Homilies 7.1–8.2
Greek text: PG 40.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 7
7.1PG 40
Ζ'. Εἰς τὸν ἐχ κοιλίας τυφλόν. Ἡχούσαμεν ἀρτίως τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς βροντῆς Ἰωάννου, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τοῦ τὸν ἁλιέα καὶ χειροτέχνην, συγγραφέα καὶ λογογράφον ἐργασαμένου θείων ὄντως καὶ ὑψηλῶν ὑποθέσεων. Ἐξἡγήσαντο γὰρ ἡμῖν πολλὴν καὶ μαχρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου διάλεξιν, δι᾽ ἧς τὸν ἀπειθῇ λαὸν καὶ δυσήχοον, τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ θεογνωσίαν ἑπαίδευε, τῆς μοναρχιχῖς ἐννοίας τῶν ἙἭ ραίων ἀπάγων τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἀνοίγων δὲ αὑτοῖς τὴν θύραν τῆς χαρίτος ἐχ τῆς νομιχῆς παραδόσεως, ταὶ πρὸς τὴν Καινὴν Διαθήχην ἐχ τῆς Παλα:ᾶς ἡρεμαίως ἄγων, ὡς τῆς ἐρήμοῦ πρότερον ἐπὶ τὴν γὴν [τὴν] πλουσίαν καὶ εὔχαρπον. ᾿Αλλ ὅμως δειχνύντος αὐτοῦ ποιχίλως καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ὕπαρξιν, ὡς προαιώνιος ὑπάρχει, καὶ ἀεὶ τῷ Πατρὶ συνημμένη, καὶ διαῤῥήδην τοῖς χωφοῖς ἐμξοῶντος-" Πρὶν ᾿Αύραλμ γενέσθαι ἐγώ εἶμι’ οὔτε τοῦ λόγου μαθόντες τὴν δύναμιν, οὔτε διά τινος ἐπιστήμονος ἀντιῤῥήσεως τὸ μὴ παραδεχθὲν ξαντες, ἐπὶ τοὺς λίθους ἀντὶ τῶν λόγων ἐχώρουν" καὶ πόῤῥωθεν τοῦ σταυροῦ τὰς φονιχὰς χεῖρας πρὸς τὴν μιαιφονίαν ἐγύμναζον. Ὁ δὲ χρίνας πανπαχοῦ μαχροθύμως ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν ὑδριστὴν δῆμον καὶ βλάσφημον, ἐξέχλινεν αὐτῶν τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὸν θόρυθδον' οὐ ταπεινῶς ἀποδιδράσχων, ἀλλὰ θεϊχῶς " ὃς ἐν μέσῳ τε εἱστήχει, καὶ ψηλαφώμενος οὐχ ἐδλέπετο, καὶ τοῖς φλεγμαίνουσι προστριθόμανος Οὐχ ἑωρᾶτο" ἀλλ᾽ εἰσνήχεσαν ἐνεοῖ, τῇ μὲν προαιρέσει οὐχ εὑρίσχοντες " ὅμοιοι θηρευταῖς ἀπείροις, οἵ, ἐπειδὰν πρὸ χαιροῦ τὴν θήραν ἀποσοδήσουσιν 77, ὑποδοιμούσης τῆς ἐλάφου λόχμην τινὰ, καὶ ἀφανῶς πιρίεργον τὰ δίχτυα φέροντες, καὶ μάτην τοὺς σχύ- Ἐτὼ δὲ, εἰ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα φαῦλος οἰκέτης, τούτου γοῦν οὐχ ἐξελαθόμην, ὅτι δοῦλός εἰμι, καί με … ανίστασθαι. Διὸ καὶ χεχεάξομαι πρὸς τοὺς Ἑδραίους ὡς παρόντας σήμερον, καὶ παρὰ τῆς μανίας ἕνερ-γουμένους " Βάλλετε, μιαροὶ, λίθοις τὸν εὐεργέτην [τίς γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐχ πέτρας ἐπότισε "βάλλετε τὸν πλαξὶ λιθίναις τὸν βίον ὑμῶν χανονίσαντα :} βάλλετε τὸν ἐχλεχτὸν λίθον καὶ ἔντιμον, ὃν Ἡσαῖας ὑμῖν προεφῆ-τευσε; βάλλετε τὸν νοητὸν λίθον τὸν τῆς ἀχροτόμου πέτρας ἀποῤῥαγέντα ἄνεν χειρὸς ἀνθρωπίνης, ὡς ὃ θεσπέσιος Δανιὴλ ὑμᾶς ἐδίδαξε; βάλλετε λίθοις τὸν ἀχρογωνιαῖον, τὸν τοὺς δύο τοίχους τῆς Καινῆς καὶ τῆς ΠΙὨαλαΐας Διαθήχης συνάγοντα; Κἂν γὰρ ὑμεῖς μὴ πιστεύσητε, δυνατὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἐχ λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέχνα τῷ ᾿Αδραάμ.᾽ τοντέστιν, ἀθροῖσαι τῷ Χριστῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, τὸν ἐξ ἐθνῶν καὶ ἀχρόδυστον" ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ὁ ᾿Αδραὰμ ἐδέξατο, εἰπόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι Εὐλογισθήσονται ὃν σοὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη. Τῇ γὰρ ἀποῤῥήτῳ γνώσει" βλέπων ὁ Θεὸς τὸ μέλλον, τῷ ἀρχηγῷ τῆς πίστεως, πάντας τοὺς εἰς ὕστερον πιστεύειν μέλλοντας, εἰς τάξιν ἀπεχλήρωσε τέχνων. Ἐθεώρει γὰρ ἔχτοτε τῶν 'Ἑδραίων τὴν στάσιν, καὶ τοὺς λίθους ἔδλεπε, καὶ τοὺς ψευδωνύμους υἱοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἀποχηρύχτοις ἣρίθμει. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ, λόγῳ χαταγγέλλων αὑτοῖς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οὐχ ἕἔπειθεν εὑσεδεῖν, παρεστὼς ἀπεχρύδη, καὶ φαινόμενος οὐχ ἐδλέπετο, ἵν᾽ ἐχ τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτοὺς ᾽ θαυματουργίας ἑλχύσῃ πρὸς συγχατάθεσιν τοῦ, ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς "5 ἐτύγχανεν, καὶ Θεὸς ᾿Αόραὰμ ρος. ᾿Αχούσατε οὖν, φησὶν, ὦ ἀληθῶς τυφλοὶ καὶ ἀνόητοι" Τίς οὗτος, ὁ καὶ συμπαρὼν ὑμῖν καὶ μὴ βλεπόμενος ᾿"; ἣ τάχα ἐχεῖνος ὁ καὶ πρὸς Μωῦσῆν λαλῶν, καὶ μὴ φαινόμενος 1", Ἑωρᾶτο γὰρ καὶ τότες πὺρ καὶ βάτο;, ἀμφότερα ἄφωνα ᾿ ἀλλ᾽ ὅμω; καὶ φωνὴ ἠχούετο, καὶ λόγος ἐπαίδευε, καὶ ἀσφαλῶς τὸ μέλλον προηγορεύετο. Καὶ χρὴ τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας ἐχ τῆς συγγενείας τῶν πραγμάτων γνωοίσαι τὸ πρόαωπον. Οὕτως δὲ ἀλόγως καὶ ἀνοήτως τῶν Ἕ δραίων των, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν καὶ Σωτὴρ, ὥσπερ τις ἰατρὸς ἐπιμελής τε [ὁμοῦ.2] καὶ συφὸς, πρὸς τὴν πρώτην πεῖραν οὐκ ἐχδόντος τοῦ πάθους, ἄλλον τρόπον τῆς θεραπείας μεταχειρίζεται. Τυφλῷ δὲ βούλεται θεραπεῦσαι τυφλοὺς τὴν διάνοιαν, ὃς ἐχ τοῦ. προστυχόντος εὑρέθη, οὐ λώδῃ τινὶ συμθάσει παθὼν τὴν τυφλότητα, Ὦ ἀλλὰ πταίσματι͵ φύσεως, οὕτως ἐχ γαστρὸς παραχθεὶς εὶς τὸν βίον.
Z'. Eis ton ech koilias typhlon. Hēchousamen artiōs tou huiou tēs brontēs Iōannou, mallon de tou hagiou Pneumatos, tou ton haliea kai cheirotechnēn, syngraphea kai logographon ergasamenou theiōn ontōs kai hypsēlōn hypotheseōn. Exēgēsanto gar hēmin pollēn kai machran tou Kyriou dialexin, di᾽ hēs ton apeithę̄ laon kai dysēchoon, tēn tou Patros kai Huiou theognōsian hepaideue, tēs monarchichis ennoias tōn HeĒ raiōn apagōn tous logismous, anoigōn de hautois tēn thyran tēs charitos ech tēs nomichēs paradoseōs, tai pros tēn Kainēn Diathēchēn ech tēs Pala:as hēremaiōs agōn, hōs tēs erēmou proteron epi tēn gēn [tēn] plousian kai eucharpon. ᾿All homōs deichnyntos autou poichilōs kai tēn idian hyparxin, hōs proaiōnios hyparchei, kai aei tǭ Patri synēmmenē, kai diarrhēdēn tois chōphois emxoōntos-" Prin ᾿Auralm genesthai egō eimi’ oute tou logou mathontes tēn dynamin, oute dia tinos epistēmonos antirrhēseōs to mē paradechthen xantes, epi tous lithous anti tōn logōn echōroun" kai porrhōthen tou staurou tas phonichas cheiras pros tēn miaiphonian egymnazon. Ho de chrinas panpachou machrothymōs echein pros ton hydristēn dēmon kai blasphēmon, exechlinen autōn tēn orgēn kai ton thorythdon' ou tapeinōs apodidraschōn, alla theïchōs " hos en mesǭ te heistēchei, kai psēlaphōmenos ouch edlepeto, kai tois phlegmainousi prostrithomanos Ouch heōrato" all᾽ eisnēchesan eneoi, tę̄ men proairesei ouch heurischontes " homoioi thēreutais apeirois, hoi, epeidan pro chairou tēn thēran aposodēsousin 77, hypodoimousēs tēs elaphou lochmēn tina, kai aphanōs piriergon ta dichtya pherontes, kai matēn tous schy- Etō de, ei kai ta alla phaulos oiketēs, toutou goun ouch exelathomēn, hoti doulos eimi, kai me … anistasthai. Dio kai checheaxomai pros tous Hedraious hōs parontas sēmeron, kai para tēs manias hener-goumenous " Ballete, miaroi, lithois ton euergetēn [tis gar hymas ech petras epotise "ballete ton plaxi lithinais ton bion hymōn chanonisanta :} ballete ton echlechton lithon kai entimon, hon Hēsaias hymin proephē-teuse? ballete ton noēton lithon ton tēs achrotomou petras aporrhagenta anen cheiros anthrōpinēs, hōs ho thespesios Daniēl hymas edidaxe? ballete lithois ton achrogōniaion, ton tous dyo toichous tēs Kainēs kai tēs PIŌalaïas Diathēchēs synagonta? Kan gar hymeis mē pisteusēte, dynatos ho Theos ech lithōn toutōn egeirai techna tǭ ᾿Adraam.᾽ tontestin, athroisai tǭ Christǭ laon periousion, ton ex ethnōn kai achrodyston" eph᾽ hǭ kai tēn epangelian ho ᾿Adraam edexato, eipontos autǭ tou Theou, hoti Eulogisthēsontai hon soi panta ta ethnē. Tę̄ gar aporrhētǭ gnōsei" blepōn ho Theos to mellon, tǭ archēgǭ tēs pisteōs, pantas tous eis hysteron pisteuein mellontas, eis taxin apechlērōse technōn. Etheōrei gar echtote tōn 'Hedraiōn tēn stasin, kai tous lithous edlepe, kai tous pseudōnymous huious en tois apochērychtois hērithmei. Epeidē de, logǭ chatangellōn hautois tēn alētheian, ouch heepeithen heusedein, parestōs apechrydē, kai phainomenos ouch edlepeto, hin᾽ ech tēs toiautēs autous ᾽ thaumatourgias helchysę̄ pros synchatathesin tou, hoti kai Christos "5 etynchanen, kai Theos ᾿Aoraam ros. ᾿Achousate oun, phēsin, ō alēthōs typhloi kai anoētoi" Tis houtos, ho kai symparōn hymin kai mē blepomenos ᾿"? hē tacha echeinos ho kai pros Mōysēn lalōn, kai mē phainomenos 1", Heōrato gar kai totes pyr kai bato?, amphotera aphōna ᾿ all᾽ homō? kai phōnē ēchoueto, kai logos epaideue, kai asphalōs to mellon proēgoreueto. Kai chrē tous noun echontas ech tēs syngeneias tōn pragmatōn gnōoisai to proaōpon. Houtōs de alogōs kai anoētōs tōn He draiōn tōn, ho Kyrios hēmōn kai Sōtēr, hōsper tis iatros epimelēs te [homou.2] kai syphos, pros tēn prōtēn peiran ouk echdontos tou pathous, allon tropon tēs therapeias metacheirizetai. Typhlǭ de bouletai therapeusai typhlous tēn dianoian, hos ech tou. prostychontos heurethē, ou lōdę̄ tini symthasei pathōn tēn typhlotēta, Ō alla ptaismati͵ physeōs, houtōs ech gastros parachtheis eis ton bion.
