Lectio 3
Lecture 3
Subjectio mulieris
Woman’s subjection
2:11 Mulier in silentio discat cum omni subjectione. [n. 78]
2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. [n. 78]
2:12 Docere autem mulieri non permitto, neque dominari in virum: sed esse in silentio. [n. 80]
2:12 But I do not suffer a woman to teach, nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence. [n. 80]
2:13 Adam enim primus formatus est: deinde Heva: [n. 81]
2:13 For Adam was first formed; then Eve. [n. 81]
2:14 et Adam non est seductus: mulier autem seducta in praevaricatione fuit. [n. 83]
2:14 And Adam was not seduced; but the woman, being seduced, was in the transgression. [n. 83]
2:15 Salvabitur autem per filiorum generationem, si permanserit in fide, et dilectione, et sanctificatione cum sobrietate. [n. 85]
2:15 Yet she shall be saved through childbearing; if she continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety. [n. 85]
78. Superius Apostolus ordinavit mulieres quo ad orationem, hic ordinat eas quantum ad doctrinam, et
78. Above, the Apostle instructed women in regard to prayer; here he instructs them in regard to doctrine:
primo ponit suam ordinationem circa earum doctrinam;
first, he lays down his own law regarding their teaching;
secundo rationem ordinationis assignat, ibi Adam enim primus;
second, he gives the reason for this law, at for Adam was first formed;
tertio respondet tacitae quaestioni, ibi salvabitur autem.
third, he answers a tacit question, at yet she shall be saved.
Item primo ostendit quid mulieribus conveniat;
In regard to the first he does two things: first, he shows what is suitable for women;
secundo quid eis non competat, ibi docere autem.
second, what is not, at but I do not suffer a woman to teach.
79. Circa primum tria ponit eis competere, scilicet taciturnitatem, disciplinam, et subiectionem, quae tria ex una ratione procedunt, scilicet ex defectu rationis in eis, quibus primo indicit silentium, dicens mulier in silentio discat, et cetera. Iac. III, 2: si quis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus est vir; et I Cor. XIV, 34: mulieres in ecclesiis taceant, non enim permittitur eis loqui, et cetera. Nam verba mulieris sunt inflammantia. Eccli. IX, 11: colloquium illius quasi ignis exardescit.
79. In regard to the first he mentions three things that are suitable to women, namely, silence, discipline and subjection. These three things proceed from one source, namely, their lack of reason. So he imposes silence on them, when he says: let the woman learn in silence: if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man (Jas 3:2); let women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the Lord says (1 Cor 14:34). For the words of a woman are inflammatory: her conversation burns as fire (Sir 9:11).
Secundo ut discant, quia eorum qui deficiunt ratione proprium est addiscere. I Cor. c. XIV, 35: si quid autem volunt discere, domi viros suos interrogent, et cetera. Viris autem datur quod doceant.
Second, that they learn, because that is the proper function of one who is weak in intellect: if they would learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home (1 Cor 14:35). However, it is given to men that they teach.
Tertio indicit subiectionem, quia naturale est quod anima dominetur corpori, et ratio viribus inferioribus. Et ideo, sicut Philosophus docet, quandocumque aliqua duo ad invicem sic se habent, sicut anima ad corpus, et ratio ad sensualitatem, naturale dominium est eius qui abundat ratione, et illud est principans, aliud autem est subditum, quod scilicet deficit ratione. Gen. II: sub viri potestate eris.
Third, he recommends subjection, because it is natural for the soul to rule the body, and reason the lower powers. Therefore, as the Philosopher says, whenever any two things are related as the soul is to the body, and reason to sensuality, it is natural for the one with the greater amount of reason to rule and give orders, and for the other to be subject, since it is lacking in reason: he shall have dominion over you (Gen 3:16).
80. Item excludit ea, quae eis non competunt, dicens docere autem, et cetera.
80. Likewise, he states what things are not permitted to women, saying nor to use authority over the man: but to be in silence.
Et sunt duo, scilicet ut non doceant.
Consequently, he forbids them to teach.
Sed contra, Prov. ult.: erudivit eum mater sua, et cetera. Respondeo. Dicendum est quod doctrina alia est publica, et haec non competit mulieri, et ideo dicit, in Ecclesia, alia est privata, et hac mater erudit filium.
Against this, the vision wherewith his mother instructed him. (Prov 31:1). I answer that some teaching is public, and this does not belong to woman, and thus he says in the church, some is private, and by this a mother teaches her son.
