LatineEnglish
The Lord God therefore, having formed from the ground all the living things of the earth and all the birds of Heaven, brought them to Adam, that he might see what he would call them: for whatever Adam called every living soul, that is its name. And Adam called all the living things by their names, and all the birds of Heaven, and all the beasts of the earth. CHAPTER 2, VERSES 19-20.1
Formatis igitur Dominus Deus de humo cunctis animantibus terrae, & vniuersis volatilibus Caeli, adduxit ea ad Adam, vt videret quid vocaret ea: omne enim quod vocauit Adam animae viuentis, ipsum est nomen eius. Appellauitq́ Adam nominibus suis cuncta animantia, & vniuersa volatilia Caeli, & omnes bestias terrae. CAP. 2. VERS. 19.
EX variis Scripturae locis argumentátur Patres & Theologi, Adamum rerum omnium naturalium sciétia, cùm primùm à Deo creatus est, instructissimum atque ornatissimum fuisse. Etenim, hoc planè significatum & testatum est iis verbis quae sunt in libro Ecclesiastici, cap. 17. Disciplina, ait, intellectus repleuit illos (loquitur autem ibi Scriptura de primis hominibus), Creauit illis scientiam spiritus, sensu impleuit cor illorum, & mala & bona ostendit illis. Addidit illis disciplinam, & lege vitae haereditauit illos. Magnalia honoris eius vidit oculus illorum, & reliqua. In lib. item Eccl. c. 7. scriptum est hominem à Deo factum esse rectú; totus igitur homo creatus est rectus. Princeps autem pars hominis intellectus est, qui si rectus non fuerit, nequaquam homo rectus dici potest. Sed rectitudo intellectus in scientia veritatis consistit, quemadmodum obliquitas eius, distortio, & error in assensu & approbatione falsitatis. Si igitur primus homo creatus est rectus, creatum esse cum perfecta rerum scientia necesse est. Verùm, hoc de scientia Adami potissimú Doctores colligút & probant ex hoc loco Mosis quem ad explanádum proposuimus: quo narrat Moses Deum adduxisse ad Adamum cunctas animantes, vt eis nomina ille imponeret. Et subdit Moses, Omne enim quod vocauit Adam animae viuentis, ipsum est nomen eius: Appellauitq́ Adam nominibus suis cuncta animátia. Ex quo non obscurè nec dubiè concluditur, Adamum ab initio perfectam omnium animalium scientiam habuisse. Si enim eiusmodi sciétia caruisset, imponere nomina conuenientia naturis singulorum animaliú nequaquam potuisset. Praeclarè enim in Cratylo Plato, eú qui primus om-[nium...]
From various places of Scripture the Fathers and Theologians argue that Adam, when first created by God, was most instructed and most adorned with the knowledge of all natural things. For this is plainly signified and attested by those words which are in the book of Ecclesiasticus, chapter 17: “Discipline,” it says, “filled their intellect” (Scripture there speaks of the first men), “the spirit created knowledge for them, He filled their heart with sense, and showed them good and evil. He added discipline to them, and made them heirs by the law of life. Their eye saw the great things of His honor,” and the rest. Likewise in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 7, it is written that man was made upright by God; the whole man, therefore, was created upright. But the chief part of man is the intellect, which, if it be not upright, man can by no means be called upright. But the rectitude of the intellect consists in the knowledge of truth, just as its obliquity, distortion, and error in the assent to and approval of falsity. If, therefore, the first man was created upright, it is necessary that he was created with a perfect knowledge of things. But the Doctors chiefly gather and prove this concerning Adam's knowledge from this place of Moses which we have proposed to explain: by which Moses narrates that God brought to Adam all the living things, that he might impose names on them. And Moses subjoins, “For whatever Adam called every living soul, that is its name: and Adam called all the living things by their names.” From which it is concluded, not obscurely nor doubtfully, that Adam from the beginning had a perfect knowledge of all the animals. For if he had lacked such knowledge, he could by no means have imposed names suited to the natures of the individual animals. For excellently, in the Cratylus, Plato [affirms] that he who, first of all [mortals...] [continues]2
[...eú qui primus om]nium mortalium nomina rebus imposuit, sapientissimum fuisse affirmat. Quoniá igitur hic locus magná vim habet ad demonstrádam & probandam excellentiam scientiae quae fuit in Adamo, consentaneum est vt primò sententiam huius loci diligenter explanemus, ac deinde de qualitate, magnitudine, & praestantia scientiae Adami disputemus.
[...that he who, first of all] mortals, imposed names on things was most wise. Since, therefore, this place has great force for demonstrating and proving the excellence of the knowledge which was in Adam, it is fitting that we first diligently explain the meaning of this place, and then dispute concerning the quality, magnitude, and excellence of Adam's knowledge.3
Translator’s notes
- Lemma (Gen 2:19-20), the naming of the animals — the proof-text for Adam's knowledge. ↩
- Decorated initial 'E.' Scripture's testimony to Adam's created knowledge: Sirach 17 (the spirit gave them knowledge, showed good and evil); Eccl 7:29 ('God made man upright' — and the intellect, man's chief part, is upright only by truth). The proof-text: the naming of the animals (Gen 2:19-20) shows perfect animal-knowledge, since fit names require knowing the natures. Plato (Cratylus) deemed the first name-giver most wise. Marginal gloss: 'Quibus ex locis Scripturae probetur, Adamum creatum esse scientia praeditum.' ↩
- Plato (Cratylus): the first name-giver was supremely wise. Pererius will first explain the text, then treat the quality, extent, and excellence of Adam's knowledge. ↩