Spirit given and withdrawn: dust without it, renewal with it
So too with “You take away their spirit, and they fail” and “You send forth your spirit, and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” Better to hear “spirit” of the divine Spirit: stripped of it, a person becomes dust; made ready to receive it and receiving it, he is re-created and renewed.
That is of a piece with “He breathed into his face the breath of life, and the human became a living soul.”
Greek
Μήποτε δὲ καὶ τό · Ἀντανελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκλείψουσι · καί · Ἐξαποστελεῖς τὸ πνεῦμά σου καὶ κτισθήσονται καὶ ἀνακαινιεῖς τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς · βέλτιον ἐκληψόμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ ὑπολαμβάνοιμεν ὅτι ὁ στερισκόμενος θείου πνεύματος χοϊκὸς γίνεται, ἐπιτήδειόν τε ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας πρὸς παραδοχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸ ἀνακτισθήσεται καὶ ἀνακαινισθήσεται.
τοιοῦτον δ’ ἂν εἴη καὶ τό · Ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on John, Book 13 (later tomoi). Complete on this page: §§1–64.
English follows Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV (GCS 10, 1903). Heine FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Book 13 §§1–64 of the later books (13, 19, 20, 28, 32).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV = GCS 10 (1903) (Greek · Book 13 §§1–64)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.