Thursday, January 08, 2009

Q67 A4: Whether the production of light is fittingly assigned to the first day?

Yes. It was fitting, then, as an evidence of the Divine wisdom, that among the works of distinction the production of light should take first place, since light is a form of the primary body, and because it is more common quality.

Oportuit ordinem divinae sapientiae manifestari, ut primo inter opera distinctionis produceretur lux, tanquam primi corporis forma, et tanquam communior.

It seems to be required, for two reasons, that the formlessness of darkness should be removed first of all by the production of light. In the first place because light is a quality of the first body, as was stated (Q67 A3), and thus by means of light it was fitting that the world should first receive its form.

Necessarium autem fuit ut informitas tenebrarum primo removeretur per lucis productionem, propter duo. Primo quidem, quia lux, ut dictum est, est qualitas primi corporis, unde secundum eam primo fuit mundus formandus.

The second reason is because light is a common quality. For light is common to terrestrial and celestial bodies.

Secundo, propter communitatem lucis, communicant enim in ea inferiora corpora cum superioribus.

Basil [Hom. ii in Hexaem.], indeed, adds a third reason: that all other things are made manifest by light.

Basilius autem ponit tertiam rationem, quia per lucem omnia alia manifestantur.

And there is yet a fourth, already touched upon in the objections; that day cannot be unless light exists, which was made therefore on the first day.

Potest et quarta ratio addi, quae in obiiciendo est tacta, quia dies non potest esse sine luce; unde oportuit in prima die fieri lucem.