Cyprian of Carthage — Epistles On Genesis

Genesis 1:5 And it was evening, and it was morning, one day. HIPPOLYTUS: He did not say night and day, but one day, with reference to the name of the light. He did not say the first day; for if he had said the first day, he would also have had to say that the second day was made. But it was right to speak not of the first day, but of one day, in order that by saying one, he might show that it returns on its orbit and, while it remains one, makes up the week. Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water. HIPPOLYTUS: On the first day God made what He made out of nothing. But on the other days He did not make out of nothing, but out of what He had made on the first day, by moulding it according to His pleasure. Genesis 1:6-7 And let it divide between water and water: and it was so.

And God made the firmament; and God divided between the water which was under the firmament, and the water above the firmament: and it was so. HIPPOLYTUS: As the excessive volume of water bore along over the face of the earth, the earth was by reason thereof invisible and formless. When the Lord of all designed to make the invisible visible, He fixed then a third part of the waters in the midst; and another third part He set by itself on high, raising it together with the firmament by His own power; and the remaining third He left beneath, for the use and benefit of men. Now at this point we have an asterisk. The words are found in the Hebrew, but do not occur in the Septuagint . Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden at even.

HIPPOLYTUS: Rather they discerned the approach of the Lord by a certain breeze. As soon, therefore, as they had sinned , God appeared to them, producing consciousness of their sin , and calling them to repentance. Genesis 49:3 Reuben, my first-born , you are my strength, and the first of my children; hard to bear with, and hard and self-willed: you have grown wanton as water; boil not over. AQUILA: Reuben, my first-born , you are my strength, and the sum of my sorrow: excelling in dignity and excelling in might: you have been insensate as water; excel not. SYMMACHUS: Reuben, my first-born , and beginning of my pain: above measure grasping, and above measure hot as water, you shall not more excel. HIPPOLYTUS: For there was a great display of strength made by God in behalf of His first-born people from Egypt .

For in very many ways was the land of the Egyptians chastised. That first people of the circumcision is meant by my strength, and the first of my children: even as God gave the promise to Abraham and to his seed. But hard to bear with, because the people hardened itself against the obedience of God . And hard, self-willed, because it was not only hard against the obedience of God , but also self-willed so as to set upon the Lord. You have grown wanton, because in the instance of our Lord Jesus Christ the people grew wanton against the Father. But boil not over, says the Spirit , by way of comfort, that it might not, by boiling utterly over, be spilled abroad — giving it hope of salvation . For what has boiled over and been spilled is lost. Genesis 49:4 For you went up to your father's bed.