§48αὐτίκα ὁ Πέτρος ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει φησὶν »τὰ βρέφη ἐξαμβλωθέντα τῆς ἀμείνονος ἐσόμενα μοίρας, ταῦτα ἀγγέλῳ τημελούχῳ παραδίδοσθαι, ἵνα γνώσεως μεταλαβόντα τῆς ἀμείνονος τύχῃ μονῆς, παθόντα ἃ ἂν ἔπαθεν καὶ ἐν σώματι γενόμενα. « τὰ δ᾿ ἕτερα μόνης τῆς σωτηρίας τεύξεται, ὡς ἠδικημένα ἐλεηθέντα, καὶ μενεῖ ἄνευ κολάσεως, τοῦτο γέρας λαβόντα.
For example, Peter says in the Apocalypse: "The aborted infants, being destined for a better portion, are delivered to a guardian angel, so that, having shared in knowledge, they may obtain a better abode, having suffered what they would have suffered even if they had come into the body." But the others will obtain salvation alone, having received mercy as having been wronged, and will remain without punishment, receiving this as a reward.
§49»Τὸ δὲ γάλα τῶν γυναικῶν, ῥέον ἀπὸ τῶν μαστῶν καὶ πηγνύμενον«, φησὶν ὁ Πέτρος ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει, »γεννήσει θηρία λεπτὰ σαρκοφάγα καὶ ἀνατρέχοντα εἰς αὐτὰς κατεσθίει«, διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας γίνεσθαι τὰς κολάσεις διδάσκων.
"But the milk of the women, flowing from their breasts and curdling," says Peter in the Apocalypse, "will generate small flesh-eating beasts, which, running up upon them, devour them," teaching that punishments happen because of sins.
ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν γεννᾶσθαι αὐτάς φησιν, ὡς διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐπράθη ὁ λαός, καὶ »διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀπιστίαν«, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, »ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων ἐδάκνοντο«. §50Ἔλεγεν πρεσβύτης ζῷον εἶναι τὸ κατὰ γαστρός.
He says that they are generated from sins, just as because of sins the people were sold, and "because of their unbelief in Christ," as the apostle says, "they were bitten by the serpents." A certain elder used to say that the fetus is a living being.
εἰσιοῦσαν γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν εἰς τὴν μήτραν ἀπὸ τῆς καθάρσεως ηὐτρεπισμένην εἰς σύλληψιν καὶ εἰσκριθεῖσαν ὑπό τινος τῶν τῇ γενέσει ἐφεστώτων ἀγγέλων προγινώσκοντος τὸν καιρὸν τῆς συλλήψεως κινεῖν πρὸς συνουσίαν τὴν γυναῖκα, καταβληθέντος δὲ τοῦ σπέρματος ὡς εἰπεῖν ἐξοικειοῦσθαι τὸ ἐν τῷ σπέρματι πνεῦμα καὶ οὕτως συλλαμβάνεσθαι τῇ πλάσει.
For he said that the soul, entering into the womb which has been prepared for conception after the purification, and having been introduced by one of the angels presiding over generation who foreknows the time of conception, moves the woman to sexual intercourse; and when the seed has been cast down, the spirit in the seed, so to speak, makes itself at home, and thus conception takes place for the formation.
† μαρτύριον ὠνόμασεν πᾶσιν.
† He called this a testimony to all.
καὶ ὁπηνίκα ἂν εὐαγγελίζωνται οἱ ἄγγελοι τὰς στείρας, οἷον προεισκρίνουσι τῆς συλλήψεως τὰς ψυχάς· καὶ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ »τὸ βρέφος ἐσκίρτησεν« ὡς ἔμψυχον.
And whenever the angels announce the glad tidings to barren women, they, as it were, introduce the souls prior to conception; and in the Gospel "the infant leaped" as being animate.
* * καὶ αἱ στεῖραι διὰ τοῦτό εἰσι στεῖραι, ὡς ἂν μὴ εἰσκρινομένης τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν τοῦ σπέρματος καταβολὴν συναγούσης εἰς κατοχὴν συλλήψεως καὶ γεννήσεως.
* * And barren women are barren for this reason, namely, because the soul is not introduced to bring together the casting down of the seed into the holding of conception and birth.
§51»Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν θεοῦ. « οἱ οὐρανοὶ λέγονται πολλαχῶς, καὶ οἱ κατὰ διάστημα καὶ περίοδον καὶ ἡ κατὰ διαθήκην τῶν πρωτοκτίστων ἀγγέλων ἐνέργεια προσεχής· κυριωτέρᾳ γὰρ παρουσίᾳ ἀγγέλων αἱ διαθῆκαι ἐνηργήθησαν ἡ ἐπὶ Ἀδάμ, ἡ ἐπὶ Νῶε, ἡ ἐπὶ Ἀβραάμ, ἡ ἐπὶ Μωυσέως.
