Against Eunomius 2.6–2.16

Basil of Caesarea · Against Eunomius · ca. 364 · Caesarea · 9 passages

Greek text: PG 29.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 2

2.6PG 29:519

᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων εὐπρόσωπον αὐτῷ σχῆμα τῶν λόγων ἐπινενόηται, ὡς τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀσυνέτους τῶν ἀδελφῶν εὐσπλαγχνίας ἕνεκεν τὸν κόπον τῆς διδασκαλίας δοκεῖν καταδέχεσθαι. Καὶ τὰς μὲν σωματικὰς ὑπονοίας, τὰς ἐπὶ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐγγινομένας, ἐπανορθοῦται δῆθεν " τὰς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ποίημα τὸν Κύριον ὀνομάζεσθαι βλάβας οὐ παραιτεῖται. Καίτοι ὅ γε σωματικὴν εἶναι τὴν γέννησιν φανταζόμενος, ὁ αὐτὸς ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὑλικοὺς τῆς ποιήσεως τρόπους ὑπενεχθείη. Οὐ γὰρ δήπου μερισμὸν μέν τινα καὶ μετάστασιν καὶ ῥύσιν τῆς τοῦ γεννῶντος οὐσίας ἐκ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ γεννᾶν ὁ ἀσθενὴς ἐννοήσει " ὕλην δὲ ἔξωθεν ἐκ τοῦ δὴ ὄντος εἰσενεχθεῖσαν εἰς τὴν, ὡς ὑμεῖς φατε, τοῦ … Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τὰ ἀῤῥωστήματα τῶν λογισμῶν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐξ ἡμισείας ἰᾶται, καὶ τῶν … τοὺς τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τοῦ ποιήματος περιπταίοντας παρορᾷ; Ὅτι τὸ μὲν γεγεννῆσθαι πολέμιον οἶδε τοῖς δόγμασιν ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦ γεννηθέντος οἰκείως ἔχειν ὀφείλοντος πάντως καὶ ἀπαραλλάκτως πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα " τὸ δὲ πεποιῆσθαι φίλον καὶ σύμμαχον ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑποθέσεσι, διὰ τὸ ἀλλοτρίου καὶ ξένου, καὶ πάντη ἀνοικείου πρὸς τὸν ποιήσαντα τὴν ἔννοιαν παριστᾷν. Εἶτα τούτοις ἐπισυνάπτει λέγων " ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Γέννημα τοίνυν τὸν Υἱόν φαμεν, κατὰ τὴν τῶν Γραφῶν διδασκαλίαν" οὐχ ἕτερον μέν τι τὴν οὐσίαν νοοῦντες, ἕτερον δέ τι παρ᾽ αὑτὴν τὸ σημαινόμενον, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὴν εἶναι τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ἣν σημαίνει τοὔνομα ἐπαληθευούσης τῇ οὐσίᾳ τῆς προσηγορίας. ΒΑΣ. Καὶ ἐν τούτοις τοίνυν τῇ μὲν ἀληθείᾳ φανερῶς διαμάχεται, ἑαυτῷ δὲ ὅμως ἀκόλουθα λέγει. Ὡς γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἄνω λόγοις τὸ ἀγέννητον ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ διωρίζετο εἶναι σημαντικὸν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ γέννημα τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ σημαίνειν λέγει - ἵν᾽ ἐν τῇ τοῦ γεννητοῦ πρὸς τὸ ἀγέννητον ἀντιθέσει ἐναντίως ἔχοντα τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Μονογενῆ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν αὑτὴν ἐπιδείξῃ. Διὰ ταῦτα νομοθετεῖ ῥήματα ἔξω τῆς χρήσεως ὄντα τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος, γέννημα τὸν Υἱὸν ὀνομάζων. Πόθεν λαβών; ἐκ ποίας διδασκαλίας : τίνος προφήτου; τίνος τῶν ἀποστόλων ταύτην αὐτῷ τὴν προσωνυμίαν ἐπιφημίσαντος; Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδαμοῦ τῆς Γραφῆς κειμένην οὕτω τὴν φωνὴν ταύτην εὗρον. Καίτοι οὐδαμόθεν οὗτος ἣ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος διδασκαλίας εἰληφέναι τὰς προσηγορίας ταύτας ἀλαζονεύεται. Μικρὸν γὰρ αὐτῷ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀγῶνα παρέχειν, εἰ μὴ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πνεύματος κατατολμήσειε. Γεγεννηκέναι μὲν γὰρ τὸν Πατέρα πολλαχοῦ δεδιδάγμεθα " γέννημα δὲ εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἀκηκόαμεν· Παιδίον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν" υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν" καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ γέννημα, ἀλλὰ Μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος. Καίτοι εἴπερ τὸ γέννημα οὐσίας ὑπῆρχε σημαντικόν, οὐχ ἂν ἕτερον ὄνομα παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐδιδάχθημεν, ἣ ὅπερ ἐμφανῶς τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ παριστᾷν ἔμελλε. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Πέτρος, ὁ διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίγνωσιν τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἐκείνων ἀξιωθεὶς, οὐχ εἶπε, Σὺ εἴ τὸ γέννημα" ἀλλὰ, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος, πᾶσαν αὑτοῦ τὴν γραφὴν τῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ προσηγορίας καταπληρώσας, οὐδαμοῦ φανήσεται γεννήματος μνημονεύσας· ὅπερ οὗτος ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς πεποιθήσεως, ὡς ἐκ τοῦ θείου λαβὼν διδασκαλείου, προ… … ἐγέννησε, φωνὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς κειμένην μεταφέρειν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ὅπερ ἂν ἐκ τῆς τῶν τούτῳ τόν … τῷ θείῳ φόβῳ πεπαιδευμένον προσέχει, ἀλλ' ἀγαπᾷν, τοῖς ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ κειμένοις ὀνόμασιν ἐπιμένοντα, διὰ τούτων θεοπρεπῶς τὴν δοξολογίαν ἀποπληροῦν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν Ἑβραίων διάλεκτον εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα γλῶσσαν μεταβαλόντες τινῶν ὀνομάτων τῆς ἑρμηνείας οὐ κατετόλμησαν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὴν τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν φωνὴν μετεκόμισαν" ὡς τὸ Σαβαὼθ, καὶ τὸ ᾿Αδωναὶ, καὶ τὸ Ἐλωΐ, καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτον, οὐχ ἐπὶ τῶν θείων ὀνομάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ ἄλλων πλειόνων τὴν εὐλάβειαν ταύτην ἐπιδεικνύμενοι" πόσον τινὰ προσῆκεν ἡμᾶς περὶ τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ὀνομάτων τὸν φόβον ἔχειν; Καίτοι πότε ἂν ἐκεῖνο παρ᾽ ἑαυτῶν τινα πλάσαι τῶν ὀνομάτων ἠνέσχοντο, οἵγε μηδὲ τῆς ἑρμηνείας τινῶν καταθαῤῥήσαντες, ὡς ἂν μὴ τὸ ἐναργὲς τῆς ἐμφάσεως τῷ ἀκαταλλήλῳ τῶν σημαινομένων ἐκλύσειαν.

᾿Alla kai touto meta tōn allōn euprosōpon autǭ schēma tōn logōn epinenoētai, hōs tēs pros tous asynetous tōn adelphōn eusplanchnias heneken ton kopon tēs didaskalias dokein katadechesthai. Kai tas men sōmatikas hyponoias, tas epi tę̄ prosēgorią tautę̄ enginomenas, epanorthoutai dēthen " tas de ek tou poiēma ton Kyrion onomazesthai blabas ou paraiteitai. Kaitoi ho ge sōmatikēn einai tēn gennēsin phantazomenos, ho autos an kai epi tous hylikous tēs poiēseōs tropous hypenechtheiē. Ou gar dēpou merismon men tina kai metastasin kai rhysin tēs tou gennōntos ousias ek tēs phōnēs tou gennan ho asthenēs ennoēsei " hylēn de exōthen ek tou dē ontos eisenechtheisan eis tēn, hōs hymeis phate, tou … Tinos oun heneken ta arrhōstēmata tōn logismōn tōn adelphōn ex hēmiseias iatai, kai tōn … tous tę̄ prosēgorią tou poiēmatos periptaiontas parorą? Hoti to men gegennēsthai polemion oide tois dogmasin heautou, tou gennēthentos oikeiōs echein opheilontos pantōs kai aparallaktōs pros ton gennēsanta " to de pepoiēsthai philon kai symmachon tais heautou hypothesesi, dia to allotriou kai xenou, kai pantē anoikeiou pros ton poiēsanta tēn ennoian paristąn. Eita toutois episynaptei legōn " EUN. Gennēma toinyn ton Huion phamen, kata tēn tōn Graphōn didaskalian" ouch heteron men ti tēn ousian noountes, heteron de ti par᾽ hautēn to sēmainomenon, all᾽ autēn einai tēn hypostasin, hēn sēmainei tounoma epalētheuousēs tę̄ ousią tēs prosēgorias. BAS. Kai en toutois toinyn tę̄ men alētheią phanerōs diamachetai, heautǭ de homōs akoloutha legei. Hōs gar en tois anō logois to agennēton epi tou Theou tōn holōn tēs ousias autou diōrizeto einai sēmantikon, houtō kai entautha to gennēma tēn ousian tou Huiou sēmainein legei - hin᾽ en tę̄ tou gennētou pros to agennēton antithesei enantiōs echonta tǭ Patri ton Monogenē kata tēn ousian hautēn epideixę̄. Dia tauta nomothetei rhēmata exō tēs chrēseōs onta tou theiou Pneumatos, gennēma ton Huion onomazōn. Pothen labōn? ek poias didaskalias : tinos prophētou? tinos tōn apostolōn tautēn autǭ tēn prosōnymian epiphēmisantos? Egō men gar oudamou tēs Graphēs keimenēn houtō tēn phōnēn tautēn heuron. Kaitoi oudamothen houtos hē ek tēs tou Pneumatos didaskalias eilēphenai tas prosēgorias tautas alazoneuetai. Mikron gar autǭ tois anthrōpois agōna parechein, ei mē kai autou tou Pneumatos katatolmēseie. Gegennēkenai men gar ton Patera pollachou dedidagmetha " gennēma de einai ton Huion oudepō kai tēmeron akēkoamen; Paidion gar, phēsin, egennēthē hēmin" huios kai edothē hēmin" kai kaleitai to onoma autou ouchi gennēma, alla Megalēs boulēs angelos. Kaitoi eiper to gennēma ousias hypērche sēmantikon, ouch an heteron onoma para tou Pneumatos edidachthēmen, hē hoper emphanōs tēn ousian autou paristąn emelle. Kai palin ho Petros, ho dia tēn tēs alētheias epignōsin tōn makarismōn ekeinōn axiōtheis, ouch eipe, Sy ei to gennēma" alla, Sy ei ho Christos ho Huios tou Theou tou zōntos. Kai ho Paulos, pasan hautou tēn graphēn tēs tou Huiou prosēgorias kataplērōsas, oudamou phanēsetai gennēmatos mnēmoneusas; hoper houtos ek pollēs tēs pepoithēseōs, hōs ek tou theiou labōn didaskaleiou, pro… … egennēse, phōnēn epi tou Patros keimenēn metapherein ton Huion tou Theou. Ou gar hoper an ek tēs tōn toutǭ ton … tǭ theiǭ phobǭ pepaideumenon prosechei, all' agapąn, tois en tę̄ Graphę̄ keimenois onomasin epimenonta, dia toutōn theoprepōs tēn doxologian apoplēroun. Ei gar hoi ex archēs tēn Hebraiōn dialekton eis tēn Hellada glōssan metabalontes tinōn onomatōn tēs hermēneias ou katetolmēsan, all᾽ autēn tēn Hebraïkēn phōnēn metekomisan" hōs to Sabaōth, kai to ᾿Adōnai, kai to Elōï, kai ei ti toiouton, ouch epi tōn theiōn onomatōn monon, alla kai epi allōn pleionōn tēn eulabeian tautēn epideiknymenoi" poson tina prosēken hēmas peri tōn tou Kyriou onomatōn ton phobon echein? Kaitoi pote an ekeino par᾽ heautōn tina plasai tōn onomatōn ēneschonto, hoige mēde tēs hermēneias tinōn katatharrhēsantes, hōs an mē to enarges tēs emphaseōs tǭ akatallēlǭ tōn sēmainomenōn eklyseian.

[6] But he has devised this too, along with the rest, as a specious form for his arguments: to seem to take on the labor of teaching out of compassion for the brothers who lack understanding. The bodily suspicions arising from this designation he supposedly corrects; but the harm from calling the Lord a thing made he does not avoid. Yet the one who imagines the begetting to be bodily would also be carried down to the material ways of making. For surely the weak person, from the word "beget," will not conceive a division, transfer, and flowing out of the begetter's essence, without [also conceiving] a matter brought in from outside, from what [is not], into the [constitution] of what you call … ? Why then does he heal the infirmities of the brothers' reasonings by halves, and … overlook those who stumble at the designation "thing made"? Because he knows that "having been begotten" is hostile to his doctrines, since what is begotten must surely be akin to the begetter and without difference from him; whereas "having been made" is friendly and allied to his hypotheses, because it presents the notion of something alien, foreign, and wholly unrelated to its maker. Then he adds to this, saying:

EUNOMIUS: "We say, then, that the Son is offspring according to the teaching of the Scriptures, not understanding the essence to be one thing and what is signified something else besides it, but that the subsistence itself is what the name signifies, since the designation is true of the essence."

BASIL: In this too, then, he openly fights against the truth, yet says what is consistent with himself. For just as in his earlier arguments he defined "unbegotten" in the God of the universe as signifying his essence, so here too he says that "offspring" signifies the essence of the Son, so that by the opposition of begotten to unbegotten he may show the Only-Begotten opposed to the Father in his very essence. That is why he legislates words outside the usage of the divine Spirit, calling the Son "offspring." Where did he get it? From what teaching? From which prophet? Which of the apostles applied this name to him? For my part, I have found this word used in this way nowhere in Scripture.

[7] And yet this man boasts that he has taken these designations from nowhere but the teaching of the Spirit. For it is a small thing to him to give trouble to human beings unless he also makes bold against the Spirit himself. That the Father has begotten we have been taught in many places; but that the Son is "offspring" we have not heard to this day. "For a child," it says, "is born to us, a son is given to us, and his name is called" not "offspring" but "Angel of great counsel." Yet if "offspring" were indicative of essence, we would have been taught by the Spirit no other name than the one that would plainly present his essence. And again Peter, who for his knowledge of the truth was counted worthy of that blessing, did not say, "You are the offspring," but, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Paul, who filled all his writing with the designation "Son," will nowhere be found to have mentioned "offspring." This man, from great self-confidence, as though he had received it from the divine school, … transferring to the Son of God the word "begot," which belongs to the Father. For the one trained in the fear of God does not attend to what … , but loves to persist in the names found in Scripture and through them to render the glorification in a manner befitting God. For if those who first translated the Hebrew tongue into the Greek language did not dare to translate some names, but carried over the Hebrew word itself, such as "Sabaoth," "Adonai," "Eloi," and the like, showing this reverence not only with the divine names but with many others as well, how great a fear ought we to have about the names of the Lord? When would they have endured to make up any of the names of their own accord, they who did not even dare to translate some, lest by the unsuitability of the meanings they should weaken the clarity of the expression?

Isa 9:6 (9:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:17 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil exposes Eunomius's selective concern about bodily notions of begetting, and argues that 'offspring' is a name never given to the Son in Scripture, which uses 'Son', as the Septuagint translators kept even Hebrew names untranslated out of reverence.

Chapters 6 and 7 of Book 2 (marked [6], [7]). Lost lines are marked …; Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections. 'From what [is not]' translates a damaged reading (ἐκ τοῦ δὴ ὄντος in the scan) by its evident sense.
Isa 9:6 (LXX 9:5, 'Angel of great counsel'); Matt 16:16-17. 'Sabaoth', 'Adonai', 'Eloi': Hebrew words left untranslated in the Greek Bible.