Homily 7. On the man blind from the womb. We heard just now John, the son of thunder, or rather the Holy Spirit, who made the fisherman and craftsman a writer and recorder of subjects truly divine and lofty. For they set out for us a long and extended discourse of the Lord, in which he taught the disobedient and hard-of-hearing people the knowledge of God, Father and Son, drawing the thoughts of the Hebrews away from their notion of a single ruler, opening to them the door of grace out of the tradition of the law, and leading them gently from the Old Testament to the New, as he once led them from the desert to the rich and fruitful land. But though he showed in many ways his own existence, that he is before the ages and always joined to the Father, and cried out plainly to the deaf, “Before Abraham came to be, I am,” they neither learned the force of the word nor answered what they did not accept with any knowledgeable reply, but went for stones instead of words; long before the cross they were training their murderous hands for bloodshed. But he, having resolved to be patient in every way with the insolent and blasphemous people, turned aside their anger and uproar, not by fleeing in a lowly way, but in a divine way. He stood in their midst, and though touched he was not seen; though he brushed against those who were inflamed, he was not seen; but they stood dumbfounded, not finding him whom they meant to find; like inexperienced hunters who, when they have scared off the game too soon and the deer has slipped into some thicket, carry their nets about uselessly, and in vain [their hounds] … But I, even if in other respects a poor servant, have not forgotten this at least: that I am a slave, and … to stand up [for my Master]. So I will cry out to the Hebrews as if they were present today and driven by their madness: “Stone your benefactor, you foul men! (for who gave you drink from the rock?) Stone the one who regulated your life with tablets of stone! Stone the chosen and precious stone, which Isaiah foretold to you! Stone the spiritual stone, cut from the steep rock without human hand, as the divine Daniel taught you! Stone with stones the cornerstone, who joins the two walls of the New and the Old Testament! For even if you do not believe, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham”: that is, to gather for Christ a special people, the people from the Gentiles and the uncircumcised; for this Abraham too received the promise, when God said to him, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” For God, seeing the future in his ineffable knowledge, allotted to the founder of faith, in the rank of children, all who would later believe. He saw even then the revolt of the Hebrews, and saw the stones, and counted the falsely named sons among the disowned. And since, though he announced the truth to them in words, he did not persuade them to be godly, he hid himself while standing beside them, and while appearing he was not seen, so that by such a miracle he might draw them to agree that he was both the Christ and the God of Abraham. “Hear, then,” he says, “you who are truly blind and foolish: who is this, who is present with you and not seen? Or is it perhaps that One who spoke to Moses and did not appear? For then too fire and a bush were seen, both without voice; but nevertheless a voice was heard, a word gave instruction, and the future was surely foretold.” Those who have sense ought to recognize the person from the kinship of the events. Since, then, the Hebrews [behaved] so irrationally and foolishly, our Lord and Saviour, like a careful and wise physician, when the disease does not yield to the first attempt, takes up another manner of treatment. By means of a blind man he wishes to heal those who are blind in mind: a blind man found by chance, who had not suffered blindness through some injurious accident, but through a failure of nature, having been brought into life so from the womb.
Mark 3:17 (allusion, high confidence) · John 8:58 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:59 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 17:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:4 (echo, medium confidence) · Exod 31:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 28:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 2:34 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 2:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 3:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 12:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 3:2–6 (allusion, high confidence) · John 9:1 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius introduces the healing of the man born blind by recalling Christ's discourse in John 8, his escape from those who tried to stone him, and the many scriptural titles of Christ as the stone.
- Asterius's apostrophe to “the Hebrews” is polemical (“Stone your benefactor, you foul men!”), translated exactly as written. “Notion of a single ruler” renders μοναρχικὴ ἔννοια, Asterius's term for a view of God that excludes the Son. Leaked Latin and footnote references were removed by logged corrections; numerals left in the Greek are Migne's note markers. The Christ who hides himself is read as the same God who spoke unseen from the bush (Exod 3).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and footnote reference; Greek lost): προσἄ ἰαρίἀϊ θυ 5 15:18 ὁδοί γα ἢ] 105 Αὔγαῃ ἡ; ἰος νοῦ δἰ δ διιπυηιίδιβ, ᾿ δυά ᾳυδαιιδπ) 4ιὸ ὑπ νοῦ ἢ ππογυογυπι, δὶ χυΐ ἀδίησομα 1 Εχ δος. → … .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 7.1 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
7.2PG 40
Θεασάμενος δὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἔστη, καὶ πρὸς τὴν θεραπείαν ἕτοιμος ἦν θεραπείαν ἀνθρωπιχοῦ λόγου " καὶ τέχνης χρείττονά. Ἰατριχὴ [μὲν 15] γὰρ, καὶ ὁ χατ' αὐτὴν λόγος, ἐχείνων 6 τῶν νοσημάτων ἐπιθάλλει τὴν θεωρίαν, ὅσα τῆς φύσεως ἀπαρτισάσης τὸ ζῶον, καὶ προαγούσης εἰς φῶς, χρόνοις ὕστερον χατά τινας περιστάσεις ἐπισυμθαίνει" τῆς δὲ συντεχθείσης τῷ σώματι λώθης, οὐχ ἐπαγγέλλεται θεραπείαν. Οὐ μέντοι γε οὐδὲ τῶν παθῶν πάντων τῶν εἰς ὕστερον συμθαινόντων. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυρες οἱ Α ἐχρωτηριασμένοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἷς οὐδεὶς ἰατρὸς τὴν τῶν μελῶν στέρησιν ἐπηνώρθωσε. Διόπερ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸ πάθος χατελεήσαντες, καὶ βλέποντες ἄνθρωπον τῆς χαλλίστης ἡδονῆς τοῦ φωτὸς οὐ γευσάμενον, τὴν αἰτίαν περιεργάζοντες τῆς χαχώσεως, ἐπυνθάνοντο "Ἶ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐ λίαν ἐπιστημόγως, εἴπερ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας οἰχείας, ἣ διὰ πλημμελήματα τῶν γονέων, τοιοῦτος εἰς τὸν βίον παρήχθη. Ἔ χατέρωθεν δὲ ἡ ἐρώτησις ἔχει τὸ ἐπιλήψιμον " οὔτε γὰρ ἂν ὑπὲρ τῶν πατέρων [οὐδενὸς ὧν ἔνοχος 13.30] χατἐγνώσθη, ἄλλον ὑπὲρ ἄλλου τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ χολάξοντος " οὔτε μὴν ἰδίων πλημμελημάτων [ὁ μήπω προελθὼν εἰς τὸν βίον ᾽",] ἀπέτισε δίχας, εἴγε οὕτως μὲν τυφλὸς ἐγεννήθη. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἁμαρτωλὸς πρὸ γεννήσεως. Ἢ μὲν πτέσις " οὐ λίαν δόχιμος " ὅπως δὲ ἡ ᾿Αλήθεια, ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν ἀπεκρίγατο, χαταμάθωμεν. Τὸ γὰρ πάθος τοῦτο, φησὶν. ὦ μαϑηταὶ, οὐχ ἁμαρτημάτων ἐστὶν ἀντίδοσις, ἀλλ᾽ ἑτοιμασία μελλούσης οἰχονομίας, ὅπως ἂν [ὁ τέως "] χοινὸς γομιζόμενος ἄνθρωπος, ἐνεργήσῃ τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον καὶ ὁ χτίστης τῶν ὅλων, μετὰ τὴν πρώτὴν ποίησιν, εὕρῃ καὶ νῦν τοῦ δημιουργεῖν ἀφορμάς" ἐχ δὲ τῶν μερικῶν καὶ τὰ χαθόλου πιστώσηται" ὁ δὲ σχληρὸς λαὸς καὶ δυσάγωγος πεισθῇ προσχυνεΐν, ῥίψας τοὺς λίθους. Φωτισθήτωσαν τοίνυν ὀφθαλμοὶ μὴ βλέποντες, ἵνα χαταλάμψῃ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀσυνἔτων ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος. Γενέσθω πρᾶγμα παράδηιξον, καὶ χτισθήτωσαν ὄψεις, ἵνα μάθωσιν οἱ στασιάζοντες, ὡς ὁ λεγόμενος υἱὸς τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, εἰ Ἦν ἀληθῶς τέκτονος υἱὸς, δίφρον μὲν ἐδύνατο διαῤῥαγέντα ἐπανορθοῦν, ἢ τὰ ξύλα συνάγειν τῆς ἁρμονίας [ἡ λεαίνειν τὸ τραχὺ τῶν σανίδων, ἣ ποιεῖν ὅλον ἐχεῖγα, ἃ χειροτέχνης πατὴρ χατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ ἐπιτηδεύματος διδάσχει τὸν παῖδα] ἀνθρώπου δὲ μέρος, καὶ μέρος τὸ χάλλιστον τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, τὸ μάλιστα παρὰ τῆς φύσεως φιλοπόνως δημιουργούμενον, οὐχ ἂν ἐποίησεν ἄλλος, εἰ μήγε ὁ τῆς πρώτης ἀρχῆς τῆς χατὰ φύσεως ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν. Κἂν τις θελήσει προσεχῶς τοῖς ἀνθρωπικοῖς σιν ἐπιστῆσαι τὸν νοῦν, ἐν τούτῳ δὴ μάλιστα τῷ μοβίῳ τοῦ σώματος, τὴν παντοδύναμον, καὶ ποιχίλην τοῦ θεοῦ σοφίαν χατόψεται; ἐν μιχρᾷ μορίου καὶ μέμίαν τῆς τέχνης. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ χάρις τις ἐπιχέχυται " καὶ ἔστιν ἁπαλώτατός τε καὶ ἄσαρχος, … ὡς ἂν εἴπῃ τις, ἐν τῷ τρυφερῷ τὸ στερεὸν ἔχων, καὶ ἐν τῷ μαλαχῷ τὸ διατεταμένον " καὶ ποιχίλαις δεὴῆνθισται ταῖς χρόαις. Τὸ γοῦν μέσον αὐτοῦ τὴν περεγραφὴν ἔχει τοῦ μέλανος " καὶ ταύτην, οὐ δι' ὅλου μονοειδῇ, ἀλλὰ ποιχίλοις τισὶ χύχλοις συνδεδεμένων “ τοῦ χέντρου μὲν αὐτοῦ καὶ μέσου τὸ βαθύτερον [καὶ μελάντερον 35] ἔχοντος " τῆς δὲ ἐξωτέρω περιφερε πρὸς τὴν ξανθοτέραν χατὰ μέρος ἀποληγούσης βα-φήν. Ταύτης ἕξωθεν τὸ λευχὸν περιδέόληται, στιλπνὸν καὶ διαυγὲς, οὐχ ἀχρότατον 15 ἔγον τὴν λευχότητα “ ἀλλ᾽ ἐν χρυσταλλοειδεῖ τινι καὶ διαυγαζούσῃ μένον τῇ μορφῇ. Τὸ ἐρυθρὸν χεῖται περὶ τὴν χρή,νὴν δ᾽͵, ἵνα τῷ λευχῷ καὶ τῷ μέλανι χεράτῃ τὴν χάριν. Ἐπὶ τούτοις, οὕτως ἐστὶ διαυγὴς καὶ λεῖος ἐν τῇ πυχνότητι, ὥστε καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐγγιζόντων εἰδωλοποιεῖν μορφὰς, καὶ οἱονεὶ χάτοπτρον ἀχριθὲς τῶν διὸ [δὴ] καὶ τὸ μεσαίτατον αὐτοῦ χύχλου χέντρον, προσηγόρευται χόρη, ἀεὶ τὶν μορφὴν τῷ χαταντιχρὺ βλέποντι δειχνύον ἀνθρωπιχήν. Ὡς γὰρ οὐχ ἔστε τὸν ὁρῶντα εἰς χάτοπτρον μὴ εὐθὺς ἐνίσχασηταιἷ τῇ ὕλῃ τὸν ἴδιον χαραχτῇρα' οὕτω τὸν ἀντιπρόαωπον ἑστῶτα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, μὴ ἐγγράψαι τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τὴν οἰχείαν μορφήν. Εἰς ἀλλήλους γοῦν ἄνθρωποι βλέποντες ἀλλέλων γίνονται χάτοπτρα.
Theasamenos de ton anthrōpon, estē, kai pros tēn therapeian hetoimos ēn therapeian anthrōpichou logou " kai technēs chreittona. Iatrichē [men 15] gar, kai ho chat' autēn logos, echeinōn 6 tōn nosēmatōn epithallei tēn theōrian, hosa tēs physeōs apartisasēs to zōon, kai proagousēs eis phōs, chronois hysteron chata tinas peristaseis episymthainei" tēs de syntechtheisēs tǭ sōmati lōthēs, ouch epangelletai therapeian. Ou mentoi ge oude tōn pathōn pantōn tōn eis hysteron symthainontōn. Kai toutou martyres hoi A echrōtēriasmenoi tōn anthrōpōn, hois oudeis iatros tēn tōn melōn sterēsin epēnōrthōse. Dioper kai hoi mathētai to pathos chateleēsantes, kai blepontes anthrōpon tēs challistēs hēdonēs tou phōtos ou geusamenon, tēn aitian periergazontes tēs chachōseōs, epynthanonto "I para tou Kyriou, ou lian epistēmogōs, eiper ex hamartias oicheias, hē dia plēmmelēmata tōn goneōn, toioutos eis ton bion parēchthē. E chaterōthen de hē erōtēsis echei to epilēpsimon " oute gar an hyper tōn paterōn [oudenos hōn enochos 13.30] chategnōsthē, allon hyper allou tou Theou mē cholaxontos " oute mēn idiōn plēmmelēmatōn [ho mēpō proelthōn eis ton bion ᾽",] apetise dichas, eige houtōs men typhlos egennēthē. Oudeis gar hamartōlos pro gennēseōs. Ē men ptesis " ou lian dochimos " hopōs de hē ᾿Alētheia, ho Kyrios hēmōn, pros tēn erōtēsin apekrigato, chatamathōmen. To gar pathos touto, phēsin. ō maϑētai, ouch hamartēmatōn estin antidosis, all᾽ hetoimasia mellousēs oichonomias, hopōs an [ho teōs "] choinos gomizomenos anthrōpos, energēsę̄ ta hyper anthrōpon kai ho chtistēs tōn holōn, meta tēn prōtēn poiēsin, heurę̄ kai nyn tou dēmiourgein aphormas" ech de tōn merikōn kai ta chatholou pistōsētai" ho de schlēros laos kai dysagōgos peisthę̄ proschyneïn, rhipsas tous lithous. Phōtisthētōsan toinyn ophthalmoi mē blepontes, hina chatalampsę̄ tas psychas tōn asynetōn ho tēs dikaiosynēs hēlios. Genesthō pragma paradēixon, kai chtisthētōsan opseis, hina mathōsin hoi stasiazontes, hōs ho legomenos huios tou Iōsēph, ei Ēn alēthōs tektonos huios, diphron men edynato diarrhagenta epanorthoun, ē ta xyla synagein tēs harmonias [hē leainein to trachy tōn sanidōn, hē poiein holon echeiga, ha cheirotechnēs patēr chata ton logon tou epitēdeumatos didaschei ton paida] anthrōpou de meros, kai meros to challiston ton ophthalmon, to malista para tēs physeōs philoponōs dēmiourgoumenon, ouch an epoiēsen allos, ei mēge ho tēs prōtēs archēs tēs chata physeōs echōn tēn exousian. Kan tis thelēsei prosechōs tois anthrōpikois sin epistēsai ton noun, en toutǭ dē malista tǭ mobiǭ tou sōmatos, tēn pantodynamon, kai poichilēn tou theou sophian chatopsetai? en michrą moriou kai memian tēs technēs. Prōton men gar autǭ charis tis epichechytai " kai estin hapalōtatos te kai asarchos, … hōs an eipę̄ tis, en tǭ trypherǭ to stereon echōn, kai en tǭ malachǭ to diatetamenon " kai poichilais deēēnthistai tais chroais. To goun meson autou tēn peregraphēn echei tou melanos " kai tautēn, ou di' holou monoeidę̄, alla poichilois tisi chychlois syndedemenōn “ tou chentrou men autou kai mesou to bathyteron [kai melanteron 35] echontos " tēs de exōterō periphere pros tēn xanthoteran chata meros apolēgousēs ba-phēn. Tautēs hexōthen to leuchon perideolētai, stilpnon kai diauges, ouch achrotaton 15 egon tēn leuchotēta “ all᾽ en chrystalloeidei tini kai diaugazousę̄ menon tę̄ morphę̄. To erythron cheitai peri tēn chrē,nēn d᾽͵, hina tǭ leuchǭ kai tǭ melani cheratę̄ tēn charin. Epi toutois, houtōs esti diaugēs kai leios en tę̄ pychnotēti, hōste kai tas tōn engizontōn eidōlopoiein morphas, kai hoionei chatoptron achrithes tōn dio [dē] kai to mesaitaton autou chychlou chentron, prosēgoreutai chorē, aei tin morphēn tǭ chatantichry bleponti deichnyon anthrōpichēn. Hōs gar ouch este ton horōnta eis chatoptron mē euthys enischasētaii tę̄ hylę̄ ton idion charachtę̄ra' houtō ton antiproaōpon hestōta tou anthrōpou, mē engrapsai tǭ ophthalmǭ tēn oicheian morphēn. Eis allēlous goun anthrōpoi blepontes allelōn ginontai chatoptra.
