Commentary on Luke (Greek fragments) 8.4–9.3
Greek text: PG 72.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Commentary 8
8.4PG 72 72:623
Εἶπε διὰ παραβολῆς. προφῆται πολυτρόπως τοὺς περὶ Χριστοῦ πεποίηνται λόγους. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὡς φῶς ἤξοντα προαπήγγελλον · οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐν τάξει καὶ ὑπεροχῇ τῇ βασιλικῇ· καὶ γοῦν ἔφη τις αὐτῶν· « Μακάριος ὃς ἔχει ἐν Σιὼν σπέρμα, καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ! Ἰδοὺ καὶ βασιλεὺς δίκαιος βασιλεύσει, καὶ ἄρχοντες μετὰ κρίσεως ἄρξουσι. Καὶ ἔσται ὁ ἄνθρωπος κρύπτων τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ, καὶ κρυβήσεται ὡς ἀφ᾽ ὕδατος φερομένου. » "Ὅτι δὲ κεκρυμμένος ἀεί πως τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ λόγος, δῆλον. Οὕτως ἡμῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ψαλμῳδὸς εἰσκεκόμικε λέγοντα· « ᾿Ανοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου. » "Αθρει δὲ οὖν εἰς πέρας ἐκβεβηκὸς τὸ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ διηγορευμένον. Πλείστη μὲν γὰρ πληθὺς συναγήγερτο περὶ αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀπάσης τῆς Ἰουδαίας· προσελάλει δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς · ἀλλ᾿ ἐκείνοις μὲν οὐκ οὖσιν ἀξίοις μαθεῖν τὰ μυστήρια τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἀσυμφανὴς ἦν ὁ λόγος · λόγου γὰρ ἠξίουν οὐδενὸς, τὸ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν πίστιν προσήκασθαι· ἀντέπραττον δὲ ἀνοσίως καὶ τοῖς δι' αὐτοῦ κηρύγμασι. Καὶ γοῦν ἐπετίμων τοῖς ἐθέλουσι προσεδρεύειν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς διψῶσι μυσταγωγίαν, δυσσεβοῦντές τε καὶ λέγοντες· « Δαιμόνιον ἔχει καὶ μαίνεται, τί ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ;» Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἐκείνοις δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἡμῖν δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἑτοιμοτέροις εἰς πίστιν· δέδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν αὐτὸς τὸ δύνασθαι νοεῖν παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον, ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα. - . Ῥητέον δὲ καὶ ἔτι, ὅτι εἰκόνες εἰσὶν ὥσπερ αἱ παραβολαὶ πραγμάτων οὐχ ὁρατῶν, νοητῶν δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ πνευματικῶν· ὁ γὰρ ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἔνεστι τοῖς τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοῖς, τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ἡ παι ραβολὴ τοῖς τῆς διανοίας ὄμμασι, διὰ τῶν ἐν αἰσθήσει καὶ οἷον ἁπτῶν πραγμάτων διαμορφοῦσα καὶ ὡς τὴν τῶν νοητῶν ἰσχνότητα. Ίδωμεν τοίνυν ὁποῖαν ἡμῖν ἐξυφαίνει τὴν νόησιν, τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁ λόγος. Ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες, τις εἴη ἡ παραβολὴ αὕτη.
Eipe dia parabolēs. prophētai polytropōs tous peri Christou pepoiēntai logous. Hoi men gar hōs phōs ēxonta proapēngellon ; hoi de kai en taxei kai hyperochę̄ tę̄ basilikę̄; kai goun ephē tis autōn; « Makarios hos echei en Siōn sperma, kai oikeious en Hierousalēm! Idou kai basileus dikaios basileusei, kai archontes meta kriseōs arxousi. Kai estai ho anthrōpos kryptōn tous logous autou, kai krybēsetai hōs aph᾽ hydatos pheromenou. » "Hoti de kekrymmenos aei pōs tou Sōtēros ho logos, dēlon. Houtōs hēmin auton kai ho makarios Psalmǭdos eiskekomike legonta; « ᾿Anoixō en parabolais to stoma mou. » "Athrei de oun eis peras ekbebēkos to par᾿ autou diēgoreumenon. Pleistē men gar plēthys synagēgerto peri auton ex apasēs tēs Ioudaias; proselalei de autois en parabolais ; all᾿ ekeinois men ouk ousin axiois mathein ta mystēria tēs tōn ouranōn basileias, asymphanēs ēn ho logos ; logou gar ēxioun oudenos, to tēn eis auton pistin prosēkasthai; antepratton de anosiōs kai tois di' autou kērygmasi. Kai goun epetimōn tois ethelousi prosedreuein autǭ, kai tēn par' autois dipsōsi mystagōgian, dyssebountes te kai legontes; « Daimonion echei kai mainetai, ti akouete autou?» Oukoun ouk ekeinois dedotai gnōnai ta mystēria tēs basileias tōn ouranōn, hēmin de mallon tois hetoimoterois eis pistin; dedōke gar hēmin autos to dynasthai noein parabolēn kai skoteinon logon, rhēseis te sophōn kai ainigmata. - . Rhēteon de kai eti, hoti eikones eisin hōsper hai parabolai pragmatōn ouch horatōn, noētōn de mallon kai pneumatikōn; ho gar idein ouk enesti tois tou sōmatos ophthalmois, touto deiknysin hē pai rabolē tois tēs dianoias ommasi, dia tōn en aisthēsei kai hoion haptōn pragmatōn diamorphousa kai hōs tēn tōn noētōn ischnotēta. Idōmen toinyn hopoian hēmin exyphainei tēn noēsin, tou Sōtēros ho logos. Epērōtōn de auton hoi mathētai legontes, tis eiē hē parabolē hautē.
“He spoke by a parable” (8:4). … the prophets spoke about Christ in many ways. Some foretold that he would come as light; others in the rank and pre-eminence of a king; and indeed one of them said: “Blessed is he who has seed in Zion and kinsmen in Jerusalem! Behold, a righteous king shall reign, and rulers shall rule with judgment. And the man shall be hiding his words, and he shall be hidden as from rushing water.” That the Saviour’s word was always somehow hidden is plain. So the blessed Psalmist too introduced him saying: “I will open my mouth in parables.” See, then, what he declared brought to fulfilment. A very great multitude had gathered round him from all Judea, and he spoke to them in parables; but to those, who were not worthy to learn the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the word was obscure; for they thought it worthless to accept faith in him, and they impiously opposed the proclamations made through him. And indeed they rebuked those who wished to attend to him and thirsted for his teaching of the mysteries, speaking impiously and saying: “He has a demon and is mad; why do you listen to him?” So it has not been given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but rather to us, who are readier for faith; for he himself has given us the ability to understand a parable and a dark saying, the words of the wise and riddles. — It must also be said that parables are, as it were, images of things not visible but rather intelligible and spiritual; for what cannot be seen with the eyes of the body, the parable shows to the eyes of the mind, giving form, through things perceived by the senses and as it were tangible, to the subtlety of things intelligible. Let us see, then, what meaning the Saviour’s word weaves for us. “And his disciples asked him what this parable might be” (8:9).
Luke 8:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 31:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 32:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 32:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:2 (77:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:10 (allusion, high confidence) · John 10:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The prophets foretold that Christ would hide his words in parables; their mysteries were obscure to unbelievers but given to believers, since parables picture spiritual realities through sensible things.
- The first words of the comment are lost. A displaced line of the scan (“of the kingdom of heaven, the word was obscure”) is restored to its place by logged corrections.
- Isa 31:9–32:2 is quoted in the Septuagint form.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; displaced OCR line removed here and restored below; displaced OCR line restored to its place): ὡς φῶς ἤξοντα προαπήγγελλον · τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἀσυμφανὴς ἦν ὁ λόγος · οἱ δὲ → ὡς φῶς ἤξοντα προαπήγγελλον · οἱ δὲ; μαθεῖν τὰ μυστήρια λόγου γὰρ → μαθεῖν τὰ μυστήρια τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἀσυμφανὴς ἦν ὁ λόγος · λόγου γὰρ; Ψαλμῳδό; εἰσκεκόμικε → Ψαλμῳδὸς εἰσκεκόμικε.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.4 (PG 72 72:623; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.9PG 72 72:625
. Τίς δὲ ἄρα ἐστὶ τῆς παραβολῆς ὁ σκοπὸς, καὶ ὅποι ποτὲ βλέπει τῆς παραβολῆς τὸ βάθος, παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ μάθωμεν τοῦ συνθέντος αὐτήν. Ἡγνόησαν ταῦτα πρὸ ἡμῶν οἱ μακάριοι μαθηταὶ, καὶ προσήεσαν τῷ Σωτῆρι, παρακαλοῦντες καὶ λέγοντες· « Τί ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ παραβολή;» - . ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἴδωμεν ποία τίς ἐστιν ἡ πρόφασις, δι᾽ ἣν ἁρπάζεται τὰ ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς. Σκληρὰ καὶ ἀνήροτός ἐστι πᾶσά πως ὁδὸς, διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἁπάντων ὑποκεῖσθαι ποσὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐταῖς ἐγχώννυται τῶν σπερμάτων. Οὐκοῦν ὅσοι τὸν νοῦν ἔχουσι σκληρὸν, οὐκ εἰσδύεται ἐν αὐτοῖς θεῖόν τι καὶ ἱερὸν νουθέτημα, δι' οὗ δύναται καρποφορεῖν τὰ εἰς ἀρετὴν αὐχήματα. Οὗτοι τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις πνεύμασι, καὶ αὐτῷ δὴ τῷ Σατανᾶ, πεπατημένη γεγόνασιν ὁδὸς, οὓς οὐκ ἔστι ποτὲ καρπῶν ἁγίων γενέσθαι τροφοὺς, στεῖραν καὶ ἄγονον ἔχοντας τὴν καρδίαν. Πάλιν εἰσί τινες ἀπεριεργάστως ἔχοντες τὴν πίστιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὡς ἐν ἁπλότητι λόγων. Οὗτοι ἄῤῥιζον ἔχουσι τὴν εὐσέβειαν· εἰσιόντες γὰρ ἐν ἐκκλησίαις, ἐπιγάννυνται μὲν τῷ πλήθει τῶν συναγηγερμένων, καὶ ἀσμένως προσίενται τὰς μυσταγωγίας· πλὴν οὐ κεκριμένως, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἐλαφρῶν θελημάτων. Αποφοιτήσαντες δὲ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, εἰς λήθην εὐθὺς ἀποφέρονται τῶν ἱερῶν μαθημάτων. Κἂν μὲν μὴ χειμάζηται τὰ Χριστιανῶν, σώζουσιν ἐκεῖνοι τὴν πίστιν · διωγμοῦ δὲ θορυβήσαντος, φυγάδα τὸν νοῦν ἔχουσι. Πρὸς οὓς ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας φησίν· ε: ᾿Αναλάβετε ὅπλα καὶ ἀσπίδας. » Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ ἄμαχον ἔχει τὴν χεῖρα ὁ διασώζων Θεὸς, καὶ καθά φησιν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος · « Πιστὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς οὐκ ἐάσει ἡμᾶς πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὅ δυνάμεθα, ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν. » Πλὴν εἰ γένοιτό πως καὶ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσε βείας ὑπεραθλοῦντας παθεῖν, τότε πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἐσόμεθα ζηλωτοί. Καὶ γοῦν, τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι, » καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐ' μόνοις δὲ λόγοις ταῦτα ἡμᾶς ἐξεπαίδευεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργοις. Τέθεικε γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, καὶ αἵματι τῷ ἰδίῳ κατεκτήσατο τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανόν. Ἐσμὲν τοιγαροῦν οὐχ ἑαυτῶν, τοῦ πριαμένου δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ διασώσαντος, καὶ αὐτῷ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὀφείλομεν ζωήν. Ὡς γάρ φησιν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, διὰ τοῦτο Χριστὸς ἀπέθανε καὶ ἔζησεν, ἵνα καὶ νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων κυριεύσῃ. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας αἷς ὁ θεῖος ἀποπνίγεται σπόρος. Τί πάλιν φησὶν ὁ Σωτήρ; Ἐνίησι μὲν οὖν αὐτὸς τὸν σπόρον, ὁ δὲ καὶ τοι ταῖς τῶν δεξαμένων ἐναπομείνας ψυχαῖς, καὶ οἷον ἀνασχὼν ἤδη καὶ ἐν ἀργαῖς τοῦ φαίνεσθαι διελάσας, ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν συμπνίγεται κοσμικῶν, καὶ καθά φησιν Ἱερεμίας γίνεται δράγμα μὴ ἔχον ἰσχὺν τοῦ ποιῆσαι ἄλευρον. « Νεώσατε τοίνυν ἑαυτοῖς νεώματα, ἕτερος προφήτης φησὶ, καὶ μὴ σπείρητε ἐν ἀκάνθας.» Οὐκοῦν ἕνα ὁ θεῖος ἡμῖν ἐξανθήσῃ σπόρος, προαποβάλωμεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας μερίμνας κοσμικάς. – Εἴη δ' ἂν γῆ πίων καὶ εὔτοκος, ποιοῦσα καρπὸν ἑκατονταπλασίονα, ψυχαὶ καλαί τε καὶ ἀγαθαὶ, εἰς βάθος δεχόμεναι τὰ τοῦ λόγου σπέρματα, καὶ κατέχουσαι, καὶ γενναίως τρέφουσαι. Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἂν λέγοιτο καὶ μάλα δικαίως, τὸ δι᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν εἰρημένον παρὰ Θεοῦ· «Καὶ μακαριοῦσιν ὑμᾶς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, διότι ἐγένεσθε ὑμεῖς γῆ θελητή. » « Ὅταν γὰρ εἰς νοῦν καθαρὸν τῶν παρενοχλεῖν εἰωθότων θεῖος ποτὲ λόγος κατενεχθῇ, τότε δίδωσι ῥίζαν εἰς βάθος, καὶ ἀστάχυος δίκην ἐπιπηδᾷ, καὶ τελεσφορείται καλῶς. Ὁ γάρ τοι Ματθαῖος αὐτὸ δὲ τουτὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἡμῖν ἐξηγούμενος, τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἔφη γῆν ἐκδοῦναι καρποὺς ἐν τρισὶ διαφοραῖς. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐποίησεν ἑκατὸν, ἡ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ἡ δὲ τριάκοντα. ῎Αθρει δὴ οὖν ὅπως τρεῖς ἔφη Χριστὸς εἶναι τὰς βλάβας, καὶ ὁμοίως ἰσαρίθμους αὐταῖς τὰς εὐδοκιμήσεις. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν πίπτοντα τῶν σπερμάτων, ὑπὸ πτηνῶν διαρπάζεται · τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς πετρώδεσιν ἐξανθήσαντα μόνον, οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ξηραίνεται. Τὰ δὲ ταῖς ἀκάνθαις, ἐναποπνίγεται. Γῆ δὲ ἡ θελητὴ καρποὺς ἀποτίκτει, τοὺς ἐν τρισὶν, ὡς ἔφην, διαφοραῖς, ἑκατὸν καὶ ἑξήκοντα, καὶ τριάκοντα· ὡς γὰρ ὁ πάνσοφος γράφει Παῦλος, « ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ Θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν οὕτως, ὁ δὲ οὕτως. » Πλὴν ἐκεῖνο χρήσιμον οἶμαι χρηστομαθεῖν ἐλομένοις εἰπεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἴσῳ μέτρῳ πάντη τε καὶ πάντως τὰς τῶν ἁγίων εὐδοκιμήσεις γεγενημένας εὑρίσκομεν. Πλὴν ζηλοῦν ἀναγκαῖον τὰ μείζονά τε καὶ ὑπερκείμενα τῶν χθαμαλωτέρων. Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούοντες καὶ ποιοῦντες αὐτόν.