Notes on the original text

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Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.6 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne PG 29 (archive.org OCR; slips, Migne's Latin and notes removed as logged corrections; chapters renumbered to Garnier's divisions) and checked privately against FOTC 122 (Against Eunomius).

2.8PG 29:519

Ἀλλ᾽ εἰ ἐγέννησε, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, πῶς οὐ χρὴ τὸν γεννηθέντα προσαγορεύειν γέννημα; Ὅτι φοβερὸν ἡμῖν ἡμετέροις αὐτὸν ὀνόμασι προσφωνεῖν, ᾧ ἐχαρίσατο ὁ Θεὸς ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, Υἱός μου εἶ σὺ, φησὶν, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. Καίτοι ἀκολουθότερον ἦν κατὰ τὸν τούτων λόγον, διὰ τὸ γεγεννῆσθαι, γέννημα προσαγορευθῆναι, καὶ οὐχ Υἱόν" ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ εἴρηται. Διόπερ χρὴ τὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχοντα τὸ Χριστοῦ δικαστήριον, καὶ εἰδότα ὅσος ὁ κίνδυνος ἀφελεῖν τι ἢ προσθεῖναι τοῖς παραδεδομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος, μὴ παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ φιλοτιμεῖσθαι καινοτομεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς προκατηγγελμένοις παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἐφησυχάζειν. Ὃ τοίνυν οὔτε ἡ κοινὴ συνήθεια, οὔτε ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν χρῆσις παραδέ. τούτου κατατολμᾷν πῶς οὐχὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀπονοίας ἐστί; Τίς γὰρ πατὴρ ἣ μήτηρ εὐμενῶς καὶ ἡμέρως πρὸς τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ διακείμενος, ἀφεὶς τὸ προσαγορεύειν αὐτὸν υἱὸν ἢ τέκνον, γέννημα ἂν προσείποι; Τέκνον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ" Ὁ Θεὸς ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ πρόβατον εἰς σφαγὴν, τέκνον" καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἰσαάκ" Τίς εἶ, τέκνον; καὶ, Υἱέ, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας … τοιοῦτον, Οὐδαμοῦ δὲ γέννημα τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος προσειπὼν ἐπιδείκνυται. Καὶ ἡ αἰτία σαφής· ὅτι ὁ μὲν υἱὸς καὶ τὸ τέκνον ἐμψύχων εἰσὶν ὀνόματα, τὸ γέννημα δὲ οὐ πάντως, Γέννημα μὲν γὰρ δύναται λέγεσθαι καὶ τὸ πρὸ τοῦ ἐξεικονισθῆναι ἐν ταῖς ἀμβλώσεσιν ἐκβαλλόμενον " οὐ μὴν καὶ τῆς τοῦ τέκνου προσηγορίας ἄξιον τὸ τοιοῦτον. Καὶ γεννήματα μὲν καρποὶ τῆς γῆς, τέκνα δὲ ταῦτα οὐκέτι. Οὐ γὰρ μὴ πίω, φησὶν, ἐκ τοῦ γεννήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου ταύτης. Σπανίως δὲ ἐπὶ ἐμψύχων τὴν προσηγορίαν τὴν παραληφθεῖσαν εὕρομεν. Καὶ ὅπου γε εἴρηται, ἐπὶ ζώου κατηγορουμένου καὶ εἰς εἰκόνα πονηρίας παραληφθέντος ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Ὄφεις γάρ, φησὶ, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἥ τε κοινὴ συνήθεια τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην ἡτίμασε, καὶ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ παραιτουμένη φαίνεται, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τὴν τέκνου προσηγορίαν, ὡς πολὺ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἔχουσαν, οὐ προσήκατο. Δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος, Υἱὸν μὲν ἄνω καὶ κάτω τὸν Κύριον ἀποκαλῶν, καὶ … καὶ εἰκόνα, καὶ ἀπαύγασμα" τὴν δὲ τοῦ γεννήματος προσηγορίαν ἀποφυγών. Εἰ δὲ φησιν οὗτος, δειξάτω, ἢ ἄλλος τις τῶν προϊσταμένων τοῦ λόγου, καὶ πάντα αὐτοῖς δώσομεν ἀπαλεῖψαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐχ ἂν ἔχοι" εἰ μὴ ἄρα μιμούμενος τὸν ἀσεβῆ Μαρκίωνα, τὰ … Οὕτω μὲν οὖν ἀλλοτρία τῆς τε κοινῆς συνηθείας καὶ τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν χρήσεως ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ γεννήματος ἀπελήλεγκται.

All᾽ ei egennēse, phēsin, ho Theos, pōs ou chrē ton gennēthenta prosagoreuein gennēma? Hoti phoberon hēmin hēmeterois auton onomasi prosphōnein, hǭ echarisato ho Theos onoma to hyper pan onoma, Huios mou ei sy, phēsin, egō sēmeron gegennēka se. Kaitoi akolouthoteron ēn kata ton toutōn logon, dia to gegennēsthai, gennēma prosagoreuthēnai, kai ouch Huion" all᾽ ouch eirētai. Dioper chrē ton pro ophthalmōn echonta to Christou dikastērion, kai eidota hosos ho kindynos aphelein ti ē prostheinai tois paradedomenois hypo tou Pneumatos, mē par᾽ heautou philotimeisthai kainotomein, alla tois prokatēngelmenois para tōn hagiōn ephēsychazein. Ho toinyn oute hē koinē synētheia, oute hē tōn Graphōn chrēsis parade. toutou katatolmąn pōs ouchi tēs eschatēs aponoias esti? Tis gar patēr hē mētēr eumenōs kai hēmerōs pros ton ex autou diakeimenos, apheis to prosagoreuein auton huion ē teknon, gennēma an proseipoi? Teknon gar, phēsin, hypage eis ton ampelōna; kai allachou" Ho Theos opsetai heautǭ probaton eis sphagēn, teknon" kai palin ho Isaak" Tis ei, teknon? kai, Huie, mē oligōrei paideias … toiouton, Oudamou de gennēma ton ex autou hekastos proseipōn epideiknytai. Kai hē aitia saphēs; hoti ho men huios kai to teknon empsychōn eisin onomata, to gennēma de ou pantōs, Gennēma men gar dynatai legesthai kai to pro tou exeikonisthēnai en tais amblōsesin ekballomenon " ou mēn kai tēs tou teknou prosēgorias axion to toiouton. Kai gennēmata men karpoi tēs gēs, tekna de tauta ouketi. Ou gar mē piō, phēsin, ek tou gennēmatos tēs ampelou tautēs. Spaniōs de epi empsychōn tēn prosēgorian tēn paralēphtheisan heuromen. Kai hopou ge eirētai, epi zōou katēgoroumenou kai eis eikona ponērias paralēphthentos estin idein. Opheis gar, phēsi, gennēmata echidnōn. Dia touto, oimai, hē te koinē synētheia tēn prosēgorian tautēn hētimase, kai hē theia Graphē paraitoumenē phainetai, kai malista epi tou monogenous Huiou tou Theou. ᾿Alla kai tēn teknou prosēgorian, hōs poly to anthrōpinon echousan, ou prosēkato. Dēloi de ho ᾿Apostolos, Huion men anō kai katō ton Kyrion apokalōn, kai … kai eikona, kai apaugasma" tēn de tou gennēmatos prosēgorian apophygōn. Ei de phēsin houtos, deixatō, ē allos tis tōn proïstamenōn tou logou, kai panta autois dōsomen apaleipsai. ᾿All᾽ ouch an echoi" ei mē ara mimoumenos ton asebē Markiōna, ta … Houtō men oun allotria tēs te koinēs synētheias kai tēs tōn Graphōn chrēseōs hē phōnē tou gennēmatos apelēlenktai.

[8] "But if God begot," he says, "why should one not call the one begotten offspring?" Because it is a fearful thing for us to address with names of our own the one to whom God has given the name that is above every name: "You are my Son," he says, "today I have begotten you." Yet by their argument it would have been more consistent for him to be called offspring rather than Son, because he was begotten; but this has not been said. Therefore the one who has the judgment seat of Christ before his eyes, and knows how great is the danger of taking anything away from or adding anything to what has been handed down by the Spirit, must not be eager to innovate on his own, but must rest content with what was proclaimed beforehand by the saints. What, then, neither common usage nor the usage of the Scriptures has received—how is it not the height of folly to venture on it? For what father or mother, kindly and gently disposed toward the one born of them, would leave off calling him son or child and call him offspring? "Child," it says, "go into the vineyard"; and elsewhere, "God will provide for himself a sheep for the slaughter, my child"; and again Isaac: "Who are you, my child?" and, "My son, do not make light of discipline" … ; but nowhere is anyone shown to have called his own "offspring." The reason is plain: "son" and "child" are names of living beings, but "offspring" is not always so. For even what is cast out in miscarriages before it has taken form can be called offspring, but such a thing is not worthy of the name "child." The fruits of the earth are offspring, but they are not children: "I will not drink," it says, "of this offspring of the vine." We have found the name applied to living beings rarely, and where it is used, one can see it said of an animal under reproach and taken as an image of wickedness: "Serpents," it says, "offspring of vipers." That is why, I think, common usage has held this name in no honor, and divine Scripture is seen to decline it, especially in speaking of the only-begotten Son of God. It did not even admit the name "child," as having much that is human about it. The Apostle shows this, calling the Lord "Son" again and again, and … and image and radiance, but avoiding the designation "offspring." But if [it is said anywhere], let this man show it, or any other of the leaders of this teaching, and we will let them strike out everything. But he could not, unless, imitating the impious Marcion, he … Thus the word "offspring" has been proved foreign both to common usage and to the usage of the Scriptures.

Phil 2:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Deut 4:2 (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 21:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 22:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 27:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 26:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 23:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 1:3 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that Scripture calls the Lord 'Son' but never 'offspring,' a word used of unformed miscarriages, crops, and the 'offspring of vipers.'

Chapter 8 of Book 2. Lost lines are marked …; Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections. Marcion is mentioned as one who cut down the Scriptures.
Phil 2:9; Ps 2:7; the judgment seat: 2 Cor 5:10; not adding or taking away: Deut 4:2; Matt 21:28; Gen 22:8; Gen 27:18; Prov 3:11 (Heb 12:5); Matt 26:29; Matt 23:33 (3:7); image and radiance: Col 1:15, Heb 1:3.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; OCR slip (ὅτι read as τι); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): ᾿λλλ᾽ εἰ → Ἀλλ᾽ εἰ; φοθερὸν ἡμῖν → φοβερὸν ἡμῖν; Καῖτοι ἀχολουθότερον → Καίτοι ἀκολουθότερον; χατὰ τὸν → κατὰ τὸν; φιλοτιμεῖ» → φιλοτιμεῖσθαι; σθαι χαινοτομεῖν, → καινοτομεῖν,; προχατηγγελμένοις → προκατηγγελμένοις; ἐφησυχάξειν. → ἐφησυχάζειν.; ἡἧ κοινὴ → ἡ κοινὴ; χοῆσις παραδέ-. → χρῆσις παραδέ.; δὶ πο ῖβ διη, ουἱ ἰαγρίίυ8. 6581 ἤθ88 ποῆθη αυρᾶ Ργοΐι δ ορογιδὶ δὰπὶ υΐ ΘΟ τ ἰδιὶ ἐιἀϊοίαιη οἱ» ὅξχται, τούτου → τούτου; χατατολμᾷν → κατατολμᾷν; Ο ἀπονοίας → ἀπονοίας; ἢ" τέχνον, γέννημα → ἢ τέκνον, γέννημα; Τέχγον γὰρ, → Τέκνον γὰρ,; ᾿μπελῶνα" → ἀμπελῶνα·; τρόδατον → πρόβατον; Ἰσαάχ" Γίς εἶ, τέχγον; καὶ, → Ἰσαάκ" Τίς εἶ, τέκνον; καὶ,; ΥἹἱὲ, μὴ → Υἱέ, μὴ; ᾿ τοιοῦτον, → … τοιοῦτον,; ἔχατος προσειπὼν → ἕκαστος προσειπὼν; ἐπιδείχνυται. → ἐπιδείκνυται.; τέχνον ἐμψύχων → τέκνον ἐμψύχων; ὃ γέννημα → τὸ γέννημα; δύνααι λέγεσθαι → δύναται λέγεσθαι; ἐξειχονισθῆναι → ἐξεικονισθῆναι; μθλώσεσιν → ἀμβλώσεσιν; ἐχδαλλόμενον → ἐκβαλλόμενον; τέχνου ροσηγορίας → τέκνου προσηγορίας; χαρποὶ τῆς → καρποὶ τῆς; τέχνα δὲ → τέκνα δὲ; οὐχέτι. Οὐ → οὐκέτι. Οὐ; ὴ πίω, φησὶν, → μὴ πίω, φησὶν,; γεγγήματος → γεννήματος; τύτης. Σπανίως → ταύτης. Σπανίως; την παραληφθεῖσαν → τὴν παραληφθεῖσαν; τη. Δ γον, βοπιϊπὶ, Κἰὶ πὶ, πὰ αὐ ίοῖας, εἰ Οοἀὲχ (ο}"- οἱ ᾿λεξ. ἰογιΐι5 ἐπὶ ἐμψύχου τὴν προσηγορίαν ταύτην μεταληςφθεῖσαν εὕρομεν " υι- "5 ἦν ςοὐϊείυθ ὑγὸ εἴρηται δετίμίυμι ἐμ εὔρηται. εδὶ, 61π| Δερορίαπι (6 2η]14}} υἱτραγαῖο οἱ δὰ ργᾶ- α εἴρηται, → εἴρηται,; χατηγορουμένου → κατηγορουμένου; "Ὄφεις Ὑὰρ, φησὶ, → Ὄφεις γάρ, φησὶ,; γεγρήματα → γεννήματα; ἕ τε χοινὴ συνήθεια → ἥ τε κοινὴ συνήθεια; μόλιστὰ ἐπὶ → μάλιστα ἐπὶ; τέχνου προσηγορίαν, → τέκνου προσηγορίαν,; προσήχατο. → προσήκατο.; ἀποχαλῶν, → ἀποκαλῶν,; καὶ καὶ εἰχόνα, καὶ → καὶ … καὶ εἰκόνα, καὶ; γεννή ματος προσηγορίαν → γεννήματος προσηγορίαν; δώδομεν ἀπαλεῖψαι. → δώσομεν ἀπαλεῖψαι.; ἀσεδῇ Μαρχίωνα, → ἀσεβῆ Μαρκίωνα,; γιψεάπιυϑ δυΐεπι ᾽πὶ αἰγυπὶ ἤογὶ ροβϑῖ!, υἱ ᾿ος οπΐπι δἱϊ : φοι. Οὕτω → … Οὕτω; χοινῆῇς συνηθείας → κοινῆς συνηθείας; Ὑεννήματος → γεννήματος; ἀπελήλεγχται.. → ἀπελήλεγκται.; σαφῆς " τι ὁ μὲν → σαφής· ὅτι ὁ μὲν.

Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.8 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.9PG 29:519

Ἴδωμεν δὲ λοιπὸν εἰ δυνατὸν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦτο κατ᾽ αὐτῆς τετάχθαι τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Φησὶ γὰρ αὐτός· ΕΥ̓͂Ν. ᾿Αδύνατον εἶναι ἕτερον μέν τι τὴν οὐσίαν νοεῖν, ἕτερον δέ τι παρ᾽ αὑτὴν τὸ σημαινόμενον, ἀλλ᾽ αὑτὴν εἶναι τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ἣν σημαίνει τοὔνομα ἐπαληθευούσης τῇ οὐσίᾳ τῆς προσηγορίας. ΒΑΣ. Ἄξιά γε ὡς ἀληθῶς τῶν δικαστῶν, οὓς ἀνέπλασας, ταυτί σου τὰ δόγματα, Ὡς γὰρ ἐν ὀνείρῳ … ἀγορᾷ, ἢ ἐκκλησίᾳ μεθυόντων, καὶ οὐδενὸς οὔτε ἀκούοντος οὔτε συνιέντος τῶν λεγομένων, ἐπὶ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας νομοθετεῖς, ἀντὶ πάσης ἀποδείξεως ἐξαρκεῖν ἡγούμενος τὸ αὐτὸς εἰρηκέναι. Ἐπεὶ τίς οὐχ οἶδεν, ὅτι τῶν ὀνομάτων τὰ μὲν ἀπολελυμένως καὶ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὰ προφερόμενα τῶν ὑποκειμένων αὐτοῖς πραγμάτων ἐστὶ σημαντικὰ, τὰ δὲ πρὸς ἕτερα λεγόμενα τὴν σχέσιν μόνην ἐμφαίνει τὴν πρὸς ἃ λέγεται; Οἷον, ἄνθρωπος μὲν, καὶ ἵππος, καὶ βοῦς, αὐτὸ ἔκαστον τῶν ὀνομαζομένων παρίστησιν· υἱὸς δὲ, ἣ δοῦλος, ἣ φίλος, μόνης τῆς πρὸς τὸ συνεζευγμένον ὄνομα συναφείας ἐστὶ δηλωτικά. Ὁ τοίνυν ἀκούσας γεννήματος οὐχ ἐπί τινα οὐσίαν τῇ διανοίᾳ φέρεται, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἑτέρῳ ἐστὶ συναπτόμενον ἐννοεῖ. Τὸ γὰρ γέννημά τινος λέγεται γέννημα. Ὁ μέντοι οὐχ ὑποστάσεώς τινος ἔννοιαν ἐμποιεῖ ἀλλὰ μόνην τὴν πρὸς ἕτερον σχέσιν ἀποσημαίνει, τοῦτο οὐσίαν εἶναι νομοθετεῖν πῶς οὐ τῆς ἀνωτάτω παραπληξίας ἐστί; Καίτοιγε μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἐδείκνυτο παρ᾽ ἡμῶν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἀπολελυμένα τῶν ὀνομάτων, κἂν τὰ μάλιστα δοκῇ ὑποκείμενόν τι δηλοῦν, οὐχ αὐτὴν παρίστησι τὴν οὐσίαν, ἰδιώματα δέ τινὰ περὶ αὐτὴν ἀφορίζει.

Idōmen de loipon ei dynaton to onoma touto kat᾽ autēs tetachthai tēs ousias tou Huiou. Phēsi gar autos; EUN. ᾿Adynaton einai heteron men ti tēn ousian noein, heteron de ti par᾽ hautēn to sēmainomenon, all᾽ hautēn einai tēn hypostasin, hēn sēmainei tounoma epalētheuousēs tę̄ ousią tēs prosēgorias. BAS. Axia ge hōs alēthōs tōn dikastōn, hous aneplasas, tauti sou ta dogmata, Hōs gar en oneirǭ … agorą, ē ekklēsią methyontōn, kai oudenos oute akouontos oute synientos tōn legomenōn, epi pollēs tēs adeias nomotheteis, anti pasēs apodeixeōs exarkein hēgoumenos to autos eirēkenai. Epei tis ouch oiden, hoti tōn onomatōn ta men apolelymenōs kai kath᾽ heauta propheromena tōn hypokeimenōn autois pragmatōn esti sēmantika, ta de pros hetera legomena tēn schesin monēn emphainei tēn pros ha legetai? Hoion, anthrōpos men, kai hippos, kai bous, auto ekaston tōn onomazomenōn paristēsin; huios de, hē doulos, hē philos, monēs tēs pros to synezeugmenon onoma synapheias esti dēlōtika. Ho toinyn akousas gennēmatos ouch epi tina ousian tę̄ dianoią pheretai, all᾽ hoti heterǭ esti synaptomenon ennoei. To gar gennēma tinos legetai gennēma. Ho mentoi ouch hypostaseōs tinos ennoian empoiei alla monēn tēn pros heteron schesin aposēmainei, touto ousian einai nomothetein pōs ou tēs anōtatō paraplēxias esti? Kaitoige mikron emprosthen edeiknyto par᾽ hēmōn, hoti kai ta apolelymena tōn onomatōn, kan ta malista dokę̄ hypokeimenon ti dēloun, ouch autēn paristēsi tēn ousian, idiōmata de tina peri autēn aphorizei.

[9] Let us now see whether this name can be ranged against the very essence of the Son. For he himself says:

EUNOMIUS: "It is impossible to conceive the essence as one thing and what is signified as something else besides it; rather, the subsistence itself is what the name signifies, since the designation is true of the essence."

BASIL: Truly worthy of the judges whom you yourself fashioned are these doctrines of yours! For as if in a dream … in a marketplace or an assembly of drunkards, where no one either hears or understands what is said, you legislate with great license, thinking it enough, in place of all proof, that you yourself have said it. For who does not know that some names, uttered absolutely and by themselves, signify the things that underlie them, while others, said in relation to something else, show only the relation to that to which they are said? For example, "man," "horse," and "ox" each present the thing named; but "son," "slave," or "friend" indicate only the connection with the name joined to them. So the one who hears "offspring" is not carried in thought to some essence, but understands that it is joined to another; for an offspring is called the offspring of someone. What, then, produces the notion not of some subsistence but signifies only the relation to another—how is it not the height of madness to legislate that this is essence? Yet a little before, we showed that even the absolute names, however much they seem to indicate some substrate, do not present the essence itself, but mark off certain distinctive features about it.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that 'offspring' is a relative term, like 'son' or 'friend,' which indicates a relation, not an essence.

Chapter 9 of Book 2. Lost words after 'in a dream' are marked …; Migne's Latin and a note of variant readings are removed by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): χατ᾽ αὐτῆς → κατ᾽ αὐτῆς; αὑτός" ΕΥ̓͂Ν. → αὐτός· ΕΥ̓͂Ν.; σημαένει → σημαίνει τοὔνομα; μα, ἐπαληθευούσης → ἐπαληθευούσης; “Αξιά γς ὡς ἀληθῶς → Ἄξιά γε ὡς ἀληθῶς; διχαστῶν, → δικαστῶν,; οὖσ ῥεῖα τυ ἀορφιηαία. Ουδπιδάπιοάιπι απ ἰπ βοπιηἷο- ἀνέπλασας, → οὓς ἀνέπλασας,; ὀνείδι ἱπί 6} }καὶ αι ἀϊεμηίυγ, [6568 πη} 18 οαπὶ οὐ) αϑρίατιν. πο. Ομ πὶ ποη ρατὶξ, 56 50[4}}} 211 41 ἡ ἘσΙ τὴν τοῦ τέχνον. Πεδϑὶ τοῦ ἴῃ δηι ρὼν ἀγορᾷ, → ὀνείρῳ … ἀγορᾷ,; ἐχχλησίᾳ → ἐκκλησίᾳ; ἀχούουτος → ἀκούοντος; ἐξαρχεῖν → ἐξαρκεῖν; οἷδεν, ὅτι → οἶδεν, ὅτι; ἀπολελυκμένως → ἀπολελυμένως; χαϑ᾽ ἑαυτὰ → καθ᾽ ἑαυτὰ; ὑποχειμένων → ὑποκειμένων; σημαντιχὰ, → σημαντικὰ,; ξτερα λεγόμενα → ἕτερα λεγόμενα; ἐμφαΐνει → ἐμφαίνει; ἵππος. καὶ → ἵππος, καὶ; αὑτὸ ἔχαστον τῶν → αὐτὸ ἔκαστον τῶν; παρίπτη,σιν" → παρίστησιν·; μόντς τῆς → μόνης τῆς; δηλωτιχά. → δηλωτικά.; ἀχούζας γεννήματος → ἀκούσας γεννήματος; οὐσέαν τῇ → οὐσίαν τῇ; συνα πτόμενον ἐννοεῖ. → συναπτόμενον ἐννοεῖ.; ἄλλος τις τῶν προϊσταμένων τοῦ λόγον, Ἰιος ἰοφῸ ἐε- Βοξ. ιἐγιϊυ8 οὐχὶ ὑποστάσεως... πῶς οὐχὶ τῆς ἀλλὰ → ἀλλὰ; Α ΠιΔ θυ ἀΐποπη ποίδι, [4 δυυδβίδηιίαπι 6856 βὰποίγο, τοῦτο → τοῦτο; μιχρὸν ἔμπροσθεν → μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν; χἂν τὰ μάλιστα → κἂν τὰ μάλιστα; δοχῇ ὑποχείμενόν → δοκῇ ὑποκείμενόν.

Topics: Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.9 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.10PG 29:519

᾿Αλλ ὁ σοφώτατος, καὶ ταῖς ματαιοτεχνίαις ἅπαντα τὸν βίον ἐσχολακὼς, οὐχ ἐρυθριᾷ αὐτὴν τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς σημαίνειν λέγων τὸ γέννημα. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅσην τὴν ἀτοπίαν ἔχει, σκοπεῖτε. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ οὐσία γέννημα, καὶ ἀνάπαλιν, εἴ τι γέννημα, τοῦτο οὐσία - ὁμοούσια τὰ γεννήματα πάντα ἀλλήλοις ἔσται. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου τί συμβήσεται κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον; Ὁ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων πᾶσι τοῖς γεννήσεως μετειληφόσι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων οὐσίαν ἀναφανήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐσίαν φήσει σημαίνειν τὸ γέννημα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν μετεχόντων γενέσεως οὐκέτι τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν ἀποσώζειν. Ἐπεὶ λεγέτω τινὰ αἰτίαν σαφῆ καὶ ἀναντίρρητον τοῦ τὴν αὐτὴν προσηγορίαν μὴ ἐπὶ πάντων ὁμοίως τὸ ἴσον δύνασθαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐχ ἂν ἔχοι. Ὃν γὰρ ἂν ἐπινοήσῃ γεννήματος λόγον, οὗτος πᾶσιν ὁμοίως τοῖς γεννητοῖς ἐφαρμόσει. Μέγιστον δὲ τεκμήριον τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦ λόγου ἡ αὐτοῦ ἑκάστου τῶν ἀκουόντων διάνοια. Ἐρωτάτω γὰρ ἕκαστος ἑαυτόν, ᾿ ἐπειδὰν ἀκούσῃ, Ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ δεῖνος γέννημα, τίνα ἔννοιαν ἐντυποῦται. Ἆρα ὅτι ὁ γεννηθεὶς οὐσία τοῦ γεγεννηκότος ἐστίν; Ἢ τοῦτο μὲν κατα. ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀληθὲς, ὅτι παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ γεννητῶς εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήχθη. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ὁμοίως ἐπί τε ποῦ Μονογενοῦς καὶ ἐφ᾽ οὑτινοσοῦν τῶν γεννηθέντων ἁρμόσει λέγεσθαι, Καὶ μηδεὶς κοινὸν τὸ τῆς σχέσεως) καθαίρεσιν εἶναι τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ Μονογενοῦς νομιζέτω. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῷ πρός τί πως ἔχειν ἡ διαφορὰ τῷ Υἱῷ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῇ ἰδιότητι τῆς οὐσίας ἡ ὑπεροχὴ τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τὰ θνητὰ διαφαίνεται, Σκοπεῖτε μέντοι ποῦ τῆς ἀτοπίας ὁ τούτων λόγος ἐκφέρει. Εἰ τὸ γέννημα ἑτέρου λέγεται γέννημα, ὡς ἥ τε κοινὴ συνήθεια βεβαιοῖ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ, ταυτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ οὐσίαν σημαίνει, κατὰ τὸν τούτων λόγον ἐκείνου ἔσται οὐσία, οὗ καὶ γέννημα λέγεται. Ἔσται τοίνυν ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας ταύτης οὐκέτι τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὴν οὐσίαν ἡ τοῦ γεννήματος προσηγορία σημαίνουσα, ὅπερ οὗτοι βιάζονται, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων. Εἰ γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἕτερον μέν τι τὴν οὐσίαν νοεῖν, ἕτερον δέ τι παρ᾽ αὐτὴν τὸ γέννημα, καὶ ἴσον δύναται, οὐσίαν τε εἰπεῖν καὶ γέννημα " τοῦ θεοῦ δέ ἐστι γέννημα ὁ Υἱός, τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔσται οὐσία, εἴπερ τὸ γέννημα τὴν οὐσίαν δηλοῖ. Καὶ οὕτω τὸ γέννημα οὐσία τοῦ ἀγεννήτου κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον ἀναφανήσεται. Εἰ δὲ γελοῖον τὸ συναγόμενον, ὁ θεὶς τὰ λήμματα τῆς αἰσχύνης κληρονομείτω. Ἔοικε γάρ πως ὁ λόγος, ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ τῆς ἀληθείας παρενεχθῇ, εἰς πολλὰς καὶ ἐπικινδύνους ἀτοπίας ὑπὸ τῆς κατὰ τὴν πλάνην ἀκολουθίας ἐκφέρεσθαι.

᾿All ho sophōtatos, kai tais mataiotechniais hapanta ton bion escholakōs, ouch erythrią autēn tēn ousian tou Monogenous sēmainein legōn to gennēma. Touto de hosēn tēn atopian echei, skopeite. Ei gar hē ousia gennēma, kai anapalin, ei ti gennēma, touto ousia - homoousia ta gennēmata panta allēlois estai. Ek dē toutou ti symbēsetai kata ton toutou logon? Ho dēmiourgos tōn holōn pasi tois gennēseōs meteilēphosi tēn autēn echōn ousian anaphanēsetai. Ou gar dē epi men tou Huiou ousian phēsei sēmainein to gennēma, epi de tōn loipōn tōn metechontōn geneseōs ouketi tēn autēn ennoian aposōzein. Epei legetō tina aitian saphē kai anantirrēton tou tēn autēn prosēgorian mē epi pantōn homoiōs to ison dynasthai. ᾿All᾽ ouch an echoi. Hon gar an epinoēsę̄ gennēmatos logon, houtos pasin homoiōs tois gennētois epharmosei. Megiston de tekmērion tēs alētheias tou logou hē autou hekastou tōn akouontōn dianoia. Erōtatō gar hekastos heauton, ᾿ epeidan akousę̄, Ho deina tou deinos gennēma, tina ennoian entypoutai. Ara hoti ho gennētheis ousia tou gegennēkotos estin? Ē touto men kata. ekeino de alēthes, hoti par᾽ autou gennētōs eis to einai parēchthē. Touto toinyn homoiōs epi te pou Monogenous kai eph᾽ houtinosoun tōn gennēthentōn harmosei legesthai, Kai mēdeis koinon to tēs scheseōs) kathairesin einai tēs axias tou Monogenous nomizetō. Ou gar en tǭ pros ti pōs echein hē diaphora tǭ Huiǭ pros ta alla, all᾽ en tę̄ idiotēti tēs ousias hē hyperochē tou theou pros ta thnēta diaphainetai, Skopeite mentoi pou tēs atopias ho toutōn logos ekpherei. Ei to gennēma heterou legetai gennēma, hōs hē te koinē synētheia bebaioi, kai oudeis anterei, tauto de touto kai epi tou Huiou ousian sēmainei, kata ton toutōn logon ekeinou estai ousia, hou kai gennēma legetai. Estai toinyn ek tēs akolouthias tautēs ouketi tou Monogenous tēn ousian hē tou gennēmatos prosēgoria sēmainousa, hoper houtoi biazontai, alla tou Theou tōn holōn. Ei gar ouch hoion te heteron men ti tēn ousian noein, heteron de ti par᾽ autēn to gennēma, kai ison dynatai, ousian te eipein kai gennēma " tou theou de esti gennēma ho Huios, tou Theou estai ousia, eiper to gennēma tēn ousian dēloi. Kai houtō to gennēma ousia tou agennētou kata ton toutou logon anaphanēsetai. Ei de geloion to synagomenon, ho theis ta lēmmata tēs aischynēs klēronomeitō. Eoike gar pōs ho logos, epeidan hapax tēs alētheias parenechthę̄, eis pollas kai epikindynous atopias hypo tēs kata tēn planēn akolouthias ekpheresthai.

