The Hexaemeron of Jacob of Serugh is a 6th-century text composed in the genre of Hexaemeral literature. As such, it offers a commentary on the Genesis creation narrative, and it is the first writing of this type to appear in the Syriac language.[1] There was some precedent in the Commentary on Genesis by Ephrem the Syrian, but this was not a Hexaemeron. Likewise, there is no evident influence of a potential Syriac translation of the Hexaemeron of Basil of Caesarea on Jacob's work. Jacob dedicated a separate homily for each day of the creation week.[2]
Jacob's traditionalist mode of exegesis follows the School of Antioch. He may have learned this tradition during his training in Edessa (located in modern-day Turkey). As such, he believed in the literal interpretation of the creation week, such as in the progressive creation of things in the order of days as opposed to the notion of simultaneous creation advocated by others like Augustine of Hippo.[3]
Jacob opens his poetic homily with a prayer asking God to give him the ability to write about something that is beyond human speech. Jacob insists that God is the creator of all things and that creation occurred ex nihilo.