. Tis de ara esti tēs parabolēs ho skopos, kai hopoi pote blepei tēs parabolēs to bathos, par᾿ autou mathōmen tou synthentos autēn. Hēgnoēsan tauta pro hēmōn hoi makarioi mathētai, kai prosēesan tǭ Sōtēri, parakalountes kai legontes; « Ti estin hautē hē parabolē?» - . ᾿All᾽ idōmen poia tis estin hē prophasis, di᾽ hēn harpazetai ta en tais hodois. Sklēra kai anērotos esti pasa pōs hodos, dia to tois hapantōn hypokeisthai posi, kai ouden autais enchōnnytai tōn spermatōn. Oukoun hosoi ton noun echousi sklēron, ouk eisdyetai en autois theion ti kai hieron nouthetēma, di' hou dynatai karpophorein ta eis aretēn auchēmata. Houtoi tois akathartois pneumasi, kai autǭ dē tǭ Satana, pepatēmenē gegonasin hodos, hous ouk esti pote karpōn hagiōn genesthai trophous, steiran kai agonon echontas tēn kardian. Palin eisi tines aperiergastōs echontes tēn pistin en heautois, hōs en haplotēti logōn. Houtoi arrhizon echousi tēn eusebeian; eisiontes gar en ekklēsiais, epigannyntai men tǭ plēthei tōn synagēgermenōn, kai asmenōs prosientai tas mystagōgias; plēn ou kekrimenōs, all' ex elaphrōn thelēmatōn. Apophoitēsantes de tōn ekklēsiōn, eis lēthēn euthys apopherontai tōn hierōn mathēmatōn. Kan men mē cheimazētai ta Christianōn, sōzousin ekeinoi tēn pistin ; diōgmou de thorybēsantos, phygada ton noun echousi. Pros hous ho prophētēs Hieremias phēsin; e: ᾿Analabete hopla kai aspidas. » Malista men gar amachon echei tēn cheira ho diasōzōn Theos, kai katha phēsin ho pansophos Paulos ; « Pistos ho Theos, hos ouk easei hēmas peirasthēnai hyper ho dynametha, alla poiēsei syn tǭ peirasmǭ kai tēn ekbasin tou dynasthai hypenenkein. » Plēn ei genoito pōs kai tēs eis Christon euse beias hyperathlountas pathein, tote pantē te kai pantōs esometha zēlōtoi. Kai goun, tois hagiois apostolois ephasken ho Sōtēr; «Mē phobēthēte apo tōn apokteinontōn to sōma, tēn de psychēn mē dynamenōn apokteinai, » kai ta hexēs. Ou' monois de logois tauta hēmas exepaideuen, alla kai ergois. Tetheike gar hyper hēmōn tēn heautou psychēn, kai haimati tǭ idiǭ katektēsato tēn hyp᾿ ouranon. Esmen toigaroun ouch heautōn, tou priamenou de mallon kai diasōsantos, kai autǭ tēn heautōn opheilomen zōēn. Hōs gar phēsin ho thespesios Paulos, dia touto Christos apethane kai ezēsen, hina kai nekrōn kai zōntōn kyrieusę̄. Idōmen de kai tas akanthas hais ho theios apopnigetai sporos. Ti palin phēsin ho Sōtēr? Eniēsi men oun autos ton sporon, ho de kai toi tais tōn dexamenōn enapomeinas psychais, kai hoion anaschōn ēdē kai en argais tou phainesthai dielasas, hypo merimnōn sympnigetai kosmikōn, kai katha phēsin Hieremias ginetai dragma mē echon ischyn tou poiēsai aleuron. « Neōsate toinyn heautois neōmata, heteros prophētēs phēsi, kai mē speirēte en akanthas.» Oukoun hena ho theios hēmin exanthēsę̄ sporos, proapobalōmen tēs heautōn dianoias merimnas kosmikas. – Eiē d' an gē piōn kai eutokos, poiousa karpon hekatontaplasiona, psychai kalai te kai agathai, eis bathos dechomenai ta tou logou spermata, kai katechousai, kai gennaiōs trephousai. Peri tōn toioutōn an legoito kai mala dikaiōs, to di᾽ henos tōn hagiōn prophētōn eirēmenon para Theou; «Kai makariousin hymas panta ta ethnē, dioti egenesthe hymeis gē thelētē. » « Hotan gar eis noun katharon tōn parenochlein eiōthotōn theios pote logos katenechthę̄, tote didōsi rhizan eis bathos, kai astachyos dikēn epipēdą, kai telesphoreitai kalōs. Ho gar toi Matthaios auto de touti to kephalaion hēmin exēgoumenos, tēn agathēn ephē gēn ekdounai karpous en trisi diaphorais. Hē men gar, phēsin, epoiēsen hekaton, hē de hexēkonta, hē de triakonta. ᾿Athrei dē oun hopōs treis ephē Christos einai tas blabas, kai homoiōs isarithmous autais tas eudokimēseis. Ta men gar eis tēn hodon piptonta tōn spermatōn, hypo ptēnōn diarpazetai ; ta de en tois petrōdesin exanthēsanta monon, ouk eis makran xērainetai. Ta de tais akanthais, enapopnigetai. Gē de hē thelētē karpous apotiktei, tous en trisin, hōs ephēn, diaphorais, hekaton kai hexēkonta, kai triakonta; hōs gar ho pansophos graphei Paulos, « hekastos hēmōn idion echei charisma ek Theou, ho men houtōs, ho de houtōs. » Plēn ekeino chrēsimon oimai chrēstomathein elomenois eipein. Ou gar en isǭ metrǭ pantē te kai pantōs tas tōn hagiōn eudokimēseis gegenēmenas heuriskomen. Plēn zēloun anankaion ta meizona te kai hyperkeimena tōn chthamalōterōn. Mētēr mou kai adelphoi mou houtoi eisin hoi ton logon tou Theou akouontes kai poiountes auton.
What, then, is the aim of the parable, and where does its depth look? Let us learn from the one who composed it. The blessed disciples were ignorant of these things before us, and came to the Saviour entreating and saying: “What is this parable?” — But let us see what is the reason why what falls on the roads is snatched away. Every road is hard and unploughed, because it lies under the feet of all, and none of the seeds is covered in it. So in those who have a hard mind no divine and sacred admonition sinks in, by which they could bear the fruits that are the boast of virtue. These have become a trodden road for the unclean spirits and for Satan himself; they can never become nurses of holy fruits, having a heart barren and sterile. Again, there are some who have faith in themselves without examination, as in mere simplicity of words. These have a rootless godliness; for when they go into churches they delight in the multitude of those gathered and gladly receive the teaching of the mysteries, but not with judgment, rather from light wishes. And when they leave the churches, they are at once carried off into forgetfulness of the sacred lessons. If the affairs of Christians are not storm-tossed, they keep the faith; but when persecution makes an uproar, they have a mind ready to flee. To them the prophet Jeremiah says: “Take up arms and shields.” For above all God who saves has an invincible hand, and, as the all-wise Paul says, “God is faithful, who will not let us be tempted beyond what we are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear it.” Yet if it should happen that we suffer while contending for godliness toward Christ, then in every way we shall be enviable. And indeed the Saviour said to the holy apostles: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” and what follows. Nor did he teach us this by words only, but also by deeds. For he laid down his own life for us and acquired the world under heaven by his own blood. We are not our own, then, but rather his who bought and saved us, and we owe our life to him. For, as the divine Paul says, for this Christ died and lived, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Let us see also the thorns by which the divine seed is choked. What again does the Saviour say? He sows the seed; but though it remains in the souls of those who received it, and has as it were already sprung up and pushed through to the beginnings of appearing, it is choked by worldly cares, and, as Jeremiah says, becomes a sheaf that has no strength to make flour. “Break up your fallow ground, then,” says another prophet, “and do not sow among thorns.” So, that the divine seed may blossom for us, let us first cast worldly cares out of our minds. — The rich and fertile soil that yields fruit a hundredfold would be souls fair and good, receiving the seeds of the word deep, holding them fast, and nourishing them nobly. Of such might very justly be said the word spoken by God through one of the holy prophets: “And all the nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight.” For when a divine word comes down into a mind clean of what usually troubles it, then it puts down roots deep, springs up like an ear of grain, and comes well to ripeness. But I think it useful to say this to those who choose to learn what is good. Matthew, explaining this very chapter to us, said that the good soil gave fruits in three degrees: one, he says, bore a hundred, another sixty, another thirty. See, then, how Christ said that there are three kinds of loss, and likewise an equal number of kinds of success. The seeds that fall on the road are snatched by birds; those that only blossomed on the rocky ground soon wither; those among thorns are choked. But the land of delight bears fruits in three degrees, as I said, a hundred, sixty and thirty; for, as the all-wise Paul writes, “each of us has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.” For we do not find that the successes of the saints have come about in an equal measure in every way; yet we must emulate the greater and higher rather than the lower. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it” (8:21).
Luke 8:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 46:3 (26:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 12:4 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 20:28 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 6:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 14:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Hos 8:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Mal 3:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 13:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:23 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:21 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The road is the hard heart trodden by Satan, the rock the rootless faith that flees in persecution, the thorns worldly cares; the good soil is the pure soul, bearing fruit in different degrees, and we should aim at the highest.
- “Take up arms and shields” is Jer 46:3; “a sheaf that has no strength to make flour” is Hos 8:7, though Cyril names Jeremiah; “Break up your fallow ground” is Jer 4:3 (compare Hos 10:12).
- A displaced line (“to those who choose to learn what is good”) is restored by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; displaced OCR line removed here and restored below; displaced OCR line restored to its place; stray mark): Παῦλο; · → Παῦλος ·; – ( Εἴη → – Εἴη; καλῶς. νοις εἰπεῖν. Ὁ γάρ → καλῶς. Ὁ γάρ; χρηστομαθεῖν ἐλομέΟὐ γὰρ → χρηστομαθεῖν ἐλομένοις εἰπεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.9 (PG 72 72:625; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-9
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.21PG 72 72:627
Ὁ διὰ τῆς Μωϋσέως νομοθεσίας εἰπὼν, « Τίμα τὴν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται·· ἡμῖν δὲ ἐπιτάξας καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἀγαπᾶν, ἆρα αὐτὸς ὠλιγώρει τῆς εἰς τὴν μητέρα τιμῆς, καὶ ἀπωθεῖται τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἀγάπην; Οὐδαμῶς. Τί οὖν ἄρα διδάξαι βούλεται; Εἰς ὕψος αἴρει μέγα τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀγάπην, οἵπερ ἂν ἐθέλοιεν τοῖς αὐτοῦ πείθεσθαι νόμοις· καὶ τὰς ἀνωτάτω τιμὰς ὀφείλειν ἡμῖν βούλεται, ὡς μητράσι καὶ ἀδελφοῖς. Εἰ γὰρ μητέρα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ εἶναί φησι τοὺς ἀκούοντας τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιοῦντας αὐτὸν, πῶς οὐχ ἅπασιν ἐναργὲς, ὡς ἐκκεκριμένην καὶ ἀξιόληπτον χαρίζεται τὴν ἀγάπην τοῖς ἑπομένοις αὐτῷ; Οὕτω γὰρ ἦν πεῖσαι πάντας ἥκειν ἐπὶ τὸ βούλεσθαι τοῖς αὐτοῦ καταπείθεσθαι λόγοις.
Ho dia tēs Mōÿseōs nomothesias eipōn, « Tima tēn patera sou kai tēn mētera sou, hina eu soi genētai;; hēmin de epitaxas kai tous echthrous agapan, ara autos ōligōrei tēs eis tēn mētera timēs, kai apōtheitai tēn eis tous adelphous agapēn? Oudamōs. Ti oun ara didaxai bouletai? Eis hypsos airei mega tēn eis anthrōpous agapēn, hoiper an etheloien tois autou peithesthai nomois; kai tas anōtatō timas opheilein hēmin bouletai, hōs mētrasi kai adelphois. Ei gar mētera kai adelphous autou einai phēsi tous akouontas ton logon autou, kai poiountas auton, pōs ouch hapasin enarges, hōs ekkekrimenēn kai axiolēpton charizetai tēn agapēn tois hepomenois autǭ? Houtō gar ēn peisai pantas hēkein epi to boulesthai tois autou katapeithesthai logois.
He who said through the legislation of Moses, “Honour your father and your mother, that it may be well with you,” and commanded us to love even our enemies—does he himself neglect the honour due to his mother, and reject love for his brothers? Not at all. What, then, does he wish to teach? He raises very high our love for those men who are willing to obey his laws, and wishes that we owe them the highest honours, as to mothers and brothers. For if he says that those who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, how is it not plain to all that he grants a choice and enviable love to those who follow him? For so it was possible to persuade all to come to the willingness to obey his words.
Exod 20:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 6:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 5:44 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:21 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: In calling those who hear and do God’s word his mother and brothers, Christ does not despise his mother, whom the law bids honour, but exalts his love for the obedient so as to draw all to obedience.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (edition's excerpt mark and siglum): (Β Ὁ διὰ → Ὁ διὰ.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.21 (PG 72 72:627; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-21
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-8-21) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.22PG 72 72:627
Αὐτὸς ἀνέβη εἰς πλοῖον, καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις Χριστὸς τὴν Τιβεριάδα θάλασσαν ἤτοι λίμνην. Ἐγήγερται δὲ κατὰ τοῦ σκάφους ἀδόκητός τε καὶ ἀπηνὴς χειμῶν, καὶ ταῖς τῶν ἀνέμων ἐμβολαῖς ὑψοῦ τὸ κῦμα κυρτούμενον, τὸ τοῦ θανάτου δέος ἐνετίθει τοῖς μαθηταῖς· τεθορύβηνται γὰρ οὐ μετρίως, και τοι τὸ θαλασσουργεῖν εἰδότες, καὶ κλύδωνος οὐκ ὄντες ἀπείρατοι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ λοιπὸν τοῦ κινδύνου τὸ μέγεθος πρὸς ἀφόρητον αὐτοὺς ἐκάλει δειλίαν, ὡς ἑτέραν οὐκ ἔχοντες τοῦ σώζεσθαι τὴν ἐλπίδα, πλὴν ὅτι μόνον αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριον, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι Χριστὸν, διανιστῶσι λέγοντες· « Ἐπιστάτα, σῶσον, ἀπολλύμεθα. » Καθευδῆσαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς φησί· ὁ δὲ Μάρκος προστίθησιν ὅτι καὶ ἐν προσκεφαλαίῳ, δεικνύς τε τὸ ἄτυφον, καὶ πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἡμᾶς παιδεύων – φιλοσοφίαν. Οἰκονομικώτατα δέ μοι καὶ τοῦτο λίαν πεπρᾶχθαι δοκεῖ, ἵνα μὴ εὐθὺς ἀρξαμένου τοῦ κλύδωνος ἐπιπηδᾷν τῷ σκάφει, τὴν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ζητῶσιν ἐπικουρίαν· ἀλλ᾽ οἷον ἀκμάσαντος ἤδη τοῦ κακοῦ, ἐμφανεστέρα γένηται τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ἐξουσίας ή δύναμις, μαινομένην καθιστῶσα θάλασσαν, καὶ μεθιστῶσα πρὸς γαλήνην μεγάλην, ὡς μηδὲ ἴχνος ἐπιμεῖναι τῆς ταραχῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγρηγορότος ἐγένετο, ἢ οὐκ ἂν ἐφοβήθησαν, ἢ οὐκ ἂν παρεκάλεσαν, ἢ οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐνόμισαν αὐτὸν δύνασθαί τι τοιοῦτον εἰπεῖν. Διὰ τοῦτο καθεύδει, διδοὺς καιρὸν τῇ δειλίᾳ, τρανοτέραν αὐτοῖς ποιῶν τῶν γινομένων τὴν αἴσθησιν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁμοίως τις ὁρᾷ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις σώμασι γινόμενα, καὶ τὰ ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πάντας εὐεργετηθέντας εἶδον, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ οὐδενὸς ἀπολελαυκότας, ὕπτιοί τε ἦσαν, ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἰσθήσεως ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν, συγχωρεῖ τὸν χειμῶνα γυμνασίας ἕνεκεν, καὶ τὸ θορυβηθῆναι συμφερόντως ἐγίνετο, ὥστε μεῖζον φανῆναι τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ διηνεκή γενέσθαι τοῦ συμβάντος τὴν μνήμην. Προσδοκησάντων γὰρ ἀπόλλυσθαι πρότερον, τότε ἐσώθησαν, ἵνα ὁμολογήσαντες τὸν κίνδυνον, μάθωσι τοῦ θαύματος τὸ μέγεθος. Πλὴν, ὡς ἔφην, διανιστῶσι λέγοντες· « Σῶσον, ἀπολλύμεθα. · Ἐνταῦθα μοι βλέπε μετὰ πίστεως ὀλιγοπιστίαν· πιστεύουσι μὲν γὰρ ὅτι σῶσαι δύναται, ὡς δὲ ὀλιγόπιστοι, λέγουσιν ὅτι • Απολλύμεθα. » Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἐφικτὸν ἀπολέσθαι ποτὲ, συνόντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ πάντα ἰσχύοντος. – ᾿Αλλ' ἐγήγερται παραχρήμα Χριστὸς, ὁ πάντων ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ καθίστησι μὲν εὐθὺς τὸν κλύδωνα, συνέστειλε δὲ τὰς τῶν πνεύματων ὀρμὰς, καὶ τὸν θόρυβον ἔπαυσε, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν ἔδειξε τῶν πραγμάτων ὅτι Θεός ἐστι. Λεγέσθω τοίνυν παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ ἐν βίβλῳ Ψαλμῶν· « Σὺ δεσπόζεις τοῦ κράτους τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τὸν σάλον τῶν κυμάτων αὐτῆς σὺ καταπραΰνεις. » Καταστήσας δὲ τὸν κλύδωνα τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ χειμαζομένην ἅμα τῷ σκάφει τῶν ἁγίων μαθητῶν τὴν πίστιν μεθίστησι πρὸς τὸ ἀραρὸς, καὶ οἱονεὶ γαλήνην αὐτοῖς ἐνεργάζεται, τὰ τῆς ὀλιγοπιστίας περιστείλας κύματα. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦ χειμῶνος τῶν ὑδάτων, τὸν χειμῶνα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν λύει, ἐπιτιμῶν καὶ παιδεύων ὁμοῦ, ὡς τὸν φόβον οὐχ ἡ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐργάζεται ἐπαγωγὴ, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς διανοίας ἀσθενές. Ἔφη γοῦν· «Ποῦ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν;» Ο γε μὴν ἕτερος τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν διατείνεται · · Τί δειλοί ἐστε, ὀλιγόπιστοι;» Θορυβεί γὰρ ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε καὶ τὸν εὖ βεβηκότα νοῦν, ἐπισκήψας ἀδοκήτως φόβος θανάτου. Διὰ τοῦτο προσῄεσάν ποτε λέγοντες τῷ Χριστῷ· « Πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν. » Λείπεται τοῦ τελείου πρὸς πίστιν, ὁ τοῖς τῆς ὀλιγο. πιστίας ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπενηνεγμένος. "Ωσπερ γὰρ ὁ χρυσὸς ἐν πυρὶ δοκιμάζεται, οὕτως καὶ πίστις ἐν πειρασμοῖς. Πλὴν ἀσθενὴς ὁ ἀνθρώπου νοῦς· δεῖται δὲ πάντως τῆς ἄνωθεν χειρὸς, εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι διενεγκεῖν ἀνδρείως τὰ παρεμπίπτοντα. Καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐδίδασκεν, εἰπών· « Χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδὲν. » Ὁμολογεῖ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος, γράφων • Πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. • Παυσαμένου δὲ τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ εἰς γαλήνην καὶ εὐδίαν, νεύματι Χριστοῦ, τῆς θαλάσσης μεταβληθείσης, καταπεπληγμένοι τὴν θεοσημείαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, παρεψιθύριζον ἀλλήλοις λέγοντες· «Τις ἄρα οὗτός ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἐπιτάσσει, καὶ τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ; » Αρ' οὖν ὡς οὐκ εἰδότες αὐτὸν, τὸ, « Τίς οὗτός ἐστι ;» παρηγόρευον ἀλλήλων; Εἶτα, πῶς οὐκ ἀπίθανον παντελῶς τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν; Ἤδεσαν γὰρ ὄντα Θεὸν καὶ Υἱὸν Θεοῦ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καταπληττόμενοι δὲ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ δυνάμεως τὴν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ τὴν τῆς θεότητος δόξαν · καίτοι καθ' ἡμᾶς ὄντι τε καὶ ὁρωμένῳ κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, λέγουσι τό· «Τίς οὗτός ἐστιν·» ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πόσος καὶ οἷος, καὶ ἐν ὅσῃ δυνάμει καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτάσσει τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ τῷ ἀνέμῳ, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ; Ἐπιτακτικὸν γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἔργον, Δεσποτική πρόσταξις, καὶ οὐκ ἀξίωσις οἰκετική. Μέγα καὶ τοῦτο πρὸς θαῦμα καὶ ὄνησιν τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις· ὑπακούει γὰρ ἡ κτίσις οἷς ἂν ἐπιτάττειν βούλεται Χριστός. Αμέλει καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως τρόπον ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ θεοπρεπεῖ γενέσθαι φησὶν ὁ Μάρκος. Ἔφη γὰρ εἰπεῖν τῇ θαλάσσῃ τὸν Κύριον· « Σώπα, πεφίμωσο·» Καὶ ἅμα τῷ λόγῳ, ἠκολούθησε τὸ πρόσταγμα · καὶ ἡ θάλασσα ἐπαφρίζουσα τοῖς κύμασι, ἤκουσε τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Λόγου, καὶ πέπαυται τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ γινώσκει τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς αὐτὴν συναγαγόντα προστάγματι, τὸν θέμενον ἄμμον ὄριον αὐτῇ, ὃ οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται. Καὶ τύπος τοῦ περὶ τοὺς μαθητάς συμβάντος ὕστερον. Λίμνη γὰρ ἡ Ἰουδαία, περὶ ἣν κατέβη λαίλαψ πολλὴ τῆς κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μανίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων· ἐταράχθησαν δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ, ὥστε καὶ φυγεῖν. Ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὕπνου ἀνέστη ὁ Σωτήρ, καὶ πάλιν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐν γαλήνῃ. Ἐπιστὰς γὰρ αὐτοῖς, εἶπεν· « Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. › Ἑτέρως δὲ, ἐν σχήματι θαλάσσης τοῦδε τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς νοουμένου κόσ μου, σκάφος ἡ Ἐκκλησία νοηθήσεται, πλωτῆρας ἔχουσα τοὺς ἡγιασμένους, οἳ καὶ διὰ τοῦ καταδέξασθαι τὴν πίστιν, συνόντα διὰ παντὸς ἔχουσι τὸν Χριστόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ δεινὸς ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε χειμών καταρρήγνυται, καὶ μυρία περιστάσεων τοῦ ἁγίου σκάφους κατεξανίσταται κύματα, ἀναρίθμητοι δὲ ὥσπερ παφλάζουσι πειρασμοι, και μην καὶ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν ἀγριότης ἐγκατασκήψασα, πρὸς αὐτὸ καταφέρει τοῦ θανάτου τὸ δεῖμα. Καὶ σύνεστι μὲν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ γνωρίμοις Χριστός· διὰ δὲ τὸ πολλάκις ἐφεῖναι παθεῖν οἰκονομικῶς, ἀπομιμεῖσθαί πως δοκεῖ τὸν νυστάζοντα. Ὅταν τοίνυν ὑπέρμετρος ἀληθῶς, καὶ οὐκέτι τοῖς πλωτῆρσι φορητὸς ὁ θόρυβος ᾖ, καὶ πρὸς ἄκρον ἤδη τοῦ κακοῦ τὰ πρόβατα βλέπη, τότε προσήκει βοᾶν μονονουχὶ λέγοντας· Ἐξεγέρθητι, ἵνα τί ὑπνοῖς, Κύριε; » Αμελητὶ γὰρ διαναστήσεται, καὶ πάντα μὲν ἐκποδὼν ποιήσει φόβον· ἐπιτιμήσει δὲ τοῖς πειράζουσι, καὶ μεταστήσει τὸ πένθος εἰς εὐθυμίαν, εὐδίαν ἁπλώσας τὴν ἀπαλὴν καὶ ἀκύμονα · περιόψεται γὰρ οὐδαμῶς τοὺς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ πεποιθότας. Κατέπλευσαν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν, κ. τ. λ.