[10] But this wisest of men, who has spent his whole life in the pursuits of vain artistry, does not blush to say that "offspring" signifies the very essence of the Only-Begotten. See how much absurdity this involves. If essence is offspring, and conversely, if anything is offspring, it is essence, then all offspring will be of the same essence as one another. What follows from this by his reasoning? The Creator of all will appear to have the same essence as everything that has a share in generation. For he will surely not say that in the case of the Son "offspring" signifies essence, but in the case of the rest that share in generation it no longer keeps the same sense. Or let him give some clear and incontrovertible reason why the same designation does not have equal force for all alike. But he could not. For whatever account of "offspring" he devises will fit all begotten things alike. The greatest evidence of the truth of the argument is the mind of each hearer. Let each one ask himself, when he hears "so-and-so is the offspring of so-and-so," what notion he forms. Is it that the one begotten is the essence of the begetter? Or is this ridiculous, and that true, that he was brought into being by him by way of begetting? This, then, can be said alike of the Only-Begotten and of anyone at all who has been begotten. And let no one think (since the relation is common) that this lowers the dignity of the Only-Begotten. For the Son's difference from the others lies not in standing in a certain relation; rather, the superiority of God over mortal things appears in the distinctive character of the essence. But see to what absurdity their argument carries them. If "offspring" is said to be the offspring of another, as common usage confirms and no one will deny, and this very word, according to their argument, signifies essence in the case of the Son as well, he will be the essence of that one of whom he is also called the offspring. So by this sequence the designation "offspring" will no longer signify the essence of the Only-Begotten, as they insist by force, but that of the God of the universe. For if it is not possible to conceive the essence as one thing and the offspring as something else besides it, and one may equally say, so to speak, essence and offspring, and the Son is the offspring of God, he will be the essence of God, if indeed "offspring" shows the essence. And so, by his argument, the offspring will turn out to be the essence of the unbegotten. If the conclusion is ridiculous, let the one who laid down the premises inherit the shame. For it seems that an argument, once it has strayed from the truth, is carried by the logic of its error into many dangerous absurdities.

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil shows that if 'offspring' named an essence, all offspring would share one essence and the Son would be the essence of the Father himself.

Chapter 10 of Book 2. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): ἐσχολαχὼς, → ἐσχολακὼς,; σχοπεῖτε. → σκοπεῖτε.; Ὑὰρ ἡ οὐσία → γὰρ ἡ οὐσία; ποῦτο οὐσία → τοῦτο οὐσία; Ἐχ δὴ τούτου → Ἐκ δὴ τούτου; συμθήσεται → συμβήσεται; χατὰ τὸν πούτου λόγον; → κατὰ τὸν τούτου λόγον;; ὋὉ δημιουργὸς → Ὁ δημιουργὸς; φῆσει σημαίνειν → φήσει σημαίνειν; τῶν. μετεχόντων → τῶν μετεχόντων; οὐχέτι τὴν → οὐκέτι τὴν; ἀνανπἰῤῥητον → ἀναντίρρητον; ἐπινοήτῃ → ἐπινοήσῃ; πᾶσιν. ὁμοίως → πᾶσιν ὁμοίως; Μέγιστον. → Μέγιστον; τεαρῆριον → τεκμήριον; αὐτοῦ. ἑκάστου → αὐτοῦ ἑκάστου; ἀχουόντων → ἀκουόντων; Ἑρωτάτω γὰρ → Ἐρωτάτω γὰρ; ἕχαστος ἑαυ- ᾿ πὸν, ἐπειδὰν → ἕκαστος ἑαυτόν, ᾿ ἐπειδὰν; ἀχούσῃ, Ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ → ἀκούσῃ, Ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ; ρα ὅτι ὁ → Ἆρα ὅτι ὁ; γενντθεὶς → γεννηθεὶς; γεγεννηχότος → γεγεννηκότος; χατα-. γέλαστον, ἐκεῖνο → κατα. ἐκεῖνο; εἶγαι παρήχθη. → εἶναι παρήχθη.; γεννη-θέντων → γεννηθέντων; (ἐπε: δὴ χοινὸν τὸ → κοινὸν τὸ; Μονογενηῦς → Μονογενοῦς; ἔχειν. ἡ → ἔχειν ἡ; ἰδιότητι. → ἰδιότητι; «ἣς οὐτίας ἡ → τῆς οὐσίας ἡ; Σχηπεῖτε → Σκοπεῖτε; ἐχφέρει. → ἐκφέρει.; λέγετα: γέννημα, → λέγεται γέννημα,; Ἧ τε χοινὴ συνήθεια → ἥ τε κοινὴ συνήθεια; (0}} οὐσίαν → οὐσίαν; ση μαίνει χατὰ τὸν τούτων → σημαίνει, κατὰ τὸν τούτων; ἐχείνου ἔσται → ἐκείνου ἔσται; οὐτία, οὔ καὶ γέννημα → οὐσία, οὗ καὶ γέννημα; ἐχ τῆ: ἀχολουθίας → ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας; οὐχέτι τοῦ → οὐκέτι τοῦ; ἃ πο} 18 ἀδιῃηοηβίγαξυπ) 681, ΔὈΒ0 18 οἰ πὶ 6586 ἢ (δγίο, υἱ Ἰιος γἱ ἀϊουϊυπὶ δῖ, ἰϊᾶ ἢἰυὰ γ γι πὶ, ἀυοίυ8 511. Ηος ἰϊλφιθ ρᾶγ (υδγῖϊ δἰ πη 6 γ εἰ ἀδ ποῦ γεννήματος → τοῦ γεννήματος; τ εἴ δγὶ᾿ βιάζονται, → βιάζονται,; «Ξ ἕτερον → τε ἕτερον; τ! τὴν οὐσίαν → τι τὴν οὐσίαν; αυΐηιο εἰ οππὶ (010. τὴν οὐσίαν. δι] δϑοιλν5 οἱ Ιοφίτν τὴν ὑπόστασιν “ ἴῃ πιατρίηο ὑθγὸ τὴν οὐ- Εὐπὶ ἐπὰν ἀχούσῃ Αἱ κι55. ἐπειδὰν ἀχούσῃ. αυου ιΐ ἰοιΐ8 νἱ τί νυ8 ἃ Πγηιαπι, 96 Βοΐ υπίνεγβδ- Α αὐτὴν → αὐτὴν; ιἴο δηΐ, οππὶ 86πι|αὶ ἃ νδῖο ἀεῆοχὶ!, δὰ τι] 185 ὅς εἰπεῖν → εἰπεῖν; Υἱυς, τοῦ → Υἱός, τοῦ; οὐτίαν δηλοῖ... → οὐσίαν δηλοῖ.; χατὰ τὸν τούτου → κατὰ τὸν τούτου; αἰσχύντς → αἰσχύνης; χληῃηρονομείτω. → κληρονομείτω.; Ἔοιχε γάρ → Ἔοικε γάρ; χατὰ τὴν → κατὰ τὴν; πλάντν ἀχολουθέας → πλάνην ἀκολουθίας; ἐχφέρεσθαι. ᾿ ἴῃ βασυθδηιϊίθυβ, υδὲ ἀϊοίι : → ἐκφέρεσθαι..

Topics: Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.10 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.11PG 29:519

Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὥσπερ προαγῶνές τινες καὶ κατασκευαὶ τῆς βλασφημίας εἰσί" τὸ δὲ κεφάλαιον τοῦ κακοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει λέγων· … οὖσαν πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως, εἶναι δὲ γεννηθεῖσαν πρὸ πάντων γνώμῃ τοῦ Πατρός. ΒΑΣ. Ἔτι τῶν αὐτῶν ἔχεται τεχνασμάτων. Περὶ τῆς οὐσίας ἡμῖν τοῦ Υἱοῦ διαλέγεται, ὡς δή τι ἕτερον λέγων παρ᾽ αὑτὴν τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ προημεροῦ τῇ βλασφημίᾳ τὴν ἀκοήν· οὐχ ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς λέγων ἐκ μὴ ὄντων γεγεννῆσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι οὐκ οὖσαν. Πρὸ τίνος οὐχ οὖσαν; εἰπέ. Θεωρεῖτε αὑτοῦ τὸ σόφισμα; Αὐτὴν ἑαυτῇ συγκρίνει, ἵνα πᾶσι δὴ ἀνεκτὰ δόξῃ λέγειν, οὐχὶ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων λέγων αὖτὴν μὴ εἶναι, οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς μὴ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως. Τὴν δὲ τοῦ Πατρὸς οὐσίαν, εἰπέ μοι, πρεσβυτέραν εἶναι σὺ φὴς τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ οὐχ ὑποβάλλει χρόνοις τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὴν οὐσίαν, οὐδὲ τὸ πρότερον κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἐπινοεῖ, μάταιος μὲν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀργὸς ὁ λόγος, διόπερ οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἄξιος. Οὐχ ἦττον μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ὑπάρξει τοῖς βουλομένοις μετακομίζειν τὴν ματαιότητα. Τό τε γὰρ οὐχ εἶναι λέγειν τὸν Θεὸν πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως, καὶ τὸ εἶναι λέγειν πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ, τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἀφροσύνης. Εἰ δὲ χρονικῶς ἐπὶ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ πρότερον δέχεται, καὶ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων φήσει τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν Υἱόν οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει πρός γε αὐτὴν τὴν διάνοιαν οὕτως ἣ οὕτω λέγειν " πρῶτον μὲν χρόνον δεύτερον τίθεται, εἰ δὲ βούλει, καὶ αἰώνων, τὸν ποιητὴν τῶν αἰώνων" ἔπειτα μέντοι ἀκολουθῶν ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ βλασφημίαις, καὶ τὸν Πατέρα φήσει, οὐχ ὄντα Πατέρα τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, εἶτα ὕστερον γεγονέναι.

Tauta men oun hōsper proagōnes tines kai kataskeuai tēs blasphēmias eisi" to de kephalaion tou kakou en tois hexēs epipherei legōn; … ousan pro tēs idias systaseōs, einai de gennētheisan pro pantōn gnōmę̄ tou Patros. BAS. Eti tōn autōn echetai technasmatōn. Peri tēs ousias hēmin tou Huiou dialegetai, hōs dē ti heteron legōn par᾽ hautēn ton Huion, kai toutǭ tǭ tropǭ proēmerou tę̄ blasphēmią tēn akoēn; ouch ek tou prophanous legōn ek mē ontōn gegennēsthai ton Huion, alla tēn ousian autou gegennēsthai ouk ousan. Pro tinos ouch ousan? eipe. Theōreite hautou to sophisma? Autēn heautę̄ synkrinei, hina pasi dē anekta doxę̄ legein, ouchi pro tōn aiōnōn legōn autēn mē einai, oude haplōs mē einai, alla pro tēs idias systaseōs. Tēn de tou Patros ousian, eipe moi, presbyteran einai sy phēs tēs idias systaseōs? Ei men gar ouch hypoballei chronois tou Huiou tēn ousian, oude to proteron kata touton ton logon epinoei, mataios men autǭ kai argos ho logos, dioper oude apokriseōs axios. Ouch ētton mentoi kai epi tou Theou tōn holōn hyparxei tois boulomenois metakomizein tēn mataiotēta. To te gar ouch einai legein ton Theon pro tēs idias systaseōs, kai to einai legein pro heautou, tēs autēs estin aphrosynēs. Ei de chronikōs epi tēs ousias tou Huiou to proteron dechetai, kai ek mē ontōn phēsei tēn ousian autou gegennēsthai, mallon de auton ton Huion ouden gar diapherei pros ge autēn tēn dianoian houtōs hē houtō legein " prōton men chronon deuteron tithetai, ei de boulei, kai aiōnōn, ton poiētēn tōn aiōnōn" epeita mentoi akolouthōn tais heautou blasphēmiais, kai ton Patera phēsei, ouch onta Patera to ex archēs, eita hysteron gegonenai.

[11] These things, then, are like preliminary bouts and preparations for the blasphemy; but the chief point of the evil he brings forward in what follows, saying:

EUNOMIUS: "… [the essence of the Son was begotten], not being before its own constitution, but existing, having been begotten before all things by the will of the Father."

BASIL: He still holds to the same tricks. He discusses with us the essence of the Son as though he meant the Son to be something other than it, and in this way he tames our hearing in advance for the blasphemy, not saying openly that the Son was begotten from things that are not, but that his essence was begotten, not being. Not being before what? Tell me. Do you see his sophism? He compares the essence with itself, so that he may seem to say what everyone can tolerate, saying not that it was not before the ages, nor simply that it was not, but that it was not before its own constitution. And the essence of the Father, tell me: do you say that it is older than its own constitution? If he does not subject the essence of the Son to times, and does not conceive "before" in this sense, his argument is vain and idle, and therefore not worth an answer. Indeed, those who wish will be able to transfer this vanity no less to the God of the universe; for to say that God was not before his own constitution and to say that he was before himself belong to the same folly. But if he takes "before" in a temporal sense in the case of the Son's essence, he will also say that his essence was begotten from things that are not, or rather the Son himself (for, as far as the meaning goes, it makes no difference to speak one way or the other). First, he makes the maker of the ages second to time, or to the ages if you prefer; and then, following his own blasphemies, he will say that the Father too was not Father from the beginning but became so later.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Heb 1:2 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil exposes the sophism in Eunomius's claim that the Son's essence 'was not before its own constitution,' showing that it implies the Son came from nothing and the Father became Father later.

Chapter 11 of Book 2. The opening of Eunomius's sentence is lost in the scan (marked …; the bracketed words give its evident subject). Migne's Latin and notes of variant readings are removed by logged corrections. The quotation is from Eunomius's Apology.
'Maker of the ages': Heb 1:2.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): χατασχευαὶ → κατασκευαὶ; χεφάλαιον → κεφάλαιον; χαχοῦ ἐν → κακοῦ ἐν; λέγων“ φυϊάδπ) οἀἷχηα ἐβι. Εἰ αυϊάοπι ἰὰ ἰρβαπι ἤθη Θυπὶ δης ἱπδηϊιαίοπι νυ] 6 γ 1 ἰγαπϑίογγθ, Νὰπιὶ οὲ Α γέννημα, καὶ ἴσὸν δύναται " Αθὶ, τι. 4}}}}} δδδρο, δᾶ Γιἰουϊα καί νϑοᾶϊ, αξ. φυλγίι5 γέννημα, ἴσον δὲ δύνακαι. (0}}. βδοπάδ ὕλη ἀλλὰ ἴσον δύναται, Μὸοχ ἢ αὐϊιΐ οι Βερ. 4υπιι}5 εἰ τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ “ 56 ρϑ γί οι ἃ εἰ ἀδί!ε ἴν γε! αυΐβ σοὐϊεῖθυ5, οὐ ἰάφιιο ἐδ! Θχρυποὖσαν → λέγων· … οὖσαν; γεννηθεξσαν → γεννηθεῖσαν; Περὰ τῆς → Περὶ τῆς; ἔτεῥον λέγων → ἕτερον λέγων; ΥἹὸν, καὶ → Υἱὸν, καὶ; ἀχοὴν“ οὐχ → ἀκοήν· οὐχ; ἐχ τοῦ προφανοῦς → ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς; ἐχ. μὴ ὄντων → ἐκ μὴ ὄντων; συγχρίνει, → συγκρίνει,; ἀνεχτὰ δόξῃ → ἀνεκτὰ δόξῃ; μὴ. εἶναι, → μὴ εἶναι,; συστάσειυς, → συστάσεως.; πρεσθυτέραν → πρεσβυτέραν; ὑποδάλλει → ὑποβάλλει; ἐπινοςξ. → ἐπινοεῖ,; ἀποχρίσεως → ἀποκρίσεως; μεταχομίξειν → μετακομίζειν; λέγεῖν τὸν → λέγειν τὸν; ὀφροσύνης. → ἀφροσύνης.; χρονιχῶς → χρονικῶς; οὐσίάς τοῦ → οὐσίας τοῦ; δέγεται, → δέχεται,; ἐχ μὴ ὄντων → ἐκ μὴ ὄντων; Βεξ. τογιΐυ8 γεγενῆσθαι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ λέγων γεγενῆσθαι. Νοιδπάμιῃ. γεγεννῆσθαι, → γεγεννῆσθαι,; ΥἹόν - οὐδὲν Α δι γὰρ → Υἱόν οὐδὲν γὰρ; [χρόνων] δεύτερον → δεύτερον; ἀχολουθῶν → ἀκολουθῶν; Πατέρα. φήσει, → Πατέρα φήσει,; ὄντα. Πατέρα → ὄντα Πατέρα.

Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.11 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.12PG 29:519

Καίτοι εἰ μὲν καλὸν καὶ πρέπον τῇ μακαριότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εἶναι Πατέρα, πῶς οὐχ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ πρέπον αὐτῷ παρῆν; Ἢ γὰρ ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ βελτίονος, ἢ ἀδυναμίᾳ πάντως λογιοῦνται τὴν ἔλλειψιν - ἀγνοίᾳ μὲν, εἴπερ ὕστερον ἐξεῦρε τὸ βέλτιον, ἀδυναμίᾳ δὲ, εἴπερ εἰδὼς καὶ συνιεὶς ἀπετύγχανε τοῦ καλλίστου. Εἰ δὲ (εἰ μὴ θέμις εἰπεῖν) οὐ καλὸν αὐτῷ τὸ εἶναι Πατέρα, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐκ μεταβολῆς τὸ χεῖρον προεἴλετο; ᾿Αλλὰ τρέποιτο μὲν εἰς τοὺς αἰτίους ἡ βλασφημία" ὁ δὲ Θεὸς τῶν ὅλων ἐξ ἀπείρου ἐστὶ Πατὴρ, οὐχ ἀρξάμενός ποτε τοῦ εἶναι Πατήρ. Οὔτε γὰρ τῇ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐνδείᾳ πρὸς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τοῦ θελήματος ἐκωλύετο, οὔτε αἰώνων τινῶν περίοδος ἀνέμενεν, ἵνα, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ζώων, μετὰ τὴν τῆς ἡλικίας συμπλήρωσιν τῆς εἰς τὸ γεννᾷν αὐτῷ δυνάμεως προσελθούσης, τὸ σπουδαζόμενον περιγένηται (μαινομένων γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ ἐννοῆσαι καὶ φθέγξασθαι), ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀϊδιότητι συμπαρεχτεινομένην ἔχει τὴν (ἵν᾽ οὕτως ὀνομάσω) πατρότητα. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, πρὸ αἰῶνος ὧν, καὶ ἀεὶ ὧν, οὐχ ἤρξατο τοῦ εἶναί ποτε, ἀλλ᾽ ἀφ᾽ οὗ Πατὴρ, καὶ Υἱὸς, καὶ εὐθὺς τῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐννοίᾳ ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ συνεισέρχεται. Ὁ γὰρ Πατὴρ Υἱοῦ Πατὴρ δηλονότι. ᾿Αρχὴ μὲν οὖν Πατρὸς οὐδεμία, ἀρχὴ δὲ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ὁ Πατήρ᾽ μέσον δὲ τούτων οὐδέν, Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἦν τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ( τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, πρὸ τῆς ἰδίας συστάσεως, ἐν σοφίσμασι λεγόμενον παρὰ τούτων ) ὁ μηδὲν ἔχων προεπινοούμενον ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ μὴ τὸν ἐξ οὗ ἔχει τὸ εἶναι, οὐ διαστήματι ὑπερέχοντα, ἀλλὰ τῇ αἰτίᾳ προτεταγμένον; Εἰ τοίνυν ἀΐδιος ἡ τοῦ Υἱοῦ κοινωνία πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα ἀναπέφανται, τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ δι’ οὐδενὸς κενοῦ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα χωρούσης, ἀλλ᾽ ἀδιαστάτως τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ συναπτούσης, ὁ μηδενὶ μέσῳ διοριζόμενος, τίνα ἔτι παρείσδυσιν καταλείπει τῇ πονηρᾷ βλασφημίᾳ τῶν λεγόντων, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρῆχθαι;

Kaitoi ei men kalon kai prepon tę̄ makariotēti tou Theou to einai Patera, pōs ouch ex archēs to prepon autǭ parēn? Ē gar agnoią tou beltionos, ē adynamią pantōs logiountai tēn elleipsin - agnoią men, eiper hysteron exeure to beltion, adynamią de, eiper eidōs kai synieis apetynchane tou kallistou. Ei de (ei mē themis eipein) ou kalon autǭ to einai Patera, tinos heneken ek metabolēs to cheiron proeileto? ᾿Alla trepoito men eis tous aitious hē blasphēmia" ho de Theos tōn holōn ex apeirou esti Patēr, ouch arxamenos pote tou einai Patēr. Oute gar tę̄ tēs dynameōs endeią pros tēn ekplērōsin tou thelēmatos ekōlyeto, oute aiōnōn tinōn periodos anemenen, hina, hōsper epi tōn anthrōpōn kai tōn loipōn zōōn, meta tēn tēs hēlikias symplērōsin tēs eis to gennąn autǭ dynameōs proselthousēs, to spoudazomenon perigenētai (mainomenōn gar tauta kai ennoēsai kai phthenxasthai), alla tę̄ heautou aïdiotēti symparechteinomenēn echei tēn (hin᾽ houtōs onomasō) patrotēta. Oukoun kai ho Huios, pro aiōnos hōn, kai aei hōn, ouch ērxato tou einai pote, all᾽ aph᾽ hou Patēr, kai Huios, kai euthys tę̄ tou Patros ennoią hē tou Huiou syneiserchetai. Ho gar Patēr Huiou Patēr dēlonoti. ᾿Archē men oun Patros oudemia, archē de tou Huiou ho Patēr᾽ meson de toutōn ouden, Pōs oun ouk ēn to ex archēs ( touto gar esti to, pro tēs idias systaseōs, en sophismasi legomenon para toutōn ) ho mēden echōn proepinooumenon heautou, ei mē ton ex hou echei to einai, ou diastēmati hyperechonta, alla tę̄ aitią protetagmenon? Ei toinyn aïdios hē tou Huiou koinōnia pros ton Theon kai Patera anapephantai, tēs dianoias hēmōn apo tou Huiou di’ oudenos kenou pros ton Patera chōrousēs, all᾽ adiastatōs ton Huion tǭ Patri synaptousēs, ho mēdeni mesǭ diorizomenos, tina eti pareisdysin kataleipei tę̄ ponērą blasphēmią tōn legontōn, ek tou mē ontos auton eis to einai parēchthai?

[12] Yet if it is good and fitting to the blessedness of God to be Father, why was what is fitting not present to him from the beginning? They will attribute the lack either to ignorance of the better or to inability: to ignorance, if he discovered the better later; to inability, if, knowing and understanding it, he failed to attain the best. But if (though it is not right to say it) it is not good for him to be Father, why did he choose the worse by a change? But let the blasphemy turn back upon those responsible: the God of the universe is Father from infinity, not having begun at some time to be Father. He was not hindered by any lack of power from fulfilling his will, nor did he wait for some period of ages, so that, as with human beings and the other animals, he might obtain what he desired when the power to beget had come to him with the completion of his growth (to think or to say this belongs to madmen); rather, he has his fatherhood (if I may name it so) coextensive with his own eternity. So the Son too, being before the ages and always being, did not begin at some time to be; but from when the Father is, the Son also is, and at once the notion of the Son enters together with the notion of the Father. For the Father is clearly Father of a Son. There is no beginning of the Father, but the beginning of the Son is the Father; and between them there is nothing. How, then, did he not exist from the beginning (for this is what these men call, sophistically, "before his own constitution"), he who has nothing conceived prior to himself except the one from whom he has his being, who surpasses him not by an interval but is ranked before him by being the cause? If, then, the Son's fellowship with God the Father has been shown to be eternal, since our thought proceeds from the Son to the Father through no empty space, but joins the Son to the Father without interval, what entry does the one who is separated by nothing in between leave for the wicked blasphemy of those who say that he was brought from what is not into being?

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that God is eternally Father, so the Son eternally exists, with nothing between them; the Father is prior only as cause.

Chapter 12 of Book 2. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); word broken at a line end rejoined): χαλὸν καὶ → καλὸν καὶ; μαχαριοτητι → μακαριότητι; πρόπον αὐτῷ → πρέπον αὐτῷ; ἀδυναμίφ → ἀδυναμίᾳ; χαλλίστου. → καλλίστου.; (δ'μὴ θέμις → (εἰ μὴ θέμις; χαλὸν αὐτῷ → καλὸν αὐτῷ; εἶνας Πατέρα, → εἶναι Πατέρα,; ἕνεχεν ἐχ μεταβολῆς → ἕνεκεν ἐκ μεταβολῆς; προ- Ροεΐι. εἴλετο; → προεἴλετο;; ὃξ Θεὸς τῶν → δὲ Θεὸς τῶν; ὁστὶ Πατὴρ, → ἐστὶ Πατὴρ,; ἐχπλήρωσιν → ἐκπλήρωσιν; ποῦ θελήματος → τοῦ θελήματος; ἐχωλύετο, → ἐκωλύετο,; «ἧς εἰς τὸ → τῆς εἰς τὸ; προσελθούστης, → προσελθούσης,; ἐννοῖσαι → ἐννοῆσαι; φθέγξασθαη, → φθέγξασθαι),; ἔχε. τὴν → ἔχει τὴν; ᾿ὀνομάσω) → ὀνομάσω); Οὐχοῦν καὶ → Οὐκοῦν καὶ; τοίεγι, αιιοὰ δ βϑη!θηιΐαπὶ διιίμοι, οἷα νοὶ εἷς αἱεἶο, ἴθ ἀσπιατι (οι θυοά 5ἱ (ηυοά [28 ποῃ ἐϑὶ ἀΐξθγα) ποὴ δεὶ Υἱτν οἱ δίουί ἴῃ Πιοτηἠἰ θι15 ας το 418 δι ἐμ} θα 5, εἰ δηΐπὶ 68. [886 εἰ εὐρίϊαγα, αἱ ἰοαπ]. 86, υἱ ἰτὰ ἀΐ- Βατρὸς ἐννοίᾳ → Πατρὸς ἐννοίᾳ; ΥἹοῦ συνεισέρχεται. → Υἱοῦ συνεισέρχεται.; Πα- ( τὴρ Υἱοῦ → Πατὴρ Υἱοῦ; ΥἹοῦ ὁ Πατήρ᾽ → Υἱοῦ ὁ Πατήρ᾽; ἣν τὸ ἐξ → ἦν τὸ ἐξ; ἔστε τὸ, → ἐστι τὸ,; διαστήματι. → διαστήματι; ΥἹοῦ χοινωνία → Υἱοῦ κοινωνία; χενοῦ πρὸς → κενοῦ πρὸς; Υἱὼὸν τῷ → Υἱὸν τῷ; διοριζόμενο; → διοριζόμενος,; χαταλείπει → καταλείπει; ἐχ τοῦ μὴ → ἐκ τοῦ μὴ.

Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.12 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.13PG 29:519

Ἔπειτα μέντοι καὶ τῆς ἀνοίας αὐτοὺς θαυμά… τὸν Υἱὸν, οὐ τοῦ Πατρὸς μόνον νεώτερον ἀποφαίνουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ, ᾧ τὸν Μονογενῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς διορίζουσιν. ᾿Ανάγκη γὰρ, εἴπερ τι εἴη μεταξὺ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τοῦτο τῆς ὑπάρξεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴη τοῦτο; Τὶ ἄλλο γε ἣ αἰὼν πάντως ἣ χρόνος; Ὁ γάρ τοι σοτέραν τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς ζωὴν τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐννοῶν, τίνι γε ἄλλῳ παραμετρῶν, ἂν εἴποι τὸ περιττὸν, ἢ οὐχὶ αἰώνων ἢ χρόνων τινῶν διαστήματι; Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀληθὲς, ψευδὴς ἢ λέγουσα Γραφὴ τοὺς αἰῶνας δι᾽ αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ἡ διδάσκουσα, ὅτι πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο· τοῖς πᾶσι, δηλονότι, ἐμπεριειλημμένων καὶ τῶν αἰώνων. Εἰ δὲ φήσουσι μὴ ἀπαρνεῖσθαι πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων τὸν Υἱὸν γεγεννῆσθαι, μὴ λανθανέτωσαν, ὃ τῷ … …σωμεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἐκ μὴ ὄντων παράγοντας τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὴν οὐσίαν - Ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, ὡς φατε, τί ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ διάστημα; τίνα αὐτῷ προσηγορίαν ἐπινοήσετε; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ κοινὴ συνήθεια ἢ χρόνοις ἣ αἰῶσιν ἅπαν διάστημα ὑποβάλλει" ὅπερ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὁ χρόνος, τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ὑπερκοσμίοις ἡ τοῦ αἰῶνος φύσις ἐστίν. Οὗτοι δὲ, εἴ τι τρίτον ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν σοφίας ἐπινοοῦσι, λεγέτωσαν. Ἕως δ' ἂν σιωπῶσι, μὴ λανθανέτωσαν δευτέραν αἰώνων τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐσίαν τιθέμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν τι διάστημα πρεσβύτερον τοῦ Υἱοῦ, συμπαρεκτεινόμενον τῇ ζωῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἕν τι τούτων ἦν δηλονότι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὔτ᾽ ἔστιν, οὔτε μὴ γένηται πρεσβυτέρα τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ὑποστάσεως. Παντὸς γὰρ τοῦ δυναμένου εἰς ἀρχαιότητος λόγον ἐπινοεῖσθαι ἀνωτέρα ἡ ὕπαρξις τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντος πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὑρεθήσεται. Κἄν, μυρίαις φαντασίαις ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατήσας ὁ νοῦς, καὶ τοῖς τῶν ἀνυπάρκτων ἀναπλασμοῖς ἐπιβάλλων, τὰ μὴ ὄντα περινοῇ, οὐδεμίαν τῶν πασῶν μηχανὴν ἐξευρήσει, δι' ἧς δυνήσεται τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἑαυτὸν ὑπερθεῖναι " καὶ κατωτέραν τοῦ ἰδίου κινήματος τὴν ζωὴν καταλιπεῖν τῆς αὐτοζωῆς " καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπερβῆναι· καὶ αἰῶνας ἐποπτεῦσαι ἐρήμους τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν αἰώνων.

Epeita mentoi kai tēs anoias autous thauma… ton Huion, ou tou Patros monon neōteron apophainousin, alla kai tou, hǭ ton Monogenē apo tou Patros diorizousin. ᾿Anankē gar, eiper ti eiē metaxy Patros kai Huiou, presbyteron einai touto tēs hyparxeōs tou Huiou. Ti oun an eiē touto? Ti allo ge hē aiōn pantōs hē chronos? Ho gar toi soteran tēn tou Patros zōēn tēs tou Monogenous ennoōn, tini ge allǭ parametrōn, an eipoi to peritton, ē ouchi aiōnōn ē chronōn tinōn diastēmati? Ei de touto alēthes, pseudēs ē legousa Graphē tous aiōnas di᾽ autou gegenēsthai, kai hē didaskousa, hoti panta di' autou egeneto; tois pasi, dēlonoti, emperieilēmmenōn kai tōn aiōnōn. Ei de phēsousi mē aparneisthai pro tōn aiōnōn ton Huion gegennēsthai, mē lanthanetōsan, ho tǭ … …sōmen gar autous tous ek mē ontōn paragontas tou Monogenous tēn ousian - Hote ouk ēn, hōs phate, ti ēn ekeino to diastēma? tina autǭ prosēgorian epinoēsete? Hē men gar koinē synētheia ē chronois hē aiōsin hapan diastēma hypoballei" hoper en tois aisthētois ho chronos, touto en tois hyperkosmiois hē tou aiōnos physis estin. Houtoi de, ei ti triton ek tēs heautōn sophias epinoousi, legetōsan. Heōs d' an siōpōsi, mē lanthanetōsan deuteran aiōnōn tēn tou Monogenous ousian tithemenoi. Ei gar ēn ti diastēma presbyteron tou Huiou, symparekteinomenon tę̄ zōę̄ tou Patros, hen ti toutōn ēn dēlonoti. ᾿All᾽ out᾽ estin, oute mē genētai presbytera tēs tou Monogenous hypostaseōs. Pantos gar tou dynamenou eis archaiotētos logon epinoeisthai anōtera hē hyparxis tou Theou Logou tou en archę̄ ontos pros ton Theon heurethēsetai. Kan, myriais phantasiais heauton exapatēsas ho nous, kai tois tōn anyparktōn anaplasmois epiballōn, ta mē onta perinoę̄, oudemian tōn pasōn mēchanēn exeurēsei, di' hēs dynēsetai tēs archēs tou Monogenous heauton hypertheinai " kai katōteran tou idiou kinēmatos tēn zōēn katalipein tēs autozōēs " kai tǭ idiǭ logǭ tou Theou Logou tēn archēn hyperbēnai; kai aiōnas epopteusai erēmous tou Theou tōn aiōnōn.

