Exhortation to Martyrdom 33
Summary: The three youths, Mordecai, Daniel, and Job are models for refusing to worship idols or men, even at the threat of fire or lions.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:28–29
Οὐ πάλαι μόνον ἵστη τὴν „χρυσῆν εἰκόνα“ Ναβουχοδονόσορ οὐδὲ τότε μόνον ἠπείλει τῷ Ἀνανίᾳ καὶ Ἀζαρίᾳ καὶ Μισαὴλ, εἰ μὴ προσκυνήσαιεν, ἐμβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς „εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς“, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγει ἡμῖν τοῖς περατικοῖς καὶ ἀληθινοῖς Ἑβραίοις. ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς ἵνα δρόσου οὐρανίου πειραθῶμεν σβεννυούσης πᾶν πῦρ ἀφʼ ἡμῶν καὶ καταψυχούσης ἡμῶν τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν, τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἐκείνους μιμησώμεθα, μή ποτε καὶ νῦν ὁ Ἀμὰν θέλῃ τοὺς Μαρδοχαίους ὑμᾶς προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ, ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς εἴπατε· οὐ θήσω „δόξαν ἀνθρώπων ὑπεράνω δόξης θεοῦ“ Ἰσραήλ. τὸν Βὴλ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καταστρέψωμεν καὶ τὸν δράκοντα μετὰ τοῦ Δανιὴλ ἀποκτείνωμεν, ἵνα στόμασι λεόντων πλησιάζοντες μηδὲν ἀπʼ αὐτῶν παθεῖν δυνηθῶμεν μόνων τῶν αἰτίων ἡμῖν τοῦ παρόντος ἀγῶνος καταβρωθησομένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμᾶς μὴ δυναμένων καταπιεῖν λεόντων. κρατῶμεν ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασι τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἴρηται καὶ τό· „ἐπιθεὶς τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα, καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη·“ εἰκὸς δὲ ὅτι ἐπιτάξουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ στόματι καὶ φιλῆσαι.
English · Claude translation
It was not only long ago that Nebuchadnezzar set up the “golden image,” nor only then that he threatened Ananias, Azarias, and Misael that if they did not worship he would throw them “into the furnace of fire”; but now too Nebuchadnezzar says the same things to us, the true Hebrews, who cross over. But so that we may experience the heavenly dew that quenches all fire from us and cools our ruling faculty, let us imitate those holy men. Perhaps even now Haman wishes you, the Mordecais, to bow down to him; but say, “I will not set the glory of men above the glory of God” of Israel. Let us overthrow Bel by the word of God and with Daniel kill the dragon, so that coming near the mouths of lions we may suffer nothing from them, while only those responsible for our present contest are devoured by the lions that could not swallow us. Let us hold fast to this, that among the noble deeds of Job it is said also: “If, laying my hand upon my mouth, I kissed it, let this be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity”; for it is likely that they will order us to put our hand to our mouth and kiss it.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions and quotations are Dan 3:1–6 (Ananias, Azarias, Misael are Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego), Esth 3:2 and Add Esth 13:14 (4:17d LXX), Bel and the Dragon 22–27, Dan 6:22–24, and Job 31:27–28 (a gesture of worship; Origen expects Christians to be ordered to make it). “Who cross over” (περατικοῖς) plays on the traditional explanation of “Hebrew” as “one who crosses over.”
Cite this passage
Origen, Mart. 33 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-exhortatio/33/).
Plain text
Origen, Mart. 33 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-exhortatio/33/).
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