Of the Divine Names and Their Power
Perrone Compagni — Table of Comparison
1533 edition (3:8): W, 3:5 + many additions
This chapter, Quid de divina Trinitate veteres senserint philosophi (“Of the Divine Names and Their Power”), occupies a significant place in Agrippa's systematic exposition of occult philosophy. In the 1533 Cologne printed edition (De occulta philosophia libri tres, sigla K in Perrone Compagni's critical apparatus), the text represents Agrippa's mature formulation of the ideas it addresses, the product of over two decades of reading, travel, and revision since the composition of the Würzburg draft.
This chapter derives from W 3:5 of the Würzburg draft, but has been substantially expanded — Perrone Compagni notes many additions. The scale of interpolation suggests Agrippa rethought and broadened the original argument considerably; the 1533 text is in essence a new development of the earlier material rather than a simple revision.
The extent of revision in this chapter illustrates the dynamic character of Agrippa's rewriting process. Rather than simply updating facts, he appears to have substantially reconfigured the argument. Comparison with the partial edition A — which represents an intermediate stage — may reveal whether the additions were introduced gradually or in a single later revision.
Scholarly Perspectives
Agrippa's treatment of divine names draws on the Kabbalistic tradition as filtered through Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Johannes Reuchlin. Lehrich (2003) notes that the mature DOP departs from Reuchlin's position that Hebrew is inherently superior to other languages: by 1533, Agrippa had come to hold that no human language — including Hebrew — can fully contain divine reality. The divine names work, but through faith, not through linguistic essence. This represents a significant development from the 1510 Würzburg draft.