ[··· ··· ··· ···]ιν. Ὡς τὰ τεχνητὰ οἱ τεχνῖται καὶ πολλῷ μᾶ[λλ]ον [··· ··· ····]ριτω ὑπερ- <β>ολῇ ὁ Θεὸς ὁρᾷ, οὐκ αἰσθήσει. ι 11. Καὶ εἶπεν [ὁ] Θεός· [Βλαστησ]άτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου. ∆ιασταλεῖσα ἡ ὑπ̣[ο]κε̣ι̣μ[ένη γῆ τ]ῇ ὑγρᾷ οὐσίᾳ ὠνομάσθη ξηρά, ἐπικληθεῖσα δε`̣ γῆ. κ̣[αὶ δύναμιν] ἔχει πρὸς τὸ καρποφορεῖν. Παρατηρητέον δ̣ὲ ὅτ̣ι δι[' ὅλης τῆς κ]οσμοποιΐας τὸ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς πρόκειται καὶ ἐπο̣ι´̣η̣σ̣ε̣[ν ὁ Θεός, δη]λοῦν τὸ δημιουργικόν· μάλιστα γὰρ διὰ ταύτης τῆς πρ̣οσ[ηγο- ρ]ι´̣α[ς τὸ] δημιουργικὸν δηλοῦται, ἡ δὲ Κύριος ὀνομασία ἄρχο̣ντος κ[αὶ β]ασί[λε]ως ἐμφαίνει σημασίαν. Καὶ "6ἐν ἀρχῇ"6 οὖν "6ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς"6 εἴρηται, οὐχ ὁ Βασιλεὺς ἢ Κύριος, οὐχ ὅτι ἕτερός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐμφατικώτερον τὸ δημιουργὸν παρίστησιν τὸ Θεὸς ὄνομα. Ὅτε οὖν ἐντολὴ δίδοται τῷ Ἀδάμ, λέγεται· "6Ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀδάμ"6, καὶ εἰκότως· κυρίου γὰρ καὶ βασιλέως ἐστὶν τὸ νόμους καὶ ἐντολὰς διδόναι. ι, 11. Καὶ εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Θεός· Βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου σπεῖρον σπέρμα κατὰ γένος καὶ καθ' ὁμοιότητα. Τῶν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς γῆς φυομένων τὰ μέν ἐστιν δένδρα, τὰ δὲ λαχανώδη φυτά. Καὶ τὰ μὲν δένδρα κ̣α̣λ̣εῖν βουλόμενος Μωσῆς ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ τὰ οἰστικὰ ἀκροδρύων φησὶν ἁπ̣λ̣ω῀̣ς̣ δένδρα τὰ ξύλινα, ξύλινα λέγων τὴν ἄμπελον, τὴν συκῆν, τὴν ε᾿̣λ̣α̣ι´̣α̣ν̣, δῆλον δὲ ὡς κ[α]ὶ ὅσα βότανα τοῖς πολλοῖς 32 ἀνθρώπο̣ις οὐ πάνυ ··· ··· ····[··· ··· ··· ··· ···] ··· ··το̣ι῀̣ς περὶ τὰς τῶν σωμάτων ἰατρείας ἔχου[σιν··· ··· ··· ···] ····αν, καθὸ καὶ Σολομὼν δεικνὺς τὸ τούτων [ὠφέλιμον ἀπὸ Θεοῦ] τη`̣ν̣ εἴδησιν αὐτῶν εἰληφ[έ]ναι φησὶ λέγων· "6[Αὐτὸς γάρ μοι ἔδω]κ̣ε̣ν̣ τ̣ω῀̣ν̣ ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ εἰδέναι σύστα[σιν κόσμου καὶ ἐ]ν̣έργ̣ε̣ι̣α̣ν σ̣τοιχείων"6 καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα "6διαφορὰς φυ[τῶν καὶ δυνάμεις] ῥιζ̣ῶν"6 κα̣ὶ τὰ παραπλήσια, οὐκέτι ξυλίνων λέ[··· ··· ··· ··· ···]ρ····, ε᾿̣νταῦθα δὲ βοτάνην χόρτου λέγει πάν[τα