# Commentary on Matthew - Author: [Origen](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/origen/) - Latin title: *Commentarii in evangelium Matthaei* - Date: ca. 246–248 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, series Graeca, vol. 13 (Paris: Migne, 1862), cols. 835–1600 (Books 10–17; the Greek text of Charles Delarue's edition, Paris, 1740, with P. D. Huet's Latin version, notes, and variants printed beside and below it; the Latin and the notes are not reproduced) (Greek text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca vol. 13 (1862), transcribed from library-scan OCR of the printed volume) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Editions and translations: Erich Klostermann and Ernst Benz, eds., Origenes Werke 10–12: Origenes Matthäuserklärung, GCS 40, 38, 41 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1935–1955; cited only, not used: in copyright); Robert Girod, Origène: Commentaire sur l'évangile selon Matthieu, SC 162 (Paris: Cerf, 1970; Books 10–11) - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/ - Passages: 243 ## Commentary on Matthew 10.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-1 - Source: PG 13:836a–837c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains that Jesus explains the parable only to the disciples who come to him in his house, and that the Gospel's plain letters hide deeper meanings. ### Greek text ι Τότε ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὑτοῦ, λέγον· τες· Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζανίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ. ι Ὅτε μὲν μετὰ τῶν ὄχλων ἐστὶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ζ οὐκ ἔστιν αὑτοῦ ὲν τῇ οἰκίᾳ, ἔξω γὰρ τῆς οἰκίας οἱ ὄχλοι· καὶ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ ἔργον ἐστὶ καταλιπεῖν τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ ἀπεῖναι πρὸς τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτόν. Αὐτάρκως δὲ τοῖς ὄχλοις διαλεχθεὶς ὲν παραβολαῖς, ἀφίησιν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς ἦν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκίαν, ἔνθα Ϋπροσέρχονται αὑ· l τῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ὰπομείναντες μετὰ τῶν ἀφεθέντων ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὅσοι γε γνησιώτερον ἀκούουσι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, πρῶτον ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ, εἶτα, πυνθανόμενοι περὶ τῆς μονῆς αὐτοῦ, ὲπιτρέπονται ἰδεῖν αὑτὴν, καὶ ἐλθόντες ὁρῶσι, καὶ παρʼ αὐτῷ μένουσι, πάντες μὲν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην, τάχα δέ τινες αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον. Καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτά γε οἶμαι δεδηλῶσθαι ἐν τῷ κατά Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγελὶῳ διὰ τούτων (ΙΙ) ι Τῇ ἐπαύριον πάλιν εἱστήκει ό Ἰωάννης καὶ ὲκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο.» Ἔτι εἰς παρά· στασιν τοῦ, ὅτι τῶν ὲπιτραπέντων σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ πορεύεσθαι καὶ ἰδεῖν αὑτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ὁ διαφέρων καὶ ἀπόστολος γίνεται, ἐπιφέρεται τούτοιςοο ι Ἦν Ἀνδρέας ό ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου, εἷς ἐκ τῶν δύο τῶν ἀκουσάντων ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου, καὶ ἀκολουθησάντων αὐτῷ.» Καὶ ἡμεῖς οῦν, εἴπερ βουλόμεθα μὴ ὡς ὄχλοι ἀκούειν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὓς ἀφίησι, καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἐξαίρετόν τι παρὰ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀναλαμβάνοντες, οἱκειωθῶμεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἵνʼ ὡς μαθηταὶ αὑτοῦ ἐλθόντι εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν προσέλθωμεν, καὶ προσελθόντες ἀξιώσωμεν περὶ φράσεως παραβολῆςεεῖτε τῶν ζιζανίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ, εἴθʼ ἡστινοσοῦν. Ἵνα δὲ ἀκριβέστερον νοηθῇ τίνος παραστατικὸν ἐστι πράγματοςὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οἰκία, ωναγαγέτω τις ἀπὸ τῶν anm).th ὅσα περὶ τῆς οἰκίας Ἰησοῦ εἴρηται, καὶ τινα ὲν αὐτῇ λελάληται, ἢ πέπρακται αὐτῷ· ἐπὶ γὰρ τὸ αὐτὸ συναχθέντα πάντα πείσει τὸν προσέχοντα ταύτῃ τῇ ἀναγνώσει, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ὡς οἴονταί τινες, ἔστι μόνον τὰ τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου γράμματα, ἀλλά τοῖς μὲν ἁπλοῖς, κατʼ οἰκονομίαν, ὡς ἁπλᾶ γεγένηται, τοῖς δὲ ὀξύτερον ἀκούειν αὐτῶν βουλομένοις καὶ δυναμένοις ἐγκέκρυπται σοφὰ καὶ ἀξια λόγου θεοῦ πράγματα. ### English translation (Claude) “Then he left the crowds and went into his house, and his disciples came to him, saying, ‘Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.’” When Jesus is with the crowds he is not in his house, for the crowds are outside the house; and it is a work of his love for humankind to leave the house and go away to those who cannot come to him. Having spoken enough to the crowds in parables, he dismisses them and goes into his own house, where his disciples come to him, not having stayed behind with those he dismissed. And those who hear Jesus more genuinely first follow him; then, asking about his dwelling, they are allowed to see it, and having come they see, and remain with him, all of them for that day, and perhaps some of them even longer. I think such things are indicated in the Gospel according to John by these words: “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples.” And further, to show that of those who were allowed to go with Jesus and see his house the one who excels also becomes an apostle, there is added: “One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.” So we too, if we wish not to hear Jesus as the crowds do, whom he dismisses when he goes into the house, must take up something exceptional beyond the crowds and become intimate with Jesus, so that as his disciples we may come to him when he has gone into the house, and having come, ask for the explanation of a parable, whether that of the weeds of the field or of any other. And that it may be understood more exactly what reality the house of Jesus represents, let someone gather from the Gospels all that is said about the house of Jesus and what was spoken or done by him in it. For all these things brought together will convince one who attends to this reading that the letters of the Gospel are not simply plain, as some think, but that for the simple they have become simple by a dispensation, while for those who wish and are able to hear them more acutely there are hidden in them things wise and worthy of the Word of God. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:36: quotation, high confidence - John 1:35: quotation, high confidence - John 1:38: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:39: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:40: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:36; John 1:35; John 1:40. The word after “gather from the” is garbled in the scan OCR; “the Gospels” is a reading by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.1 (PG 13:836a–837c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-2 - Source: PG 13:837c–840d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads the good seed as sound thoughts sown in the soul by the Word and the weeds as wicked doctrines sown by the devil, to be burned at the end of the age. ### Greek text tum ταῦτα ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ’ Ὀ σπείρων τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα ἐστὶν ό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώ» που. ι Περὶ ὧν εἰ καὶ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων διειλήφαμεν, οὐδὲν ἦττον καὶ νῦν λελέξεται τὰ δυνάμενα ἐκείνοις προσαρμόσαι, εἰ καὶ καθʼ ἑτέραν διήγησιν ἔχει λόγον. Καὶ γε εἰ δύναται τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς βασιλείας πρὸς τοῖς προσαποδεδομένοις καὶ ἑτέρως λαβεῖν, ὃτι ὅσα ὲν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύεται ψυχῇ καλὰ, ταῦτα ὑπὸ ι τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν Λόγου Θεοῦ ι γεννήο ματα ἔσπαρται τυγχάνοντα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ βασι·λλείας, ὡς εῖναι τοὺς περὶ ἑκάστου ὑγιεῖς λόγους τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς βασιλείας. Κοιμωμένων δὲ τῶν μὴ κατά τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ,Ἰησοῦ πραττόντων, λέγονκ τος · ‹ Γρηγορεῖτε, καὶ προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθητε εις πειρασμὸν, ι 6 διάβολος ἐπιτηρῶν σπείρει τὰ καλούμενα ζιζάνια, τὰ μοχθηρά ἃόγματα, ταῖς καλουμέναις ὑπὸ τινων φυσικαῖς έννοεαις, καὶ σπέρμασι καλοῖς τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου. Κατά δὲ τοῦτο ἀγρὸς καὶ 6 κόσμος πᾶς λέγοιτο ἂν, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦ · ὲν γὰρ παντὶ κόσμῳ 6 μὲν Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔσπειρε τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα, 6 δὲ πονηρὸς τὰ ζιζάνια, ειπερ εἰσὶν οἱ μοχθηροὶ λόγοι, ci ἀπὸ κακίας υἱοὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ. Δεήσει δὲ γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν πραγμάτων. ὃς καλεῖται συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος, θερισμὸν, ἵνα οἱ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τεταγμένοι ἄγγεἶ λοι τοῦ Θεου ἀναλέξωνται τὰ προσπεφυκότα τῇ ψυχῇ φαῦλα δόγματα. καλ παραδώσωσιν αὐτὰ εἰς ἀντὶ· λωσιν τῷ λεγομένῳ καίειν πυρὶ, ἀνατρέποντες αὐτὰ. Kal οὕτω συλλέξουσιν ot τοῦ Λόγου ἄγγελοι καὶ ὑπηρέται ἐκ πάσης τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ βασιλείας πάντα τὰ ἐνυπάρχοντα ταῖς ψυχαῖς σκάνδαλα, και τοὺς τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιοῦντας λογισμοὺς, οὕστινας ἀναλίσκοντες ιαλοῦσιν είς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν καιομένην ’ ἔνθα καὶ οἱ συναισοηθέντες, ἑαυτῶν διὰ τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι τὰ σπέρματα τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς εἰληφέναι κλαύσονται, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ ἑαυτοῖς θυμιιιῑὶήτονταν τοῦτο γὰρ 6 βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων, διὸ καὶ ὲν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς τόʼ ι Ἔὸρυξαν ἐπʼ ἐμὲ τοὺς ὀδύνας αὐτῶν, ι λέλεκται. Τότε μάλιστα οἱ δίκαιοι λάμψεισιν, οὐκέτι διαφόρως, ὡς κατά τὰς ἀρχὰς, ἀλλὰ πάντες ὡς εἷς ἥλιος ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρὺς αὖ· τῶν. Ὠς μυστήριον γοῦν δηλῶν ὁ Σωτὴρ, τάχα μὲν καὶ διὰ πάντων τῶν ὲν τῇ φράσει τῆς παραῧολῆςι τάχα δὲ μάλιστα διὰ τοῦ, ι Τότε οἱ δίκαιοι λὰμῷουιν ὼς ὁ ἥλιος ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρός αὐτῶν, ι πιφέρει ι Ὀ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω, ιδιδάπων τοὺς οἰομένους έν τῇ φράσει τῆς παραβολῆς σα· ### English translation (Claude) “He answered and said, ‘The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.’” Although we have treated these things as well as we could in what precedes, nonetheless now too we will say what can be fitted to them, even if it follows another line of explanation. See whether the good seed, the children of the kingdom, can, besides what has already been given, be taken in another way as well: that whatever good things grow in the human soul have been sown by the Word of God who was in the beginning with God, and are offspring of the kingdom of God, so that the sound words about each matter are the children of the kingdom. And while those sleep who do not act according to the command of Jesus, who says, “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation,” the devil, lying in wait, sows what are called weeds, the wicked doctrines, among what some call natural notions and among the good seeds that come from the Word. In this sense the field might be said to be the whole world, and not only the church of God; for in the whole world the Son of Man sowed the good seed