Glaphyrs, or explanations of selected passages from the Book of Genesis

The treatise “Glafira, or explanations of selected passages” contains a typological commentary on selected passages of the Pentateuch. The essay was written by St. Cyril of Alexandria in 412-418. and addressed to Palladius. The work consists of 13 books, of which seven are dedicated to the Book of Genesis, three to the Book of Exodus, and one each to the Books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. According to the saint himself, “Glafira” is an organic continuation of the treatise “On Worship and Service in Spirit and Truth”: if there were selected passages of the Pentateuch, the spiritual meaning of which better served the purposes of “moral instruction,” then here his task is to show how the “mystery of Christ” is manifested in the “shadows” of the Old Testament. St. Cyril finds in Old Testament events, institutions and persons prototypes of Christ, New Testament events, the Church and its Sacraments. For example, the copper serpent points to Christ (Num. 21:9), or His prototype is the Passover lamb (Ex. 12:1-13). According to the saint, the birth of Moses (Ex. 2:1-10) corresponds to the coming of Christ, who humbled Himself and took on “the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:6-7). The essay addresses various topics, for example: - knowledge of God. The incomprehensibility of the Divine essence and the impossibility of expressing it through human language: “No one can see the Divine nature as it is. For it is completely invisible, above any mind and surpasses the power of words, and it alone is cognizable only by itself”; - triadology. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the revelation of the incarnate Word: “The Son revealed to us the Father in Himself, and through Him we were convinced of the truth of the doctrine of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity”; - anthropology. Man is the image of God, the crown and ultimate goal of creation. Everything was created for his sake. His exceptional dignity is indicated by the very method of creation: if God created everything else immediately by His command, then He honored only the creation of man with “preliminary advice” and “personal participation.” *The title of the work in Greek is Γλαφυρά. *The title of the work in Latin is Glaphyra in Pentateuchum. Glaphyrs of the Book of Genesis • Glaphyrs of the Book of Exodus • Glaphyrs of the Book of Leviticus • Glaphyrs of the Book of Numbers • Glaphyrs of the Book of Deuteronomy You might be interested in: