# Encomium on Maximus, and What Sort of Wives to Marry - Author: [John Chrysostom](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/john-chrysostom/) - Latin title: *Quales ducendae sint uxores* - Date: ca. 390 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca 51 (Paris) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Graeca 51 (Paris, 1862) - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/ - Passages: 6 ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/1/#p-1 - Source: PG 51:225 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom recalls that his previous sermon, which called it adultery to cast out a wife or to marry a woman cast out while her husband lives, moved many to grief, and urges those about to marry to choose with great care, since a wife cannot be sent back without adultery. ### Greek text Ὅτι μὲν ἀπελείφθην ὑμῶν τῇ παρελθούσῃ συνάξει, ἤλγησα' ὅτι δὲ ζης, ἤσθην. Ὁ γὰρ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ τὸν ζυγὸν ἕλχων, τὴν τε αὔλακα πρώην ἡμῖν ἀνέτεμε, καὶ τὰ σπέρματα χατἐόαλε δαψιλεῖ γλώττῃ, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἐγεώργησε τὰς ὑμετέρας ψυχάς. ΕἾδετὲ γλῶτμένον, ἀπελαύσατε ὕδατος ἀλλομένον εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιόν, εἴδετε πηγὴν ποταμοὺς ἀφιεῖσαν χρυσίου χαθαροῦ. Λέγεταί τι; ποταμὸς χρυσίου Ψήγματα φέρειν τοῖς περιοιχοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἀνθρώποις, οὐ τῆς φύσεως τῶν ὑδάτων τὸ χρυσίον τιχτούσῃ;, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰς πηγὰς ἐν μεταλλιχοῖς ὄρεσι διέρχεσθαι συνέδῃ, δι᾽ ἐχείνων τῶν ὁρέων ὁ ποταμὸς ᾿ῥέων καὶ τὴν χρυσῖτιν παρασύρων γῆν, θησαυρὸς τοῖς παροιχοῦσι γίνεται, ἐσχεδιασμένον παρέχων τὸν πλοῦτον. Τοῦτον καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος οὗτος ἐμιμήσατο πρώην τὸν ποταμὸν, ὥτπερ διὰ μεταλλιχῶν ὁρέων, τῶν Γραφῶν ῥέων, καὶ τὰ χρυσίου παντὸς τιμιώτερα νοήματα ταῖς ὑμετέραις χομίζων ψυχαῖς. Καὶ οἷδα μὲν ὅτι πτωχότερὰ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὑμῖν φαίνεται σήμερον. Ὁ γὰρ πενιχρᾶς ἀπολαύων τραπέζης διηνεχῶς, ἂν εὐπορωτέρας μεταξύ που τινὸς ἐπιτύχῃ, εἶτα πρὸς τὴν ἑαντοῦ πάλιν ἐπανέλθῃ, μᾶλλον αὐτῆς χατόψεται τὴν πενίαν. Οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτο ὀχνηρότερον ἀποδύσομαι. “Ἴστε γὰρ, ἸΙαύλῳ μαθητευθέντες, καὶ χορτάζεσθαι καὶ πεινᾷν, καὶ περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι, καὶ τοὺς πλουσίους θαυμάζειν, καὶ τοὺς πένητας μὴ διαπτύειν. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ φίλοινοι καὶ οἱ φιλοπόται ἀσπάζονται μὲν τὸν ἀμείνω οἶνον, οὐ μὴν δὲ τοῦ χαταδεεστέρου χαταφρονοῦσιν " οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς περὶ τὴν τῶν θείων λογίων ἀχρόασιν μεμηνότες, ἀποδέχεσθε μὰν τοὺς σοφωτέρους τῶν διδασχάλων, καὶ τοῖς εὐτελεστέροις δὲ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν παρέχετε σπουδὴν καὶ προθυμίαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ χαῦνοι καὶ διαλελυμένοι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν πολυτελεστέραν ναυτιῶσι τράπεζαν" οἱ δὲ διεγηγερμένοι καὶ νήφοντες, καὶ πεινῶντες καὶ δυγῶντες τὴν διχαιοσύνην, καὶ πρὸς τὴν πενεστέραν μετὰ πολλῆς τρέχονυσι προθυμίας. Καὶ ὅτι οὗ χολαχεία τὰ ῥήματα ἀπὸ τῆς πρώην ὑμῖν διαλέξεως γενομένης τοῦτο ἐδείξατε ἐάλιστα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὺς περὶ, γάμων λόγους ἑ ἐποιούμεθα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, δειχνύντες ὅτι μοιχεία τις. ἀπηρτισμένη τὸ ἐχδάλλειν γυναῖχας, ἢ ἐχδεύλημένᾶς λαμδάνειν, ζώντων ἔτι τῶν προτέρων ἀνδρῶν, καὶ. σὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ νόμον ἀναγινώσχοντες τὸν λέγοντα, ὅτι Ὃ ἀπολελυμένην γαμήσας μοιχᾶται, καὶ ὁ ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆνγαι, πολλοὺς εἶδον χάτω χύπτοντας, τὸ πρότωπον νύπτοντας, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀνανεῦσαι δυναμένους " τότε δὴ καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναδλέψας εἴπον᾽ Εὐλογητὰς ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι οὐχ εἰς νεχρὰς ἀχοὰς ἐνηχοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιλαμδάνεται τῆς διανηίας τῶν ἀκουόντων τὰ λεγόμενα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς 775δρότητος. ΓἌμεινον μὲν γὰρ μηδ᾽ ὅλως ἁμαρτεῖν" οὗ μιχρὸν δὲ εἰς σωτηρίας λόγον, χατοδυνηθῆναι, «αἱ καταγνῶναι τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα τῆς ἑαντοῦ ψυχῆς, καὶ μαστίξαι τὸ συνειδὸς μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀχριδεία “᾿ ἢ γὰρ τοιαύτη χατάγνωσις διχαιοσύνης ἐστὶ μέρος, καὶ ὅλως ἐπὶ τὸ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν ἄγουσα. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος λυπήσας τοὺς ἡμαρτηχότας ἔχαιρεν, οὐχ ὅτι ἐλύπησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τῇ λύπῃ διώρθωσεν. Ἐχέ» ΡΉΡ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐχ ὅτι ἐλυπήθητε, ἀ.1. ὅτι πήθητε εἰς μετάνοιαν " ἡ γὰρ κατὰ Θεὸν ἰτύπη μδτάγνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον κατεργάται. Εἴτε γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰχείων, εἴτε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλἐπαίνων ἄξιοι. “Ὅτε γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἀλγήσει τις, ἀποστολιχὰ ἀποδείχνυται σπλάγχνα, καὶ τὸν ἅγιον ἐχεῖνον μιμεῖται τὸν λέγοντα " Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐχ ἀσθενῶ; τίς σχανδαιλέζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἀγὼ πυροῦμαι; Ὅτε δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰχείων δηχϑῇ, τήν τε ἐπὶ τοῖς ἤδη τολμηθεῖσι κόλασιν ἔσόεσε, καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἑαντὸν ἀσφαλέστερον διὰ τῆς λύπης ταύτης ἐποίησε. Διὰ ταῦτα χἀγὼ χύπτοντας ὁρῶν, καὶ στενάξοντας, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τύπτοντας, ἔχαιρον τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς λύπης ταύτης ἐννοῶν χαρπόν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σήμερον περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ὑμῖν ὑποθέσεως διαλέξομαι" ὥστε τοὺς βουλομένους εἰς γάμον ἐλθεῖν, πολλὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ πράγματος τούτον ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν. Εὲ γὰρ οἰκίας ὠνεῖσθαι μέλλοντες καὶ οἰχέτας, περιεργαζόμεθα καὶ πολυπραγμονοῦμεν τούς τε πωλοῦντᾶς, τούς τε ἔμπροσθεν χτησαμένους, αὐτῶν τῶν ποὺλουμένων τῶν μὲν τὴν κατασχευὴν, τῶν δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἕξιν, καὶ τὴν τῆς Ψυχῆς προαίρεσιν" πολλῷ μᾶλλον γυναῖχας μέλλοντας ἄγεσθαι, πρόνοιαν τοσαύτην καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα ἐπιδείχνυσθαι χρή. Οἱχίαν μὲν γὰρ φαύλην οὖσαν ἀποδόσθαι πάλιν ἕξεστε, καὶ οἰχέτην σκαιὸν φανέντα ἀποδοῦναι τῷ πεπραχότι πάλιν ἀφίεται" γυναῖχα δὲ λαμδάνοντα ἀποδοῦναι πά» λιν τοῖς ἐχδεδωχόσιν οὐχ ἕνι, ἀλλὰ ἀνάγχη πᾶσα διὰ τέλους ἔνδον ἔχειν, ἣ πονηρὰν οὖσαν ἐχόάλλοντα, μοιχείᾳ ἁλίσχεσθαι χατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους. Ὅταν οὖν μέλλῃς λαμδάνειν γυναῖχα, μὴ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἀναγίνωσχε νόμους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ ἐχείνων, τοὺς παρ᾽ ἡμῖν χειμένους " χατὰ γὰρ τούτους, οὐ χατ' ἐχείνους σοι μέλλει χρίνειν χατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐχείνην ὁ Θεός " χἀχεῖνοι μὲν παροφθέντες, εἰς χρήματα τὴν ζημίαν πολλάχις ἦνεγχαν, οὗτοι δὲ τοῦτο παθόντες τῇ ψυχῇ τὰς ἀπαραιτήτους ἐπάγουσι τιμωρίας καὶ τὲ πῦρ ἐχεῖνο τὸ ἄσδεστον. ### English translation (Claude) That I was absent from you at the last assembly grieved me; but that you … , I was glad. For he who draws the yoke with me cut the furrow for us the other day, and cast the seed with an abundant tongue, and cultivated your souls with much care. You saw a tongue …, you enjoyed water springing up to eternal life, you saw a fountain sending forth rivers of pure gold. A certain river is said to bring flakes of gold to the people who live around it, not because the nature of its waters gives birth to the gold, but because the springs of the river happen to pass through mountains that hold metals; flowing through those mountains and sweeping along the gold-bearing earth, the river becomes a treasure for those who live beside it, providing wealth ready to hand. This river the teacher imitated the other day, flowing through the Scriptures as through mountains that hold metals, and bringing to your souls thoughts more precious than any gold. And I know that our offering will seem poorer to you today. For one who always enjoys a poor table, if in between he happens upon a richer one and then returns to his own again, will see its poverty the more. Yet I shall not for this reason strip for the contest more sluggishly. For you know, having been taught by Paul, both to be filled and to hunger, to abound and to be in want, to admire the rich and not to spit upon the poor. And as lovers of wine and drinkers welcome the better wine but do not despise the inferior, so you too, mad as you are for hearing the divine oracles, welcome the wiser of the teachers, and give no ordinary eagerness and zeal to the humbler. For the lax and dissolute are nauseated even at a more sumptuous table; but those who are awake and sober, and hunger and thirst for righteousness, run with much eagerness even to the poorer one. And that these words are not flattery you showed especially at the discourse held the other day. For when we gave you a long discourse on marriage, showing that to cast out wives, or to take women who have been cast out while their former husbands are still living, is downright adultery, and reading the law of Christ which says, “He who marries a woman who has been put away commits adultery, and he makes her commit adultery,” I saw many bending down, beating their faces, and not able even to look up; then indeed I looked up to heaven and said: “Blessed be God, that we do not sound in dead ears, but what is said lays hold of the minds of the hearers with great force.” For it is better not to sin at all; but it is no small part of salvation to feel pain, and for the sinner to condemn his own soul, and to scourge the conscience with great strictness; for such condemnation is a part of righteousness, and leads altogether to sinning no more. That is why Paul too, having grieved those who had sinned, rejoiced — not that he had grieved them, but that by the grief he had corrected them. “For I rejoice,” he says, “not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved into repentance; for godly grief produces a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” For whether one grieves for his own sins or for those of others … are worthy of praise. For when someone is pained for the sins of others, he shows the heart of an apostle and imitates that holy man who says, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?” And when he is stung for his own, he both quenches the punishment for what he has already dared and makes himself safer for the future through this grief. For these reasons I too, seeing them bending down and groaning and beating their faces, rejoiced, thinking of the fruit of this grief. That is why today too I shall discourse to you on the same subject, so that those who wish to come to marriage may take great forethought for the matter. For if, when we are about to buy houses and servants, we inquire and investigate both the sellers and the former owners, and, of the things being sold, in the one case the construction, in the other also the condition of the body and the disposition of the soul, much more must those who are about to take wives show such forethought, and much more. For a house, if it is bad, may be sold again, and a servant who proves useless may be given back to the seller; but one who takes a wife cannot give her back to those who gave her; he must of all necessity keep her within to the end, or, casting her out because she is wicked, be convicted of adultery according to the laws of God. When, then, you are about to take a wife, do not read only the laws from outside, but before them those laid down among us; for it is according to these, not according to those, that God is going to judge you on that day; and those, when neglected, have often brought loss in money, but these, when they suffer this, bring inexorable punishments on the soul and that unquenchable fire. ### Scripture references - John 4:14: allusion, high confidence - Phil 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:9: quotation, medium confidence - 2 Cor 7:9: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 7:10: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:29: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:43: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - John Chrysostom, On What Kind of Women Ought to Be Taken as Wives (Quales ducendae sint uxores, PG 51:225–242), from the archive.org OCR of PG 51; the refs follow the staging divisions. No public-domain English translation exists; the translation was re-read against the Greek. This homily continues his sermon on the bill of divorce (De libello repudii). Terms: ἐκβάλλειν “cast out” (a wife), ἀπολελυμένη “a woman put away”, μοιχεία “adultery”. Chrysostom says that a husband who casts out his wife “because she is wicked” is convicted of adultery by God's laws; he contrasts these with the civil (“outside”) laws. Words lost in the OCR are marked “…” (after “but that you”, after “You saw a tongue”, and in the sentence on grief for one's own and others' sins); a column number is removed by a logged correction. Quotations: John 4:14; Phil 4:12; Matt 5:6; Matt 5:32 (19:9); 2 Cor 7:9–10; 2 Cor 11:29; allusion: Mark 9:43. ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 1 (PG 51:225; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/1). ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/1/#p-2 - Source: PG 51:225 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom tells those about to marry to learn first that Christ's law lets a husband cast out his wife only for sexual immorality, so that he must bear every other fault, and urges husbands to love and correct their wives as Christ loved and cleansed the church. ### Greek text Σὺ δὲ ὅταν μέλλῃς ἄγεσθαι γυναῖχα, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἕξω νομιχοὺς μετὰ πολλῆς τρέχεις τῆς σπουδῆς, καὶ παρακαθήμενος αὐτοῖς, μετὰ πάσης ἀχῤιδείας ἐξετάζεις, τί μὲν ἔσται, ἐὰν ἅπαις τελευτήσῃ, ἡ γυνὴ, τέ δὲ ἐὰν ἔχουσα παῖδα, τί δὲ ἑὰν δύο καὶ τρεῖς, καὶ πῶς μὲν ἔχουσα πατέρα, πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἔχουσα τοῖς ἐαυτῆς χρήσεται πράγμασι, καὶ τί μὲν εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφγὺς ἔξει τοῦ χλήρου, τί δὲ εἰς τὸν συνοιχοῦντα, καὶ πότε κύριος ἔσται τοῦ καντὸς, μηδένα μηδὲν ἀφεῖναι τῶν ἐχείνης παραππάσασθαι μέρος, καὶ πότε τοῦ παντὸς ἐχπεεῖναι " καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα τοιχῦτα παρ᾽ ἐχείνων καὶ ζττιῖ;, πάντα περιιὼν καὶ τῶν, ὅκως ἐς μυηδινὸς γένηται τρόπου τι τῶν γυναικὸς πραγμάτων εἷς τινὰ τῶν ἐχείνῃ προσν χόντων ἐλθεῖν " καίτοι, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰ πὼν, εἰ καί τι συμ- Δαΐη τῶν ἀδοχήτων, ἐν χρήμασιν ἔσται τὰ τῆς ζημίας, ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐχ ἀνέχῃ τούτων οὐδὲν παριδεῖν. μελλόντων, τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ἐπιδείχνυσθαι, ὑπὲρ δὲ Ψυχῆς ὄντος ἡμῖν τοῦ χινδύνου καὶ τῶν εὐθυνῶν τῶν ἐχεῖ, μηδένα ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, δέον πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ταῦτα ζητεῖν καὶ περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ πολυ- Διὸ παραινῶ καὶ συμδουλεύω τοὺ; μέλλοντα: φθαι γυναῖχας, πρὸς τὸν μαχάριον ᾿]αῦλον ἀπαντᾶν, καὶ τοὺς παρ᾽ αὑτῷ χειμένους περὶ γάμων ἀναγινώσχεῖν νόμου;, καὶ μαθόντας πρότερον, τί κελεύει ποιεῖν, ὅταν πονγρὰ καὶ ὕπουλος, καὶ μέθτς ἐλάττων, καὶ λοίδορο;, καὶ ἀνοίας γέμουσα, καὶ ὁτιοῦν ἄλλο τοιοῦτον ἐλάττωμα ἔχουσα τύχῃ γυνὴ, οὕτω διαλένεσθαι περ! γάμου. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἴδῃ; ὅτι σοι δίδωσι!» Σξουσίαν ἕν τούτων εὑρόντα τῶν ἐλαττωμάτων ἐχβάλλειν μὲν ἐχείνην, εἰσάγειν δὲ ἑτέραν, ὡς παντὸς ἀπτλλαγμένος χινδύνου θάῤῥει " ἂν δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὖχ ἐπιτρέπῃ. χελεύῃ δὲ πλὴν πορνεία; πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἐλαττώματα ἔχουσαν στέργειν καὶ ἔνδον χατέχειν, οὔτως ἀσφάλισαι ἑαυτὸν, ὡς μέλλων ἅπασαν φέρειν τῆς γυναιχὸς τὴν πονηρίαν. Εὶ δὲ ϑαρὺ τοῦτο καὶ φορτιχὸν, πάντα ποίει καὶ πραγματεύου, ὥστε γριστὴν καὶ ἐπιειχῆ καὶ πειθήνιον γυναῖχα λαδεῖν, εἰδὼς ὅτι δυοῖν ἀνάγχη θάτερον, ἢ πονηρὰν λαθόντα γυναῖχα φέρειν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπάχθειαν, ἣ τοῦτο μὴ βουλόμενον, ἐχθαλόντα μοιχείᾳ ἀλίσχκεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ ἐχδά λων γυναῖχα, φησὶ, παρεχτὸς όγου πορνείας, ποιεῖ αὑτὴν μοιχευθῆναι " καὶ ὁ ἀποιλελυμένην -ἰἰμῶν μοιχᾶται. "Ἂν ταῦτα πρὸ τοῦ γάμου καλῶς ὦμεν διετχεμμένοι καὶ τοὺς νόμους τούτους εἰδότες, “πολλὴν ποιησόμεθα σπουδὴν, ὥστε ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὔρυθμόν τινα καὶ συμδαίνουσαν τοῖς: ἡμετέροις τρόποις γυναῖχα λαδεῖν’ τοιαύτην ὅδ λαδόντες οὐ τοῦτο χαρπωσόμεθα ἐλόνον, ὅτι οὐδέποτε αὐτὴν ἐχδαλοῦμεν, ἄλλ᾽ ὅτ: καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ἀγαπήσομεν τῆς σφοδρότητος, καὶ μεθ᾽ ὅσης ὁ Παῦλος ἐχέλενσεν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, οὐχ ἔστη μέχρι τούτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέτρον ἡμῖν ἔδωχεν ἀγάπης, Καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἡγώπησε τὴν Ἐχκιησία». Καὶ πῶς ἠγάπησεν ὁ Χριστός; εἰπέ μοι. Ὅτι παρἐδωχεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ αἱτῆς. Ὥστ: χἂν ἀποθανεῖν" ὕπλρ τῶν γυναιχῶν δέῃ, μὴ παραιτήσῃ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Δεσπότης τὴν δούλην οὕτως ἡγάπτσεν, ὡς καὶ ἑαυτὼν ἐπιδοῦναι ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σὲ τὴν ὁμόδουλον οὕτως ἀγαπᾷν χρή, ᾿Αλλ ἴδωμεν μή ποτε τὸ χάλλος τῆς νύμφης ἐπεσπάσατο τὸν νυμφίον, καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ τῆς Ψυχῆς. Οὐχ ἔστι τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. Ὅτι γὰρ δυσειδὴς ἣν καὶ ἀκάθαρτος, ἄχουσον τῶν ἑξῆς. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Πωυρέδοικεν ἑαντὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, ἐπήγαγεν, ἐνῷ ἀγιάσῃ αὐτὴν καθαρίξας τῷ Ἱουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Καθαρίσας αὐκὴν», ἔδειξεν ἀχάθαρτο" οὔσαιν ξμπροτῆξυ καὶ ἐνο ἶ, καὶ οὐ, ὡς ἔτυχεν, λύθρῳ καὶ αἵμασι, καὶ μυρίαις ἑτέραις τοιαύταις χατεῤῥυποῦτο χηλῖσιν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐκ ἐδξελύξατο τὴν ἀμορφίαν, ἀλλὰ μετέξαλε τὴν ἀηδίαν, μετεκαὶ σὺ μίμησαι. Κἂν μυρία ἁμάρτῃ ἡἧ συνοιχοῦσα εἰς σὲ ἀμαρτήματα, πάντα ἄφες καὶ συγχώρησον χὰν λάθῃς δύστροπον, μεταῤῥύθμισον ἐπιειχείᾳ καὶ πραότητι, χαθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν ἀχαθαρσίαν αὐτῆς μόνον ἀπέσμῃηξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ γῆρα; ἀπέξυσς, τὸν παλαιὸν ἀποδύτας ἄνθρωπον, τὸν ἐχ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων συγχείιλενον. Καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸς αἰνιττόμενος πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος ἕλε- Ὑε) " Ἵνα παραστήσῃ αὐτὴ» ἑαυτῷ ἔνδοξον τὴ" Ἐκχιϊησίαν, μὴ ἔχουσαν σπῆῖον ἣ ῥντίδα " οὐ γὰν χαλὴν μόνον ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νέαν, οὐ χατὰ τὴ» τοῦ σώματος φύσιν, ἀλλὰ χατὰ τὴν τῆς πριαιρέδεως ξξιν, Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνου ἐστὶ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτ: λαθὼν ἄμορφον καὶ δυσειδῇ καὶ αἰσχρὰν καὶ γεγηραχυζνν οὔτε ἐθδδελύξατο τὴν ἀμορφίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς θάνατον ἑαυτὸν παρέδωχε, καὶ μετεῤῥύθμισεν αὐτὴν εἰς χἀλλος ἀμήχανον" ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο πολλάχις ὑνπουμένην, χυηλιδουμέγην ὁρῶν, οὐχ ἐχδάλλει, οὐδ᾽ ἀποῤῥήγνυσιν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μένε! θεραπεύων καὶ ἥμαρτον; ἀλλ᾽ ὅλως αὐτοὺς οὐχ ἐφδελύξατο᾽ οἷον, ὁ παρὰ Κορινθίοις πεπορνευχὼς μέλος τῆς Ἐχχλησία; ἣν’ ἀλλ᾽ οὐχ ἔἐξέχογξ τὸ μέλος, ἀλλὰ διώρθωσεν. Ἢ Γαλατῶν Ἐχχλητίαλ ἅπασα ἀπεσχίρττ σε, καὶ ποὺς ἰρυδαΐεμὴν χατέτισπεν" ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐδὲ ἐχείνην ἐξἐδαλεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ Παύλον θεραπεύσας αὑτὴν, ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ἐπανίγαγε σνγγένειαν. “Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τοῖς σώμασι τοῖς ἡμετέροις, ἐπειδὰν γένηται νόσημα, οὗ τὸ μέλο; ἐκχόπτομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ νόσημα ἀπεἐλαύνομεν " υὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γυναιχὸς ποιῶμεν. Ἐλν γένηταί τις ἐν αὐτῇ πονηρία, μὴ τὴν γυναῖχχ. ἐχϑάλῃς, ἀλλὰ τὴν χαχίαν ἀπέλασο". Καίτοι γυναῖχα μὲν διορθώσασθαι δυνατὸν, μέλος ὃς πολλάχις πεπτ σιυμένον θεραπεῦσαι οὐχ ἕν: " ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰδότες αὑτοῦ τὴν πήρωσιν οὖσαν ἀνίατον, οὐδὲῇᾺ οὕτως ἐχχόπτομεν᾽ ἀλλὰ καὶ πόδα ξιεστραμιλένον ἔχοντες πολλοὶ πολλάχις, καὶ σχέλος χωλὸν. καὶ χεῖρα ξηρὰν καὶ νενεχρωμένην, καὶ ὀφθαλμὸν ἐσδεσμένον, οὔτε τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐξορύττουσιν, οὔτε τὸ σχέλος ἐχχόπτουσιν, οὔτε τὴν νόμενον ἐξ αὐτῶν τι τῷ σώματι, καὶ πολλὴν τοῖς λοιποῖς μέλεσιν αἰσχύνην, μένουσιν αὐτὰ ἔχοντες διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ συμπάθειαν. Πῶς οὖν οὐχ ἄτοπον, ἕνθα μὲν ἀνίατος ἡ διόρθωσις, καὶ χέρδος οὐδὲν, τοσαύτην ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν" ἔνθα δὲ χρησταὶ ἐλπίδες, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ μεταδολὴ. ἀπαγορεύειν τὴν θεραπείαν : Τὰ μὲν γὰρ τῇ φύσει πηρωθέντα ἀδύνατον ἀναχτίσαπθαι πάλιν, τὴν δὲ προαίρεσιν διξστραιλμέντν δυνα- ### English translation (Claude) But you, when you are about to take a wife, run with much eagerness to the lawyers outside, and, sitting by them, examine with all exactness what will happen if the wife dies childless, what if she has one child, what if two and three, and how she will manage her own affairs if she has a father, how if she has none, and what share of the inheritance will go to her brothers, what to her husband, and when he will be master of everything so as to let no one take away any part of her property, and when he will lose the whole; and many other such things you ask of them and inquire, going round everything and … how in no way any of the wife's property may pass to any of those related to her. And yet, as I said before, even if something unexpected happens, the loss will be in money; nevertheless you cannot bear to overlook any of these things. [Is it not absurd, then, over things] that are to come to show such zeal, but when the danger concerns the soul and the accounts we must give there, to take no account, when we ought before all else to seek and inquire and investigate these things? Therefore I exhort and counsel those who are about to take wives to go to blessed Paul, and to read the laws on marriage laid down by him, and first to learn what he commands to do when a wife happens to be wicked and deceitful, or given to drink, or abusive, or full of folly, or has any other such defect, and so to discuss marriage. For if you see that he gives you authority, on finding one of these defects, to cast her out and bring in another, take courage, as freed from every danger; but if he does not permit this, but commands you to love and keep within the woman who has all the other defects except sexual immorality, then secure yourself as one who will have to bear all the wife's wickedness. And if this is heavy and burdensome, do and arrange everything so as to take a good and gentle and obedient wife, knowing that one of two things is necessary: either, having taken a wicked wife, to bear her harshness, or, not wishing this, to cast her out and be convicted of adultery. For “he who casts out his wife,” he says, “except on account of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and he who marries a woman put away commits adultery.” If we have considered these things well before marriage and know these laws, we shall take great care to take from the beginning a wife of good disposition and suited to our ways; and having taken such a one, we shall reap not only this, that we shall never cast her out, but also that we shall love her with great intensity, and with as much as Paul commanded. For having said, “Husbands, love your wives,” he did not stop at this only, but gave us also a measure of love: “as Christ also loved the church.” And how did Christ love? Tell me. In that he gave himself up for her. So even if you must die for your wives, do not refuse. For if the Master so loved the handmaid as even to give himself for her, much more must you so love your fellow servant. But let us see whether perhaps the beauty of the bride and the virtue of her soul drew the bridegroom. It is not possible to say this. For that she was ugly and unclean, hear what follows. For having said, “He gave himself up for her,” he added, “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water.” And by saying “having cleansed her” he showed that she was unclean before and defiled, and not in any ordinary way: she was befouled with gore and blood and countless other such stains. Yet he did not loathe her deformity, but changed her unpleasantness …; you too imitate him. Even if the wife who lives with you commits countless sins against you, forgive and pardon everything; and if you have taken a perverse one, reshape her by gentleness and meekness, as Christ did the church. For he not only wiped away her uncleanness, but also scraped off her old age, stripping off the old man, the one formed of sins. And Paul again, hinting at this, said: “that he might present the church to himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle”; for he made her not only beautiful but also young, not according to the nature of the body, but according to the disposition of the will. And not only is this wonderful, that taking her deformed and ugly and shameful and aged he did not loathe her deformity, but even gave himself up to death and reshaped her into beauty beyond description; but also that afterwards, seeing her often defiled and stained, he does not cast her out nor tear her away from himself, but remains caring for her and … sinned? But he did not loathe them at all. For instance, the man who had committed sexual immorality among the Corinthians was a member of the church; but he did not cut off the member, but corrected it. The whole church of the Galatians leapt away and was dragged down into Judaizing; nevertheless he did not cast it out either, but, healing it through Paul, brought it back to its former kinship. As, then, in our bodies, when a disease arises, we do not cut off the member but drive away the disease, so let us do with a wife too. If some wickedness arises in her, do not cast out your wife, but drive away the vice. And yet a wife can be corrected, but a member that has often been crippled cannot be healed; yet, though we know its maiming to be incurable, we do not therefore cut it off. Many people, having a twisted foot, or a lame leg, or a withered and deadened hand, or an extinguished eye, neither dig out the eye nor cut off the leg nor the hand, [though no benefit] comes to the body from them, and much shame to the other members, but they go on having them because of their sympathy with the rest. How then is it not absurd, where correction is impossible and there is no gain, to take such forethought, but where there are good hopes and the change can be great, to give up the treatment? For things maimed by nature cannot be refashioned again; but the will, when it is twisted, can … ### Scripture references - Matt 5:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:9: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 5:25: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:26: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:27: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:22: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 5:1: allusion, high confidence - Gal 1:6: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 5:4: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quales ducendae sint uxores, staging ref 2. Re-read against the Greek; no public-domain English. Chrysostom says that Paul (by whom he means the apostolic writings with Christ's law) “commands you to love and keep within the woman who has all the other defects except sexual immorality” (πλὴν πορνείας), and that one who casts out a wicked wife for any other reason is “convicted of adultery”; the saying he quotes is Matt 5:32 (“except on account of sexual immorality”, παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας). A long passage of Migne's Latin version that leaked into the Greek and column numbers are removed by logged corrections. Several lines are lost in the OCR and marked “…” (in the sentence on the lawyers, after “changed her unpleasantness”, after “remains caring for her and”); the first words of the sentence beginning “[Is it not absurd …]” are supplied in brackets by sense. The ref ends mid-word (δυνα-); the sentence continues in the next ref. Quotations: Matt 5:32; Eph 5:25, 26, 27; allusions: Eph 4:22; 1 Cor 5:1; Gal 1:6; Gal 5:4. ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 2 (PG 51:225; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/2). ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/3/#p-3 - Source: PG 51:229 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom says that even an incorrigible wife must not be cast out, explains Paul's teaching on marriage as a great mystery of Christ and the church, warns against marrying for money, and begins the story of Abraham's servant seeking a wife for Isaac. ### Greek text ΕἸ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴν λέγοις ἀνίατα νοσεῖν, καὶ πολλὲς ἀπιμελείας τυχοῦσαν τῷ οἰχείῳ χελρῖ,σθαι τρόπιν, οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὴν ἐχθλητέον" οὔτε γὰρ τὸ μέλο; ἀνίατα νοποὺν ἐχχόπτεται. Μέλος δὲ καὶ αὔτη σόν Ὑὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρχα μίαν. Καὶ αὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ἱέλους, οὐδὲν ἔσται χέροδος ἡμῖ) τῆς θεραπείας, ἐπειδὰν ὑπὸ τῇ; ἀῤῥωστίας ἀδιόοθωτον φθάσῃ γενέσθα"" Θεοῦ ληψόμεθα τὸν μισθὸν, ὅτι διὰ τὸν ἐχείνου φόδην τοσαύτην ὑπυμονὴν. ἐπεδειξάμεθα, καὶ τὴν χαχίαν αὐτῆς: πράως ἠνέγχαμεν, καὶ τὸ μέλος ἡμῶν ἐχρατήσαυεν. Μέλος γὰρ ἡμῶν ἀναγχαῖον ἢ γυνή " καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν μάλιστα δεῖ φιλεῖν. “Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο διδάσχων πάλιν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν Οὕτως ὀξεί- «ἐουσὶν οἱ ἄγδρες ἀγαπί»" τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυναῖχας ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶν σώματα. Οὑδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὴ» Ἐχχιζησίαν " ὅτι μέλη ἐσμὲν τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐεοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτοῦ. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ Εὔα, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς πλευρᾶς τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ γέγονεν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖ; ἐχ τῆς πλευρᾶ; τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἑχ τῆς σαρχὸς αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐχ τῶν" ὀστέων αὐ. οὔ. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅτι μὲν ἡ Εὔα ἐχ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ γέγονεν, ἅπαντες ἴσμεν, καὶ σαφῶς ἡ Γραφὴ τοῦτο εἴρηκεν, ὅτι ἐπέδαλεν ἔχστασιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔλαθε μίαν τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὡχοδόμτσε τὴν γυναΐχα᾽ ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἡ Ἐχχλησία ἀπὸ τῇ΄ς πλευρᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέστη, πόθεν ἔχοι τις ἂν ἀποδεῖξαι; Καὶ τοῦτο ἡ Γρα:ὴ δείχνυσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸ; εἰς τὸν στανοὺν ἀνηνέχθη, καὶ προσηλώθη,καὶ ἀπέθανε, Προσε.Ἰθὼν εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν -ἔνυξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πιϊεδυρὰν, καὶ ἐξηΐῦθεν αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ" καὶ ἐξ ἐχείνου τοῦ αἴματος καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ἡ Ἐχχλησία ἅπασα συνέστηχε. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ αὐτὸς λέγων, ὅτι ᾿Εὰν μή τις ἀναγενγηϑῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος, οὐ δύναται εἰσειλθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασι- «ἱείαν τῶν» οὐρανῶν. Τὸ δὲ αἷμα, πνεῦμα λέγει. Καὶ γεννώμεθα μὲν διὰ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ βαπτίσματος, τρεφόμεθα δὲ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος. ὐρᾷ:; πῶς ἐχ τῆς σα χὸς αὐτοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ ἐχ τῶν ὀστέων αὑτυῦ, ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴμματος ἐχείνου καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος τιχτόμενοι καὶ τρεφόμενοι; Καὶ χαθάπερ, τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ χαθεύδοντος, ἢ γυνὴ χατεσχευάζετο, οὕτω, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποθανόντος, ἡ Ἐχἀλησία διεπλάττετο ἐχ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὑτοῦ. Οὐ διὰ κοῦτο δὲ μόνον χρὴ φιλεῖν τὴν γυναῖχα, ὅτι μέλος ἡμῶν ἐστι, καὶ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἔσχε τὴν τῆ; δημιουργίας ἀρχὴν" ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι καὶ νόμον ὑπὲο αὐτοῦ τούτου τέθειχεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὕτω λέγιυν Ἀ»τὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄ»» θρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὑτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ προσ κο.ηθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τοῦτον ἡμἷν ὁ ἸΙαῦλος ἀνέγνω τὸν νόμον, ἵνα παὺταχόθεν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα συνελάσῃ τοῦτον. Καὶ σχόπει σοφίαν ἀποστολιχήν᾽ οὔτε γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν θείων νόμων, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μόνον, εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην ἡμᾶ; ἐνάγει τῶν γυναιχῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐχ:ίνων ἐναλλάξας ἀμφότερα ταῦτα τίθησιν" ἵνα ὁ μὲν ὑψηλότερος καὶ φιλοσοφώτερος ἀπὸ τῶν ἄνωθεν, ὁ ὃὲ ἀσθενὴ; ἀπὸ τῶν χάτωθεν καὶ τῶν τῆς φύσεως εἰς φίλτρον ἐνάγτται. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀρχόμενης μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ χατορθωμάτων, τὴ» παραίνεσιν εἰσάγει οὕτω λέγων" ᾿Αγαπάξε τὰς γυναΐκας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὴν Ἑ κκιιησίαν" εἶτα πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων᾽ Οὕὔτως ὁφείιιουσι» οἱ ἄνδρες ἀγαπᾷν τὰς ἑαυτῶν γυγκκας, ὡς τὰ ἑαυτῶ» σώματα" εἶτα πάλι" ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ" ὅτι μέλῃ ἐσμὲν ἐχ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐχ τῆς σαυχὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔχ τῶν ὀστέων σὐτοῦ" εἶτα πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, Σ Δ.τὶ τούτοῦ κατα ϊείψει ὥρθεωπς τὴν πατέρες αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ προοχο μιήσετ, πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ" καὶ τὸν νόμον ἀναγνοὺς φοῦφνόν φησι" Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστί. Πῶς μέγα ἐστίν; εἶπέ μοι. Ὅτι τὸν ἅπαντα θαλαμενομένη ἣ χόρη χρόνον, μηδέποτε τὸν νυμφίον ἑωραχνῖα, ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας οὕτω ποθεῖ καὶ στέργει ὡς σῶμα οἰχεῖον᾽ πάλιν ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἣν οὐδέποτε εἶδεν, ἧς οὐδέποτε τῆς ἐν λόγῳ ἐχοινώνησε συνουσίας, ταύτην χἀχεῖνος ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας ἁπάντων προτίθησι, καὶ τῶν φίλων, καὶ τῶν οἰκεῆων, καὶ τῶν γεννπησαμένων αὐτῶν. Οἱ γονεῖς πάλιν, ἂν μὲν ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποθέσεως ἀφαιρετοὺς ἀφελομένους ἕλχουσιν " ἀνθρώπῳ δὲ πολλάκις μηδέποτε ὀφθέντι, μηδὲ γνωρισθέντι, ναὶ τὴν θυγα» τέρα τὴν ἑαυτῶν καὶ προῖχα χρημάτων πολλῶν ἐγχειρίζονσι. Καὶ καίρουσι τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, καὶ οὐχ ἡγοῦνται ζημίαν εἶναι τὸ γινόμενον ἀλλ᾽ ὁρῶντες τὴν θυγατέρα ἀπαγομένην, οὐ συνηθείας μέμνηνται, οὐκ ἀλγοῦσιν, οὗ δάχνονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐχαριστοῦσι, καὶ εὐχῆς ἔργον εἶναι νομίζουσι τὸ καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα ἰδεῖν τῆ: οἰχίας ἐξαγομένην, καὶ πολλὰ μετ᾽ ἑἐχείννης χρήματα. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοήσας ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι τοὺς γονεῖς ἀφέντες ἀμφότεροι ἀλλήλοις συνδεσμοῦνται, καὶ χρόνον τοσούτον συνηθείας ἡ τότε συντυχία τυραννιχωτέρα γίνεται, καὶ συνιδὼν, ὅτι οὐχ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Θεὸ; τοὺς ἔρωτας τούτους ἐγχατέσπειρε, γαὶ τοὺς ἐχδιδόντας καὶ τοὺς μένους μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν παρεσχεύασε, φησίν" Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστί. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν παίδων, τὸ παιδίον τεχθὲν ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως εὐθέυις ἐπίσταται τοὺς γονεῖς οὗ φθεγγόμενον᾽ οὕτω δὴ καὶ νυμφίος καὶ νύμφη, οὐδενὸς συνάγοντος, οὐδενὸς παραινοῦντος καὶ συμδουλεύοντος, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως ἀλλή λοις συμπλέχονται. Εἴτα ἰδὼν ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐχχλησίας μάλιστα, ἐξεπλάγη καὶ ἐθαύμασε. Πῶς οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἐχχλησίας τοῦτο ἐγένετο; Καθάπερ ὁ νυμφίος τὸν πατέρα ἀφεὶς πρὸς τὴν νύμφην ἔρχεται, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὸν πατριχὸν θρόνον ἀφεὶς πρὸς τὴν νύμφην ἦλθεν' οὐχ ἡμᾶς ἄνω ἑκάλεσεν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὰς πρὸς ἡμᾶς παρεγένετο. ὍὭταν δὲ ἀχούσῃς ὅτι ἀφῆχε, μὴ μετάστασιν νοήσῃς, ἀλλὰ συγχατάδασιν " καὶ γὰρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὧν, μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησι" Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγω ἐστί. Μέγα μὲν ἐστι καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων γινόμενον " ὅταν δὲ ἴδω εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν αὐτὸ συμδαΐνον, τότε ἐχπλήττομαι, τότε θαυμάζω. Διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστὶν, ἐπήγαγεν" Ἐγὼ δὲ «“ἐγω, εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ εἰς τὴν αχιλησίαν. Εἰδὼς τοίνυν ἡλίχον μυστήριόν ἔστιν ὁ γάμος, καὶ ἡλίχου πράγματος τύπος, μὴ ἁπλῶς, μηδὲ ὡς ἔτυχε περὶ τούτου βουλεύον, μηδὲ χρημάτων εὖπορίαν ζήτει μέλλων ἄγεσθαι νύμφην. Οὐ γὰρ χαπηλείαν, ἀλλὰ βίου χοινωνίαν εἶναι τὸν γάμον δεῖ νο- δ΄. Καὶ γὰρ πολλῶν ἤχουσα λεγόντων, Ὁ δεῖνα εὐπορώτερος γέγονεν ἀπὸ τοῦ γάμου, πένης ὥν᾽ ἐπειδὴ; γυναῖκα εὔπορον ἔλαθε, πλουτεῖ καὶ τρυφᾷ νῦν. Τί λέγεις, ἄνθῥωπε; ἀπὸ γυνα:χὸς χερδαίνειν ἐπιθυμεῖς, καὶ οὐχ αἰσχύνῃ, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷς; οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν γὴν χκαταδύῃ τοιούτους χερδῶν ἐπιζητῶν τρόπους; καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἀνδρὸς τὰ ῥήματα; [Γυναιχὺς ἕν ἐστι όνον, τὰ συλλεγόμενα διαφυλάττειν, τὰς προσόδους διατηρεῖν, τῆς οἰκίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι" καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν ἔδωχεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵν ἐν τούτοις ἡμῖν βοηθῇ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, Ἐπεοιδὴ γὰρ τὸν βέον τὸ ν ἡμέτερον δύο ταῦτα ουγχροτεῖν εἴυνϑε, τὰ πολιτικὰ καὶ ἰδιωτιχὰ πράγματα, διελὼν ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ὁ Θιὸς, ταύτῃ μὲν τὴν τῆς οἰχίας προσταπίαν ἀπένειμε, τοῖς δὲ ἀνδράσι τὰ τῆ: πόλεως ἅπαντα πράγματα, τά τε ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, διχαστήρια,, βουλευτήρια, στρατηγίας, νὰ ἄλλα πάντα. Οὐ δύναται ἀχοντίσαι δόρν, οὐδὲ ἀγεῖναι βέλος ἢ γυνή" ἀλλ' ἠλακάτην δύνα- «τι λαδεῖν, καὶ ἱστὸν ὑφᾶναι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν διαθεῖναι χαλῶς. Οὐ δύναται γνώμην εἰσηγήσασθαι: ἐν βουλευτηρίῳ " ἀλλὰ δύναται γνώμην εἰσηγήσασθαι ἐν οἰκίᾳ, καὶ πολλάχις ἅπερ συνεῖδεν ὁ ἀνὴρ τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰχίαν, βέλτιον αὕτη συνεῖδεν. υὐ δύναται τὰ δημόσια διαθεῖναι χαλῶς" ἀλλὰ δύναται παιδία διαθρέψαι καλῶς, τὸ χεφάλαιον τῶν χτημάτων ᾿ δύναται θεραπαινίδων χαχουργίας συνιδεῖν, καὶ φωφροσύντς ἐπιμεληθῆναι τῶν διαχονουμένων, τὴν ἄλλην ἄπαϑαν τῷ συνοιχοῦντι παρέχειν ἄδειαν, καὶ πάσης αὐτὸν τοιαύτης ἀπαλλάξαι φροντίδος ἐν ἐλατίων εὐσχημοσύνης, τῶν ἄλλων ἀπάντων ἐπιμελουμένη, ἅπερ ἀνδρὶ οὔτε εὐπρεπὲς, οὔτε εὔχολον μεταχειρίσασθαί ποτε, χἣν μυρία φιλονειχῇ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλοτιμίας καὶ σοφίας ἔργον, “ὃν ἐν τοῦ; μείζοσι χρήσιμον, ἐν τοῖς ἐλάττοσι χαταδεέστερον καὶ ἄχρηστον εἶναι, ἵνα ἀναγκαία γένηται -ἧς γυναιχὸς ἢ χρεία. Ἐ γὰρ ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἐποίησε τὸν ἄνδρα ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι, εὐχαταφρόνη τον ἂν τὸ Ξῶν γυναιχῶν ἐγένετο γένος" πάλιν, εἰ τὸ μεῖζον καὶ χρησιμώτερον ἐπέτρεψε τῇ γυναιχὶ, πολλῆς ἄν ἐνἔπλησε τὰς γυναῖχας τῆς ἀπονοίας. Διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε ἀμφότερα ἑνὶ ἔδωχεν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ἕτερον ἐλαττωθῇ γένος, καὶ περιττὸν εἶναι δοχῇ᾽ οὔτε ἐξίσης ἑχατέρῳ διένειμεν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἐχ τῆς ἰσοτιμίας μάχη τις γένηται καὶ φιλονειχία, τῆς αὐτῇ προεδρίας «οἷς ἀνδράσι φιλονειχουσῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι τῶν γυναιχῶν' ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης προνοῶν, καὶ τὴν πρέπου. σαν ἑχάστῳ τάξιν διατηρῶν, εἰς δύο ταῦτα διελὼν ἡμῶν τὴν ζωὴν, τὸ μὲν ἀναγχαιότερον καὶ χρησιμώπϑροὸν τῷ ἀνδρὶ, τὸ δὲ ἔλαττον καὶ χαταδεέστερον δέδωχε τῇ γυναιχί " ἵν᾽ ὁ μὲν διὰ τὸ ἀναγχαῖον τῆς χρείας περισπούδαστος ἡμῖν ἧ, ἡ δὲ διὰ τὸ χαταδεέστερον τῆς διαχονίας μὴ χατεξανιστᾶται τοῦ συνοἰ χοῦντος. Ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ἅπαντες εἰδότες, ἕν μόνον ζητῶμεν, ψυχῆ; ἀρετὴν καὶ εὐγένειαν τρόπων, ἵνα εἰρήνης ἀπολαύωμεν, ἵνα ἐντρυφῶμεν ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ διηνεχεῖ Ὃ μὲν γὰρ εὔπορον λαδὼν γυναῖχα, δέσποῖνᾶν μᾶλλον ἔλαδεν ἣ γυναῖχα. Εἰ γὰρ, καὶ χωβὶς τούτου, φρονήματός εἰσιν αἱ γυναῖχες ἐμπεπληἀμέναι, καὶ πρὸς δόξης ἔρωτα εὐέμπτωτοι, ἂν καὶ αὐτὴν προσλάδωσι τὴν προτθήχην, πῶς ἔσονται φορηταὶ τοῖς συνοιχοῦσιν αὐταῖς; Ὃ δὲ ὁμότιμον ἣ “ππενεστέραν λαθὼν γυναῖχα, βοηθὸν καὶ σύμμαχον ἔλαθε, καὶ πάντα εἰς; τὴν οἰχίαν εἰσήγαγε τὰ ἀγαθά. Ἢ γὰρ τῖςς πευίας ἀνάγχη θεραπεύειν αὐτὴν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἀναπείθει τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ πάντα εἴχειν καὶ πείθεσθαι, καὶ ἔριδος μὲν, καὶ μάχης, καὶ ἀπονοῖας, καὶ ὕδρεω; πᾶσαν ἀναιρεῖ πρόφάσιν " εἰρήνης δὲ, καὶ ὁμονοίας, καὶ ἀγάπης, καὶ συμφωνίας γίνεται σύνδεσμος. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ζηῃτῶμεν ὅπως χρήματα ἔχωμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅπως εἰρήνην, ὕπως ἡδονῆς ἀπολαύωμεν" διὰ τοῦτο γάμος, οὐχ ἵνα πολέμου καὶ μάχης τὰς οἰκία; ἐμπιπλῶμεν, οὐχ ἵνα ἔρεις καὶ φιλονειχίας ἔχωμεν, οὐχ ἕνα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ξιαστασιάζωμεν, καὶ ἀθέωτον τὸν βίον ποιῶμεν, ἀλλὰ ἵνα βοηθείας ἀπολαύωμεν, καὶ λιμένα ἔχωνλεν καὶ καταφυγὴν, καὶ παραμυθίαν τῶν ἐπιχει μένον χαχῶν» ἵνα μεθ᾽ ἡδονῆς τῇ γυναιχὶ διαλεγώμεθα. Πόσαι πλουτοῦντες, γυναῖχας λαθόντες εὐπόρους, τὴν οὐπίαν αὐξήσαντες, τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν κατέλυσαν, καθημερινὰς μάχας ἐπὶ τῆς τραπέζη; ποιούμενοι, φιλονεικίας ἔχοντες : πόσοι πένητες πενεσπέρας λαὀδόντες, εἰρήνης ἀπολαύουσι, καὶ μετ᾽ εὐφροσύνης πολλῇς τὸν ἥλιον τοῦτον βλέπουσιν οἱ δὲ οὕποροι, πανταχόθεν αὐτοῖς περιχειμένης τρυφῆς, διὰ τὰς γυναῖχας τὔξαντο πολλάχις ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ τῆς παρ» οὐσης ἀπαλλαγῆναι ζωῆς; οὕτως οὐδὲν χρημάτων ὄφελος, ὅταν ψυχῆς μὴ ἐπιτυγχάνωμεν ἀγαθῆς. Καὶ τί χρὴ λέγειν περὶ εἰρήνης καὶ ὁμονοίας; Καὶ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὴν τῶν χρημάτων τὴν χτῆσιν πολλάχις τὸ πλουσιωτέραν λαδεῖν ἡμᾶς παρέδλαψεν. “Ὅταν γὰρ εἰς τὸν τῆς προιχὸς λόγον ἅπασαν τὴν περιουσίαν ἐπιδοὺς. εἶτα ἀώρου συμδάντος θανάτον, χαταδαλεῖν παρὰ τῶν χηδεστῶν ἀναγχάζηται τὴν προῖχα ἅπασαν χαθάπερ οἱ ναυάγιον ὑπομένοντες ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ σῶμα διασώζουσι ἑμόνον, οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος, μετὰ πολλὰς φιλονεικίας, καὶ μάχας, καὶ ὕδρεις, καὶ διχαστήρια, μόλις τὸ σῶμα ἐλεύϑερον ἔχων ἐξέρχεται. Καὶ χαθάπερ οἱ τῶν ἑκπόρων ἄπληστοι, μυρίων τὴν ναῦν πλῆσαντες φορτίων, καὶ πλέον τῆς δυνάμεως τὸν ὄγχον ἐπιθέντες, κατέδυσαν τὸ σχάφος, καὶ πάντα ἀπώλεσαν " οὕτιυ δὴ καὶ οὗτοι τοὺς ὑπερόγχους ἀγόμενοι γάμους, μείζονα πολλάκις δόξαντες περιδαλέσθαι οὐσίαν διὰ τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ τῆς οὔσης ἐξέπεσον' καὶ ὥσπερ ἐχεῖ ἽΝ τὸς ὲ Ῥναχεῖα ἐμπεσοῦσα βαπτίζει τὸ αχάφος, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα θάνατος ἄωρος προῦσπεσὼν μετὰ τῆς γυναιχὸς καὶ πάντα τὰ ὄντα αὐτοῦ ἀφείλετο. ᾿ α΄, Ταῦτ᾽ οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, μὴ χρήματα περ:σχοπῶμεν, ἀλλὰ τρόπων ἐπιείχειαν, καὶ σεμνότητα καὶ σωφροσύνην. Γυνὴ γὰρ σώφρων, καὶ ἐπιειχὴς καὶ μετρία, κἂν πένης ἧ, τὴν πενίαν πλούτου βέλτιονδιαθεῖναι δυνήσεται" ὥσπερ ἡ διεφθαρμένη, καὶ ἀχόλαστος, καὶ φῇκερις, χἂν μυρίους εὕρῃ θησαυροὺς ἕνδον χειμένους, ἀνέμου παντὸς τάχιον αὐτοὺς ἐχφυσήσασα, καὶ συμφοραῖς μυρίαι; μετὰ τῆς πενίας περιδάλλει τὸν ἄνδρα. Μὴ τοίνυν πλοῦτον ζητῶμεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν χρησομένην καλῶς τοῖς οὖσι. Πρότερον μάθε, τίς ἡ τοῦ γάμου αἰτία, καὶ τίνος ἕνεχεν εἰς τὸν βίον εἰσενήνεχται τὸν ἡμέτερον, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἀπαίτει. Τίς οὖν ἡ τοῦ γάμου πρόφασις, καὶ τίνος ἕνεχεν ἔδωχεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός; ἤλχουσον τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος" Διὰ δὲ τὰς ποργ»είας ἔχαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω Οὐχ εἶπε, Διὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς πενίας ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἣ Διὰ τὴν τῆς εὐπορίας χτῆσιν “ ἀλλὰ τί; Ἵνα πορνείας φύγωμεν, ἵνα τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν χαταστείλωμεν, ἵνα σωφροσύνῃ τυζήσωμεν, ἵνα εὐαρεστήσωμεν Θεῷ, τῇ οἱκείᾳ ἀρχούμενοι γαμετῇ. Τοῦτο τοῦ γάμον τὸ δῶρον, οὗτος ὁ χαρπὸς, τοῦτο τὸ χέρδος. Μὴ τοίνυν τὰ μείζονα ἀφεὶς, τὰ ἐλάττονα ζήτει’ πολὺ γὰρ σωφροσύονῆς ἐλάττων ὁ πλοῦτος. Δι᾿ ἕν γὰρ τοῦτο μόνον χρὴ λαμδάνειν γυναῖχα, ἵνα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν φύγωμεν, ἵνα πορνείας ἀπάτης ἀπαλλαγῶμεν " πρὸς τοῦτο χρὴ τὸν γάμον χαθίστασθαι πάντα, ἵνα εἰς σωφροσύνην ἡμῖν, σ)μπράττῃ ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, ἐὰν τοιαύτας ἀγώμεθα νύμφας, αἵ πολλὴν μὲν εὐλάδειαν, πολλὴν δὲ συ»φροσύνην, πολλὴν ὃξ ἐπιείχειαν ἡμῖν εἰσαγαγεῖν δύνανται. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ σώματος εὐμορφία, ὅταν μὴ συνεζευγμένην ἔχῃ τὴν τῇ΄ς ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν, καὶ εἴχοαι καὶ τριάχοντα ἡμέρας δυνήσεται τὸν ἄνδρα ἑλεῖν, κεραιτέρω δὲ οὐ προδήσεται, ἀλλὰ δείξασα τὴν χαχίαν, ἅπαν χαταλύσει τὸ φίλτρον" αἱ δὲ τῷ χάλλει τῆς ψυχῆς καταλάμπουσαι, ὅσῳπερ ἂν ὁ χρόνος προΐῃ, καὶ πεῖραν τῆς οἰχείας εὐγενείας παρέχωσι, τοσούτῳ μάλιστα θερμότερον τοῖς οἰχείοις ἀνδράσι κοιοῦσι τὸν ἔρωτα, καὶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξάπτουσιν ἀγάπην. Τούτου δὲ ὄντος, καὶ φιλίας μεταξὺ χειμέγὴς θερμῆς καὶ γνησίας, ἅπαν ἐλαύνεται πορνείας. εἶδος, καὶ οὐδὲ ἔννοιά τις ἀχολασίας τῷ φιλοῦντι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖχά ποτ: ἐμπεσεῖται, ἀλλὰ μένει διηνεχῶς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ στέργων καὶ διὰ τῆς σωφροπύνης τὸν Θεὸν ἐπισπώμενος εἰς τὴν τῆς οἰχίας ἀπάσης εὔνοιάν τὸ καὶ προστασίαν. Οὕτως ἐλάμθανον οἱ γενναῖοι τῶν παλαιῶν ἀνδρῶν γυναῖκας, ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν ἐπιζητοῦντες, καὶ οὐχ εὐπορίαν χρημάτων. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, παραδείγματος ἕνεχεν, ἑνὸς ἐπι Καὶ προξεδηκῶς ἡμερῶν, φησὶ, καὶ εἶπε τῷ πωιδὶ αὑτοῦ τῷ πραεσδυτέρῳ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ͵, τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν αὐτοῦ πάν»των" Θὲς τὴν χεῖρά σου ὑπὸ τὸν μηρόν μου, καὶ ἐξορχιῶ σε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐραγοῦ καὶ τεῆς γῆς, ἵνα μὴ άξῃς γυναῖχα τῷ υἱῷ μου Ἰσαὰχ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων τῶν Χαταγαίων, μεθ’ ὧν ἐγὼ οἰχῶ μετ᾽ αὑτῶν, ἀ.1.1᾽ εἰς τ᾿» γήγ μου οὗ ἐγεννήθην, πορεύσῃ. καὶ εἷς τὴν φυ,λὴν μου, καὶ ἰήν ἢ γυναῖχα τῷ υἱῷ μου ἐχεῖθεν. ΕἾδες τοῦ δικαίων τί,» ἀρετῖν, πότην ὑπὲρ γάμου κρόγυιαν ἐποιήσατο, Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μαστρωποὺς χαλέσας γυναῖχας, καθάπερ οἱ νῦν, οὐδῇ᾽ προμντστρίας, οὐδὲ γραΐδια μυθεύοντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν οἰχέτην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, ποὕτῳ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἐνεχείρισεν" ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ τῆς εὖὐλαείχ; τοῦ πατριάρχου μέγιστόν ἔστι σημεῖον, ὅτ: πουυῦτον χατεσχεύασε τὸν οἰχέττν, ὡς; καὶ πράγματος νομίσαι ἀξιόπιστον εἶναι διάχονον. Εἶτα γυναῖχα ζητεῖ, οὐχ εὔπορον, οὐδὲ εὔμορφον, ἀλλ᾽ εὐ- ὙενΥ, τοῖς τρόποις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τοσαύττ,ν ὀδὺ» ἀτῶδημίας προπέμπει. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ τοῦ οἰχέτου τὴν εὐγνωμυσύνην οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστιν; ξθνη τοσαῦτα πλτσίον ἡμῶν, εὐπόρων ἀνδρῶν θυγατέρες τοσαῦται, ἐπισέμων καὶ περιφανῶν" σὺ δὲ εἰς μαχρὰν οὕτω πέμπεις γῆν, πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἁγνῶτας᾽ τίνι διαλέξομαι; τίς με εἴσεται: -ἰ δὲ, ἂν δύλον μοι ῥάψωσιν, ἂν ἀπάττν ἐργάτωνται; οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως εὐεπιχείρττον, ὡς ξένος. Οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλχταῦτα ἅπαντα παριδὼν, ὃ μάλισ-ἀ ἐστιν ὑπιδέσθαι, τοῦτο ὑπείδετο, ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ μηξν ἐχείνῳ ἀντιιπεῖν τὴν ὑπαχοὴν ἐπιδειχνύμενος, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μόνὸν ἐχεῖνο ἐρέσθαι, ὃ μάλιστα πάντων ζητῆσαι ἔδει, τὶν σύνεσιν τὴν αὑτοῦ καὶ πρόνοιαν δηλῶν, Τί ποτ’ οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; καὶ τί τὸν δεσπότην ἤρετο τὸν ἑαυτοῦ, Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ βου.1ηθῇ, φηπὶν, ἡ γυνὴ πορευθῆναι μετ' ἐμοῦ, ἀποστρέψω τὸν υἱ ν᾽ σου εἰς τὴν γῆΥ, ὅθεν ἐξήιιθες; Εἶτα ὁ ᾿Αδραάμ." Μὴ ἀποστρέψῃρῦ τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκεῖ. Κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ οὑρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ὃς ξιἰαδέό με ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς. ἧς ἐγεγγήθην, ὃς ἐλά-.1ησέ μοι καὶ ὥμοσέ μοι.1έγων" Σοὶ δώσω τὴν γὴν ταύτην καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, αὑτὸς τὸν ἄγγειον αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθέν σου, καὶ χατευοδώσει τὴν ὁδόν σου. ρᾷς πίστιν ἀνδρό: Οὐ παρεχάλεσε φίλους, ἣ συγγενεῖς, οὐχ ἄλλον οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἔδωχεν αὐτῷ μεσίτην καὶ συνοδοιπόρον. Εἶτα βουλόμενος παραθαρσῦναι τὸν οἱἰχέττν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλὰ προστίθησιν, Ὃς ἔλαδέ με ἐχ τοῦ οἴχου τοῦ πατρός μου. ᾿Αναμνήσθητι, φησὶ, πῶς τοσαύτην ἤλθομεν φησὶν, ἐμὲν ἐστιν" αὐτὸς εἶπε, Σοὶ δώσιο τὴν τῖιν «αὐτὴν ταὶ τῷ σπέρματί συυ. Ὥστε εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀνάξιοι, διὰ τοῦ» τὴν ὁτόστχετιν αὐτὰς τὰν ἕαυτοῦ, καὶ ἕνα αὐτὴν εἰς τέλος ἀγάγῃ, συμπερέΞξται, καὶ ἐξευμαριεῖ τὰ προχείμενα ἅπαντα, καὶ τέλος ἐπιθήσει τούτου οὗπερ εὐχόχκιεθα. Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἔκεμψε τὸν Εἴτα ἐλθὼν ἐχεῖνος εἰς τὲν χώραν ἐπεΐνεν, οὐ προδξλϑέ τιν τῶν τὴν πάλιν οἰκούντων, οὐ διελέχθη ἀνθρώποι;, οὐκ ἐκάλεσε γνναῖχας - ἀλλ᾽ ὅρα πῶς καὶ ἔχεῖνος πιστὸς ὧν, τὸν μεσέτεν, οὐχ εἶπε, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἀλλὰ τί Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μευ ᾿Αὐδραάμ. Ἐὶ καὶ ἐγὼ εὐτελὴς καὶ ἀπεῤδῥιωμένοξ, τν τὶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν δεσξότην μαι τὸν ἐμόν “ οὐ γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐχεΐῖνω διαχονῶν ἔχω ἐχείνου τοίνυν αἰδεσθεὶς τὴν ἀρετὴν, συγχατάκραξὸν μοι τὸ προχείμενον ἅξαν. ### English translation (Claude) But even if you say that she is incurably sick, and that, though she has received much care, she keeps to her own ways, not even so must she be cast out; for neither is a member that is incurably sick cut off. And she too is a member of yours: “For the two,” it says, “shall become one flesh.” And in the case of the member, there will be no gain to us from the treatment once it has become incurable through the illness; [but in the case of the wife, even if she remains unchanged,] we shall receive from God the reward, because for fear of him we showed such patience and bore her wickedness gently and kept our member. For the wife is a necessary member of ours; and for this reason we must love her above all. Teaching this very thing again, Paul said: “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. For no one ever [hated] his own [flesh …], as Christ also does the church; because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.” For as Eve, he says, came from the side of Adam, so we too came from the side of Christ. For this is the meaning of “of his flesh and of his bones.” But that Eve came from the side of Adam himself we all know, and Scripture has said it clearly, that he cast a trance upon him, and took one of his ribs, and built the woman; but that the church too was formed from the side of Christ, how could one show? This too Scripture shows. For when Christ was lifted up on the cross, and nailed, and died, “one of the soldiers came and pierced his side, and there came out blood and water”; and from that blood and water the whole church has been formed. And he himself bears witness, saying: “Unless one is born again of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” The blood he calls spirit. And we are born through the water of baptism, and nourished through the blood. You see how we are of his flesh and of his bones, born and nourished from that blood and water? And as, while Adam slept, the woman was formed, so, when Christ had died, the church was fashioned from his side. Not only for this reason should one love one's wife, that she is our member and had the beginning of her creation from us, but because God also laid down a law about this very thing, saying thus: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” For this reason Paul read us this law too, so that from every side he might drive us together into this love. And consider the apostle's wisdom: he leads us to the love of our wives neither from the divine laws alone nor from the human alone, but, alternating between these and those, he sets both side by side, so that the loftier and more philosophic may be led to affection from what is above, and the weaker from what is below and from nature. Therefore, beginning from the achievements of Christ, he introduces the exhortation, saying: “Love your wives, as Christ also loved the church”; then again from human things: “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies”; then again from Christ: “because we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones”; then again from human things: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife”; and having read the law, he says: “This mystery is great.” How is it great? Tell me. Because the girl, kept in her chamber all her life, never having seen the bridegroom, from the first day longs for him and loves him as her own body; and again the husband, the woman whom he never saw, with whom he never shared even the fellowship of speech, from the first day he prefers to all — to friends, to relatives, to his very parents. Parents again, if their property is taken on some other ground, drag the takers to court; but to a man often never seen nor known they hand over their own daughter and a dowry of much money. And they rejoice in doing this, and do not think what happens a loss; but seeing their daughter led away, they do not remember the years of companionship, they do not grieve, they are not stung, but even give thanks, and think it an answer to prayer to see their daughter led out of the house, and much money with her. Paul, then, considering all this — that both, leaving their parents, are bound to each other, and that their meeting then becomes more masterful than so long a time of companionship — and seeing that this is not human, but that God sowed these loves and arranged for those who give in marriage and those who are given to do this with joy, says: “This mystery is great.” And as with children the newborn child knows its parents from the sight of them at once, though it does not speak, so too bridegroom and bride, with no one bringing them together, no one exhorting and counselling, are knit to each other from the sight of each other. Then, seeing that this happened also in the case of Christ, and of the church above all, he was astonished and marvelled. How, then, did this happen in the case of Christ and the church? As the bridegroom leaves his father and comes to the bride, so Christ too left his Father's throne and came to the bride; he did not call us up, but himself came to us. When you hear that he left, do not think of a change of place, but of condescension; for even when he was with us, he was with the Father. That is why he says: “This mystery is great.” It is great even when it happens among human beings; but when I see it happening with Christ and the church, then I am astonished, then I marvel. That is why, having said, “This mystery is great,” he added: “But I speak with reference to Christ and the church.” Knowing, then, how great a mystery marriage is, and of how great a thing it is a type, do not deliberate about it lightly or casually, nor seek abundance of money when you are about to take a bride. For one must consider marriage not a trade, but a partnership of life. [4] For I have heard many saying: “So-and-so has become richer from his marriage; he was poor, but since he took a rich wife he is wealthy and lives in luxury now.” What are you saying, man? You desire to profit from a wife, and are not ashamed, nor do you blush, nor sink into the earth for seeking such ways of gain? And where are these the words of a man? A wife has one task only: to guard what is gathered, to keep the revenues, to care for the house; for this is why God gave her, to help us in these things together with all the rest. For since our life is held together by these two things, public and private affairs, God divided both, and assigned to her the management of the house, and to men all the affairs of the city: the marketplace, courts, council chambers, the command of armies, and all the rest. A woman cannot hurl a spear or shoot an arrow; but she can take up the distaff and weave at the loom, and arrange well all the other things of the house. She cannot propose an opinion in the council chamber; but she can propose an opinion at home, and often she sees better than her husband what concerns the house. She cannot manage public affairs well; but she can bring up children well, the chief of possessions; she can detect the misdeeds of the maids, and take care of the good conduct of the servants, give her husband freedom in all other things, and free him from every such care …, taking care of all the other things which it would be neither seemly nor easy for a man ever to handle, however much he strove. For this too is a work of God's munificence and wisdom, that the one who is useful in the greater things is inferior and useless in the lesser, so that the woman's service may be necessary. For if he had made the man fit for both, the female sex would have been easily despised; again, if he had entrusted the greater and more useful to the woman, he would have filled women with much arrogance. That is why he neither gave both to one, so that the other sex might not be diminished and seem superfluous, nor distributed them equally to each, so that from equal honour some fight and rivalry might not arise, with wives contending to be counted worthy of the same precedence as their husbands; but at once providing for peace and preserving the order fitting to each, he divided our life into these two, and gave the more necessary and useful to the husband, and the lesser and inferior to the wife, so that he might be highly esteemed by us for the necessity of his service, and she, through the inferiority of her ministry, might not rise up against her husband. Knowing all this, then, let us seek one thing only, virtue of soul and nobility of character, so that we may enjoy peace, so that we may delight in concord and lasting love. For he who takes a rich wife has taken a mistress rather than a wife. For if even apart from this women are full of pride and easily fall into the love of glory, if they gain this addition too, how will they be bearable to those who live with them? But he who takes a wife of equal rank or poorer has taken a helper and ally, and has brought all good things into the house. For the necessity of her poverty persuades her to serve her husband with great care, and to yield and obey in everything, and removes every pretext for strife and battle and arrogance and insult; it becomes a bond of peace and concord and love and harmony. Let us, then, not seek how we may have money, but how we may have peace, how we may enjoy pleasure. That is why there is marriage: not so that we may fill our houses with war and battle, not so that we may have strife and rivalry, not so that we may quarrel with one another and make life unlivable, but so that we may enjoy help, and have a harbour and refuge and consolation for the evils that beset us, so that we may converse with our wives with pleasure. How many rich men, having taken wealthy wives, have increased their property but destroyed pleasure and concord, having daily battles at table, having rivalries! How many poor men, having taken poorer wives, enjoy peace and see this sun with much gladness, while the wealthy, with luxury surrounding them on every side, have often prayed to die because of their wives and to be freed from the present life! So there is no profit in money when we do not obtain a good soul. And why speak of peace and concord? For even for the acquiring of money itself, to take a richer wife has often harmed us. For when a man has put all his property into the account of the dowry, and then, an untimely death occurring, is forced