The one is Ambrose, who, interpreting these words in his second book, De Spiritu Sancto, lib. ii. cap. 6, being deceived by the corrupt translation mentioned, "Annuncians in homines Christum suum," is forced to give a very strained exposition of that which, in truth, is not in the text, and to relieve himself also with another corruption in the same place, where "forming the mountains" is rendered by "establishing the thunder;" and yet, when he hath done all, he can scarce free himself of the objection about the creation of the Spirit^ wdiich he designs to answer. His words are, " Siquis propheticum dictum, ideo derivandum putet ad interpretationem Spiritus Sancti; quia habet, 'annuncians in homines Christum suum,' is ad incama- tionis Dominicse mysteria dictum facilius derivabit. Nam si te movet quia Spiritum dixit, et hoc non putas derivandum ad myste- rium assumptionis humanse; prosequere scripturas et invenies optime congruere de Christo, de quo bene convenit sestimari, quia firmavit tonitrua adventu suo; vim videlicet et sonum coelestium scriptura- rum; quarum velut quodam tonitru mentes nostrce redduntur atto- nitse, ut timere discamus, et reverentiam coelestibus deferamus ora- culis. Denique, in Evangelio fratres Domini filii tonitru dicebantur. Et cum vox Patris facta esset dicentis ad Filium, 'Et honorificavi te, et iterum honorificabo,' Judoei dicebant, 'Tonitruum factum est illi.'" And hereon, with some observations to the same purpose, he adds, "Ergo tonitrua ad sermones Domini retulit, quoiTim in omnem ter- ram exivit sonus; Spiritum autem hoc loco an imam, quam suscepit rationabilem et perfectam intelligimus." The substance of his dis- course is, that treating of Christ (who indeed is neither mentioned nor intended in the text), he speaks of "confirming the thunder" (which nowhere here appears), by which the sound of the Scriptures and preaching of the word is intended ; the spirit that was created being the human soul of Jesus Christ. Nor was he alone in this interpretation. Didym. lib. ii. de Spiritu Sancto, Athanas. ad Se- rapion., Basil, lib. iv. contra Eunom., amongst the Grecians, are in like manner entangled with this corruption of the text; as was also Concil. Sardicen. in Socrat. lib. ii. cap. 20.
CHAP. II.] OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 51
The other person intended is Hierom, who, consulting the original, as he was well able to do, first translated the words, "Quia ecce for- mans montes, et creans ventum, et annuncians homini eloquium suum," declares the mistake of the LXX. and the occasion of it: — "Pro montibus qui Hebraice dicuntur ^PO, soli LXX. jSpovr'/jv. id est, tontitruum, verterunt. Cur autem illi Spiritum et nos dixeri- mus ventum, qui Hebraice D^"! vocatur, causa manifesta est : quod- que sequitur, 'Annuncians homini eloquium suum,' LXX. transtule- runt, "" A'TrayyiXXojv ug avDfoj'zdvg rev XpiffTov avroj, verbi similitudine, et ambiguitate decepti." So he shows that it is not 'i^VP in the text, but in''t^"n?P; — that is, saith he, "juxta Aquilam, 6>j.iXiav avrou- Sym- machum, rh (puvrifMa aurov' juxta Theodotionem, rhv Xoyov avTou- juxta quintam editionem, rriv ddoXsa^lav avrou.
And as DV, whence the word is, signifies both to meditate and to speak, so the word itself intends a conceived thought, to be spoken afterward. And that i here is reciprocal, not relative. And to this purpose is his ensuing exposition, "Qui confirmat montes, ad cujus vocem coelorum cardines et terrse fundamenta quatiuntur. Ipse qui creat spiritum, quem in hoc loco non Spiritum Sanctum, ut hsere- tici suspicantur, sed ventum intelligimus, sive spiritum homiuis, an- nuncians homini eloquium ejus, qui cogitationum secreta cognoscit," Hieron. in loc.
Secondly, Because the wind, on the account of its unaccountable variation, inconstancy, and changes, is esteemed vain, not to be ob- served or trusted unto, — whence the wise man tells us that "he that observeth the wind shall not so^v," Eccles. xi. 4, — the word is used metaphorically to signify vanity: Eccles. v. 16, "What profit hath he that hath laboured "n^"*^, for the wind?" So Mic. ii. 11, " If a man walk" ij^^) D'l'^, "with the luind smd falsehood ;" — that is, in vanity, pretending to a spirit of prophecy; and .falsehood, vainly, foolishly, falsely boasting. So Job xv. 2, "Should a wise man utter" Dl"^ ^Vl, "knowledge of wind?" vain words, with a pretence of knowledge and wisdom ; and he calls them D^"" '•"['.^"l, "words of wind," chap. xvi. 3. So also Jer. v. 13, "And the prophets shall become On?^ wind," or be vain, foolish, uncertain, and false, in their predictions. But rrviZiMci is not used thus metaphorically in the New Testament.
Thirdly, By a metonymy, also, it signifies any part or quarter, as we say, of the world from whence the luind bloius; as also a part of any thing divided into four sides or quarters. So Jer. lii. 23, "There were ninety and six pomegranates -in^l, towards a wind;" that is, on the one side of the chapiter that was above the pillars in ' the temple. Ezek. v. 12, "I will scatter a third part" nin 737, "into all the winds," or all parts of the earth. Hence, the "four quarters" of a thing lying to the four parts of the world are called its four winds,
52 THE NAME AND TITLES [BOOK I.
nin^"i VT]^, 1 Chron. ix. 24 ; whence are the rsgaapig aniMi, " the four winds," in the New Testament, Matt. xxiv. 81.' This is the use of the word in general wdth respect unto things natural and inanimate, and every place Avhere it is so used gives it [a] determinate sense.