and the evil one the weeds, if indeed the weeds are the wicked words, which, coming from wickedness, are children of the evil one. And at the end of things, which is called the consummation of the age, there must be a harvest, so that the angels of God appointed for this may gather up the base doctrines that have grown into the soul and hand them over for destruction to what is called burning with fire, overthrowing them. And so the angels and servants of the Word will gather out of the whole kingdom of Christ all the stumbling blocks present in souls and the thoughts that do lawlessness, and, destroying them, will cast them into the furnace of burning fire. There those who become aware that through sleeping they have received the seeds of the evil one into themselves will weep and, as it were, be angry with themselves; for this is the gnashing of teeth. That is why it is said in the Psalms, “They gnashed their teeth at me.” Then above all the righteous will shine, no longer diversely as at the beginning, but all as one sun in the kingdom of their Father. Indicating a mystery, then, perhaps through all the parts of the explanation of the parable, but perhaps most of all through “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” the Saviour adds, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” teaching those who think that in the explanation of the parable … ### Scripture references - Matt 13:37: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:38: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:41: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:39: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:41: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:42: allusion, high confidence - Ps 35:16 (34:16 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - Matt 13:43: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:37–43; Matt 26:41; Ps 35:16 (34:16 LXX). The verb rendered “be angry with themselves” is garbled in the scan OCR (by sense). The section breaks off mid-sentence in the scan text (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.2 (PG 13:837c–840d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-3 - Source: PG 13:840d–844a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reconciles Daniel and Paul, who speak of differing glory among the righteous, with Jesus' saying that they will shine as one sun. ### Greek text Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐφάσκομεν εἰς τό ' ι Τότε οἱ δίκαιοι λάμψουσιν ὡς 6 ἥλιος, ι ὅτι οὐχ ὡς τὸ πρότερον διαφόρως λάμψουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ἀλλʼ ἔσονται οἱ πάντες ὡς εἷς ἥλιος, ἀναγκαίως ἐκθησόμεθα τὸ 9· ὲν ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν τόπον.’Έοικεν 6 Δανιὴλ, φῶς τοῦ κόσμου ἐπιστάμενος τοὺς συνιέντας, καὶτοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν δικαίων διαφέροντας τῇ δόξῃ, εἰρηκέναι τό* ι Καὶ οί συνιέντες ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ἡ λαμπρότης τοῦ στερεώματος, καὶ άπὸ τῶν δικαίων τῶν πολλῶν ὡς oi ἀστέρες είς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ι Καὶ ἔτι καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος δὲ ἐντῷο ι Ἄλλη δόξα ἡλίου, καὶ άλλη δόξα σελήνης, καὶ ἄλλη δόξα ἀστέρων ο ἀστὴρ γὰρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ὲν δόξῃ, οὕτω καὶ ήίάνάστασις τῶν νεκρῶν, ι τὰ αὐτὰ λέγει τῷ Δανιὴλ, τὸν νοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας αὑτοῦ τοῦτον λαβὼν. Ζητήσαι οὖν ἄν τις, πῶς oi μὲν περὶ διαφορᾶς τοῦ ὲν τοῖς δικαίοις λέγουσι φωτὸς, ό δὲ Σωτὴρ τούναντίον· ι Ὠς εἷς ἥλιος λάμψουσιν. ι Ὑπολαμβάνω οὖν, ὅτι παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν ὲν τοῖς σωζομένοις μακαρισμῶν, ὅτι οὐδέπω ὲκαΘάρθησαν οἱ μὴ τοιοῦτοι, τὰ τῆς δια·φορᾶς γίνεταιττοῧ τῶν σωζομένων φωτός ἐπάν δὲ, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, συλλογῇ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας ὅλης Χριστοῦ πάντα τά σκάνδαλα, καὶ oi ποιοῦντες τὴν ἀνομίαν λογισμοὶ βληθῶσιν είς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ καταναλωθῇ τὰ χείρονα, καὶτούτων γινομένων είς συναίσθησιν ἔλθωσιν οἱ παραδεξάμενοι τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ πονηροῦ λόγους, τότε ἓν γενόμενοι ἡλιακὸν φῶς oi δίκαιοι λάμψουσιν ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτῶν. Τίνι δὲ λάμψουσιν, ἢ τοῖς ὑποδεειπὲροις. ἀπολαύσουσι τοῦ φωτὸς αὐτῶν, ἀνάλογον τῷ νῦν λάμπειν τὸν ἣλιον τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς; οὐ γὰρ δὴπου ἑαυτοῖς λάμψουσι. Μήποτε δὲ καὶ τό· ι Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀπογράψασθαι δυνατόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς καρδίας, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον τῷ Σολομῶντι, τριχῶς, ὥστε καὶ νῦν λάμπειν τὸ φῶς τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ μετὰ τήν ἔξοδον πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἕως ἂν καταντήσωσιν οἱ πάντες εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, καὶ γένωνται πάντες εἷς ἥλιος · τότε λάμψουσιν ib; ὁ ἥλιος ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτῶν. Περὶ τῆς παραβοᾴἦς τοῦ θησαυροῦ τοῦ κεκρυμμένου ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ. ### English translation (Claude) But since above, at “Then the righteous will shine like the sun,” we said that the righteous will not shine diversely as before but will all be as one sun, we must set out what occurs to us on the passage. Daniel, it seems, knowing that those who understand are the light of the world, and that the many among the righteous differ in glory, said: “And those who understand will shine like the brightness of the firmament, and from the many righteous like the stars forever.” And the Apostle too, in the words “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory; so also is the resurrection of the dead,” says the same as Daniel, having taken this thought from his prophecy. One might ask, then, how