to pay back the whole dowry to her relatives, as those who suffer shipwreck at sea save only the body, so this man too, after many rivalries and battles and insults and lawsuits, comes out barely with his body free. And as greedy merchants, filling the ship with countless cargoes and putting a load on it beyond its capacity, sink the vessel and lose everything, so these too, contracting marriages beyond their measure, often thinking they have acquired a greater property through the wife, have lost even what they had; and as there a wave falling on the vessel sinks it, so here too an untimely death, falling upon them together with the wife, has taken away all his possessions. [5] Considering all this, then, let us not look about for money, but for gentleness of character, and dignity and chastity. For a chaste and gentle and modest wife, even if she is poor, will be able to make poverty better than wealth; just as the corrupt and licentious and quarrelsome wife, even if she finds countless treasures lying within, will blow them away faster than any wind, and will envelop her husband in countless misfortunes together with poverty. Let us not, then, seek wealth, but a wife who will use well what there is. First learn what the cause of marriage is, and for what reason it was brought into our life, and demand nothing more. What, then, is the reason for marriage, and why did God give it? Hear Paul saying: “But because of sexual immorality let each man have his own wife.” He did not say, “because of release from poverty,” or “because of the acquisition of wealth”; but what? So that we may flee sexual immorality, so that we may restrain desire, so that we may live in chastity, so that we may please God, being content with our own wife. This is the gift of marriage, this its fruit, this its gain. Do not, then, leave the greater and seek the lesser; for wealth is much less than chastity. For one reason only ought one to take a wife: that we may flee sin, that we may be freed from the deceit of sexual immorality; to this end every marriage ought to be ordered, that it may work with us toward chastity. And this will be so if we take such brides as can bring us much piety, much chastity, much gentleness. For bodily beauty, when it does not have the virtue of the soul joined to it, may be able to capture the husband for twenty or thirty days, but will go no further, but, showing its wickedness, will dissolve all affection; but women who shine with the beauty of the soul, the more time advances and they give proof of their own nobility, the warmer they make their own husbands' love and the more they kindle their affection toward them. And when this is so, and warm and genuine friendship lies between them, every form of sexual immorality is driven out, and not even a thought of licentiousness will ever fall upon the man who loves his own wife, but he continues always cherishing his own, and through chastity drawing God to goodwill and protection of the whole house. So the noble men of old took wives, seeking nobility of soul, not abundance of money. And that this is true, for the sake of an example I will recall one … “And being advanced in days,” it says, “he said to his servant, the elder of his house, the ruler of all that he had: Put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my land where I was born, and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son from there.” Do you see the righteous man's virtue, how much forethought he took about marriage? For he did not call in procuresses, as people do now, nor matchmakers, nor old women telling tales, but entrusted the matter to his own servant; which itself is the greatest sign of the patriarch's piety, that he had made his servant such that he thought him a trustworthy minister of the matter. Then he seeks a wife, not rich nor beautiful, but noble in character, and for this reason sends him on so long a journey. And see the good sense of the servant too; for he did not say: “What is this? So many nations near us, so many daughters of wealthy men, distinguished and illustrious; and you send me so far, to a land of unknown people. With whom shall I converse? Who will know me? And what if they weave a plot against me, if they practise every deceit? For nothing is so easy to attack as a stranger.” He said none of these things, but, overlooking all this, he was cautious about what most needs caution, showing his obedience by not contradicting him at all, and his understanding and forethought by asking only what most of all needed to be asked. What, then, is this? And what did he ask his master? “If the woman will not go with me,” he says, “shall I take your son back to the land from which you came?” Then Abraham: “Do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven and of earth, who took me from my father's house and from the land in which I was born, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To you I will give this land and to your seed, he himself will send his angel before you, and will prosper your way.” Do you see the man's faith? He did not summon friends or relatives or anyone else, but gave him God as mediator and fellow traveller. Then, wishing to encourage the servant, he did not simply say, “The Lord, the God of heaven and of earth,” but added, “who took me from my father's house.” Remember, he says, how we came so far …; he himself said, “To you I will give this land and to your seed.” So even if we are unworthy, for the sake of his own promise, and so as to bring it to fulfilment, he will go with you and make all that lies before you easy, and bring to its end what we pray for. Having said this, he sent him. Then the servant, coming to that country, did not approach any of those who lived in the city, did not converse with people, did not call women; but see how he too, being faithful, [called on God as] mediator: he did not say, “Lord my God,” but what? “Lord, God of my master Abraham.” Even if I am lowly and despised, [regard not me,] but my master; for I serve not myself but him; out of respect for his virtue, then, accomplish with me all that lies before me. ### Scripture references - Gen 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:28: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:29: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:30: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:21: allusion, high confidence - Gen 2:22: allusion, high confidence - John 19:34: quotation, high confidence - John 3:5: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:25: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:31: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:32: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:1: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:3: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:4: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:5: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:7: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quales ducendae sint uxores, staging ref 3, which also holds Migne's sections 4 and 5 (marked “[4]” and “[5]”, where the OCR has δ΄ and α΄). Re-read against the Greek; no public-domain English. Chrysostom: “not even so must she be cast out” (οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτὴν ἐκβλητέον). Words and lines lost in the OCR are marked “…” or supplied in brackets by sense (the clause on the wife's reward, the words of Eph 5:29, the clause on the servant's prayer). A passage beginning “but women who shine with the beauty of the soul” and ending “I will recall one”, displaced by the OCR into ref 6, is restored here by a logged correction (its last word is lost after ἐπι-). Migne's Latin version and column numbers are removed by logged corrections. Quotations: Gen 2:24 (several times); Eph 5:28–32, 25; Gen 2:21–22; John 19:34; John 3:5; 1 Cor 7:2; Gen 24:1–4, 5, 7, 12. ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 3 (PG 51:229; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/3). ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/3/#p-6 - Source: PG 51:233 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom explains that Abraham's servant asked God for a sign of hospitality rather than of wealth or beauty in Isaac's bride, and urges those about to marry to seek a wife through prayer to God rather than through matchmakers. ### Greek text Εἴτα ἵνα μὴ νομίσης ὅτι ὡς χρέος ἀπαιτεῖ, ἄχουὅσον γαὶ τῶν ἑἐξῖς- Καὶ ποίησον ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἁδραάμ. Κἂν μυρία ὧμεν, φησὶ, χατὠωρθωχότες, ἀξιοῦμεν χάριτι σωθῆναι, καὶ ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας τοῦτο λαθεῖν, οὐχ ἐξ ὀφειλῖς τινος καὶ χρέους. Τί τοίνυν βούλε: - Ἰδοὺ ἔστηχα, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος αἱ δὲ θυγατέρες τῶν ὥδωρ" καὶ ἔσται ἡ παρθένος, ἧ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴσω, ᾿Επίκιινόν μοι κὴν ὑδρίαν σου, ἵνα πίω, καὶ εἴπῃ. Πίε καὶ εὑ, καὶ τὰς καμήιϊιους σου ποειῶ, ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πᾶσαι πίνουσαι, ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου Ἰσαὰκ. καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ἁδραάμ “Ὅρα σοφίαν οἰχέτου, οἷον τίθησι σημεῖον. Οὐχ εἶπεν, Ἐάν τινα ἴδω ἐπὶ ἡμιόνων φερομένην, ἐπὶ ὀχήματος ὀχουμέντιν, εὐνούχων ὃὲ ἐσμὸν ἐπισυρομένην, πολλὴν ἔχουσαν θε ραπείαν, εὔμορφον καὶ ἀπολάμπουσαν χατὰ τὴν τοῦ σώματος ὥραν, ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου " ἀλλὰ τί; Ἧ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω" Ἐπίχλινόν μοι τὴν ὑδρίανσου. ἵνα πίω. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; οὕτως εὐτελῇ γυναῖκα τὲ; δεσπότῃ σου ζητεῖς, ὑδροφοροῦσαν, χαΐ σοι διαλεχθῇναι δυναμένην; Ναὶ, φησίν" οὐ γὰρ ἔπεμψέ με χρη. τῶν εὐπορίαν," οὐδὲ γένους χαμπρότητα, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν ἐπιζνυτήσοντα. Πολλαὶ πολλάχις τῶν ὑδροφορουσῶν τούτων ὀλόχλῃρον ἔχουσιν ἀρετὴν, ἄλλαι δὲ ἐν οἴχοις λαμπροῖς χαθέμεναι, πάντων εἰσὶ χείρους καὶ φαυλότεραι. Εἶτα καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο, ὅτ: ἑνάρετός ἔστιν ἡ γυνή; ᾿Απὸ τοῦ σημείου, φησὶν, οὗ εἶπε. Καὶ ποῖον τοῦτο τὸ σημεῖον ἀρετῆς; Μέγιστον καὶ ἀναμφισδήτητον. Φιλοξενίας γὰρ τοῦτο μέγα σιμεῖόν ἐστιν, ὥστε πᾶσαν παοασχεῖν ἀπόδειξιν. Ὃ τοίνυν λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ταῦτα φθέγγεται τὰ ῥήματα " Ἐχείνην ζητῶ τὴν παρθένον, ἥτι: οὕτω φιλόξενός ἐστιν, ὡς πᾶσαν παρασχεῖν ἐν οἷς ἂν δύνηται θεραπείαν. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοῦτο ἐζήτει " ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τοιαύτης οἰχίας ἦν, ἐν ἧ μάλιστα τὰ «ἧς φιλοξενίας ἦνθει κατορθώματα, τοῦτο πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐζήτησεν, ὁμότροπον τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δεσπόταις λαθεῖν. Εἰς οἰκίαν αὑτὴν μέλλομεν, φησὶν εἰσαγα εἶν, ξένοις ἀνεῳγμένην " ἵνα μὴ πόλεμος ἧ καὶ μάχη, τοῦ ἀνδρὸς προΐεμένου τὰἀὄντα, καὶ τὸν πατέρα μιμονμένον, Α καὶ τοὺς ξένους ὑποδεχομένου " ταύτης δὲ σμιχρολογουμένης τε καὶ μὴ ἀνεχούσης, καὶ χωλνούσης, ὃ πολλάχις ἐν πολλαῖς οἰχίαις εἴωθε γίνεσθαι " ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη βούλομαι μαθεῖν εἰ φιλόξενός ἐστι’ καὶ γὰρὲντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἄπαντα γέγονε τὰ ἀγαθά. )ὕτω τὸν νυμφίον ἐχτήσατο ὁ δεσπότης ὁ ἐμός - οὕτω πατὴρ ἐγένετο, κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἄστῥων τοὺς ἐχγόνους αὐτῷ ὑπἐσχετο δώσειν ὁ Θεός. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν καὶ τῇ οἰχίᾳ ἅπαντα γέγονε τὰ ἀγαθὰ, τοῦτο πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιζητῶ. Μὴ γὰρ τοῦτο ἴδωμεν, ὅτι ὕδωρ ἐπεζήετησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο σχοπήσωμεν, ὅτι σφόδρα φιλοξένου ψυχῆς, μὴ μόνον δοῦναι τὸ αἰτηθὲν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλόον ὧν ἤτησε καρασχεῖν. Καὶ ἐγένετο, φησὶ, πρὸ τοῦ συντελέσαι αὐτὸν.1αλοῦντα, ἰδοὺ Ῥεδέκκα ἐἀξεπορεύδτο, καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἐχεῖνο ἐπληροῦτο " Ἔτι «αλοῦντός σου ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Τοιαῦται «τὧν γενναίων ἀνδρῶν αἱ εὐκαί" πρὸ τοῦ τέλους πείθουσι τὸν Θεὸν ἐπινεῦσαι τοῖς λεγομένοις. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν, ἐπειδὰν μέλλῃς γυναῖχα ἄγεσθαι, μὴ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους χαταφύγης, μηδὲ πρὸς γυναῖχας ἐμπορενομένας τὰς ἀλλοτρίας συμφορὰς, καὶ ζητούσας ἂν μόνον, ὅπω; αὐταὶ μισθὸν λάδωσιν" ἀλλὰ χατάφνγε ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν. Οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεταί σου γενέσθαι νυμφαγωγός. Αὐτὸς ὑπέσχετο καὶ εἶπε" Ζητεϊεετὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ταῦτα κάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Καὶ μὴ λέγε, Πῶς δύναμαι τὸν Θεὸν ἰδεῖν; μὴ γὰρ ἀφεῖναί μοι φωνὴν ἔχει, καὶ διαλεχθῆναι φανερῶς, ἵνα προσελθὼν ἐρωτήσω; ᾿Απίστφυ ταῦτα ψυχῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ὀξέως χὰὶ χωρὶς φωνῆς πάντα, ὅσα ἂν θέλῃ, δύναται χατασχευάζειν ὁ Θεός " ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου γέγονεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ φωνὴν ἤχουσεν, οὐδὲ ὄψιν τινὰ εἶδεν" ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ πηγῇ ἑστὼς ηῦξατο, καὶ ταχέως ἐπέτυχεν. Ἐγέγδτο γὰρ κχρὶν ἢ συντελέσαι λωλοῦντα αὐτὸν, φησὶ, Ῥεδέκκα ἐξἔχουσα τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ὥμων " ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλὴ τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα, παρθένος ἦν, ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὑτήν. Τί μοι λέγεις τὴν εὐμορφίαν τοῦ σώματος; Ἵνα μάθῃς τὴν ὑπερδολὴν τῆς σωφροσύνης, ἵνα μάθῃς τὸ χάλλος τὸ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. θαυμαστὸν μὲν γὰρ τὸ σωφρονεῖν" πολλῷ δὲ θαυμαστότερον, ὅταν μετ᾽ εὐμορφίας τοῦτο γίνηται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ μέλλων ἡμῖν διηγεῖσθαι καὶ τῆς ἐχείνου σωφροσύνης, πρότερον τὴν εὐμορφίαν τοῦ σώματος τέθειχεν, εἰπών" Καλὸς ἦν τῷ εἴδει, καὶ ὡραῖος τῇ ὄψει σφόδρα “ καὶ τότε τὴν σωφροσύνην αὐτοῦ διηγήσατο δειχνὺς, ὅτι τὸ χάλλος αὐτὸν εἰς ἀσέλγειαν οὐ προήγαγεν. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ χάλλος ποργείας αἴτιον, οὔτε ἡ ἀμορφία σωφροσύνης πάντως. Πολλαὶ γὰρ χατὰ τὴν ὥραν τοῦ σώματος λάμψασαι, μειζόνως χατὰ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἔλαμψαν " ἄλλαι πάλιν αἰσχραὶ καὶ δυσειδεῖς οὖσαι, αἰσχρότεραι χατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐγένοντο, μυρίαις ῥυπωθεῖσαι πορνείαις. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ φύσις τοῦ δώματος, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ προαίρεσις τῆς Ψυχῆς καὶ τούτου χἀχείνου αἰτία. ### English translation (Claude) Then, so that you may not think that he demands it as a debt, hear what follows too: “And show mercy to my master Abraham.” Even if we have done countless good deeds, he says, we ask to be saved by grace, and to receive this from loving-kindness, not from any obligation and debt. What, then, do you want? “Behold, I stand,” he says, “by the spring of water, and the daughters of [the men of the city come out to draw] water; and the maiden to whom I say, Incline your jar to me, that I may drink, and she says, Drink, and I will water your camels too, until they have all finished drinking — her you have prepared for your servant Isaac; and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my master Abraham.” See the servant's wisdom, what sort of sign he sets. He did not say: “If I see one carried on mules, riding in a carriage, drawing a swarm of eunuchs after her, with many attendants, beautiful and shining in the bloom of her body, her you have prepared for your servant”; but what? “The one to whom I say, Incline your jar to me, that I may drink.” What are you doing, man? Do you seek so lowly a wife for your master, one who carries water and can converse with you? “Yes,” he says; “for he did not send me to seek abundance of money nor splendour of birth, but nobility of soul.” Many of these water carriers often have complete virtue, while others, sitting in splendid houses, are worse and baser than all. Then, whence will you know this, that the woman is virtuous? From the sign, he says, which he named. And what kind of sign of virtue is this? The greatest and indisputable. For this is a great sign of hospitality, such as to give every proof. What he says, then, is this, even if he does not speak these words: I seek the maiden who is so hospitable as to give every service in what she can. And he did not seek this without reason; but since he belonged to such a house, in which above all the achievements of hospitality flourished, he sought this before all else, to take one of like character with his own masters. “We are going to bring her,” he says, “into a house open to strangers”; so that there may not be war and battle, with the husband lavishing his possessions and imitating his father and receiving strangers, while she is stingy and does not bear it and hinders it, as often happens in many houses. From this, then, I want to learn whether she is hospitable; for from this all good things have come to us. Thus my master obtained the bridegroom; thus he became a father; thus God promised to give him descendants according to the multitude of the stars. Since, then, from this all good things have come to us and to the house, I seek this before all else. Let us not look at this, that he asked for water, but consider that it belongs to a very hospitable soul not only to give what is asked but also to provide more than was asked. “And it happened,” it says, “before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out”; and that prophetic word was fulfilled: “While you are still speaking I will say, Behold, I am here.” Such are the prayers of noble men: before they end, they persuade God to assent to what is said. You too, then, when you are about to take a wife, do not flee to men, nor to women who traffic in others' misfortunes and seek one thing only, how they may get a fee; but flee to God. He is not ashamed to become your bride-leader. He himself promised and said: “Seek the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you.” And do not say: “How can I see God? Does he have a voice to send me, and to converse openly, so that I may go and ask him?” These are the words of an unbelieving soul. For quickly and without a voice God can arrange all that he wishes; which indeed happened in this case. For the servant neither heard a voice nor saw any vision; but standing by a spring he prayed, and quickly obtained. “For it happened, before he had finished speaking,” it says, “Rebekah came out, having the jar on her shoulders; and the maiden was very beautiful to look upon; she was a virgin, no man had known her.” Why do you tell me of the beauty of her body? So that you may learn the excess of her chastity, so that you may learn the beauty in her soul. For chastity is wonderful; but much more wonderful when it occurs together with beauty. That is why, when about to recount to us Joseph and his chastity, Scripture first set down the beauty of his body, saying: “He was handsome in form, and very fair to look upon”; and then it recounted his chastity, showing that his beauty did not lead him to licentiousness. For neither is beauty the cause of sexual immorality, nor is ugliness the cause of chastity in every case. For many who shone in bodily bloom shone more greatly in chastity; others again, being ugly and ill-favoured, became uglier in soul, defiled by countless acts of sexual immorality. For not the nature of the body, but the choice of the soul is the cause of both. ### Scripture references - Gen 24:12: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:13: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:14: quotation, high confidence - Gen 18:10: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 15:5: allusion, high confidence - Gen 24:15: quotation, high confidence - Isa 58:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 6:33: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:16: quotation, high confidence - Gen 39:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quales ducendae sint uxores, staging ref 6. Re-read against the Greek; no public-domain English. “Thus my master obtained the bridegroom” refers to Isaac's birth, promised when Abraham received the three strangers (Gen 18). A passage displaced by the OCR into this ref (it belongs in ref 3) and the Latin version around it are removed by logged corrections, leaving “a house open to strangers”, whose middle words are lost. Words of the quotation of Gen 24:13 lost in the OCR are supplied in brackets. Quotations: Gen 24:12, 13–14, 15, 16; Isa 58:9; Matt 6:33; Gen 39:6; allusions: Gen 18:1–10; Gen 15:5. ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 6 (PG 51:233; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/6). ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/7/#p-7 - Source: PG 51:237 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom praises Rebekah's chastity and eager hospitality at the well, and the servant's prayerful prudence, and tells those choosing a spouse to ask first whether the person is dear to God. ### Greek text Οὐχ ἀπλῶς δὲ δεύτερον αὐτὴν παρθένον εἶπεν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Παρθένος ἦν, ἐπήγαγε: Παρθένος ἦν, ἀγὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὑτήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλαὶ παρθένων τὸ σῶμα ἀδιάφθορον τηροῦσαι. τὴν. Ψυχὴν πολλῆς ἀχολασίας πληροῦσ', χαλλωπιζόμενα:, μυρίους πανταχόθεν ἑπισπώμεναι ἐραστὰς, καὶ τοὺς τῶν νέων ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀναπτεροῦσιν, ἐνέδρας τιθεῖσαι καὶ βάραθρα, δεικνὺς ὁ Μωῦσῆς ὅτι οὐχ αὐτὴ τοιαύτη, ἀλλ᾽ ἑκατέρωθεν ἦν παρθένος, ἀπό τε σώματος, ἀπό τε ψυχῆς, φησὶ, Παρθένος ἦν, ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὑτήν. Καΐτοι γε πολλὰς εἶχεν ἀφορμὰς τοῦ γνωρισθῆναι ἀνδράσι" πρῶτον μὲν, τὸ χάλλος τοῦ σώματος " δεύτερον δὲ, ὁ τῆς διαχονίας τρόπος. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν θα» λάμῳ διηνεχῶς ἐκάθητο, χαθάπερ αἱ νῦν παρθένοι, καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐνέδαλεν, μηδὲ ἐξῇει τὴν οἰχίαν τὴν πατρῴαν, οὐδὲν τοσοῦτον ἦν εἰς ἐγχώμιον λέγεσθαι περὶ αὐτῆς, ὅτι ἀνὴρ οὐχ ἔγνω αὐτήν. Ὅταν δὲ ἴδῃς αὐτὴν εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐξιοῦσαν, χαθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑδροφορεῖν ἀναγχαζομένην, καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάχις, εἶτα μηδενὶ γνώριμον οὖσαν ἀνδρὶ, τότε μάλιστα αὐτῆς δυνήσῃ κατιδεῖν τὸ ἐγχώμιον. Εἰ γὰρ ὀλιγάκις εἰς ἀγορὰν παραδάλλουσα παρθένος, καὶ δυσειδὴς οὖσα καὶ ἄμορφος, πολλῶν ἑπομένων θερα"» παινίδων, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐξόδων τούτων διεφθάρη τὸ ἦθος πο)λάχις " ἡ χαθ᾽ ἐχάστην ἡμέραν ἐχ τῆς πατρῴας οἰχίας ἑξιοῦσα μόνῃ, καὶ οὐχ εἰς ἀγορὰν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς τὴν πηγὴν ἀπαντῶσα καὶ ὑδρενομένη, ἔνθα πολλοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους συνιέναι ἀνάγχη, κῶς οὐχ ἂν εἴη μυρίων ἀξία θαυμάτων, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἐξόδων τῶν συνεχῶν, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῆς χατὰ τὴν ὄψιν εὐμορφίας, οὔτε ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν παραγινομένων, οὔτε ἄλλοθεν οὐδαμόθεν διαφθαρεῖσα τὸ ἦθος, ἀλλὰ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν Ψυχὴν ἀδιάφθορος μείνασα, καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην τῶν ἐν γυναιχωνίτιδι χαθημένων ἀχριδέστερον διατηρήσασα, καὶ τοιαύτη φανεῖσα, οἵαν ὁ Παῦλες ἐπιζητεῖ λέγων, “ἴἾνα ἧ ἁγία σώματι καὶ πγεύμαει; ᾿ Καταδᾶσα τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν ἔπλησε τὴ» ὑδρίαν τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ ἀνάθη" καὶ ἔδραμεν ὁ «αἷς εἰς συγάντησιν αὐτῆς, καὶ εἶπα" Πότισόν μα μικρὸν ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας σου. Ἡ δὲ εἶπε" Πίε, κύριε" καὶ ἔσπευσε, καὶ καθεῖλε τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐπὶ τὸν βρα-. χίονα αὑτῆς. καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτὸν ἕως ἐπαύσατο «ἰγωγν" καὶ εἶπε᾽ Καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σον ὑδρεύσόμαι, ἕως ἂν πᾶσαι πίωσι. Καὶ ἔσπευσε καὶ ἐξεχένωσε τὴν ὑδρίαν εὶς τὸ ποειστήριον, καὶ ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ φρόαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσασθαι πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις. Πολλὴ μὲν τῆς γυναιχὸς ἡ φιλοξενία, πολλὴ δὲ ἡ σωφροσύνη, καὶ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα καὶ ἀφ᾽ ὧν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀφ᾽ ὧν εἶπε, μάλιστα ἔστι χαταμαθεῖν. Εἶδες πῶς οὔτε ἡ σωφροσύνη τὴν φιλοξενίαν. ἐλυμήνατο, οὔτε ἢ φιλοξενία τὴν σωφροσύνην διέφθειρε; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ. μὴ προτέραν ἐπιδραμεῖν, μηδὲ προσειπεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα, σωφροσύνης ἧν᾽ τὸ δὲ αἰτηθεῖσαν μὴ ἀνανεῦσαι, μηδὲ ἀρνήσασθαι, φιλοξενίας καὶ φιλανθρωπίας πολλῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ προτέρα προσέδραμε, καὶ μηδὲν εἰπόντι διελέχθη, ἰταμότητος ἣν καὶ ἀναισχυντος ἦν καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας. Νὺν δὲ οὐδέτερον τούτων ἐποίησεν" οὔτε διὰ τὴν σωφροσύνην τὴν φιλοξενίαν ὀλυμήνατο, οὐδ᾽ αὖ πάλιν διὰ τὴν φιλοξενίαν τὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐγχώμιον ὑπετέμετο, ἀλλ᾽ ὁλόχληρον ἑχατέραν ἐπεδείξατο τὴν ἀρετὴν,τῷ μὲν ἀναμεῖναι τὴν αἷἵτησιν τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐπιδεικνυμένη, τῷ δὲ παρασχεῖν μετὰ τὴν αἴτησιν τὴν φιλοξενίαν τὴν ἄφατον. Καὶ γὰρ ἀφάτου φιλοξενίας ἦν, τὸ μὴ μόνον ὅπερ ἤτησε δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον τι παραπχεῖν τῶν αἰτηθέντων. ΕἸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἦν. τὸ διδόμενον, τούτου χυρία ἣν τότε. Τοὺς δὲ φιλοξένους οὐχ ἀπὸ τῆς πολυτελείας τῶν ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τῆς δυνάμεως, ἧς παρΐίχουσι, χρίνειν εἰώθ αδιν" ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν ποτήριον δόντα ψυχροῦ ὁ Θεὸς ἔπ’ ἕνεσε, καὶ τὴν δύο λεπτὰ καταδαλοῦσᾳαν πάντων πλέον χαταδεδληχέναι ἔφη, ἐπειδὴ πάντα, ἅπερ εἶχε, τότε χιτέόαλεν. Οὕτω καὶ αὔτη τούτοις τὸν γενναῖον ὀχεῖνον ἐξένισεν, ὧν οὐδὲν εἶχε πλέον αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν. Οὺχ ἀπλῶς δὲ πρόσχειται τὸ, "Ἔσπευσε, καὶ ἔδραμε, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μάθῃς τὴν προθυ μίαν, μεθ᾽ ἧς ἐποίει τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐχ ἄχουτα, οὐδὲ χτοῦσα. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ μιχρὸν τοῦτό. ἐστι, πολλάχις παριόντα τινὰ στῆναι μιχρὸν ἡτῆσαμεν δᾷδα χατἐχοντα, ἵνα ἄψωμεν, ἣ ὕδωρ βαστάζοντα, ὥστε ἀποκιεῖν, καὶ οὐχ ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐδυσχέρανεν" ἐχείνη δὲ οὗ μόνον ἀπέχλινεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὑδρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς χαμῆλοις πάσαις ὑδρεύσατο, πόνον τοσοῦτον ἀνασχομένη, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώμχτος λειτονργίαν εἰς τὴν φιλοξενίαν εἰσενεγχοῦσα μετὰ πολλῖς οὗ γὰρ τὸ ποιῆσαι μόνον. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ προθύμως, δείχνυσιν αὐτῆς τὴν ἀρετήν" χύριον χαλεῖ ἄνθρωπον ἀγνῶτα καὶ τότε φανέντα πρῶτον. Καὶ χαθάπερ ὁ χηδεστὴς αὐτῆς ᾿Αὐραὰμ οὐχ ἡρώτα τοὺς παριόντας, Τίνες τέ ἐστε, καὶ πόθεν : καὶ ποῦ πορεύεσθε; καὶ πόθεν ἤχατε; ἀλλ᾽ ἀπλῶς τὴν φιλοξενίαν ἑκαρποῦτο" οὕτω καὶ αὕτη οὐχ εἶκε, Τίς εἶ, καὶ πόθεν, καὶ τίνος ἕνεχεν παραγέγονας; ἀλλὰ χαρπωσαμένη τὴν εὐπορίαν τῆς φιλοξενίας, τὰ περιττὰ πάντα ἀφῆχε. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ μαργαρίτας ὠνούμενοι, καὶ χρυσίον λαμδάνοντες, ἕν τοῦτο ζητοῦσι μόνον, ὅπως χερδαίνοιεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων τὰ χρήματα οὐχ ὅπως αὐτοὺς περιεργάσοιντο" καὶ αὕτη τοῦτο μόνον ζητεῖ, ὅπως δέξττει τὸν τῆς φιλοξενίας χαρπὸν, ὅπως λάδο: τὸν μιτθὸν ἀπηρτισμένον. "“ἢδει τοῦτο σαφῶς, ὅτι ὁ ξένος μάχιστα πάντων αἰσχύνεται" διὰ τοῦτο δεῖται πολλῆς “ἧς φιλοφροσύνης, καὶ ἀπεριεργάστου τῆς σωφροσύνης ἂν τοίνωον μέλλωμεν αὐτὸν περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν, ὀχνεῖ καὶ ἀναδύεται, καὶ ἀηδῶς προσέρχεται. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ αὕτη τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τούτου, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ξένων ὁ χηδεστὴς ὁ ταύτης, ἵνα μὴ τὶν θήραν ἀποσοδήσῃ" ἀλλ᾽ ἐθεράπευε τοὺς παριόντας μόνον, καὶ χαρπούμενος δ'᾽ αὐτῶν ὅπερ αὐ. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀγγέλους ποτὰ ὑπεδέξ το" ὡς εἶ γε περιειργάξετο, ἢλαττώθη ἂν αὐτῷ ὁ ἐπιχείμενος μισθός. Καὶ γὰρ θαυμάζομεν αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὅτι ἀγγέλου; ὑπεδέξατο, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ὑπεδέξατο. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἰδὼς ἐθεράπευσεν, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἐποίε:, τῆς ἀξίας τῶν ὑποδεχθέντων καὶ τὸν σφόδρα λίθινον καὶ ἀπηνῆ χαταναγχαξούσης φιλάνθρωπον γενέσθαι καὶ ἥμερον" τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο ἦν, ὅτι ὀδίτας τινὰς αὐτοὺς εἶνα: νομίζων, τοσαύτην ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐπεδείξατο τὴν θεραπείχν. Τοσαύτη καὶ αὕτη ἦν" οὐκ οἶδεν τίς ἦν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τί παρεγένετο, οὐδὲ ὅτι αὐτὴν μβνηστευσόμεγος ἤλθενγδλλὰ ξένον τινὰ καὶ ὁδοιπόρον ἐνόμισε. Διὰ ποῦτο μείζων αὐτῇ ὁ μισθὸς τῆς φιλοξενίας ἐγίνετο, ὅτι τὸν οὐδαμόθεν ὄντα γνώριμον μετὰ τοσαύτης ὑπεδέξατο εὐνοίας, ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην διατηροῦσα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀναισχύντως, οὐδὲ ἰταμῶς, οὔτε ἀναγχάτουσα, οὔτε ὀργιζομένη. ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς προσηχούσης σεμνότητος τοῦτο ἐποίει. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸ ἡ νίξατο ὁ Μωῦδῆς λέγων’ Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμά»θανεν ὠὐτὴ», καὶ παρεσιώπα τοῦ γνῶναι, εἰ εὐὠξωσε Κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, Τί ἐστι, Κατεμάνθανεν αὐτήν; Καὶ σχῆμα, καὶ βάδισμα, καὶ βλέμμα, καὶ ῥῆμα, καὶ πάντα ἀχριδῶς ἐξήταζεν, ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ σώματος χινημάτων τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ψυχῆς καταμανθάνων. Καὶ οὐδὲ τούτοις ἡρχέσθη μόνον, ἀλλὰ δεντέρὰν προσάγει πεῖραν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπότισεν αὐτὸν, οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτου, ἀλλ' εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Τίνος θυ. ηὐτηρ εἷ, ἀνάγγειλόν μοι, καὶ εἰ ἔστι παρὰ τῷ «ατρί σου τόχος τοῦ καταιϊῦσαι; Τί οὖν ἐχείνη : ᾿Ανεξιχάκως καὶ πράως καὶ τὺν πατέρα εἶπε, καὶ οὐκ ἰ,γανάχτησε, λέγουσα" Σὺ δέ τις εἴ ὁ πολυπραγμογῶν, καὶ ζητῶν, καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν περιεργαζόμενος: ἀλλὰ «εἴ; Θυγάτηρ Βαθουὴή.1 εἶμε ἐγὼ υἱοῦ ὃν ἔτεκεν τῷ Ναχώρ' καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα πο.1.λὰ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν, καὶ τόπος τοῦ κατα- ͵ἴῦσαι. Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος, πλέον ὧν ἔτησεν ἔδωχεν " ὁ μὲν γὰρ πιεῖν ἥτησε μόνον, ἡ δὲ καὶ τὰς χαμήλους ὑπέσχετο ποτίζειν, καὶ ἐπότισεν -“ οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα " αὐτὸς τόπον ἥτησε μόνον, ἡ δὲ καὶ ἄχυρα καὶ χορτάσματα καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ, διὰ τούτων πάντων αὑτὸν ἐκχαλουμένη, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰχίαν ἕλχουσα, ἵνα τὸν τῆς φιλοξενίας χαρπώσηται μισθόν. Ταῦτα δὲ μὴ παρέργως μηδὲ ἁπλῶς ἀχούωμεν, ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ τούτοις καραδάλλοντες, οὕτως εἰσόμεθα τὴν ἀρετὴν τῇς γυναιχός. Πολλάχις γοῦν γνωρίμονς τινὰς καὶ ἐπιτηδείους ὑποδεχόμενοι δυσχεραίνομεν, χἂν μίαν ἣ δευτέραν ἡμέραν ἐνδιατρίψωσι, βαουνόμεθα" αὕτη δὲ τὸν ἀγνῶτα καὶ ξένον μετὰ πολλῆς εἰς τὴν οἰχίαν εἶλκε τῆς προθυμίας, καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ αὐτῷ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαμήλοις τοσαύταις μέλλουσα παρέξειν τὴν θεραπείαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰσῆλθε, σχόπει ἐντεῦθεν μᾶλλον αὑτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν. Ὡς γὰρ παρέθηχε φαγεῖν αὐτῷ ἄρτους, φησίν ᾿ Οὐ μὴ φάγω, ἕως ὅτου.1α1ήσω τὰ ῥήματά μου. Εἰδες πῶς ἦν ἐγρηγορὼς κὰϊ νήφων; Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ εἰπεῖν ἐπέτρεψαν, ἴδωμεν πῶς αὐτοῖς διαλέγετας. ρα ταῦτα εἶπε πρὸς αὑτοὺς τὰ ῥήματα, ὅτι δεσττό. τὴν ἔχοι περιφανῆ καὶ λαμπρὸν, παρὰ πάντων τιμκεὺμενον, πολλὴς παρὰ τῶν ἐγχωρίων προεδρίας ἀπολαύοντα; καίτοι γε εἴπερ ἐδούλετο ταῦτα εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἂν ἠπόρησε᾽ καὶ γὰρ ἐν τάξει βασιλέως αὐτὸν οἱ ἐπ: χώριοι ἑτίμων. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ταῦτα ἀφεὶς, ἀπὸ τῆς ἄνωθεν αὐτὸν ῥοπῆς ἐκόσμησεν οὕτω λέγων “ Παῖς Ἀδραὰμ ἐγώ εἶμι" Κύριος εὐλόγησε τὸν κύριόν μου σφόδρα, καὶ ὑψώθη, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ πρόδατα, καὶ μό. σχους, καὶ χρυσίον, καὶ ἀργύριον. Τὸν πλοῦτον. εἶπεν, οὐχ ἵνα εὔπορον δείξῃ ὄντα, ἀλλ᾽ ἕνα φιλόθεον" οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ χεχτῆσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἀπὸ τοῦ παρὰ Θεοῦ ταῦτα αὐτὸν εἰληφέναι ἐγχωμιάσαι βούλεται“ εἶταᾳ περὶ τοῦ νυμφίου διαλεγόμενος - Καὶ ἔτεχε Σάῤῥα, ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ κυρίου μου, υἱὸν ἔγα τῷ κυρίῳ μον" μετὰ τὸ γηρᾶσαι αὑτόν. Ἐνταῦθά μοι καὶ τὸν τρόπὸν τῶν ὠδίνων ἡνίξατο, δειχνὺς ὅτι καὶ ὁ τόχος ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονε προνοίας τῆς πρὸς ἐχεῖνον, οὐ χατὰ φύσεως ἀχολουθέαν. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ἄν τε γυμφίον, ἄν τε νύμφην ἐπιζητῇς, ταῦτα πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ζήτει, εἰ θεοφιλής ἐστιν͵ εἰ πολλῆς ἄνιυθεν ἀπολαύει τῆς εὐνοίας. Ἂν γὰρ ἑχεῖνα ἧ, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἕπεται » τούτων δὲ οὐχ ὄντων, χἂν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀδείας αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχῃ τὰ βιωτιχὰ, χέρδος οὐδέν. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ λέγωσι, Τίνος οὖν ἕνεχεν οὐδεμίαν τῶν ἐπιχωρίων λήψῃ τῷ υἱῷ μου γυναῖκα ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων «τῶν Χαναναίων, ἀ.1. εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου πορεύσῃ, καὶ εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου, καὶ λήψῃ γυναωῖχα τῷ νἱῷ μου. ᾿Αλλ' ἵνα μὴ πᾶσαν τὴν ἱστορίαν εἰς μέσον φέροντες παρενοχλεῖν δόξωμεν, ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος ἴωμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε, πῶς ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς ἔστη, πῶς ἤτησε τὴν χόρην, πῶς ἔδωχεν ἐχείνη πλέον τῆς αἰτήσεως, πῶς ὁ θεὸς μεσίτης ἐγένετο, καὶ πάντα μετὰ ἀκχριδείας ἀπαγγείλας, χατέλυσεν ἕν τούτοις τὸν λόγον. Ταῦτα ἅπαντα ἀχούσαντες ἐχεῖνοι, οὐχέτι λοιπὸν ἀμφέδαλοόν, οὐδὲν ἡμέλησαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν εἰς τοῦτο χινήσαντος, εὐθέως αὐτῷ καθωμολόγησαν τὴν θυγατέρα. Καὶ ἀποχριθεὶς Λάδαν καὶ Βαθουὴλ εἶπον" Τὸ πρόστάγμα τοῦτο παρὰ Θεοῦ ἐξῆ1θεν οὐ δυνησόμεθα οὖν σοι ἀντειπεῖν καχόν" ἰδοὺ Ῥεδέκκα, «αδὼν ἀπόερεχε, καὶ ἔσται γυνὴ τῷ κυρίῳ σου, καθάπερ ἐλάλησε Κύριος. Τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐχπλαγείη; «τίς οὐχ ἂν θαυμάσειεν, ὅσα καὶ ἡλίχα χωλύματα ἑν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ ἀνῃρεῖτο; Καὶ γὰρ τὸ ξένον εἶναι, καὶ οἰκέτην, καὶ ἀγνῷτα, καὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ διάστημα, καὶ τὸ μηδὲ τὸν κηδεστὴν, μηδὲ τὸν νυμφίον, μῆτε ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν ἐχείνῃ Α προσηγόντων γνωρίζεσθαι, καὶ χαθ᾽ ἑαυτὸ τούτων ἔχαστόν ἱχανὸν ἣν χωλῦσαι τὸν γάμον᾽ ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐδὲν ἐκώλυσεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ταῦτα ἐξηυμαρίζετο καὶ καθάπερ γνωρίμῳ καὶ πλησίον οἱχοῦντι, καὶ ἐχ πρώτης ἡμέρας συναναστραφέντι, οὕτως αὐτῷ θαῤῥοῦντες ἐνεχείριζον τὴν νύμφὴν " τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὁ Θεὸς ἣν ἐν μέσῳ. “Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὅταν χωρὶς αὐτοῦ τι πο'ῶμεν, χἂν ἅπαντα ἧ λεῖα καὶ ἐάδια, βάραθρα καὶ χρημνοὺς καὶ μυρίας ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀποτυχίας εὑρίσχομεν" οὕτως ὅταν παρῇ καὶ συνἅπαντα λεῖα καὶ ῥάδια γίνεται. Μηδὲν οὖν μὴτε ποιῶμεν, μήτε λέγωμεν, πρὶν ἣ τὸν Θεὸν χαλέσαι καὶ παραχαλέσαι συνεφάψασθαι τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἡμῖν ἀπάντων, χαθάπερ οὖν καὶ οὗτος ἐποίησεν. ### English translation (Claude) And not without reason did he call her a virgin a second time. For having said, “She was a virgin,” he added: “She was a virgin; no man had known her.” For since many virgins, while keeping the body uncorrupted, fill the soul with much licentiousness, adorning themselves, drawing countless lovers from every side, and exciting the eyes of the young, setting ambushes and pitfalls, Moses, showing that she was not such, but was a virgin on both sides, in body and in soul, says: “She was a virgin; no man had known her.” And yet she had many occasions for becoming known to men: first, the beauty of her body; second, the manner of her service. For if she had sat constantly in her chamber, like the virgins of today, and had never gone into public nor gone out of her father's house, it would not have been so great a thing to say in her praise that no man had known her. But when you see her going out into public, forced to carry water every day, once and twice and many times, and yet known to no man, then above all you will be able to perceive her praise. For if a virgin who rarely goes into the marketplace, even ugly and ill-favoured, with many maids following, has often had her character corrupted by these outings, the girl who every day went out of her father's house alone, and not simply into the marketplace, but went to the spring and drew water, where many others too must gather — how would she not be worthy of countless admirations, since neither from her continual outings, nor from the beauty of her face, nor from the multitude of those who came there, nor from anywhere else was her character corrupted, but she remained uncorrupted in body and soul, kept her chastity more exactly than those who sit in the women's quarters, and appeared such as Paul seeks when he says, “that she may be holy in body and spirit”? “Going down, then, to the spring, she filled her jar with water and came up; and the servant ran to meet her and said: Give me a little water to drink from your jar. And she said: Drink, sir; and she hastened, and let down the jar upon her arm, and gave him drink until he stopped drinking; and she said: I will draw water for your camels also, until they all have drunk. And she hastened and emptied the jar into the trough, and ran to the well to draw, and drew for all the camels.” Great was the woman's hospitality, great her chastity, and both may best be learned from what she did and from what she said. Do you see how neither did chastity harm hospitality nor hospitality corrupt chastity? For not to run up first nor to address the man belonged to chastity; but not to refuse or deny when asked belonged to hospitality and great kindness. For as it would have been boldness and shamelessness if she had run up first and conversed with him when he had said nothing, [so to refuse would have been] inhumanity. But as it was she did neither of these: neither did she harm hospitality because of chastity, nor again cut short the praise of chastity because of hospitality, but displayed each virtue complete, showing her chastity by awaiting the request, and her unspeakable hospitality by giving after the request. For it belonged to unspeakable hospitality not only to give what he asked, but also to provide something more than was asked. And if water was what was given, that was what she was mistress of at the time. Hospitable people are usually judged not by the costliness of what they set before their guests, but by the means from which they provide; since God too praised the one who gave a cup of cold water, and said that the woman who put in two mites had put in more than all, because she then put in all she had. So she too entertained that noble man with those things beyond which she had nothing more to offer him. And not without reason are “she hastened” and “she ran” and such words added, but so that you may learn the eagerness with which she did the thing, not unwillingly nor grudgingly. And that this is no small thing: often we have asked someone passing by carrying a torch to stop a little so that we might light ours, or one carrying water so that we might drink, and he would not bear it, but was annoyed; but she not only inclined her jar to him, but drew water for all the camels, enduring so great a toil, and bringing bodily service into hospitality with much eagerness. For not only the doing, but the doing eagerly shows her virtue. She calls an unknown man, appearing then for the first time, “sir.” And as her kinsman by marriage Abraham did not ask passers-by, “Who are you, and from where? And where are you going? And from where have you come?” but simply reaped the fruit of hospitality, so she too did not say, “Who are you, and from where, and for what reason have you come?” but, reaping the abundance of hospitality, let all superfluous things go. For those who buy pearls and take gold seek this one thing only, how they may profit from those who have the goods, not how they may pry into them; and she too seeks this only, how she may receive the fruit of hospitality, how she may obtain the reward complete. She knew this clearly, that the stranger is bashful above all; that is why he needs much kindness and a modesty that does not pry; if, then, we are going to pry into him and be curious, he hesitates and draws back, and comes unwillingly. That is why she did not do this in his case, nor did her kinsman by marriage in the case of strangers, so as not to scare away the catch; but he only cared for those passing by, reaping through them what he sought. That is why he once even entertained angels; for if he had pried, the reward laid up for him would have been diminished. For we admire him not because he entertained angels, but because he entertained them without knowing. For if he had served them knowing, he would have done nothing wonderful, since the dignity of those received compels even a very stony and harsh man to become kind and gentle; but this was the wonderful thing, that, thinking them wayfarers, he showed them such service. Such was she too: she did not know who he was, nor for what he had come, nor that he had come to seek her in marriage, but thought him some stranger and traveller. That is why the reward of her hospitality became greater, that she received with such goodwill one known to her from nowhere, while at the same time keeping her chastity. For she did this not shamelessly nor boldly, neither pressing him nor angry, but with fitting dignity. This very thing Moses hinted at, saying: “And the man was observing her closely, and kept silent, to learn whether the Lord had prospered his way.” What is “was observing her closely”? He examined exactly her bearing, gait, look, speech, and everything, learning the state of her soul from the movements of her body. And he was not content with these alone, but applies a second test. For when she had given him drink, he did not stop at this, but said to her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me; and is there room at your father's house for us to lodge?” What, then, did she do? With forbearance and gentleness she named her father, and was not vexed, saying, “And who are you, who are so curious, inquiring and prying into the house?” but what? “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor; and we have straw and much fodder, and a place to lodge.” As with the water she gave more than he asked — for he asked only to drink, but she promised to water the camels too, and did so — so here too: he asked only for a place, but she offered also straw and fodder and many other things, inviting him by all these and drawing him to the house, so that she might reap the reward of hospitality. Let us not hear these things carelessly or lightly, but, reflecting on ourselves by ourselves and comparing ourselves with them, so we shall know the woman's virtue. Often, at any rate, when we receive acquaintances and close friends, we are annoyed, and if they stay one or two days we are burdened; but she drew the unknown man and stranger into the house with much eagerness, and that when she was going to provide service not to him alone but also to so many camels. And when he had entered, consider from this his understanding the more. For when they set bread before him to eat, he says: “I will not eat until I have spoken my words.” Do you see how wakeful and sober he was? Then, since they permitted him to speak, let us see how he converses with them. Did he say to them these words, that he had a master illustrious and splendid, honoured by all, enjoying much precedence among the people of the land? And yet if he had wanted to say these things, he would not have been at a loss; for the people of the land honoured Abraham in the rank of a king. But nevertheless he said none of these things, but, leaving these human things, he adorned him with the favour from above, saying thus: “I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and he has given him sheep and calves, and gold and silver.” He mentioned the wealth not to show him rich but to show him dear to God; for he wishes to praise him not for having possessed it, but for having received it from God. Then, speaking of the bridegroom: “And Sarah, my master's wife, bore one son to my master, after he had grown old.” Here he hinted to me the manner of the birth too, showing that the birth came from God's providence toward him, not by the course of nature. You too, then, whether you seek a bridegroom or a bride, seek these things before the others: whether he is dear to God, whether he enjoys much favour from above. For if those are there, the rest also follow; but if these are not there, even if worldly goods are theirs in great security, there is no gain. Then, so that they might not say, “For what reason, then, did he not take any of the women of the land …,” [he reports Abraham's words: “You shall not] take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, but you shall go to my father's house and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son.” But so as not to seem to weary you by bringing the whole story into the open, let us go to the end. For when he had told how he stood at the spring, how he asked the girl, how she gave more than the request, how God became mediator, and had reported everything exactly, he ended his speech at this point. Hearing all this, they no longer doubted, they did not delay, but as though God had moved their soul to this, they at once agreed to give him their daughter. “And