Seeing the man, he stopped, and was ready for a healing beyond human reason and art. For medicine and its theory study those diseases which come upon the living creature later through various circumstances, after nature has completed it and brought it to light; but for an injury born with the body it promises no healing. Nor indeed for all the afflictions that come later; witnesses to this are the mutilated, whose loss of limbs no physician has ever restored. So the disciples, pitying the affliction, and seeing a man who had never tasted the finest pleasure, that of light, inquired into the cause of the affliction and asked the Lord, not very knowledgeably, whether it was for his own sin or for the offences of his parents that he had been brought into life in such a state. The question is open to criticism on either side. He could not have been condemned for his fathers [none of whose sins he was liable for], since God does not punish one person for another; nor did he pay the penalty for his own offences [before he had come into life], if indeed he was born blind in this way; for no one is a sinner before birth. The question, then, was not very sound. But let us learn how the Truth, our Lord, answered it. “This affliction,” he says, “disciples, is not a requital for sins, but the preparation of a coming dispensation: so that the one [who until now] was thought a common man may do things beyond man; so that the Creator of all, after the first making, may find even now occasions for creating; so that from the particular he may make the universal credible; and so that the hard and intractable people may be persuaded to throw away their stones and worship.” Let eyes that do not see be enlightened, then, so that the sun of righteousness may shine on the souls of the senseless. Let an extraordinary thing happen, and let eyes be created, so that the rebels may learn that the one called the son of Joseph, if he were truly a carpenter's son, could repair a broken stool, or fit timbers together at a joint [or smooth the roughness of planks, or do all the things a craftsman father teaches his son in the method of his trade]; but a part of a man, and the finest part, the eye, the part on which nature has spent most labour, no one else could make except the one who has authority over the first beginning of nature. If anyone will set his mind attentively on human [bodies], he will see God's all-powerful and varied wisdom especially in this part of the body … in a small part … of the art. For first, a grace is poured over it; it is most tender and fleshless, … having, as one might say, firmness in its delicacy and tension in its softness; and it is adorned with varied colours. Its middle is outlined in black, and this not uniform throughout, but bound together by several circles: the very centre and middle has the deeper [and blacker] colour, while the outer circumference fades gradually toward a yellower tint. Outside this the white is set around, gleaming and translucent, not of the most extreme whiteness, but remaining crystal-like and translucent in form. The red lies around …, so as to blend grace with the white and the black. Besides this, it is so translucent and smooth in its density that it makes images of the forms of those who approach, and like an exact mirror of …; that is why the innermost centre of its circle is called the pupil (korē, “the girl”), since it always shows a human form to the one who looks into it from opposite. For as it is impossible for one who looks into a mirror not at once to imprint his own likeness on the material, so it is impossible for one standing face to face with a person not to inscribe his own form on that person's eye. So people looking at one another become mirrors of one another.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 9:2–3 (allusion, high confidence) · Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:55 (allusion, high confidence) · John 6:42 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius explains Christ's answer that the man's blindness was not punishment for sin but an occasion for a new act of creation, and describes the wonderful structure of the eye.
- Bracketed words are additions printed by Migne from other manuscripts (each followed in the scan by a note number), translated as supplements. A leaked block of Migne's notes and Latin was removed by a logged correction; lost words are marked “…”. Asterius denies that anyone is a sinner before birth, translated as written. The “sun of righteousness” is Mal 4:2 (LXX 3:20).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnotes and fragment of Migne's Latin column): «.«ις " Δοξᾷ. περιεργάζοντο τ. χ. καὶ ἐπυνθάνοντο. 35:39 χ ϑι "Εν δου, αἰ} Ὁ [8108 ΘΟΠΘΙΘΥ, 60 ὀχοόγοοιοὶ δά μι 0 ραυϊαι ἢ ἷπΐ ἤωνίογοην εἰδϑ απ εἰηοίυγαι!. Εδη) 80}}18 θ 6] δαρί θη ἰϑηι 86 νἱ γι 16}, αυα ἰ 68 οἰυοοί,. Εχ 86 Εχ ϑιρ. → … .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 7.2 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
7.3PG 40
Θαύματος τοίνυν ἄξιος ἐν τοῖς χτίσμασιν ὀφθαλμός. Οὗτος γάρ μοι καὶ Θεὸν ἑρμηνεύει, πᾶσαν ἀχριδῶς χαταμανθάνων τὴν χτίσιν, χἀχ τῆς ἐνεργείας ὑποδειχνὺς τὰν τεχνίτην’ οὗτος ἐχ τῶν ὁρατῶν ἑρμηνεύει [τῇ ψυχῇ 33] τὰ ἀόρατα" διὰ τούτου ἔχω γνῶσιν ἡλίου, καὶ οὐρανοῦ χόσμον ἔμαθον, καὶ χάλλος ἀστέρων ἱπστόρησα, καὶ γῆς ὑπόστασιν, καὶ φύσιν θαλάσσῆς σπερμάτων διαφορὰν, καὶ φυτῶν ποιχιλίαν, καὶ χρωμάτων ποιχίλην βαφὴν ᾿ σχότους τε χατήφειαν, καὶ φωτὸς λαμπηδόνα, καὶ πάντα ἀπλῶς ὅσα ὁ Θεὸς χτίσας ἐπύήνεσεν. Ὥς, εἴ γε ὀφθαλμὸς μὴ ὑπῆρχεν, ἀμάρτυρος ἂν ἣ κτίσις ἐγήρασεν οὐδενὸς χαθορῶντος τὴν ἑαυτὴν 33 σωζομένην τοῦ Θεοῦ σηφίαν καὶ δύναμιν. Διὰ ταύτην τοίνυν τὴν θαυμαστὴν τὴν ὄψεων χατασχευὴν ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ νῦν ἐχτίσθησαν αὑτουχέδιϑι, ἵνα τὰς μιχροπρεπεῖς ἐννοίας, τὰς ἐχ τῆς σαρχὸς ἐγγινομένας ἡμῖν, περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, ἀποθώμεθα, τῇ μεγαλουργίᾳ τῶν γινομένων ἐχδάλλοντες τὴν ψυχῆς πᾶσαν ὑπόληψιν μιχροπρεπῇ καὶ χαμαίζηλον" γνωρίσωμεν δὲ, ὅτι τὸ μαχάριον φῶς καὶ χάλλος τὺς θεότητος ὀστράχινον σχεῦος ἐδέξατο, διαχονοῦν ἡ μῖν χατὰ τοὺς λύχνους τὴν λαμπηδόνα. Αὐτουργεῖ δὲ διόλου τὴν θεραπείαν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ οὐ λόγῳ μόνῳ χρῆται πρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν ὁ προστάγματι τὴν πᾶσαν ὑποστησάμενος διαχόσμησιν, ὁ δύο λόγοις βραχέσι τὸν παραλυτιχὸν δ᾽ θεραπεύσας " ἀλλὰ καὶ στόματι, καὶ χερπὶ, καὶ ἄλλῃ πολλῇ προνοίᾳ θεραπεύει [νῦν 55] τὴν τυφλότητα, ἵνα βεθαίαν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐμποιήσῃ τοῖς ἀπίστοις τὴν πίστιν. Πτύει ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους, καὶ τῷ σιάλῳ πηλὸν ἐργάζεται, τῇ μὲν γῇ ταπεινὴν διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν θεραπείαν συγχρώμενος, ἵνα αὶ δείξῃ, ὡς ἐξ ἐχείνου τοῦ χοῦ, ὅθεν ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐπλάσθη τὸ ζῶον, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἀρτίως μέρος δηἔχει τὸν ἐσχεδασμένον καὶ ἀχόλλητον, ἵνα φανερῶς ἡμῖν δείξῃ, ὅτι τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ὁ Λόγος τὰ πάντα χατώρθωσε. Τῷ «1όγῳ γὰρ [Κυρίου "Ί οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ πγεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὖτῶν. Τάχα ὃὲ γαὶ διὰ τοῦτο πτύων θεραπεύει, ἵνα χατς ἐμπτύσμασι μέλλοντας " καὶ ὅμως οὐχ ἐδυσώπησε τῶν μαινομένων τὸ θράσος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνεπτύσθη πολλὰ, ὁ τοιαῦτα χατορθῶν διὰ τοῦ πτύσματος. Τῆς πρώτης ταύτης τάξεως τὴν δημιουργιχὴν ὑποφαίνει δύναμιν καὶ διὰ μὲν τοῦ προστάξαι εἰς τὴν χολυμδήθραν τοῦ Σιλωὰμ νίψασθαι, τὴν δι᾽ ὕδατος σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν ἐνὀείχνυται, ἣν πᾶσιν ὁ ἀπεσταλμένος Σιλωὰμ ἐχαρίσατο. Τότε γὰρ χαλῶς 35 βλέπομεν, ὅτ᾽ ἂν τῷ μυστυχῷ χαταρθῶμεν ὕδατι" τότε φῶς ἐμᾶς περιλάμπει τῆς χάριτος, ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἡ δύναμις τοῦ βαπτίσματος τὸν ῥύπον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ τὰς χηλῖδας ἐχνίψῃ. Καὶ πάντες ὅσοι τῇ ἐντολῇ τοῦ Σιλωλα τὸ πνευματικὸν ὁρῶμεν φῶς, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνὕρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν χόσμον. Ὦ τοῦ θαύματος καὶ τῆς μεγάλης ἐνεργείας! ᾿Απῆλθεν ἐχ τῆς χολυμδήθρας ὁ πρὸ ὀλίγου τυφλὸς, χοσμηθεὶς τὸ πρόσὠπὸν τῇ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν προσθήχῃ, βλέπων ἀχριδῶς πρὸς τὸν ἡλιαχὴν ἀχτῖνα, ᾿Εξέπληττε τοὺς γείτονας καὶ τοὺς γνωρίμους τὸ πρᾶγμα, Ἐθορύθει οὖν "" ὁ χαινὸς τῆς θεραπείας τρόπος " περιενόστει τὴν πόλιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος βλέπων, ἵνα βλέπηται παρὰ πάντων ἔργον γενόμενον χαινὸν καὶ παράδοξον ὑπὸ τοῦ [Ἰησοῦ τοῦ "] ἐν Βηθλεὲμ γεννηθέντος, τοῦ μιχροῦ βρέφους ἐχείνου, τοῦ ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ τοῖς σπαργάνοις ἐνειληθέντος. Ταῦτα γάρ ἔστιν, ἃ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀπιστεῖν ἐποίει τῇ θεότητι. Οὐχοῦν, ὦ ἀνόητοι καὶ παχυχάρδιοι, τῷ λογιτμῷ τοὺς ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀνθρώπους "". ᾿Απὸ τοῦ Αδὰμ ἀρξάμενοι, τοὺς ἑξῆς πάντας διερευνήσατε, ἐὰν εὕρητε τὸ νῦν γενόμενον καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἄλλων πραχθέν" ἐὰν ἔχοντα τὸν βίον τοιαύτης θεραπείας ὑπόδειγμα" καὶ πάλιν, ἐπὶ διασυρμῷ "3 τοῦ Κυρίου μου, τὸν τοῦ τέχτονος προφέρετε Παῖδα, οὗ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς γνωρί- ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲν ὡς ἔοιχεν ἐπ᾽ ἐχείνων. Οὐ λόγος ἐπαί- Ἐπίπιναγο ηΐ}}}} ἡ ἐδυσώπει " πάντα δὲ τοὐναντίον διὰ τὴν,… ὡς; ἀληθῶς.
