Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 10.1–10.7
Greek text: Field 1839.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888).
Chapter 10
10.1Field 1
᾿Εν ταις ἡμέραις ἐκείναις παραγίνεται ᾿Ιωάννῆς ὁ ) βαπτιστὴς, κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας, καὶ λέγων᾽ μετανοεῖτε᾽ ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. ΠΟΙΑΙΣ ἡμέραις. ἐκείναις Οὐδὲ γὰρ τότε, ἡνίκα παῖς ἣν» καὶ εἰς Ναζαρὲτ ἦλθεν, αλλὰ μετὰ τριάκοντα, ἔτῆ παραγίνεται ὁ ᾿Ιωάννης, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς μαρτυρεῖ. Πῶς οὖν ἢ φησιν, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις . ἼΕθος αεὶ τῇ γραφῇ τούτῳ κεχρῆσθαι τῷ τρόπῳ οὐχ ὅταν τὰ ἐν τῷ ἑ ἧς χρόνῳ συμβαίνοντα λέγῃ μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν καὶ τὰ πολλοῖς ὕστερον ἔτεσιν ἐκβησόμενα. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ἡνίκα ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν ἐλαιῶν αὐτῷ καθημένῳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ περὶ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ μαθεῖν ἐζήτουν, καὶ τῆς τῶν ᾿ἱεροσολύμων ἁλώσεως καίτοιγε ἴστε ὅσον τὸ μέσον ἑκατέρων τῶν καιρῶν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ τὴν κατασκαφὴν τῆς μητροπόλεως, καὶ τὸν περὶ τούτων ἀπαρτίσας λόγον, καὶ μέλλων εἰς τὸν Ἑ περὶ τῆς συντελείας ἐκβαίνειν, ἐπήγαγε, ἐἐ τότε ὃ καὶ ταῦτα ἔσται οὐ συνάγων τοὺς χρόνους τῷ, τότε, εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνον μόνον δηλῶν τὸν καιρὸν, ἐν ᾧ του τὰ συμβήσεσθαι ἔμελλεν. Ὅπερ καὶ νῦν ποιεῖ λέγων ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις. Οὐ γαρ τὰς ἑξῆς δηλῶν τοῦτο τέθεικεν, αλλ᾽ ἐκείνας, ἐν αἷς ταῦτα συμβαίνειν ἔμελλεν, ἃ διηγήσασθαι παρεσκευαζετο. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν μετὰ τριάκοντα ἔτη. φησὶν, ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς: Λύειν τὸν νόμον ἔμελλε μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα τοῦτο λοιπόν διὰ τοῦτο μέχρι ταύτης τῆς ἡλικίας τῆς πάντα δεχομένης τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, μένει αὐτὸν πληρῶν ἅπαντα, ἵνα μηδεὶς λέγη, ὅτι διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν πληρῶσαι ἔλυσεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀεὶ πάντα ἡμῖν ἐπιτίθεται τὰ παθη αλλ’ ἐν μὲν τῆ πρώτῃ ἡλικίᾳ πολὺ τὸ ἀνόητον καὶ μικρόψυχον, ἐν δὲ τῇ μετ᾽ ἐκείνην σφοδροτέρα ἡ ἡδονὴ, καὶ μετὰ ταύτην πάλιν ἡ τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμία. Διὰ τοῦτο πᾶσαν τὴν ἡλικίαν ἀναμείνας, καὶ διὰ πάσης πληρώσας αὐτὸν, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἔ ἔρχεται, ὕστερον αὐτὸ ἐπιτιθεὶς τῇ τῶν ἄλλων ἐντολῶν ἐκπληρώσει. Ὅτι γὰρ τοῦτο ἔσχατον ἣν αὐτῷ κατόρθωμα τῶν νομίμων, ἄκουσον τί φησιν οὕτω ἡ γὰρ πρέπον ἡμῖν ἐστι πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι πάντα ἠνύσαμεν τὰ νομικὰ, οὐδὲ μίαν παρέβημεν ἐντολήν. ᾿Επεὶ οὖν τοῦτο περιλείπεται μόνον, δεῖ καὶ τοῦτο προσθεῖναι, καὶ οὕτω πάσαν πληρώσομεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Δικαιοσύνην γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν καλεῖ τῶν ἐντολὼν απασῶν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅτι μὲν ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἦλθε, δῆλον ἐκ τούτου. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τὸ βάπτισμα αὐτῷ ἐπενοήθη τοῦτο; Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ οἴκοθεν ὃ Ζαχαρίου παῖς; ἀλλὰ τοῦ θεοῦ κινήσαντος αὐτὸν, ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἦλθε, καὶ Λουκᾶς αὐτὸ δηλοῖ λέγων, ὃ βῆμα κυρίου ἐγένετο [ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν, τουτέστι, πρόσταγμα. Καὶ αὐτὸς δέ φησιν αποστείλας με Ὁ , ΡῈ .,ν ἃ βαπτίζειν ἐν ὕδατι, ἐκεῖνός μοι εἷπεν εῷ ον ἂν ἴδης τὸ πνεῦμα καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστεράν, καὶ μένον ἐπ αὑτον, φ᾽ ἤ ἤ Ϊ5 κὺ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν πνεύματι αγίῳ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπέμφθη βαπτίζειν; Πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο ὁ βαπτιστῆς : α« δῆλον ἡμῖν ποιεῖ, λέγων, ὅτι ὃ εγὼ οὐκ ἤδειν αὐτον᾽ αλλ ο κὺ ἵνα ὃ φανῇ τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ, διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον ἐν ὕδατι βαπτίζων. Καὶ εἰ αὕτη ἣν μονὴ ἡ αἰτία, πώς φησιν ο. Λουκᾶς, ὃτι δ ἡλθεν ὃ εἰς τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου, κηρυσσων βαπτισμα μετα᾿ ζω νοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ; Καίτοιγε οὐκ εἶχεν ἄφεσιν, Ὁ [ σε ἀλλὰ τοῦτο τὸ δῶρον τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα δοθέντος βαπτίσματος φ' ὃ ῆ ῆ 4« ν᾽ εν τουτῳ γὰρ συνετάφημεν, καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος τότε συνεσταυρώθη, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται ἢ κὺ [ ἄφεσις οὐσα᾿ πανταχοῦ γὰρ τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ τοῦτο λογίζεται. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δέ φησιν Ἶ αλλ ἀπεέλουσασθε, αλλ’ Ῥγιάσθητε, οὐ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ιωαννου. αλλ εν τῷ ονόματι τοῦ κυρίον ἡμῶν ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ εν τῷ πνευ΄-- σῷ ἢ ΤΩΣ ματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν. Καὶ αλλαχοῦ δέ φησιν, ᾿Ιωάννης , μὲν ἐκήρυξε βάπτισμα μετανοίας καὶ οὐ λέγει, αφέσεως ,. ἵνα πιστεύσωσιν εἰς τὸν ἐρχόμενον μετ᾽ αὑτὸν. ΟὐπωῈ γαρ τῆς θυσίας προσενηνεγμενης, οὐδὲ τοῦ πνεύματος καταβάντος, οὐδὲ τῆς αμαρτίας λυθείσης, οὐδὲ τῆς ἔχθρας ανηρημένης, οὐδὲ τῆς κατάρας αφανισθείσης» πώς ἔμελλεν ἄφεσις γίνεσθαι : Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι, καὶ τῶν οἰκείων οὐδέποτε ἡσθάνοντο ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι κακοῖς, ἐδικαίουν ἑαντοὺς πανταχοῦ ὅπερ αὐτοὺς μάλιστα ἀπώλεσε, καὶ τῆς πίστεως ἀπήγαγε. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐγκαλῶν αὐτοῖς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ζητοῦντες στῆσαι; τῇ δικαιοσύνη τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. Καὶ πάλιν Τὶ οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Ὅτι ἔθνη, τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην, κατέλαβε δικαιοσύνην ᾿Ισραὴλ δὲ διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης, εἰς νόμον δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔφθασε. Διατί; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐξ ἔργων. ᾿Επεὶ οὖν τοῦτο ἣν τὸ αἴτιον τῶν κακῶν, παραγίνεται ὁ ᾿Ιωάννης, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ποιῶν, ἢ εἰς ἔννοιαν αὐτοὺς ἄγων τών οἰκείων ἁμιαρτημάτων. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ τὸ σχῆμα. αὐτοῦ ἐδήλουν, μετανοίας καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ὄ ὃν. Ἴοντο; καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα ἐδείκνυ οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄλλο ἔλεγεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ποιήσατε καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας. ᾿Επεὶ οὖν τὸ μὴ καταγινώσκειν τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, ὡς καὶ Παῦλος ἐδήλωσεν, ἀποσκιρτᾶν αὐτοὺς ἱ ἐποίει τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ δὲ εἰς ἔννοιαν ἔρχεσθαι, εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν καθίστη τοῦ τὸν λυτρωτὴν ἐπιζητεῖν καὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐπιθυμεῖν τοῦτο ἦλθε κατασκενάζων᾽ Ιωάννης, καὶ πείθων αὐτοὺς μετανοεῖν οὐχ ἕνα κολασθῶσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα τῇ μετανοίᾳ γενόμενοι ταπεινότεροι, καὶ καταγνόντες ἑαυτῶν, εἰς τὸ λαβεῖν τὴν ἄφεσιν δράμωσιν. Ὅρα γοῦν πῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν ἀκριβῶς. Εἰπὼν γάρ, ὅτι ἦλθε κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας ἐν τῆ ἐρήμῳ τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας, ἐ ἐπήγαγεν, εἰς ἄφεσιν ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἔπειθεν ὁμολογεῖν καὶ μετανοεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, οὐχ ἵνα κολασθῶσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα εὐκολώτερον τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα ἄφεσιν δέξωνται. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ κατάγνωσαν ἕαυτῶν, οὐκ ἂν ουδὲ τὴν χάριν ἤτησαν᾽ μὴ ζητοὺντεῖ δὲ, οὐκ Ὦ ἂν τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔτυχον. Ὥστε τούτῳ ἐκεῖνο προωδοποίει τὸ βάπτισμα διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν, γα πιστεύσωσιν εἰς τὸν ἐρχόμενον μετ᾽ αὐτὸν, μετὰ τῆς εἰρημένης καὶ ταύτην ἑτέραν αἰτίαν τιθεὶς τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσον ὴν περιϊέναι τὰς οἰκίας, καὶ περιάγειν τὸν Χριστὸν τῆς χειρὸς λαβόμενον, καὶ λέγειν, εἰς τοῦτον πιστεύσατε: καὶ πάντων παραγινομένων καὶ ὁρώντων τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκείνην ἐνεχθῆναι φωνὴν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιτελεσθῆναι ἅπαντας Διὰ τοῦτο ἔρχεται ἐπὶ ἙΕ τὸ βάπτισμα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ τοῦ βαπτίζοντος ὑπόληψις, καὶ ἡ τοῦ πράγματος ὑπόθεσις, πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν εἷλκε, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην ἐκάλει» καὶ θέατρον ἐγένετο μέγα. Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς καὶ ἃ παραγενομένους καταστέλλει, καὶ πείθει μηδὲν μέγα περὶ ἑαυτῶν φαντάζεσθαι, δεικνὺς τῶν ἐσχάτων ὄντας ὑπευθύνους κακῶν, εἰ μὴ μετανοήσαιεν, καὶ τοὺς προγόνους ἀφέντες, καὶ τὸ επὶ ἐκείνοις ἀγάλλεσθαι, δέξαιντο τὸν παραγινόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ συνεσκίαστο τὰ κατὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τέως, καὶ ἐδόκει τεθνάναι παρὰ πολλοῖς διὰ τὴν εἰς Βηθλεὲμ γεγενημένην σφαγήν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ δώδεκα ἐτῶν γενόμενος ἐξέφηνεν ἑ ἑαντὸν, αλλὰ ταχέως καὶ συνεσκίασε παλιν' διὰ δὴ τοῦτο λαμπρῶν ἔδει τῶν προοιμίων καὶ ὑψηλοτέρας ἀρχῆς. Διὸ καὶ πρῶτον τότε ἃ ᾿μηδέποτε ἤ ἤκουσαν ᾿Ιουδαῖοι; μήτε παρὰ προφητῶν, μήτε παρ' ἄλλων τινῶν, ἀνακηρύττει λαμπρᾷ τῇ ΠΕΣ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ βασιλείας μεμνημένος, ἢὮ οὐδὲν περὶ τῆς γῆς λέγων λοιπόν. Βασιλείαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν προτέραν καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην φησί. Καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς ᾿Ιουδαίους ; φησίν οὐδὲ γὰρ ἴσασι τί λέγεις. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὕτω λέγω, φησὶν, ἵνα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀσαφείας τῶν λεγομένων διεγειρόμενοι, ἔλθωσιν εἰς τὸ ζητῆσαι τὸν κηρυττόμενον. Οὕτω γοὺν αὐτοὺς ἐπῆρε ταῖς χρησταῖς ελπίσι παραγενομένους, ὡς καὶ τελώνας καὶ στρατιώτας πολλοὺς ἐρωτᾶν, τί δεῖ πράττειν, καὶ πῶς τὸν ἑαντῶν βίον οἰκονομεῖν ὅπερ ἣν σημεῖον τοῦ τῶν βιωτικῶν λοιπὸν ἀπηλλάχθαι πραγμάτων, καὶ πρὸς ἕτερα μείζονα ὁ ορᾶν, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ὀνειροπολεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ἅπαντα αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ ὁρώμενα καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα εἰς ὑψηλὸν ἤγε φρόνημα.