they speak of a difference in the light of the righteous, while the Saviour says the opposite: “They will shine as one sun.” I suppose, then, that at the beginning of the blessedness of those who are saved, because those who are not such have not yet been purified, there is the difference in the light of those who are saved; but when, as we have explained, all the stumbling blocks are gathered out of the whole kingdom of Christ, and the thoughts that do lawlessness are cast into the furnace of fire, and the worse things are consumed, and when, as this happens, those who received the words that are children of the evil one come to awareness, then the righteous, having become one light like the sun, will shine in the kingdom of their Father. But for whom will they shine? Or will those below them enjoy their light, as the sun now shines for those on earth? For surely they will not shine for themselves. But perhaps also “Let your light shine before men” can be written threefold on the breadth of the heart, according to what was said by Solomon, so that the light of Jesus’ disciples shines now before the rest of men, and after their departure before the resurrection, and after the resurrection, until all attain to a perfect man and all become one sun; then they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. On the parable of the treasure hidden in the field. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:43: quotation, high confidence - Dan 12:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:41: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:42: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:14: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 5:16: quotation, high confidence - Prov 22:20: allusion, high confidence - Eph 4:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:43; Dan 12:3; 1 Cor 15:41–42; Matt 5:16; Prov 22:20 LXX (“write them threefold on the breadth of your heart”); Eph 4:13. The last sentence is a heading in the edition. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.3 (PG 13:840d–844a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-4 - Source: PG 13:844a–844d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen argues that the treasure, the pearl and the net, told to the disciples in the house, are similitudes rather than parables. ### Greek text ι Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ὲν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὃν εὑρὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔκρυψε. ι Τὰς μὲν προτέρας παραβολὰς τοῖς ὄχλοις εἷπε ο ταύτην δὲ καὶ τὰς ἑξῆς αὐτῆς δύο, οὐ ’ παραβολὰς, ἀλλʼ ὁμοιώσεις πρὸς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν τυγχανούσας, ἔοικεν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ γενόμενος πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰρηκέναι* περὶ ἦς ὁ προσέχων τῇ ἀναγνώσει ἐξεταζέτω, καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς δύο, μήποτε οὐδὲ παραβολαί εἰσιν· ἐπʼ ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ὤκνησεν ὴ Γραφὴ καθʼ ἑκάστην προτάσσειν τὸ ὄνομα τῆς παραβολῆς· ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων τὸ αὐτὸ οὐ πεποίηκε. Kal εἰκότως γε τοῦτο πεποίηκεν· εἰ γὰρ τοῖς ὄχλοις ἐλάλησεν ὲν παραβολαῖς, ι καὶ ταῦτα πάντα ἐλάλησεν ἐν παραβολαῖς, καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς, ι οὐ τοῖς ὄχλοις δὲ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν διαλέγεται, ἀλλὰ. τοῖς προσελθοῦσιν αὑτῷ μαθηταῖς ὲν αὐτῇ· δῆλον, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ παραβολαὶ τὰ ὲν τῇ οἰκίᾳ λελαλη μένα σ τοῖς γὰρ ἔξω ὲν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖ, καὶ οἷς ι οὐ δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. ι Φήσει τις οὖν, Ei μή εἰσιν αὑταὶ παραβολαὶ, τί εἰσιν; Μήποτε οὖν τῇ λέξει ’ἑῆς Γραφῆς ἀκολουθοῦντες φήσομεν, ὅτι ὁμοιότητές εἰσι· Διαφέρει δὲ ὁμοιότης παραβολῆς ο γέγραπται γὰρ ὲν τῷ Μάρκῳ· ι Τίνι ὁμοιώσομεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ὲν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν; ι Ἐκ τούτου γὰρ παρίσταται διαφορὰν εἶναι ὁμοιώσεως καὶ παραβολῆς. Ἔοικεν οὖν ἡ μὲν ὁμοίωσις εἶναι γενικὴ, ή δὲ παραβολὴ εἰδική. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ή ὁμοίωο σις γενικωτάτη οὖσα τῆς παραβολῆς, ἔχει ὲν εῖδει, ὥσπερ τὴν παραβολὴν, οὕτω καὶ ὁμώνυμον τῷ γε· νικῷ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων συμβέβηκεν, ὡς τετηρήκασιν οἱ δεινοὶ περὶ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ὀνομάτων θέσιν οἵτινες λέγουσι καὶ γενικωτάτην εἶναι τὴν ὁρμὴν πολλῶν εἰδῶν, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀφορμῆς, καὶ ὁρμῆς, ὲν εἴδει λέγοντες ὁμωνύμως, τῷ γενικῷ παραλαμβάνεσθαι πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς ἀφορμῆς τὴν ὁρμήν- ### English translation (Claude) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid.” The earlier parables he spoke to the crowds; but this one and the two that follow it, which are not parables but similitudes of the kingdom of heaven, he seems to have spoken to the disciples when he was in the house. Concerning this one and the two that follow, let the attentive reader examine whether they are not parables at all. For in those cases Scripture did not hesitate to prefix the name “parable” to each one, but in these it has not done so. And it did this with reason. For if he spoke to the crowds in parables, and “all these things he spoke in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them,” but when he has gone into the house he converses not with the crowds but with the disciples who came to him there, it is clear that the things spoken in the house are not parables; for to those outside he speaks in parables, and to those to whom “it has not been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” Someone will say, then: “If these are not parables, what are they?” Perhaps, following the wording of Scripture, we shall say that they are similitudes. A similitude differs from a parable; for it is written in Mark: “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, or in what parable shall we set it?” From this it is shown that there is a difference between a similitude and a parable. It seems, then, that the similitude is generic and the parable specific. And perhaps the similitude, being the most generic, the genus of the parable, contains among its species both the parable and a similitude that bears the same name as the genus. This happens in other cases too, as those skilled in the assigning of names have observed: they say that “impulse” is the most generic of many species, such as repulsion and impulse, and that in the species “impulse” is used homonymously with the genus, in contrast to repulsion. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:44: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:34: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:11: quotation, high confidence - Mark 4:30: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:44; Matt 13:34; Matt 13:11; Mark 4:30. The genus–species example of “impulse” (ὁρμή) and “repulsion” (ἀφορμή) is Stoic terminology. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.4 (PG 13:844a–844d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-5 - Source: PG 13:844d–845c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The field may be Scripture with its plain words and the treasure its hidden meanings, or the field may be Christ, in whom the treasures of wisdom are hidden. ### Greek text Kal. ὲν τούτῳ ζητητέον ἰδία τὸν ἀγρὸν, καὶ ἰδίᾳ τὸν κεκρυμμένον ἐν αὐτῷ θησαυρὸν, καὶ τίνα τρόπον εὑρὼν τοῦτον κεκρυμμένον τὸν θησαυρὸν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς ἄπεισι καὶ πωλεῖ ὅσα ἔχει, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ τὸν ἀγρὸν ἐκεῖνον. Ζητητέον δὲ καὶ τίνα ἐστὶν ἀ πωλεῖ. Δοκεῖ δή μοι κατὰ ταῦτα ἀγρὸς μὲν εἶναι ἡ Γραφὴ καταφυτευθεϊσα τοῖς φανεροῖς τῶν ῥητῶν τῆς ἱστορίας, καὶ τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν νοημάτων· τῖολλὴ γὰρ φυτεία καὶ ποικίλη ἐστὶ καὶ ή τῶν ῥητῶν τῆς ὅλης Γραφῆς· ό δὲ τῷ ἀγρῷ κεκρυμμένος οησαυρος, τὰ ἀποκεκρυμμένα καὶ ὑποκείμενα τοῖς φανεροῖς νοήματα τῆς σοφίας ὲν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένης, κα) τῷ Χριστῷ, ι ὲν ᾧ είσιν οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως (Η) ἀπόκρυφοι. ι ’Ἄλλος δʼ ἂν λέγοι ἀγρὸν μὲν εἶναι τὸν ἀληθῶς πλήρη, όν εὐλόγησε Κύριος, τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦθεοῦ τὸν δὲ ὲν αὐτῷ κεκρυμμένον θησαυρὸν τὰ εἰρημένα παρά τῷ Παύλῳ κεκρύφθαι ἑν Χριστῷ, λέγοντι περὶ Χριστοῦ τόʼ ι Ἐν ᾧ εἰσιν oi θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας, καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. ι Τὰ οὐράνια τοίνυν πράγματα, καὶ ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ῶσπερ ὲν είκόνι γέγραπται ταῖς Γραφαῖς, αἵτινές είσιν ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἢ αὐτός ἐστιν ό Χριστὸς ό βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὠμοιωμένη Θησαυρῷ κεκρυμο μένῳ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ. ### English translation (Claude) Here too we must inquire separately about the field and separately about the treasure hidden in it, and in what way the man, having found this hidden treasure, goes away from joy and sells all that he has in order to buy that field. We must also inquire what the things are that he sells. It seems to me, then, that in these terms the field is the Scripture, planted with the plain words of the literal account, of the law, of the prophets, and with the other thoughts; for the planting of the words of the whole Scripture is great and varied. And the treasure hidden in the field is the thoughts hidden and lying beneath the plain ones, of the wisdom hidden in a mystery, and in Christ, “in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Another might say that the field is the one truly full, which the Lord blessed, the Christ of God, and that the treasure hidden in him is what Paul says is hidden in Christ, when he says of Christ: “In whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” The heavenly realities, therefore, and the kingdom of heaven, are written as in an image in the Scriptures, which are the kingdom of heaven; or else Christ himself, the king of the ages, is the kingdom of heaven, likened to treasure hidden in the field. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:44: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Col 2:3: quotation, high confidence - Gen 27:27: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 1:17: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 13:44; 1 Cor 2:7; Col 2:3; Gen 27:27 (“the field which the Lord has blessed”); 1 Tim 1:17 (“king of the ages”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.5 (PG 13:844d–845c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-6 - Source: PG 13:845c–848b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The finder hides the treasure because the secret meanings of Scripture are not to be disclosed to all, and buys the field by giving up all his former wickedness. ### Greek text Γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ζητήσεις πότερον ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν μόνῳ τῷ θησαυρῷ ὡμοίωται τῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ὲν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὡς ἄλλον νοεῖν τῆς βασιλείας τὸν ἀγρόν· ἢ ὅλῳ τούτῳ ὡμοίωται Θησαυρῷ κεκρυμμένῳ ὲν τῷ ἀγρῷ, ὼς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἔχειν κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν καὶ τὸν ἀγρὸν, καὶ τὸν κεκρυμμένον ὲν τῷ ἀγρῷ θησαυρόν. Ἐλθὼν δέ τις ἅνθρωπος είς τὸν ἀγρὸν, εἴτε τὰς Γραφὰς, εἴτε τὸν Χριστὸν τόν ὲκ φανερῶν καὶ κρυπτῶν συνεστηκότα, εὐρίσκει τὸν κεκρυμμένον τῆς σοφίας θησαυρὸν είτε έν Χριστῷ εἴτε ὲν ταῖς Γραφαίςʼ ἐμπεριερχόμενος γάρ τὸν ἀγρὸν, καὶ ἐρευνῶν τάς Γραφάς, καὶ ζητῶν