Sed contra Iud. V Debbora erudivit populum Israel. Respondeo. Illa eruditio est per spiritum prophetiae, et gratia Spiritus Sancti non discernit inter virum et mulierem; non tamen publice praedicabat, sed instinctu Spiritus Sancti consilia dabat.
But we read that Deborah taught the people of Israel (Judg 5:7). The answer is that her learning came through the spirit of prophecy, and the grace of the Holy Spirit does not distinguish between man and woman; furthermore, she did not preach publicly, but gave advice under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Secundo, interdicitur eis dominium in virum. Eccle. XXV, 30: mulier si primatum habeat, contraria est viro suo. Et Philosophus dicit, quod dominium mulierum est corruptio familiae, sicut tyranni in regno.
Second, they are forbidden to use authority over the man: a woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband (Sir 25:30). And the Philosopher says that the dominion of women is the death of a family, as tyrants of a commonwealth.
Et sic prohibet duo contra duo, quae competunt eis, sed primum repetit, scilicet sed esse in silentio.
Accordingly, he forbids two things against the two things that are suitable to her, namely, to be in silence and to be subject to to the man.
81. Deinde cum dicit Adam enim, assignat rationem eius quod dixerat, et
81. Then when he says, for Adam was formed first, he assigns the reason for what he had taught:
primo ex ordine creationis;
first, from the order of creation:
secundo ex ordine culpae, ibi et Adam non est seductus.
second, from the order of sin, at and Adam was not seduced.
82. Circa primum sciendum est, quod in ordine rerum perfectum et imperfectum diversimode ordinantur, quia in uno et eodem imperfectum praecedit tempore, et perfectum praecedit natura, quia natura tendit ad perfectum; sed in diversis perfectum est prius tempore et natura, quia natura semper incipit a perfectis. Et hunc ordinem agit hic, quia vir perfectus est in natura humana, mulier vir occasionatus. Unde primo formatus est Adam. Gen. II, 7: formavit Deus hominem de limo terrae, secundario mulier, sicut quoddam imperfectum a perfecto originatum, scilicet de costa. I Cor. XI, 8: non enim vir ex muliere, sed mulier ex viro est. Et inde est quod homo non dicitur factus propter mulierem, sed ad similitudinem Dei. Gen. I, 26: faciamus hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram. Mulier autem propter virum, ideo vir debet praeesse.
82. In regard to the first it should be noted that in the order of things the perfect and the imperfect are differently ordained: because in one and the same individual the imperfect is prior in time, but the perfect is prior in nature, because nature proceeds from the imperfect to the perfect; but in diverse things the perfect is prior in time and in nature, because nature always starts with what is perfect. This is the order according to which we are now speaking, because man is the perfect specimen of human nature, whereas a woman is a man by happenstance. Hence Adam was formed first: the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth (Gen 2:7); then woman was formed as something imperfect originating from something perfect, namely, from a rib: for the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man (1 Cor 11:8). That is why man is not said to be formed for the woman, but to the likeness of God: let us make man to our own image and likeness (Gen 1:26). The woman, however, is for the sake of the man; therefore, the man should rule.
83. Item ex parte culpae. Ordo enim generationis et corruptionis est contrarius, quia quod est primum in generatione, est ultimum in corruptione. Peccatum autem est corruptio naturae, et ideo generatio incipit primo ab Adam, sed corruptio a muliere. Unde dicit Adam non est seductus, scilicet primo, quia fortior erat, sed tentator incepit a debiliori, ut facilius seduceretur fortior. Alludit autem hic verbis Adae Gen. III, 12. Cum enim Dominus reprehendit Adam, dixit: mulier quam dedisti mihi sociam, dedit mihi, et cetera. Et ideo dicit Adam non est seductus, sed mulier.
83. Second, from the order of sinning. For the orders of coming to be and of ceasing to be are contrary, because that which is first in coming to be is last in ceasing to be. But sin is the ceasing to be of a nature. Therefore, coming to be first begins from Adam, and ceasing to be from the woman. Hence he says, Adam was not seduced, i.e., first, because he was the stronger; but the tempter approached the weaker in order that the stronger be seduced more readily. Here he alludes to Adam’s words in Genesis. For when the Lord rebuked Adam, he said: the woman whom you gave me to be my companion, gave me of the tree and I did eat (Gen 3:12). That is why he says, Adam was not seduced; but the woman.
