{"slug":"khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","title":"In Genesim de creatione","title_source":"In Genesim de creatione","author":"Eustathius Antiochiensis","genre":"commentary","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:34Z","cost_usd":0.001698},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","work_id":"khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Eustathius%20Antiochiensis_PG%2018/In%20Genesim%20de%20creatione.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":539,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":2009,"commentary_units":12,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":2,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","abstract":"Eustathius of Antioch's 'In Genesim de creatione' is a fragmentary hexaemeral commentary from the early fourth century, surviving only through catenae and the Sacra Parallela. It is among the earliest Antiochene commentaries on the Hexaemeron, predating Basil's work. The text interprets Genesis 2:19, emphasizing the adverb 'still' (ἔτι) to denote a distinct act of creation for land animals and birds. It also offers typological readings, identifying the tree of life with Christ and allegorizing the beasts in paradise as nations gathered in the Church. The work reflects early Christian exegesis linking Genesis to soteriology and ecclesiology.","historical_context":"Eustathius served as bishop of Antioch from approximately 324 to 330 CE, a period of theological consolidation after the First Council of Nicaea (325). His commentary on the Hexaemeron was composed in Greek, likely in Antioch, a major center of Antiochene exegesis known for its literal and historical approach. The work is among the earliest Christian hexaemeral commentaries, preceding Basil of Caesarea's more famous 'Homilies on the Hexaemeron' (c. 370). It survives only in fragments, primarily through catenae (scriptural commentary chains) and John of Damascus's 'Sacra Parallela' (8th century), indicating its use in Byzantine florilegia. The text was not widely transmitted in the Latin West, limiting its influence. The present edition lacks a critical apparatus, requiring consultation of original catena manuscripts for variant readings.","significance":"Eustathius's commentary is significant as an early witness to Antiochene hexaemeral exegesis, predating Basil and offering a distinct interpretive approach. Its typological identification of the tree of life with Christ and allegorical reading of paradise's beasts as the Church anticipate later patristic themes. The work's fragmentary survival highlights the challenges of reconstructing early Christian literature and the importance of catenae for preserving lost texts.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 324–330","event":"Eustathius serves as bishop of Antioch; likely composes 'In Genesim de creatione'."},{"date":"4th century","event":"The commentary is among the earliest Antiochene hexaemeral works, predating Basil's 'Homilies on the Hexaemeron' (c. 370)."},{"date":"8th century","event":"John of Damascus cites the work in the 'Sacra Parallela', indicating its use in Byzantine florilegia."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"The text is not widely transmitted in the Latin West, limiting its influence."},{"date":"Modern","event":"The work survives only in fragments through catenae and the 'Sacra Parallela'; no complete manuscript is extant."}],"relations":[{"work":"Homilies on the Hexaemeron","relation":"Eustathius's commentary predates and may have influenced Basil's later hexaemeral homilies.","key":"wikipedia:Hexaemeron","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Sacra Parallela","relation":"John of Damascus's florilegium preserves fragments of Eustathius's commentary.","key":"wikipedia:Sacra Parallela","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Genesis 2:19 (LXX)","relation":"Eustathius provides a close reading of this verse, emphasizing the adverb 'still' (ἔτι).","key":"wikipedia:Book of Genesis","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Catenae","relation":"The commentary survives primarily through catena manuscripts, which excerpt patristic interpretations.","key":"wikipedia:Catenae (Biblical commentary)","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Antiochene School","relation":"Eustathius's work exemplifies the literal and historical exegesis characteristic of the Antiochene tradition.","key":"wikipedia:School of Antioch","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The date of composition is uncertain; it is placed within Eustathius's episcopate (c. 324–330) but not precisely datable.","The work survives only in fragments, primarily through catenae and the Sacra Parallela; no complete manuscript is extant.","The present edition (khazarzar) lacks a critical apparatus; readers must consult original catena manuscripts for variant readings.","The list of enclosures in the commentary is corrupt in the manuscript, with a lacuna making the final comparison uncertain."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000572,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:34Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Eustathius%20Antiochiensis_PG%2018/In%20Genesim%20de%20creatione.