νοῆσαι· τὸν Χριστὸν, εὑρίσκει τὸν ὲν αὐτῷ θησαυρὸν, καὶ εὑρὼν κρύπτει, οὐκ ἀκίνδυνα εἶναι νομίζων τὰ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀπόρρητα νοήματα, ἢ τοὺς ὲν Χριστῷ Θησαυροὺς σοφίας καὶ· γνώσεως ἐκφαίνειν τοῖς τυχοῦσι, καὶ κρύψας ἄπεισι, πραγματευόμενος πῶς ἀγοράσει τὸν ἀγρὸν, ἦτοι τὰς Γραφὰς, ἵνα ἱδιον κτῆμα αὐτὰς ποιήσῃ, λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ τά λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀ πρῶτον Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπιστεύθησαν· καὶ ἀγοράσαντος τοῦ μαθητευθέντος Χριστῷ τὸν ἀγρὸν, ι ἀφαιρεῖται ἀπʼ ἐκείνων ή βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, ι ἥτις ἐστὶ κατʼ ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀμπελὼν, ι καὶ δίδοται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ι τῷδιὰ τῆς πίστεως ἀγοράσαντι τὸν ἀγρὸν ὲκ τοῦ πε. πρακέναι πάντα τά ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ μηδὲν τῶν πρότερον ὑπαρχόντων, κακία δὲ ὑπῆρχεν αὐτῷ, ἔτι ἔχειν παρʼ ἐαυτῷ. Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ ὲφαρμόσεις, κᾶν ἀγρὸςδ έχων τὸν κεκρυμμένον θησαυρὸν ό Χριστὸς οἱ γὰρ ἀφέντες πάντα, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦντες αὐτῷ, οἱονεὶ κατʼ ἄλλον λόγον πεπράκασι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶν, ἶνα διὰ τοῦ πεπρακέναι καὶ ἀποδόσθαι ἐκεῖνα, καὶ ἀντʼ ὲκείνων καλὴν προαίρεσιν βοηθουμένους αὐτοὺς εἰληφέναι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, ὼνήσωνται τῆς πολλῆς τιμῆς καὶ ἀξίας τοῦ ἀγροῦ τὸν ἔχοντα θησαυρὸν κεκρυμμένον ἐν ### English translation (Claude) When you come to the passage, you will inquire whether the kingdom of heaven is likened only to the treasure hidden in the field, so that the field is understood as something other than the kingdom; or whether it is likened to this whole, treasure hidden in the field, so that the kingdom of heaven, according to the similitude, includes both the field and the treasure hidden in the field. Now a man who comes to the field, whether the Scriptures or the Christ who is made up of things manifest and things hidden, finds the hidden treasure of wisdom, whether in Christ or in the Scriptures. For going about the field, searching the Scriptures and seeking to understand Christ, he finds the treasure in it; and having found it he hides it, thinking it not without danger to disclose to just anyone the secret meanings of the Scriptures or the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. And having hidden it he goes away, working out how he may buy the field, that is, the Scriptures, to make them his own possession, receiving from those of God the oracles of God with which the Jews were first entrusted. And when the one who has become Christ’s disciple buys the field, “the kingdom of God is taken” from them—which in another parable is a vineyard—“and is given to a nation producing its fruits,” to the one who bought the field by faith, having sold all his possessions and no longer keeping with him anything of what he possessed before; and what he possessed was wickedness. You will apply the same if the field that has the hidden treasure is Christ. For those who left everything and followed him have, as it were, in another sense sold their possessions, so that, having sold and given up those things, and having received in their place from God a good choice of will, being helped by him, they may buy, at the great price that the field is worth, the field that has the treasure hidden in … ### Scripture references - John 5:39: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 3:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:33: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 19:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:44: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 5:39; Rom 3:2; Matt 21:43 (the vineyard, Matt 21:33); Matt 19:27. The phrase “from those of God” is obscure in the scan text (translated literally). The section breaks off mid-sentence in the scan text (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.6 (PG 13:845c–848b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-7 - Source: PG 13:848b–853b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen gathers from a treatise on stones what is said about the kinds of pearls, their origins in India, Britain, the Bosporus and Acarnania, and how they form. ### Greek text ι Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἠ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἁνθρὼπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας. ι Ἐπειδὴ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοία ἐστὶ, πολλῶν όντων ὲμπόρων πολλά ὲμπορευομένων, οὐδενὶ ὲκείνων, τῷ δὲ ζητοῦντι τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας. καὶ εὑρόντιὲνα ἀντάξιον τῶν πολλῶν, πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην, ὃν ἀντὶ πάντων ἠγόρασεν, εὔλογον ἠγοῦμαι τυγχάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ μαργαρίτου ἑξετάσαι. Παρατήρει δὲ ἐπιμελῶς, ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι πέπρακε πάντας οὒς εἶχεν οὐ γάρ μόνους οὓς ό ζητῶν καλοὺς μαργαρίτας ἐώνηται πέπρακεν, ἀλλά καὶ πάντα ὅσα εἶχεν, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ τὸν μαργαρίτην ἐκεῖνον. Εῦρομεν οὖν παρὰ τοῖς περὶ λίθων πραγματευσαμένοις περὶ τῆς φύσεως τοῦ μαργαρίτου ταῦτα, ὅτι τῶν μαργαριτῶν οἱ μέν εἰσι χερσαῖοι. οἱ δὲ θαλάττιοι ο καὶ οἱ μὲν χερσαῖοι παρʼ Ἰνδοῖς μόνοις γίνονται, πρέποντες σφραγῖσι καὶ σφενδόναις. καὶ ὅρμοις· oi θαλάττιοι, οϊμὲν διαφέροντες παρὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς Ἰνδοῖς εὑρίσκονται, οἵτινές εἱσι καὶ άριστοι, ὲν τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ γινόμενοι. Δευτερεύουσι δὲ ὡς ἐν μαργαρίταις οἱ ὲκ τοῦ κατὰ Βρεττανίαν Ὠκεανοῦ λαμβςιινόμενοι τρίτοι δὲ καὶ ἀπολειπόμενοι ού μόνον τῶν πρώτων, ἀλλά καὶ τῶν δευτέρων, οἱ κατὰ Βόσπορον περὶ τὴν Σκυθίαν εύρισκόμενοι. Ἔτι δὲ ταῦτα ἐλέγετο περὶ τοῦ Ἰνδικοῦ μαργαρίτου, ὅτι ὲν κόγχοις γίνεται (Eii) προσεοικόσι τὴν φύσιν εὐμεγέθεσι στρόμβοις· οὗτοι δὲ ἱστοροῦνται οἱονεὶ κατὰ ἴλας τὴν θαλάττιον ποιούμενοι νομὴν, καθάπερ ἁγελάρχου τινὸς ἐξηγουμένου, περόπτου τὴν χρόαν, καὶ τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ διαφέροντος τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτόν· ὥστε ἀναλογίαν αὐτὸν ἔχειν τῷ καλουμένῳ ἐσσῆνι μελισσῶν. Ἰστόρηται δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς θήρας τῶν διαφερόντων, τουτέστι τῶν ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ, ὅτι περιλαμβάνοντες oi ἐπιχώριοι δικτύοις κύκλον αἰγιαλοῦ μέγαν, xataxoitupwctv, ἕνα ἐξ ἁπάντων τὸν προηγούμενον ἐπιτηδεύοντες λαβεῖν ’ τούτου γὰρ ἁλόντος, φασιν ἀμοχθον γενέσθαι τὴν θήραν τῆς ὑπὸ τούτῳ ἀγέλης, ούδενδς ἔτι ἀτρεμοῦντος τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτῆς, ἀλλʼ οἷον δεδεμένου ἱμάντι, καὶ ἑπομένου τῷ ἁγελάρχῃ. Λέγεται δὲ καὶ η γένεσις τῶν ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ μαργαριτῶν χρόνοις συνίστασθαι, τροπὰς λαμβάνοντος τοῦ ζώου πλείονας, καὶ μεταβολὰς, ἕως τελειωθῇ. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἱστόρηται, ὅτι διοίγεται ὁ κόγχος χάσμῃ παραπλησίως, ὁ τοῦ φέ ροντος τὸν μαργαρίτην (dion, καὶ διοιχθεὶς τὴν οὐράνιον εἰς ἑαυτὸν δέχεται δρόσον· ἦς ἐμπλησθεὶς καθαρᾶς καὶ ἀθολώτου, περιαυγὴς γίνεται, καὶ λοχεύει μέγαν καὶ εὔρυθμον τὸν λίθον. Ἐί δέ ποτε ἐπηχλυμένης, καὶ ἀνωμάλου χει‹ μερίου τε μεταλάβῃ δρόσου, ὁμιχλώδη κύει μαργαρίτην, καὶ κηλίσιν ἐπίμωμον. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εὖρομεν, ὃτι εί μεσολαβηθείη ὁδεύων ἐπὶ τὴν πλήρωσιν οὗ κύει λίθου ὑπὸ ἀστραπῆς, μύει, καὶ ὡσπερεῖ τῷ δείματι σκορπίζει, καὶ ’διαχεῖ τὸν γόνον είς τὰ λεγόμενα φυσήματα. Ἔστι δὲ ὅτε καθάπερ ἡλιτόμηνα γεννᾶται βραχέα, καὶ ἀχλύος τι ἔχοντα, πλὴν εῦρυθμα. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἔχει 6 Ἰνδικὸς μαργαρίτης παρὰ τοὺς ᾇλλους λευκός ὲστι τὴν χρόαν ἀργύρῳ διαφανεί προσφερὴς, αὐγήν τε ὑποχλωρίζουσαν ἠρέμα διαλάμπειν, ὡς ὲπίπαν δὲ σχῆμα ἔχει στρογγύλον· ἐστι δὲ καὶ τρυφερόχρως, καὶ ἁπαλώτεροςῆ κατὰ λίθον. Οὕτως δέ ἐστιν ἐπιτερπὴς ἰδέσθαι, ὡς καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ὲμφανεστέροις, καθὰ 6 ἀναγράψας ἔλεγε περὶ τῶν λίθων, ἀφυμνεῖσθαι. Ἐτι καὶ τοῦτο σημεῖόν ἐστιν ἀρίστου μαργαρίτου τὸ τὴν περιφέρειαν τετορνευμένην ἔχειν, καὶ τὸ χρῶμα λευκότατον καὶ διαυγέστατον, καὶ τῷ μεγέθει μέγιστον. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦ Ἰνδικοῦ· 6 δὲ κατὰ Βρετταο νίαν, φασὶ, χρυσωπὸς μὲν ἔστι τὴν ὲπίχροιαν, ὁμιχλώδης δέ τις, κα) ταῖς μαρμαρυγαῖς ἀμβλύτερος 6 δὲ ἐν τῷ πορθμῷ τῷ κατὰ Βόσπορον κνεφωδέστιο ρος τοῦ Βρεττανικοῦ, καὶ πελιδνὸς, καὶ τέλεον ἀμυδρὸς, ἁπαλός τε καὶ μακρομεγέθης. Καὶ γεννῦται δὲ 6 ὲν τῷ κατὰ Βόσπορον πορθμῷ οὐκ ὲν ταῖς πίνηναις, ὃ ἐστιν ὀστράκων εἶδος μαργαριτοφόρον, … ἀλλʼ ἐν τοῖς προσαγορευομένοις μυσίο τούτοις δὲ, λέγω δὴ τοῖς κατὰ Βόσπορον, ἡ νομὴ ὲν τέλμασιν ἐστιν. Ἱστόρηται δὲ καὶ τέταρτον γένος εἶναι μαργαριτῶν περὶ τὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν ἐν ταῖς τῶν ὀστρέων πίνναιςο οὐ σπουδαῖοι δὲ οὗτοι ἄγαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄρρυθμοι, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὸ χρῶμα τέλεον διατεθολωμένοι καὶ ρυπῶντες. Καὶ ἄλλοι δὲ παρὰ τούτους εἰσὶ περὶ τὴν αὐτὴν Ἀκαρνανίαν πάντων ἕνεκεν ἀπόβλητοι. ### English translation (Claude) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls.” Since, although there are many merchants trading in many things, the kingdom of heaven is like none of them, but like the one seeking fine pearls, who found one pearl worth the many, a very precious pearl, which he bought in exchange for all, I think it reasonable to examine the nature of the pearl. Observe carefully that he did not say that he sold all the pearls he had; for the one seeking fine pearls sold not only those he had bought but also everything he had, in order to buy that pearl. Now we have found the following about the nature of the pearl among those who have written on stones. Of pearls some are of the land and some of the sea. Those of the land occur only among the Indians and are suited for signets, settings and necklaces. Of the sea pearls, the superior ones are found among the same Indians; they are also the best, and occur in the Red Sea. Second among pearls are those taken from the Ocean off Britain; and third, falling short not only of the first but also of the second, are those found at the Bosporus near Scythia. Further, this was said of the Indian pearl: that it is formed in shells resembling in nature large spiral sea snails. These, it is recorded, feed in the sea as if in troops, as though led by a herd leader, conspicuous in colour and size and different from those under it, so that it is analogous to what is called the king of the bees. It is also recorded about the catching of the superior ones, that is, those in India, that the inhabitants surround a great circle of the shore with nets and dive down, aiming to take out of them all the one that leads; for when this is caught, they say, the catching of the herd under it becomes effortless, none of those under it staying still any longer, but each following the herd leader as though bound by a thong. It is said also that the formation of the pearls in India takes time, the creature undergoing many turns and changes until it is perfected. And this too is recorded: that the shell of the creature that bears the pearl opens as if yawning and, when opened, receives the heavenly dew into itself; when it is filled with dew that is pure and unclouded, it becomes radiant and gives birth to a large and well-proportioned stone. But if it ever receives darkened, irregular and wintry dew, it conceives a cloudy pearl, blemished with spots. And this too we have found: that if, while it is advancing toward the completion of the stone it carries, it is intercepted by lightning, it closes, and as if from fright scatters and pours out its