Thaumatos toinyn axios en tois chtismasin ophthalmos. Houtos gar moi kai Theon hermēneuei, pasan achridōs chatamanthanōn tēn chtisin, chach tēs energeias hypodeichnys tan technitēn’ houtos ech tōn horatōn hermēneuei [tę̄ psychę̄ 33] ta aorata" dia toutou echō gnōsin hēliou, kai ouranou chosmon emathon, kai challos asterōn hipstorēsa, kai gēs hypostasin, kai physin thalassēs spermatōn diaphoran, kai phytōn poichilian, kai chrōmatōn poichilēn baphēn ᾿ schotous te chatēpheian, kai phōtos lampēdona, kai panta aplōs hosa ho Theos chtisas epyēnesen. Hōs, ei ge ophthalmos mē hypērchen, amartyros an hē ktisis egērasen oudenos chathorōntos tēn heautēn 33 sōzomenēn tou Theou sēphian kai dynamin. Dia tautēn toinyn tēn thaumastēn tēn opseōn chatascheuēn ophthalmoi kai nyn echtisthēsan hautouchediϑi, hina tas michroprepeis ennoias, tas ech tēs sarchos enginomenas hēmin, peri tou Monogenous, apothōmetha, tę̄ megalourgią tōn ginomenōn echdallontes tēn psychēs pasan hypolēpsin michroprepę̄ kai chamaizēlon" gnōrisōmen de, hoti to macharion phōs kai challos tys theotētos ostrachinon scheuos edexato, diachonoun hē min chata tous lychnous tēn lampēdona. Autourgei de diolou tēn therapeian ho Kyrios, kai ou logǭ monǭ chrētai pros tēn energeian ho prostagmati tēn pasan hypostēsamenos diachosmēsin, ho dyo logois brachesi ton paralytichon d᾽ therapeusas " alla kai stomati, kai cherpi, kai allę̄ pollę̄ pronoią therapeuei [nyn 55] tēn typhlotēta, hina bethaian dia tōn pragmatōn empoiēsę̄ tois apistois tēn pistin. Ptyei epi tou edaphous, kai tǭ sialǭ pēlon ergazetai, tę̄ men gę̄ tapeinēn dia touto pros tēn therapeian synchrōmenos, hina ai deixę̄, hōs ex echeinou tou chou, hothen en archę̄ eplasthē to zōon, kai to loipon artiōs meros dēechei ton eschedasmenon kai achollēton, hina phanerōs hēmin deixę̄, hoti tę̄ dynamei tou stomatos autou ho Logos ta panta chatōrthōse. Tǭ «1ogǭ gar [Kyriou "I hoi ouranoi estereōthēsan, kai tǭ pgeumati tou stomatos autou pasa hē dynamis autōn. Tacha hoe gai dia touto ptyōn therapeuei, hina chats emptysmasi mellontas " kai homōs ouch edysōpēse tōn mainomenōn to thrasos, all᾽ eneptysthē polla, ho toiauta chatorthōn dia tou ptysmatos. Tēs prōtēs tautēs taxeōs tēn dēmiourgichēn hypophainei dynamin kai dia men tou prostaxai eis tēn cholymdēthran tou Silōam nipsasthai, tēn di᾽ hydatos sōtērian hēmin enoeichnytai, hēn pasin ho apestalmenos Silōam echarisato. Tote gar chalōs 35 blepomen, hot᾽ an tǭ mystychǭ chatarthōmen hydati" tote phōs emas perilampei tēs charitos, hot᾽ an hē dynamis tou baptismatos ton rhypon tōn hamartēmatōn kai tas chēlidas echnipsę̄. Kai pantes hosoi tę̄ entolę̄ tou Silōla to pneumatikon horōmen phōs, ho phōtizei panta anyrōpon erchomenon eis ton chosmon. Ō tou thaumatos kai tēs megalēs energeias! ᾿Apēlthen ech tēs cholymdēthras ho pro oligou typhlos, chosmētheis to prosōpon tę̄ tōn ophthalmōn prosthēchę̄, blepōn achridōs pros ton hēliachēn achtina, ᾿Exeplētte tous geitonas kai tous gnōrimous to pragma, Ethorythei oun "" ho chainos tēs therapeias tropos " perienostei tēn polin ho anthrōpos blepōn, hina blepētai para pantōn ergon genomenon chainon kai paradoxon hypo tou [Iēsou tou "] en Bēthleem gennēthentos, tou michrou brephous echeinou, tou en tę̄ phatnę̄ tois sparganois eneilēthentos. Tauta gar estin, ha tous Ioudaious apistein epoiei tę̄ theotēti. Ouchoun, ō anoētoi kai pachychardioi, tǭ logitmǭ tous ex aiōnos anthrōpous "". ᾿Apo tou Adam arxamenoi, tous hexēs pantas diereunēsate, ean heurēte to nyn genomenon kai ep᾽ allōn prachthen" ean echonta ton bion toiautēs therapeias hypodeigma" kai palin, epi diasyrmǭ "3 tou Kyriou mou, ton tou techtonos propherete Paida, hou tous adelphous gnōri- ᾿All᾽ ouden hōs eoichen ep᾽ echeinōn. Ou logos epai- Epipinago ēï}}}} hē edysōpei " panta de tounantion dia tēn,… hōs? alēthōs.
The eye, then, is worthy of wonder among created things. It interprets God to me too, learning all creation accurately and from the work pointing out the craftsman; it interprets [to the soul] the invisible things from the visible. Through it I have knowledge of the sun; I have learned the order of heaven, observed the beauty of the stars, the substance of the earth, the nature of the sea, the differences of seeds, the variety of plants, and the varied tints of colours; the gloom of darkness and the brightness of light, and simply everything that God created and praised. So, if the eye did not exist, creation would have grown old without a witness, with no one to see the wisdom and power of God preserved in it. Because of this wonderful structure of sight, eyes were now created on the spot, so that we may put away the petty thoughts about the Only-begotten that arise in us from the flesh, casting out of the soul, by the magnificence of what was done, every petty and grovelling supposition; and so that we may recognize that the blessed light and beauty of the Godhead was received by an earthen vessel, which serves its brightness to us as lamps do. The Lord performs the healing entirely with his own hands, and does not use a word alone for the act, he who established the whole ordered world by a command, who healed the paralytic with two short words; but with his mouth and hands and much other care he heals the blindness [now], so that through deeds he may produce firm faith in the unbelieving. He spits on the ground and makes clay with the saliva, using the lowly earth for the healing for this reason: to show that from that dust from which the living creature was formed in the beginning, the remaining part too has just now … the scattered and unjoined [dust], so that he might show us plainly that the Word accomplished all things by the power of his mouth. “For by the word [of the Lord] the heavens were established, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” And perhaps he heals by spitting for this reason too, so that … those who were going to [assail him] with spittings; and yet it did not shame the audacity of the madmen, but he who accomplished such things through spittle was spat on many times. He reveals the creative power of this first order; and by commanding the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, he points to the salvation through water, which the Siloam who was sent has given to all. For then we see well, when we are cleansed by the mystical water; then the light of grace shines around us, when the power of baptism washes off the filth and stains of sins. And all of us who [wash] at the command of Siloam see the spiritual light, which enlightens every person coming into the world. O the wonder and the great working! The man who a little before was blind went away from the pool, his face adorned with the addition of eyes, looking straight at the rays of the sun. The thing amazed his neighbours and acquaintances. The new manner of healing caused an uproar; the man went around the city seeing, so that all might see the new and extraordinary work done by [Jesus], who was born in Bethlehem, that little babe wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger. For these are the things that made the Jews disbelieve his divinity. Well then, you foolish and dull of heart, [go over] in reasoning the people from the beginning of the world. Starting from Adam, search all who came after, and see whether you find what has now been done ever done for others; whether life holds an example of such a healing; and then again, in mockery of my Lord, bring forward the carpenter's son, whose brothers you know … But nothing, it seems, [moved] them. No word instructed, … shamed them; everything was the opposite, because of …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Rom 1:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 1:31 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 4:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 2:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 9:6–7 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 26:67 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · John 9:8–9 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 2:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:55–56 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius praises the eye as the witness of creation, explains Christ's use of clay and spittle as a sign of his creative power, reads the washing in Siloam as a figure of baptism, and rebukes those who disbelieved the miracle.
- Asterius reads the pool of Siloam (“Sent”, John 9:7) as Christ, the one sent, and the washing as a figure of baptism, translated as written. Leaked variant notes and Latin were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”; bracketed words are Migne's supplements. The section breaks off at the end.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references; Greek lost; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; leaked variant notes): 8 Εχ δὸᾳ. ἥῬ)ιοῖ, ϑὲμ. ἄχρατον. δ᾽ μὲβ. χόρην δ Ἐν αὐτῇ ἐσ Ρ)ιοῖ. οἱ εξ. 8 Ρίιοι. → ; ὁ Ο νἱάδγεοη!, ἃ Ζεδυ πϑῖο ἰῃ Βεοι !αίιθπὶ; ἃ ρυϑί! 9 ἡ] → ὁ ; Υ Ἐχ 566. 18 Ρ οι, → … .
Topics: Christology, Baptism
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 7.3 (PG 40; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
7.4PG 40:219
… προσερωτῶντες ἀνατρέπειν ἐσπούδαζον, τοσούτῳ ιἰοη 5 βογίοιῃ δπαγγαγοῖ, υἱ οἱ ᾿τ ἢ Οὔ ἐπ 5ἰῖ οοπλέον ἐδεθαιοῦτο ἡ ἀλήθεια᾽ καὶ ταυτὸ ἔπασχον τῶν θπρίων ἐχείνοις, ἃ πληγέντα παρά τινος, καὶ μηδέπω πᾶσαν τὴν αἰχμὴν ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ δεξάμενα, τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁρμῇ καὶ φιλονεικίᾳ, ὅλον ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτὰ Πρώτη πολυπραγμοσύνη " Εἰ οὗτος αὐτὸς ὁ τυφλὸς, καὶ μὴ ἕτερος ἀντ᾽ ἐχείνου ἐδείχθη " τοῦτο σαφῶς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διαμαρτυρομένου, καὶ τὴν ἀχολουθίαν τῆς θεραπείας ἀπαγγέλλοντος "5, ὅτι χαι πηλὸς χατεχρίσθη τὸ τῆς τυφλότητος φάρμαχον, ὅτι καὶ χολυμδύθρα τὸν πηλὸν ἀπονίψασα, τὸ βλέπειν θανον " ἀνεζήτουν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, "' καὶ ἐπείθοντο. Δευτέρα τέχνη εἰς ἀθέτησιν τοῦ γενομένου πᾶρ- Β ἐλαμδάνετο, τὸ πειρᾶσθαι δειχνύειν, ὡς οὐχ ἔστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἐνεργήσας τὴν θεραπείαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἄνθρωπὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα ἐδόα, καὶ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ, καὶ τῷ χτρύγματι ἀντεδίδου τὴν χάριν, χα) τὸν εὐεργέτην γιῶντες τὴν γνώμην, οὐχ ἔχοντες ὃ τι καὶ πράξωσιν, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ πάθους πάλιν ἀνατρέχουσι [ζήτησιν χαὺ εἰ ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλὸς, τοῦτο περιεργάζονται, καὶ τοὺς γονεῖς ἀναζητοῦσι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου 53], καὶ ἀχριδεῖς ἐξετασταὶ γίνονται τῶν χαθ' ἕχαστον, οὐχ ἵνα βεδαιώσωσι τὸ πραχθὲν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ἀνατροπὴν ποθεν τοῦ θαυμασίου λάδωσι, καὶ ψευδὴ τινα σχευωρίαν χατασχευάσαντες τὸ πιστεῦον πλῆθος τῇς ὁρμῆς ἀνα" τρέψωσιν. Ὦ χαχίας ὑπερδολή ! Μάχεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ μὴ προσχυνεῖν τὸν πάντα "5 ποιοῦντα, ἀλλὰ διασύρειν τὸν εὐεῤγέτην " μὴ θαυμάζειν τὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλ᾽ εὐτελίζειν πειρᾶσθαι τὰ πράγματα. Πείσθητε καὶ παρὰ τῶν γονέων, ὦ Φαρισαῖοι. ὅτι μετὰ τῆς τυφλότητος ἐτέχθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος " καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸν τυφλὸν ἀνατρέχετε, ἐχ δευτέρου, καὶ τρίτον, παρ᾽ ἐχείνον πληροφορούμενον τῶν χαχῶν ἐπιχείρημάτων καὶ τῶν ἐπιδουλῶν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅτ᾽ ἂν τῆς πρώτης ἐχπέσητε πείρας, ἐπὶ τὴν δευτέραν χωρεῖτε " ὅτ᾽ ἂν τῆς δευτέρας, ἐπὶ τὴν τρίτην" ὅτ᾽ ἂν τῆς τρίτης, ἐπὶ τὸν χαθεξῆς. ᾿Αλώπεχος χαχουργούσης φεσθς δρόμους καὶ πανταχοῦ μὲν ὑμᾶς τὰ δίχτνα τῆς ἀληθείας περιεστοίχισται" ἄφυχτος δὲ, ἡ ἀπὸ θαυμχσίου διέξοδος. “Ὅμως δὲ πάση: οὐκ ἀμελεῖτε πλοχῆς, ἱστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνοντες, ποιχίλως μὲν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀσθενῶς καὶ ἀνηνύτως … ὅμοιοι παῖδες. Τοιοῦτοι χἀχεῖνοι τὸν τρόπον περὶ τὰ θαυμάσια τὰ χατ᾽ Αἴγυπτον. Ἐχ πολέμων ἐσώζοντο χαινῶς καὶ παρ᾽ ἐλπίδας, καὶ τῷ διδόντι τὴν σωτητὴν φύσιν, καὶ τῶν λιμωττώντων ἧσαν πλέον ἀχάρίστοι" μάννα ὑπεδέχοντο οὐρανόθεν πεμπόμενον, καὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτιαχῶν σχορόδων τε καὶ χρομμύων τὴν δυσωδίαν ἐπόθουν " στύλῳ νεφέλης τὴν ἡμέραν ὑπεσχιάζοντο, ἵνα μὴ τῇ θέρμῃ τῆς ἡλιαχῆς ἀχτῖνος ταλαιπωρήσωσι, καὶ στύλῳ πυρὸς ἐν νυχτὶ χατελάμποντο, ἄλλον φωστῆρα χαινὸν παρὰ τὴν σαελήνην λαθόντες ἑξαίρετον, καὶ ὡς οὐδεμιᾶς ἐνεργείας θεϊχῆς ἀπολαύοντες, οὕτως χαινοὺς καὶ “μετεώρους ἐζήτουν θεοὺς εἰσπράττοντες, ἵνα μιχρὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους χατααχεθεὶς Μωῦσῆς ἐν τῇ δόσει τοῦ νόμου, τὴν ἐπἀνοῦδον παρελχύσῃ. Ὑμεῖς ἀληθῶς χληρονόμοι τῆς ἐχείνων ἀγνωμοσύνης. καὶ τὸν νόμον οὐχ ἀγαπήσαντες, αία:, ἀλλὰ σιδηρᾶς χρήζοντες. ΓΑνθρωπὸν ὁρᾶτε, παρελθόντα μὲν εἰς φῶς, ἐν σκότῳ δὲ μέχρ΄ πόῤῥω τῆς ἡλιχίας διατελέσαντα ἀνενέργητον τὰς ὄψεις, ἀλλοτρίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁδηγούς μενον, χαθημέραν πρὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ χαθήμενον, δημοσιεύοντα τὴν συμφορὰν, ἵνα πολλοὺς εἰς ἕλεον ἐφελχύσηται, τὴν πόλιν ἔχοντα τοῦ πάθους μάρτυρα, βλέποντα νῦν καὶ ἰαθέντα. ταχέως, οὐ φαρμάχων ποιχίλων συνθέσει, οὐδὲ σιδήρου τομαῖς, ἀλλὰ πτνέλῳ μόνῳ, καὶ τούτου διὰ σιέλου γενόμενον, καὶ πῶς οὐ γὴν προσχυνεῖτε τὸν ἀπὸ γῆς ὀφθαλμοὺς χτίσαντα, καὶ σέδετε τὴν θεϊχὴν ἐνέργειαν; Οὐ φθόνῳ δὲ διαῤῥήγνυσθε, καὶ ζηλοῦτε τὸν Θεὸν ὡς ἀντίτεχνον, ὡς δτ μιουργοὶ Δημιουργὸν, ὡς ὁμόφυλοι τὸν ὁμότιμον;