᾿En tais hēmerais ekeinais paraginetai ᾿Iōannēs ho ) baptistēs, kēryssōn en tę̄ erēmǭ tēs ᾿Ioudaias, kai legōn᾽ metanoeite᾽ ēngike gar hē basileia tōn ouranōn. POIAIS hēmerais. ekeinais Oude gar tote, hēnika pais hēn» kai eis Nazaret ēlthen, alla meta triakonta, etē paraginetai ho ᾿Iōannēs, kathōs kai ho Loukas martyrei. Pōs oun ē phēsin, en tais hēmerais ekeinais . IEthos aei tę̄ graphę̄ toutǭ kechrēsthai tǭ tropǭ ouch hotan ta en tǭ he hēs chronǭ symbainonta legę̄ monon, all᾽ hotan kai ta pollois hysteron etesin ekbēsomena. Houtō goun kai hēnika epi tou orous tōn elaiōn autǭ kathēmenǭ prosēlthon hoi mathētai, kai peri tēs parousias autou mathein ezētoun, kai tēs tōn ᾿hierosolymōn halōseōs kaitoige iste hoson to meson hekaterōn tōn kairōn. Eipōn gar tēn kataskaphēn tēs mētropoleōs, kai ton peri toutōn apartisas logon, kai mellōn eis ton He peri tēs synteleias ekbainein, epēgage, ee tote ho kai tauta estai ou synagōn tous chronous tǭ, tote, eipein, all᾽ ekeinon monon dēlōn ton kairon, en hǭ tou ta symbēsesthai emellen. Hoper kai nyn poiei legōn en tais hēmerais ekeinais. Ou gar tas hexēs dēlōn touto tetheiken, all᾽ ekeinas, en hais tauta symbainein emellen, ha diēgēsasthai pareskeuazeto. Kai tinos heneken meta triakonta etē. phēsin, epi to baptisma ēlthen ho Iēsous: Lyein ton nomon emelle meta to baptisma touto loipon dia touto mechri tautēs tēs hēlikias tēs panta dechomenēs ta hamartēmata, menei auton plērōn hapanta, hina mēdeis legē, hoti dia to mē dynasthai auton plērōsai elysen. Oude gar aei panta hēmin epitithetai ta pathē all’ en men tē prōtę̄ hēlikią poly to anoēton kai mikropsychon, en de tę̄ met᾽ ekeinēn sphodrotera hē hēdonē, kai meta tautēn palin hē tōn chrēmatōn epithymia. Dia touto pasan tēn hēlikian anameinas, kai dia pasēs plērōsas auton, houtōs epi to baptisma e erchetai, hysteron auto epititheis tę̄ tōn allōn entolōn ekplērōsei. Hoti gar touto eschaton hēn autǭ katorthōma tōn nomimōn, akouson ti phēsin houtō hē gar prepon hēmin esti plērōsai pasan dikaiosynēn. Ho de legei, toiouton esti panta ēnysamen ta nomika, oude mian parebēmen entolēn. ᾿Epei oun touto perileipetai monon, dei kai touto prostheinai, kai houtō pasan plērōsomen tēn dikaiosynēn. Dikaiosynēn gar entautha tēn ekplērōsin kalei tōn entolōn apasōn. ᾿All᾽ hoti men ho Christos dia touto epi to baptisma ēlthe, dēlon ek toutou. Tinos de heneken to baptisma autǭ epenoēthē touto? Hoti men gar ouk oikothen ho Zachariou pais? alla tou theou kinēsantos auton, epi touto ēlthe, kai Loukas auto dēloi legōn, ho bēma kyriou egeneto [ep᾿ auton, toutesti, prostagma. Kai autos de phēsin aposteilas me Ho , RE .,n ha baptizein en hydati, ekeinos moi heipen eǭ on an idēs to pneuma katabainon hōsei peristeran, kai menon ep hauton, ph᾽ ē ē Ï5 ky houtos estin ho baptizōn en pneumati agiǭ. Tinos oun heneken epemphthē baptizein? Palin kai touto ho baptistēs : a« dēlon hēmin poiei, legōn, hoti ho egō ouk ēdein auton᾽ all o ky hina ho phanę̄ tǭ ᾿Israēl, dia touto ēlthon en hydati baptizōn. Kai ei hautē hēn monē hē aitia, pōs phēsin o. Loukas, hoti d hēlthen ho eis tēn perichōron tou ᾿Iordanou, kēryssōn baptisma meta᾿ zō noias eis aphesin hamartiōn ? Kaitoige ouk eichen aphesin, Ho [ se alla touto to dōron tou meta tauta dothentos baptismatos ph' ho ē ē 4« n᾽ en toutǭ gar synetaphēmen, kai ho palaios hēmōn anthrōpos tote synestaurōthē, kai pro tou staurou oudamou phainetai ē ky [ aphesis ousa᾿ pantachou gar tǭ haimati autou touto logizetai. Kai ho Paulos de phēsin I all apeelousasthe, all’ Rhgiasthēte, ou dia tou baptismatos Iōannou. all en tǭ onomati tou kyrion hēmōn iēsou Christou, kai en tǭ pneu΄-- sǭ ē TŌS mati tou theou hēmōn. Kai allachou de phēsin, ᾿Iōannēs , men ekēryxe baptisma metanoias kai ou legei, apheseōs ,. hina pisteusōsin eis ton erchomenon met᾽ hauton. OupōE gar tēs thysias prosenēnegmenēs, oude tou pneumatos katabantos, oude tēs amartias lytheisēs, oude tēs echthras anērēmenēs, oude tēs kataras aphanistheisēs» pōs emellen aphesis ginesthai : Ti oun esti to hoi ᾿Ioudaioi, kai tōn oikeiōn oudepote hēsthanonto hamartēmatōn, alla tois eschatois ontes hypeuthynoi kakois, edikaioun heantous pantachou hoper autous malista apōlese, kai tēs pisteōs apēgage. Touto goun kai ho Paulos enkalōn autois elegen, hoti agnoountes tēn tou theou dikaiosynēn, kai tēn idian zētountes stēsai? tę̄ dikaiosynē tou theou ouch hypetagēsan. Kai palin Ti oun eroumen? Hoti ethnē, ta mē diōkonta dikaiosynēn, katelabe dikaiosynēn ᾿Israēl de diōkōn nomon dikaiosynēs, eis nomon dikaiosynēs ouk ephthase. Diati? Hoti ouk ek pisteōs, all᾽ hōs ex ergōn. ᾿Epei oun touto hēn to aition tōn kakōn, paraginetai ho ᾿Iōannēs, ouden heteron poiōn, ē eis ennoian autous agōn tōn oikeiōn hamiartēmatōn. Touto goun kai to schēma. autou edēloun, metanoias kai exomologēseōs o hon. Ionto? kai to kērygma edeikny ouden gar allo elegen, all᾽ hoti poiēsate karpous axious tēs metanoias. ᾿Epei oun to mē kataginōskein tōn oikeiōn hamartēmatōn, hōs kai Paulos edēlōsen, aposkirtan autous hi epoiei tou Christou to de eis ennoian erchesthai, eis epithymian kathistē tou ton lytrōtēn epizētein kai tēs apheseōs epithymein touto ēlthe kataskenazōn᾽ Iōannēs, kai peithōn autous metanoein ouch hena kolasthōsin, all᾽ hina tę̄ metanoią genomenoi tapeinoteroi, kai katagnontes heautōn, eis to labein tēn aphesin dramōsin. Hora goun pōs auto tetheiken akribōs. Eipōn gar, hoti ēlthe kēryssōn baptisma metanoias en tē erēmǭ tēs ᾿Ioudaias, e epēgagen, eis aphesin hōsanei elege dia touto autous epeithen homologein kai metanoein epi tois hamartēmasin, ouch hina kolasthōsin, all᾽ hina eukolōteron tēn meta tauta aphesin dexōntai. Ei mē gar katagnōsan heautōn, ouk an oude tēn charin ētēsan᾽ mē zētountei de, ouk Ō an tēs apheseōs etychon. Hōste toutǭ ekeino proōdopoiei to baptisma dio kai elegen, ga pisteusōsin eis ton erchomenon met᾽ auton, meta tēs eirēmenēs kai tautēn heteran aitian titheis tou baptismatos. Oude gar ison ēn periïenai tas oikias, kai periagein ton Christon tēs cheiros labomenon, kai legein, eis touton pisteusate: kai pantōn paraginomenōn kai horōntōn tēn makarian ekeinēn enechthēnai phōnēn, kai ta alla epitelesthēnai hapantas Dia touto erchetai epi HeE to baptisma. Kai gar kai hē tou baptizontos hypolēpsis, kai hē tou pragmatos hypothesis, pasan tēn polin heilke, kai pros ton ᾿Iordanēn ekalei» kai theatron egeneto mega. Dia touto autous kai ha paragenomenous katastellei, kai peithei mēden mega peri heautōn phantazesthai, deiknys tōn eschatōn ontas hypeuthynous kakōn, ei mē metanoēsaien, kai tous progonous aphentes, kai to epi ekeinois agallesthai, dexainto ton paraginomenon. Kai gar syneskiasto ta kata ton Christon teōs, kai edokei tethnanai para pollois dia tēn eis Bēthleem gegenēmenēn sphagēn. Ei gar kai dōdeka etōn genomenos exephēnen he heanton, alla tacheōs kai syneskiase palin' dia dē touto lamprōn edei tōn prooimiōn kai hypsēloteras archēs. Dio kai prōton tote ha ᾿mēdepote ē ēkousan ᾿Ioudaioi? mēte para prophētōn, mēte par' allōn tinōn, anakēryttei lamprą tę̄ PES tōn ouranōn kai tēs ekei basileias memnēmenos, ēŌ ouden peri tēs gēs legōn loipon. Basileian de entautha tēn parousian autou tēn proteran kai tēn eschatēn phēsi. Kai ti touto pros ᾿Ioudaious ? phēsin oude gar isasi ti legeis. Dia gar touto houtō legō, phēsin, hina hypo tēs asapheias tōn legomenōn diegeiromenoi, elthōsin eis to zētēsai ton kēryttomenon. Houtō goun autous epēre tais chrēstais elpisi paragenomenous, hōs kai telōnas kai stratiōtas pollous erōtan, ti dei prattein, kai pōs ton heantōn bion oikonomein hoper hēn sēmeion tou tōn biōtikōn loipon apēllachthai pragmatōn, kai pros hetera meizona ho oran, kai ta mellonta oneiropolein. Kai gar hapanta autous kai ta horōmena kai ta legomena eis hypsēlon ēge phronēma.
“In those days John the Baptist comes, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”
In what days? For it was not then, when he was a child and came to Nazareth, but after thirty years that John comes, as Luke too testifies. How then does he say, “in those days”? It is always the custom of Scripture to use this manner of speech, not only when it speaks of what happens in the time immediately following, but also of what will come to pass many years later. So, at any rate, when the disciples came to him as he sat on the Mount of Olives and sought to learn about his coming and the capture of Jerusalem (and yet you know how great the interval between the two times is), having spoken of the destruction of the mother-city and completed his discourse about it, and being about to pass to the discourse about the consummation, he added, “Then shall these things also be,” not joining the times by saying “then,” but only indicating the time in which these things were to happen. This he does now too, saying, “in those days.” For he did not put this to indicate the days immediately following, but those in which the things he was preparing to relate were to happen.