[13] Then one may well wonder at their folly … the Son, they show him younger not only than the Father, but also than that by which they separate the Only-Begotten from the Father. For if there is anything between the Father and the Son, it must be older than the Son's existence. What, then, would this be? What else, surely, but an age or a time? For the one who conceives the life of the Father as older than that of the Only-Begotten: by what else would he measure the excess, if not by an interval of ages or of times? If this is true, the Scripture is false that says the ages came to be through him, and the one that teaches that all things came to be through him, the ages clearly being included in "all things." But if they say that they do not deny that the Son was begotten before the ages, let them not miss that … For let us ask them, those who bring the essence of the Only-Begotten out of things that are not: when he was not, as you say, what was that interval? What name will you devise for it? Common usage subjects every interval either to times or to ages: what time is among sensible things, the nature of the age is among things above the world. If they conceive some third thing out of their own wisdom, let them say it. But as long as they keep silent, let them not miss that they are making the essence of the Only-Begotten second to the ages. For if there was some interval older than the Son, coextending with the life of the Father, it was clearly one of these. But nothing is, or could ever come to be, older than the hypostasis of the Only-Begotten. For the existence of God the Word, who was in the beginning with God, will be found higher than everything that can be conceived under the heading of antiquity. And even if the mind, deceiving itself with countless fantasies and applying itself to fabrications of things that do not exist, conceives what is not, it will find no device at all by which it can place itself above the beginning of the Only-Begotten, leave the life of Life itself below its own movement, pass beyond the beginning of God the Word by its own reasoning, and survey ages empty of the God of the ages.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Heb 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 1:17 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that any interval between Father and Son would make the Son younger than an age or a time, contradicting Scripture that all things, the ages included, came to be through him.

Chapter 13 of Book 2. Lines are lost after 'one may well wonder at their folly' and after 'let them not miss that' (marked …). 'Older' renders a damaged word (σοτέραν in the scan). In the scan the opening of chapter 14 ('the glory owed to the Only-Begotten … inescapable') stands at the end of this page; it is moved to its place at the start of chapter 14 (staged 2.14) by logged corrections. Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.
Heb 1:2; John 1:3; John 1:1-2; 'God of the ages' echoes 1 Tim 1:17.

Notes on the original text

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Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.13 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.14PG 29:519

᾿Αφαιρούμενος δὲ τὴν ὀφειλομένην τῷ Μονογενεῖ δόξαν, σκοπεῖτε ποίοις αὐτὸν ἀποσεμνύνει λόγοις. ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Ἔστι δὲ, φησὶν, ἡ οὐσία τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεννηθεῖσα πρὸ πάντων, γνώμῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. ΒΑΣ. Τοῦτο μέγα προστίθησι τῷ Υἱῷ, τὸ πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τῆς κτίσεως, καὶ τῶν ποιημάτων αὐτὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ προϋπάρχειν, ἀρκοῦν εἰς δόξαν τῷ Δημιουργῷ τῶν ὅλων τιθέμενος τὸ κτισμάτων αὐτὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ προτετάχθαι. Τῆς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα κοινωνίας τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν ἦχον ἀλλοτριώσας, ἐν τῇ τῶν κτισμάτων προτιμήσει τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ. Εἶτα πρὸς τὸ ἀναίσχυντον τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐκφέρων ταῖς ἀφύκτοις ἡμᾶς, ὡς οἴεται, … ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Ἤτοι γὰρ ὄντα, φησὶν, ἐγέννησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, ἢ οὐχ ὄντα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἰ μὲν οὐχ ὄντα, μηδείς μοι, φησὶ, τόλμαν ἐπεγκαλείτω " εἰ δὲ ὄντα, οὐχ ἀτοπίας μόνον καὶ βλασφημίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης εὐηθείας ὑπερβολὴν ὁ λόγος ἔχει" τῷ γὰρ ὄντι οὐ δεῖ γεννήσεως. ΒΑΣ. Τὸ μὲν οὖν πολυθρύλλητον σόφισμα, τὸ πάλαι μὲν ἐξευρεθὲν παρ᾽ ἑτέρων, τελείως δὲ νῦν ἐν ταῖς ἀπηρυθριασμέναις καὶ ἀναισχύντοις γλώσσαις ὑπὸ τούτων ἐξεργασθὲν, τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ὑπομνήσομεν, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ διὰ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἄγνοιαν ἀνθρωπικῶς ἐξακουόντων τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἰς ἀνάγκην ἐληλυθὼς τῶν λόγων τούτων " οὗτος ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν σωματικῶν ἐννοιῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν τὰς ἀπαιδεύτους ψυχὰς ἐπανάγων" ὃς, ἐπειδὴ τὰ γεννώμενα ζῶα οὐκ ὄντα πρότερον, εἶτα γεννᾶται, καὶ ὁ σήμερον γεννηθεὶς χθὲς οὐχ ὑπῆρχε, ταύτην καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ὑποστάσεως τὴν ἔννοιαν μεταφέρει. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ γεγέννηται, φησὶν, οὐχ ὑπῆρχε πρὸ τῆς γεννήσεως. Οὕτω μεγαλοφυῶς τὴν γέννησιν ἡμῖν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς θεολογεῖ, καὶ διὰ τοιούτων λόγων τὰ ἀῤῥωστήματα τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν ἐπανορθοῦται, ἄξιος ὧν, εἴπερ τις, ἀκοῦσαι τῆς παροιμίας, ὅτι Ἱατρὲ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν. Τίνα μέντοι καὶ παραμυθίαν τῆς ἀτόπου ταύτης νόσου τῶν λογισμῶν αὐτῷ προσενέγκωμεν ἣ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος διὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου λαληθέντα ἡμῖν, ὅτι Ἔν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος; Διὰ τούτων τῶν δύο ῥήσεων ἀπέκλεισεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, μιᾶς ἀν… … ἐστί τι ἐπινοῆσαι πρεσβύτερον· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι ἂν εἴη ἀρχὴ, εἴπερ ἔχοι τι ἑαυτῆς ἐξώτερον οὔτε τὸ Ἦν διαβάντας τῷ λογισμῷ, εἰς τὸ ὅτε οὐχ ἦν δυνατὸν ὑπερκύψαι. ᾿Αθέτησις γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Ἦν, ἡ τοῦ ὅτε οὐκ ἦν ἐπίνοια. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῶν πρὸς ἕτερον λεγομένων ἦν, ὡς τὸ ἀρχὴ σοφίας, καὶ ἀρχὴ ὁδοῦ ἀγαθῆς, καὶ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἣν ἂν τυχὸν, τοῦ ἐκ τοιαύτης ἀρχῆς ὑφεστῶτος, δι᾽ ἐνθυμήσεως ὑπερβῆναι τὴν γέννησιν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦτο τῆς ἀρχῆς ἀπολελυμένον καὶ ἄσχετον τὴν ἀνωτάτω φύσιν δηλοῖ, πῶς οὐ καταγέλαστος ὁ τὰ ἐξωτέρω ταύτης ἐπινοῶν, ἣ ἐπιχειρῶν αὐτὴν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ὑπερβάλλειν; Συμπαρεκτείνεται δὲ καὶ τὸ Ἦν τῷ ἀνυπερθέτῳ τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν ἀπὸ χρόνου ὕπαρξιν τὸ Ἦν ὑποφαίνει, ὡς τὸ, Ἄνθρωπος ἣν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι καὶ, Ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἐξ Ἀρμαθαΐμ· καὶ τὸ, Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος" ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐν ἑτέρῳ λόγῳ τοῦ τοιούτου Ἦν τὸ σημαινόμενον ἔδειξεν, εἰπὼν " Ὁ ὧν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ παντοκράτωρ. Οἷον γὰρ τὸ ὧν, τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸ ἦν, ἀΐδιον ὁμοίως καὶ ἄχρονον. Οὐχ ὄντα δὲ λέγειν τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ ὄντα, οὔτε διασώζοντός ἐστι τὴν ἔννοιαν τῆς ἀρχῆς, οὔτε συνάπτοντος αὐτῇ τὴν ὕπαρξιν τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. Ἀνεπινόητον μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀρχῆς τὸ πρεσβύτερον, ἀχώριστον δὲ ταύτης τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου τὸ εἶναι. Ὥστε ἐφ᾽ ὅσον ἂν βουληθῇς ταῖς τοῦ νοῦ πολυπραγμοσύναις … λογισμοῖς οὐ δυνήσῃ. ᾿Αντερωτάσθω τοίνυν καὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῶν πότερον ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, ἣ ὕστερον προσεγένετο; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν, Παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, τῆς τοῦ, ὅτι οὐχ ἦν, βλασφημίας εἰ δὲ ὅπερ οὐδὲ θέμις εἰπεῖν, τοῖς σοῖς οἰκειότερον πρὸς σὲ χρήσομαι ῥήμασιν, ὅτι οὐ βλασφημίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρανοίας ὑπερβολὴν ὁ λόγος ἔχει, ἀνθρώπους ἀπαιτεῖν τῶν λόγων τοῦ Πνεύματος τὰς εὐθύνας, καὶ μαθητὴν μὲν εἶναι τῶν Εὐ᾿ ὁμολογεῖν, αὐτῶν δὲ τούτων κατεξανίστασθαι. Σκόπει γὰρ τὰς θείας φωνὰς, ὡς ἀκριβῶς καὶ σαφῶς τῇ πρὸ αἰώνων γενέσει τοῦ Υἱοῦ μαρτυροῦσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖος τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως ἐξηγητὴς γέγονεν, ὡς αὐτός φησι" Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ Δαβίδ· ὁ δὲ Μάρκος ἀρχὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὸ Ἰωάννου πεποίηκε κήρυγμα, εἰπών" ᾿Αρχὴ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ· Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν σωματικῶν ἀρχῶν τῇ θεολογίᾳ προσέβη· … ἀναγκαίως ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς Ἰωάννης, τελευταῖος ἐλθὼν εἰς τὸ γράφειν, παντὸς αἰσθητοῦ, καὶ χρόνου τοῦ τοῖς τοιούτοις παρεπομένου, τὴν διάνοιαν ὑπεράρας, μᾶλλον δὲ ὑψωθεὶς τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Πνεύματος, αὐτῷ προσέβη τῷ πάντων ἐπέκεινα, μονονουχὶ διαμαρτυρόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς, ὅτι, εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν. Λαβόμενος γὰρ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ πάσας τὰς σωματικάς τε καὶ χρονικὰς ἐννοίας κατωτέρας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θεολογίας ἀπολιπὼν, ὑπερεφώνησε τὰ προλαβόντα κηρύγματα τῇ τῆς γνώσεως. Οὐχ ἀπὸ Μαρίας, φησὶν, ἡ ἀρχή, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶνδε τῶν χρόνων. ᾿Αλλὰ τί; Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος" τὴν ἐξ ἀϊδίου ὕπαρξιν, τὴν ἀπαθῆ γέννησιν, τὸ συμφυὲς τῷ Πατρὶ, τὸ μεγαλεῖον τῆς φύσεως, πάντα ἐν τοῖς ὀλίγοις ῥήμασι συλλαβὼν, καὶ τῇ προσθήκῃ τοῦ Ἤν ἀναγαγὼν εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὥσπερ ἀποφράττων τὰ στόματα τῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν, βλασφημούντων, καὶ πόῤῥωθεν τὰς τῶν τοιούτων σοφισμάτων παρεισδύσεις ὑποτεμνόμενος, Εἶτα διὰ τῆς θεολογίας οἷον ὑπογραφὴν τινα ἐναργῆ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐντυπώσας, ὡς ἤδη γνωρίζουσιν ὑποδείκνυσι τῇ φωνῇ λέγων Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν" πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τῇ προσθήκῃ τοῦ Ἦν, τῇ ἀϊδιότητι τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς συνάπτων τὴν γέννησιν " καὶ πάλιν’ Ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ᾽Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οὕτω πανταχόθεν τοῦ λόγου … τὰς μαρτυρίας τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀκούειν δοκῶν οὕτως ἡμῖν πυκνῶς ἐμθοῶντος τὸ Ἦν … … Οὐκ ὤν, φησὶν, ἐγεννήθη. Οὐκοῦν ὕστερον προσ… γεγένηται. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐν ἀρχῇ οὐχ ἦν, ὥς φατε, τίνα περιφανεστέραν μάχην ἐπιδείξειέ τις πρὸς τὰς φωνὰς τῶν Εὐαγγελίων αἷς πεπιστεύκαμεν;