Laban and Bethuel answered and said: This command has come from God; we shall not be able to speak against you anything bad; behold Rebekah, take her and go, and she shall be wife to your master, as the Lord has spoken.” Who would not be astonished? Who would not marvel at how many and how great hindrances were removed in a brief moment of time? For his being a stranger, and a servant, and unknown, and the great length of the journey, and that neither the father-in-law nor the bridegroom nor anyone else of those related to her was known — each of these by itself was enough to hinder the marriage; but nevertheless none hindered it, but all these things were made easy, and as to an acquaintance living nearby who had been with them from the first day, so confidently did they entrust the bride to him; and the cause was that God was in the midst. For as, when we do something without him, even if everything is smooth and easy, we find pitfalls and precipices and countless failures in it, so when he is present and works with us, everything becomes smooth and easy. Let us, then, neither do nor say anything before calling on God and asking him to take hold with us of all that is in our hands, as this man too did. ### Scripture references - Gen 24:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:34: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:17: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:18: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:19: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:42: allusion, high confidence - Mark 12:42: allusion, high confidence - Gen 18:2: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 13:2: allusion, high confidence - Gen 24:21: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:23: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:24: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:25: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:33: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:34: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:35: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:36: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:37: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:38: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:50: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:51: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quales ducendae sint uxores, staging ref 7. Re-read against the Greek; no public-domain English. Migne's section 8 begins within this ref; its numeral is lost in the OCR, so it is not marked. A passage of Migne's Latin version that leaked into the Greek, with some lost Greek lines, is removed by a logged correction; the gap is marked “…” and the bracketed words are supplied by sense. Column numbers are removed by logged corrections. Quotations: Gen 24:16, 16–20, 21, 23, 24–25, 33, 34–36, 37–38, 50–51; allusions: 1 Cor 7:34; Matt 10:42; Mark 12:42–44; Gen 18:2–8; Heb 13:2. ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 7 (PG 51:237; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/7). ## On what sort of wives to marry, section 9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/7/#p-9 - Source: PG 51:241 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-21 Summary: Chrysostom describes Rebekah's simple wedding journey and Isaac's love for her, and urges parents and bridegrooms to seek virtue and to banish wedding excesses, so that there will never be a bill of divorce or suspicion of adultery. ### Greek text ᾿Αλλ' ἴδωμεν, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὴν ἔλαόδε, ποίῳ τρόπῳ “ὃν γάμον ἐπετέλεσεν. Ἄρα χύμδαλα καὶ σύριγγας καὶ χορηὺς καὶ τύμπανα καὶ αὐλοὺς καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἐπεσύρατο φαντασίαν; Οὐδὲν τούτων, ἀλλὰ μόνην λαδὼν οὕτως ἀπήῴει, τὸν ἄγγελον ἔχων μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ παραπέμποντα αὐτὴν καὶ συνοδοιποροῦντα, ὃν ὁ δεσπότης αὐτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἱχέτευσεν αὐτῷ συναποστεΐλαι ἐχ τῆς οἰχίας ἐξερχομένῳ. Καὶ ἤγετο λοιπὸν ἡ νύμφη αὐλῶν μὲν καὶ χιθάρας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων οὐδενὸς ἀχουσᾶσα, μυρίας δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν χεφαλὴν τὰς εὐλογίας ἔχουσα, στέφανον διαδήματος παντὸς λαμπρότερον." Ἤγετο οὐ χρυσᾶ περιδεδλημένη ἱμάτια, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνην καὶ εὐλάδειαν, καὶ φιλοξενίαν, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν ἀρετήν. Ἤνγετο οὐχ ἐπὶ ὀχήματος καταστέγου, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ ἄλλης τινὸς φαντασίας τοιαύτης. ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τῆς χαμήλου χαθημένη. Μετὰ γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς τῆς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ τὰ σώματα ταῖς παρθένοις τὸ παλαιὸν πολλῆς μετεῖχε τῆς εὐεξίας. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως αὑτὰς ἔτρεφον αἱ μητέρες, χαθάπερ τὰς νῦν, σχιαγραφίας, μαλακοῖς ἱματίοις, ἑτέροις μυρίοις διαφθείρογυσαι τρόποις, καὶ ποῦ δέοντος μαλαχωτέρας ποιοῦσαι, ἀλλ εἰς ἄπαδαν αὐτὰς ἤγαγον ἐχεῖναι δχληραγωγίαν. Διὰ τοῦτο αὐταῖς καὶ τοῦ σώματος ἡ ὥρα σφόδρα ἣν εὐανθὴς καὶ γνησία, ἅτε φυσιχή τις οὖσα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ χειροποίητος, οὔτε ἐπιτετηδευμένη. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὑγείας ἀπέλαυον καθαρᾶς, καὶ χάλλος αὖταῖς ἀμήχανον ἦν, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐνοχλούσης τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ πάσης βλαχείας ἐχδεδλη μένης. Οἱ γὰρ πόνοι γκαὶ αἱ ταλαιπωρίαι καὶ τὸ ἐν ἄπασιν αὐτουργεῖν βλαχείαν μὲν ἀπήλαυνε πᾶσαν, εὑρωστίαν δὲ καὶ ὑγείαν μετὰ πολλῆς παρεῖχε τῆς ἀσφαλείας. Διὸ δὴ καὶ ποθεινότεραι τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἧσαν, καὶ μᾶλλον ἑπέραστοι " οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ σῶμα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν τούτοις βελτίω καὶ σωφρονεστέραν κατειργάσαντο. Καθημένη τοίνυν ἐτὴ τἧς χαμῆλου καὶ φθάσασα εἰς τὴν χώραν, πρὶν αὐτὴν ἐλθεῖν ἐγγὺς. ἀναδλέψασα εἶδε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ χατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῆς χαμήλου. Εἶδες ἰσχύν : εἶδες εὐεξίαν Κατεπήδησεν ἀπὸ τῇς καμήλου. Οὕτως αὐταῖς ῥώμη πολλὴ μετὰ σωφροσύνης ἦν. Καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδί" Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ; Εἶχε δὲ ὁ παῖς.» Ὁ κύριός μου. Εἶτα τὴν σωφροσύνην αὐτῆς μαρτυρουμέντν. πῶς ἦν αἱσχυντηρὰ, πῶς ἣν αἰδέσιμος. Καὶ ἔλαδεν αὐτὴν ὁ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ἐγένετο αὑτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ ἠγάπησεν αὑτὴν, καὶ παρεχ.ζτήθη περὶ Σάῤῥας τῆς μητρὸς αὖὺτοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ταῦτα εἴρηται, ὅτ: ἡγάπησεν αὖτὴν, καὶ παρεχλήθη περὶ τῆς Σάῤῥας τῆς “μητρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μάθῃς τοῦ φίλτρου καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τὰς ὑποθέσεις, ἃς οἴχοθεν ἔχουσα ἦλθεν ἡ γυνή. Τίς γὰρ τὴν τοιαύτην οὐκ ἂν ἠγάπησε, τὴν οὕτω σώφρονα, τὴν οὕτω χοτμίαν, τὴν οὕτω φιλόξενον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ ἥμερον, τὴν ἀνδρείαν μὲν χατὰ τὴν Ψυχὴν, ῥωμαλέαν δὲ χατὰ τὸ σῶμα; Ταῦτα εἶπον, οὐχ ἵνα ἀχούσητε, οὐδ᾽ ἵνα ἀχούσαντες ἐπαινέσητε μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα καὶ ζηλώσητε. Καὶ πατέρες; μὲν, τὴν πρόνοιαν τοῦ πατριάρχου μιμεῖσθε, ἣν ἐποιεῖτο περὶ τοῦ λαθεῖν γυναῖχα ἄπλαστον, οὐ χρήματα ἐπιζητήσας, οὗ γένους λαμπρότητα, οὗ σώματος; χάλλος, οὐχ ἄλλο οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς εὐγένειαν μόνον " μητέρες δὲ, οὕτω τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀνατρέφετε θυγατέρας. Οἱ δὲ ἄγεσθα. αὐτὰς μέλλοντες νυμφίοι, μετὰ τοσαύτης αὐτὰς ἄγετε χοσμιόιητος, χορείας μὲν καὶ γέλωτας καὶ ῥήματα αἰσχρὰ, καὶ σύριγγας καὶ αὐλοὺς, καὶ τὴν διαδολιχὴν φαντασίαν, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα ἑἐξορίζοντες, τὸν Θεὸν ὃὲ ἀεὶ παραχαλοῦντες μεσίτην γενέσθαι τῶν πραττομένων ἁπάντων. ᾽Ἂν γὰρ οὕτω τὰ χαθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς οἱκονομήσωμεν,, οὐχ ἀποστάσιον ἕσται ποτὲ, οὐ μοιχείας ὑπρψία, οὐ ζηλοτυπία; πρόφασις, οὐ μάχη καὶ ἔρις, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς μὲν ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῆ: εἰρήνης, πολλῆς δὲ τῆς ὁμονοίας " ταύτης δὲ οὔσης, καὶ αἱ ἄλλαι πάντως ἕψονται ἀρεταί. “Ὥσπερ γὰρ, γυναιχὸς πρὸς ἄνδρα στασιαζούσης, οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς ἔσται ἐπὶ τῆς σἰχίας, χᾶν ἅπαντα τὰ ἄλλα κατὰ ῥοῦν φέρηται πράγματα " οὕτως ὁμονοούσης καὶ εἰρηνενούσης, οὐδὲν ἔσται ἀτδὲς, μυρίοι χειμῶνες χαθ᾽ ἐχάστην τίχτωνται τὴν ἡμέραν. Ἂν οὕτως οἱ γάμοι γένωνται, καὶ τὰ παιδία μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐχολίας εἰς ἀρετὴν ἀγαγεῖν δυνησόμεθα, Ὅταν γὰρ ἡ μήτηρ οὕτως ἢ χοσμία, καὶ σώφρων, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν χεχτημένη. πάντως καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἑλεῖν δυνήσεται καὶ χειρώσασθαι τῷ περὶ αὐτὴν πόθῳ ἑλοῦσα δὲ αὐτὸν, μετὰ πολλῆς ἕξει τῆς προθυμίας βοηθοῦντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν παίδων ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν οὕτως ἐπισπάσεται πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην πρόνοιαν" ἐχείνου δὲ συνεφαπτομένου τῆς καλῆς ταύτης οἰχονομίας, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν παίδων ἁσχοῦντος, οὐδὲν ἀηδὲς ἔσται λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκίας εὖ διαχείσεται, τῶν ἀρχόντων οὕτω διαχειμένων " καὶ μετὰ τῆς οἰχίας οὕτως ἔχαστος δυνήσεται, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιχὸς λέγω, καὶ παίδων καὶ οἰχετῶν, καὶ τὸν ἐνταῦθα μετὰ ἀδείας ἀπάδσης σα! ϑίον͵ καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν εἰσ- οὗ τῷ Παερὶ δόξα, καὶ χράτος, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωο. ἐλθεῖν’ ἧς γένοιτο πάντα; ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ ποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰωνας τῶν φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν. ### English translation (Claude) But let us see, now that he had taken her, in what manner he celebrated the marriage. Did he bring in cymbals and pipes and dances and drums and flutes and the rest of the display? None of these; but taking her alone he so departed, having with him the angel escorting her and travelling with them, whom his master had begged God to send with him as he went out of the house. And so the bride was led, hearing neither pipes nor harp nor any other such thing, but having countless blessings from God upon her head, a crown brighter than any diadem. She was led, not clothed in golden garments, but in chastity and piety and hospitality and all the rest of virtue. She was led, not on a covered carriage nor on any other such display, but sitting on the camel. For together with the virtue in the soul, the virgins of old also had bodies of great vigour. For their mothers did not bring them up as mothers do those of today, corrupting them with paint, soft garments, and countless other ways, and making them softer than is right; but they brought them up to every hardship. That is why the bloom of their body too was very flourishing and genuine, being natural, not artificial nor contrived. That is why they enjoyed pure health, and had extraordinary beauty, with no illness troubling the body, but all softness cast out. For labours and hardships and doing everything with their own hands drove away all softness, and provided robust strength and health with great security. That is why they were more desirable to their husbands and more lovely; for by these things they made not the body only, but also the soul better and more chaste. Sitting, then, on the camel and reaching the country, before she came near, she looked up and saw Isaac with her eyes, and leapt down from the camel. Do you see strength? Do you see vigour? “She leapt down from the camel.” So much strength they had, together with chastity. “And she said to the servant: Who is that man walking in the plain? And the servant said: My master.” Then Scripture bears witness to her chastity, how modest she was, how reverent. “And Isaac took her, and she became his wife, and he loved her, and he was comforted concerning Sarah his mother.” Not without reason is it said that he loved her and was comforted concerning Sarah his mother, but so that you may learn the grounds of affection and love which the woman brought with her from her home. For who would not have loved such a woman, so chaste, so orderly, so hospitable and kind and gentle, courageous in soul and strong in body? I have said these things not so that you may hear them, nor so that, having heard, you may only praise, but so that you may also imitate them. Fathers, imitate the forethought of the patriarch, which he took to obtain an unaffected wife, seeking not money, not splendour of birth, not beauty of body, nothing else, but nobility of soul alone; mothers, so bring up your daughters. And you bridegrooms who are about to take them, take them with such decorum, banishing dances and laughter and shameful words, and pipes and flutes, and the devilish display, and all other such things, and always calling on God to become mediator of all that is done. For if we so order our affairs, there will never be a bill of divorce, no suspicion of adultery, no pretext for jealousy, no battle and strife, but we shall enjoy much peace and much concord; and when this is present, the other virtues will surely follow too. For as, when a wife quarrels with her husband, nothing will be sound in the house, even if all other affairs go smoothly, so when she is of one mind and at peace, nothing will be unpleasant, even if countless storms arise each day. If marriages happen so, we shall also be able to lead the children to virtue with much ease. For when the mother is so orderly and chaste and possesses every virtue, she will surely be able to win her husband and subdue him by his love for her; and having won him, she will have him helping with much eagerness in the care of the children, and will thus draw God too to this same providence; and when he takes part in this good management and trains the children's souls, nothing will be unpleasant from then on, but the affairs of the house too will be well arranged, its rulers being so disposed; and so each, together with his house — I mean his wife and children and servants — will be able both to pass this life here with all security and to enter the kingdom of heaven; which may we all obtain by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory and might, with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen. ### Scripture references - Gen 24:7: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 24:61: allusion, high confidence - Gen 24:64: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:65: quotation, high confidence - Gen 24:67: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:1: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quales ducendae sint uxores, staging ref 9 (the end of the homily). Re-read against the Greek; no public-domain English. Chrysostom: “there will never be a bill of divorce” (οὐκ ἀποστάσιον ἔσται ποτέ). In the OCR the lines of the closing doxology are interleaved from two columns; they are translated in their evident order. Leaked apparatus and column numbers are removed by logged corrections. Quotations: Gen 24:64–65, 67; allusions: Gen 24:7, 61; Deut 24:1 (bill of divorce). ### Citation (SBL) Chrysostom, Max. 9 (PG 51:241; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/chrysostom-quales-ducendae/9).