On Creation in Genesis

In Genesim de creatione

Eustathius of Antioch · c. 320–337 AD · PG 18

Ways of Distinguishing Creatures§1

1For there are many ways to distinguish the diversity and dissimilarity of these animals and winged creatures, says the Father.

First, it is through the saying 'and the Lord God formed out of the ground still' (Genesis 2:22); for we do not find any creation of God to be other than man.

Again, through the saying 'still', the scripture shows other animals and winged creatures to be prophesied here besides the former, for it has not been written that the first winged creatures came from the ground, but from the waters; but these came from the ground, or rather they were formed by the direct hand of God and not by command.

Likewise, through the saying that all winged creatures and all beasts were now formed by God, it does not give us room to say entirely that some came before, while a part came now from where [...]

Greek · §1

In Genesim de creatione [Sp.] (fragmenta) 85 Καὶ γὰρ ἐκ πολλῶν τρόπων ἔστι διαγνῶναι, φησὶν ὁ Πατὴρ, τούτων τῶν ζῴων καὶ πετεινῶν τὸ διάφορόν τε καὶ ἀνόμοιον· πρῶτον διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν καὶ ἔπλασε κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔτι· οὐ γὰρ εὑρίσκομεν πλάσμα Θεοῦ εἶναι εἰ μὴ τὸν ἄνθρωπον· πάλιν καὶ διὰ τοῦ λέγειν τὸ ἔτι, δείκνυσιν ἡ γραφὴ ἔτερά τινα ἐνταῦθα ζῷα προφητεύεσθαι καὶ πετεινὰ παρὰ τὰ πρότερα οὔτε γὰρ γέγραπται τὰ πρῶτα πετεινὰ ἐκ γῆς γενόμενα, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὑδάτων· ταῦτα δὲ ἐκ γῆς ἐγένοντο, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπλάσθησαν ἰδιοχείρως παρὰ Θεοῦ καὶ οὐ κατὰ πρόσταξιν. Ὡσαύτως καὶ διὰ τοῦ λέγειν πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ θηρία νῦν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πλασθῆναι οὐ δίδωσι ἡμῖν χώραν τοῦ ὅλως εἰπεῖν ὅτι μὲν ἐγένοντο πρότερον, μέρος δὲ νῦν ὅθεν οὔτε περὶ

The Diet of Paradise and Human Dominion§2

2Regarding seed-eating food, God commands this in these things: for those entering into paradise do not eat grass, but every tree beautiful for sight and good for food, and above all, from the tree of life, Christ who gives life. And these animals are to say that these beasts are nations gathered together in the Church by God, or that the place of horse-breeding and ox-feeding and camel-standing and sheep-rearing [...] today paradise exists.

Not so, O philosopher, but rather to say to God: 'let them rule all the earth' (Gen 1:26), and: 'let them have dominion over it and over all those in it' (Gen 1:28); this is the Lord's purpose in making man according to the image of God and letting him rule all the earth.

Greek · §2

σπερμοφάγου βρώσεως ἐν τούτοις τι διακελεύεται ὁ Θεός· τὰ γὰρ εἰς παράδεισον εἰσερχόμενα οὐ χόρτον ἐσθίει, ἀλλὰ πᾶν ξύλον ὡραῖον εἰς ὅρασιν καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ πρό γε πάντων ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς Χριστοῦ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ζῷα ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἔθνη εἰσὶ ταῦτα τὰ θηρία τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συναχθέντα ἢ ὅτι ἱππὼν καὶ συβόσιον καὶ καμηλοστάσιον καὶ οἰοτρόφυον (...) σήμερον ὁ παράδεισος ὑπάρχει. 86 Οὐχ οὕτως, ὦ φιλόσοφε, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ εἰπεῖν τὸν Θεόν· ἀρχέτωσαν πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸ· κατακυριευσάτωσαν αὐτῆς καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, τοῦτο τὸ κύριόν ἐστι τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπο κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ καὶ ἄρχειν αὐτὸν πάσης τῆς γῆς.

Man as Second Ruler§3

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3Since God rules all the earth and all things in it, just as He does, so also He established man as a second ruler of all the earth and all things in it; this I say is to become man according to the image of God and according to likeness.

And God said, 'Let us make man according to our image and according to likeness' (Genesis 1:26). But toward whom did He say, 'Let us seek, O philosopher?'

For in saying, 'And God said, Let us make man according to our image and according to likeness,' He introduced a question for us to perceive: toward whom was He saying, 'Let us make?'

For having said, 'And God said, Let us make man,' He followed by saying, 'And God made man, according to the image of God He made him' (Genesis 1:27).

Greek · §3

Ἐπείπερ, ὡς ἄρχει ὁ Θεὸς ἁπάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πάντων, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον δεύτερον ἄρχοντα πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ κατέστησε, τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν γενέσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπόν φημι. 87 Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τίνα ἔφη· ζητήσωμεν, φιλόσοφε; ἐν τῷ γὰρ εἰπεῖν· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, ζήτημα ἐνέβαλε νοῆσαι ἡμᾶς, πρὸς τίνα ἔλεγε τὸ ποιήσωμεν· εἰπὼν γὰρ· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν

The Co-Creator and Shared Divinity§4

4He made them male and female (Genesis 1:27). Therefore, the significance of the 'let us make' signifies being a co-creator and introduces a co-attendant.

For just as God the Father is the one who said, 'let us make man' (Genesis 1:26), so God is also toward whom the 'let us make' was spoken, being of one divinity of both persons: both the one saying, 'let us make man in our image and likeness' (Genesis 1:26), and the one making the man.

For the voice of 'let us make' presents the most holy and unchangeable divinity of the Father and the Son, as being the same as the divinity of the one who makes; for the image of God is simple and indivisible, being fire by nature.

Greek · §4

αὐτὸν, ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησε αὐτούς. Ἡ οὖν τοῦ ποιήσωμεν σημασία τὸ εἶναι πρόσωπον συνδημιουργὸν σημαίνει καὶ συνισοπροσήγορον εἰσάγει. Ὡς γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ εἰπών· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω Θεός ἐστι καὶ πρὸς ὃν τὸ ποιήσωμεν εἴρηκε, μιᾶς οὔσης τῆς τῶν ἀμφοτέρων προσώπων θεότητος, τοῦ τε εἰπόντος· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τὸ γὰρ ποιήσωμεν τὸ πανάγιον καὶ ἀπαράλλακτον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ θεότητος παρίστησιν ἡ φωνή· ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκὼν ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀσύνθετός ἐστι, πῦρ οὖσα τῇ φύσει.

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