“And why,” someone says, “did Jesus come to baptism after thirty years?” After this baptism he was going to abolish the law; that is why until this age, which admits all sins, he remains fulfilling it all, so that no one might say that he abolished it because he could not fulfill it. For the passions do not all attack us always; but in the first age there is much folly and pettiness, in the one after it pleasure is more violent, and after this again the desire for money. That is why, having waited through every age and fulfilled the law through all of it, he comes to baptism, adding it last after fulfilling the other commandments. For that this was his last achievement among the legal observances, hear what he says: “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” What he says is this: We have performed all the requirements of the law, we have transgressed not one commandment. Since then this alone remains, this too must be added, and so we shall fulfill all righteousness. For here he calls righteousness the fulfillment of all the commandments. That Christ came to baptism for this reason, then, is clear from this. But why was this baptism devised? For that the son of Zechariah came to this not of himself, but because God moved him, Luke too makes plain, saying, “The word of the Lord came upon him,” that is, a command. And he himself says, “He who sent me to baptize with water said to me: On whomever you see the Spirit descending like a dove and remaining on him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” Why then was he sent to baptize? Again the Baptist makes this plain to us, saying, “I did not know him; but so that he might be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came baptizing with water.” And if this was the only reason, how does Luke say that he came into all the region of the Jordan, “preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins”? And yet it did not have remission; this was the gift of the baptism given afterward. For in that baptism we were buried with him, and our old man was then crucified with him; and before the cross remission nowhere appears, for everywhere it is ascribed to his blood. And Paul says, “But you were washed, you were sanctified,” not by the baptism of John, “but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” And elsewhere he says, “John preached a baptism of repentance” (and he does not say, of remission) “so that they might believe in the one coming after him.” For when the sacrifice had not yet been offered, nor the Spirit come down, nor sin undone, nor the enmity removed, nor the curse wiped out, how was remission to take place? What then is the meaning of …? The Jews never perceived their own sins, but though liable for the worst evils, they justified themselves in everything; which above all destroyed them and led them away from the faith. Paul too charged them with this, saying that “being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.” And again: “What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not reach the law of righteousness. Why? Because not from faith, but as from works.” Since, then, this was the cause of the evils, John comes, doing nothing else than bringing them to a consciousness of their own sins. His very dress showed this, being that of repentance and confession; and his preaching showed it; for he said nothing else but, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.” Since, then, not condemning their own sins made them spring away from Christ, as Paul too showed, while coming to a consciousness of them would set them longing to seek the Redeemer and to desire remission, John came to prepare this, and to persuade them to repent, not so that they might be punished, but so that, made more humble by repentance and condemning themselves, they might run to receive the remission. See, at any rate, how exactly he put it. For having said that he came preaching a baptism of repentance in the wilderness of Judea, he added, “for remission,” as if to say: he persuaded them to confess and repent of their sins for this reason, not so that they might be punished, but so that they might more easily receive the remission afterward. For had they not condemned themselves, they would not have asked for the grace; and not seeking it, they would not have obtained the remission. So this baptism prepared the way for that one; that is why he said, “so that they might believe in the one coming after him,” giving this as another reason for the baptism besides the one stated. For it was not the same thing to go round the houses, leading Christ about by the hand, and say, “Believe in this man,” as for that blessed voice to be uttered and all the rest to be accomplished while everyone was present and seeing. That is why he comes to the baptism. For both the reputation of the baptizer and the nature of the thing drew the whole city and called it to the Jordan, and it became a great spectacle. That is why he also humbles them when they come, and persuades them to imagine nothing great about themselves, showing that they are liable to the worst evils unless they repent, and, leaving their ancestors and their pride in them, receive the one who is coming. For what concerned Christ had been veiled for a time, and many thought he had died because of the slaughter at Bethlehem. For even if he showed himself at twelve years old, he quickly veiled himself again; that is why there was need of a splendid opening and a loftier beginning. That is why then, for the first time, he proclaims with a clear voice what the Jews had never heard, neither from prophets nor from any others, mentioning heaven and the kingdom there, and saying nothing more about the earth. And here he calls the kingdom his coming, both the first and the last. “And what is this to the Jews?” someone says, “for they do not know what you are saying.” For this very reason I speak so, he says, so that, roused by the obscurity of what is said, they may come to seek the one proclaimed. So, at any rate, he lifted them up with good hopes when they came, so that even tax collectors and many soldiers asked what they should do and how they should order their lives; which was a sign that they were now freed from worldly affairs, looked to other, greater things, and dreamed of what was to come. For everything, both what was seen and what was said, led them to a lofty frame of mind.
Matt 3:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 24:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 24:23 (quotation, medium confidence) · Matt 3:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:33 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 6:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 19:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 10:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:32 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 2:42 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 3:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Homily 10 opens with Matt 3:1–2: 'in those days' is an indefinite phrase; Christ was baptized at thirty after fulfilling the whole law; John's baptism did not remit sins but led the self-righteous Jews to acknowledge their sins and seek Christ's remission, and gathered crowds to witness his manifestation.
- Lemma: Matt 3:1–2. Quotations: Matt 24:23 (in the form 'Then shall these things also be'); Matt 3:15; Luke 3:2; John 1:33; John 1:31; Luke 3:3; 1 Cor 6:11; Acts 19:4; Rom 10:3; Rom 9:30–32; Matt 3:8. Allusions: Luke 3:23; Matt 24:3; Rom 6:4, 6; Luke 2:42; Luke 3:10–14. Words are lost in the OCR after 'What then is the meaning of' (probably the phrase 'for the remission of sins'), shown as '…'. Chrysostom's view that John's baptism did not grant remission is translated as written. An apparatus note run into the text by the OCR is removed by a logged correction. Migne's section 2 falls inside 10.1 (its numeral was lost in the OCR).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters); apparatus readings run into a word by the OCR): τουτΕν. ε παραλείπεται ΠΕ. ἐπ πρὸς Εαάα. ᾿ ἢ - ᾽ ε» ἐστι, πρόσταγμα → τουτέστι, πρόσταγμα; ς κηρύσσων → κηρύσσων; ς Οὐδὲ → Οὐδὲ; ζ Λουκᾶς → Λουκᾶς; Δ αποστείλας → αποστείλας; ᾽ , → ,; »Ἁ« ΡῈ → ΡῈ; Ψ βαπτίζειν → βαπτίζειν; ’᾽ ΕΣ « ὔ ΠῚ ἤ → ἤ; ς ἤ → ἤ; ᾽ κὺ → κὺ; ΄- : → :; - ᾽ ᾿Ὶ ᾿ Ν ᾽ ’ ᾿ ᾿ δῆλον → δῆλον; σι ο → ο; -- κὺ → κὺ; Ω Ψ ἵνα → ἵνα; ΄- ὃ → ὃ; ὔ ’ εἰς → εἰς; Ψ ζω → ζω; ᾿ νοίας → νοίας; ΄ - σε → σε; ,Ὶ ΄-ι ᾽ ἀλλὰ → ἀλλὰ; » ῆ → ῆ; ε 4« → 4«; ΄- ΜΚ ν᾽ → ν᾽; ΄σι - [ → [; ΄- ΄᾿ ἄφεσις → ἄφεσις; ΄΄- « σῷ → σῷ; ᾿ ’ ματι → ματι; ν » Ι ᾽ ᾽ ’ μὲν → μὲν; ’ ᾽ ᾽ ’ ᾽ν ,. → ,.; γ ΜΝ ἵνα → ἵνα; φ Τί → Τί; ᾿᾿ γοῦν → γοῦν; ΄ εἰς → εἰς; ε ἐγένετο → ἐγένετο; ᾿ δέξαιντο → δέξαιντο; Β γοὺν → γοὺν; Η χρησταῖς → χρησταῖς.
Topics: Baptism, Christology
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.1 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.
10.3Field 1
᾿Εννόησον γοῦν Ἶλίκον ἣν ἰδεῖν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ τριάκοντα ἔτη καταβαίνοντα ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρήμου, ἀρχιερέως υἱὸν γενόμενον, μηδὲν δεηθέντα τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πώποτε, καὶ πάντοθεν ὄντα αἰδέσιμον; καὶ τὸν Ησαΐαν ἔχοντα μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ. Παρῆν γὰρ καὶ οὗτος αὐτὸν ἀνακηρύττων καὶ λέγων' οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν παρέσεσθαι ἔφην βοῶντα, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ κηρύττοντα ἅπαντα. Τοσαύτη γὰρ σπουδὴ τοῖς προταις περὶ τούτων ἐγένετο τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς μὴ τὸν σπότην τὸν ἑαυτῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα αὐτῷ διακονεῖσθαι ἐ ἐκ πολλοῦ προανακηρύττειν τοῦ χρόνον καὶ μὴ μόνον αὑτὸν λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Τόπον, ἐν ᾧ διατρίβειν ἔμελλε» καὶ τὸν τοῦ κηρύγματος τρόπον, ὃν διδάξαι παραγενόμενος εἶχε, καὶ τὸ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ συμβαῖνον κατόρθωμα. Ὅρα γοῦν πῶς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἔρχονται τῶν νοημάτων, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν τῶν ῥημάτων, ὃ τε προφήτης καὶ ὁ βαπτιστής. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ προφήτης φησὶν, ὅτι παρέσται λέγων 15 ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν οδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ΤοΙεΙ τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ. Αὐτὸς δὲ παραγενόμενος ἔλεγε ὁ ποιήσατε καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας ὅπερ ἴσον ἐστὶ τῷ ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ δι ὧν ὁ προφήτης εἶπε, καὶ δ ὧν Ἑ αὐτὸς ἑκήρυττεν, ἕν τοῦτο δηλοῦται μόνον, ὅτι προοδοποιῶν παρεγένετο καὶ προετοιμάζων, οὐ τὴν δωρεὰν χαριζόμενος, ὅπερ ἣν ἡ ἄφεσις, ἀλλὰ προπαρασκενάζων τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν μελλόντων δέχεσθαι τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεόν: ὋὉ δὲ Λουκᾶς καὶ πλέον τί φησιν οὐ γὰρ τὸ προοίμιον εἰπὼν ἀπηλλάγη, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τίθησι τὴν προφητείαν. ὁ Πᾶσα γὰρ φαραγξ, φησὶ, πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ. Εἶδες πῶς προλαβὼν ὁ προφήτης πάντα εἶπε, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δήμον συνδρομὴν, καὶ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολὴν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ κηρύγματος εὐκολίαν, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν γινομένων ἁπάντων, εἰ καὶ τροπικώτερον ταῦτα τέθεικε: ἀν γὰρ ἣν προφητεία τὸ λεγόμενον. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ; πάσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πάν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς Τρι καὶ ἔσονται αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ὑψουμένους δείκνυσι, καὶ τοὺς ἀἁπονενοημένους ταπεινουμένους, καὶ τὴν τοῦ νόμου δυσκολίαν εἰς εὐκολίαν πίστεως μεταβαλλομένην. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἱδρῶτες καὶ πόνοι, φησὶν, αλλὰ : χάρις καὶ συγχώρησις ἁμαρτημάτων, πολλὴν παρέχουσα τῆς σωτηρίας τὴν εὐκολίαν. Εἶτα τὸ τούτων αἴτιον τίθησι λέγων, ὅτι ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκέτι ᾿Ιουδαῖοι καὶ προσήλυτοι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσα ᾿Ὑῆ καὶ θάλαττα, καὶ ὅλη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις. Διὰ γὰρ τῶν σκολιῶν πάντα τὸν διεφθαρμένον βίον ἢνίξατο,ἢ τελώνας, καὶ πόρνας, καὶ λῃστάς, καὶ μάγους, οἵτινες ὄντες διεστραμμένοι πρότερον, τὴν ὀρθὴν ὕστερον ἐς ἐβάδισαν ὁδόν ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τελώναι Ὁ καὶ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐπίστευσαν. Καὶ δι ἑτέρων δὲ ἐδήλωσε ῥημάτων ὁ προφήτης πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, οὕτω λέγων τότε λύκοι καὶ ἄρνες ἅμα βοσκηθήσονται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα διὰ τῶν βουνῶν καὶ φαράγγων. τὸ ἀνώμαλον ἦθος εἰς μίαν φιλοσοφίας ἰσότητα κιρνᾶσθαι ἔφησεν᾽ οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖ τοῖς τῶν ἀλόγων ἤθεσι τοὺς διαφόρους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐμφαίνων τρόπους; πάλιν εἰς μίαν αὐτοὺς εὐσεβείας συμφωνίαν συνάπτεσθαι ἔλεγε᾽ καὶ ἐκεῖ πάλιν τὴν αἰτίαν τιθείς. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν, ἐ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ὄψεται } πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ πανταχοῦ δηλῶν ὅτι πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης χυθήσεται τῶν εὐαγγελίων τούτων ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ γνῶσις, ἀπὸ θηριώδους τρόπου καὶ σκληρότητος γνώμης εἰς ἡμερότητα πολλὴν καὶ ἁπαλότητα μεταβάλλουσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος. Ἵ ἈΚ Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ ᾿Ιωάννης εἶχε τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου, καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ. Εἶδες πῶς τὰ μὲν οἱ προφῆται προεῖπον, τὰ δὲ τοῖς εὐαγΎ- γελισταῖς κατέλιπον; Διόπερ καὶ ὁ Ματθαῖος καὶ τὰς προφητείας τίθησι, καὶ τὰ παρ᾽ ἑαντοὺ προστίθησιν οὐδὲ τοῦτο πάρεργον ἡγούμενος. εἶναι, τὸ περὶ τῆς στολῆς εἰπεῖν τοῦ Ἑ. δικαίου.
