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Translated by Frederick Crombie.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 112
That beasts of burden or cattle of smaller size are endowed with souls, [2188] there is, by general assent, no doubt whatever. The opinion of holy Scripture, however, is manifest, when God says, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, four-footed beasts, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind." [2189] And now with respect to man, although no one entertains any doubt, or needs to inquire, yet holy Scripture declares that "God breathed into his countenance the breath of life, and man became a living soul." [2190] It remains that we inquire respecting the angelic order whether they also have souls, or are souls; and also respecting the other divine and celestial powers, as well as those of an opposite kind. We nowhere, indeed, find any authority in holy Scripture for asserting that either the angels, or any other divine spirits that are ministers of God, either possess souls or are called souls, and yet they are felt by very many persons to be endowed with life. But with regard to God, we find it written as follows: "And I will put My soul upon that soul which has eaten blood, and I will root him out from among his people;" [2191] and also in another passage, "Your new moons, and sabbaths, and great days, I will not accept; your fasts, and holidays, and festal days, My soul hateth." [2192] And in the twenty-second Psalm, regarding Christ--for it is certain, as the Gospel bears witness, that this Psalm is spoken of Him--the following words occur: "O Lord, be not far from helping me; look to my defence: O God, deliver my soul from the sword, and my beloved one from the hand of the dog;" [2193] although there are also many other testimonies respecting the soul of Christ when He tabernacled in the flesh.
[2188] Animantia.
[2189] Gen. i. 24, living creature, animam.
[2190] Gen. ii. 7, animam viventem.
[2191] Lev. xvii. 10. It is clear that in the text which Origen or his translator had before him he must have read psuche instead of prosopon: otherwise the quotation would be inappropriate (Schnitzer).
[2192] Isa. i. 13, 14.
[2193] Ps. xxii. 19, 20, unicam meam, monogene mou.
Reference address : https://ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/principia.asp?pg=112
