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Origen: On First Principles
ANF historical edition · Edition commentary
Book III — Translator and historical edition notes (part 3)
Ps. cxvi. 7 .
“The understanding ( Νοῦς ) somehow, then, has become a soul, and the soul, being restored, becomes an understanding. The understanding falling away, was made a soul, and the soul, again, when furnished with virtues, will become an understanding. For if we examine the case of Esau, we may find that he was condemned because of his ancient sins in a worse course of life. And respecting the heavenly bodies we must inquire, that not at the time when the world was created did the soul of the sun, or whatever else it ought to be called, begin to exist, but before that it entered that shining and burning body. We may hold similar opinions regarding the moon and stars, that, for the foregoing reasons, they were compelled, unwillingly, to subject themselves to vanity on account of the rewards of the future; and to do, not their own will, but the will of their Creator, by whom they were arranged among their different offices.”— Jerome’s Epistle to Avitus . From these, as well as other passages, it may be seen how widely Rufinus departed in his translation from the original.
John xii. 27 .
Matt. xxvi. 38 .
Animam.
John x. 18 .
Ps. xliv. 19 .
The original of this passage is found in Justinian’s Epistle to Menas, Patriarch of Constantinople, apud finem . “In that beginning which is cognisable by the understanding, God, by His own will, caused to exist as great a number of intelligent beings as was sufficient; for we must say that the power of God is finite, and not, under pretence of praising Him, take away His limitation. For if the divine power be infinite, it must of necessity be unable to understand even itself, since that which is naturally illimitable is incapable of being comprehended. He made things therefore so great as to be able to apprehend and keep them under His power, and control them by His providence; so also He prepared matter of such a size ( τοσαύτην ὕλην ) as He had the power to ornament.”
Wisdom xi. 20 : “Thou hast ordered all things in measure, and number, and weight.”
Gen. i. 1 .
1 Cor. xv. 41 .
Vilioribus et asperioribus.
Inferna.
Col. i. 16 .
John i. 1, 2 .
Ps. civ. 24 .
Rom. ix. 11, 12 .
The text runs, “Respondet sibi ipse, et ait,” on which Ruæus remarks that the sentence is incomplete, and that “absit” probably should be supplied. This conjecture has been adopted in the translation.
Rom. viii. 20, 21 .
2 Tim. ii. 20 .
2 Tim. ii. 21 .
[Elucidation I.]
1 Cor. xv. 44 : natural, animale ( ψυχικόν ).
1 Cor. xv. 39–42 .
Isa. l. 11 .
1 Cor. iii. 12 .
Intemperies.
Rom. ii. 15, 16 .
Aurigine [aurugine]. Deut. xxviii .
Cf. Jer. xxv. 15, 16 .
Cf. Jer. xxv. 28, 29 .
Isa. iv. 4 .
Isa. xlvii. 14, 15 ; vid . note, chap. v. § 3 [p. 280, supra . S].
Isa. x. 17, cf. lxvi. 16 .
Cf. Mal. iii. 3 .
Repromissionibus.
Carnes.
Matt. xxvi. 29 .
Matt. v. 6 .
Cf. Luke xix. 19 and 17 .
Cf. Prov. ix. 1–5 .
Opera probabilia.
Deut. viii. 3 .
The passage is somewhat obscure, but the rendering in the text seems to convey the meaning intended.
Versatur in sensu.
Luke xix. 26; cf. Matt. xxv. 29 .
Phil. i. 23 .
Virtutes.
Eph. ii. 2 . There is an evident omission of some words in the text, such as, “They will enter into it,” etc.
1 Thess. iv. 17 .
John xvii. 24 .
Virtutem suæ conditionis. Seine Schöpferkraft (Schnitzer).
In id: To that state of the soul in which it gazes purely on the causes of things.
Diebus quadragesimæ.
Dæmones.
Evangelicæ lucernæ lumine diabolicas ignorantiæ tenebras.
Salvâ fidei Catholicæ regula. [This remonstrance of Rufinus deserves candid notice. He reduces the liberties he took with his author to two heads: (1) omitting what Origen himself contradicts, and (2) what was interpolated by those who thus vented their own heresies under a great name. “To our own belief,” may mean what is contrary to the faith, as reduced to technical formula, at Nicæa; i.e., Salva regula fidei . Note examples in the parallel columns following.]
Comœdiarum ridiculas fabulas.
The whole of this chapter has been preserved in the original Greek, which is literally translated in corresponding portions on each page, so that the differences between Origen’s own words and amplifications and alterations of the paraphrase of Rufinus may be at once patent to the reader.
Natura ipsius arbitrii voluntatisque.
Quæcunque hujusmodi sunt, quæ solo habitu materiæ suæ vel corporum constant.
