Laws, Fate, and the Seventh Day
It has been completed, rather than being filled; it lies there. For it is not their existence that has been completed, but their making, just as we say also concerning the poetic arts, which bring the end through their activities, saying that the ship or the house has been completed.
Thus the heaven has been completed, having received its proper harmony, which received its fullness from both the firmament and the luminaries and also from the stars, and the earth from both the animals and the various plants. And when each of them had become, the 'has been completed' did not fit; but now, having received the concord and the harmony of all things, the 'The heaven and the earth and all their world were completed' follows.
And it is said that the world of the earth and its fullness according to what is said: 'The earth is the Lord's and its fullness' (Ps 24:1). Because even the variety of the heaven is called a world, Moses himself says concerning them in his words: 'Not looking up to the heaven and seeing the sun and the moon and the stars, all the world of the heaven, being led astray, you shall worship them' (Deut 4:19), who through the position which was set by God, demonstrate beauty, some by moving in these circulations, others to be with these, some making their motion in a straight line, and others in an arc.
An army of heaven, therefore, because of the arrangement, has been said according to what has been said: 'Whose hands made all the host of heaven' (Job 38:7). Concerning which, those who have not understood well have erred, introducing fate and setting all things by necessity, defining the stars to be determining the poetic lives of men and the things happening to others, who, for a sign, if not for the doing, have been set according to also... concerning those having happened on the fourth day, we demonstrated the 'Let them be for signs and for seasons and for months and for years' (Gen 1:14), setting forth as if human life has not been compelled by the stars. For those escaping life through war and universal accidents are not under one formation. And moreover, the argument of fate is more strongly overturned.
From the laws: all Jews, having reached the eighth day from birth, are circumcised, and they receive the trial of iron even from the sprouts infants, and no one could say how all at once they cast the foreskin off within a single hour, almost everywhere on earth and every day as Jews are born; but they say that even certain Ethiopians have the membranes of the genitals removed at the same time as birth, and even these do not all have their birth at once; and altogether the various customs and laws according to the nations negate fate. If this does not fit according to fate, much more do the things of choice. For if fate leads the happening by necessity, and choice has power over the possible things, fate will not be about these things. For virtue and vice have benefited or harmed the one possessing them, and each of those doing actions is blamed because of the bad habits, or praised for acting rightly; but the things happening by necessity omitted... no one accepts or blames the one doing something by necessity. Furthermore, if the laws are from fate, and those not obeying these are not from fate, it seems to negate and overturn fate itself. Significant, then, are the stars, not as makers, but signifying the weather or pestilential occurrences or something else that seems to the one foreseeing, and these things are about this.
Let us return to the thing set forth from the beginning: 'And God finished on the sixth day his works, which he made' (Gen 2:2), which indicates as if the completion is about the only ones which he has made. For there are works which have not yet happened, which were foretold as being to come, such as the resurrection of the dead and entirely those things which are to be according to providence, which happen in their own sequence from God. So the addition 'of the works which he made' is appropriately placed. It is also necessary to contemplate this, that God did not 'rest' (Gen 2:2) in the seventh without having acted, for already all things were completed; but he 'blessed' (Gen 2:3) only the seventh day and sanctified it, and the saying leads to this: 'That in it he rested from all his works, which God began to make' (Gen 2:2). 'Which he began'—for it is not the beginning of all the works...