Seductio autem duplex est, scilicet in universali, et in particulari eligibili, quae est ignorantia electionis. Quicumque ergo peccat, seducitur ignorantia electionis in particulari eligibili. Mulier autem fuit seducta, ignorantia in universali, quando scilicet credidit quod serpens dixit; sed vir non credidit hoc, sed deceptus fuit in particulari, scilicet quod gerendus esset mos uxori, et cum ea comedere deberet, et inexpertus divinae severitatis credidit quod facile ei remitteretur.
Now seduction is of two kinds: in the abstract and in the concrete object, which is the ignorance of choice. Therefore, whoever sins is seduced by ignorance of choice in regard to a concrete object. But the woman was seduced by ignorance in the abstract, when she believed what the serpent said. But the man did not believe this, but was deceived in the concrete; and having never experienced the severity of God, believed that he would be easily forgiven.
84. Sed contra. Ignorantia est poena peccati, ergo poena praecessit culpam.
84. But ignorance is a punishment of sin; therefore, punishment preceded sin.
Respondeo. Dicendum est quod non praecessit, quia statim ad verba serpentis fuit elata, eo quod alius esset de ea sollicitus, et ex illa elatione seducta est, unde elatio praecessit.
I answer that it did not precede, because she was elated as soon as the serpent spoke and suggested that someone was anxious about her; and in that spirit of elation she was seduced. Hence the elation preceded.
85. Deinde cum dicit salvabitur autem, respondet cuidam tacitae quaestioni; quia diceret quis, quod si mulier non est propter virum, et ex ea est initium peccati, ergo viro est nociva; sed si aliquid non est propter aliud, sed est ei nocivum, debet tolli; ergo mulier non debet salvari.
85. Then when he says, yet she shall be saved, he answers a tacit question, because someone might say that if the woman is not for the man, and sin stems from her, she is harmful to men. But if something is not for someone, but is harmful to him, it should be destroyed. Therefore, the woman should not be saved.
Dicendum est ergo, quod duplex est salus, scilicet temporalis, et haec est communis etiam brutis; alia est aeterna, et haec est propria hominum. Is. LI, 8: salus autem mea in sempiternum erit. Utramque autem salutem mulier non amisit.
The answer is that salvation is of two kinds: temporal, which is common also to brutes, and eternal, which is proper to man: my salvation shall be forever (Isa 51:8). But the woman has lost neither of them:
Non temporalem, quia statim non privatur sexu muliebri propter generationem prolis. Nec aeternam, quia secundum animam capax est gratiae et gloriae. Et ideo quantum ad primum dicitur salvabitur, id est, non extirpabitur, et hoc per generationem filiorum, ad quam est a Deo ordinata. Quantum ad secundum dicit si permanserit.
not the temporal, because she is not deprived of her sex as soon as a child is born; nor the eternal, because she is open to grace and glory by reason of her soul. Therefore, in regard to the first he says, she shall be saved and not rooted out; and this through childbearing, to which she is ordained by God. In regard to the second he says, if she continue.
Sed quia si importat causam, numquid quae non permansit non salvabitur, cum Apostolus dicat, quod mulier melius facit si non nubat?
But since, if it implies a cause, does that mean that if she does not continue, she will not be saved? For the Apostle says that a woman does better if she does not marry.
Respondeo. Uno modo potest esse locutio figurativa, et sic per virum ratio superior intelligitur, ratio inferior est mulier, opera bona sunt filii inferioris rationis, et caritas quam per virum concipit, et per haec salvabitur. Alia est expositio litteralis, ut ly per non dicat causam, sed repugnantiam. Et est sensus: mulier salvabitur, etiam si incedat per generationem, scilicet si nubat et non sit virgo. Et tunc ly per dicit augmentationem salutis, quasi per generationem filiorum ad cultum Dei, magis salvabitur. Eccli. VII, v. 25: filii tibi sunt? Erudi illos, et incurva illos a pueritia illorum.
The answer is that this can be taken as a figure of speech, so that by man is understood the superior reason, and by woman the lower reason. Now good works are the product of the inferior reason, as is charity which conceives through the man and through which she is saved. The other explanation is literal, and the through does not express a cause but a repugnance. As if to say: the woman shall be saved, even if she enters by way of generation, i.e., if she marries and is not a virgin. Then the through suggests an increase of salvation, as though by generating children for the service of God, she will be saved the more: have you children? Instruct them and bow down their neck from their childhood (Sir 7:25).
Quo ad salutem aeternam consequendam tria ponit. Primo aliquid quo ad intellectum; secundo quo ad affectum; tertio quo ad exteriorem actum.
As far as the attainment of eternal salvation is concerned, there are three things to be considered: first, something in regard to the intellect; second, something in regard to the affections; third, something in regard to the external act.