τὰ λαχανώδη, ἅπερ καὶ] χόρτ̣ος ἀγροῦ λέγεται, καθὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγε[λίῳ ··· ··· ··· ··· ····] [··· ··· ··· ··· ···] ··· ·· καθόλου φυτόν, δηλοῖ δὲ διὰ τοῦ καθ' ὁμοι[ότητα τὸ εἶδος. Ὅ]τι δ̣ε`̣ κ̣αὶ ἡ γραφὴ οἶδεν τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦ [εἴδους, φ]ησι´̣ν̣· "6Ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε"6, [τὸ εἶ]δος κυ̣ρ̣ι´̣ω̣ς̣ λέγων, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ ἀντὶ μορφῆς λέ[γει· "6Κα]ι`̣ εἴδομεν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος"6, καί· "6[∆ιὰ πίστεως γὰρ] περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους"6, σημαίνων [ὅτι ὁ μὴ δι]α`̣ μ̣ορφη῀̣ς γ[ιγ]νώσκων διὰ πίστεως περιπατεῖ, ὁ δὲ γε[···]·[···]ς διὰ εἴδ̣ο̣υ̣ς̣. Εἰπὼν οὖν περὶ τῶν χαμαιζήλων φυ[τῶ]ν̣ "6σ[πε]ι῀̣ρο̣ν̣ σ̣πε´̣ρ̣μ̣α̣ κατὰ γένος"6, ἐπάγει περὶ τῶν δένδρων τ̣ο`̣ "6ξύλ[ον 11 κ[α´̣ρ̣π̣ιμ̣ον ποιοῦν καρπόν"6· παντὸς γὰρ φυτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἡ τ̣ο̣υ῀̣ σπέρματ̣ο̣ς̣ φύσις, ὡς τὰ μὲν αὐτῶν εἶναι ἐδώδιμα, τὰ ···α ἢ εἰς ἑτ̣έρα̣ς χρείας λυσιτελοῦντα, τὰς μὲν καὶ ἀνθρώποις γ̣ν̣ω̣σ̣τ̣άς, τὰ<ς> δ̣ὲ μόνῳ Θεῷ. Ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν, τὰ δὲ τῆς α᾿̣λ̣λ̣η̣γορίας τοῦτον ἔχειν τρόπον ἡγοῦμαι. ∆ημιουργήσας ὁ Θ̣ε̣ο`̣ς̣ τὸν ἄνθρωπον̣ εὐ´̣θη ἐπὶ τῷ τὰς ἀρετὰς καρποφορεῖν καὶ τὴν γνῶσ̣ι̣ν̣ τῆς ἀληθείας περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖσθαι ἐνῆκεν αὐτῷ ἐννοίας ἀγ̣α̣θ̣α´̣ς, ἐξηνέχ̣θ̣η δὲ ἡ κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν γῆ ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας γνώμης ···· ἀκάν<θας> σπειρ̣ήσαντος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ παραβάσεως. Ὅσοι γοῦν θείαν δ̣ι̣δ̣α̣σκαλίαν παραδεξάμενοι οὐ πρόσεσχον τῇ σπορᾷ τοῦ λόγου ἀκούουσιν· 33 "6Σπείρατε πυροὺς καὶ ἀκάνθας θερίσατε."6 Μ̣ὴ γα`̣ρ̣ διὰ τοῦτο ἐσπάρη ἵνα ἄκανθαι θερισθῶσιν α··· ····[····]· τοῦτο μὴ καλῶς αὐτοὺς γεγ̣εωργηκέναι μηδὲ ····υ̣κ̣[····] ··· ··· ··θῆναι τῆς εὐλογίας ἧς ηὐλόγησεν ᾿Ι̣ακ̣ω`̣β̣ τ[ὸν υἱὸ]ν̣ λέγων·
About this text
Didymus the Blind reads the creation account verse by verse, finding Christ and the Spirit in Genesis.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.