Greek
συνετελέσθ[η] ἀν[τὶ] του῀̣ ἐπληρώσθη κεῖται. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ ὕπαρξις αὐτῶν συντετέλε̣[σ]τα[ι], ἀλλ' ἡ ποίησις, καθὸ λέγομεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ποιητικῶν τεχνῶν με[τ]ὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας τὸ τέλος ἐπιφερουσῶν ὅτι φέρε συνετ[ε]λέσ̣θ̣η ἡ ναῦς ἢ οἶκος. Συντετέλεσται οὖν ὁ μὲν οὐρανὸς τὴ[ν] ο̣ἰκεί[α]ν 74 ἁρμονίαν δεξάμενος, ἥτις ἔκ τε τοῦ στερεώματος καὶ τ̣ω῀̣ν φωστήρων καὶ προσέτι τῶν ἀστέρων ἐδέξατο τὴν διαπ̣λήρωσιν, ἡ δὲ γῆ ἔκ τε τῶν ζῴων καὶ τῶν διαφόρων φυ̣τ̣ῶν. Καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἐγίνετο, τὸ "3συντετέ- λ[εσ]ται"3 οὐχ ἥρμοζεν, νῦν δέ, α῾̣πάντων τὴν σύμπνοιαν κ[αὶ τ]ὴ[ν] ἁρμονίαν δεξαμένω̣ν, ἀκολούθως ἐπενήνεκται [τὸ "6Συνε]τελέσθη ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ η῾̣ γ̣η῀̣ καὶ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν"6. Κα̣[ὶ λέγε]τ̣αι μὲν ὁ κόσμος τῆς γ̣η῀̣ς̣ καὶ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς κατὰ τ[ὸ λεγόμε]νον· "6Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς."6 Ὅτι καὶ ἡ τ[οῦ οὐρανο]ῦ ποικι[λ]ία κόσμος προσηγόρευται, αὐτὸς Μωσῆς αὐ[ταῖς λέ]ξεσίν φησιν· "6Μὴ ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἰ[δὼν τὸν] ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας, πάντα τ̣[ὸν κόσ]μον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, πλανηθεὶς προσκυνήσῃς αὐτοῖς"6, οἵ[τινες διὰ] τ̣ῆς θέσεως, ἧς παρὰ Θεοῦ ἐτέθησαν, τὸ κάλλος ἐπι̣[δείκνυ]νται <ἐν τῷ>, τῶνδε μὲν τάσδε τὰς περικυκλήσεις κινουμ̣[ένω]ν̣, τούσδε δὲ μετὰ τῶνδε εἶναι, καὶ τούσδε μὲν ε᾿̣π̣' [εὐ]θ̣είας ποιεῖσθαι τὴν κίνησιν, τούσδε δὲ ἐγκαρσ̣ι´̣ω̣ς̣. Στρατιὰ γοῦν οὐρανοῦ διὰ τ[ὸ] τεταγμένον εἴρηται κατ̣α`̣ τ̣ο`̣ εἰρημένον· "6Οὗ αἱ χεῖρες ἔκτισαν πᾶσαν τὴν στρατι̣α`̣ν̣ του῀̣ οὐρανοῦ."6 Περὶ ἣν οἱ μὴ καλῶς ἐπιστήσαντες ἀπεσφα´̣λη[σ]αν εἱμαρμένην εἰσηγησάμενοι καὶ πάντα κατ' ἀν̣α´̣γκ[η]ν τιθέμενοι, ποιητι- κοὺς τοῦ βίου τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἄλ̣λ̣ω̣[ν] συμβαινόντων τοὺς ἀστε´̣ρας εἶναι ὁρίζοντες, οἳ ε̣ἰς [τὸ] σημεῖον, εἰ οὐκ εἰς τὸ ποιεῖν, τέθεινται καθὰ καὶ οτ··· [πε]ρὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ 30 ἡμέρα̣ γεγενημένων διηγ̣ο̣υ´̣[μ]ε̣νοι τὸ "6Ἔστωσαν εἰς σημεῖα <καὶ εἰς> καιροὺς καὶ μῆνας καὶ ἐνι[αυ]τοὺς"6 ἀπεδείξαμεν, παρατιθέμενοι ὡς οὐ κατηνα´̣γ̣[κα]σται ἐκ 75 τῶν ἀστέρων ὁ βίος ὁ ἀνθρώπινος. [Οὐ] γὰρ οἱ ἐν πολέμῳ καὶ τοῖς καθολικοῖς συμπτώμασι̣ν̣ ἀπαλλαττόμενοι τοῦ βίου ὑπὸ ἕνα σχηματισμό[ν ε]ἰσιν. Ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον [ὁ] τῆς εἱμαρμένης ἀ[νατ]ρ̣έπεται λόγος ἐκ τῶν νό[μ]ων· πάντες Ἰο[υδαῖοι] ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἔχοντες [ἀ]πὸ γενέσεως π[εριτέμ]νονται καὶ πεῖραν σιδήρου ἐξ ἔτι σπαργάνων δ[έχοντ]αι, καὶ οὐ δήπου τις εἰπεῖν ἔχοι ὡς ἅμα πάντες [ὑπὸ μ]ίαν ὥραν ἀποτίκτονται, πανταχόσε σχεδὸν ἐπ̣[ὶ γῆς] κ̣αὶ καθ' ἡμέραν Ἰουδαίων γεννωμένων· ἀλλὰ [καί τινα]ς̣ Αἰθιόπων τὰς κόγχας τῶν γονάτων ἅμα γενέσ̣θ[αι περιαιρεῖ]σθαί φασιν, καὶ οὐδ' οὗτοι ἅμα τὴν γένεσιν ἔχ[ουσιν]· καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τὰ διάφορα ἔθη καὶ νόμιμα κα[τὰ τὰ ἔθ]νη ἀναιρεῖ τὴν εἱμαρμένην. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο καθ' εἱμ[αρμέ]ν̣ην οὐ χωρεῖ, πολλῷ πλέον οὐδὲ τὰ προαιρετικά. Εἰ γα`̣ρ̣ ἡ μὲν εἱμαρμένη ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐπάγει τὰ συμβαίνον̣τ̣α, ἡ δὲ προαίρεσις περὶ τὰ ἐνδεχόμενα ἔχει, οὐκ ἔ[σ]ται περὶ ταῦτα εἱμαρμένη. Ἀρετὴ γὰρ καὶ κακία τὸν ἔχον[τα] η῾̣ μ̣ε`̣ν̣ ὠφέλησεν, ἡ δὲ ἔβλαψεν, ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν δρώντ[ω]ν ᾒ κ̣ο̣λάζεται ἐκ τῶν ἐπιτηδευ- μάτων τῶν φαύλων, ἢ [ἐπ]αιν̣εῖται κατορθῶν· τὰ δὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης συμβαίνοντα [···]····αι· τὸν ἐξ ἀνάγκης τι ἐνεργοῦντα οὐδεὶς οὔτ' ἀπ[οδέ]χ̣ε̣τ̣αι, οὔτε μέμφεται. Ἄλλως τε, εἰ οἱ νόμοι ἐξ εἱμαρμ̣[έ]ν̣η̣ς̣ καὶ οἱ τούτοις μὴ πειθόμενοι ἐξ εἱμαρμένης, ἑαυ[τήν], ω῾̣ς̣ ἔοικεν, ἀναιρεῖ καὶ ἀνατρέπει. Σημαντικοὶ οὖν εἰσ̣ι̣[ν ο]ι῾̣ α᾿̣σ̣τ̣έρες, οὐ ποιητικοί, σημαί- 76 νοντες ἢ ἐφ[η]μερίας ἢ λοιμικὰ καταστήματα ἢ ἕτερόν τι ὃ τῷ προνοουμένῳ δοκεῖ, καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τούτου· ἐπανέλθωμεν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς προκείμενον· "6Κα̣ι`̣ συνετέλεσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ἃ ἐποίησεν"6, ὅπερ ἐμφαίνει ὡς περὶ μόνων ὧν πεποίηκ[εν] εἶναι τὴν συμπλήρωσ[ιν. Εἰ]σὶν γὰρ ἔργα καὶ ἃ μηδέπω γ[έγο]ν[ε]ν, προαναπεφώνη[το δ]ὲ ὡς ἐσόμενα, οἷον ἡ ἀνά[στασις] τῶν <νεκρῶν> καὶ ὅλως τ[ὰ κατὰ] πρόνοιαν ἔσεσθαι μέλλοντ[α, ἅπερ. τ]ῇ οἰκείᾳ. ἀκολουθίᾳ [πα]ρὰ Θεοῦ γίνεται. Καλῶς οὖν ἡ [προσθή]κη "6ὧν ἐποίησεν ἔργων"6 πρόσκειται. ∆εῖ δὲ κα[ὶ τοῦτο] θ̣εωρεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνεργήσας τι τῇ ἑβδόμῃ "6κατέπαυσεν"6 ὁ [Θεός, –ἤ]δη γὰρ ἅπαντα συντετέλεστο, –"6εὐλόγησεν"6 δὲ μ[όνην "6τ]ὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμη[ν] καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν"6, καὶ τ[ούτοις δὲ] ε᾿̣πάγει τὸ λόγιον φάσκ[ον]· "6Ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ [πάντ]ων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧ[ν ἤρ]ξατο ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι."6 "6Ὧν ἤρξατο"6· [οὐ γὰ]ρ πάντων τῶν ἔργων ἀρχ[ὴ]
About this text
Didymus the Blind reads the creation account verse by verse, finding Christ and the Spirit in Genesis.
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.