Homilies on Genesis, Homilia II
Ark measures, decks, and clean and unclean§1
1Concerning Noah’s ark: length three hundred cubits, width fifty, height thirty; at the top it is narrowed to a cubit. Three decks. Of the clean, sevens; of the unclean, pairs. Gather foods. Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. The narrow peak suits the rains; the square base stands steady in the waves.
Latin · §1
De arca Noe. Longitudo trecentorum cubitorum, latitudo quinquaginta, altitudo triginta; in summitate in cubitum coartatur. Tria tabulata. De mundis septena, de immundis bina. Escas congrega. Fecit Noe omnia quae praecepit Dominus. Culmen angustum pluviis aptum; ima quadrata fluctibus stabilia.
Apelles’ objection and the geometric cubit§2
2Apelles, Marcion’s pupil, objected that so brief a space could not hold so many kinds of animals and a year’s food. The answer: Moses, trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, set a geometric cubit — by the solid cubit’s “power” the spaces enlarge. So the ark could hold the world’s seeds for restoration.
Latin · §2
Apelles Marcionis discipulus obiecit spatium breve tot genera animalium cibosque anni non capere. Respondetur: Moyses omni sapientia Aegyptiorum eruditus cubitum geometricum posuit — virtute cubiti solidi spatia crescunt. Ita arca totius mundi germina reparanda capere potuit.
Ark as church; Noah as Christ the rest-giver§3
3Spiritually the ark is the church; Noah is Christ — rest and the just one. Few who live by rational knowledge stand at the summit with Noah; the crowd of the irrational holds the lower places. By steps one comes to Christ. Lamech said, This one will give us rest — fulfilled perfectly in Christ, who takes away the sin of the world.
Latin · §3
Spiritaliter arca ecclesia est; Noe Christus — requies et iustus. Pauci scientia rationabili in summitate cum Noe; multitudo irrationabilium in inferioribus. Per gradus ad Christum. Lamech: hic requiem dabit — perfecte in Christum, qui tollit peccatum mundi.
Raven and dove from the window§4
4Noah opens the window. The raven goes out and does not return; the dove returns with an olive branch. The raven is an unclean sense lingering by the world’s corpses; the dove is the Spirit and the simple soul coming back to the church’s ark with the sign of peace.
Latin · §4
Aperit Noe fenestram. Corvus exit nec revertitur; columba revertitur cum ramo olivae. Corvus — immundus sensus circa morticina saeculi; columba — Spiritus et anima simplex ad arcam ecclesiae cum signo pacis.
Go out of the ark — grades in one church§5
5Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives, and all the animals. Diversity in the church: some already gentle, some still wild and to be tamed by faith. One baptism, yet not one and the same progress — each in his own order.
Latin · §5
Exite de arca, tu et uxor et filii et uxores filiorum, et omnia animalia. Diversitas in ecclesia: alii mansueti, alii feri fide mansuescendi. Unum baptisma, non unus profectus — unusquisque in suo ordine.
Altar and sweet savor — Homilia II CLOSEOUT§6
6Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered of the clean animals. The pleasing odor is Christ’s offering. The blessing: Increase and multiply. This is Homily II’s close — from the ark as far as the altar. Amen.
Latin · §6
Aedificavit Noe altare Domino et obtulit de mundis. Odor suavitatis — Christus oblatio. Benedictio: crescite et multiplicamini. Haec Homiliae II clausula de arca usque ad altare. Amen.