… proserōtōntes anatrepein espoudazon, tosoutǭ iioē 5 bogioię̄ dpangagoi, hui hoi ᾿t ē Ou ep 5ii oopleon edethaiouto hē alētheia᾽ kai tauto epaschon tōn thpriōn echeinois, ha plēgenta para tinos, kai mēdepō pasan tēn aichmēn en tę̄ gastri dexamena, tę̄ pros ton anthrōpon hormę̄ kai philoneikią, holon eph᾽ heauta Prōtē polypragmosynē " Ei houtos autos ho typhlos, kai mē heteros ant᾽ echeinou edeichthē " touto saphōs tou anthrōpou diamartyromenou, kai tēn acholouthian tēs therapeias apangellontos "5, hoti chai pēlos chatechristhē to tēs typhlotētos pharmachon, hoti kai cholymdythra ton pēlon aponipsasa, to blepein thanon " anezētoun hoi Pharisaioi, "' kai epeithonto. Deutera technē eis athetēsin tou genomenou par- B elamdaneto, to peirasthai deichnyein, hōs ouch estin ho Christos ho energēsas tēn therapeian. Epeidē de anthrōpos ton Sōtēra edoa, kai tę̄ homologią, kai tǭ chtrygmati antedidou tēn charin, cha) ton euergetēn giōntes tēn gnōmēn, ouch echontes ho ti kai praxōsin, epi tēn tou pathous palin anatrechousi [zētēsin chau ei ek genetēs typhlos, touto periergazontai, kai tous goneis anazētousi tou anthrōpou 53], kai achrideis exetastai ginontai tōn chath' hechaston, ouch hina bedaiōsōsi to prachthen, all᾽ hina anatropēn pothen tou thaumasiou ladōsi, kai pseudē tina scheuōrian chatascheuasantes to pisteuon plēthos tę̄s hormēs ana" trepsōsin. Ō chachias hyperdolē ! Machesthai pros tēn alētheian, kai mē proschynein ton panta "5 poiounta, alla diasyrein ton euergetēn " mē thaumazein tēn dynamin, all᾽ eutelizein peirasthai ta pragmata. Peisthēte kai para tōn goneōn, ō Pharisaioi. hoti meta tēs typhlotētos etechthē ho anthrōpos " kai palin epi ton typhlon anatrechete, ech deuterou, kai triton, par᾽ echeinon plērophoroumenon tōn chachōn epicheirēmatōn kai tōn epidoulōn. ᾿All᾽ hot᾽ an tēs prōtēs echpesēte peiras, epi tēn deuteran chōreite " hot᾽ an tēs deuteras, epi tēn tritēn" hot᾽ an tēs tritēs, epi ton chathexēs. ᾿Alōpechos chachourgousēs phesths dromous kai pantachou men hymas ta dichtna tēs alētheias periestoichistai" aphychtos de, hē apo thaumchsiou diexodos. “Homōs de pasē: ouk ameleite plochēs, histon arachnēs hyphainontes, poichilōs men, all᾽ asthenōs kai anēnytōs … homoioi paides. Toioutoi chacheinoi ton tropon peri ta thaumasia ta chat᾽ Aigypton. Ech polemōn esōzonto chainōs kai par᾽ elpidas, kai tǭ didonti tēn sōtētēn physin, kai tōn limōttōntōn hēsan pleon acharistoi" manna hypedechonto ouranothen pempomenon, kai tōn Aigyptiachōn schorodōn te kai chrommyōn tēn dysōdian epothoun " stylǭ nephelēs tēn hēmeran hypeschiazonto, hina mē tę̄ thermę̄ tēs hēliachēs achtinos talaipōrēsōsi, kai stylǭ pyros en nychti chatelamponto, allon phōstēra chainon para tēn saelēnēn lathontes hexaireton, kai hōs oudemias energeias theïchēs apolauontes, houtōs chainous kai “meteōrous ezētoun theous eisprattontes, hina michron epi tou orous chataachetheis Mōysēs en tę̄ dosei tou nomou, tēn epanoudon parelchysę̄. Hymeis alēthōs chlēronomoi tēs echeinōn agnōmosynēs. kai ton nomon ouch agapēsantes, aia:, alla sidēras chrēzontes. GAnthrōpon horate, parelthonta men eis phōs, en skotǭ de mechr΄ porrhō tēs hēlichias diatelesanta anenergēton tas opseis, allotriois ophthalmois hodēgous menon, chathēmeran pro tou hierou chathēmenon, dēmosieuonta tēn symphoran, hina pollous eis heleon ephelchysētai, tēn polin echonta tou pathous martyra, bleponta nyn kai iathenta. tacheōs, ou pharmachōn poichilōn synthesei, oude sidērou tomais, alla ptnelǭ monǭ, kai toutou dia sielou genomenon, kai pōs ou gēn proschyneite ton apo gēs ophthalmous chtisanta, kai sedete tēn theïchēn energeian? Ou phthonǭ de diarrhēgnysthe, kai zēloute ton Theon hōs antitechnon, hōs dt miourgoi Dēmiourgon, hōs homophyloi ton homotimon?
… the more they tried to overturn [the miracle] by questioning, the more firmly the truth was confirmed; and they suffered the same as those beasts which, struck by someone and not yet having received the whole spear-point in their belly, by their rush and fury against the man [drive] the whole of it into themselves. The first inquiry was whether this was the blind man himself and not someone else shown in his place. The man plainly testified to this, and reported the sequence of the healing: that clay was smeared on as the medicine for his blindness, and that a pool, washing the clay off, [gave him] sight. The Pharisees inquired … and were persuaded. A second device was taken up to annul what had happened: the attempt to show that it was not the Christ who performed the healing. But since the man proclaimed the Saviour, and repaid the grace with confession and proclamation, … knowing the benefactor's mind, and not knowing what to do, they run back again to the [inquiry] about the affliction [they busy themselves with whether he was blind from birth, and seek out the man's parents], and become exacting examiners of every detail, not to confirm what had been done, but to find from somewhere a way of overturning the miracle, and, by contriving some false fabrication, to turn the believing crowd back from its impulse. O excess of wickedness! To fight against the truth, and not to worship the one who does all things, but to slander the benefactor; not to marvel at the power, but to try to belittle the facts. You were persuaded by the parents too, Pharisees, that the man was born with his blindness; and again you run back to the blind man a second and a third time, … being informed by him of your evil attempts and plots. Whenever you fail in the first attempt, you go on to the second; when you fail in the second, to the third; when in the third, to the next. [You run] the courses of a mischievous fox …; and everywhere the nets of truth have surrounded you, and there is no escape from the miracle. Yet you leave no weaving untried, spinning a spider's web, intricately but weakly and to no effect … like children. Such too were those others, in their behaviour toward the wonders in Egypt. They were saved from wars in strange ways and beyond hope, and to the one who gave them salvation … and they were more ungrateful than the starving. They received manna sent from heaven, and longed for the stench of the Egyptian garlic and onions; they were shaded by day by a pillar of cloud, so as not to suffer from the heat of the sun's rays, and lit up by night by a pillar of fire, receiving another new and special luminary besides the moon; and as though they enjoyed no divine working, they sought new and lofty gods, demanding them because Moses, detained a little on the mountain at the giving of the law, delayed his return. You are truly heirs of their ingratitude; you did not love the law, … but needed an iron [rod]. You see a man who came into the light but remained in darkness until far on in years, his eyes inactive, guided by the eyes of others, sitting daily before the temple, making his misfortune public so as to draw many to pity, with the city as witness of his affliction: now he sees, and was healed quickly, not by a compound of various drugs nor by cuts with iron, but by clay alone, and that made with spittle. How is it that you do not worship the one who created eyes from earth, and revere the divine working? Are you not bursting with envy, jealous of God as a rival craftsman, like craftsmen of the Craftsman, like kinsmen of one of equal rank?
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 9:8–34 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 16:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 11:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 13:21–22 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 32:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 2:9 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius follows the Pharisees' repeated inquiries into the healing, compares their ingratitude to that of Israel in the desert, and rebukes them for not worshipping the one who made eyes from clay.
- Asterius's polemic against the Pharisees, whom he links with Israel's ingratitude in the desert, is translated exactly as written. The opening of the section is lost in the scan's OCR; leaked Latin, variant notes and footnote references were removed by logged corrections, and other lost words are marked “…”. Bracketed words are Migne's supplements. References: John 9:8–34; Num 11:5; Exod 16; Exod 13:21–22; Exod 32:1; Ps 2:9 (“iron rod”, probable).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked Latin fragment; leaked Latin fragment and footnote references; Greek lost; leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and stray marks; Greek lost; leaked variant notes): 0 Εν θαυ, δὲ ρα, τὸν λογισμὸν τοῖς ἐξ αἱ, 89. ὥρᾳ, τὸν βίον. ἀς 4115 ἰμογγοραι οἷ α8. τοῦ ἀσπιο! γὶ βδιυάευαι!, Α → … ; πο 5 ριιεναυθ ἐχθροί θη 61} ἃ} ΠΟ51}}}118 δ ]νὰ- Ν᾽,, 24. " Εχοι. χη, 31]. → … ; 51 ἴσ. καὶ οὐχ. 16 Θ6(. χεχραγότος. δ Εχ δεῖ. → ; α ιυι185 οἰ αοἰ → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 7.4 (PG 40:219; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
7.5PG 40:219
Ναὶ πάλαι ἐσμὲν " ἐντυγχάνοντες βίδλοις, ὅσαι ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ λαοῦ οἰχονομίᾳ ἐγράφησαν, καὶ ὅσαι τὰς τῶν βασιλέων ἀρχὰς, καὶ τὴν ἐπ᾽ ἐχείνοις ἱστορίαν ἔχδιδάσχουσιν" εὐπειθῶς περὶ ἑκάστου τὰ λεγόμενα παραδέχεσθε" ὡς Μωῦσέα μὲν μιχροῦ δέοντος νομίζειν ϑεὸν, καὶ ᾿Ελισσαϊον ὑπερθαυμάξειν, καὶ τὸν τούτου διδάσχαλον τὸν Θεσόίτην ὑμνεῖν καὶ πάντας τοὺς Β χαθ᾽ ἐχάστην γενεὰν ἁγίους, τοὺς ἐνεργηθέντας παρὰ Ο Θ:οῦ καὶ τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ἀοίδιμα χΞεῖτε καὶ δ τῶν ἀρκαίων, οὐδὲ ἀθετεῖτε τὴν τῶν πατέρων ἐξήγησιν, καὶ ταῦτα πεφυχότων ἀνθρώπων μὴ λίαν εὐχόλως ἀνάγεσθαι πρὸς τὴν πίστιν τῆς ἀχοῆς " ὃ δὲ ὀςθαλμοῖς ὑστέῤοις ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν εἴδετε, καὶ ἃ τοῖς δαχτύλοις ἔξεστι ψηλαφῆσαι, καὶ ἀχριδῶς ὁμοῦ χαχουργεῖτε, καὶ προφητείας χαταπατοῦντες, καὶ τὴν ἔχδασιν τῶν προῤῥήσεων ἀνατρέποντες. Τὰ γὰρ νῦν ἐπὶ τῆς πείρας ὁρώμενα, καὶ πάλαι φθάσας Ἡσαῖας διὰ τῶν λόγων ἐδίδαξεν" Ἰδοὺ ὁ Θεὰς ἡμῶν χρίσιν ἀνταποδίδωσι καὶ ἀνταποδώσει" αὐτὸς ἥξει, καὶ σώσει ἡμᾶς. Τότε ἀνοιγήσονται μοὶ τυριλῶν, καὶ ὦτα κωφῶν ἀκούσονται" τότε ἀλεῖται ὡς δὅλαρος ὁ χωλὸς, καὶ τραγὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιιάιλλιου "5. Ταῦτα οὐ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννου τὰ ῥήματα, οὐδέ τινος τῶν νέων καὶ ὑπόπτων προσὦπων οἱ λόγοι, ἵνα χεχαρισμένην εὐφημίαν ὑπονοήσαντες, ἀθετήσητε τὴν ἀλήθειαν " ἀλλὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας προφήτείας οἱ λόγοι, εἰ τὸν Θηχουΐτην γνωρί… Ἰσραηλίτην ἐχ γένους ἄνδρα, τῆς κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἀγωγῆς τὸ χεφάλαιον. Τῷ δὲ Θεῷ δόξα, κράτος. τιμὴ. νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿λμῆν-
Nai palai esmen " entynchanontes bidlois, hosai epi tę̄ tou laou oichonomią egraphēsan, kai hosai tas tōn basileōn archas, kai tēn ep᾽ echeinois historian echdidaschousin" eupeithōs peri hekastou ta legomena paradechesthe" hōs Mōysea men michrou deontos nomizein ϑeon, kai ᾿Elissaïon hyperthaumaxein, kai ton toutou didaschalon ton Thesoitēn hymnein kai pantas tous B chath᾽ echastēn genean hagious, tous energēthentas para O Th:ou kai ta megala kai aoidima chXeite kai d tōn arkaiōn, oude atheteite tēn tōn paterōn exēgēsin, kai tauta pephychotōn anthrōpōn mē lian eucholōs anagesthai pros tēn pistin tēs achoēs " ho de osthalmois hysterois epi tōn ophthalmōn eidete, kai ha tois dachtylois exesti psēlaphēsai, kai achridōs homou chachourgeite, kai prophēteias chatapatountes, kai tēn echdasin tōn prorrhēseōn anatrepontes. Ta gar nyn epi tēs peiras horōmena, kai palai phthasas Hēsaias dia tōn logōn edidaxen" Idou ho Theas hēmōn chrisin antapodidōsi kai antapodōsei" autos hēxei, kai sōsei hēmas. Tote anoigēsontai moi tyrilōn, kai ōta kōphōn akousontai" tote aleitai hōs dolaros ho chōlos, kai tragē estai glōssa mogiiailliou "5. Tauta ou Petron kai Iōannou ta rhēmata, oude tinos tōn neōn kai hypoptōn prosōpōn hoi logoi, hina checharismenēn euphēmian hyponoēsantes, athetēsēte tēn alētheian " alla tēs hymeteras prophēteias hoi logoi, ei ton Thēchouïtēn gnōri… Israēlitēn ech genous andra, tēs kata ton nomon agōgēs to chephalaion. Tǭ de Theǭ doxa, kratos. timē. nyn kai aei kai eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿lmēn-
Yes, [we know this] of old: when you read the books written about the dispensation given to the people, and those that relate the reigns of the kings and their history, you readily accept what is said about each one; so much so that you almost think Moses a god, you admire Elisha beyond measure, you sing the praises of his teacher the Tishbite, and of all the saints in each generation who were empowered by God, and the great and celebrated … of the ancients; nor do you reject the explanation of the fathers, though people are not by nature very easily brought to believe what they hear. But what you saw with your own eyes, and what can be touched with the fingers, … and you act wickedly with all precision, trampling on prophecies and overturning the fulfilment of the predictions. For what is now seen in experience Isaiah taught long ago in words: “Behold, our God repays judgment and will repay; he himself will come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will hear; then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the stammerers will be clear.” These are not the words of Peter and John, nor of any of the new and suspect persons, so that you might suspect flattering praise and reject the truth; they are the words of your own prophecy, if you recognize … an Israelite by race, a man who was the head of the way of life according to the law. To God be glory, might and honour, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Isa 35:4–6 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius reproaches those who believe the miracles of Moses and Elisha from books but reject the miracle before their eyes, which fulfils Isaiah's prophecy that the blind will see.