Non tamen animantia sunt.
Phantasia.
Voluntas vel sensus.
Mella, ut aiunt, aeria congregandi. Rufinus seems to have read, in the original, ἀεροπλαστεῖν instead of κηροπλαστεῖν ,—an evidence that he followed in general the worst readings (Redepenning).
Ordinatior quidem motus.
Incentivo quodam et naturali motu.
Ita ut etiam verisimilibus quibusdam causis intra cordis nostri tribunalia velut judici residenti ex utrâque parte adhiberi videatur assertio, ut causis prius expositis gerendi sententia de rationis judicio proferatur.
Causa ei perfecta et absoluta vel necessitas prævaricandi.
Naturalem corporis intemperiem; ψιλην την κατασκευήν .
Contra rationem totius eruditionis. In the Greek, “contra rationem” is expressed by παρὰ τὸ ἐναργές ἐστι : and the words λόγου παιδευτικοῦ (rendered by Rufinus “totius eruditionis,” and connected with “contra rationem”) belong to the following clause.
Quibus nihil ad turpitudinem deest.
Mic. vi. 8 .
Deut. xxx. 15 .
Isa. i. 19, 20 .
Ps. lxxxi. 13, 14 .
Matt. v. 39 .
Matt. v. 22 .
Matt. v. 28 .
Matt. vii. 24 .
Matt. vii. 26 .
Matt. xxv. 34 sq.
The words in the text are: His qui secundum patientiam boni operis, gloria et incorruptio, qui quærunt vitam eternam.
Rom. ii. 4–10 .
Secundum pietatis regulam.
Ex. iv. 21 , etc.
Ezek. xi. 19, 20 .
Justificationes.
The word “now” is added, as the term “flesh” is frequently used in the New Testament in a bad sense (Redepenning).
Mark iv. 12 .
Rom. ix. 16 .
Phil. ii. 13 .
Rom. ix. 18 sq.
Rom. ix. 18 .
Obstupefactus.
Naturaliter.
Commentitias fabulas introducunt.
Quid faciente vel quid prospiciente.
Prospectus et intuitus Dei. Such is the rendering of ἔννοια by Rufinus.
Ex. ix. 17, cf. xi. 5 and xii. 12 .
Heb. vi. 7, 8 .
Ex personâ imbrium.
Dure.
Bonitas et æquitas imbrium.
Propositum.
Limum.
Cum utique secundum naturam unum sit.
Malitiæ suæ intentione conceperat.
Cf. Ex. viii. 27–29 .
Tropum vel figuram sermonis.
Rom. ii. 4, 5 .
Et apostolicæ similitudinis parum munimenti habere adhus videtur assertio.
Isa. lxiii. 17, 18 . Here the Septuagint differs from the Masoretic text.
Jer. xx. 7 .
Morali utique tropo accipiendum.
Ferratum calcem.
Frenis ferratis.
Heb. xii. 6 .
Rom. viii. 35 .
Rationabilibus cœlestibusque virtutibus.
Primatus.
Immaculatus.
Luke xviii. 14 .
1 Cor. i. 29 .
Non tamen sine certâ ratione.
Digeri. The rendering “dispersed” seems to agree best with the meaning intended to be conveyed.
In the Greek the term is πεντηκονταετίαν .
Cf. Matt. xiii. 5, 6 .
Hæc.
Persecrutationis improbitas.
Substantialiter.
Wisd. vii. 16 .
Capitulum.
Rom. ix. 18 .
Ezek. xi. 19, 20 .
Mark iv. 12 .
Prospera sanitas.
Aula.
Mentes.
Evidentissimâ assertione pietatis regulam teneamus.
Dispensatio humana.
Futuri status causam præstat semper anterior meritorum status.
Rom. ix. 16 .
Ad finem boni.
Medium est velle bona.
Rom. ix. 16 .
Ps. cxxvii. 1 .
Procinctum juvenum.
Supernæ vocationis.
Valde consequenter.
1 Cor. iii. 6, 7 .
“Nostra perfectio non quidem nobis cessantibus et otiosis efficitur.” There is an ellipsis of some such words as, “but by activity on our part.”
Cf. Phil. ii. 13 .
Hoc ipsum, quod homines sumus.
Sicut dicamus, quod movemur, ex Deo est.
Hoc ipsum, quod movetur.
Rom. ix. 18–21 .
2 Tim. i. 16–18 .
2 Cor. v. 10 .
Ex ipsâ conditoris creatione.
2 Tim. ii. 20, 21 .
Secundum præcedentes meritorum causas.
Ex. xix. 19 .
Diversas animarum naturas.
Quodammodo.
[Elucidation II.]
περι τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου .
τὴν ἔννοιαν αὐτοῦ ἀναπτύξαι .