Sophia Scriptura

Oxyrhynchus Hymn (complete)

Anonymous · Oxyrhynchus Hymn · late 3rd cent. · Oxyrhynchus · 1 passage

Greek text: Grenfell-Hunt 1922.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 1

1Grenfell-Hunt 15:24

[ 31 letters ] ομου πασαι τε̣ θεου λογιμοι α̣ . [. . .] . [. .]α̣ρ̣[. . . . [ 28 letters ? πρ]υτανηω σιγατω μηδ’ αστρα φαεσφορα λ̣[ειπ]ε̣- [σ]θ̣ων [.] . λε̣ι̣ . [. . . . .]ρ̣[. . . . . . . . . . . .] ποταμων ροθιων πασαι υμνουντων δ’ ημων [π]ατερα χ’ υιον χ’ αγιον πνευμα πασαι δυναμεις επιφωνουντων αμην αμην κρατος αινος [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] δ̣[ωτ]η[ρι] μ̣ο̣ν̣ω̣ παντων αγαθων αμην αμην

[ 31 letters ] omou pasai te theou logimoi a . [. . .] . [. .]ar[. . . . [ 28 letters ? pr]ytanēō sigatō mēd’ astra phaesphora l[eip]e- [s]thōn [.] . lei . [. . . . .]r[. . . . . . . . . . . .] potamōn rothiōn pasai ymnountōn d’ ēmōn [p]atera ch’ uion ch’ agion pneuma pasai dynameis epiphōnountōn amēn amēn kratos ainos [. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .] d[ōt]ē[ri] monō pantōn agathōn amēn amēn

[…] all together […] of God, the glorious ones […] […] let [it] be silent; let not the light-bearing stars fall behind, […] all the rushing rivers. As we hymn Father and Son and Holy Spirit, let all the powers answer: Amen, amen. Might, praise […] to the only giver of all good things. Amen, amen.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: The end of a Christian hymn on a papyrus from Oxyrhynchus: all creation is bidden to keep silence while the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are praised, and the heavenly powers answer 'Amen'.

  • Only the last five lines of the hymn survive, on a papyrus of the late 3rd century; it is the earliest Christian hymn preserved with musical notation (the notation is not reproduced).
  • The papyrus is written without accents or word division; the text follows Grenfell and Hunt's transcript, and gaps in the papyrus are marked […]. Words in brackets in the Greek are their restorations.
  • Line 2: λ[ειπ]έσθων, 'fall behind' (restored); the stars, rivers and all creation are called to silence or to join the praise.
  • Line 5: δ[ωτ]ῆ[ρι] μόνῳ, 'to the only giver' (restored).

Topics: Trinity, Prayer

Cite (SBL): P.Oxy. 1786 1 (Grenfell-Hunt 15:24; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/hymnus-oxyrhynchus/1/#p-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Translation: Translated by Claude from Grenfell and Hunt's transcript (Oxyrhynchus Papyri 15, 1922, no. 1786); re-read against the Greek.