᾿Ennoēson goun Ilikon hēn idein anthrōpon meta triakonta etē katabainonta apo tēs erēmou, archiereōs huion genomenon, mēden deēthenta tōn anthrōpinōn pōpote, kai pantothen onta aidesimon? kai ton Ēsaïan echonta meth᾽ heautou. Parēn gar kai houtos auton anakēryttōn kai legōn' houtos estin hon paresesthai ephēn boōnta, kai kata tēn erēmon lamprą tę̄ phōnę̄ kēryttonta hapanta. Tosautē gar spoudē tois protais peri toutōn egeneto tōn pragmatōn, hōs mē ton spotēn ton heautōn monon, alla kai ton mellonta autǭ diakoneisthai e ek pollou proanakēryttein tou chronon kai mē monon hauton legein, alla kai ton Topon, en hǭ diatribein emelle» kai ton tou kērygmatos tropon, hon didaxai paragenomenos eiche, kai to ap’ autou symbainon katorthōma. Hora goun pōs ep᾿ autōn erchontai tōn noēmatōn, ei kai mē ep᾿ autōn tōn rhēmatōn, ho te prophētēs kai ho baptistēs. Ho men gar prophētēs phēsin, hoti parestai legōn 15 hetoimasate tēn odon kyriou, eutheias ToIeI tas tribous autou. Autos de paragenomenos elege ho poiēsate karpous axious tēs metanoias hoper ison esti tǭ hetoimasate tēn hodon kyriou. Horąs hoti kai di hōn ho prophētēs eipe, kai d hōn He autos hekērytten, hen touto dēloutai monon, hoti proodopoiōn paregeneto kai proetoimazōn, ou tēn dōrean charizomenos, hoper hēn hē aphesis, alla proparaskenazōn tas psychas tōn mellontōn dechesthai ton tōn holōn theon: HoO de Loukas kai pleon ti phēsin ou gar to prooimion eipōn apēllagē, alla kai pasan tithēsi tēn prophēteian. ho Pasa gar pharanx, phēsi, plērōthēsetai, kai pan oros kai bounos tapeinōthēsetai kai estai ta skolia eis eutheian, kai hai tracheiai eis hodous leias kai opsetai pasa sarx to sōtērion tou theou. Eides pōs prolabōn ho prophētēs panta eipe, kai tēn tou dēmon syndromēn, kai tēn tōn pragmatōn epi to beltion metabolēn, kai tēn tou kērygmatos eukolian, kai tēn aitian tōn ginomenōn hapantōn, ei kai tropikōteron tauta tetheike: an gar hēn prophēteia to legomenon. Hotan gar eipę̄? pasa pharanx plērōthēsetai, kai pan oros kai bounos Tri kai esontai hai tracheiai eis hodous leias kai tous tapeinous hypsoumenous deiknysi, kai tous haaponenoēmenous tapeinoumenous, kai tēn tou nomou dyskolian eis eukolian pisteōs metaballomenēn. Ouketi gar hidrōtes kai ponoi, phēsin, alla : charis kai synchōrēsis hamartēmatōn, pollēn parechousa tēs sōtērias tēn eukolian. Eita to toutōn aition tithēsi legōn, hoti opsetai pasa sarx to sōtērion tou theou ouketi ᾿Ioudaioi kai prosēlytoi monon, alla kai pasa ᾿Hyē kai thalatta, kai holē tōn anthrōpōn hē physis. Dia gar tōn skoliōn panta ton diephtharmenon bion ēnixato,ē telōnas, kai pornas, kai lę̄stas, kai magous, hoitines ontes diestrammenoi proteron, tēn orthēn hysteron es ebadisan hodon hoper oun kai autos elegen, hoti telōnai Ho kai pornai proagousin hymas eis tēn basileian tou theou, hoti episteusan. Kai di heterōn de edēlōse rhēmatōn ho prophētēs palin to auto touto, houtō legōn tote lykoi kai arnes hama boskēthēsontai. Hōsper gar entautha dia tōn bounōn kai pharangōn. to anōmalon ēthos eis mian philosophias isotēta kirnasthai ephēsen᾽ houtō kai ekei tois tōn alogōn ēthesi tous diaphorous tōn anthrōpōn emphainōn tropous? palin eis mian autous eusebeias symphōnian synaptesthai elege᾽ kai ekei palin tēn aitian titheis. Hautē de estin estai gar, phēsin, ho anistamenos archein ethnōn, e ep᾿ autǭ ethnē elpiousin hoper oun kai entautha elegen, hoti opsetai } pasa sarx to sōtērion tou theou ē pantachou dēlōn hoti pros ta perata tēs oikoumenēs chythēsetai tōn euangeliōn toutōn hē dynamis kai hē gnōsis, apo thēriōdous tropou kai sklērotētos gnōmēs eis hēmerotēta pollēn kai hapalotēta metaballousa tōn anthrōpōn to genos. Hi AK Autos de ho ᾿Iōannēs eiche to endyma autou apo trichōn kamēlou, kai zōnēn dermatinēn peri tēn osphyn autou. Eides pōs ta men hoi prophētai proeipon, ta de tois euagY- gelistais katelipon? Dioper kai ho Matthaios kai tas prophēteias tithēsi, kai ta par᾽ heantou prostithēsin oude touto parergon hēgoumenos. einai, to peri tēs stolēs eipein tou He. dikaiou.
Consider, at any rate, what a thing it was to see a man coming down from the wilderness after thirty years, the son of a high priest, who had never needed any human thing, venerable on every side, and having Isaiah with him. For he too was present, proclaiming him and saying: This is the one whom I said would come crying, and preaching everything with a clear voice in the wilderness. For the prophets had such zeal about these matters that they proclaimed long beforehand not only their own Master, but also the one who was to serve him; and not only named him, but also the place where he was to stay, the manner of preaching he was to have when he came, and the achievement that would come from him. See, at any rate, how the prophet and the Baptist come to the same thoughts, though not to the same words. For the prophet says that he will come saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”; and he himself, when he came, said, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance,” which is the same as “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Do you see that both by what the prophet said and by what he himself preached one thing alone is shown, that he came preparing the way and making ready, not bestowing the gift, which was the remission, but preparing beforehand the souls of those who were to receive the God of all? But Luke says something more; for he did not stop after saying the opening, but sets down the whole prophecy: “Every valley,” it says, “shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places smooth ways; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Do you see how the prophet said everything beforehand, the concourse of the people, the change of affairs for the better, the ease of the preaching, and the cause of all that happened, even though he put these things rather figuratively? For what was said was prophecy. For when he says, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low, and the rough places shall become smooth ways,” he shows the lowly being exalted and the arrogant humbled, and the difficulty of the law changed into the ease of faith. For no longer sweat and toil, he says, but grace and forgiveness of sins, giving great ease of salvation. Then he gives the cause of these things, saying, “All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” no longer Jews and proselytes only, but all land and sea and the whole nature of men. For by “the crooked” he hinted at every corrupt life, tax collectors, harlots, robbers, magicians, who, though perverted before, afterward walked the straight road; which he himself also said: “The tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you, because they believed.” And the prophet showed the same thing again in other words, saying, “Then wolves and lambs shall feed together.” For as here by the hills and valleys he said that uneven character would be blended into one level of philosophy, so there too, showing the different ways of men by the characters of the irrational creatures, he said again that they would be joined into one harmony of godliness; and there too he gives the cause. This is it: “For there shall be,” he says, “the one who rises to rule the nations; in him shall the nations hope”; which he said here too: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” showing everywhere that the power and knowledge of these gospels would be poured out to the ends of the world, changing the human race from a beastlike way and hardness of will to great gentleness and softness.
“And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist.” Do you see how the prophets foretold some things and left others to the evangelists? That is why Matthew both sets down the prophecies and adds what is his own, not thinking it a side issue to speak of the righteous man's dress.
Matt 3:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 1:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 40:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 65:25 (quotation, medium confidence) · Isa 11:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 11:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:4 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: John came from the wilderness as Isaiah foretold, preparing the way rather than giving remission; Luke's fuller quotation of Isa 40 figures the humbling of the proud, the ease of grace, and salvation for all flesh; Matthew adds the detail of John's dress.
- Quotations: Matt 3:3 / Isa 40:3; Matt 3:8; Luke 3:5–6 / Isa 40:4–5; Matt 21:31–32; Isa 65:25 (11:6); Isa 11:10 (LXX); Matt 3:4. Allusions: Luke 1:5 (John the son of a priest; Chrysostom says 'high priest'). An apparatus note run into a word by the OCR is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters); apparatus readings run into a word by the OCR): παρα- Ὦ δι Δ ἀξ διδαξει (οτι. εἶχε) Α.Β γενόμενος → παραγενόμενος; σ αἰδέσιμον; → αἰδέσιμον;; υ διδάξαι → διδάξαι; ΤΕ τὰς → τὰς; Ο προφήτης → προφήτης; Τρι ω καὶ → Τρι καὶ; ᾿ πόρνας, → πόρνας,; «ς ἔσται → ἔσται; ' σκληρότητος → σκληρότητος.
Topics: Scripture and canon, Baptism
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.3 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.
10.4Field 1
Καὶ γὰρ ἦν θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον ἐ εν ἄνθρωπίνῳ σώματι τοσαύτην καρτερίαν ἰδεῖν' ὃ δὴ καὶ τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους μᾶλλον ἐφείλκετο, τὸν μέγαν λίαν ἐν αὐτῷ βλέποντας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ μακαρίου μνήμην ἐκείνου παραπεμπομένους ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων τότε μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸς πλείονα ἔκπληξιν. ᾿κεῖνος μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐν πόλεσι καὶ ἐν οἰκίαις ἐτρέφετο, οὗτος δὲ δὲ ὅλου τὴν ἔρημον ᾧκησεν ἐκ σπαργάνων αὐτῶν. Ἔδει γὰρ τὸν πρόδρομον τοῦ μέλλοντος τὰ παλαιὰ λύειν ἅπαντα οἷον, τὸν πόνον, τὴν κατάραν, τὴν λύπην, τὸν ἱδρῶτα: ἔ ἔχειν τινὰ καὶ αὐτὸν σύμβολα τῆς τοιαύτης δωρεᾶς, καὶ ἀνωτέρω γενέσθαι λοιπὸν τῆς καταδίκης ἐκείνης. Οὐτε γοῦν γῆν ἤροσεν, οὔτε αὔλακα ἔτεμεν, οὐχ ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προσώπου τὸν ἄρτον ἔφαγεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν ἐσχεδιασμένη αὐτῷ ἡ τράπεζα, καὶ εὐκολωτέρα τῆς τραπέζης ἡ περιβολὴ, καὶ ἀπραγμονεστέρα τῆς περιβολῆς ἡ οἴκησις. Οὔτε γὰρ στέγης, οὔτε κλίνης, οὐ τραπέζης, οὔτε ἄλλου τινὸς τούτων ἐδεήθη, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγγελικόν τινα βίον ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ταύτῃ ἐπεδείκνυτο. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τρίχινον ἱμάτιον. αὐτῷ ἦν, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ σχήματος παιδεύσῃ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων αφίστασθαι, καὶ μηδὲν κοινὸν ἔχειν. πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ἑπανατρέχειν εὐγένειαν, ἐν ἡ ἣν πρὶν ἢ δεηθῆναι ἱματίων καὶ περιβολῆς ὁ ᾿Αδάμ. Οὕτω καὶ βασιλείας καὶ μετανοίας εἶχε σύμβολα τὸ σχῆμα ἐκεῖνο. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε᾽ πόθεν αὐτῷ τρίχινον ἱμάτιον καὶ ζώνη, τὴν ἔρημον οἰκοῦντι; Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο μέλλοις διαπορεῖν, καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα ζητήσεις πώς ἐν τοῖς χειμῶσι, πῶς ἐν τοῖς καύμασι διέτριβεν ἐ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἁπαλῷ σώματι καὶ ἀώρῳ ἡλικίᾳ : : πῶς ἤρκεσεν ἡ τῆς παιδικῆς σαρκὸς φύσις ἀνωμαλίᾳ ἀέρων τοσαύτῃ, καὶ τραπέζῃ οὕτως ἐξηλλαγμένῃ, καὶ τῇ ἄλλη τῇ απὸ τῆς ἐρημίας ταλαιπωρίᾳ: Ποὺ νὺν εἰσιν οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων φιλόσοφοι, οἵ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην τὴν κυνικὴν ἀναισχυντίαν ἐζήλωσαν : (τέ γὰρ ὄφελος τοῦ κατακλείεσθαι ἐν πίθῳ, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἀσελγαίνειν ὕστερον 3) οἱ καὶ δακτυλίους. καὶ φιάλας, καὶ θεράποντας, καὶ θεραπαινίδας, καὶ πολλὴν ἄλλην περιεβάλλοντο φαντασίαν, εἰς Ὁ ἑκατέραν ἀμετρίαν ἐκπίπτοντες: : Αλλ᾽ οὐχ οὗτος τοιοῦτος αλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν ἔρημον, ᾧκησε. πᾶσαν ἀκριβῆ φιλοσοφίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος κακεῖθεν ὡς ἄγγελός τις ἐξ οὐρανῶν εἰς τὰς πόλεις κατέβαινεν, ἀθλητὴς σὐσεβείας ὦ ὧν, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης στεφανίτης, καὶ φιλόσοφος. τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀξίας φιλοσοφίας. Καὶ ταῦτα ἦν, οὕπω τῆς ἁμαρτίας λυθείσης. οὔπω. τοῦ νόμον παυσαμένου, οὕπω τοῦ θανάτου δεθέντος, οὕπω τῶν χαλκῶν πυλῶν κατακλασθεισῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι τῆς παλαιᾶς κρατούσης πολιτείας. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι γενναία ψυχὴ καὶ διεγηγερμένη᾽ καὶ γὰρ πανταχοῦ προπηδᾷ, καὶ τὰ κείμενα ὑπερβαίνει σκάμματα' καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Πάυλος ἐπὶ τῆς καινῆς ἀποίει πολιτείας. ᾿Αλλὰ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶ, καὶ ζώνῃ μετὰ τοῦ ἱματίου ἐχρήσατο: : Ἔθος τοῦτο τοῖς παλαιοῖς ἢν, πρὶν εἰς τὸ μαλακὸν τοῦτο καὶ διαῤῥέον ἐξελθεῖν σχῆμα. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ Πέτρος φαίνεται ἐζωσμένος, καὶ ὁ Παύλον ἐς χὸν γὰρ ἄνδρα, φησὶν, οὗ ἐστιν ἢ ζώνη αὕτη. Καὶ ὁ ᾿λίας δὲ οὕτως ἣν ἑσταλμένος, καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἕκαστος, διὰ τὸ εἷναι ἐν ἔργῳ διηνεκῶς, ἤ ἤτοι ὁδοιπορίαις, ἤτοι περὶ ἕτερόν τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων πονουμένους καὶ σπουδάζοντας οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ ἢ τὸ καλλωπισμὸν ἅπαντα καταπατεῖν, καὶ σκληραγωγίαν ἅπασαν μελετᾶν ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ μέγιστον ἀρετῆς ἐγκώμιον εἶναί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὕτω λέγων θεοὶ ἐξηλθετε ἰδεῖν : ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον : : ἰδοὺ οἱ τὰ μαλακὰ φοροῦντες, ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων εἰσίν.
