Saints' Books

holiest works for the sanctification of the soul

God createth heaven and earth, and al things therein; distinguishing and beautifying the same; * last of all the sixth day he createth man: to whom he subjecteth all corporal things of this inferior world.

1	In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
	In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram.
2	And the earth was void and vacant, and darkness was upon the face of the depth: and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.
	Terra autem erat inanis et vacua, et tenebræ erant super faciem abyssi : et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas.
3	And God said: Be light made. And light was made.
	Dixitque Deus : Fiat lux. Et facta est lux.
4	And God saw the light that it was good: and he divided the light from the darkness.
	Et vidit Deus lucem quod esset bona : et divisit lucem a tenebris.
5	And he called the light, Day, and the darkness, Night: and there was evening and morning, that made one day.
	Appellavitque lucem Diem, et tenebras Noctem : factumque est vespere et mane, dies unus.
6	God also said: Be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide between waters and waters.
	Dixit quoque Deus : Fiat firmamentum in medio aquarum : et dividat aquas ab aquis.
7	And God made a firmament, and divided the waters, that were under the firmament, from those, that were above the firmament. And it was so done.
	Et fecit Deus firmamentum, divisitque aquas, quæ erant sub firmamento, ab his, quæ erant super firmamentum. Et factum est ita.
8	And God called the firmament, Heaven: and there was evening & morning that made the second day.
	Vocavitque Deus firmamentum, Cælum : et factum est vespere et mane, dies secundus.
9	God also said: Let the waters that are under the heauen, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appeare. And it was so done.
	Dixit vero Deus : Congregentur aquæ, quæ sub cælo sunt, in locum unum : et appareat arida. Et factum est ita.
10	And God called the dry land, Earth: and the gathering of waters together, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
	Et vocavit Deus aridam Terram, congregationesque aquarum appellavit Maria. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
11	And said: Let the earth shootforth green herbs, and such as may seed, and fruit trees yielding fruit after his kind, such as may have seede in it self upon the earth. And it was so done.
	Et ait : Germinet terra herbam virentem, et facientem semen, et lignum pomiferum faciens fructum juxta genus suum, cujus semen in semetipso sit super terram. Et factum est ita.
12	And the earth brought forth green herb, such as seedeth according to his kind, and tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to his kind. And God saw that it was good.
	Et protulit terra herbam virentem, et facientem semen juxta genus suum, lignumque faciens fructum, et habens unumquodque sementem secundum speciem suam. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
13	And there was evening & morning that made the third day.
	Et factum est vespere et mane, dies tertius.
14	Again God said: Be there lights made in the firmament of heauen, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, and days and years:
	Dixit autem Deus : Fiant luminaria in firmamento cæli, et dividant diem ac noctem, et sint in signa et tempora, et dies et annos :
15	to shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth. And it was so done.
	ut luceant in firmamento cæli, et illuminent terram. Et factum est ita.
16	And God made two great lights: a greater light, to govern the day: and a lesser light to govern the night: and stars.
	Fecitque Deus duo luminaria magna : luminare majus, ut præesset diei : et luminare minus, ut præesset nocti : et stellas.
17	And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth.
	Et posuit eas in firmamento cæli, ut lucerent super terram,
18	and to govern the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
	et præessent diei ac nocti, et dividerent lucem ac tenebras. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
19	And there was evening and morning that made the fourth day.
	Et factum est vespere et mane, dies quartus.
20	God also said: Let the waters bring forth creeping creature having life, and flying fowl, over the earth under the firmament of heaven.
	Dixit etiam Deus : Producant aquæ reptile animæ viventis, et volatile super terram sub firmamento cæli.
21	And God created huge Whales, and all living and moving creature, that the waters brought forth, according to each sort, and all fowl according to their kind. And God saw that it was good.
	Creavitque Deus cete grandia, et omnem animam viventem atque motabilem, quam produxerant aquæ in species suas, et omne volatile secundum genus suum. Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum.
22	And he blessed them saying: Increase and multiply, and replenish the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.
	Benedixitque eis, dicens : Crescite, et multiplicamini, et replete aquas maris : avesque multiplicentur super terram.
23	And there was evening and morning that made the fifth day.
	Et factum est vespere et mane, dies quintus.
24	God said moreover: Let the earth bring forth living creature, in his kind, cattle, and such as creep, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds: and it was so done.
	Dixit quoque Deus : Producat terra animam viventem in genere suo, jumenta, et reptilia, et bestias terræ secundum species suas. Factumque est ita.
25	And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and cattle, and all that creepeth on the earth in his kind.
	Et fecit Deus bestias terræ juxta species suas, et jumenta, et omne reptile terræ in genere suo.
26	And God saw that it was good, and he said Let us make Man to our image, and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and all creeping creature, that moveth upon the earth.
	Et vidit Deus quod esset bonum, et ait : Faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram : et præsit piscibus maris, et volatilibus cæli, et bestiis, universæque terræ, omnique reptili, quod movetur in terra.
27	And God created man, to his own image: to the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.
	Et creavit Deus hominem ad imaginem suam : ad imaginem Dei creavit illum, masculum et feminam creavit eos.
28	And God blessed them, and saith: Increase and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and fowls of the air, and all living creatures, that move upon the earth.
	Benedixitque illis Deus, et ait : Crescite et multiplicamini, et replete terram, et subjicite eam, et dominamini piscibus maris, et volatilibus cæli, et universis animantibus, quæ moventur super terram.
29	And God said: Behold I have given you all manner of herb that seedeth upon the earth, and all trees that have in them selves seed of their own kind, to be your meat:
	Dixitque Deus : Ecce dedi vobis omnem herbam afferentem semen super terram, et universa ligna quæ habent in semetipsis sementem generis sui, ut sint vobis in escam :
30	and to all beasts of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to all that move upon the earth, and wherein there is life, that they may have to feed upon. And it was so done.
	et cunctis animantibus terræ, omnique volucri cæli, et universis quæ moventur in terra, et in quibus est anima vivens, ut habeant ad vescendum. Et factum est ita.
31	And God saw all things that he had made, and they were very good. And there was evening and morning that made the sixth day.
	Viditque Deus cuncta quæ fecerat, et erant valde bona. Et factum est vespere et mane, dies sextus.
**

