The Creation of Creeping and Flying Creatures

A tetrad leads to a decad. For the tetrad is a power of ten, as has already been shown;. The foundation, in which the lights are made, must receive faith and perfect virtue, which the psalmist, possessing it, said: 'The Lord became my support' (Ps 18:2). And concerning the church it is said: 'Who is this that ascends, leaning upon her brother?' (Ps 121:5). For without the Word it is not possible for the church to be; for this is its support and foundation.

These same lights are signs; according to the literal sense, they sometimes signify a kingdom, or torches, or lightning, or something else of the great things according to their use; but according to anagogical sense, as has been said, they signify progress, and often the desert of the soul; for the lights indicate this allegorically. And these also enlighten those on earth; for those who are not able to share in the perfect light are enlightened through the light of the saints.

And Moses, teaching this, says: 'I stand in the midst of the Lord and you' (Num 12:2), offering your supplications to God and ministering the graces from him to you. So also the Savior, having become man, is a mediator of God and men; for being God, he joins us to the Father, and having become man, in a certain way as a lover of mankind, he speaks to us those things which he heard from the Father. The law might be among the lights inferior to the sun, about which the psalmist said: 'Your law is a lamp to my feet' (Ps 119:105), showing that the law enlightens the progress and the passages of the soul.

Thus also Paul, having been enlightened, says: 'That we may walk decently as in the day' (Rom 13:13); for being in Christ, such people are his, each saying: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me' (Gal 2:20), and: 'I know a man in Christ' (2 Cor 5:19). For thus they become light from light, so as to enlighten others through teaching. And it is necessary to take the 'set' as a sign to 'show', as if it is said concerning the Savior that the Father set him as heir of all instead of 'he demonstrated'; for he did not make him heir later, but made manifest him being already so. 'And God saw that it was good' (Gen 1:4). For it is good also that which is being enlightened by sensible light.

Which is even more evident by intellect. (Gen 1:20–23). And God said: 'Let the waters bring forth creeping living souls and flying things flying upon the earth according to the expanse of the heaven.' And it happened thus. And God made the great sea creatures and every living soul of creeping things, which the waters brought forth according to their kind, and every winged flying thing according to kind. And God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, until the fifth day.

Since the preceding creation is the mortal animals upon the earth which happen to be for the sake of man, following this, the other animals and plants were made because of his need; for some he takes for food, and others for his healing; and there are others, some having become for the sake of labor, and others for some need of his; for nothing stood in being without purpose. Therefore God says: 'Let the waters bring forth creeping living souls and flying things flying upon the earth.' (Gen 1:20). For it was necessary even these to stand in being for the sake of man. Having said 'creeping' regarding their bodies, he says 'all living souls'; for even if it be irrational, it provides a life-giving power joined to the body, which stands for the man even after the dissolution of the body.

Regarding the flying things, those being high-flying, but the majority having low flight, especially those allotted to men for food, it is said from the abundance: 'and flying things flying upon the earth.' (Gen 1:20). For it is probable that because of this they do not fly even to the height of the eagle and the like, so that it might be easy for men, for whom they have come to be. It is said 'according to the expanse' of the 'heaven,' not that they approach this while flying, but that they are under it, even if they do not reach it.

Likewise, the Scripture calls the clouds that carry the rain 'heavens,' and says the rain comes from heaven, even though the clouds are composed within the air, from which the rain is carried; whereas clouds are said to be no more than ten stadia above the earth, yet they are often found seen far above the clouds and lying upon them. This is therefore explained by the air and heaven being often called expanse. And the 'and it happened thus' is similarly to be understood by those who have perished. And what is meant by 'and God made the great sea creatures'?