Glaphyra on the Pentateuch, Volume 1: Genesis

by Cyril of Alexandria, Nicholas P. Lunn (Translation), Gregory K Hillis (Introduction)

Cyril of Alexandria (ca. 376–444) is best known for his defense of orthodoxy at the time of the Nestorian controversy over the nature of Christ. However, by far the larger part of Cyril's literary output consisted of commentaries on books of both Old and New Testaments, written before the Christological debate was sparked off in 428. One of these works, of major proportions, was the so-called Glaphyra ("elegant comments") on the Pentateuch. This comprises a total of thirteen separate "books," or seven on Genesis, three on Exodus, and one each on Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The comments primarily concern the narrative portions of the Pentateuch, hence the greater space given to Genesis, though a number of the legal prescriptions are also treated. This present volume, containing all seven books on Genesis, is the first of a projected two-volume set which will offer a translation of the whole Glaphyra for the first time in English. Cyril's aims within the commentary are both theological and pastoral. His chosen method begins with a consideration of the historia . Here the Alexandrian patriarch deals with the text at the literal level. At this stage he explains any historical, cultural, and at times even linguistic and textual issues presented within the passage, which is then followed by some theological instruction or lessons of a more practical nature based upon the literal interpretation. The exposition then moves on to the theoria . This is Cyril's preferred term for the contemplation of the spiritual sense, that is to say, the mystery of Christ which he firmly held lay hidden beneath the surface of the Old Testament text. With great adeptness and consistency Cyril identifies elements within the ancient narratives as figures, or "types and shadows," of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church, and the teachings of the gospel.

Genres: Theology

400 pages, Hardcover

Published January 8, 2019

About the author

Cyril of Alexandria (Greek: Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας; c. 376 – 444) was the Patriarch of Alexandria from 412. to 444. He was enthroned when the city was at the height of its influence and power within the Roman Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the Christological controversies of the later 4th and 5th centuries. He was a central figure in the First Council of Ephesus in 431, which led to the deposition of Nestorius as Patriarch of Constantinople.

Cyril is counted among the Church Fathers and the Doctors of the Church, and his reputation within the Christian world has resulted in his titles Pillar of Faith and Seal of all the Fathers, but Theodosius II, the Roman Emperor, condemned him for behaving like a "proud pharaoh", and the Nestorian bishops at the Council of Ephesus declared him a heretic, labelling him as a "monster, born and educated for the destruction of the church."

Cyril is well-known due to his dispute with Nestorius and his supporter Patriarch John of Antioch, whom Cyril excluded from the Council of Ephesus for arriving late. He is also known for his expulsion of Novatians and Jews from Alexandria.

The Roman Catholic Church did not commemorate Saint Cyril in the Tridentine Calendar: it added his feast only in 1882, assigning to it the date of 9 February. The 1969 revision moved it to 27 June, considered to be the day of the saint's death, as celebrated by the Coptic Orthodox Church. The same date has been chosen for the Lutheran calendar. The Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Church celebrate his feast day on 9 June and also, together with Pope Athanasius I of Alexandria, on 18 January.

Reviews

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colleague is doing his doctorate on Cyril, so when this new volume came out from “the Fathers of the Church” series, I thought I would give it a read - and I have enjoyed the journey.

First, I found the translation to be very readable - in comparison to early Christian writings that have been translated in to English in the late 19th and earlier 20th Century. I also note there is not a lot of Cyril available in good modern English so I applaud the editors of the series for this addition.

Second, I enjoyed the first volume that concentrated on Genesis more than the second volume that covered the other 4 books of the Pentateuch. The latter volume only briefly looked at a selection of passages, often not in any order that I could work out - nor did I really grasp the reasons why the passages were chosen over others. However, Vol 1 more than made up for this :)

I still have much work to get my head around 5th Century Alexandrian Hermeneutics - though especially with the handling of Genesis, I found Cyril to be closer to Paul (in Galatians) with his use of allegory. I struggled more with the allegorical approach in Vol 2. I liked that Cyril is not dismissive of the natural (“literal”) interpretation of the passages, he just puts more emphasis on the “deeper” meaning. However in his allegorical approach he is explaining New Testament Theology, he is tying things especially to Paul and John. This is different from the allegorical approach later in the Middle Ages (which I don’t enjoy - or rather don’t properly understand).

I did struggle with his strong dislike of the Jews. Whilst I do realise that in his writing there is an apologetic element - given that at the time it seems Alexandria was about 1/3 Christian, 1/3 Jewish and 1/3 pagan - I still struggled with his attacks at times. However if you can pass over them, you then find a very strong understanding of who Jesus is, as well as some good insights into the Holy Spirit.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I mostly know of St Cyril of Alexandria as a theologian, this book points out that he was a noted biblical commentator. Coming from Alexandria, he relies a great on finding the spiritual meaning of the biblical text. He does comment on its 'literal' meaning but then finds a way to have each Old Testament text explain something about Christ or Christianity. Cyril was engaged in heavy polemics with the Jews, and he sees his spiritual/allegorical interpretation as being a superior understanding of the OT as compared to Jewish commentators. He believes the Jewish problem is they limit their reading of the Scriptures to a more literal understanding and so miss the true significance of the various texts. Because Jews don't believe the Old Testament is about Christ, they misunderstand it completely. Some of his comments are antisemitic by modern standards and he spends a lot of his ink on refuting the Jews. But also within the text are a couple of acknowledgements that Jews were chosen by God and would eventually be included in Christ's flock. As with many Church Fathers you have to read a lot to find the hidden gems in his commentary.