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151 We here follow the Greek as preserved by Hippolytus (Philosoph., vi. 38). The text followed by Epiphanius (Haer., xxxiii. 1) does not so well agree with the Latin.
152 The text is here hopelessly corrupt; but the general meaning seems to be that given above.
153 This sentence exists only in the Latin version, and we can give only a free translation.
155 These words are found in Epiphanius, but omitted in the old Latin version. The Latin gives "sense" instead of "light."
156 The text is here very uncertain. Some propose to read six Aeons instead of all.
157 Here again the text is corrupt and obscure. We have followed what seems the most probable emendation.
158 Harvey justly remarks, that "one cause of perplexity in unravelling the Valentinian scheme is the recurrence of similar names at different points of the system, e.g., the Enthymesis of Sophia was called Sophia and Spiritus; and Pater, Arche, Monogenes, Christus, Anthropos, Ecclesia, were all of them terms of a double denomination."
159 The Greek text of this section is preserved both by Epiphanius (Haer. xxxiv. 1) and by Hippolytus (Philosoph., vi. 39, 40). Their citation are somewhat discordant, and we therefore follow the old Latin version.
160 Pliny, Hist. Nat., xxxv. 15, etc.
161 Epiphanius now gives the Greek text verbatim, to which, therefore, we return.
162 Probably referring to Sige, the consort of Bythus.
164 Literally, "the place of thy mightiness is in us."
165 [Note this manner of primitive "confession;" and see Bingham, Antiquities, book xv. cap. 8]
166 We here follow the rendering of Billius, "in iisdem studiis versantes." Others adhere to the received text, and translate peripolizontej "going about idly."
167 Grabe is of opinion that reference is made in this term to an imprecatory formula in use among the Marcosians, analogous to the form of thanksgiving employed night and morning by the Jews for their redemption from Egypt. Harvey refers the word to the second baptism practised among these and other heretics, by which it was supposed they were removed from the cognizance of the Demiurge, who is styled the "judge" in the close of the above sentence.
168 That is, Sophia, of whom Achamoth, afterwards referred to, was the emanation.
169 The angels accompanying Soter were the consorts of spiritual Gnostics, to whom they were restored after death.
170 The syntax in this long sentence is very confused, but the meaning is tolerably plain. The gist of it is, that these Gnostics, as being the spiritual seed, claimed a consubstantiality with Achamoth, and consequently escaped from the material Deniurge, and attained at last to the Pleroma.
171 Rendering the wearer invisible. See Il., v. 844.
173 This sentence has completely baffled all the critics. [Its banter, or mock gravity, has not been self-evident.] We cannot enter upon the wide field of discussion which it has opened up, but would simply state that Irenaeus here seems to us, as often, to be playing upon the terms which were in common use among these heretics. Marcus probably received his system from Colorbasus, and is here declared, by the use of that jargon which Irenaeus means to ridicule while so employing it, to have proceeded to develop it in the way described.
174 Such appears to be the meaning of anousioj in this passage. The meaning of ousia fluctuated for a time in the early Church, and was sometimes used to denote material substance, instead of its usual significance of being.
175 The old Latin preserves arxh untranslated, implying that this was the first word which the Father spoke. Some modern editors adopt this view, while others hold the meaning simply to be, as given above, that that first sound which the Father uttered was the origin of all the rest.
176 The letters are here confounded with the Aeons, which they represented.
179 By this Achamoth is denoted, who was said to give rise to the material elements, after the image of the Divine.
180 That is, their names are spelt by other letters.
181 The old Latin version renders epishmon, insigne, illustrious, but there seems to be a reference to the Valentinian notion of the mystic number of 888 formed ( 10+8+200+70+400+200) vy the numerical value of the letters in the word Ihsouj.
182 The mutes are p, k, t, b, g, d, f, x, q.
183 The semi-vowels are l, m, n, r, j, z, c, y.
184 It seems scarcely possible to give a more definite rendering of this clause: it may be literally translated thus: "And because they receive the outflow of those above, but the turning back again of those below."
185 The ninth letter being taken from the mutes and added to the semi-vowels, an equal division of the twenty-four was thus secured.
186 Viz., Pater, Athropos, and Logos.
187 Viz., z, c, y = dj, kj, pj.
188 Matt. xvii. 7; Mark ix. 2.
189 Moses and Elias being added to the company.
190 Referring to the word Xreistoj, according to Harvey, who remarks, that "generally the Ogdoad was the receptacle of the spiritual seed."
191 The Saviour, as Alpha and Omega, was symbolized by the dove, the sum of the Greek numerals, p, e, r, i, j, t, e, r, a (peristera, dove), being, like that of A and W, 801. .
192 That is, the letters z, c, y all contain j, whose value is six, and which was called epishmon by the Greeks.
193 Referring to Aletheia, which, in Greek, contains seven letters.
194 By these seven powers are meant the seven heavens (also called angels), formed by the Demiurge.
195 We here follow the text of Hippolytus: the ordinary text and the old Latin read, "So does the soul of infants, weeping and mourning over Marcus, deify him."
198 The text is here altogether uncertain: we have given the probable meaning.
199 That is, the name of Soter, the perfect result of the whole Pleroma.
200 Manifestly to be so spelt here, as in the sequel Chreistus, for Christus.
201 The text is here altogether uncertain, and the meaning obscure.
202 The reading is exceedingly doubtful: some prefer the number eighty-eight.
203 There were, as Harvey observes, three extraneous characters introduced into the Greek alphabet for the sake of numeration-the three episema for 6, 90, and 900 respectively. The true alphabet, then, as employed to denote number, included eight units, eight tens, and eight hundreds.
204 Or, according to the Greek text, "being as the way to the Father;" comp. John xiv. 6.
205 The text is here uncertain: we follow that suggested by Grabe.
206 [Comp. cap. xi. 4, supra.]
207 Comp. Gen. xxxi. 2.-We here follow the punctuation of Scaliger, now generally accepted by the editors, though entirely different from the old Latin.
208 [Mosheim thinks this Marcus was a lunatic.]
211 All the editors, Grabe, Massuet, Stieren, and Harvey, differ as to the text and interpretation of this sentence. We have given what seems the simplest rendering of the text as it stands.
212 Referring to the last of the twelve Aeons.
214 Meaning the Aeon who left the Duodecad, when eleven remained, and not referring to the lost sheep of the parable.