Kai gar ēn thaumaston kai paradoxon e en anthrōpinǭ sōmati tosautēn karterian idein' ho dē kai tous ᾿Ioudaious mallon epheilketo, ton megan lian en autǭ blepontas, kai pros tēn tou makariou mnēmēn ekeinou parapempomenous ek tōn horōmenōn tote mallon de kai pros pleiona ekplēxin. ᾿keinos men gar kai en polesi kai en oikiais etrepheto, houtos de de holou tēn erēmon hǭkēsen ek sparganōn autōn. Edei gar ton prodromon tou mellontos ta palaia lyein hapanta hoion, ton ponon, tēn kataran, tēn lypēn, ton hidrōta: e echein tina kai auton symbola tēs toiautēs dōreas, kai anōterō genesthai loipon tēs katadikēs ekeinēs. Oute goun gēn ērosen, oute aulaka etemen, ouch hidrōti tou prosōpou ton arton ephagen, all᾽ ēn eschediasmenē autǭ hē trapeza, kai eukolōtera tēs trapezēs hē peribolē, kai apragmonestera tēs peribolēs hē oikēsis. Oute gar stegēs, oute klinēs, ou trapezēs, oute allou tinos toutōn edeēthē, all᾽ angelikon tina bion en tę̄ sarki tautę̄ epedeiknyto. Dia touto kai trichinon himation. autǭ ēn, hina dia tou schēmatos paideusę̄ tōn anthrōpinōn aphistasthai, kai mēden koinon echein. pros tēn gēn, all᾽ epi tēn proteran hepanatrechein eugeneian, en hē hēn prin ē deēthēnai himatiōn kai peribolēs ho ᾿Adam. Houtō kai basileias kai metanoias eiche symbola to schēma ekeino. Kai mē moi lege᾽ pothen autǭ trichinon himation kai zōnē, tēn erēmon oikounti? Ei gar touto mellois diaporein, kai hetera pleiona zētēseis pōs en tois cheimōsi, pōs en tois kaumasi dietriben e epi tēs erēmias, kai tauta en hapalǭ sōmati kai aōrǭ hēlikią : : pōs ērkesen hē tēs paidikēs sarkos physis anōmalią aerōn tosautę̄, kai trapezę̄ houtōs exēllagmenę̄, kai tę̄ allē tę̄ apo tēs erēmias talaipōrią: Pou nyn eisin hoi tōn Hellēnōn philosophoi, hoi eikē kai matēn tēn kynikēn anaischyntian ezēlōsan : (te gar ophelos tou katakleiesthai en pithǭ, kai toiauta aselgainein hysteron 3) hoi kai daktylious. kai phialas, kai therapontas, kai therapainidas, kai pollēn allēn perieballonto phantasian, eis Ho hekateran ametrian ekpiptontes: : All᾽ ouch houtos toioutos all᾽ hōsper ton ouranon tēn erēmon, hǭkēse. pasan akribē philosophian epideiknymenos kakeithen hōs angelos tis ex ouranōn eis tas poleis katebainen, athlētēs sysebeias ō hōn, kai tēs oikoumenēs stephanitēs, kai philosophos. tēs tōn ouranōn axias philosophias. Kai tauta ēn, houpō tēs hamartias lytheisēs. oupō. tou nomon pausamenou, houpō tou thanatou dethentos, houpō tōn chalkōn pylōn kataklastheisōn, all᾽ eti tēs palaias kratousēs politeias. Toiouton esti gennaia psychē kai diegēgermenē᾽ kai gar pantachou propēdą, kai ta keimena hyperbainei skammata' kathaper kai ho Paulos epi tēs kainēs apoiei politeias. ᾿Alla tinos heneken, phēsi, kai zōnę̄ meta tou himatiou echrēsato: : Ethos touto tois palaiois ēn, prin eis to malakon touto kai diarrheon exelthein schēma. Houtō goun kai ho Petros phainetai ezōsmenos, kai ho Paulon es chon gar andra, phēsin, hou estin ē zōnē hautē. Kai ho ᾿lias de houtōs hēn hestalmenos, kai tōn hagiōn hekastos, dia to heinai en ergǭ diēnekōs, ē ētoi hodoiporiais, ētoi peri heteron ti tōn anankaiōn ponoumenous kai spoudazontas ou dia touto de monon, alla kai dia ē to kallōpismon hapanta katapatein, kai sklēragōgian hapasan meletan hoper oun kai auto megiston aretēs enkōmion einai phēsin ho Christos, houtō legōn theoi exēlthete idein : anthrōpon en malakois himatiois ēmphiesmenon : : idou hoi ta malaka phorountes, en tois oikois tōn basileōn eisin.
For it was wonderful and marvelous to see such endurance in a human body; which drew the Jews all the more, seeing in him the great Elijah, and being led by what they then saw to the memory of that blessed man; or rather, to even greater amazement. For that man was brought up in cities and houses, but this one lived wholly in the wilderness from his very swaddling clothes. For the forerunner of the one who was to undo all the old things, such as the toil, the curse, the grief, the sweat, had to have himself some tokens of such a gift and be above that condemnation at once. At any rate he neither plowed land nor cut a furrow, nor ate bread by the sweat of his face; but his table was ready-made, his clothing easier than his table, and his dwelling less troublesome than his clothing. For he needed neither roof, nor bed, nor table, nor any other of these things, but displayed a kind of angelic life in this flesh. That is why he had a garment of hair, so that by his dress he might teach men to stand apart from human things and have nothing in common with the earth, but run back to the former nobility in which Adam was before he needed garments and clothing. So that dress was a token both of the kingdom and of repentance. And do not say to me: Where did he get a hair garment and a belt, living in the wilderness? For if you are going to raise this difficulty, you will ask many other things too: how he lived in the wilderness in the winters and in the heats, and that in a tender body and at an untimely age; how the nature of a child's flesh was equal to so great an unevenness of weather, and a table so unusual, and the other hardship of the wilderness. Where now are the philosophers of the Greeks, who idly and in vain emulated the shamelessness of the Cynics? (For what is the use of being shut up in a jar and afterward behaving so licentiously?) Who surrounded themselves with rings and cups and men servants and maid servants and much other pomp, falling into excess on either side? But this man was not such; but he lived in the wilderness as in heaven, displaying all exact philosophy, and from there he came down into the cities like an angel from heaven, an athlete of godliness, a crowned victor of the world, a philosopher of a philosophy worthy of heaven. And this was so while sin was not yet undone, the law not yet ended, death not yet bound, the gates of brass not yet broken, but the old way of life still prevailing. Such is a noble and wakeful soul: it leaps forward everywhere and passes beyond the marks set, as Paul too did under the new way of life.
“And why,” someone says, “did he use a belt with his garment?” This was the custom of the ancients, before they passed to this soft and loose style of dress. So, at any rate, Peter too appears girded, and Paul: “The man,” it says, “whose belt this is.” And Elijah too was so dressed, and each of the saints, because they were continually at work, either on journeys or toiling and busy about some other necessary thing; and not only for this, but also to trample on all adornment and practice all hardihood. Which Christ too says is the greatest praise of virtue, speaking thus: “What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft things are in kings' houses.”
2 Kgs 1:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 107:16 (106:16 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 3:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 21:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 21:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 11:8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: John's ascetic life in the wilderness from childhood recalled Elijah and anticipated freedom from the curse; his hair garment taught detachment, unlike the vain Cynic philosophers; his belt was the dress of active saints; Christ praised his rejection of soft clothing.
- Allusions: 2 Kgs 1:8 (Elijah's dress); Gen 3:17–19; Gen 3:21; Isa 45:2 / Ps 107:16 (gates of brass); Phil 3:13–14; John 21:18; Acts 21:11 (quoted); Matt 11:8 (quoted). The Cynics are mocked for Diogenes' jar; the polemic is Chrysostom's own.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters)): ᾿ οὔτε → οὔτε; ᾿ εἰς → εἰς; Ε φησὶ, → φησὶ,; ' ἤτοι → ἤτοι; ᾿ ἀναγκαίων → ἀναγκαίων.
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.4 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.
