Lecture 3 — The marvels of the animal kingdom

^38:36^ Who put wisdom in the bowels of man or who gave understanding to the cock?

^38:37^ Who told him the reasoned order of the heavens and who made the concert of heaven sleep?

^38:38^ When the dust was established on the earth and the clods of earth held fast together?

^38:39^ Will you take the prey of the lioness and will you fill the soul of her cubs

^38:40^ when they lie in their dens and lie in wait in the coverts?

^38:41^ Who prepares food for the raven when his little ones cry out to God as they wander because they have no food?

513. Who put wisdom in the bowels of man. After the Lord has brought to mind the marvels of his works concerning the principal parts of the earth, which are the land, the sea, and the atmosphere, and their ordering, he now goes on to tell the marvels of his works, especially seen in the different properties of animals. Among these, knowledge is surpassing in power, which is found more perfectly in man than in other animals, and so beginning with man he says, who put wisdom in the bowels of man? By the bowels of man he understands the inmost powers of his soul, namely, intellect and reason, on which God has conferred wisdom in giving the light of reason to man. For God has infused the seeds of wisdom and science naturally from man’s reason in the knowledge of the first principles.

In other animals, many indications appear of some natural prudence. This is especially true in the cock, as a known and domestic animal, and so he says, and who gave understanding to the cock? Understanding is taken here for his natural estimative power according to which he acts like an intelligent being. The cock seems to have a certain likeness to intelligence because he breaks forth in song at determined times as though he knew the proportions of the heavenly motions, and so he says, who told him, the cock, the reasoned order of the heavens?, that is, the proportion of the heavenly motions, so that he could discern from this the determined times for crowing. Watchmen usually declare the approach of the day or of other hours of the night by singing or using some other instruments. But one cannot say that he hears some sound in heaven for determining the time and silence at other times, so that the cock discerns from this when to sing, and expressing this he says, and who will make the concert of heaven sleep? He is saying in effect that the concert of heaven is not silent like a sleeping watchman, so that from hearing him or from his silence the cock is instructed to crow. Consider here that the Pythagoreans thought that a harmony of sounds came forth from the motion of the heavens because of the very fitting proportion of the heavenly motions, and since they posited that celestial bodies had souls, therefore, such a harmony of sounds can be called the harmonious singing of heaven.

But Aristotle proves in Chapter II of On Heaven that no sound comes forth from the motion of the heavenly bodies, and so we can take this harmonious singing metaphorically, as posited from the unique property of the heavenly motions, which never cease. This inspired wisdom or intelligence, or even this harmonious singing of heaven, existed from the beginning of the foundation of the earth, and so he says, when the dust was established on the earth, which refers to the position of the earth, placed on the deep as on a foundation, and the clods of the earth held fast together, which refers to the humidity which holds the parts of the earth together, namely, so that the land may not return to dust because of its dryness.

514. Then he goes to another property of the animals, which is directed to the acquisition of food. There is something wonderful about this subject in the lioness. For since the lion needs a lot of food, it seems marvelous how she can capture in one region only the prey of animals which is sufficient for herself and her cubs, and so he says, will you take the prey of the lioness from her cubs, that is, will you prepare such a great abundance of food for her cubs that she will have enough for herself and her cubs, and so he says, and will you fill the soul of her cubs? This does not seem very difficult when they travel through many different, places, but when they stay in one place, it is difficult either from necessity of feeding the cubs, which he discusses, saying, and when they lie in their dens, or because they are waiting in ambush for some other animals, and lie in wait in their covert, to capture animals.

515. There is also another wonderful thing observed in the birds, as we see in ravens. For one expert says that the raven does not feed the chicks when they leave their eggs until he sees their feathers are darkening. He does not give any food to them for seven days, but they are sustained by natural strength given to them by God, and so God says, who prepares food for the raven when his little ones cry out to God as they wander? looking here and there, because they do not have food, as though abandoned by their parents. This does not mean that the chicks of the raven understand God, but he says this because all natural things in their desire, which is to desire the good, intend in some way to acquire something from God, who is the author of good things.