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-eustathius-antiochiensis-in-genesim-de-creatione","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":12,"english_words":539,"source_letters":2009,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives only in fragments, chiefly through catenae and the Sacra Parallela; no complete manuscript of Eustathius’ commentary on the Hexaemeron is extant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius was bishop of Antioch from ca. 324 to ca. 330; his In Genesim de creatione is thus among the earliest Antiochene hexaemeral commentaries, predating Basil’s.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is cited by John Damascene in the Sacra Parallela, indicating its use in later Byzantine florilegia, but it was not widely transmitted in the medieval Latin West.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The present edition (khazarzar) does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of the fragmentary witnesses; readers must consult the original catena manuscripts for variant readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"85 Καὶ γὰρ ἐκ πολλῶν τρόπων ἔστι διαγνῶναι, φησὶν ὁ Πατὴρ, τούτων τῶν ζῴων καὶ πετεινῶν τὸ διάφορόν τε καὶ ἀνόμοιον· πρῶτον διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν καὶ ἔπλασε κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔτι· οὐ γὰρ εὑρίσκομεν πλάσμα Θεοῦ εἶναι εἰ μὴ τὸν ἄνθρωπον· πάλιν καὶ διὰ τοῦ λέγειν τὸ ἔτι, δείκνυσιν ἡ γραφὴ ἔτερά τινα ἐνταῦθα ζῷα προφητεύεσθαι καὶ πετεινὰ παρὰ τὰ πρότερα οὔτε γὰρ γέγραπται τὰ πρῶτα πετεινὰ ἐκ γῆς γενόμενα, ἀλλ' ἐξ ὑδάτων· ταῦτα δὲ ἐκ γῆς ἐγένοντο, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπλάσθησαν ἰδιοχείρως παρὰ Θεοῦ καὶ οὐ κατὰ πρόσταξιν. Ὡσαύτως καὶ διὰ τοῦ λέγειν πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ πάντα τὰ θηρία νῦν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πλασθῆναι οὐ δίδωσι ἡμῖν χώραν τοῦ ὅλως εἰπεῖν ὅτι μὲν ἐγένοντο πρότερον, μέρος δὲ νῦν ὅθεν οὔτε περὶ σπερμοφάγου βρώσεως ἐν τούτοις τι διακελεύεται ὁ Θεός· τὰ γὰρ εἰς παράδεισον εἰσερχόμενα οὐ χόρτον ἐσθίει, ἀλλὰ πᾶν ξύλον ὡραῖον εἰς ὅρασιν καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ πρό γε πάντων ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς Χριστοῦ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ζῷα ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἔθνη εἰσὶ ταῦτα τὰ θηρία τὰ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συναχθέντα ἢ ὅτι ἱππὼν καὶ συβόσιον καὶ καμηλοστάσιον καὶ οἰοτρόφυον (...) σήμερον ὁ παράδεισος ὑπάρχει.","english":"And indeed, the Father says, it is possible to discern from many ways the difference and dissimilarity of these animals and birds: first, through the statement, \"And the Lord God still fashioned from the earth\"; for we do not find any creation of God to be except man. Again, through the use of the word \"still,\" the Scripture indicates that certain other animals and birds are here prophesied, distinct from the earlier ones; for the first birds are not recorded as having come from the earth, but from the waters; these, however, came from the earth, or rather were fashioned by the hand of God Himself and not by command. Likewise, through the statement that all the birds and all the beasts are now fashioned by God, He does not allow us any room to say that some were made earlier and a part now; hence, God does not command anything here concerning the eating of seeds; for the creatures entering paradise do not eat grass, but every tree that is beautiful to behold and good for food, and above all, from the tree of life, Christ, who gives life even to these animals. It is possible to say that these beasts are the nations gathered in the Church by God, or that a horse stable, a pigsty, a camel enclosure, and a sheepfold (...) today constitute paradise.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ γὰρ ἐκ πολλῶν τρόπων","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius introduces a series of arguments from the Father (likely Basil of Caesarea) to distinguish the animals and birds of Genesis 2:19 from earlier creations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"καὶ ἔπλασε κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔτι","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Genesis 2:19 (LXX: καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς ἔτι ἐκ τῆς γῆς πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ καὶ πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ). Eustathius reads 'still' (ἔτι) as indicating a distinct act of creation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔτι","severity":"info","text":"The adverb 'still' (ἔτι) is interpreted by Eustathius as a marker of temporal or logical distinction, separating the land animals and birds from those created from water earlier.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius identifies the tree of life in paradise with Christ, a typological reading common in early Christian exegesis, linking Genesis to soteriology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔθνη ... θηρία ... ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius offers an allegorical interpretation: the beasts in paradise represent the nations gathered in the Church, reflecting a common patristic trope of spiritualizing the Genesis narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἱππὼν καὶ συβόσιον καὶ καμηλοστάσιον καὶ οἰοτρόφυον","severity":"caution","text":"The list of enclosures (horse stable, pigsty, etc.) is corrupt in the manuscript; the text breaks off with a lacuna, making the final comparison uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The final clause is fragmentary; the intended comparison between animal enclosures and paradise is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"86 Οὐχ οὕτως, ὦ φιλόσοφε, ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ εἰπεῖν τὸν Θεόν· ἀρχέτωσαν πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸ· κατακυριευσάτωσαν αὐτῆς καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, τοῦτο τὸ κύριόν ἐστι τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸν ἄνθρωπο κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ καὶ ἄρχειν αὐτὸν πάσης τῆς γῆς. Ἐπείπερ, ὡς ἄρχει ὁ Θεὸς ἁπάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πάντων, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον δεύτερον ἄρχοντα πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ κατέστησε, τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν γενέσθαι τὸν ἄνθρωπόν φημι. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τίνα ἔφη· ζητήσωμεν, φιλόσοφε; ἐν τῷ γὰρ εἰπεῖν· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, ζήτημα ἐνέβαλε νοῆσαι ἡμᾶς, πρὸς τίνα ἔλεγε τὸ ποιήσωμεν· εἰπὼν γὰρ· καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν, ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησε αὐτούς. Ἡ οὖν τοῦ ποιήσωμεν σημασία τὸ εἶναι πρόσωπον συνδημιουργὸν σημαίνει καὶ συνισοπροσήγορον εἰσάγει. Ὡς γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ εἰπών· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω Θεός ἐστι καὶ πρὸς ὃν τὸ ποιήσωμεν εἴρηκε, μιᾶς οὔσης τῆς τῶν ἀμφοτέρων προσώπων θεότητος, τοῦ τε εἰπόντος· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ τοῦ ποιήσαντος τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τὸ γὰρ ποιήσωμεν τὸ πανάγιον καὶ ἀπαράλλακτον τῆς τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ θεότητος παρίστησιν ἡ φωνή· ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκὼν ἁπλῆ καὶ ἀσύνθετός ἐστι, πῦρ οὖσα τῇ φύσει.","english":"Not so, O philosopher, but rather the statement of God: \"Let them rule over all the earth,\" and \"Let them have dominion over it and over all things in it\"—this is the principal meaning of making man according to the image of God and of his ruling over all the earth. Since, just as God rules over all the earth and over everything in it, so also He established man as a second ruler over all the earth and over everything in it; this, I say, is what it means for man to be made according to the image of God and according to the likeness. And God said: \"Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness.\" But to whom did He say this? Let us inquire, O philosopher. For in saying, \"And God said, 'Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness,'\" He cast a question for us to consider: to whom was He saying \"Let us make\"? For having said, \"And God said, 'Let us make man,'\" He added, saying, \"And God made man; He made him according to the image of God; He made them male and female.\" Therefore, the meaning of \"Let us make\" signifies the existence of a co-creator person and introduces a co-equal interlocutor. For just as God the Father is the one who said, \"Let us make man,\" so also God is the one to whom He said \"Let us make,\" the divinity of both persons being one—both of the one who said, \"Let us make man according to our image and according to our likeness,\" and of the one who made man. For the phrase \"Let us make\" presents the most holy and unvarying divinity of the Father and Son; for the image of God is simple and uncompounded, being fire in nature.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀρχέτωσαν πάσης τῆς γῆς","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius paraphrases the divine command of dominion, likely echoing Gen 1:28, though the exact phrasing is not verbatim LXX.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ποιήσωμεν","severity":"info","text":"The first-person plural 'let us make' is interpreted as a divine plural involving the Son, not a majestic plural; Eustathius reads it as evidence of co-creatorship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius engages a philosopher interlocutor, reflecting the 4th-century anti-Arian context where the plural 'ποιήσωμεν' was debated between pro-Nicene and subordinationist exegeses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a refutation of a philosopher's objection to a positive exegesis of Gen 1:26, using the shift from 'ποιήσωμεν' to 'ἐποίησεν' to argue for two divine persons of one substance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Eustathius' identification of the 'image of God' with fire (πῦρ τῇ φύσει) is unusual; it may reflect Stoic or Middle Platonic influence, later rejected by most patristic authors.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text at line 86 is syntactically dense; the phrase 'τοῦτο τὸ κύριόν ἐστι' may be corrupt or elliptical, and the English translation smooths over a possible lacuna.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the philosopher interlocutor is not specified; the phrase 'πῦρ τῇ φύσει' is ambiguous—whether metaphorical or literal is unclear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}