Doctor Angelicus 37

Deinde cum dicit

This expression begins to appear in the Opera Omnia in the part entitled Commentaria. Thomas speaks of the author of the commented text and the three words are followed by a short quotation of the text in order to be unambiguous, as Thomas does in the totality of his writings.

One must pay attention to this 3-word formula since it appears not less than 5482 times. And this leads to two remarks.

1. In non-biblical commentaries, the text read by Thomas is a latin translation of a greek text, mainly of Aristotle. So it is impossible to understand the matter if one has not under the eyes this latin translation. But it seems to be more easy to find in the web the works of Aristotle in greek or in translation into modern languages, than to find them in middle ages latin.

2. One fifth of the use of "deinde cum dicit" appears in biblical commentaries. This time, no problem to have the (clementina) Vulgata under the eyes. But the use of the expression causes in me a curious impression. Bible is the word of God. And it seems that there is a meeting in some middle-ages school room where Thomas sits somewhere. Thomas comments aloud the words of God. And it seems that God is himself sitting elsewhere in the room accompanied by his prophets ...

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