Undusted Texts

Below I have translated selected passages from the Septuagint version of Proverbs, in order to provide context for Origen’s commentary (Part One) .  Since Origen—like many of the Fathers—often focused heavily on the exact words of a Scriptural verse, I have tried to be overly-literal in my translations here.  Occasionally, in the notes, I have referenced Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton’s well-known Septuagint translation, first published in 1844 and widely available online. Greek has many words for “understanding” or “knowledge.”   To keep this difference visible in my translation, I have consistently used a distinct word for each Greek word.   Φρονησις becomes “thoughtfulness”: it often has the connotation of “prudence,” as well as “intention.”   Αισθησις becomes “good-sense,” as the word is also used to refer to feelings or physical sensations; etymologically, it is related to the word aesthetics .   Εννοια becomes “reflection,” though it can also h...

"And God saw everything, which He made, and behold! it was beautiful exceedingly."--Gen 1:31 Tradition lends a new dimension to the Faith which can easily be missed.  Think, for example, of the account of creation in Genesis, in which each day it is repeated: "And God saw, that it was good."  A quick comparison of English Bible translations shows how ubiquitous the use of the word "good" is in these passages, with only one rebel saying "He was pleased" instead.  Even the Vulgate speaks of how God's creation is "bona."  These all translate well the Hebrew טוב, "pleasing, good, agreeable."  Yet Tradition gives us a rich nuance which should not be avoided. The first line of this post is a translation from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Scriptures, according to tradition a miraculous translation, of which St. Augustine said, "the same Spirit that was in the prophets when they spoke was present al...