which the waters threw up according to their kind, and every wingedflying thing
Unfinished Literal Commentary on Genesis 143 pointing out what happens when sea water is boiled, and the steam led off through coils of pipes produces a liquid that is sweet to the taste. And it is plain to everybody how springs are reduced to a trickle when they experience the lack of rain.
The sacred history also testifies to this, when Elijah begged for rain in a time of drought. He ordered Elisha61 to look out to sea while he himself prayed; when he saw a tiny little cloud rising out of it, he told the anxious king that rain was imminent, which soon drenched him thoroughly as he fled away. And David says, Lord, who summon the water of the sea, andpour it out over theface of the earth (Am 5:8; 9:6). For this reason it would have been superfluous for him, after mentioning the sea, to say anything about these other kinds of water, whether those dew-bearing ones which in their rarified state provide the birds with the airs they fly in, or these of springs and rivers, if the former issue from the sea's exhalations, and the latter from the showers that these return to the earth, to be absorbed by it.
More questions about birds and reptiles
15, 48. Let the waters throw up reptiles oflive souls (Gn 1 :20). Why did it add live? Could there be souls that were not alive? Or did he wish to point to this more evident kind of life which is to be found in sentient animals,62 seeing that plants are without it? And flying things flying over the earth under the solid structure ofheaven. If flying things do not fly in that purest kind of air, where no clouds arise, this makes it quite clear that this belongs to the solid structure, because it says here that it is under the solid structure ofheaven that flying things fly over the earth. And thus it was made. That order is being observed again,61 and that is why it is added here as in the other cases, except for the light which was made first.
Genesis 1:21
49. And God made the great whales and every soul of crawling animals, which the waters threw up according to their kind, and every wingedflying thing according to its kind (Gn 1:21). We remember, of course that "according to its
61 . 1t was not Elisha, but an unnamed predecessor as Elijah's servant. This episode takes place in 1 Kgs 18:41-46, while Elijah calls Elisha to follow him in 19: 19-2 1, after he had run away from Jezebel to the mountain of God, Horeb, and heard the still, small voice. 62. The Latin word animale, animal, has an obvious connection with anima, soul, that is wanting in English. 63. By the Greek Septuagint text, which Augustine's version follows, and which "observes the order" much more regularly than the Hebrew Massoretic text and our modem versions which derive from that.