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Hortatory Address to the Greeks

Justin Martyr

Chapter 31

About this work

Author: Justin Martyr

Chapter XXXI.—Further proof of Plato’s acquaintance with Scripture.

For from what other source, if not from his

‹ Chapter 30 Chapter 32 ›

reading

the

writings

of

the

prophets

,

could

Plato

have

derived

the

information

he

gives

us

,

that

Jupiter

drives

a

winged

chariot

in

heaven

?

For

he

knew

this

from

the

following

expressions

of

the

prophet

about

the

cherubim

:

“

And

the

glory

of

the

Lord

went

out

from

the

house

and

rested

on

the

cherubim

;

and

the

cherubim

lift

up

their

wings

,

and

the

wheels

beside

them

;

and

the

glory

of

the

Lord

God

of

Israel

was

over

them

above

.

”

And

borrowing

this

idea

,

the

magniloquent

Plato

shouts

aloud

with

vast

assurance

,

“

The

great

Jove

,

indeed

,

driving

his

winged

chariot

in

heaven

.

”

For

from

what

other

source

,

if

not

from

Moses

and

the

prophets

,

did

he

learn

this

and

so

write

?

And

whence

did

he

receive

the

suggestion

of

his

saying

that

God

exists

in

a

fiery

substance

?

Was

it

not

from

the

third

book

of

the

history

of

the

Kings

,

where

it

is

written

,

“

The

Lord

was

not

in

the

wind

;

and

after

the

wind

an

earthquake

,

but

the

Lord

was

not

in

the

earthquake

;

and

after

the

earthquake

a

fire

,

but

the

Lord

was

not

in

the

fire

;

and

after

the

fire

a

still

small

voice

?

”

But

these

things

pious

men

must

understand

in

a

higher

sense

with

profound

and

meditative

insight

.

But

Plato

,

not

attending

to

the

words

with

the

suitable

insight

,

said

that

God

exists

in

a

fiery

substance

.

Notes

76
Ezek. xi. 22.
77
1 Kings xix. 11, 12.