10.5Field 1
Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος ὁ καθαρὸς οὕτω καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λαμιπρότερος ὦν, καὶ ὑπὲρ προφήτας πάντας, καὶ οὗ μείζων οὐδεὶς ἐγένετο, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἔχων τοσαύτην, οὕτως εαυτὸν ἐσκληραγώγει, τὴν μὲν διαῤρέουσαν τρυφὴν ἀτιμάζων μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας, ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν σκληρὸν τοῦτον ἑαυτὸν ἄγων βίον, τίνα ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν οἱ μετὰ τοσαύτὴν εὐεργεσίαν καὶ τὰ μυρία φορτία τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μηδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν μέρος τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως ἐπιδεικνύμενοι τῆς ἐκείνου, αλλὰ μσθύοντες καὶ γαστριζόμενοι καὶ μύρων ὄζοντες, καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ πορνενομένων γυναικῶν οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενοι, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἑαυτοὺς καταμαλακίζοντες, καὶ εὐχειρώτους τῷ διαβόλῳ ποιοῦντες. ἱ Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ ) Ιουδαία, καὶ ᾿[εροσόλυμα, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοὺ Ἰορδάνου, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Ὁρᾷς πόσον ἴσχυσεν ἢ παρουσία τοῦ προφήτου: : πὼς πάντα τὸν δῆμον ἀνεπτέρωσε : πῶς αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔννοιαν ἤγαγε τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων: Καὶ γὰρ ἣν θαύματος ἄξιον, ἰδεῖν ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ σχήματι τοιαῦτα ἐπιδεικνύμενον αὐτὸν, καὶ τοσαύτῃ κεχρημένον. τῆ παῤῥησίᾳ, καὶ πάντων ὡς παίδων κατεξανιστάμενον, καὶ πολλὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου τὴν χάριν ἔχοντα ἀπολάμπουσαν. Συνετέλει δὲ εἰς ἔκπληξιν καὶ τὸ διὰ πολλοὺ τοῦ χρόνου προφήτην φανήναι᾽ καὶ γὰρ ἐπέλιπεν αὐτοὺς τὸ χάρισμα, καὶ διὰ μακροῦ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπανῆλθε τοῦ χρόνου. Καὶ ὁ τοῦ κηρύγματος δὲ τρόπος ξένος Ὁ καὶ παρηλλαγμένος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν συνήθων ἤ ἤκονον, οἷον, πολέμους καὶ μάχας καὶ νίκας τὰς κάτω, καὶ λιμοὺς καὶ λοιμοὺς, καὶ Βαβυλωνίους καὶ Πέρσας, καὶ πόλεως ἅλωσιν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα τὰ συνήθη ἀλλ᾽ οὐρανοὺς καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖ βασιλείαν, καὶ τὴν ἐν τῆ γεέννῃ κόλασιν. Διά τοι ἡ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον ἀποστατῶν σφαγέντων ἁπάντων ου πρὸ πολλοῦ τοῦ Χρόνου, τῶν μετὰ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ Θευδᾶ, οὐκ ἐγένοντο ὀκνηρότεροι πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον τὴν ἐκεῖσε. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς αὐτοὺς ἐκάλει οἷον, ἐπὶ τυραννίδι καὶ ἀποστασίᾳ καὶ νεωτεροποιΐᾳ ἀλλ᾽ ὥστε πρὸς τὴν ἄνω χειἙ ραγενγῆσαι βασιλείαν. Διόπερ οὐδὲ κατεῖχεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ περιφέρων, ἀλλὰ βαπτίζων, καὶ τοὺς περὶ φιλοσοφίας παιδεύων λόγους, ἀπέλνε διὰ πάντων αὐτοὺς διδάσκων, τῶν μὲν ἐν τῇ γῆ πάντων ὑπερορᾶν, πρὸς δὲ τὰ μέλλοντα αἴρεσθαι, καὶ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἐπείγεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν. Ὁ Τοῦτον δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ζηλώσωμεν, καὶ τὰς τρυφὰς καὶ τὴν μέθην ἀφέντες, ἐπὶ τὸν κατεσταλμένον μεταθώμεθα βίον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐξομολογήσεως ὁ καιρὸς καὶ τοῖς ἀμυήτοις καὶ τοῖς βαπτισθεῖσι τοῖς μὲν, ἵνα μετανοήσαντες τῶν ἱερῶν τύχωσι μυστηρίων, τοῖς δὲ, ἵνα ἀπονιψάμενοι τὴν μετὰ τὸ βαάπτισμα κηλῖδα, καθαρῷ συνειδότι τῇ τραπέζῃ προσέλθωσιν. Ἀποστῶμεν τοίνυν τοῦ ὑγροῦ τούτον καὶ διαλελυμένου βιου. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι καὶ τρυφᾶν. Καὶ ταῦτα διδασκέτω ὑμᾶς ᾿Ιωάννης, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐνδύματος, ἀπὸ τῆς τροφῆς, ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας. Τί οὖν; οὕτω κελεύεις ἡμᾶς κατεστάλθαι; φησίν. Οὐ κελεύω, ἀλλὰ συμβουλεύω καὶ παραινῶ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ δυνατὸν ὑμῖν τοῦτο, κἀν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν ὄντες ἐπιδειξώμεθα τὴν μετάνοιαν' καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ θύραις τὸ δικαστήριον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ μακροτέρω ἣν, οὐδὲ οὕτω χ θαῤῥεῖν ἔδει' τὸ γὰρ ἑκάστου πέρας τῆς ζωῆς, τῆς συντελείας ἐπέχει δύναμιν τῷ καλουμένῳ. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ θύ ραις, ἄκουσον τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντοτ ἐς ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἢ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικε καὶ πάλιν ὁ ἥξει γὰρ ὃ ἐρχόμενος, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ σημεῖα λοιπὸν ἀπήρτισται τὰ καλοῦντα τὴν. ἡμέραν ἐκείνην. τὰ: Κηρυχθήσεται γάρ, φησὶ, τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ τότε ἥξει τὸ τέλος.
Ei de ekeinos ho katharos houtō kai tou ouranou lamiproteros ōn, kai hyper prophētas pantas, kai hou meizōn oudeis egeneto, kai parrhēsian echōn tosautēn, houtōs eauton esklēragōgei, tēn men diarreousan tryphēn atimazōn meta pollēs tēs periousias, epi de ton sklēron touton heauton agōn bion, tina hexomen apologian hoi meta tosautēn euergesian kai ta myria phortia tōn hamartēmatōn mēde to polloston meros tēs exomologēseōs epideiknymenoi tēs ekeinou, alla msthyontes kai gastrizomenoi kai myrōn ozontes, kai tōn en tę̄ skēnę̄ pornenomenōn gynaikōn ouden ameinon diakeimenoi, kai pantachothen heautous katamalakizontes, kai eucheirōtous tǭ diabolǭ poiountes. hi Tote exeporeueto pros auton pasa hē ) Ioudaia, kai ᾿[erosolyma, kai pasa hē perichōros tou Iordanou, kai ebaptizonto hyp᾽ autou, exomologoumenoi tas hamartias autōn. Horąs poson ischysen ē parousia tou prophētou: : pōs panta ton dēmon anepterōse : pōs autous eis ennoian ēgage tōn oikeiōn hamartēmatōn: Kai gar hēn thaumatos axion, idein en anthrōpinǭ schēmati toiauta epideiknymenon auton, kai tosautę̄ kechrēmenon. tē parrhēsią, kai pantōn hōs paidōn katexanistamenon, kai pollēn apo tou prosōpou tēn charin echonta apolampousan. Synetelei de eis ekplēxin kai to dia pollou tou chronou prophētēn phanēnai᾽ kai gar epelipen autous to charisma, kai dia makrou pros autous epanēlthe tou chronou. Kai ho tou kērygmatos de tropos xenos Ho kai parēllagmenos. Ouden gar tōn synēthōn ē ēkonon, hoion, polemous kai machas kai nikas tas katō, kai limous kai loimous, kai Babylōnious kai Persas, kai poleōs halōsin, kai ta alla ta synēthē all᾽ ouranous kai tēn ekei basileian, kai tēn en tē geennę̄ kolasin. Dia toi hē touto kai tōn kata tēn erēmon apostatōn sphagentōn hapantōn ou pro pollou tou Chronou, tōn meta ᾿Iouda kai Theuda, ouk egenonto oknēroteroi pros tēn exodon tēn ekeise. Oude gar epi tois autois autous ekalei hoion, epi tyrannidi kai apostasią kai neōteropoiïą all᾽ hōste pros tēn anō cheiE ragengēsai basileian. Dioper oude kateichen en tę̄ erēmǭ meth᾽ heautou peripherōn, alla baptizōn, kai tous peri philosophias paideuōn logous, apelne dia pantōn autous didaskōn, tōn men en tę̄ gē pantōn hyperoran, pros de ta mellonta airesthai, kai kath᾽ hekastēn epeigesthai tēn hēmeran. Ho Touton dē kai hēmeis zēlōsōmen, kai tas tryphas kai tēn methēn aphentes, epi ton katestalmenon metathōmetha bion. Kai gar exomologēseōs ho kairos kai tois amyētois kai tois baptistheisi tois men, hina metanoēsantes tōn hierōn tychōsi mystēriōn, tois de, hina aponipsamenoi tēn meta to baaptisma kēlida, katharǭ syneidoti tę̄ trapezę̄ proselthōsin. Apostōmen toinyn tou hygrou touton kai dialelymenou biou. Ou gar estin, ouk estin homou kai exomologeisthai kai tryphan. Kai tauta didasketō hymas ᾿Iōannēs, apo tou endymatos, apo tēs trophēs, apo tēs oikias. Ti oun? houtō keleueis hēmas katestalthai? phēsin. Ou keleuō, alla symbouleuō kai parainō. Ei de mē dynaton hymin touto, kan en tais polesin ontes epideixōmetha tēn metanoian' kai gar epi thyrais to dikastērion. Ei de kai makroterō hēn, oude houtō ch tharrhein edei' to gar hekastou peras tēs zōēs, tēs synteleias epechei dynamin tǭ kaloumenǭ. Hoti de kai epi thy rais, akouson tou Paulou legontot es hē nyx proekopsen, ē de hēmera ēngike kai palin ho hēxei gar ho erchomenos, kai ou chroniei. Kai gar ta sēmeia loipon apērtistai ta kalounta tēn. hēmeran ekeinēn. ta: Kērychthēsetai gar, phēsi, touto to euangelion tēs basileias en holǭ tǭ kosmǭ eis martyrion pasi tois ethnesi kai tote hēxei to telos.
And if that pure man, brighter than heaven, above all the prophets, than whom no one greater was born, and having such boldness, so disciplined himself, despising soft luxury with great abundance and leading himself to this hard life, what defense shall we have, who after so great a benefit and countless burdens of sins show not the smallest part of his confession, but get drunk and gorge ourselves and smell of perfumes, and are in no better state than the harlot women on the stage, and in every way make ourselves soft and easy prey for the devil?
“Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan, and they were baptized by him, confessing their sins.” Do you see how much the coming of the prophet availed? How it gave wings to the whole people? How it led them to a consciousness of their own sins? For it was worth wondering at to see him displaying such things in human form, using such boldness, rising up against all as against children, and having much grace shining from his face. The appearing of a prophet after a long time also contributed to the amazement; for the gift had failed them and had returned to them after a long time. And the manner of the preaching too was strange and unusual. For they heard none of the usual things, such as wars and battles and victories here below, famines and plagues, Babylonians and Persians, the capture of the city, and the other usual things; but heaven and the kingdom there, and the punishment in hell. That is why, although all the rebels in the wilderness, those with Judas and Theudas, had been slain not long before, they did not become more reluctant to go out there. For he did not call them for the same things, such as tyranny, rebellion, and revolution, but so as to be led by the hand to the kingdom above. That is why he did not keep them with him in the wilderness, carrying them about, but baptizing them and teaching them the words about philosophy he dismissed them, teaching them through everything to look down on all things on earth, to be lifted up toward what is to come, and to press on every day.
Let us too emulate him, and, leaving luxury and drunkenness, change to the composed life. For it is the time for confession both for the uninitiated and for the baptized; for the former, so that by repenting they may obtain the sacred mysteries; for the latter, so that by washing off the stain after baptism they may approach the table with a pure conscience. Let us stand away, then, from this soft and dissolute life. For it is not possible, it is not possible, both to confess and to live in luxury. Let John teach you this, by his clothing, by his food, by his dwelling. “What then?” someone says. “Do you bid us be so austere?” I do not bid, but advise and exhort. And if this is not possible for you, at least let us show repentance while living in the cities; for the judgment is at the door. And even if it were farther off, not even so ought we to be confident; for the end of each person's life has the force of the consummation for the one who is called. And that it is at the door, hear Paul saying: “The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near”; and again: “For the one who is coming will come and will not delay.” For the signs that summon that day have now been completed: “For this gospel of the kingdom,” he says, “will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Matt 11:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 5:36 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 5:37 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 13:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 10:37 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:14 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: If John, the greatest of the prophets, lived so austerely, our luxury is inexcusable; his preaching of heaven, not of earthly wars, drew all Judea to confession; now is the time of confession for catechumens and baptized alike, for the judgment is near.
- Quotations: Matt 3:5–6; Rom 13:12; Heb 10:37; Matt 24:14. Allusions: Matt 11:9–11; Acts 5:36–37 (Theudas and Judas the Galilean). The 'table' is the Eucharist; confession after baptism is urged on the baptized. Field's marginal heading for the moral section ('That repentance is doing the opposite of one's sins; and on perseverance in prayer') and apparatus readings run into the text by the OCR are removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters); apparatus readings and Field's marginal heading run into the text by the OCR): ἐνέλιπεν Ἐσα. ᾽ καὶ τὰ κατὰ Α.Β. τας κατὰ ὁ. τοῦτο ταῦτα Εάα. ᾿ ὀκνηρότεροι οὗτοι ΕἸ. ὃ ΗΘΙΚΟΝ. Ὅτι ᾿μετανοιά ἐστι τὸ τὰ ἐναντία ἸΑ Μν, ὧν τις ἥμαρτε καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς ὑπομονῆς. Α. Β συνεσταλμένον Εάἀα. Μοχ ὁ δῃΐδ καιρὸς Οῃ}. νυΐρο εἐ εν τῶ βαπτίσματι ταῖς κηλῖδας. θαῤῥεῖν → θαῤῥεῖν; Β ἑαυτὸν → ἑαυτὸν; σ Ὁρᾷς → Ὁρᾷς; ν ἔχοντα → ἔχοντα; ᾿ ἐπέλιπεν → ἐπέλιπεν; λοιμοὺς, ᾽ καὶ → λοιμοὺς, καὶ.