"The heavens declare the glory of God." "Heavens" is spoken of in many ways: both those according to interval and period, and the immediate activity, according to covenant, of the first-created angels; for by a more sovereign presence of angels the covenants were put into effect—the one in the time of Adam, the one of Noah, the one of Abraham, the one of Moses.
διὰ γὰρ τοῦ κυρίου κινηθέντες οἱ πρωτόκτιστοι ἄγγελοι ἐνήργουν εἰς τοὺς προσεχεῖς τοῖς προφήταις ἀγγέλους διηγούμενοι »δόξαν θεοῦ«, τὰς διαθήκας.
For the first-created angels, being moved by the Lord, acted upon the angels who were close to the prophets, declaring "the glory of God," that is, the covenants.
ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔργα τὰ κατὰ τὴν γῆν γενόμενα ὑπ᾿ ἀγγέλων §52διὰ τῶν πρωτοκτίστων ἀγγέλων ἐγένοντο εἰς »δόξαν θεοῦ«. καλοῦνται δὲ οὐρανοὶ κυρίως μὲν ὁ κύριος, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ οἱ πρωτόκτιστοι, μεθ᾿ οὓς καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι πρὸ νόμου ἄνθρωποι. ὡς οἱ πατριάρχαι, καὶ Μωυσῆς καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εἶτα καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι.
But also the works done upon the earth by angels were done through the first-created angels to "the glory of God." And primarily the Lord is called heavens, and then also the first-created angels, after whom also the holy men before the law, such as the patriarchs, and Moses, and the prophets, and then also the apostles.
»Ποίησιν δὲ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα. « στερέωμα λέγει τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἀμετάβλητον, ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχῇ ὁ αὐτὸς Δαβίδ· »ἀγαπήσω σε, κύριε, ἡ ἰσχύς μου, κύριος στερέωμά μου καὶ καταφυγή μου. « τὴν ποίησιν οὖν τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ αὐτὸ τὸ στερέωμα ἀναγγέλλει, τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν δείκνυσι καὶ φαίνει τὴν ποίησιν τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ· ἀναγγέλλει γὰρ καὶ δείκνυσιν οὓς ἐποίησεν.
"And the firmament declares the work of His hands." He calls "firmament" God who is impassible and immutable, as also in another place the same David says: "I will love You, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my firmament and my refuge." Therefore, the firmament itself declares the work of His hands, that is, it points out and reveals the creation of His angels; for it declares and points out those whom He made.
»Ἡμέρα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐρεύγεται ῥῆμα. « ὡς οἱ οὐρανοὶ πολλαχῶς. §53οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα.
"Day to day utters speech." As the heavens are spoken of in many ways, so also is the day.
ῥῆμα δὲ ὁ κύριος, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ ἡμέρα πολλαχῇ εἴρηται.
And the "speech" (word) is the Lord, and the same has been called "day" in many ways.
»καὶ νὺξ νυκτὶ ἀναγγέλλει γνῶσιν. « ὁ διάβολος ᾔδει ἐλευσόμενον τὸν κύριον, εἰ δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς εἴη, οὐκ ἠπίστατο· διὸ καὶ ἐπείραζεν αὐτόν ἵνα γνῷ· † εἰ δυνατός ἐστιν.
"And night to night declares knowledge." The devil knew that the Lord would come, but whether Jesus Himself was He, he did not understand; wherefore also he tempted Him that he might know. † If he is able, let Him go.
ἐᾶν φησι· »καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰς καιρόν«, τουτέστιν ἀνεβάλλετο τὴν εὕρεσιν εἰς τὴν ἀνάστασιν.
He says, "and he departed from Him for a season," that is, he postponed the discovery until the resurrection.
ᾔδει γὰρ τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν κύριον τὸν ἀναστησόμενον.
For he knew that this was the Lord who would rise again.
ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ δαίμονες, ἐπεὶ καὶ Σολομῶνα ὑπώπτευσαν εἶναι τὸν κύριον, ἔγνωσαν δὲ μὴ εἶναι, ἁμαρτόντος αὐτοῦ.
Likewise also the demons, since they also suspected Solomon to be the Lord, but knew that he was not, when he sinned.
»νὺξ νυκτί· « πάντες οἱ δαίμονες ἔγνωσαν ὅτι κύριος ἦν ὁ ἀναστὰς μετὰ τὸ πάθος.
"Night to night." All the demons knew that it was the Lord who rose after the passion.
ἤδη δὲ καὶ Ἐνώχ φησιν τοὺς παραβάντας ἀγγέλους διδάξαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀστρονομίαν καὶ μαντικὴν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας τέχνας.
And already Enoch also says that the transgressing angels taught men astronomy and divination and the other arts.