The Literal Meaning of Genesis
BOOK NINE 85 tioned him when he sinned and passed judgment on him. On the other hand, if he did not have faith in God, he surely would not have known whether God, in whom he had no faith, had brought all animals to him, or whether He could have hidden in some remote corners of the world other animals like the man which He did not disclose. Hence I have no doubt that this all happened for the sake of some prophetic meaning, but none the less it really happened.
22. But in this treatise I have not attempted to examine prophetic mysteries but to interpret the narrative as a faithful history of events that happened. Thus I hope that what could seem impossible to the shallow reader and the unbeliever or at variance with the authority of Sacred Scripture itself by reason of what is alleged to be contradictory evidence, I may show by my discussion, as far as I can with God's help, to be neither impossible nor contradictory. With respect to what can appear to some readers as possible and free of any obvious contradiction, but nevertheless somewhat unnecessary or even foolish, I hope to show by my investigation that the event has not happened in the natural and customary order of things. I hope the result will be that our minds will esteem as trustworthy the authority of Sacred Scripture and assume that since it cannot be foolish it must have a mystical meaning. Indeed, I may have already considered and proposed such a figurative interpretation elsewhere or may decide to postpone it to another time.°4
CHAPTER 13
The narrative of the formation of the woman suggests some prophetic meaning.
23. What, then, is the meaning of the statement that the woman was made from the side of the man? Let us assume that it was fitting for it to be done that way in order to emphasize the union of the man and woman. But did reason or necessity also demand that this be done while Adam slept? And that a rib be removed and flesh supplied to fill the empty space? Could not