Church History 6.17.1
Summary: Symmachus the translator was an Ebionite; Origen received his writings from a woman named Juliana.
Greek text · Dindorf 4:260
Τῶν γε μὴν ἑρμηνευτῶν αὐτῶν δὴ τούτων ἰστέον Ἐβιωναῖον τὸν Σύμμαχον γεγονέναι. αἵρεσις δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν Ἐβιωναίων οὕτω καλουμένη τῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐξ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρίας γεγονέναι φασκόντων, ψιλόν τε ἄνθρωπον ὑπειληφότων αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸν νόμον χρῆναι Ἰουδαϊκώτερον φυλάττειν ἀπισχυριζομένων, ὥς που καὶ ἐκ τῆς πρόσθεν ἱστορίας ἔγνωμεν. καὶ ὑπομνήματα δὲ τοῦ Συμμάχου εἰσέτι νῦν φέρεται ἐν οἶς δοκεῖ πρὸς τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἀποτεινόμενος εὐαγγέλιον τὴν δεδηλωμένην αἵρεσιν κρατύνειν. ταῦτα δὲ ὁ Ὠριγένης μετὰ καὶ ἄλλων εἰς τὰς γραφὰς ἑρμηνειῶν τοῦ Συμμάχου σημαίνει παρὰ Ἰουλιανῆς τινος εἰληφέναι, ἣν καί φησι παρʼ αὐτοῦ Συμμάχου τὰς βίβλους διαδέξασθαι.
English · Claude translation
Of these translators, it should be known that Symmachus was an Ebionite. The heresy called that of the Ebionites is that of those who say that Christ was born of Joseph and Mary, and suppose him a mere man, and insist that the law should be kept in a more Jewish manner, as we have learned somewhere from the earlier history. Commentaries of Symmachus are still extant, in which he seems to support this heresy by attacking the Gospel according to Matthew. Origen indicates that he received these, together with other interpretations of the Scriptures by Symmachus, from a certain Juliana, who, he says, inherited the books from Symmachus himself.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- See 3.27 on the Ebionites.
Cite this passage
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.17.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/17/1/).
Plain text
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.17.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/17/1/).
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