Scientia potentia est is perhaps better translated as "knowledge is His power", because the context of the sentence refers to the qualities of God and is imbedded in a discussion of heresies that deny the power of God: "statuuntque latiores terminos scientiae Dei quam potestatis, vel potius ejus partis potestatis Dei (nam et ipsa scientia potestas est) qua scit, quam ejus qua movet et agit: ut praesciat quaedam otiose, quae non praedestinet et praeordinet". The English translation of this section includes the following: Interpretation of the notion of power meant by Bacon must therefore take into account his distinction between the power of
Radix malorum est cupiditas desire, inordinate longing or lust; covetousness", placing the weight firmly on the lecherous side of the reference of this word, which came into our language from Latin, and perhaps through French. That its biblical reference is to the desire of filthy lucre seems established, but to the Latin-literate medieval people the other cultural reference, to the desires of the flesh, must have been an alternative meaning. Radix malorum est cupiditas Radix malorum est cupiditas is a Biblical quotation in Latin that means "greed is the root of evil" (or, in sentence order, the root of evil is greed). This Latin