Autos anebē eis ploion, kai hoi mathētai autou. homou tois hagiois apostolois Christos tēn Tiberiada thalassan ētoi limnēn. Egēgertai de kata tou skaphous adokētos te kai apēnēs cheimōn, kai tais tōn anemōn embolais hypsou to kyma kyrtoumenon, to tou thanatou deos enetithei tois mathētais; tethorybēntai gar ou metriōs, kai toi to thalassourgein eidotes, kai klydōnos ouk ontes apeiratoi. Epeidē de loipon tou kindynou to megethos pros aphorēton autous ekalei deilian, hōs heteran ouk echontes tou sōzesthai tēn elpida, plēn hoti monon auton ton tōn dynameōn Kyrion, dēlon de hoti Christon, dianistōsi legontes; « Epistata, sōson, apollymetha. » Katheudēsai gar auton ho euangelistēs phēsi; ho de Markos prostithēsin hoti kai en proskephalaiǭ, deiknys te to atyphon, kai pollēn enteuthen hēmas paideuōn – philosophian. Oikonomikōtata de moi kai touto lian peprachthai dokei, hina mē euthys arxamenou tou klydōnos epipēdąn tǭ skaphei, tēn par᾿ autou zētōsin epikourian; all᾽ hoion akmasantos ēdē tou kakou, emphanestera genētai tēs theoprepous exousias ē dynamis, mainomenēn kathistōsa thalassan, kai methistōsa pros galēnēn megalēn, hōs mēde ichnos epimeinai tēs tarachēs. Ei gar egrēgorotos egeneto, ē ouk an ephobēthēsan, ē ouk an parekalesan, ē oud᾽ an enomisan auton dynasthai ti toiouton eipein. Dia touto katheudei, didous kairon tę̄ deilią, tranoteran autois poiōn tōn ginomenōn tēn aisthēsin. Ou gar homoiōs tis horą ta en tois allotriois sōmasi ginomena, kai ta en heautǭ. Epei oun pantas euergetēthentas eidon, heautous de oudenos apolelaukotas, hyptioi te ēsan, edei de autous dia tēs oikeias aisthēseōs apolausai tōn euergesiōn, synchōrei ton cheimōna gymnasias heneken, kai to thorybēthēnai sympherontōs egineto, hōste meizon phanēnai to thauma, kai diēnekē genesthai tou symbantos tēn mnēmēn. Prosdokēsantōn gar apollysthai proteron, tote esōthēsan, hina homologēsantes ton kindynon, mathōsi tou thaumatos to megethos. Plēn, hōs ephēn, dianistōsi legontes; « Sōson, apollymetha. ; Entautha moi blepe meta pisteōs oligopistian; pisteuousi men gar hoti sōsai dynatai, hōs de oligopistoi, legousin hoti • Apollymetha. » Ou gar ēn ephikton apolesthai pote, synontos autois tou panta ischyontos. – ᾿All' egēgertai parachrēma Christos, ho pantōn echōn tēn exousian, kai kathistēsi men euthys ton klydōna, synesteile de tas tōn pneumatōn ormas, kai ton thorybon epause, kai di' autōn edeixe tōn pragmatōn hoti Theos esti. Legesthō toinyn par' hēmōn to en biblǭ Psalmōn; « Sy despozeis tou kratous tēs thalassēs, kai ton salon tōn kymatōn autēs sy katapraÿneis. » Katastēsas de ton klydōna tēs thalassēs, kai cheimazomenēn hama tǭ skaphei tōn hagiōn mathētōn tēn pistin methistēsi pros to araros, kai hoionei galēnēn autois energazetai, ta tēs oligopistias peristeilas kymata. Kai meta tou cheimōnos tōn hydatōn, ton cheimōna tēs psychēs autōn lyei, epitimōn kai paideuōn homou, hōs ton phobon ouch hē tōn peirasmōn ergazetai epagōgē, alla to tēs dianoias asthenes. Ephē goun; «Pou hē pistis hymōn?» O ge mēn heteros tōn euangelistōn eipein auton diateinetai ; ; Ti deiloi este, oligopistoi?» Thorybei gar esth᾽ hote kai ton eu bebēkota noun, episkēpsas adokētōs phobos thanatou. Dia touto prosę̄esan pote legontes tǭ Christǭ; « Prosthes hēmin pistin. » Leipetai tou teleiou pros pistin, ho tois tēs oligo. pistias enklēmasin hypenēnegmenos. "Ōsper gar ho chrysos en pyri dokimazetai, houtōs kai pistis en peirasmois. Plēn asthenēs ho anthrōpou nous; deitai de pantōs tēs anōthen cheiros, eis to dynasthai dienenkein andreiōs ta parempiptonta. Kai touto hēmas ho Sōtēr edidasken, eipōn; « Chōris emou ou dynasthe poiein ouden. » Homologei de touto kai ho sophōtatos Paulos, graphōn • Panta ischyō en tǭ endynamounti me Christǭ. • Pausamenou de tou cheimōnos, kai eis galēnēn kai eudian, neumati Christou, tēs thalassēs metablētheisēs, katapeplēgmenoi tēn theosēmeian hoi mathētai, parepsithyrizon allēlois legontes; «Tis ara houtos estin, hoti kai tois anemois epitassei, kai tǭ hydati, kai hypakouousin autǭ? » Ar' oun hōs ouk eidotes auton, to, « Tis houtos esti ?» parēgoreuon allēlōn? Eita, pōs ouk apithanon pantelōs to chrēma estin? Ēdesan gar onta Theon kai Huion Theou ton Iēsoun, kataplēttomenoi de tēs enousēs autǭ dynameōs tēn hyperbolēn, kai tēn tēs theotētos doxan ; kaitoi kath' hēmas onti te kai horōmenǭ kata tēn sarka, legousi to; «Tis houtos estin;» anti tou, Posos kai hoios, kai en hosę̄ dynamei kai exousią, hoti kai autois epitassei tois hydasi kai tǭ anemǭ, kai hypakouousin autǭ? Epitaktikon gar esti to ergon, Despotikē prostaxis, kai ouk axiōsis oiketikē. Mega kai touto pros thauma kai onēsin tois akroōmenois; hypakouei gar hē ktisis hois an epitattein bouletai Christos. Amelei kai ton tēs epitimēseōs tropon en exousią theoprepei genesthai phēsin ho Markos. Ephē gar eipein tę̄ thalassę̄ ton Kyrion; « Sōpa, pephimōso;» Kai hama tǭ logǭ, ēkolouthēse to prostagma ; kai hē thalassa epaphrizousa tois kymasi, ēkouse tou sarkōthentos Logou, kai pepautai tou cheimōnos, kai ginōskei ton ap᾿ archēs autēn synagagonta prostagmati, ton themenon ammon orion autę̄, ho ouch hyperbēsetai. Kai typos tou peri tous mathētas symbantos hysteron. Limnē gar hē Ioudaia, peri hēn katebē lailaps pollē tēs kata tou Christou manias tōn Ioudaiōn; etarachthēsan de hoi mathētai, hōste kai phygein. All᾿ hōsper ex hypnou anestē ho Sōtēr, kai palin hoi mathētai en galēnę̄. Epistas gar autois, eipen; « Eirēnē hymin. › Heterōs de, en schēmati thalassēs toude tou kath' hēmas nooumenou kos mou, skaphos hē Ekklēsia noēthēsetai, plōtēras echousa tous hēgiasmenous, hoi kai dia tou katadexasthai tēn pistin, synonta dia pantos echousi ton Christon. Alla kai deinos esth᾽ hote cheimōn katarrēgnytai, kai myria peristaseōn tou hagiou skaphous katexanistatai kymata, anarithmētoi de hōsper paphlazousi peirasmoi, kai mēn kai pneumatōn ponērōn agriotēs enkataskēpsasa, pros auto katapherei tou thanatou to deima. Kai synesti men tois heautou gnōrimois Christos; dia de to pollakis epheinai pathein oikonomikōs, apomimeisthai pōs dokei ton nystazonta. Hotan toinyn hypermetros alēthōs, kai ouketi tois plōtērsi phorētos ho thorybos ę̄, kai pros akron ēdē tou kakou ta probata blepē, tote prosēkei boan mononouchi legontas; Exegerthēti, hina ti hypnois, Kyrie? » Amelēti gar dianastēsetai, kai panta men ekpodōn poiēsei phobon; epitimēsei de tois peirazousi, kai metastēsei to penthos eis euthymian, eudian haplōsas tēn apalēn kai akymona ; periopsetai gar oudamōs tous ep᾿ autǭ pepoithotas. Katepleusan eis tēn chōran tōn Gergesēnōn, k. t. l.
“He got into a boat, and his disciples” (8:22). … Christ, together with the holy apostles, the sea, or lake, of Tiberias. An unexpected and fierce storm arose against the boat, and the wave, arched high by the onslaught of the winds, put the fear of death into the disciples; for they were not a little troubled, though they knew how to work the sea and were not without experience of rough water. And since the greatness of the danger now drove them to unbearable fear, as they had no other hope of being saved except only the Lord of the powers himself, that is, Christ, they woke him, saying, “Master, save us, we are perishing.” For the evangelist says that he was sleeping; and Mark adds that it was on a cushion, showing his freedom from pride and teaching us much wisdom from this. This too seems to me to have been done most fittingly, so that they might not seek his help as soon as the rough water began to leap on the boat, but that, when the evil was at its height, the power of his authority befitting God might become more evident, calming a raging sea and changing it to a great calm, so that not a trace of the disturbance remained. For if it had happened while he was awake, either they would not have been afraid, or they would not have asked, or they would not have thought him able to do any such thing. Therefore he sleeps, giving time for fear and making their perception of what happened clearer. For one does not see what happens in the bodies of others as one sees what happens in oneself. Since, then, they had seen all others benefited while they themselves had enjoyed nothing, and they were remiss, and they needed to enjoy the benefits through their own experience, he permits the storm for the sake of training; and the disturbance happened to their advantage, so that the wonder might appear greater and the memory of the event become lasting. For having first expected to perish, they were then saved, so that, having acknowledged the danger, they might learn the greatness of the wonder. But, as I said, they wake him, saying, “Save us, we are perishing.” Here, I pray, see little faith along with faith; for they believe that he can save, but as men of little faith they say, “We are perishing.” For it was not possible ever to perish while he who has all power was with them. — But Christ, who has authority over all, at once arose; and immediately he calms the rough water, restrains the rush of the winds, stops the turmoil, and showed by the events themselves that he is God. Let us, then, say what is in the book of Psalms: “You rule the might of the sea, and you calm the surge of its waves.” Having calmed the rough water of the sea, he also brings to steadiness the faith of the holy disciples, storm-tossed together with the boat, and works in them, as it were, a calm, restraining the waves of little faith. And with the storm of the waters he dissolves the storm of their soul, rebuking and teaching at once, since it is not the onset of temptations that produces fear but weakness of mind. He said, then, “Where is your faith?” And another of the evangelists insists that he said, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” For the fear of death, falling suddenly, sometimes troubles even the mind that stands firm. For this reason they once came to Christ saying, “Increase our faith.” He who has incurred the charge of little faith falls short of perfection in faith. For as gold is tested in fire, so is faith in temptations. Yet the human mind is weak, and needs altogether the hand from above in order to be able to bear bravely what befalls it. And the Saviour taught us this, saying: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” And the most wise Paul confesses it too, writing: “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” When the storm had ceased and the sea had been changed to calm and fair weather at Christ’s nod, the disciples, amazed at the divine sign, whispered to one another, saying: “Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?” Did they then say to one another “Who is this?” as though they did not know him? Then how is the thing not wholly implausible? For they knew that Jesus was God and Son of God; but amazed at the surpassing greatness of the power in him and the glory of the Godhead—though he was as we are and seen according to the flesh—they say, “Who is this?” meaning, “How great and of what kind, and in what power and authority, that he commands the waters themselves and the wind, and they obey him?” For the act is one of command, a Master’s order, and not a servant’s request. This too is great for wonder and benefit to the hearers; for creation obeys whatever Christ wishes to command. Indeed Mark says that the manner of the rebuke was with authority befitting God; for he says that the Lord said to the sea, “Be silent, be muzzled”; and with the word the command was obeyed; and the sea, foaming with its waves, heard the incarnate Word, ceased from the storm, and knew him who from the beginning gathered it by his command and set the sand as its boundary, which it shall not pass. And it was a type of what happened later to the disciples. For Judea was a lake, upon which there came down a great squall of the Jews’ madness against Christ; and the disciples were troubled, so that they even fled. But the Saviour rose as from sleep, and the disciples were again in calm; for standing among them he said, “Peace to you.” In another way, with this world of ours understood under the figure of the sea, the boat will be understood as the Church, which has as its sailors the sanctified, who through accepting the faith have Christ always with them. But sometimes a terrible storm breaks, and countless waves of circumstances rise against the holy boat, and numberless temptations seethe, and the savagery of evil spirits falling upon it brings it to the very fear of death. And Christ is with his own; but because he often lets them suffer by the economy, he seems in a way to imitate one who is asleep. When, then, the turmoil is truly beyond measure and no longer bearable for the sailors, and the sheep see the evil at its height, then they should cry out, all but saying: “Awake, why do you sleep, O Lord?” For without delay he will arise and drive away all fear; he will rebuke those who tempt, and change mourning into cheer, spreading a gentle and waveless calm; for he will never overlook those who trust in him. “They sailed to the country of the Gergesenes,” and so on (8:26).