᾿Aphairoumenos de tēn opheilomenēn tǭ Monogenei doxan, skopeite poiois auton aposemnynei logois. EUN. Esti de, phēsin, hē ousia tou Huiou gennētheisa pro pantōn, gnōmę̄ tou Theou kai Patros. BAS. Touto mega prostithēsi tǭ Huiǭ, to presbyteron einai tēs ktiseōs, kai tōn poiēmatōn auton tōn heautou proÿparchein, arkoun eis doxan tǭ Dēmiourgǭ tōn holōn tithemenos to ktismatōn auton tōn heautou protetachthai. Tēs gar pros ton Theon kai Patera koinōnias to eis auton ēchon allotriōsas, en tę̄ tōn ktismatōn protimēsei tēn doxan autǭ martyrei. Eita pros to anaischynton tēn blasphēmian ekpherōn tais aphyktois hēmas, hōs oietai, … EUN. Ētoi gar onta, phēsin, egennēsen ho Theos ton Huion, ē ouch onta. ᾿All᾽ ei men ouch onta, mēdeis moi, phēsi, tolman epenkaleitō " ei de onta, ouch atopias monon kai blasphēmias, alla kai pasēs euētheias hyperbolēn ho logos echei" tǭ gar onti ou dei gennēseōs. BAS. To men oun polythryllēton sophisma, to palai men exeurethen par᾽ heterōn, teleiōs de nyn en tais apērythriasmenais kai anaischyntois glōssais hypo toutōn exergasthen, touto estin. Hēmeis de prōton ekeino tous akroatas hypomnēsomen, hoti houtos estin ho dia tēn tōn pollōn agnoian anthrōpikōs exakouontōn tēs gennēseōs tou Huiou eis anankēn elēlythōs tōn logōn toutōn " houtos ho apo tōn sōmatikōn ennoiōn epi tēn pneumatikēn theōrian tas apaideutous psychas epanagōn" hos, epeidē ta gennōmena zōa ouk onta proteron, eita gennatai, kai ho sēmeron gennētheis chthes ouch hypērche, tautēn kai epi tēn tou Monogenous hypostaseōs tēn ennoian metapherei. Kai epeidē gegennētai, phēsin, ouch hypērche pro tēs gennēseōs. Houtō megalophyōs tēn gennēsin hēmin tou Monogenous theologei, kai dia toioutōn logōn ta arrhōstēmata tōn adelphōn hēmōn epanorthoutai, axios hōn, eiper tis, akousai tēs paroimias, hoti Hiatre, therapeuson seauton. Tina mentoi kai paramythian tēs atopou tautēs nosou tōn logismōn autǭ prosenenkōmen hē ta para tou hagiou Pneumatos dia tou makariou Iōannou lalēthenta hēmin, hoti En archę̄ ēn ho Logos, kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn ho Logos? Dia toutōn tōn dyo rhēseōn apekleisen ho euangelistēs, mias an… … esti ti epinoēsai presbyteron; ou gar eti an eiē archē, eiper echoi ti heautēs exōteron oute to Ēn diabantas tǭ logismǭ, eis to hote ouch ēn dynaton hyperkypsai. ᾿Athetēsis gar esti tou Ēn, hē tou hote ouk ēn epinoia. Ei men gar hē archē tōn pros heteron legomenōn ēn, hōs to archē sophias, kai archē hodou agathēs, kai, En archę̄ epoiēsen ho Theos, hēn an tychon, tou ek toiautēs archēs hyphestōtos, di᾽ enthymēseōs hyperbēnai tēn gennēsin; epeidē de to sēmainomenon touto tēs archēs apolelymenon kai ascheton tēn anōtatō physin dēloi, pōs ou katagelastos ho ta exōterō tautēs epinoōn, hē epicheirōn autēn tois logismois hyperballein? Symparekteinetai de kai to Ēn tǭ anyperthetǭ tēs archēs tautēs. Ou gar tēn apo chronou hyparxin to Ēn hypophainei, hōs to, Anthrōpos hēn en chōrą tę̄ Ausitidi kai, Ēn anthrōpos ex Armathaïm; kai to, Hē de gē ēn aoratos" all᾽ autos hēmin ho euangelistēs en heterǭ logǭ tou toioutou Ēn to sēmainomenon edeixen, eipōn " Ho hōn, kai ho ēn, kai ho pantokratōr. Hoion gar to hōn, toiouton kai to ēn, aïdion homoiōs kai achronon. Ouch onta de legein ton en archę̄ onta, oute diasōzontos esti tēn ennoian tēs archēs, oute synaptontos autę̄ tēn hyparxin tou Monogenous. Anepinoēton men gar tēs archēs to presbyteron, achōriston de tautēs tou Theou logou to einai. Hōste eph᾽ hoson an boulēthę̄s tais tou nou polypragmosynais … logismois ou dynēsę̄. ᾿Anterōtasthō toinyn kai par᾽ hēmōn poteron en archę̄ ēn pros ton Theon ho Theos Logos, hē hysteron prosegeneto? Ei men gar ēn, Pauson tēn glōssan sou apo kakou, tēs tou, hoti ouch ēn, blasphēmias ei de hoper oude themis eipein, tois sois oikeioteron pros se chrēsomai rhēmasin, hoti ou blasphēmias monon, alla kai paranoias hyperbolēn ho logos echei, anthrōpous apaitein tōn logōn tou Pneumatos tas euthynas, kai mathētēn men einai tōn Eu᾿ homologein, autōn de toutōn katexanistasthai. Skopei gar tas theias phōnas, hōs akribōs kai saphōs tę̄ pro aiōnōn genesei tou Huiou martyrousin. Epeidē gar ho men Matthaios tēs kata sarka gennēseōs exēgētēs gegonen, hōs autos phēsi" Biblos geneseōs Iēsou Christou huiou Dabid; ho de Markos archēn tou Euangeliou to Iōannou pepoiēke kērygma, eipōn" ᾿Archē tou Euangeliou ᾿Iēsou Christou, kathōs gegraptai en Ēsaïą tǭ prophētę̄; Phōnē boōntos en tę̄ erēmǭ; ho de Loukas kai autos dia tōn sōmatikōn archōn tę̄ theologią prosebē; … anankaiōs ho euangelistēs Iōannēs, teleutaios elthōn eis to graphein, pantos aisthētou, kai chronou tou tois toioutois parepomenou, tēn dianoian hyperaras, mallon de hypsōtheis tę̄ dynamei tou Pneumatos, autǭ prosebē tǭ pantōn epekeina, mononouchi diamartyromenos kai autos, hoti, ei kai egnōkamen kata sarka Christon, alla nyn ouketi ginōskomen. Labomenos gar autēs tēs archēs, kai pasas tas sōmatikas te kai chronikas ennoias katōteras tēs heautou theologias apolipōn, hyperephōnēse ta prolabonta kērygmata tę̄ tēs gnōseōs. Ouch apo Marias, phēsin, hē archē, oude apo tōnde tōn chronōn. ᾿Alla ti? En archę̄ ēn ho Logos, kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn ho Logos" tēn ex aïdiou hyparxin, tēn apathē gennēsin, to symphyes tǭ Patri, to megaleion tēs physeōs, panta en tois oligois rhēmasi syllabōn, kai tę̄ prosthēkę̄ tou Ēn anagagōn eis tēn archēn, hōsper apophrattōn ta stomata tōn, hoti ouk ēn, blasphēmountōn, kai porrhōthen tas tōn toioutōn sophismatōn pareisdyseis hypotemnomenos, Eita dia tēs theologias hoion hypographēn tina enargē tēs physeōs tou Monogenous entypōsas, hōs ēdē gnōrizousin hypodeiknysi tę̄ phōnę̄ legōn Houtos ēn en archę̄ pros ton Theon" palin entautha tę̄ prosthēkę̄ tou Ēn, tę̄ aïdiotēti tou Patros tou Monogenous synaptōn tēn gennēsin " kai palin’ Zōē ēn, kai hē zōē ēn to phōs tōn anthrōpōn, kai ēn to phōs to alēthinon, ᾽All᾽ homōs houtō pantachothen tou logou … tas martyrias tou Pneumatos, kai oude akouein dokōn houtōs hēmin pyknōs emthoōntos to Ēn … … Ouk ōn, phēsin, egennēthē. Oukoun hysteron pros… gegenētai. Ei de touto en archę̄ ouch ēn, hōs phate, tina periphanesteran machēn epideixeie tis pros tas phōnas tōn Euangeliōn hais pepisteukamen?

[14] Having taken away the glory owed to the Only-Begotten, see with what words he extols him:

EUNOMIUS: "The essence of the Son," he says, "is begotten before all things by the will of God the Father."

BASIL: This is the great thing he adds to the Son: that he is older than creation and exists before his own works, setting down as enough for the glory of the Creator of the universe that he is ranked before his own creatures. For having estranged him, as far as it lies with him, from fellowship with God the Father, he bears witness to his glory by his precedence over creatures. Then, carrying his blasphemy on to shamelessness, he [hems] us in, as he thinks, with inescapable …

EUNOMIUS: "For God begot the Son either when he was or when he was not. If when he was not, let no one charge me with audacity; but if when he was, the argument is the height not only of absurdity and blasphemy but of all silliness; for what is has no need of begetting."

BASIL: This, then, is the notorious sophism, invented long ago by others, but now brought to completion by these men on their brazen and shameless tongues. First let us remind his hearers that this is the man who, because of the ignorance of the many who take the begetting of the Son in a human way, came under the necessity of these arguments; this is the one who leads untrained souls up from bodily notions to spiritual contemplation; who, since animals that are born did not exist before and then are born, and the one born today did not exist yesterday, transfers this notion to the hypostasis of the Only-Begotten as well. "And since he has been begotten," he says, "he did not exist before the begetting." So magnificently does he theologize to us the begetting of the Only-Begotten, and with such arguments he corrects the infirmities of our brothers, worthy as he is, if anyone is, to hear the proverb, "Physician, heal yourself." What remedy, then, for this absurd disease of his reasonings shall we offer him, but the words spoken to us by the Holy Spirit through the blessed John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"? By these two sayings the evangelist shut out … ; … [than a beginning] one can conceive nothing older; for it would no longer be a beginning if it had anything outside itself. Nor is it possible, passing beyond "was" by reasoning, to peer out into "when he was not"; for the notion "when he was not" is the denial of "was." If "beginning" were one of the things said in relation to another, as in "the beginning of wisdom," and "the beginning of a good way," and "in the beginning God made," it might perhaps be possible to pass beyond, by reflection, the begetting of what subsists from such a beginning. But since this meaning of "beginning," absolute and without relation, indicates the supreme nature, how is one not ridiculous who conceives things beyond it, or tries to surpass it in his reasonings? And "was" is coextensive with the unsurpassability of this beginning. For "was" does not indicate existence from a point in time, as in "There was a man in the land of Ausitis," and "There was a man from Armathaim," and "The earth was invisible"; rather, the evangelist himself showed us in another book the meaning of such a "was," saying, "He who is, and who was, and the Almighty." For as "who is," so also "was": alike eternal and timeless. To say that the one who was in the beginning was not neither preserves the notion of the beginning nor joins the existence of the Only-Begotten to it. For what is older than the beginning cannot be conceived, and the being of God the Word is inseparable from it. So however far you wish [to run] with the busy curiosity of your mind … you will not be able [to pass beyond "was"] by reasoning.

[15] Let him be asked by us in turn, then: was God the Word with God in the beginning, or did he come to be later? If he was, "Keep your tongue from evil," from the blasphemy "he was not." But if [he was not], which it is not even right to say, I will use your own words against you more aptly: the argument is the height not only of blasphemy but of insanity, that human beings should demand an accounting of the words of the Spirit, and profess to be disciples of the Gospels while rising up against them. For see how exactly and clearly the divine words bear witness to the Son's begetting before the ages. Since Matthew became the narrator of the begetting according to the flesh, as he himself says, "The book of the genesis of Jesus Christ, son of David"; and Mark made the preaching of John the beginning of the Gospel, saying, "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness"; and Luke too approached the theology through the bodily beginnings … ; of necessity the evangelist John, coming last to write, raised his mind above everything sensible and the time that accompanies such things, or rather, lifted up by the power of the Spirit, drew near to the one who is beyond all things, all but testifying himself that "even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, we know him so no longer." For laying hold of the beginning itself, and leaving all bodily and temporal notions below his own theology, he outsounded the earlier proclamations by the grandeur of his knowledge. "Not from Mary," he says, "is the beginning, nor from these times. But what? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God": embracing in these few words the existence from eternity, the impassible begetting, the natural unity with the Father, the grandeur of the nature; and by adding "was" he led back to the beginning, as if stopping the mouths of those who blaspheme "he was not," and cutting off from afar the entries of such sophisms. Then, having imprinted by his theology a clear outline, as it were, of the nature of the Only-Begotten, he points to him with his word as to those who now recognize him, saying, "He was in the beginning with God," again by the addition of "was" joining the begetting of the Only-Begotten to the eternity of the Father; and again, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men," and "He was the true light." But nevertheless, though the argument is … on every side … the testimonies of the Spirit, and seeming not even to hear him crying out to us so often the "was" … … "Not being," he says, "he was begotten." So he [came to be] later … has come to be. But if this was not in the beginning, as you say, what more manifest conflict could anyone show with the words of the Gospels in which we have believed?

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Luke 4:23 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 16:7 (quotation, medium confidence) · Gen 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Sam 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Rev 1:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 34:13 (33:14 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:16 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil answers Eunomius's dilemma ('God begot the Son either when he was or when he was not') from John 1:1: the Word 'was' in the beginning, beyond which nothing can be conceived, and John's prologue proclaims his eternal begetting.