- A leaked block of Migne's Latin and footnotes near the end was removed by a logged correction; the Greek it interrupted is lost, so the identity of the prophet described as “an Israelite by race” is incomplete in the scan (the OCR has “the Tekoite”, Amos's title, just before the gap). The quotation is Isa 35:4–6 (LXX).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column and footnote references; Greek lost): γνωρίπου ἃς [ματἴ0 δια νοσαιο, πὶ [τὰ δογοη! Οὐ Αςτογί8, τ᾿. Δ σαον 8.}}} 2 {0556 αἰ ηΐ τ} δ. μογιλάλων. 57 ἔχοι! χχχιι, 1. 52 Νιη. οὖ εἴτι, ϑογιῃοη θαι δχ ἢ 816 πλϑῖτνα! τόγαπὶ τη ἰθὺ ἡ θα ο ΠΠαία., απ! τη6 δι, οὐυΐ μοι Π 6 Γη ἃ ἀΐα μι γα} ργβο ρίογοϑ (οἰ γὶ ἰδ 6 ργοβθηϊμθη- → γνωρί… .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 7.5 (PG 40:219; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/7-5
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
Chapter 8
8.1PG 40:260
Η'. Ἐγχώμιον εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους κορυφαίους ἁποστό - Πᾶσαι μὲν αἱ συνήθεις αὗται καὶ κατὰ νόμον τελού-μεναι τῶν μαρτύρων τιμαὶ ἱεραὶ, πανηγύρεις εἰσὶ, καὶ τῶν χατὰ Θεὸν ἀνδραγαθησάντων στῆλαι διαιωνίζουσαι" ἐν αἷς οἱ πρόεδροι τῶν ἐχχλησιῶν, ὅταν πρὸς τὸ λέγειν ἀφίκωνται, τὰς ἑαυτῶν δυνάμεις ἀντεξετάζόντες τῷ μεγέθει τῶν ὑποθέσεων, εὐθὺς ἐν προοιμίοις πρὸς τὴν συγγνώμην καὶ τὴν παραίτησιν χαταφεύγουσιν" χαΐί φασιν ἐλαττοῦν τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων μεγαλοποέπειαν τῇ τοῦ λόγου σμιχρότητι. Εἰ δ᾽ ἐχεῖνοι, τοὺς χαθ᾽ ἔχαστον τῶν μαρτύρων Σγχωμιάζειν μέλλοντες, ἀπαγορεύουσι πρὸς τὸν ἔπαινον, καὶ λαμ.-πρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ τὴν σφῶν αὐτῶν ὁμολογοῦσιν ἀσθένειαν" τίς ἂν γενοίμην ἐγὼ σήμερον, ὁ τοὺς διδασχάλους τῶν μαρτύρων ἔχων προχειμένους εἰς εὐφημίαν," τοὺς γνησίους καὶ πρώτους μαθητὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοὺς Πατέρας τῶν ἐχχλησιῶν, τοὺς μόνους ἀξιοπίτους Εὐαγγελίου χήρυχας, τοὺς θεῷ λαλήσαντας, καὶ τὴν παρὰ Θεοῦ φωνὴν δεξαμένους ταῖς ἀχοαῖς : Οὐ μὴν, ἐπειδὴ λίαν ὑψηλὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ δυσέφι χτὸς ἧ ἐγχείρησις, τὴν ἀργὴν καὶ ἄπραχτον σιωπὴν ἀγαπήσωμεν, ὥσπερ οἱ δειλοὶ καὶ ἀπειροθάλαττοι, οἱ πρὸς μόνην τὴν ὄψιν τῆς θαλάττης ἀπαγορεύοντες, καὶ οὔτε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπιδῆναι τῆς νεὼς ἀνεχόμενοι, οὔτε πείρας ἕνεχεν μιχρὰ τοὺς αἰγιαλοὺς περιπλεῦσαι" αὑτοῖς δὲ τοῖς τρισμαχαρίοις πιστεύσαντες τὴν ἐγχείρησιν, τοῖς ὑπὲρ ὧν συνεληλύθαμεν σήμερον, … τὰ χατὰ δύναμιν τῇ τῶν ἄλλων εὐφροσύνη παρασχέσθαι πειραθῶμεν. Οἶδα γὰρ, ὅτι τοσοῦτον ζητηθῆσεται, οὐχ ὅσον ἐχείνοις ὑφείλεταί; τοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ θαυμασίοις, ἀλλ᾽ ὅσον παρ᾽ ἡμῖν εὑρεθῆναι τοῖς πέγησιν, Ἑδουλόμην μὲν οὖν ἐχείνης τῆς χάριτος ὁλίγον μέρος ἐμοὶ χορηθῆναι 5 σήμερον, ἧς ἑχάτερός τὸ τῶν ἁγίων τούτων μεταλαδὼν, ὁ μὲ ἐν Ἵεροσολύμοις τοὺς ἀπειθοῦντας ἐδίδασχεν, ὁ δὲ τὸν "Αρειον πάγον ἐν ᾿Αθήναις χαταλαδὼν, ἐχ τῆς ἀθέον πλάνης τοὺς δεισιδαι μονοῦντας ἐπέστρεψεν, ὑποδειχνὺς αὖτοῖς τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τὸ τῆς͵ ἀληθοῦς εὐσεύείας χαταγγείλας μυστήριον. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀνεδείξαμέν τι τῶν προχειμένων ἐπιτελεῖν, καὶ μὴ πολὺ τοῦ μεγάλου Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αἱ μεγάλαι τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεαὶ τῶν Β' μεγάλων εἰσὶν, καὶ ἀνάξιος ἐγὼ τοιαύταις πλουτίζεσθαι χάρισιν. προσθήσω τὴν πενίαν μετὰ τῆς προἡυμίας ὑμῖν, ὡς Ἑλισσαϊος μετὰ τῶν ἀλεύρων τὰ λάχᾶανα, τῆς τοῦ προέχεσθαι πάντως τὸ χαλὸν οὐχ ἁμοιρήσων τιμῆς. Μηδεὶς δέ με οἰηθείη τῶν ἀχουσομένων ὑμῶν, εὐφημίαν γενναίων ἀνδρῶν προελόμενον, τοῖς νόμοις ἀχολουθήσειν τῆς σοφίας τῆς ἔξωθεν. Οὐ γὰρ τέχνῃ συγχειμένῃ χολαχείαν ἀπεργαζόμεθα: ἀλλὰ ψυχῶν φιλοθέων ἀρετὴν, μετὰ ἀληθείας ὑμῖν παραστῆσαι σπουδάζομεν, Διὸ σιωπηθήσεται γένος, καὶ πατέρων περιφάνεια οὐ διοχλήσει τὸν λόγον. Σὰρξ γὰρ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν Θεοῦ οὐ μήσουσι». Οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν περιγείων καὶ ἐγχοσμίων τοὺς οὐρανοῦ πολίτας τιμήσομεν" ἀλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον, πατέρων ἀφανὴς βίος, καὶ τέχναι βάναυσοι, καὶ πενίας ὀνομαζόμενον ὄνειδος, ταῦτα τοῖς ἑπαίνοις μνημονευθήσεται, Δόξα γὰρ Χριστιανῶν, χαγὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τὸ ἡμέτερον, ταπεινότης ἐστίν, Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐγχωμίων συνορῶν δεινῶς χαταμέμφομδι" ὅτι σεμνύνειν βουλόμενοι οὗς ἂν ἕλωνται, ὡς μηδὲν ἐξαίρετον εἰπεῖν ἔχοντες ἀγαθὸν, μάτην τοῖς τάφοις προσφεύγουσιν, καὶ διοχλοῦσι τοὺς χειμένους εἰκῇ, καὶ τοὺς νεχροὺς ποιοῦσι χόσμον τῶν ζώντων᾽ δι ὧν ἐπιχαλούνται τοὺς τελευτήσαντας, ὁμολογοῦντες οὐδὲν ἀγαθὸν τοῖς παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἑγχωμιαζομένοις προσεῖναι. Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις, εἰ μὲν ὁμολογούμενον ἦν, πάντως τοὺς ἐκ λαμπρῶν πατέρων χατάγοντας, καὶ αὐτοὺς ὑπάρχειν ἀγαθοὺς, καὶ ὥσπερ τινὰ φύσιν τὴν ἀρετὴν διαδέχεσθαι, εὔχαιρον ἣν ἴσως μνείαν τι- Ὁ νὰ τῶν γονέων ποιεῖσθαι " ἐπειδὴ δὲ ψεύδεται τὰς τοῦ γένους διαδοχὰς ἐπὶ πλέον ἣ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων διαφορὰ (γίνεται γὰρ ἄσωτος ὁ τοῦ φιλοσόφου, καὶ φιλόσοφος ὁ τοῦ φιληδόνου), μάταιος ὁ πόνος τῶν προπάππων μεμνῆσθαι" δέον ἐπιδειχνύειν, εἴπερ ἔχει τὶς ἀρετῆς χατορθωώματα. Καὶ ταῦθ᾽ ὅτι τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, οὐχ ἔστιν ἄλλοθεν πολυπραγμονυῦντας 'μαθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἱερᾶς ἡμῶν Γραφῆς, πολύτρόπον ἐχούσης καὶ ποιχίλην τὴν ὠφέλειαν.
Ē'. Enchōmion eis tous hagious koryphaious haposto - Pasai men hai synētheis hautai kai kata nomon telou-menai tōn martyrōn timai hierai, panēgyreis eisi, kai tōn chata Theon andragathēsantōn stēlai diaiōnizousai" en hais hoi proedroi tōn echchlēsiōn, hotan pros to legein aphikōntai, tas heautōn dynameis antexetazontes tǭ megethei tōn hypotheseōn, euthys en prooimiois pros tēn syngnōmēn kai tēn paraitēsin chatapheugousin" chaïi phasin elattoun tēn tōn pragmatōn megalopoepeian tę̄ tou logou smichrotēti. Ei d᾽ echeinoi, tous chath᾽ echaston tōn martyrōn Snchōmiazein mellontes, apagoreuousi pros ton epainon, kai lam.-prą tę̄ phōnę̄ tēn sphōn autōn homologousin astheneian" tis an genoimēn egō sēmeron, ho tous didaschalous tōn martyrōn echōn procheimenous eis euphēmian," tous gnēsious kai prōtous mathētas tou Christou, tous Pateras tōn echchlēsiōn, tous monous axiopitous Euangeliou chērychas, tous theǭ lalēsantas, kai tēn para Theou phōnēn dexamenous tais achoais : Ou mēn, epeidē lian hypsēlos ho logos, kai dysephi chtos hē encheirēsis, tēn argēn kai aprachton siōpēn agapēsōmen, hōsper hoi deiloi kai apeirothalattoi, hoi pros monēn tēn opsin tēs thalattēs apagoreuontes, kai oute tēn archēn epidēnai tēs neōs anechomenoi, oute peiras henechen michra tous aigialous peripleusai" hautois de tois trismachariois pisteusantes tēn encheirēsin, tois hyper hōn synelēlythamen sēmeron, … ta chata dynamin tę̄ tōn allōn euphrosynē paraschesthai peirathōmen. Oida gar, hoti tosouton zētēthēsetai, ouch hoson echeinois hypheiletai? tois megalois kai thaumasiois, all᾽ hoson par᾽ hēmin heurethēnai tois pegēsin, Hedoulomēn men oun echeinēs tēs charitos holigon meros emoi chorēthēnai 5 sēmeron, hēs hechateros to tōn hagiōn toutōn metaladōn, ho me en Hierosolymois tous apeithountas edidaschen, ho de ton "Areion pagon en ᾿Athēnais chataladōn, ech tēs atheon planēs tous deisidai monountas epestrepsen, hypodeichnys autois ton Christon, kai to tēs͵ alēthous euseueias chatangeilas mystērion. Houtō gar anedeixamen ti tōn procheimenōn epitelein, kai mē poly tou megalou Epeidē de hai megalai tou Pneumatos dōreai tōn B' megalōn eisin, kai anaxios egō toiautais ploutizesthai charisin. prosthēsō tēn penian meta tēs proēumias hymin, hōs Helissaïos meta tōn aleurōn ta lachaana, tēs tou proechesthai pantōs to chalon ouch hamoirēsōn timēs. Mēdeis de me oiētheiē tōn achousomenōn hymōn, euphēmian gennaiōn andrōn proelomenon, tois nomois acholouthēsein tēs sophias tēs exōthen. Ou gar technę̄ syncheimenę̄ cholacheian apergazometha: alla psychōn philotheōn aretēn, meta alētheias hymin parastēsai spoudazomen, Dio siōpēthēsetai genos, kai paterōn periphaneia ou diochlēsei ton logon. Sarx gar kai haima basileian Theou ou mēsousi». Oude apo tōn perigeiōn kai enchosmiōn tous ouranou politas timēsomen" alla pan tounantion, paterōn aphanēs bios, kai technai banausoi, kai penias onomazomenon oneidos, tauta tois hepainois mnēmoneuthēsetai, Doxa gar Christianōn, chaga to Euangelion to hēmeteron, tapeinotēs estin, Egō de kai tōn exōthen enchōmiōn synorōn deinōs chatamemphomdi" hoti semnynein boulomenoi hous an helōntai, hōs mēden exaireton eipein echontes agathon, matēn tois taphois prospheugousin, kai diochlousi tous cheimenous eikę̄, kai tous nechrous poiousi chosmon tōn zōntōn᾽ di hōn epichalountai tous teleutēsantas, homologountes ouden agathon tois par᾽ autōn henchōmiazomenois proseinai. Kai pros toutois, ei men homologoumenon ēn, pantōs tous ek lamprōn paterōn chatagontas, kai autous hyparchein agathous, kai hōsper tina physin tēn aretēn diadechesthai, euchairon hēn isōs mneian ti- Ho na tōn goneōn poieisthai " epeidē de pseudetai tas tou genous diadochas epi pleon hē tōn epitēdeumatōn diaphora (ginetai gar asōtos ho tou philosophou, kai philosophos ho tou philēdonou), mataios ho ponos tōn propappōn memnēsthai" deon epideichnyein, eiper echei tis aretēs chatorthōōmata. Kai tauth᾽ hoti touton echei ton tropon, ouch estin allothen polypragmonyyntas 'mathein, all᾽ ex autēs tēs hieras hēmōn Graphēs, polytropon echousēs kai poichilēn tēn ōpheleian.