Luke 8:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 4:38 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 89:9 (88:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 8:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 17:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:7 (allusion, high confidence) · John 15:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 4:39 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 5:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 14:50 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 20:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 44:23 (43:24 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:26 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ slept in the storm so that the disciples, in real danger, might experience his power; calming the sea, he showed himself God and calmed their little faith; the storm also figures the Jews’ rage at the passion and the trials of the Church, which Christ, seeming asleep, ends when his people cry to him.
- The verb of the opening sentence is lost (“… Christ, together with the holy apostles, the sea”).
- Several displaced lines (the quotation of Ps 89:9 and parts of the comment on the disciples’ question and on the obedient sea) are restored by logged corrections.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin word and displaced OCR lines, restored below; OCR accent slip; OCR letter slip; displaced OCR line restored to its place; displaced OCR lines restored to their places; interleaved OCR lines restored to their places; stray mark in hyphenated word): ἀνμάσαντος → ἀκμάσαντος; εὐεργετη- & θέντας → εὐεργετηθέντας; Λεγέσθω τοίνυν παρ' κράτους τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τὸν σάλον τῶν κυμάτων Καταστήσας → Λεγέσθω τοίνυν παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ ἐν βίβλῳ Ψαλμῶν· « Σὺ δεσπόζεις τοῦ κράτους τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τὸν σάλον τῶν κυμάτων αὐτῆς σὺ καταπραΰνεις. » Καταστήσας; οὐχ ἡ τῶν ἡμῶν τὸ ἐν βίβλῳ Ψαλμῶν· « Σὺ δεσπόζεις τοῦ αὐτῆς σὺ καταπραΰνεις. » πειρασμῶν ἐργάζεται → οὐχ ἡ τῶν πειρασμῶν ἐργάζεται; ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις jubentiἐξουσίᾳ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτάσσει τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ τῷ ζουσα τοῖς κύμασι, ἤκουσε τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Αόγου, ἀρχῆς αὐτὴν συναγαγόντα προστάγματι, τὸν θέμενον ἐπιτάσσει, καὶ τῷ ὕδατι → ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἐπιτάσσει, καὶ τῷ ὕδατι; καὶ ἐν ὅσῃ δυνάμει καὶ ἀνέμῳ, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν → καὶ ἐν ὅσῃ δυνάμει καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπιτάσσει τοῖς ὕδασι καὶ τῷ ἀνέμῳ, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν; ἡ θάλασσα ἐπαφρίκαὶ πέπαυται τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ γινώσκει τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἄμμον ὄριον αὐτῇ → ἡ θάλασσα ἐπαφρίζουσα τοῖς κύμασι, ἤκουσε τοῦ σαρκωθέντος Λόγου, καὶ πέπαυται τοῦ χειμῶνος, καὶ γινώσκει τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς αὐτὴν συναγαγόντα προστάγματι, τὸν θέμενον ἄμμον ὄριον αὐτῇ; ἐφέῖναι → ἐφεῖναι.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.22 (PG 72 72:627; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-22
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.26PG 72 72:633
Σωτὴρ τῇ Γεργεσηνῶν, ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις μαθηταῖς· Εἶτά τις ὑπήντησεν ἀνὴρ, ὃς ἦν ἐνδιαίτημα πολλῶν καὶ ἀκαθάρτων πνευμάτων, ἔξω καὶ νοῦ καὶ φρενὸς ὑπάρχων, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεοικὼς τῶν τεθνεώτων ἤδη καὶ ἐν γῇ κειμένων· μᾶλλον δὲ τάχα που καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔτι χείροσι· γυμνὸς γὰρ τὰ τῶν τεθνεώτων μνήματα περιφοιτῶν, τῆς τῶν δαιμονίων ἀπανθρωπίας ἀπόδειξις ἦν. Ἐφίησι γάρ τινας οἰκονομικῶς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῖς γίνεσθαι, οὐχ ἵνα πάθωσι μᾶλλον, ἀλλ᾽ ἴν᾿ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτῶν μάθωμεν ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι περὶ ἡμᾶς, οὕτω τε παραιτώμεθα τὸ ὑποκεῖσθαι θέλειν αὐτοῖς· ἑνὸς γοῦν πεπονθότος, οἰκοδομοῦνται πολλοί. Ὁ Γεργεσηνὸς, ἤγουν ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ λανθάνουσα τῶν δαιμονίων ἀγέλη, προσέπιπτε τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ ταῦτα ἐβόα · « Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, Ἰησοῦ Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; » κ. τ. λ. Καί μοι ἐνταῦθα βλέπε, θάρσει πολλῷ καὶ ἀπονοίᾳ συμπεπλεγμένην δειλίαν· δεῖγμα μὲν γὰρ ἀπονοίας διαβολικῆς, τὸ τολμῆσαι λέγειν· « Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ; › Δειλίας δὲ, τὸ δέεσθαι ἵνα μὴ βασανισθῇ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ εἰ οἷδας ὅλως αὐτὸν Υἱὸν ὄντα τοῦ ὑψίστου Θεοῦ, ὁμολογεῖς ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς. Εἶτα πῶς τὰ μὴ σὰ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ αὐτοῦ, διαρπάζεις; Εἶτα λέγεις· * Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί;» Καὶ τίς ἀνέξεται τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλέων μέχρι παντὸς ἀνεῖναι Βαρβάροις τοὺς ὑπὸ σκῆπτρα κειμένους; Τὰς σαυτῷ πρεπούσας ἐρεύγου φωνάς· αὗται δὲ εἰσιν ἐν τῷ, Δεόμαί σου, μή με βασανίσῃς. Καὶ ἄθρει δή μοι πάλιν τὴν ἀπαράβλητον δόξαν τοῦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα, φημὶ δὴ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀκαταγώνιστον ἰσχύν. Συντρίβει τὸν Σατανᾶν, ἐθελήσας μόνον τοῦτο παθεῖν αὐτόν. Πῦρ αὐτῷ καὶ φλόγες εἰσὶ τὰ Χριστοῦ ῥήματα. Ἀληθὲς οὖν ὅτι, καθά φησιν ὁ μακάριος Ψαλμῳδὸς, • Τὰ ὄρη ἐτάκησαν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅρεσι γὰρ τὰς ὑψηλὰς καὶ ὑπερηφάνους παρεικάζει δυνάμεις πονηρὰς δηλονότι. Πλὴν ὡς πυρὶ προσβαλοῦσαι τῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δυνάμει τε καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ κατατήκονται κηροῦ δίκην. Ἠρώτα Χριστὸς, καὶ προστέταχεν εἰπεῖν τί τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. ῎Αρ' οὖν οὐκ εἰδὼς ἤρετο, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐζήτει μαθεῖν; Καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἀσύνετον παντελῶς τὸ φράσαι τι τοιοῦτον ἢ νοεῖν; Πάντα γὰρ οἶδεν ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ καρδίαν ἐξετάζει καὶ νεφρούς. Ἤρετο οἰκονομικῶς, ἵνα μάθωμεν ὅτι πολλὴ δαιμονίων πληθὺς μίαν ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν κατενείματο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ᾔδει τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐνοικούντων δαιμόνων, οἱ δὲ ὁρῶντες. ἕνα μὲν ἄνδρα ἔβλεπον, μιᾶς δὲ προφερομένης φωνῆς ἤκουον, λέγει· « Εἰπὲ, τί ὄνομά σοι· · ἵνα μὴ αὐτὸς εἰπὼν ὅτι Πολλοί εἰσιν, ἀπιστηθῇ, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτοὶ ὁμολογήσωσιν ὅτι πολλοὶ τυγχάνουσι.
Sōtēr tę̄ Gergesēnōn, homou tois hagiois mathētais; Eita tis hypēntēsen anēr, hos ēn endiaitēma pollōn kai akathartōn pneumatōn, exō kai nou kai phrenos hyparchōn, kai ouden apeoikōs tōn tethneōtōn ēdē kai en gę̄ keimenōn; mallon de tacha pou kai en tois eti cheirosi; gymnos gar ta tōn tethneōtōn mnēmata periphoitōn, tēs tōn daimoniōn apanthrōpias apodeixis ēn. Ephiēsi gar tinas oikonomikōs ho tōn holōn Theos hyp᾿ autois ginesthai, ouch hina pathōsi mallon, all᾽ in᾿ hēmeis di' autōn mathōmen hopoioi tines eisin ekeinoi peri hēmas, houtō te paraitōmetha to hypokeisthai thelein autois; henos goun peponthotos, oikodomountai polloi. Ho Gergesēnos, ēgoun hē en autǭ lanthanousa tōn daimoniōn agelē, prosepipte tǭ Christǭ, kai tauta eboa ; « Ti emoi kai soi, Iēsou Huie tou Theou? » k. t. l. Kai moi entautha blepe, tharsei pollǭ kai aponoią sympeplegmenēn deilian; deigma men gar aponoias diabolikēs, to tolmēsai legein; « Ti emoi kai soi, Huie tou Theou? › Deilias de, to deesthai hina mē basanisthę̄. Alla gar ei hoidas holōs auton Huion onta tou hypsistou Theou, homologeis hoti Theos estin ouranou te kai gēs kai tōn en autois. Eita pōs ta mē sa, mallon de ta autou, diarpazeis? Eita legeis; * Ti emoi kai soi?» Kai tis anexetai tōn epi gēs basileōn mechri pantos aneinai Barbarois tous hypo skēptra keimenous? Tas sautǭ prepousas ereugou phōnas; hautai de eisin en tǭ, Deomai sou, mē me basanisę̄s. Kai athrei dē moi palin tēn aparablēton doxan tou pantōn epekeina, phēmi dē Christou tēn akatagōniston ischyn. Syntribei ton Satanan, ethelēsas monon touto pathein auton. Pyr autǭ kai phloges eisi ta Christou rhēmata. Alēthes oun hoti, katha phēsin ho makarios Psalmǭdos, • Ta orē etakēsan apo prosōpou tou Theou. Horesi gar tas hypsēlas kai hyperēphanous pareikazei dynameis ponēras dēlonoti. Plēn hōs pyri prosbalousai tę̄ tou Sōtēros hēmōn dynamei te kai exousią katatēkontai kērou dikēn. Ērōta Christos, kai prostetachen eipein ti to onoma autǭ. ᾿Ar' oun ouk eidōs ēreto, kai hōs heis tōn kath' hēmas ezētei mathein? Kaitoi pōs ouk asyneton pantelōs to phrasai ti toiouton ē noein? Panta gar oiden hōs Theos, kai kardian exetazei kai nephrous. Ēreto oikonomikōs, hina mathōmen hoti pollē daimoniōn plēthys mian anthrōpou psychēn kateneimato. Epeidē gar ho Kyrios ę̄dei to plēthos tōn enoikountōn daimonōn, hoi de horōntes. hena men andra eblepon, mias de propheromenēs phōnēs ēkouon, legei; « Eipe, ti onoma soi; ; hina mē autos eipōn hoti Polloi eisin, apistēthę̄, all᾿ autoi homologēsōsin hoti polloi tynchanousi.
… the Saviour [came] to the country of the Gergesenes, together with the holy disciples. Then a man met him who was the dwelling of many unclean spirits, out of his mind and senses, and differing in nothing from those already dead and lying in the earth—or rather perhaps in a still worse state; for he went about naked among the tombs of the dead, a proof of the inhumanity of the demons. For the God of all, by the economy, allows some to come under them, not so much that they may suffer as that we may learn through them what the demons are like toward us, and so refuse to be willing to be subject to them; for when one has suffered, many are edified. The Gergesene, or rather the herd of demons hiding in him, fell before Christ and cried out: “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of God?” and so on. Here, I pray, see cowardice entwined with great boldness and madness: it is a sign of diabolical madness to dare to say, “What have I to do with you, Son of God?”, and of cowardice to beg not to be tormented. But if you know at all that he is the Son of the most high God, you confess that he is God of heaven and earth and all that is in them. How then do you plunder what is not yours, or rather what is his? And then you say, “What have I to do with you?” What king on earth will endure leaving his subjects to barbarians for ever? Utter the words that befit you; and these are in “I beg you, do not torment me.” And see again, I pray, the incomparable glory of him who is beyond all—I mean the invincible strength of Christ. He crushes Satan by merely willing that he suffer it. The words of Christ are fire and flames to him. It is true, then, that, as the blessed Psalmist says, “The mountains melted from before the face of God.” For he likens to mountains the lofty and arrogant powers, the evil ones, clearly. But assailing, as it were, the fire of our Saviour’s power and authority, they melt like wax. Christ asked, and commanded him to say what his name was. Did he ask, then, not knowing, and seek to learn as one of us? Yet how is it not wholly foolish to say or think any such thing? For as God he knows all things and searches heart and reins. He asked by the economy, so that we might learn that a great multitude of demons had divided one human soul among them. For since the Lord knew the multitude of the demons dwelling there, while the onlookers saw one man and heard one voice uttered, he says, “Tell me, what is your name?”—so that he might not be disbelieved if he himself said, “They are many,” but they themselves might confess that they were many.