Chapter 14 of Book 2 and most of chapter 15 (marked [15]); chapter 15 ends in staged 2.15. The opening of chapter 14 stood at the end of the preceding scan page (staged 2.13) and has been moved here by logged corrections. Lines lost in the scan are marked …; Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections. The quotation is Eunomius's Apology.
Luke 4:23; John 1:1-2, 4, 9; Prov 16:7 (Septuagint, 'beginning of a good way'); Gen 1:1-2; Job 1:1 ('Ausitis', LXX); 1 Sam 1:1 ('Armathaim', LXX); Rev 1:8; Ps 34:13 (LXX 33:14); Matt 1:1; Mark 1:1-3; 2 Cor 5:16. 'The beginning of wisdom' is Sir 1:14.
End of chapter 15 of Book 2. Most of this scan page is Migne's notes and Latin, removed by logged corrections; the Greek that survives is fragmentary (lost words marked …).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR misreading; scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); scan debris removed (Migne's Latin column, notes, marginal letters or numbers); OCR misreading): Μονο- Αὶ δηῖα οπιπία, νοϊσιίαϊο θεΐ οἱ Ῥαιγίς. φυσοίυπι ἱπ 66 [υἱϊ, ἃ σοη] υποιοὴ6 ηιαιῆ οἴη θ 60 οἱ Ραῖγα μαθοῖ, δ δηδυὶ; οἱ ἰὴ δὸ ἀείεγι ΕΥ̓͂Ν. → Μονογενεῖ δόξαν, σκοπεῖτε ποίοις αὐτὸν ἀποσεμνύνει λόγοις. ΕΥ̓͂Ν. Ἔστι δὲ, φησὶν, ἡ οὐσία τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεννηθεῖσα πρὸ πάντων, γνώμῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. ΒΑΣ. Τοῦτο μέγα προστίθησι τῷ Υἱῷ, τὸ πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τῆς κτίσεως, καὶ τῶν ποιημάτων αὐτὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ προϋπάρχειν, ἀρκοῦν εἰς δόξαν τῷ Δημιουργῷ τῶν ὅλων τιθέμενος τὸ κτισμάτων αὐτὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ προτετάχθαι. Τῆς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα κοινωνίας τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν ἦχον ἀλλοτριώσας, ἐν τῇ τῶν κτισμάτων προτιμήσει τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ. Εἶτα πρὸς τὸ ἀναίσχυντον τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐκφέρων ταῖς ἀφύκτοις ἡμᾶς, ὡς οἴεται, … ΕΥ̓͂Ν.; Β Εὐνπ. Αὐυἱὶ οπίπι τὸν → τὸν; μοι. φησὶ, → μοι, φησὶ,; ἐπεγχαλείτω → ἐπεγκαλείτω; εὐηθείὰς → εὐηθείας; ὑπερδολὴν → ὑπερβολὴν; πά-. λει μὲν ἐξευρεθὲν → πάλαι μὲν ἐξευρεθὲν; ἀπηρυθριασμένδις → ἀπηρυθριασμέναις; ἐχεῖνο τοὺς → ἐκεῖνο τοὺς; ἀχροχτὰς → ἀκροατὰς; ἀνθρωπιχῶς → ἀνθρωπικῶς; ἐξαχουόντων → ἐξακουόντων; ΥἹοῦ εἰς → Υἱοῦ εἰς; ἀνάγχὴν ἐληλυθὼς → ἀνάγκην ἐληλυθὼς; πνευματιχὴν → πνευματικὴν; γεννώμενα. → γεννώμενα; ἐπἀνορθοῦται, → ἐπανορθοῦται,; ἀχοῦσαι τῆς → ἀκοῦσαι τῆς; αὑτῷ προσενέγχωμεν → αὐτῷ προσενέγκωμεν; μαχαρίον → μακαρίου; Ὀ δύο ῥῆσεων ἀπέχλειδεν → δύο ῥήσεων ἀπέκλεισεν; ἀν- 15 [υς. ιν, 32. κ᾽ ϑυδη. των. Βορὶ! βθουη 5 δὲ φυλγίι5 τιθέμενος τὸ χτι- Βλ58. Ηζς οὐϊ αυϊάδπι [114 συ σαι 55 πὰ οδνἢ Δὺ 4118 οἱἵπι δϊηυθηΐα σης σατο αδι : αυἷ, φιηοα δηΐιη]ῖ8, ουη) ργίυ5 ποη 8ἰηὶ, ἀδί πα ἀξίων : ἀΐφηπ, δὶ αι ΐδ δἰ ἐταί αρμά θέμηι, εἰ θεῖ ἐταί Ῥετύμηι "ἢ σοῦ δΓΟΒ805 δ ἐπί γνα! π) πῃ 400 πη οΓδὶ Γι Υθογὸ ἐταῖ, εἰ φιιὶ 651 οπιπὶροίεπε "δ, (πὰἷς Θηΐη 65. ἢ πὰ, ἐϊοογθ, δυπι, φαΐ ἐμ ργί με ρίο 691, οὐφυθ 250 χῆὴς ἐστί → ἀν… … ἐστί; πρεσθύτερον- → πρεσβύτερον·; διαθάντας → διαβάντας; ὑπερχύψαι. → ὑπερκύψαι.; ἔστε τοῦ → ἐστι τοῦ; ν, ἡ τοῦ → Ἦν, ἡ τοῦ; ὅτ: οὐκ ἦν → ὅτε οὐκ ἦν; ἧ ἀρχὴ πῶν πρὸς → ἡ ἀρχὴ τῶν πρὸς; ἧν, ὡς τὸ → ἦν, ὡς τὸ; ἘΥγ ἀρχῇ → Ἐν ἀρχῇ; ἐχ τοιαύτης → ἐκ τοιαύτης; ὑφεστῶτες, → ὑφεστῶτος,; ὑπερδῆναι → ὑπερβῆναι; γέννησιν’ → γέννησιν·; χαταγέλαστος → καταγέλαστος; ὑπερθάλλειν; → ὑπερβάλλειν;; Συμπαρεχτείνεται → Συμπαρεκτείνεται; "Δνθρωπος → Ἄνθρωπος; Αρμαθαῖμ᾽ → Ἀρμαθαΐμ·; ἯἮΥ' τὸ σημαινόμενον → Ἦν τὸ σημαινόμενον; παντοχράτωρ. → παντοκράτωρ.; Τὰρ τὸ ὧν, → γὰρ τὸ ὧν,; τῦν ἐν ἀρχῇ → τὸν ἐν ἀρχῇ; οὔςε διασώζοντός → οὔτε διασώζοντός; ἔννσιαν τῆς → ἔννοιαν τῆς; συνἀπτοντος → συνάπτοντος; ᾿Άνεπιγόητον → Ἀνεπινόητον; πρεσθύτερον, → πρεσβύτερον,; “Ὥστε ἐφ᾽ → Ὥστε ἐφ᾽; ὅδον ἂν βουληθῇς → ὅσον ἂν βουληθῇς; πολυπραγμοσύναις → πολυπραγμοσύναις …; 4ὅ.. ᾿Αντερωτάσθω → ᾿Αντερωτάσθω; (θ6), ὅπερ → ὅπερ; δ 200 1,1. 51 Πρ., 1. “Φ σδη. 1. 2. "Αρος.", 8. "Ρ 54]. σχχιν, 1. Ηος ἰρϑο ἴῃ ἰοσο εἰ εἰ Οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ἔτι εἴη ἀρχή. δὐπὶ θη0 ας. ἐξωτέρω. ὕ το 4ιυΐδ πιοάο ἰεβφοεὶ» τήν. Ι σοῖς → σοῖς; οἰχειότερον → οἰκειότερον; Α 661 ἀΐξαγο, {58 δάνδγβαπ), 6 νογθῖϑ Ὡριυ.8. πίϑν, βλασφημίας → βλασφημίας; ὑπερθολὴν → ὑπερβολὴν; Πνεύμᾶτος → Πνεύματος; Εὐ-᾿ αγγελίων ὁμολογεῖν, → Εὐ᾿ ὁμολογεῖν,; χατεξανίστασθαι. → κατεξανίστασθαι.; Σχόπει γὰρ → Σκόπει γὰρ; ἀκριθῶς καὶ → ἀκριβῶς καὶ; χατὰ σάρχα γεννήσεως → κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως; Βίδλος γενέσεως → Βίβλος γενέσεως; Δαδίδ. ὁ → Δαβίδ· ὁ; Μάρχος ἀρχὴν → Μάρκος ἀρχὴν; Ἰωάννον πεποίηχε → Ἰωάννου πεποίηκε; χήρυγμα, → κήρυγμα,; Ἤσαϊΐᾳ τῷ → Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ; τῃ “ Φωνὴ βοῶντος → προφήτῃ· Φωνὴ βοῶντος; ἐρήμῳ’ ὁ → ἐρήμῳ· ὁ; Λουχᾶς καὶ → Λουκᾶς καὶ; σωματιχῶν → σωματικῶν; πῤοσέθη" → προσέβη· …; τελεν- 8 Προ παῖος ἐλθὼν → τελευταῖος ἐλθὼν; προσέδη τῷ → προσέβη τῷ; ἐπέχεινα, → ἐπέκεινα,; ἐγνώχαμὲν → ἐγνώκαμεν; χατὰ σάρχα Χριστὸν, → κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸν,; οὐχέτι γινώσχομεν. → οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν.; Λαδόμενος → Λαβόμενος; χρονιχὰς → χρονικὰς; χατωτέρας → κατωτέρας; προλαδόντα → προλαβόντα; χηρύγματα → κηρύγματα; μεγαλοφυΐᾳ τῆς → τῆς; ἀοχὴ, οὐδὲ → ἀρχή, οὐδὲ; Λόάγος, καὶ → Λόγος, καὶ; ἀπαθῇ γέννησιν, → ἀπαθῆ γέννησιν,; συλλαδὼν, → συλλαβὼν,; προσθήχῃ τοῦ Ἤν → προσθήκῃ τοῦ Ἤν; σοφισμάτῶν → σοφισμάτων; ὑποδείχνυσι → ὑποδείκνυσι; προσθήχῃ τοῦ Ἦν, → προσθήκῃ τοῦ Ἦν,; αἰδιότητι → ἀϊδιότητι; ὅμαυς οὕτω → ὅμως οὕτω; ταὶς τοῦ ἀϊμένος τὰς → … τὰς; ἀχούειν δοχῶν οὕτως → ἀκούειν δοκῶν οὕτως; πυχνῶς ἐμθοῶντος τὸ Ἦν → πυκνῶς ἐμθοῶντος τὸ Ἦν …; Μδίίη. τ, 1. δ' Μαγου, 1:; [58. χὲ,, ὅ. δ᾽ Οογ ν, 10. δὲ 10}... 2. (ὅ) Ργο ὑποτεμνόμένος ιεφἶρ τη οᾳ. ἕζγιιο ἀξ. οἱονεὶ ὑπογραφήν. ΕΜ θεολογίας, ὑπογραφην. σοι δίοιϑ, ἱιαυὶϊῖ, ξϑιίτεν οὶ. Εγρο ροβίθα ἴῃ δοροββίο- ἃ Θὐχ ὧν, φησὶν, → … Οὐκ ὤν, φησὶν,; προσ- "ἷ5 51 πιούυμι σον ὁδὶ. Ουοὰ δὲ ἰιος βοὴ ογδὶ γεγένντται. → προσ… γεγένηται.; φᾶτε, τίνα → φατε, τίνα; πεπιστεύχαμεν; → πεπιστεύκαμεν;.

Extrabiblical texts: Sir 1:14 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Topics: Christology, Heresy, Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.14 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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2.16PG 29:519

Καὶ μὴν ἐκεῖνό γε τίνι οὐκ ἂν τῶν εὐγνωμόνων συνδόξειεν, ὅτι ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμὸς, τῶν περιλαμπομένων τόπων ἐκπεσὼν, ἀναγκαίως δι᾽ ἐρημίαν τοῦ φωτὸς τῆς ἐνεργείας ἴσταται, οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ νοῦς, ἐπὶ τὸ ἔξω τοῦ ὄντος ταῖς φαντασίαις εἰσβιαζόμενος, οἷόν τινος φωτὸς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπιλειπούσης, συγχυθεὶς καὶ ἀνοηταίνων τῆς νοήσεως ἀπολήγει; Οὔτ᾽ ἂν οὖν ὀφθαλμὸς ἔξω τοῦ φωτὸς τῷ ὁρᾷν χρῆσθαι δύναιτο, οὔτε ψυχὴ, τῆς τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἐννοίας παρενεχθεῖσα, τῇ νοήσει κεχρῆσθαι. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας … μάταιός ἔστι νοῦς καὶ τετύφλωται, τῷ ὄντι μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος, ὁ τὰ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς πρεσβύτερα κατειληφέναι φρονῶν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ ὀφθαλμῷ τις ὀξυνίζοντι … Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀψόμεθα φῶς. Ὁ δὲ ἐν καταλήψει τοῦ ὅτε οὔπω ἦν τὸ φῶς γεγονέναι φάσκων παραπλήσιον πέπονθε τοῖς ἐν ἐκστάσει φρενιτιχῇ ὁρᾷν φανταζομένοις τὰ μὴ παρόντα. Τὰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τὸν Υἱὸν οὐ νοεῖται. Ἐπειδὴ ὅπερ ὀφθαλμῷ τὸ αἰσθητόν ἐστι φῶς, τοῦτο ψυχῇ ὁ Θεός ἐστι Λόγος. Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον. “Ὥστε ἀφώτιστος ψυχὴ ἀδύνατός ἔστι πρὸς νόησιν. Πῶς ἂν οὖν τὰ ὑπεράνω τῆς γενέσεως τοῦ φωτὸς καταληφθείη; Χρῆν δὲ, οἶμαι, τοὺς καὶ μικρὸν γοῦν τῆς ἀληθείας πεφροντικότας, ἀφεμένους τῶν σωματικῶν ὁμοιώσεων, καὶ τοῦ ταῖς ὑλικαῖς φαντασίαις τὰς περὶ Θεοῦ ἐννοίας καταρρυπαίνειν, τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος παραδοθείσαις ἡμῖν θεολογίαις ἀκολουθεῖν, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ἐρωτημάτων τούτων, ἃ τῶν γρίφων οὐδὲν ἀπολείπεται, τὴν ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα ὑπόληψιν ἐπικίνδυνον ἐχόντων, νοεῖν μὲν ἀξίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ γέννησιν ἀπαθῆ, ἀμέριστον, ἀδιαίρετον, ἄχρονον, κατὰ τὴν ἀπολάμπουσαν τοῦ φωτὸς αὐγὴν τῇ θείᾳ γεννήσει προσαγομένους " νοεῖν δὲ εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, οὐ κατὰ τὰς τεχνητὰς … ταύτας ὕστερον ἀπεργασθεῖσαν πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, ἀλλὰ συνυπάρχουσαν καὶ παρυφεστηκυῖαν τῷ πρωτοτύπῳ ὑποστήσαντι, τῷ εἶναι τὸ ἀρχέτυπον, οὖσαν, οὐχ ἐκτυπωθεῖσαν διὰ μιμήσεως, ὥσπερ ἐν σφραγῖδί τινι τῆς ὅλης φύσεως τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐναποσημανθείσης τῷ Υἱῷ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει, ὁποία τῶν τεχνῶν ἡ ὑπόστασις ἐκ τῶν διδασκόντων ὅλη τοῖς μαθητευομένοις ἐγγινομένη " οὔτε λείποντός τινος τοῖς διδάσκουσι, καὶ τῆς τελειώσεως τοῖς ἐκμανθάνουσι προσγινομένης. Ἢ τοῦτο μὲν οὐχ ἀκριβὲς πρὸς ὁμοίωσιν διὰ τὴν τοῦ χρόνου παράτασιν. Οἰκειότερον δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὁποία τῶν νοημάτων ἡ φύσις τοῖς τοῦ νοῦ κινήμασιν ἀχρόνως συνυφισταμένη.

Kai mēn ekeino ge tini ouk an tōn eugnōmonōn syndoxeien, hoti hōsper ophthalmos, tōn perilampomenōn topōn ekpesōn, anankaiōs di᾽ erēmian tou phōtos tēs energeias istatai, houtō de kai ho nous, epi to exō tou ontos tais phantasiais eisbiazomenos, hoion tinos phōtos tēs alētheias epileipousēs, synchytheis kai anoētainōn tēs noēseōs apolēgei? Out᾽ an oun ophthalmos exō tou phōtos tǭ horąn chrēsthai dynaito, oute psychē, tēs tou Monogenous ennoias parenechtheisa, tę̄ noēsei kechrēsthai. Hē gar tēs alētheias … mataios esti nous kai tetyphlōtai, tǭ onti mēden epistamenos, ho ta tou Monogenous presbytera kateilēphenai phronōn; hōsper an ei kai ophthalmǭ tis oxynizonti … En tǭ phōti sou gar, phēsin, opsometha phōs. Ho de en katalēpsei tou hote oupō ēn to phōs gegonenai phaskōn paraplēsion peponthe tois en ekstasei phrenitichę̄ horąn phantazomenois ta mē paronta. Ta gar hyper ton Huion ou noeitai. Epeidē hoper ophthalmǭ to aisthēton esti phōs, touto psychę̄ ho Theos esti Logos. Ēn gar, phēsi, to phōs to alēthinon, ho phōtizei panta anthrōpon erchomenon eis ton kosmon. “Hōste aphōtistos psychē adynatos esti pros noēsin. Pōs an oun ta hyperanō tēs geneseōs tou phōtos katalēphtheiē? Chrēn de, oimai, tous kai mikron goun tēs alētheias pephrontikotas, aphemenous tōn sōmatikōn homoiōseōn, kai tou tais hylikais phantasiais tas peri Theou ennoias katarrypainein, tois para tou hagiou Pneumatos paradotheisais hēmin theologiais akolouthein, kai anti tōn erōtēmatōn toutōn, ha tōn griphōn ouden apoleipetai, tēn eph᾽ hekatera hypolēpsin epikindynon echontōn, noein men axian tou Theou gennēsin apathē, ameriston, adiaireton, achronon, kata tēn apolampousan tou phōtos augēn tę̄ theią gennēsei prosagomenous " noein de eikona tou Theou tou aoratou, ou kata tas technētas … tautas hysteron apergastheisan pros to archetypon, alla synyparchousan kai paryphestēkuian tǭ prōtotypǭ hypostēsanti, tǭ einai to archetypon, ousan, ouch ektypōtheisan dia mimēseōs, hōsper en sphragidi tini tēs holēs physeōs tou Patros enaposēmantheisēs tǭ Huiǭ. Ei de boulei, hopoia tōn technōn hē hypostasis ek tōn didaskontōn holē tois mathēteuomenois enginomenē " oute leipontos tinos tois didaskousi, kai tēs teleiōseōs tois ekmanthanousi prosginomenēs. Ē touto men ouch akribes pros homoiōsin dia tēn tou chronou paratasin. Oikeioteron de eipein, hoti hopoia tōn noēmatōn hē physis tois tou nou kinēmasin achronōs synyphistamenē.

[16] And surely every fair-minded person would agree that, just as the eye, when it has passed out of the illuminated places, necessarily ceases from its activity for lack of light, so also the mind, forcing its way by imaginations to what lies outside being, as if the light of truth were failing it, is confounded, grows foolish, and ceases from thinking. The eye could not use its sight outside the light, nor could the soul, carried away from the notion of the Only-Begotten, make use of its thinking. For … of the truth … that mind is vain and blinded, truly knowing nothing, which thinks it has grasped what is older than the Only-Begotten; as if one were to … an eye straining. "For in your light," it says, "we shall see light." But he who claims to have come to grasp the time when the light had not yet come to be is in much the same state as those who in a frenzied delirium imagine they see what is not there. For what is above the Son is not an object of thought. For what perceptible light is to the eye, God the Word is to the soul: "He was," it says, "the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world." So the unenlightened soul is incapable of thinking. How then could what lies above the begetting of the light be grasped? It was necessary, I think, for those who care even a little for the truth to let go of bodily comparisons and of soiling their notions of God with material imaginings, and to follow the teachings about God handed down to us by the Holy Spirit; and instead of these questions, which fall nothing short of riddles, since an answer either way is dangerous, to conceive a begetting worthy of God, impassible, without partition, undivided, and timeless, being led to the divine begetting by the radiance that shines from light; and to conceive the image of the invisible God, not like the man-made [images] …, which are produced afterward in relation to the archetype, but coexisting and subsisting alongside the prototype that gives it subsistence, being by the very fact that the archetype is; not imprinted by imitation, but as in a seal, the whole nature of the Father being impressed upon the Son. Or, if you prefer, it is like the way an art comes to be whole in learners from those who teach, nothing being lost to the teachers while completion accrues to the learners. Or this is not exact as a likeness, because of the extension of time. It is more fitting to say: like the nature of thoughts, which subsist timelessly together with the movements of the mind.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Ps 36:9 (35:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:15 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Basil argues that the mind cannot think beyond the Son, the light of the soul, and offers images of an impassible, timeless begetting: radiance from light, a seal's impression, thoughts arising with the mind.

Chapter 16 of Book 2. Lines are lost in the scan (marked …); Migne's Latin and notes are removed by logged corrections.
Ps 36:9 (LXX 35:10); John 1:9; Col 1:15. The analogies are Basil's, and he notes their limits.

Notes on the original text

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Topics: Trinity, Christology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Basil, Eun. 2.16 (PG 29:519; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-contra-eunomium/2-6/#p-2-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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