Topics: Baptism, Eschatology, Ethics
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.5 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.
10.6Field 1
Προσἔχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας τῷ λεγομένῳ. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅταν πιστευθῇ παρὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων' ἀλλ᾽, ὅταν κηρυχθῇ παρὰ πᾶσι. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἔλεγεν, εἰς μαρτύριον τοῖς ἔθνεσι, δεικνύς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀναμένει πάντας πιστεῦσαι, καὶ τότε παραγενέσθαι. Τὸ γὰρ, εἰς μαρτύριον, τοῦτο ἐστιν, εἰς κατηγορίαν, εἰς ἔλεγχον, εἰς κατάκρισιν τῶν μὴ πιστευσάντων. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡμεῖς ταῦτα ἀκούοντες καὶ ὁρῶντες, καθεύδομεν καὶ ὀνείρατα βλέπομεν, καθάπερ ἐν βαθυτάτῃ νυκτὶ κεκαρωμένοι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὀνειράτων ἄμεινον τὰ παρόντα πράγματα, κἂν χρηστὰ ἥ» κἂν λυπηρά. Διὸ δὴ παρακαλῶ λοιπὸν Ὁ αφυπνισθῆναι; καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀπιδεῖν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ καθεύδων ἥλιον ἰδεῖν δύναται, οὐδὲ εὐφρᾶναι τὰς ὄψεις τῷ κάλλει τῆς ἀκτῖνος ἀλλ᾽ ἅπερ ἄν ἴδη, πάντα ὡς ἐν ὀνείρῳ βλέπει. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς ἡμῖν δεῖ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως καὶ πολλών τῶν δακρύων, καὶ ὅτι ἀναλγήτως διακείμεθα πλημμελοῦντες, καὶ ὅτι μεγάλα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ σνγγνώμης μείζονα. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι, μάρτυρες οἱ (θτ) πλείους τῶν ἀκουόντων. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οἱ καὶ συγγνώμης μείζονα, μετανοήσωμεν, καὶ στεφάνων ἀπολαυσόμεθα. Μετάνοιαν δὲ λέγω, οὐ τὸ τῶν προτέρων ἀποστῆναι κακῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ δ μείζονα ἀπιδείξασθαι καλα. Ποιήσατε γάρ, φησὶ, καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας. Πώς. δὲ ποιήσομεν: Ἂν τὰ ἐναντία πράττωμεν οἷόν τι λέγω ἥρπασας τὰ ἀλλότρια: Δὸς καὶ τὰ σὰ λοιπόν. Πολὺν ἐπόρνευσας χρόνον: Απόσχου καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς σῆς ὡρισμένας ἡμέρας ἐγκράτειαν ἄσκησον. Ὕβρισας καὶ ἢ ἐτύπτησας παριόντας : Εὐλόγει λοιπὸν τοὺς ὑβρίζοντας, καὶ εὐεργέτει τοὺς πλήττοντας. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ εἰς ὑγείαν ἡμῖν τὸ βέλος ἐξελεῖν μόνον, ! ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τραύματι φάρμακα ἐπιθεῖναι. ᾿Ετρύφησας καὶ ἐμεθύσθης τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον : ;: Νήστευε καὶ ὑδροποσίᾳ πρόσεχε, ἵνα τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐγγενομένην λύμην ἀνέλῃς. Εἶδες ἀκολάστοις ὀφθαλμοῖς κάλλος ἀλλότριον: Μηδὲ ὅλως ἴδης γυναῖκα λοιπὸν, ἵν᾽ ἐπὶ πλείονι καταστῇῆς ἀσφαλείᾳ. (ἡ Εκκλένον γάρ, φησὶν, απὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν καὶ παλιν Ἦ παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσαν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ χείλη σον τοῦ μὴ λαλῆηι δόλον. Ἀλλ᾽ εἰπέ μοι καὶ τὸ ἀγαθόν. 5 Ζήτησον καὶ δίωξον αὐτήν οὐ τὴν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους λέγω μόνον, αλλὰ καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεόν. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, δίὠξον ἀπελήλαται γὰρ καὶ ἐκβέβληται, καὶ τὴν γὴν ἀφεῖσα εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν. ἀπεδήμησεν. ᾿Αλλὰ δυνησόμεθα αὐτὴν πάλιν ἐπαναγαγεῖν, ἐὰν θέλωμεν, ἀπόνοιαν καὶ ἀλαζονείαν, καὶ πάντα τὰ κωλύματα αὐτῆς ἐκβαλόντες, τὸν σώφρονα τοῦτον καὶ λιτὸν διώκειν βίον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὀργῆς χαλεπώτερον καὶ θρασύτητος. Αὕτη καὶ τετυφωμένους καὶ ουλοπρεπεῖς ἐργάζεται; δι ἐκείνου μὲν καταγελάστους, διὰ τούτου δὲ μισητοὺς ποιοῦσα, καὶ ἐναντίας εἰσάγουσα κακίας, ἀποόνοιάν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ κολακείαν. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν τὴν πλεονεξίαν τοῦ πάθους περικόψωμεν, καὶ ταπεινοὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας, καὶ ὑψηλοὶ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας, ἐσόμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς σώμασι τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας αἱ δυσκρασίαι Υίνονται καὶ ὅτε τοὺς οἰκείους ὅρους ἀφέντα τὰ στοιχεῖα εἰς ἀμετρίαν ἐξέλθῃ, τότε αἱ μυρίαι νόσοι καὶ οἱ χαλεποὶ τίκτονται θάνατοι: ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς συμβαῖνον ἴδοι τις ἄν.
Prosechete meta akribeias tǭ legomenǭ. Ouk eipen, hotan pisteuthę̄ para pantōn anthrōpōn' all᾽, hotan kērychthę̄ para pasi. Dia touto kai elegen, eis martyrion tois ethnesi, deiknys, hoti ouk anamenei pantas pisteusai, kai tote paragenesthai. To gar, eis martyrion, touto estin, eis katēgorian, eis elenchon, eis katakrisin tōn mē pisteusantōn. All᾽ hēmeis tauta akouontes kai horōntes, katheudomen kai oneirata blepomen, kathaper en bathytatę̄ nykti kekarōmenoi. Ouden gar oneiratōn ameinon ta paronta pragmata, kan chrēsta hē» kan lypēra. Dio dē parakalō loipon Ho aphypnisthēnai? kai pros ton hēlion tēs dikaiosynēs apidein. Oudeis gar katheudōn hēlion idein dynatai, oude euphranai tas opseis tǭ kallei tēs aktinos all᾽ haper an idē, panta hōs en oneirǭ blepei. Dia touto pollēs hēmin dei tēs exomologēseōs kai pollōn tōn dakryōn, kai hoti analgētōs diakeimetha plēmmelountes, kai hoti megala ta hamartēmata kai snngnōmēs meizona. Kai hoti ou pseudomai, martyres hoi (tht) pleious tōn akouontōn. ᾿All᾽ homōs hoi kai syngnōmēs meizona, metanoēsōmen, kai stephanōn apolausometha. Metanoian de legō, ou to tōn proterōn apostēnai kakōn monon, alla kai to d meizona apideixasthai kala. Poiēsate gar, phēsi, karpous axious tēs metanoias. Pōs. de poiēsomen: An ta enantia prattōmen hoion ti legō hērpasas ta allotria: Dos kai ta sa loipon. Polyn eporneusas chronon: Aposchou kai tēs gynaikos tēs sēs hōrismenas hēmeras enkrateian askēson. Hybrisas kai ē etyptēsas pariontas : Eulogei loipon tous hybrizontas, kai euergetei tous plēttontas. Ou gar arkei eis hygeian hēmin to belos exelein monon, ! alla kai tǭ traumati pharmaka epitheinai. ᾿Etryphēsas kai emethysthēs ton emprosthen chronon : ?: Nēsteue kai hydroposią proseche, hina tēn ekeithen engenomenēn lymēn anelę̄s. Eides akolastois ophthalmois kallos allotrion: Mēde holōs idēs gynaika loipon, hin᾽ epi pleioni katastę̄ēs asphaleią. (hē Ekklenon gar, phēsin, apo kakou, kai poiēson agathon kai palin Ē pauson tēn glōssan sou apo kakou, kai cheilē son tou mē lalēēi dolon. All᾽ eipe moi kai to agathon. 5 Zētēson kai diōxon autēn ou tēn pros anthrōpous legō monon, alla kai tēn pros ton theon. Kai kalōs eipe, diōxon apelēlatai gar kai ekbeblētai, kai tēn gēn apheisa eis ton ouranon. apedēmēsen. ᾿Alla dynēsometha autēn palin epanagagein, ean thelōmen, aponoian kai alazoneian, kai panta ta kōlymata autēs ekbalontes, ton sōphrona touton kai liton diōkein bion. Ouden gar orgēs chalepōteron kai thrasytētos. Hautē kai tetyphōmenous kai ouloprepeis ergazetai? di ekeinou men katagelastous, dia toutou de misētous poiousa, kai enantias eisagousa kakias, apoonoian te homou kai kolakeian. All᾽ ean tēn pleonexian tou pathous perikopsōmen, kai tapeinoi meta akribeias, kai hypsēloi meta asphaleias, esometha. Kai gar kai en tois sōmasi tois hēmeterois apo pleonexias hai dyskrasiai Uinontai kai hote tous oikeious horous aphenta ta stoicheia eis ametrian exelthę̄, tote hai myriai nosoi kai hoi chalepoi tiktontai thanatoi: hoper kai epi tēs psychēs symbainon idoi tis an.
Attend carefully to what is said. He did not say, “when it has been believed by all men,” but “when it has been preached to all.” That is why he also said, “as a testimony to the nations,” showing that he does not wait for all to believe and then come. For “as a testimony” means for accusation, for refutation, for condemnation of those who have not believed. But we, hearing and seeing these things, sleep and see dreams, stupefied as in the deepest night. For present things are no better than dreams, whether pleasant or painful. That is why I urge you now to wake up and look to the Sun of righteousness. For no one who sleeps can see the sun or delight his eyes with the beauty of its ray; but whatever he sees, he sees as in a dream. That is why we need much confession and many tears, both because we are insensible when we offend, and because our sins are great and beyond pardon. And that I do not lie, most of those who hear are witnesses. Yet even if they are beyond pardon, let us repent, and we shall enjoy crowns. And by repentance I mean not only departing from former evils, but also showing greater good. “For bear fruits,” he says, “worthy of repentance.” How shall we bear them? If we do the opposite. For example: Have you seized what belongs to others? Give even what is yours from now on. Have you committed sexual immorality for a long time? Abstain even from your own wife for certain days; practice self-control. Have you insulted and struck passers-by? Bless from now on those who insult you, and do good to those who strike you. For it is not enough for our health to draw out the arrow; we must also apply remedies to the wound. Have you lived in luxury and been drunk in time past? Fast and keep to drinking water, so as to remove the ruin that has come from that. Have you looked with unchaste eyes on another's beauty? Do not look at a woman at all from now on, so that you may stand in greater safety. “For turn away from evil,” it says, “and do good”; and again, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” But tell me the good also. “Seek peace and pursue it”; I mean not only peace with men, but also peace with God. And he said well, “pursue”; for it has been driven away and cast out, and leaving the earth it has gone off to heaven. But we shall be able to bring it back again, if we wish, casting out arrogance and boastfulness and all its hindrances, and pursuing this chaste and simple life. For nothing is worse than anger and rashness. This makes men both puffed up and servile, making them ridiculous by the one and hateful by the other, and bringing in opposite vices together, arrogance and flattery. But if we cut off the excess of the passion, we shall be both exactly humble and safely lofty. For in our bodies too disorders come from excess; and when the elements leave their proper bounds and pass into immoderation, then countless diseases and cruel deaths are born; which one could see happening with the soul too.
Matt 24:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:44 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 34:14 (33:15 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 34:13 (33:14 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:28 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The end comes when the Gospel has been preached to all, as testimony against unbelievers; we must wake from present dreams and repent by doing the opposite of our sins; peace with God must be pursued by cutting off anger and excess.
- Quotations: Matt 24:14; Matt 3:8; Ps 34:14, 13 (33:15, 14 LXX). Allusions: Mal 4:2; Matt 5:44; Luke 6:28; 1 Cor 7:5 (abstaining from one's wife for a time); Matt 5:28. 'Sexual immorality' renders πορνεύειν. Apparatus readings run into the text by the OCR are removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters); apparatus readings run into the text by the OCR): Εὐλόγει Ἰην {πο ΡΡ. μείζονα ἄμεινον Μογ. Βοη. ν ἐτύπτησας} ᾿ λοιπὸν → Εὐλόγει λοιπὸν; Ε ἀλλὰ → ἀλλὰ; ΕΡ Ω καὶ → καὶ.
Topics: Ethics, Fasting, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.6 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.
10.7Field 1
Περικόψωμεν τοίνυν τὴν ἀμετρίαν, καὶ τὸ σωτήριον τῆς συμμετρίας πίνοντες φάρμακον, μένωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς εὐκρασίας Ὁ τῆς προσηκούσης, καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς μετὰ ἀκριβείας προσέχωμεν. Κἀν μὴ λάβωμεν, παραμείνωμεν, ἵνα λάβωμεν κἂν λάβωμεν, ἐπειδὴ ἐλάβομεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὸς βούλεται ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὴν δόσιν, αλλὰ τῇ μελλήσει τὴν προσεδρείαν ἡμῖν σοφίζεται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπερτίθεται τὴν αἴτησιν, καὶ πειρασμὸν συγχωρεῖ πολλάκις ἐπελθεῖν, ἵνα συνεχῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν καταφεύγωμεν, καὶ ᾿καταφυγόντες μένωμεν. Οὕτω καὶ πατέρες φιλόστοργοι ποιοῦσι; καὶ μητέρες φιλόπαιδες ᾿ἐπειδὰν ἴδωσι τὰ παιδία τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς συνουσίαν αφέντα καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὁμηλίκων παίζοντα, πολλὰ τοὺς οἰκέτας ὑποκρίνασθαι παρα- Ἐ σκευάζουσι φοβερὰ, ὥὦστε ὑπὸ τοῦ δέους καταναγκασθῆναι πρὸς τὸν μητρικὸν κόλπον καταφυγεῖν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῷ ἀνατείνεται πολλάκις ἀπειλὴν, οὐχ ἵνα ἐπαγάγη; αλλ πρὸς αὑτὸν ἐφελκύσηται. Ὅταν γοῦν ἐπανέλθωμεν τὰ αὐτὸν, λύει τὸν βον εὐθέως ὡς εἴγε ὅμοιοι ἦμεν ἐν πειβασμοις καὶ ἐν ανέσει, οὐδ ἃ ἂν ἐδέησε, πειρασμῶν. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ ἡμῶν: ; Καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἐκείνοις πολὺς ἐντεῦθεν ὁ σωφρονισμὸς ἣν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης λέγει ὅτε ἀγαθόν μοι ὅτι ἐταπείνωσάς με. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλῖψιν ἕξετε. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τοῦτο αὐτὸ αἰνίττεται, ὅταν λέγῃ ἐς ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκὶ, ἄγγελος Σατάν, ἵ ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ. Διὸ καὶ δεηθεὶς ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, οὐκ ἐπέτυχε, διὰ τὸ πολλὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐγγίνεσθαι. ᾿Εὰν δὲ καὶ τοῦ Δαυὶδ τὸν βίον ἐπέλθωμεν ἅπαντα, εὑρήσομεν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς κινδύνοις λαμπρότερον ὄντα, καὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τοὺς κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ᾿Ιὼβ τότε μει-Β ζόνως ἔλαμψε, καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ δὲ οὕτως ἐπὶ πλέον εὐδοκίμησε.. καὶ ὁ ᾿Ιακὼβ δὲ, καὶ ὁ τούτον πατὴρ, καὶ ὁ ἐκείνου, καὶ πα ντες ὅσοι πώποτε λαμπροτέρους ἀνεδήσαντο στεφάνους, ἀπὸ θλίψεων καὶ πειρασμῶν καὶ ἐστεφανώθησαν, καὶ ἀνεκηρύχθησαν. Ἅπερ πάντα συνειδότες, κατὰ τὸν σοφὸν λόγον, ὁ μἢ σπεύσωμεν ἐν καιρῷ ἐπαγωγῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ἕν μόνον ἑαυτοὺς παιδεύσωμεν, τὸ φέρειν πάντα γενναίως, καὶ μηδὲν πολυπραγμονεῖν, μηδὲ περιεργάζεσθαι τῶν γινομένων. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰδέναι, πότε δεῖ λυθῆναι τὰς θλίψεις, τοῦ συγχωροῦντος αὐτὰς προσελθεῖν θεοῦ τὸ δὲ ἐπενεχθείσας μετὰ πάσης φέρειν εὐχαριστίας, τῆς ἡμῶν εὐγνωμοσύνης λοιπὸν ἔργον ἐστίν' ὅπερ ἐὰν γένηται, πάντα ἔψεται τὰ ἀγαθα. ν᾽ οὖν ταῦτα ἕπηται, καὶ δοκιμώτεροι μὲν ἐνταῦθα, λαμπρότεροι δὲ ἐκεῖσε γενώμεθα, πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ἐπενεχθῇ δεχώμεθα, χάριν εἰδότες ὑπὲρ πάντων τῷ εἰδότι μᾶλλον ἡμῶν τὸ συμφέρον, καὶ τῶν γεγεννηκότων σφοδρότερον ἡ ἡμᾶς φιλοῦντι καὶ τούτους ἀμφοτέρους τοὺς λογισμοὺς καθ᾽ ἕ ἕκαστον τῶν δεινῶν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπάδοντες, καταστέλλωμεν τὴν ἀθυμίαν, καὶ δοξάζωμεν ἑ ἐν πᾶσι τὸν πάντα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ποιοῦντα καὶ πραγὉ ματευόμενον θεόν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς διακρουσόμεθα ῥᾳδίως, καὶ τῶν ἀκηράτων ἐπιτευξόμεθα στεφάνων, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ πατρὶ δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.
Perikopsōmen toinyn tēn ametrian, kai to sōtērion tēs symmetrias pinontes pharmakon, menōmen epi tēs eukrasias Ho tēs prosēkousēs, kai tais euchais meta akribeias prosechōmen. Kan mē labōmen, parameinōmen, hina labōmen kan labōmen, epeidē elabomen. Oude gar autos bouletai anaballesthai tēn dosin, alla tę̄ mellēsei tēn prosedreian hēmin sophizetai. Dia touto kai hypertithetai tēn aitēsin, kai peirasmon synchōrei pollakis epelthein, hina synechōs pros auton katapheugōmen, kai ᾿kataphygontes menōmen. Houtō kai pateres philostorgoi poiousi? kai mēteres philopaides ᾿epeidan idōsi ta paidia tēn pros autous synousian aphenta kai meta tōn homēlikōn paizonta, polla tous oiketas hypokrinasthai para- E skeuazousi phobera, hōōste hypo tou deous katanankasthēnai pros ton mētrikon kolpon kataphygein. Houtō kai ho tǭ anateinetai pollakis apeilēn, ouch hina epagagē? all pros hauton ephelkysētai. Hotan goun epanelthōmen ta auton, lyei ton bon eutheōs hōs eige homoioi ēmen en peibasmois kai en anesei, oud ha an edeēse, peirasmōn. Kai ti legō peri hēmōn: ? Kai gar tois hagiois ekeinois polys enteuthen ho sōphronismos hēn. Dia touto kai ho prophētēs legei hote agathon moi hoti etapeinōsas me. Kai autos de tois apostolois elegen en tǭ kosmǭ thlipsin hexete. Kai ho Paulos touto auto ainittetai, hotan legę̄ es edothē moi skolops tę̄ sarki, angelos Satan, hi hina me kolaphizę̄. Dio kai deētheis apallagēnai tou peirasmou, ouk epetyche, dia to pollēn ex autou tēn ōpheleian enginesthai. ᾿Ean de kai tou Dauid ton bion epelthōmen hapanta, heurēsomen auton en tois kindynois lamproteron onta, kai auton, kai tous allous hapantas tous kat᾽ ekeinon. Kai gar ho ᾿Iōb tote mei-B zonōs elampse, kai ho Iōsēph de houtōs epi pleon eudokimēse.. kai ho ᾿Iakōb de, kai ho touton patēr, kai ho ekeinou, kai pa ntes hosoi pōpote lamproterous anedēsanto stephanous, apo thlipseōn kai peirasmōn kai estephanōthēsan, kai anekērychthēsan. Haper panta syneidotes, kata ton sophon logon, ho mē speusōmen en kairǭ epagōgēs, all᾽ hen monon heautous paideusōmen, to pherein panta gennaiōs, kai mēden polypragmonein, mēde periergazesthai tōn ginomenōn. To men gar eidenai, pote dei lythēnai tas thlipseis, tou synchōrountos autas proselthein theou to de epenechtheisas meta pasēs pherein eucharistias, tēs hēmōn eugnōmosynēs loipon ergon estin' hoper ean genētai, panta epsetai ta agatha. n᾽ oun tauta hepētai, kai dokimōteroi men entautha, lamproteroi de ekeise genōmetha, pan ho ean epenechthę̄ dechōmetha, charin eidotes hyper pantōn tǭ eidoti mallon hēmōn to sympheron, kai tōn gegennēkotōn sphodroteron hē hēmas philounti kai toutous amphoterous tous logismous kath᾽ he hekaston tōn deinōn heautois epadontes, katastellōmen tēn athymian, kai doxazōmen he en pasi ton panta hyper hēmōn poiounta kai pragO mateuomenon theon. Houtō gar kai tas epiboulas diakrousometha rhądiōs, kai tōn akēratōn epiteuxometha stephanōn, chariti kai philanthrōpią tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou, meth᾽ hou tǭ patri doxa, kratos, timē, syn hagiǭ pneumati, nyn kai aei kai eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēn.
Let us cut off, then, the immoderation, and drinking the saving medicine of moderation, let us remain in the fitting good balance, and attend carefully to our prayers. And if we do not receive, let us persevere, so that we may receive; and if we receive, because we have received. For he himself does not wish to delay the giving, but by the delay he contrives our perseverance. That is why he puts off the request, and often allows temptation to come upon us, so that we may continually flee to him and, having fled, remain. So too do affectionate fathers and mothers who love their children: when they see the children leaving their company and playing with those of their own age, they arrange for the servants to put on many frightening appearances, so that, compelled by fear, they may flee to their mother's bosom. So God too often holds out a threat, not to carry it out, but to draw us to himself. When, at any rate, we return to him, he at once looses the fear; for if we were the same in temptations and in ease, there would be no need of temptations. And why do I speak of us? For those saints too had much correction from this. That is why the prophet says, “It is good for me that you humbled me.” And he himself said to the apostles, “In the world you will have tribulation.” And Paul hints at this very thing when he says, “There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me.” That is why, though he asked to be freed from the temptation, he did not obtain it, because great benefit came from it. And if we go through the whole life of David, we shall find him more splendid in dangers, both he and all the others of his kind. For Job too shone more then, and Joseph in this way became more renowned, and Jacob, and his father, and his father's father, and all who have ever bound on brighter crowns were crowned and proclaimed from tribulations and temptations.
Knowing all these things, then, according to the wise saying, “let us not be hasty in the time of trouble,” but let us train ourselves in one thing only, to bear everything nobly, and not to busy ourselves or pry into what happens. For to know when the afflictions must be loosed belongs to God, who allows them to come; but to bear them, once brought, with all thanksgiving is now the work of our good disposition; and if this happens, all good things will follow. That these may follow, then, and that we may become more approved here and more splendid there, let us accept whatever is brought upon us, giving thanks for everything to the one who knows our good better than we do and loves us more ardently than our parents; and singing both these thoughts to ourselves in each of our troubles, let us calm our despondency, and glorify in all things the God who does and arranges everything for us. For so we shall easily repel the plots and obtain the incorruptible crowns, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, might, honor, with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Ps 119:71 (118:71 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:33 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Job 1:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 41:40 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Closing exhortation of Homily 10: persevere in prayer, for God delays and permits trials to draw us to himself, as parents frighten wandering children back to their arms; the saints shone in trials; bear afflictions with thanksgiving.
- Quotations: Ps 119:71 (118:71 LXX); John 16:33; 2 Cor 12:7; Sir 2:2 ('do not be hasty in the time of trouble', the 'wise saying', outside the 66 books). Allusions: 2 Cor 12:8–9; Job 1–2; Gen 37–41. A word of the illustration is lost in the OCR ('So God too'), translated by sense. An apparatus note run into the text by the OCR is removed by a logged correction.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR debris (stray marks or marginal letters); apparatus note run into the text by the OCR): σπευδωμεν ἘΔά. τοῦ συγχωροῦντος → τοῦ συγχωροῦντος; ᾿ ἐγγίνεσθαι. → ἐγγίνεσθαι.; ε ἐκεῖσε → ἐκεῖσε; ᾿ στεφάνων, → στεφάνων,.
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 2:2 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Chrysostom, Hom. Matt. 10.7 (Field 1; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-hom-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Field's edition (Cambridge 1839; OCR, slips and apparatus sigla removed as logged corrections; gaps from Migne PG 57–58 where noted) and compared afterwards with NPNF¹ 10.