Luke 8:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:27 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 97:5 (96:5 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Jer 17:10 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God allowed the Gergesene to be possessed so that we might learn the demons’ cruelty; the demons’ confession mixed madness and fear, they melted before Christ’s power, and he asked their name only so that they would confess their number.
- The first words of the fragment are lost (the verb is supplied).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter slip; OCR slip; stray Latin letters; stray mark): αὐτῷ & λανθάνουσα → αὐτῷ λανθάνουσα; εἰuἱ πεῖν → εἰπεῖν; εἰπὼν ὅι. Πολλοί → εἰπὼν ὅτι Πολλοί; ὁκολογήσωσιν → ὁμολογήσωσιν.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.26 (PG 72 72:633; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-26). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-26
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-8-26) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.31PG 72 72:635
Καὶ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ, κ. τ. λ. Ως γὰρ ἑτέρων ἤδη προαπεσταλμένων, οἱ καταλειφθέντες τὸ χρῆμα ἐπεφρίκεσαν. Παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιτρέψῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐκείνους εἰσελθεῖν. Ἤτησέ γε μὴν ἡ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων πνευμάτων ἀγέλη τὴν ἴσην τε καὶ ὁμοίαν ἑαυτῇ τῶν χοίρων ἀγέλην. Κατένευσε δὲ Χριστὸς οἰκονομικῶς, καίτοι τὸ παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐσόμενον οὐκ ἠγνοηκώς. Δέδωκε γὰρ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ἡμῖν γένηται καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, ὠφελείας πρόφασις καὶ ἀσφαλείας ἐλπίς. Αἰτοῦσι γὰρ χοίρων τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχοντες δηλονότι· οἱ δὲ τῶν οὕτω μικρῶν καὶ εὐτελεστάτων οὐκ ἔχοντες ἐξουσίαν, πῶς ἂν ἀδικήσειάν τινα τῶν ἐσφραγισμένων παρὰ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδος ἀνηρτημένων; Καὶ μὴν καὶ τουτο πρὸς τούτοις ἔξεστι μαθεῖν, ὡς ἀπό γε τοῦ συμβεβηκότος τῇ τῶν χοίρων ἀγέλῃ, ὅτι εἰσὶν οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες κακοὶ, καὶ τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῖς γενομένων ἐπίβουλοι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκδείξειεν ἂν καὶ μάλα σαφῶς τὸ κατακρημνίσαι τοὺς χοίρους, ἐναποπνίξαι τε τοῖς ὕδασι. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κατένευσεν αἰτοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα ἐκ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος μάθωμεν ἡμεῖς ὁποῖοί τινές εἰσιν, ὡς ἀπηνεῖς τε καὶ θηριώδεις.
Kai parekalei auton hina mē epitaxę̄, k. t. l. Ōs gar heterōn ēdē proapestalmenōn, hoi kataleiphthentes to chrēma epephrikesan. Parekaloun auton hina epitrepsę̄ autois eis ekeinous eiselthein. Ētēse ge mēn hē tōn akathartōn pneumatōn agelē tēn isēn te kai homoian heautę̄ tōn choirōn agelēn. Kateneuse de Christos oikonomikōs, kaitoi to par᾿ autōn esomenon ouk ēgnoēkōs. Dedōke gar tēn exousian autois, hina hēmin genētai kai touto meta tōn allōn, ōpheleias prophasis kai asphaleias elpis. Aitousi gar choirōn tēn exousian, hōs ouk echontes dēlonoti; hoi de tōn houtō mikrōn kai eutelestatōn ouk echontes exousian, pōs an adikēseian tina tōn esphragismenōn para Christou, kai tēs eis auton elpidos anērtēmenōn? Kai mēn kai touto pros toutois exesti mathein, hōs apo ge tou symbebēkotos tę̄ tōn choirōn agelę̄, hoti eisin hoi alitērioi daimones kakoi, kai tōn hyp᾿ autois genomenōn epibouloi. Touto gar ekdeixeien an kai mala saphōs to katakrēmnisai tous choirous, enapopnixai te tois hydasi. Kai dia touto kateneusen aitousin autois ho Christos, hina ek tou symbebēkotos mathōmen hēmeis hopoioi tines eisin, hōs apēneis te kai thēriōdeis.
“And they begged him not to command,” and so on (8:31). For since others had already been sent away before, those left behind shuddered at the thing. They begged him to allow them to enter into those. — The herd of unclean spirits asked for the herd of pigs, equal and like to itself. And Christ granted it by the economy, though he was not unaware of what they would do. For he gave them the permission so that this too, with the rest, might become for us an occasion of benefit and a hope of safety. For they ask for authority over pigs, clearly as not having it; and those who have no authority even over things so small and most worthless—how could they harm any of those sealed by Christ and hanging on hope in him? And besides, it is possible to learn from what befell the herd of pigs that the accursed demons are evil and plot against those who come under them. For the driving of the pigs over the cliff and drowning them in the waters would show this very clearly. And for this reason Christ granted their request, so that we might learn from what happened what they are like—how harsh and bestial.
Luke 8:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:32 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 1:13 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ let the demons enter the pigs to show that they have no power even over pigs without his leave, still less over the faithful, and to reveal their savage malice.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (edition's excerpt mark and siglum): (Α Ἤτησέ → Ἤτησέ.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.31 (PG 72 72:635; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-31). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-31
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.45PG 72 72:635
Εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Τις ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; Οὐκ ἠγνοήθη δὲ τὸ παράδοξον, καίτοι γὰρ πάντα εἰδὼς ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὡς μὴ εἰδὼς ἐρωτᾷ, και φησι· « Τίς ὁ ἁψάμενός μου; » Οὐκ ἀπιθάνως δὲ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων εἰπόντων, ὅτι « Οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσί σε καὶ ἀποθλίβουσιν, ὁ μέγιστον ἦν σημεῖον τοῦ καὶ σάρκα αὐτὸν ἀληθῆ περικεῖσθαι, καὶ πάντα τῦφον καταπατεῖν, οὐδὲ γὰρ πόρρωθεν εἴποντο, ἀλλὰ συνεῖχον αὐτὸν πάντοθεν· αὐτὸς τὸ πραχθὲν εἰς μέσον συνάγει, καὶ ἐπέμενε λέγων, ὅτι « Ηψατό μου τις· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· » πρὸς τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τῶν ἀκουόντων παχύτερον ἀποκρινόμενος. Αρ' οὖν φιλοδόξως ὁ Κύριος οὐκ ἀφῆκε λαθεῖν τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ἐνεργείας τὴν ἔνδειξιν, ή του τὸ συμβαῖνον ἐπὶ τῷ γυναίῳ παράδοξον; Οὐ τοῦτό φαμεν· πῶς γὰρ, ὁ κελεύων σιγᾷν πολλαχοῦ; Ἐκεῖνο δὲ μᾶλλον· βλέπει γὰρ εἰς ὄνησιν πανταχοῦ τῶν καλουμένων εἰς τὴν διὰ πίστεως χάριν· οὐκοῦν πολλοὺς μὲν ἠδίκησεν ἀγνοηθὲν τὸ σημεῖον· γεγονὸς δὲ γνώριμον, ὠφέλησεν οὐ μετρίως, καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς συναγωγῆς. ᾿Ασφαλεστέραν γὰρ ἐτίθει τὴν τοῦ προσδοκηθέντος ἐλπίδα · καὶ ἀραρότως ἐδίδου θαῤῥεῖν, ὅτι καὶ τῶν τοῦ θανάτου βρόχων ἐξαρπάσει Χριστὸς τὸ θυγάτριον αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξῆν τοῖς μὴ καθαροῖς, ἢ ἅψασθαί τινος τῶν ἁγίων, ἢ ἐγγὺς γενέσθαι ἀνδρὸς ἱεροῦ. Πεπληροφορήμεθα τοίνυν ὡς Θεὸς ἀληθινός ἐστιν ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ, καὶ ἀπό γε τοῦ παραδόξως ἐνηργημένου, καὶ ἐξ ὧν ἔφη θεοπρεπῶς· · Ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ ἔγνων, φησὶ, δύναμιν ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ. › ῎Εστι δὲ μέτρων ἐπέκεινα τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς, ἢ τάχα που καὶ ἀγγελικῶν, τὸ δύνασθαι δύναμιν ἐκπέμψαι τινὰ, καὶ ὡς ἀπό γε τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως, τουτέστιν ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν. Πρέπει δὲ μόνῃ τὸ χρῆμα τῇ πάντων ἐπέκεινα καὶ ἀνωτάτω φύσει · οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασι φέρει τινὰ δύναμιν ἰατρικὴν, ἢ γοῦν ἑτέραν τινὰ ἰδίαν, ἀλλὰ θεόσδοτον. Καὶ ἐπέστρεψε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνέστη παραχρήμα.
Eipen ho Iēsous; Tis ho hapsamenos mou? Ouk ēgnoēthē de to paradoxon, kaitoi gar panta eidōs ho Sōtēr, hōs mē eidōs erōtą, kai phēsi; « Tis ho hapsamenos mou? » Ouk apithanōs de tōn hagiōn apostolōn eipontōn, hoti « Hoi ochloi synechousi se kai apothlibousin, ho megiston ēn sēmeion tou kai sarka auton alēthē perikeisthai, kai panta typhon katapatein, oude gar porrōthen eiponto, alla syneichon auton pantothen; autos to prachthen eis meson synagei, kai epemene legōn, hoti « Ēpsato mou tis; egō gar egnōn dynamin exelthousan ap᾿ emou; » pros tēn hyponoian tōn akouontōn pachyteron apokrinomenos. Ar' oun philodoxōs ho Kyrios ouk aphēke lathein tēs theoprepous energeias tēn endeixin, ē tou to symbainon epi tǭ gynaiǭ paradoxon? Ou touto phamen; pōs gar, ho keleuōn sigąn pollachou? Ekeino de mallon; blepei gar eis onēsin pantachou tōn kaloumenōn eis tēn dia pisteōs charin; oukoun pollous men ēdikēsen agnoēthen to sēmeion; gegonos de gnōrimon, ōphelēsen ou metriōs, kai pro ge tōn allōn ton archonta tēs synagōgēs. ᾿Asphalesteran gar etithei tēn tou prosdokēthentos elpida ; kai ararotōs edidou tharrhein, hoti kai tōn tou thanatou brochōn exarpasei Christos to thygatrion autou. Ou gar exēn tois mē katharois, ē hapsasthai tinos tōn hagiōn, ē engys genesthai andros hierou. Peplērophorēmetha toinyn hōs Theos alēthinos estin ho Emmanouēl, kai apo ge tou paradoxōs enērgēmenou, kai ex hōn ephē theoprepōs; ; Egō gar kai egnōn, phēsi, dynamin exelēlythuian ap᾿ emou. › ᾿Esti de metrōn epekeina tōn kath᾽ hēmas, ē tacha pou kai angelikōn, to dynasthai dynamin ekpempsai tina, kai hōs apo ge tēs idias physeōs, toutestin aph᾿ heautōn. Prepei de monę̄ to chrēma tę̄ pantōn epekeina kai anōtatō physei ; ouden gar tōn en tois ktismasi pherei tina dynamin iatrikēn, ē goun heteran tina idian, alla theosdoton. Kai epestrepse to pneuma autēs, kai anestē parachrēma.
“Jesus said, Who touched me?” (8:45). The wonder did not go unnoticed; for though the Saviour knew all things, he asks as one who did not know, and says, “Who touched me?” Not unreasonably the holy apostles said, “The crowds press round you and crush you,” which was the greatest sign that he truly wore flesh and trampled all pride; for they did not follow at a distance, but pressed round him on every side. He brings what was done into the open and persists, saying, “Someone touched me; for I perceived power going out from me,” answering rather plainly to suit the understanding of his hearers. Did the Lord, then, out of love of glory, not allow the display of his working befitting God, the wonder that happened to the woman, to escape notice? We do not say that—how could he, who often commands silence? But rather this: he looks everywhere to the benefit of those called to the grace through faith. Had the sign remained unknown, it would have wronged many; but becoming known, it benefited them not a little, and above all the ruler of the synagogue. For it made his hope of what he expected more secure, and gave him firm courage that Christ would snatch his daughter even from the snares of death. For the unclean were not permitted to touch any of the holy things or to come near a holy man. We are fully assured, then, that Emmanuel is true God, both from what was wonderfully done and from what he said in a manner befitting God: “For I perceived,” he says, “power that has gone out from me.” To be able to send out a power, as from one’s own nature, that is, from oneself, is beyond our measures, and perhaps beyond those of angels. The thing befits only the nature that is beyond all and highest; for nothing among creatures bears any healing power, or any other power, as its own, but only as given by God. “And her spirit returned, and she arose at once” (8:55).
Luke 8:45 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 8:46 (quotation, high confidence) · Lev 15:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Luke 8:55 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ made known the healing of the woman with the flow of blood, not for glory but to strengthen Jairus’s hope; the power going out from him as his own shows that he is true God.