Homily 8. Encomium on the holy chief apostles. All these customary honours of the martyrs, performed according to law, are sacred festivals and everlasting monuments of those who have done valiantly according to God. In them the presidents of the churches, when they come to speak, measure their own powers against the greatness of their subjects, and at once in their opening words take refuge in asking for pardon and excusing themselves, saying that they diminish the magnificence of the deeds by the smallness of their speech. And if they, when about to praise individual martyrs, give up before the task of praise and confess their own weakness in a loud voice, what would become of me today, who have set before me for praise the teachers of the martyrs, the genuine and first disciples of Christ, the Fathers of the churches, the only trustworthy heralds of the Gospel, men who spoke with God and received the voice from God with their ears? Yet, though the subject is very lofty and the undertaking hard to reach, let us not love idle and useless silence, like cowards who have no experience of the sea, who give up at the mere sight of the sea and will neither set foot on the ship at all nor sail a little way round the shores to try it. Rather, entrusting the undertaking to the thrice-blessed men themselves, for whom we have gathered today, … let us try, as far as we can, to provide for the joy of the others. For I know that as much will be required, not as is owed to those great and wonderful men, but as can be found among us poor ones. I wished, then, that a small part of that grace might be supplied to me today which each of these saints received: the one who taught the disobedient in Jerusalem, and the other who, coming to the Areopagus at Athens, turned the superstitious from their godless error, showing them Christ and proclaiming the mystery of true godliness. So we would have shown ourselves accomplishing something of what lies before us, and not [falling] far short of the great … But since the great gifts of the Spirit belong to the great, and I am unworthy to be enriched with such graces, I will set my poverty before you with my eagerness, as Elisha set the herbs before them with the flour, so as not to lose altogether the honour of setting forth what is good. Let none of you who hear me think that, having undertaken the praise of noble men, I will follow the rules of the wisdom from outside. We do not produce flattery by a studied art; we are eager to present to you, with truth, the virtue of God-loving souls. Therefore family will be passed over in silence, and the fame of fathers will not burden the discourse. For “flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Nor will we honour the citizens of heaven from earthly and worldly things; quite the opposite: the obscure life of their fathers, their mechanical trades, and the so-called reproach of poverty, these will be mentioned in the praises. For the glory of Christians, according to our Gospel, is humility. And observing the encomia of those outside, I blame them severely, because, wishing to exalt whomever they choose, as though they had nothing special and good to say of them, they take refuge in vain in tombs, disturb those who lie there to no purpose, and make the dead the ornament of the living; and by calling on the dead they confess that nothing good belongs to those they praise. Besides, if it were agreed that those descended from illustrious fathers are certainly good themselves, and inherit virtue as a kind of nature, it would perhaps be fitting to make some mention of the parents; but since difference of pursuits more often belies the succession of family (for the philosopher's son becomes a profligate, and the pleasure-lover's son a philosopher), it is labour in vain to recall great-grandfathers; one must show whether a man has achievements of virtue of his own. That this is so one need not learn by inquiring elsewhere, but from our holy Scripture itself, which offers many-sided and varied profit.
Acts 2:14–41 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 17:22–31 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 4:38–41 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:50 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Opening his encomium on Peter and Paul, Asterius professes his inadequacy and announces that, unlike pagan panegyric, he will praise the apostles not for family but for virtue and humility.
- The “chief apostles” are Peter and Paul. Asterius names the feasts of martyrs as sacred festivals, translated as written. Leaked Latin was removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. Elisha's herbs and flour: 2 Kgs 4:38–41. References: Acts 2 (Peter in Jerusalem), Acts 17:22–31 (Paul on the Areopagus); 1 Tim 3:16; 1 Cor 15:50.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked fragment of Migne's Latin column; stray margin letter and mark splitting a word): ιἴ, οοπι πη η 8 [Δοίι15; 16 χ 60 ἰαραγίπι 418 ἃς ΒΟΓΙρΒΟΓ πὶ, δἰΐα ποῖ! δαὶ ΓΟροϑῖ σοι υ] ΘΓ ἢ ἃς ὀμ ΓΟιΓλοιδίγιΙ5 68561. ἔπι αυΐ θην ἢΠΠ| ϑμυ( Θι! → … ; παρασχέ- Δ σθα! → παρασχέσθαι.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.1 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-asterius-amasea-homiliae-8-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.
8.2PG 40:260
Ἴσμεν πάντως τὸν ἱερέα, τὸν πρεσθύτην ἐχεῖνον, τὸν τοῦ μεγάλου Σαμουὴλ τροφέα τε καὶ διδάσχαλον᾽" ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲν τοὺς υἱοὺς ὠφέλησεν αὐτὸς ἄριστος ὥν" καὶ ταῦτα τραφέντας ὑπ᾽ αὐτῷ τῷ γεννησαμένῳ, τὴν χαθ᾽ ἡμέραν μανθάνοντα: τοὺς τῆς ἱερωσύνης θε σούς. Ἔχ πατέρων πάλιν ἀσξθῶν ὁ Τιμόθεος, τὸν ἀπόστολον λέγω, τὸν γενναῖον τοῦ Παύλου σχύλαχα" καὶ οὐ μὲν ἢχοληύθησεν, ὥσπερ τινὶ φύσει τῶν γονέων τῇ μνήμη λογικῶς δὲ μισήσας τὴν ἐχείνων δυσσέθδειαν, πρὸς τὸν ἅγιον θεσμὸν τῆς εὐσεθείας ἀπηυτομόλησε, καὶ χαρπὸς ἀνεφάνη γλυχὺς ἀπὲ ῥίζης πιχρᾶς. Ἡμιόνων ἡ συνουσία, καὶ προθάτων τόχος. Οὕτως ὁ ᾿Αὐεσαλὼν, πατρὸς ἐπιειχοῦς μεμηνὺς νεανίσχος, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ θρασύτητι γνώριμος, ὅσον ὁ πατὴρ ἐν χρηστότητι" ἣ μᾶλλον, εἰ δεῖ τἀληθέστερον εἰπεῖν, πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ ὑπερθαλλόμενος τῇ χκαχίᾳ τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ γεννήσαντος. Καὶ ὅλως, εἴτις θελήσειε ταῖς τοιαύτα!ς τῶν παίδων πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἐναντιότησιν ἐπιστῆσαι τὸν νοῦν, μυρίους εὑρήσει σπουδαίους ἀπὸ χαχῶν, καὶ πονηροὺς ἐχ βελτίστων. Καὶ σφόδρα γε εἰχότως. Εἰ γὰρ φύσις, καὶ μὴ τρόπος, χαχίαν ἣ ἀρετὴν εἰργάζετο, οὐχ ἂν ἦν τὰ δύο, ἀλλὰ μονομιρῶς ἐπεχράτει τὲ ἕτερον. Λεγέσθω τοίνυν Πέτρος υἱὸς Ἰωνᾶ" τίνος δὲ τούτου, οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐχ τῶν πράξεων τοῦ υἱοῦ, σεμνύνω τὸν γεννησάμενον" καὶ χάτωθεν ἀρξάμενος. ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω παραπέμπω τὴν δόξαν, ὥσπες οἱ λύχνοι οἱ νύχτωρ ἐχ τοῦ ἐδάφους τοὺς ὁρόφους φωτίξοντες. Ἡσαΐας μὲν οὖν φησι προφητεύων, ὅτ' λίθον ἀχρογωνιαῖον ὁ Πατὴρ ἔθηχε τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐνδειχνύμενος, ὡς ἣ πᾶσα τοῦ χόσμου σύστασις ἐχεῖνον ἔχει τὴν ἕδραν καὶ τὴν χρηπῖδα. Ὃ δὲ Μονογενὴς πάλιν, χαθὼς ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις φησὶν, θεμέλιον τὸν Πέτρον ὀνομάζει τῆς Ἐχχλησίας Σὺ εἶ Πέτρος,. καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μοὺ τὴν Ἔχ. κιησίαν. Πρωτος γὰρ ἀληθῶς οὗτος, ὥσπερ τις λίθος μέγας καὶ χαρτερὸς ἐνεῤῥίφη τῇ τοῦ χόσμου τούτου χοιλότητι, ἣ τῇ χοιλάδι τοῦ χλαυθμῶνος, ὥς φησιν ὁ Δαδίδ' ἵνα πάντας Χριστιανοὺς ἐποιχοδομουμένους θαστάσας, ἀναγάγη πρὸς τὸ ὕψος, ὃ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν ἐστιν οἰχητήριον. Θεμέιιεον ἄ.λ.10 οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι, παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Τῇ ὁμοίᾳ δὲ χλήσει ὁ Σωτὴρ πέτραν ὀνομάσας τῆς πίστεως. Διὰ Πέτρον τοίνυν, ἄπτωτον καὶ ἀχλινὲς τὸ τῶν Ἐχχλησιῶν ἕδρασμα σώζεται, γνήσιον καὶ πιστὸν γενόμενον τῆς εὐσεδείας μυσταγωγόν. Διὰ τὴν οἰχοδομὴν δὲ τοῦ δικαίου ἑ στήχαμεν ἐῤῥιζωμένοι, οἱ ἀπὸ ἀνίσχοντος ἡλίου, μέχρι καὶ δυομένου, Χριστιανοί. Πολλῶν δὲ πειρασμῶν χινηθέντων, ἀφ᾽ οὗ χατηγγέλη τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ μυρίων τυράννων" καὶ πρὸ ἐχείνων, τοῦ διαδόλου χαταστῆσαι θελήσαντος εἰς ἔδαφος, καὶ χαθελεῖν ἡμᾶς φησιν ὁ σωτήριος λόγος, ὡς χείμαῤῥοι, σφοδροὶ δὲ ροι δὲ ὑετοὶ τῶν διωχόντων Χριστιανοὺς χατεῤῥάγησαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἰσχυρότερον ὥφθη τοῦ κατὰ Θεὸν ὀχυνώματος" ἐπειδὴ ταῖς ἁγίαις παλάμαις τοῦ πρώτου τῶν ἀποστόλων χατεσχευάσθη τὸ τῆς πίστεως οἶχοδόμημα. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγων, ἔδει Ἶ5 ἕνα λόγον τῆς εὐλογίας τοῦ πέτραν τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν ὀνομάσαντος. Ἴδωμεν δὲ, εἰ δοχεῖ, πῶς ῳχοδόμει Πέτρος" οὐ λίθοις καὶ πλίνθοις, οὐδὲ ταῖς ἄλλαις ὕλαις ταῖς γεηραῖς" ἀλλὰ λόγοις καὶ πράξεσιν, αἷς ἐνηργεῖτο παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Τοῦ τοίνυν Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνελθόντος εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἡνίχα τὴν νεφέλην εἶχε ὄχημα, τῶν ἀποστόλων βλεπόντων, οὗτος ὁ ἀνὴ ἀντελάδετο τῆς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου διδασχαλίας- καὶ πρὸ πάντων τῶν χοινωνῶν τῆς ἐπισχοπῆς ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα, τῶν λυσσώντων χατὰ τῆς εὐσεδείας χατεθάρσησε δήμων, καὶ δημηγόρο: ἀνεφάνη σοφὸς, ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ’ ἐθνῶν ἀχονώντων τοὺς ὀδόντας, καὶ θυδοὺ πληρουμένων, εἴ τις τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὀνομάσειε. Ὥστε τὸ εἰς τὸν Κύριον παρὰ τῆς προφητείας λεχθὲν, ἀρμόζειν πάνυ καὶ Πέτρῳ, τὸ, Περιεκύχιλωσάγ με κύὅμως ζέων τῷ Πνεύματι, καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἀνεπίληστον σύξων, τὴν εἰποῦσαν αὑτῷ’ Βόσχε τὰ ἀργία μου" στὰς εἰς δῆμον σύμμιχτον ἐχ μυρίων ἐθνῶν, ἐδόα’ Αγδρες ᾿Ιουδαῖοι, καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἅπαντες. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ μακχρολογῶμεν, πᾶσαν τὴν ῥῆσιν συνείροντες, ἀπομέμνηται τῶν λογίων τοῦ Ἰωὴλ, προφητεύων 75. τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὸν πεντεχαιδέχατον ψαλμὸν παραθέμενος, βεδαιοΐ τὴν ἀνάστασιν" καὶ τὸν πάντα λόγον συμπερανάμενος ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγων καὶ μαρτυρίᾳ νόμου, εὐθὺς τοὺς ἀχροατὰς ἐπηγάγετο, οὐ δέχα, οὐδὲ ἑχατόν' οὐδὲ τρὶς, ἢ πεντάχις τοσούτους" ἀλλὰ τρεῖς χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν, Ἐχχλησίας πλήρωμα, δῆμον ὅλον ἰχανὸν χα- Ὃ πειθοῦς φάρμαχον θερμὸν καὶ διάπυρον, ὀξέως τῶν ψυχῶν χαθαψάμενον! ὦ σοφία θεολόγος, πᾶσαν συφίαν ἀνθρωπίνην χαλύψασα! Τί λέγετε, οἱ τὸν Δημοσθένην στεφανοῦντες χατὰ ῥητόρων, καὶ τὸν Σωχράτην ἀνυμνοῦντες ἐν φιλοσόφοις; Δημοσθένης μὲν γὰρ, ὁ τὴν ῥητοριχὴν μέγας καὶ πολυθρύλλητος, τοσοῦτον ἀπεῖχε τοῦ περὶ ὧν ἐδούλετο πείθειν, ὥστε καὶ ἐξωρίσθη τῆς πόλεως παρὰ τῶν ἀχροατῶν" Σωχράτης δὲ, τῶν πολλῶν πρὸς ᾿Αθηναίους λόγων, καὶ τῶν σοφῶν διαλέξεων, τέλος, τὸ χώνειον εὕρατο, παρὰ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν μαθητῶν φονευθείς: τοσοῦτον αὐτὸν περιῆν τῆς τοῦ πείθειν δυνάμεως. Πέτρος δὲ ὁ ἁλιεὺς, ὁ χειροτέχνης, ὁ ἀμαθὴς, ὁ πᾶν ὅπερ ἂν ἐθέλῃ τις φαυλίζων καλεῖν, ἐν μιᾷ λόγου προσδολῇ καὶ ταῦτα, δυσανασχετοῦντας καὶ στασιάζοντας, καὶ οὗ συγχωροῦντας αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν διαιρεῖν τὸ "στόμα.
