Tractates on the Gospel of John
TRACTATE 9 201 from this. Therefore "They held two or three measures {metretae) each."
(2) What do we say, brothers? If he would only say three each, our mind would hurry only to the mystery of the Trinity. But, perhaps, we ought now quickly turn our thought from there, for, in fact, he said, "two or three each." For, since the Father and the Son must have been named, logically the Holy Spirit must also be understood. For the Holy Spirit is not the Spirit of the Father only, or of the Son only, but is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. For it has been written, "If anyone has loved the world, the Spirit of the Father is not in him."^^ Likewise it has been written, "But whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him."^^ But the Spirit of the Father and the Son is the same. Thus since the Father and the Son have been named, the Holy Spirit is understood too, because he is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. (3) Since, in fact, the Father and the Son are named, two measures {metretae) are named, as it were; since, moreover, the Holy Spirit is understood there, there are three measures
Therefore, it was not said, some holding two measures {metretae)., some three, but the same six water-jars "held two or three measures {metretae) each." [It is] as if he said, "And when I say two each, I mean the Spirit of the Father and The second translation might seem to be favored by Augustine's reference to urns (urnas) and amphoras (amphoras). These two words regularly designated containers, the urna being a narrow-necked, full-bodied vessel and the amphora a large earthenware jar. Both were also used, however, to designate liquid measures, the urna being about three English gallons and the amphora about six English gallons. Since the Greek metretk designates only the liquid measure, and is used to translate the Hebrew bath, also a liquid measure, it seems better to translate metreta as "measure" rather than "cask." That Augustine understands metreta, urna, and amphora here as liquid measures rather than containers is also supported by the later definition of Isidore of Seville in his Etymologiae, XVI. 26, De Mensuris, where after defining urna and amphora as liquid measures, he refers to them as an aid in defining metreta in almost the same words used here by Augustine.
23. Cf. 1 Jn 2.15 For "Spirit" (Spiritus) both the Vulgate and the Greek texts have "love" {caritas and agape), Cf. section 8. In TV in lo Ep 2.8—9 Augustine reads dilectio and in 2.14 caritas rather than Spiritus (PL 35.1994 and 1997).
24. Cf. Rom 8.9.