- The remark that the unclean could not touch holy things refers to the woman’s ritual impurity under Lev 15:25.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.45 (PG 72 72:635; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-45). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-45
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-8-45) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
8.55PG 72 72:637
Πλήν ἀλλὰ τοιαύτη μὲν ἡ τοῦ θαύματος ἱστορία· χρὴ δὲ ἴσως καὶ ἰσχνότερον αὐτὴν θεωρῆσαι καὶ ὑψηλότερον. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἁπλούστεροι θαυμαζέτωσαν τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ ταῦτα· οἰκοδομεῖ γὰρ καὶ σωματικῶς νοούμενα · οἱ δὲ δυνάμενοι διαβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὸ βλέπειν ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα τυπικῶς συνέβαινεν ἐκείνοις, ἐγράφη δὲ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, εὐξάμενοι τῷ Θεῷ, αἰτήσωμεν λόγον ἐλθεῖν τὸν σαφηνίζοντα καὶ ταῦτα· πῶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς ἀρχισυναγώγου θυγατέρα προηγουμένως ἀπῄει, οὐ πρὸς τὴν αἰμοῤῥοοῦσαν, καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτῷ ἀπαντῶσαν· καὶ ὅτι προηγουμένως ἀπιόντος αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἐκείνην, πρώτη αὐτὴ θεραπεύεται. Ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ προηγουμένως εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγὴν, καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὴν νοσοῦσαν καὶ ἀποθανοῦσαν. Τὰ γὰρ παραπτώματα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ πεποίηκεν αὐτὴν ἀποθανεῖν· ἡ δὲ αἰμορῥοοῦσα ἡ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ἡ ἀκαθαρσίας πεπληρωμένη, ἡ ῥέουσα οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ ἀφέδρου, ἀλλ᾽ ἀεὶ αἱμορῥοοῦσα, αὐτὴ πρὸ ἐκείνης πιστεύει τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν οὗτος ἀπέρχεται, αὐτὴ δὲ κἂν τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου ἅψασθαι θέλει. Ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς, ὁ μὴ εἶπε Ματθαῖος, προσέθηκεν ὅτι δωδεκαετὴς ἦν ἡ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου θυγάτηρ. Καὶ ἡ αἱμοῤῥοοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη εἶχεν αἱμοῤῥοοῦσα· οὐκοῦν ἅμα τῇ γενέσει ἐκείνης, αὕτη αἱμοῤῥοεῖ. Ἐν ἀπαθείᾳ γάρ ἐστιν ἐκείνη ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ἡ Συναγωγή, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὄρος τοῦ χρόνου τοῦ τέλους ἐκείνης, καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῆς σωτηρίας ταύτης ἐστί. Δώδεκα ἐτῶν ἐκείνη ἀποθνήσκει, καὶ δώδεκα ἐτῶν τοῦ πάθους αὕτη πιστεύσασα θεραπεύεται, ἥτις οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ᾿ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἰατρῶν θεραπευθῆναι. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἰατροὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑπέσχοντο θεραπεῦσαι. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας ἐπαγγελλομένους ἀλήθειαν, ἱατροί εἰσι θεραπεῦσαι πειρώμενοι. Ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὴ δαπανήσασα τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῆς πάντα, οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ὑπ᾿ οὐδενὸς τῶν ἰατρῶν θεραπευθῆναι · ἥψατο δὲ τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ πίστεως, καὶ ἰάθη. Ἐὰν ἴδωμεν τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ νοήσωμεν πηλίκος ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τίνος ἡψάμεθα αὐτοῦ, ὀψόμεθα ὅτι πρὸς σύγκρισιν τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ κρασπέδων, κρασπέδου ἡψάμεθα· ἀλλ᾿ ὅμως τὸ κράσπεδον θεραπεύει ἡμᾶς, καὶ ποιεῖ ἀκούειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· « Θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. • Καὶ ἐὰν θεραπευθῶμεν, καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ ἀναστήσεται τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου. « Ὅταν γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. »
Plēn alla toiautē men hē tou thaumatos historia; chrē de isōs kai ischnoteron autēn theōrēsai kai hypsēloteron. Hoi men oun haplousteroi thaumazetōsan ta megaleia tou Theou kata tauta; oikodomei gar kai sōmatikōs nooumena ; hoi de dynamenoi diabainein epi to blepein hoti kai tauta typikōs synebainen ekeinois, egraphē de di᾽ hēmas, euxamenoi tǭ Theǭ, aitēsōmen logon elthein ton saphēnizonta kai tauta; pōs ho Iēsous pros archisynagōgou thygatera proēgoumenōs apę̄ei, ou pros tēn aimorrhoousan, kai en tę̄ hodǭ autǭ apantōsan; kai hoti proēgoumenōs apiontos autou pros ekeinēn, prōtē autē therapeuetai. Ēlthe gar ho Huios tou Theou proēgoumenōs eis tēn Ioudaiōn Synagōgēn, kai heuren autēn nosousan kai apothanousan. Ta gar paraptōmata tou Israēl pepoiēken autēn apothanein; hē de aimorrhoousa hē en tę̄ hodǭ, hē akatharsias peplērōmenē, hē rheousa ouk en kairǭ aphedrou, all᾽ aei haimorrhoousa, autē pro ekeinēs pisteuei tǭ Huiǭ tou Theou. Kai ekei men houtos aperchetai, autē de kan tou kraspedou tou himatiou hapsasthai thelei. Ho de Loukas, ho mē eipe Matthaios, prosethēken hoti dōdekaetēs ēn hē tou archisynagōgou thygatēr. Kai hē haimorrhoousa dōdeka etē eichen haimorrhoousa; oukoun hama tę̄ genesei ekeinēs, hautē haimorrhoei. En apatheią gar estin ekeinē hoson chronon zę̄ hē Synagōgē, kai ho autos oros tou chronou tou telous ekeinēs, kai tēs archēs tēs sōtērias tautēs esti. Dōdeka etōn ekeinē apothnēskei, kai dōdeka etōn tou pathous hautē pisteusasa therapeuetai, hētis ouk ischysen hyp᾿ oudenos tōn iatrōn therapeuthēnai. Polloi gar iatroi tous apo tōn ethnōn hypeschonto therapeusai. Ean idę̄s tous philosophountas epangellomenous alētheian, hiatroi eisi therapeusai peirōmenoi. All᾿ autē dapanēsasa ta par' heautēs panta, ouk ischysen hyp᾿ oudenos tōn iatrōn therapeuthēnai ; hēpsato de tou kraspedou tou Iēsou dia pisteōs, kai iathē. Ean idōmen tēn pistin hēmōn tēn eis Christon Iēsoun, kai noēsōmen pēlikos estin ho Huios tou Theou, kai tinos hēpsametha autou, opsometha hoti pros synkrisin tōn en autǭ kraspedōn, kraspedou hēpsametha; all᾿ homōs to kraspedon therapeuei hēmas, kai poiei akouein apo tou Iēsou; « Thygater, hē pistis sou sesōke se. • Kai ean therapeuthōmen, kai hē thygatēr anastēsetai tou archisynagōgou. « Hotan gar to plērōma tōn ethnōn eiselthę̄, tote pas Israēl sōthēsetai. »
Such, then, is the history of the miracle; but perhaps we should also contemplate it more subtly and loftily. Let the simpler admire the mighty works of God in these things; for they edify even when understood bodily. But we who are able to pass on to seeing that these things too happened to those people as types, and were written for our sake, let us pray to God and ask that a word may come that makes these things plain too: how Jesus was going first to the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, not to the woman with the flow of blood who met him on the way; and that, though he was going first to the former, the latter is healed first. For the Son of God came first to the synagogue of the Jews, and found it sick and dead; for the trespasses of Israel caused it to die. But the woman with the flow of blood, on the way, full of uncleanness, flowing not at the season of her separation but continually—she believes in the Son of God before the other. And he goes there, but she wishes to touch even the fringe of his garment. And Luke added what Matthew did not say, that the ruler’s daughter was twelve years old. And the woman with the flow of blood had had the flow twelve years; so at the very birth of the one, the other began to flow. For the latter is free of suffering as long as the synagogue lives; and the same boundary of time marks the end of the one and the beginning of the salvation of the other. The one dies at twelve years old; and the other, believing after twelve years of her suffering, is healed—she who could not be healed by any of the physicians. For many physicians promised to heal those from the nations. If you see the philosophers promising truth, they are physicians trying to heal. But she, having spent all she had, could not be healed by any of the physicians; but she touched the fringe of Jesus through faith and was healed. If we look at our faith in Christ Jesus, and understand how great the Son of God is and what of him we have touched, we shall see that, compared with what is in him, we have touched a fringe; but yet the fringe heals us and makes us hear from Jesus, “Daughter, your faith has saved you.” And if we are healed, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue will also rise. “For when the fullness of the nations has come in, then all Israel will be saved.”
Luke 8:55 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:42 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:43 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:44 (allusion, high confidence) · Lev 15:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Mark 5:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 8:48 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:26 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Read as a type, the dying daughter is the synagogue and the woman with the flow of blood the Church of the nations, healed first by faith after vain cures from the philosophers; when the nations are healed, Israel too will rise.
- The interpretation has the manner of Origen and may be an excerpt from him transmitted in the catena under Cyril’s name.
- The quotation of Rom 11:25–26 is given in a free form.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 8.55 (PG 72 72:637; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-55). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/8-55
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-8-55) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
Commentary 9
9.1PG 72 72:639
῎Εδωκεν αὐτοῖς δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ δαιμόνια, καὶ νόσους θεραπεύειν. εἰπεῖν, ὅτι πόνων ἀγαθῶν ὁ καρπὸς εὐκλεής. Τοὺς γάρ τοι τὴν πάναγνον καὶ ἀβέβηλον, κατά γε τὸ ἀνθρώποις ἐγχωροῦν κατορθοῦν ἐθέλοντας ζωὴν, τοῖς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ χαρίσμασι καταφαιδρύνει Χριστὸς, καὶ πλουσίαν αὐτοῖς τῶν κατωρθωμένων ἁγιοπρεπῶς χαι ρίζεται τὴν ἀντέκτισιν, καὶ δόξης αὐτοὺς τῆς ἰδίας καθίστησι κοινωνούς. Δέχου τοῦ πράγματος ἀπόδειξιν σαφῆ τε καὶ ἐναργῆ, τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους. "Όρα γεγονότας ἐκπρεπεστάτους, καὶ τῇ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρω πον δόξῃ κατεστεμμένους, νέμοντος αὐτοῖς μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο Χριστοῦ· • Δέδωκε γὰρ αὐτοῖς, φησί, δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ δαιμόνια, καὶ νόσους θεραπεύειν. » ᾿Αλλ' ὅρα πάλιν τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὑπερτρέχοντα μέτρον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ἀξιώμασι διαπρέποντα· ἐπέκεινα γὰρ τῶν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτρων, τὸ διδόναι κατὰ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων οἷς ἂν βούληται τὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι νοσημάτων ἐλευθεροῦν τοὺς ἐνειλημμένους, καὶ μόνου Θεοῦ· ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀνωτάτω φύσεως ὑπεροχή τε καὶ δόξα οὐδενὶ τῶν ὄντων ἔνεστι φυσικῶς, πλὴν ὅτι αὐτῷ τε καὶ μόνῳ. ᾿Αξία τοίνυν θαύματος ἡ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἐκνεμηθεῖσα χάρις· ἐπέκεινα δὲ παντὸς ἐπαίνου καὶ θαύματος, ἡ τοῦ νέμοντος ἀφθοη νία· τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἔφην, χαρίζεται δόξαν. Ἄνθρωπος ἐξουσίαν κατὰ πνευμάτων δέχεται πονηρῶν, καὶ τὴν οὕτως ὑπέροπτον ὀφρὺν, τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου φημί, καταστρέφει. Καί τοι λέγοντός ποτε· • Τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην καταλήψομαι τῇ χειρὶ ὡς νοσσίαν, καὶ ὡς καταλελειμμένα ὡὰ ἀρῶ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς διαφεύξεται ἢ ἀντείπῃ μοι. » Ἐσφάλλετο δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ διημάρτηκε τῆς ἐλπίδος, ὁ σοβαρὸς καὶ θρασὺς, καὶ τῆς ἁπάντων ἀσθενείας κατακαυχώμενος. ᾿Αντέταξε γὰρ αὐτῷ τοὺς τῶν ἱερῶν κηρυγμάτων ἱερουργοὺς, ὁ τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριος. Καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ἄρα τὸ δι᾽ ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν προκεκηρυγμένον, περί τε τοῦ Σατανᾶ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων μυσταγωγῶν, ὡς « ἐξαίφνης ἀναστήσονται οἱ δάκνονται αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐκνήψουσιν οἱ ἐπίβουλοί σου, καὶ ἔσῃ εἰς διαρπαγὴν αὐτοῖς. » Μόνον γὰρ οὐχὶ κατεδηδόκασι τὸν Σατανᾶν, ἐπιβουλεύοντες αὐτοῦ τῇ δόξῃ, καὶ διαρπάζοντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σκεύη, καὶ προσκομίζοντες Χριστῷ διὰ πίστεως τῆς εἰς αὐτόν. • Εἶτα πόθεν εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἡ λαμπρὰ καὶ διαβόητος οὕτω κατενήνεκται χάρις, πολυπραγμονῶμεν, εἰ δοκεῖ. Οὐκοῦν ἐστεφάνωσε τῇ τοιᾷδε τιμῇ τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τῆς ἰδίας ὑπεροχῆς κατ᾿ οὐδένα τρόπον ἐκβεβηκὼς, ἐνήργηκε τὰ θεοπρεπή, συνέτριψε τὸν Σατανᾶν ῥήματι τῷ πανσθενεστάτῳ, ἐπετίμησε πνεύμασι πονηροῖς. Αὕτη γέγονεν ὁδὸς τοῦ δύνασθαι πονηροῖς ἐπιπλήττειν πνεύμασι, τοὺς ἐπὶ – τῆς γῆς. – Τί δὲ ἆρά γε εἰκῆ τοιούτους ἀπέφηνε τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ ἐπ᾿ οὐδενὶ τῶν ἀναγο καίων ἐκπρεπεστάτους; Καί τοι πῶς τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθές; Ἔδει γὰρ, ἔδει τῶν ἱερῶν κηρυγμάτων διακόνους ἐπιδεδειγμένους κατορθοῦν δύνασθαι τὰ παράδοξα, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πιστεύεσθαι τῶν ἐκτελεσμάτων ὅτι τὸ εἰσι Θεοῦ διάκονοι, καὶ μεσῖται τῆς ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν, καλοῦντες ἅπαντας εἰς διαλλαγὴν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐν πίστει δικαίωσιν. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ νουνεχε στέροις, ἀπόχρη καὶ λόγος ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίγνωσιν· τοῖς γε μὴν οὐχ ἑτοίμως ἔχουσιν εἰς παραδοχὴν ὧν ἄν τις λέγοι, δεῖ δὴ θαυμάτων καὶ τερατουργίας. Καλοῦνται γὰρ οὕτω μόλι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
᾿Edōken autois dynamin kai exousian epi panta ta daimonia, kai nosous therapeuein. eipein, hoti ponōn agathōn ho karpos eukleēs. Tous gar toi tēn panagnon kai abebēlon, kata ge to anthrōpois enchōroun katorthoun ethelontas zōēn, tois par' heautou charismasi kataphaidrynei Christos, kai plousian autois tōn katōrthōmenōn hagioprepōs chai rizetai tēn antektisin, kai doxēs autous tēs idias kathistēsi koinōnous. Dechou tou pragmatos apodeixin saphē te kai enargē, tous hagious apostolous. "Ora gegonotas ekprepestatous, kai tę̄ hyper anthrō pon doxę̄ katestemmenous, nemontos autois meta tōn allōn kai touto Christou; • Dedōke gar autois, phēsi, dynamin kai exousian epi panta ta daimonia, kai nosous therapeuein. » ᾿All' hora palin ton enanthrōpēsanta tou Theou Logon, to tēs anthrōpotētos hypertrechonta metron, kai tois tēs theotētos axiōmasi diapreponta; epekeina gar tōn tēs anthrōpotētos metrōn, to didonai kata pneumatōn akathartōn hois an boulētai tēn exousian, kai mēn kai to dynasthai nosēmatōn eleutheroun tous eneilēmmenous, kai monou Theou; hē gar tēs anōtatō physeōs hyperochē te kai doxa oudeni tōn ontōn enesti physikōs, plēn hoti autǭ te kai monǭ. ᾿Axia toinyn thaumatos hē tois hagiois apostolois eknemētheisa charis; epekeina de pantos epainou kai thaumatos, hē tou nemontos aphthoē nia; tēn heautou gar autois, hōs ephēn, charizetai doxan. Anthrōpos exousian kata pneumatōn dechetai ponērōn, kai tēn houtōs hyperopton ophryn, tēn tou diabolou phēmi, katastrephei. Kai toi legontos pote; • Tēn oikoumenēn holēn katalēpsomai tę̄ cheiri hōs nossian, kai hōs kataleleimmena hōa arō, kai ouk estin hos diapheuxetai ē anteipę̄ moi. » Esphalleto de tēs alētheias, kai diēmartēke tēs elpidos, ho sobaros kai thrasys, kai tēs hapantōn astheneias katakauchōmenos. ᾿Antetaxe gar autǭ tous tōn hierōn kērygmatōn hierourgous, ho tōn dynameōn Kyrios. Kai touto ēn ara to di᾽ henos tōn hagiōn prophētōn prokekērygmenon, peri te tou Satana kai tōn hagiōn mystagōgōn, hōs « exaiphnēs anastēsontai hoi daknontai auton, kai eknēpsousin hoi epibouloi sou, kai esę̄ eis diarpagēn autois. » Monon gar ouchi katedēdokasi ton Satanan, epibouleuontes autou tę̄ doxę̄, kai diarpazontes autou ta skeuē, kai proskomizontes Christǭ dia pisteōs tēs eis auton. • Eita pothen eis anthrōpous hē lampra kai diaboētos houtō katenēnektai charis, polypragmonōmen, ei dokei. Oukoun estephanōse tę̄ toiąde timę̄ tēn anthrōpou physin ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos, genomenos anthrōpos, kai tēs idias hyperochēs kat᾿ oudena tropon ekbebēkōs, enērgēke ta theoprepē, synetripse ton Satanan rhēmati tǭ pansthenestatǭ, epetimēse pneumasi ponērois. Hautē gegonen hodos tou dynasthai ponērois epiplēttein pneumasi, tous epi – tēs gēs. – Ti de ara ge eikē toioutous apephēne tous apostolous, kai ep᾿ oudeni tōn anago kaiōn ekprepestatous? Kai toi pōs touto estin alēthes? Edei gar, edei tōn hierōn kērygmatōn diakonous epidedeigmenous katorthoun dynasthai ta paradoxa, kai di' autōn pisteuesthai tōn ektelesmatōn hoti to eisi Theou diakonoi, kai mesitai tēs hyp᾿ ouranon, kalountes hapantas eis diallagēn kai eis tēn en pistei dikaiōsin. Tois men gar nouneche sterois, apochrē kai logos esth᾽ hote pros tēn tēs alētheias epignōsin; tois ge mēn ouch hetoimōs echousin eis paradochēn hōn an tis legoi, dei dē thaumatōn kai teratourgias. Kalountai gar houtō moli pros tēn alētheian.
“He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to cure diseases” (9:1). … to say that the fruit of good labours is glorious. For those who wish to achieve, as far as is possible for men, the all-pure and undefiled life, Christ makes resplendent with his gifts, grants them a rich recompense for what they have achieved in holiness, and makes them partakers of his own glory. Take as clear and plain proof of the matter the holy apostles. See them made most illustrious and crowned with glory beyond man, Christ distributing this too to them along with the rest: “For he gave them,” it says, “power and authority over all the demons, and to cure diseases.” But see again the Word of God made man going beyond the measure of humanity and distinguished by the dignities of the Godhead. For it is beyond the measures of humanity, and belongs to God alone, to give authority over unclean spirits to whomever he wishes, and to be able to free from diseases those caught by them; for the pre-eminence and glory of the highest nature belongs naturally to none of the things that exist, except to him alone. Worthy of wonder, then, is the grace distributed to the holy apostles; but beyond all praise and wonder is the generosity of the giver; for, as I said, he grants them his own glory. A man receives authority over evil spirits and overturns that arrogant pride, I mean the devil’s. Yet he once said: “I will seize the whole world with my hand like a nest, and like abandoned eggs I will take it up, and there is none who will escape or contradict me.” But he missed the truth and failed in his hope, the haughty and rash one, boasting over the weakness of all. For the Lord of the powers set against him the ministers of the sacred proclamations. And this, then, was what was proclaimed beforehand through one of the holy prophets concerning Satan and the holy teachers of the mysteries: that “suddenly those who bite him will rise up, and those who plot against you will awake, and you will be plunder for them.” For they all but devoured Satan, plotting against his glory, plundering his goods, and bringing them to Christ through faith in him. — Then, if you please, let us inquire whence this grace, so splendid and renowned, came down to men. The only-begotten Word of God crowned human nature with this honour, when, having become man and in no way departed from his own pre-eminence, he did the works befitting God, crushed Satan by his all-powerful word, and rebuked evil spirits. This became the way by which those on earth are able to rebuke evil spirits. — But did he make the apostles such idly, and most illustrious for no necessary purpose? How would that be true? For the ministers of the sacred proclamations had, they had to be shown able to accomplish wonders, and through these deeds to be believed to be ministers of God and mediators for the world under heaven, calling all to reconciliation and to justification in faith. For to the more sensible a word is sometimes enough for the knowledge of the truth; but those not readily disposed to receive what one says need wonders and miracles; for so are they called, with difficulty, to the truth.
Luke 9:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 10:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Hab 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 12:29 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:20 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ crowned the apostles with his own power over demons and disease, which belongs to God alone, so that they might despoil Satan, as Isaiah and Habakkuk foretold, and so that their preaching might be confirmed by miracles for those slow to believe.
- Some words at the beginning of the comment are lost.
- The boast “I will seize the whole world …” is Isa 10:14, here referred to the devil; the prophecy “suddenly those who bite him …” is Hab 2:7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter slip; repeated letters): μέτρων, μέτρ τὸ διδόναι → μέτρων, τὸ διδόναι; πλὴν ὅσι αὐτῷ → πλὴν ὅτι αὐτῷ.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 9.1 (PG 72 72:639; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/9-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/9-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-9-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
9.3PG 72 72:641
Εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς · Μηδὲν αἴρετε εἰς τὴν ὀδόν. Οὕτω δὴ τοὺς ἁγίους άποστόλους κατακοσμήσας, ἰέναι προστέταχεν ἐπὶ τὸ χρῆναι λαλεῖν τοῖς ἀπανταχόσε γῆς τὸ αὐτοῦ μυστήριον. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ εὐζωνοτάτους εἶναι κελεύει, καὶ μερίμνης ἀπάσης κοσμικῆς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι βούλεται, ὡς μηδὲ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναγκαίας τροφῆς καὶ ἀπαραιτήτου ποιεῖσθαί τινα λόγον. Κόσμον γὰρ αὐτοῖς, καὶ οἷόν τινα στέφανον ἔσεσθαί φησι, τὸ κεκτῆσθαι μηδέν· μήτε μὴν ἐπικομίζεσθαί τι παράπαν, μὴ ῥάβδον, μὴ πήραν, μὴ ἄρτον, μὴ ἀργύριον, μὴ χιτῶνας δύο · μονονουχὶ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς ἐκεῖνο λέγων· • Ἐπίῤῥιψον ἐπὶ Κύριον τὴν μέριμνάν σου, καὶ αὐτὸς σε διαθρέψει. » Καὶ γὰρ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ὅπερ αὐτὸς ἔφη Χριστός· « Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. » Ἵνα τοίνυν μονοειδῆ καὶ μονότροπον ἔχωσι τὴν ζωὴν, εἰς μόνον ὁρῶντες τὸ χρῆναι μυσταγωγεῖν, μηδένα προστέταχε ποιεῖσθαι λόγον ἢ ἀμφίων ἢ τροφῆς. Ἀλλὰ φαίη τις ἄν· Καὶ πόθεν αὐτοῖς προσγένοιτο τῶν ἀπαραιτήτως ζητουμένων ὁ πόρος; Διαδείκνυσι καὶ τοῦτο εὐθὺς λέγων·
Eipe pros autous ; Mēden airete eis tēn odon. Houtō dē tous hagious apostolous katakosmēsas, ienai prostetachen epi to chrēnai lalein tois apantachose gēs to autou mystērion. Tautę̄ toi kai euzōnotatous einai keleuei, kai merimnēs apasēs kosmikēs apallattesthai bouletai, hōs mēde autēs tēs anankaias trophēs kai aparaitētou poieisthai tina logon. Kosmon gar autois, kai hoion tina stephanon esesthai phēsi, to kektēsthai mēden; mēte mēn epikomizesthai ti parapan, mē rhabdon, mē pēran, mē arton, mē argyrion, mē chitōnas dyo ; mononouchi to en Psalmois ekeino legōn; • Epirrhipson epi Kyrion tēn merimnan sou, kai autos se diathrepsei. » Kai gar estin alēthes hoper autos ephē Christos; « Ou dynasthe Theǭ douleuein kai mamōną. » Hina toinyn monoeidē kai monotropon echōsi tēn zōēn, eis monon horōntes to chrēnai mystagōgein, mēdena prostetache poieisthai logon ē amphiōn ē trophēs. Alla phaiē tis an; Kai pothen autois prosgenoito tōn aparaitētōs zētoumenōn ho poros? Diadeiknysi kai touto euthys legōn;
“He said to them: Take nothing for the journey” (9:3). Having thus adorned the holy apostles, he commanded them to go and speak his mystery to those everywhere on earth. For this reason he bids them be very unencumbered, and wishes them to be free of all worldly care, so as not even to take any account of necessary and indispensable food. For he says that to possess nothing will be an ornament and as it were a crown for them, and not to carry anything at all—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no two tunics—all but saying the words in the Psalms: “Cast your care upon the Lord, and he will sustain you.” For what Christ himself said is true: “You cannot serve God and mammon.” So that they might have a single-formed and single-minded life, looking only to the need to teach the mysteries, he commanded them to take no account of clothing or food. But someone might say: “And whence would their supply of indispensable things come?” He shows this too at once, saying:
Luke 9:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 55:22 (54:23 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 6:24 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ sent the apostles without provisions so that, free of worldly care and trusting God, they might devote themselves wholly to preaching.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Luke 9.3 (PG 72 72:641; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/9-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam/9-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-lucam-9-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek catena fragments as printed in Migne PG 72 (Bavarian State Library OCR); each fragment's verse identified from the Greek; no public-domain or FOTC English of this Greek exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.