Ismen pantōs ton hierea, ton presthytēn echeinon, ton tou megalou Samouēl trophea te kai didaschalon᾽" all᾽ ouden tous huious ōphelēsen autos aristos hōn" kai tauta traphentas hyp᾽ autǭ tǭ gennēsamenǭ, tēn chath᾽ hēmeran manthanonta: tous tēs hierōsynēs the sous. Ech paterōn palin asxthōn ho Timotheos, ton apostolon legō, ton gennaion tou Paulou schylacha" kai ou men ēcholēuthēsen, hōsper tini physei tōn goneōn tę̄ mnēmē logikōs de misēsas tēn echeinōn dyssethdeian, pros ton hagion thesmon tēs eusetheias apēutomolēse, kai charpos anephanē glychys ape rhizēs pichras. Hēmionōn hē synousia, kai prothatōn tochos. Houtōs ho ᾿Auesalōn, patros epieichous memēnys neanischos, kai tosouton epi thrasytēti gnōrimos, hoson ho patēr en chrēstotēti" hē mallon, ei dei talēthesteron eipein, pollǭ tǭ metrǭ hyperthallomenos tę̄ chkachią tēn aretēn tou gennēsantos. Kai holōs, eitis thelēseie tais toiauta!s tōn paidōn pros tous pateras enantiotēsin epistēsai ton noun, myrious heurēsei spoudaious apo chachōn, kai ponērous ech beltistōn. Kai sphodra ge eichotōs. Ei gar physis, kai mē tropos, chachian hē aretēn eirgazeto, ouch an ēn ta dyo, alla monomirōs epechratei te heteron. Legesthō toinyn Petros huios Iōna" tinos de toutou, ouden moi diapherei. Egō gar ech tōn praxeōn tou huiou, semnynō ton gennēsamenon" kai chatōthen arxamenos. epi ta anō parapempō tēn doxan, hōspes hoi lychnoi hoi nychtōr ech tou edaphous tous horophous phōtixontes. Hēsaïas men oun phēsi prophēteuōn, hot' lithon achrogōniaion ho Patēr ethēche ton Huion, endeichnymenos, hōs hē pasa tou chosmou systasis echeinon echei tēn hedran kai tēn chrēpida. Ho de Monogenēs palin, chathōs en Euangeliois phēsin, themelion ton Petron onomazei tēs Echchlēsias Sy ei Petros,. kai epi tautę̄ tę̄ petrą oikodomēsō mou tēn Ech. kiēsian. Prōtos gar alēthōs houtos, hōsper tis lithos megas kai charteros enerrhiphē tę̄ tou chosmou toutou choilotēti, hē tę̄ choiladi tou chlauthmōnos, hōs phēsin ho Dadid' hina pantas Christianous epoichodomoumenous thastasas, anagagē pros to hypsos, ho tēs elpidos hēmōn estin oichētērion. Themeiieon a.l.10 oudeis dynatai theinai, para ton keimenon, hos estin Iēsous Christos. Tę̄ homoią de chlēsei ho Sōtēr petran onomasas tēs pisteōs. Dia Petron toinyn, aptōton kai achlines to tōn Echchlēsiōn hedrasma sōzetai, gnēsion kai piston genomenon tēs eusedeias mystagōgon. Dia tēn oichodomēn de tou dikaiou he stēchamen errhizōmenoi, hoi apo anischontos hēliou, mechri kai dyomenou, Christianoi. Pollōn de peirasmōn chinēthentōn, aph᾽ hou chatēngelē to Euangelion, kai myriōn tyrannōn" kai pro echeinōn, tou diadolou chatastēsai thelēsantos eis edaphos, kai chathelein hēmas phēsin ho sōtērios logos, hōs cheimarrhoi, sphodroi de roi de hyetoi tōn diōchontōn Christianous chaterrhagēsan, kai ouden ischyroteron hōphthē tou kata Theon ochynōmatos" epeidē tais hagiais palamais tou prōtou tōn apostolōn chatescheuasthē to tēs pisteōs oichodomēma. Tauta de legōn, edei I5 hena logon tēs eulogias tou petran ton euangelistēn onomasantos. Idōmen de, ei dochei, pōs ǭchodomei Petros" ou lithois kai plinthois, oude tais allais hylais tais geērais" alla logois kai praxesin, hais enērgeito para tou Pneumatos. Tou toinyn Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn anelthontos eis ouranous, hēnicha tēn nephelēn eiche ochēma, tōn apostolōn blepontōn, houtos ho anē anteladeto tēs tou Euangeliou didaschalias- kai pro pantōn tōn choinōnōn tēs epischopēs anoixas to stoma, tōn lyssōntōn chata tēs eusedeias chatetharsēse dēmōn, kai dēmēgoro: anephanē sophos, en mesǭ tōn ethnōn kai tou Israēl’ ethnōn achonōntōn tous odontas, kai thydou plēroumenōn, ei tis ton Iēsoun onomaseie. Hōste to eis ton Kyrion para tēs prophēteias lechthen, armozein pany kai Petrǭ, to, Periekychilōsag me kyomōs zeōn tǭ Pneumati, kai tēn entolēn anepilēston syxōn, tēn eipousan hautǭ’ Bosche ta argia mou" stas eis dēmon symmichton ech myriōn ethnōn, edoa’ Agdres ᾿Ioudaioi, kai hoi katoikountes Hierousalēm hapantes. Kai hina mē makchrologōmen, pasan tēn rhēsin syneirontes, apomemnētai tōn logiōn tou Iōēl, prophēteuōn 75. tēn tou Pneumatos ton pentechaidechaton psalmon parathemenos, bedaioï tēn anastasin" kai ton panta logon symperanamenos en sophią logōn kai martyrią nomou, euthys tous achroatas epēgageto, ou decha, oude hechaton' oude tris, ē pentachis tosoutous" alla treis chiliadas andrōn, Echchlēsias plērōma, dēmon holon ichanon cha- Ho peithous pharmachon thermon kai diapyron, oxeōs tōn psychōn chathapsamenon! ō sophia theologos, pasan syphian anthrōpinēn chalypsasa! Ti legete, hoi ton Dēmosthenēn stephanountes chata rhētorōn, kai ton Sōchratēn anymnountes en philosophois? Dēmosthenēs men gar, ho tēn rhētorichēn megas kai polythryllētos, tosouton apeiche tou peri hōn edouleto peithein, hōste kai exōristhē tēs poleōs para tōn achroatōn" Sōchratēs de, tōn pollōn pros ᾿Athēnaious logōn, kai tōn sophōn dialexeōn, telos, to chōneion heurato, para tou chorou tōn mathētōn phoneutheis: tosouton auton periēn tēs tou peithein dynameōs. Petros de ho halieus, ho cheirotechnēs, ho amathēs, ho pan hoper an ethelę̄ tis phaulizōn kalein, en mią logou prosdolę̄ kai tauta, dysanaschetountas kai stasiazontas, kai hou synchōrountas autǭ tēn archēn diairein to "stoma.
We certainly know the priest, that old man who was the nurturer and teacher of the great Samuel; yet, excellent as he was himself, he did not benefit his sons at all, though they were brought up by their own father and learned daily the ordinances of the priesthood. Again, Timothy came from ungodly parents (I mean the apostle, Paul's noble whelp); and he did not follow the memory of his parents as if by some law of nature, but, hating their impiety by reason, he deserted to the holy ordinance of godliness, and appeared as sweet fruit from a bitter root. [It is like] the union of mules, and the offspring of sheep. So too Absalom, the raving youth of a gentle father, as well known for his audacity as his father for his goodness; or rather, to speak more truly, surpassing by a great measure in wickedness the virtue of his father. In general, if anyone cared to look at such contrasts between children and their fathers, he would find countless good men born of bad ones, and wicked men born of the best. And very reasonably; for if nature, and not character, produced vice or virtue, there would not be two of them, but one alone would prevail. Let Peter, then, be called son of Jonah; who this man was matters nothing to me. For I glorify the father from the deeds of the son, and, beginning from below, I send the glory upward, as lamps at night light up the ceilings from the floor. Isaiah, prophesying, says that the Father set the Son as cornerstone, showing that the whole structure of the world has him as its seat and foundation. And the Only-begotten in turn, as he says in the Gospels, names Peter the foundation of the Church: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” For truly he was the first to be thrown, like some great and strong stone, into the hollow of this world, or the valley of weeping, as David says, so that, bearing all the Christians built up on him, he might raise them to the height which is the dwelling of our hope. “No one can lay another foundation than the one that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” But with a like title the Saviour [honoured him], naming him the rock of faith. Through Peter, then, the foundation of the Churches is kept from falling and unbending, since he became a genuine and faithful initiator into godliness. Through the building of the righteous man we stand rooted, we Christians from the rising of the sun to its setting. Many temptations have been stirred up since the Gospel was proclaimed, and countless tyrants; and before them the devil, wishing to bring us down to the ground and destroy us, as the saving word says. Like torrents, violent rains of the persecutors of Christians have broken upon us, and nothing has proved stronger than the fortress built according to God, since the building of the faith was constructed by the holy hands of the first of the apostles. In saying this, [I have spent] one word of praise on the evangelist who named him rock. Let us see, if you please, how Peter built: not with stones and bricks, nor with any other earthly materials, but with words and deeds, in which he was empowered by the Spirit. When our God and Saviour ascended into heaven, with the cloud for his chariot, while the apostles watched, this man took up the teaching of the Gospel. Before all who shared the oversight with him he opened his mouth, took courage against the peoples raging against godliness, and appeared a wise orator in the midst of the Gentiles and Israel, while the Gentiles sharpened their teeth and were filled with rage if anyone named Jesus. So what was said of the Lord by the prophecy fits Peter very well: “Many dogs surrounded me” … yet, fervent in the Spirit, and keeping unforgotten the command that said to him, “Feed my lambs,” he stood before a people mixed from countless nations and cried: “Men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem.” Not to be long-winded by stringing together the whole speech: he recalls the oracles of Joel, which prophesied the [outpouring] of the Spirit; … and, citing the fifteenth psalm, he confirms the resurrection; and concluding the whole discourse with wisdom of words and the testimony of the law, he at once won over his hearers: not ten, nor a hundred, nor three or five times as many, but three thousand men, the full number of a Church, a whole people able … O hot and fiery drug of persuasion, swiftly laying hold of souls! O theological wisdom, eclipsing all human wisdom! What do you say, you who crown Demosthenes among orators and sing the praises of Socrates among philosophers? Demosthenes, great and celebrated in oratory, was so far from persuading his hearers of what he wished that he was even banished from the city by them; and Socrates, after his many speeches to the Athenians and his wise dialogues, found the hemlock at the end, put to death [with] his band of disciples [around him]: so far did he fall short in the power of persuading. But Peter the fisherman, the manual worker, the unlearned man, whatever anyone likes to call him in disparagement, in one onset of speech, and that against men who were indignant and rebellious and would not even let him open his mouth at first, …
1 Sam 2:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 16:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Sam 15:1–12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 16:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 28:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 16:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 84:6 (83:7 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 113:3 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 7:25 (echo, medium confidence) · Acts 1:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 22:16 (21:17 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:11 (echo, medium confidence) · John 21:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Joel 2:28–32 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 16:8–11 (15:8-Ps LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 2:41 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Asterius argues from Eli's sons, Timothy and Absalom that virtue is not inherited, praises Peter as the rock on which Christ built the Church, and describes his Pentecost sermon, which persuaded three thousand where Demosthenes and Socrates failed.
- Asterius calls Peter the foundation and rock of the Church (Matt 16:18) while quoting 1 Cor 3:11 that Christ is the only foundation, translated exactly as written. His statement that Timothy's parents were ungodly does not match Acts 16:1 and 2 Tim 1:5, which call his mother a believer; it is translated as written. The phrase about Socrates' death is uncertain in the Greek. A leaked block of Migne's notes at the start and a margin letter were removed by logged corrections; lost words are marked “…”. References: 1 Sam 2:12; 2 Sam 15; Isa 28:16; Ps 84:6 (LXX 83:7); Acts 1:9; Ps 22:16 (LXX 21:17); John 21:15; Acts 2:14–41 (Joel 2:28–32; Ps 16:8–11, LXX 15).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (leaked footnote references and fragment of Migne's Latin column; leaked margin letter and Latin fragment splitting a word): 421 (ὧν. χν, 0. ἰυ8 : υ ΠΠὸ ἰδ θη, σοι φηϑν πὶ π δ! ΓΔ, 86- → ; λυσσών- Β ξοορί 6 των → λυσσώντων.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Asterius, Hom. 8.2 (PG 40:260; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/asterius-amasea-homiliae/8-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek (PG 40, archive.org OCR; divisions are the staging's, not Migne's); re-read against the Greek, since no public-domain English exists.