Some Related Verses of Note

Verse 1

Act. 14, 15. 17, 24. Psalm. 32, 6. 135, 5. Eccli. 10, 1. Heb. 11, 3.

Verse 7

Iob. 38. Ier. 10, 13.

Verse 26

Col. 3, 10.

Verse 27

Mat. 19, 4.

Verses Commentary

Verse 1

The Church readeth this book in her Office from Septuagesima til Passion Sunday. Also this first chapter and beginning of the second on Easter Eve before Mass.

Verse 6

The firmament is all the space from the earth to the hieghest stars. the lowest part divideth betwene the waters on the earth and the waters in the air. S. Aug. li. 11. de Gen. ad lit. c. 4

Verse 8

Likewise heaven is all the space above the earth. in whose lowest part are birds and waters, in the higher part stars. the highest is the Empyrial heaven. Esa. 66.

Verse 14

The lights made the first day, are disposed the fourth day in their proper courses for more distinction of times. S. Dionys. ca. 4. de diuin. nom. S. Tho. p. 1. q. 67. a. 4. & q. 70. a. 2.

Additional Annotations

*

The first part Of the creation of al things.

**

[1] cont. Epist. fund. c. .5

[1] Luc. 10, 16. Act. 15, 28. 2. Thess. 2. Origen. super. Gen. c. 1. Aug. li. 2. de Gen. cont Manich. ca. 2.

[1] lib. 1. c. 18. & lib. 8. c. 2.

[1] Bas. ho. 9. in Genes. Chrisost. epist. 44. Amb. & Beda in examen. Ieron. Epistol. ad Eustoch. Gen. 1. v. 3. & 14. Exo. 20, 5. & 18, v. 20. Ioan. 8, 25. Rom. 8.

[2] Ieron. Epistol. 83. ad Ocea. Tert. de Baptis.

1. In the beginning.] Holie Moyses telleth what was done in the beginning of the world, and so forward euen til his owne time, writing aboue two thousand and foure hundreth yeares after the beginning. The Church had only Traditions & no Scripture aboue 2400. yeares. Al which being incomprehensible by humaine witte or discourse, he knew partly by Reuelations from God, for he had the gyft of Prophecie in most excellent sorte: partly by Traditions from his elders, who lerned of their fathers. For vntil that time the Church had only Traditions of such things, as were reueled to special men, wherby we see the great authoritie of Traditions, before there were Scriptures. Traditions necessarie for three causes. And since Scriptures were written they are also necessarie, for three special reasons. First for that we are only assured by Tradition of the Church, that those bookes are in dede holie Scriptures, which are so accounted, and not by the Scripture it selfe, for that were to proue the same by the same, vntil we be assured of some part, that proueth some other partes. And this made S. Augustin to say plainly, that he could not beleue the Gospel, except the Church told him vvhich is the Gospel. Secondly holie Scriptures being once knowen to be the word of God, and so of most eminent authoritie of al writings in the world, as S. Augustin S. Ierome, & al other Fathers agree, yet for the true vnderstanding of the same, both the Scripture it selfe, and the ancient Fathers remitte vs to the Church, namely to those in the Church, that are appointed by Gods ordinance, in the high place that he hath chosen. Scripture of most eminent authoritie. VVhich were the High Priests in the old Testament, as appeareth: Deut. 17. Mat. 23. Ioan. 11. And in the new Testament, S. Peter and his Successors for whom Christ prayed that his faith should not faile: and therfore commanded him to confirme his bretheren Luc. 22. Thirdly for things not expressed in particular in holie Scripture, the Scripture and Fathers do likewise remitte vs to Traditions, and to the iudgement and testimonie of the Church. Christ saying to his Apostles: he that heareth you heareth me. The Apostles doubted not to say: It semed good to the Holie Ghost and to vs. And S. Paul willed the Thessalonians to hold the traditions, vvhich they had lerned, whether it were by word, or by his Epistle.

1. In the beginning God made heauen and earth.] Al writers ancient and later find such difficulties in these first chapters, that some otherwise very lerned haue thought it not possible to vnderstand the same according to the proper and vsual signification of the wordes, as the letter may seme to sound, but expound al allegorically, as that by the waters aboue the firmament should be vnderstood the blessed Angels, by the waters vnder the firmament wicked spirites, and the like. Scriptures hard. So did Origen and diuers that folow him therein. Yea S. Augustin in his bookes vpon Genesis against the Manichees, written . . .

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