offspring into what are called blisters. Sometimes small ones are born, as if prematurely, with something of cloudiness, but well-proportioned. Further, the Indian pearl has this beyond the others: it is white in colour, like translucent silver, gently shining with a faintly greenish gleam, and generally round in shape; it is also of delicate colour and softer than a stone. It is so delightful to see that, as the writer on stones said, it is praised among the more eminent. And this too is a sign of the best pearl: that its circumference is as if turned on a lathe, its colour whitest and most translucent, and its size the greatest. So much for the Indian pearl. The one from Britain, they say, has a golden surface colour, but is somewhat cloudy and duller in its sparkle; the one in the strait at the Bosporus is darker than the British, livid, quite dim, soft and elongated. And the pearl in the strait at the Bosporus is formed not in the pinnae, a kind of pearl-bearing shellfish, … but in those called mussels; and for these, I mean those at the Bosporus, the feeding ground is in marshes. A fourth kind of pearl is recorded around Acarnania, in the pinnae among the oysters; these are not very good, but irregular in shape and quite turbid and dirty in colour. And there are others besides these around the same Acarnania, to be rejected on every count. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:45: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:46: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Matt 13:45–46. The “writer on stones” is not named; the source is unidentified. A note of the Latin editor (a variant reading of the phrase about the greenish gleam) intruded into the scan text and has been removed; a few words around it are lost (“…”). The word rendered “dive down” is garbled in the scan OCR (by sense). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.7 (PG 13:848b–853b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-8 - Source: PG 13:853b–856b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The fine pearls are the prophets, the one precious pearl is Christ, and the cloudy pearls of the marshes are the teachings of heretics. ### Greek text Ταῦτα δὲ συναγαγὼν ὲκ τῆς περὶ λίθων πραγματείας. φημςι τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἐπιστάμενον διαφορὰν μαργαριτῶν, ὧν ὲν τῷ γένει εἰσὶ καὶ καλοὶ καὶ ἀλλοι φαῦλοι, εἰρηκέναι τόσ ι Ὁμοία ἐστὶνὴ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας ι εί γὰρ μὴ καὶ φαῦλοι ἦσάν τινες ἐν μαργαρίταις, οὐκ ἂν εἴρηται, ‹ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας. ι Ἐν τοῖς παντοδαποῖς δὲ ἐπαγγελλομένοις ἀλήθειαν λόγοις καὶ τοῖς φέρουσιν αὐτοὺς ζητεί τοὺς μαργαρίτας ’ καὶ ἔστωσαν, ἵνα οὕτως όνομάσω, οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς οὐρανίου δρόσου συλλαμβάνοντες κόγχοι, καὶ κύοντες ἐξ οὐρανοῦ λόγον ἀληθείας, προφῆται, oi καλοὶ μαργαρῖται, οὒς ό κατὰ τὴν προκειμένην λέξιν ζητεί ἔμπορος ἅνθρωπος. Ὀ δὲ ἀγελάρχης τῶν μαργαριτῶν, ᾦ εὑρισκομένῳ καὶ ol λοιποὶ συνευρίσκονται, 6 πολυτίμητος μαργαρίτης, ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, 6 ὑπὲρ τὰ τίμια γράμματα καὶ νοήματα τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν λόγος, οὑ εὑρεθέντος καὶ τʼ ἄλλα πάντα εὐμαρῶς παραλαμδά νονται. Διαλέγεται δὲ 6 Σωτὴρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς πᾶσιν, ὡς ἀνθρώποις ἐμπόροις, οὑ μόνον ζητοῦσι τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας, ἀλλὰ κα) εὑροῦσιν αὑτοὺς, καί κεκτημένοις, ὲν οἷς φησιο ι Μὴ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. ι Δῆλον δὲ, ὅτι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ταῦτα λέλεκται ὲκ τοῦ προτετάχθαι τῶν λόγων τό· ι Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ δρος, καὶ καθίσαντος αὑτοῦ προσῆλθον αὑτῷ ol μαθητσίι αὑτοῦ · › ὲν γὰρ τῷ είρμῷ τῶν λόγων ἐκείνων εἴρηται· ε Μὴ δῶτε τὸ ἆγιον τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ βάλητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. ι Μήποτε οὖν 6 fidem μαργαρίτας, ἢ τὸν πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην, οὑδὲ μαθητής ἐστι τοῦ Σωτῆρος, τοὺς μαργαρίτας τοὺς καλοὺς, οὑ τοὺς νεφὼδεις, οὑδὲ τοὺς ἀχλυώδεις, ὁποῖοί εἰσιν οἱ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων λόγοι, οὑ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς γεννώμενοι, ἀλλὰ πρὸς δυσμὰς ἦ πρὸς βορρᾶν, εί χρὴ ταῦτα προσπαραλαμῢάνειν, διʼ ἦν εὕρομεν διαφορὰν μαργαριτῶν ἐν διαφόροις γινομένων τόποις. Τάχα δὲ οί τεθολωμένα λόγοι καὶ ὲν τοῖς ἔργοις σαρκὸς κατειλιγμέναι αἱρέσεις oi ἀχλυώδεις εἰσὶ καὶ οἱ ὲν τέλμασι γινόμενοι μαργαρῖται οὑ καλοί. ### English translation (Claude) Having gathered these things from the treatise on stones, I say that the Saviour, knowing the difference among pearls, of which in the one kind some are fine and others base, said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking the fine pearls.” For if some pearls were not also base, it would not have been said, “seeking fine pearls.” Among words of every sort that profess the truth, and among those who bring them, he seeks the pearls. And let the shells that conceive from the heavenly dew and become pregnant with the word of truth from heaven be—if I may so name them—the prophets: these are the fine pearls which the merchant in the present text seeks. And the herd leader of the pearls, with whose finding the others are found together, the very precious pearl, is the Christ of God, the Word who surpasses the precious letters and thoughts of the law and the prophets; when he has been found, all the others too are easily taken. The Saviour converses with all the disciples as with merchants who not only seek the fine pearls but have also found them and possess them, where he says: “Do not throw your pearls before the swine.” That this was said to the disciples is clear from what precedes those words: “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him”; for in the sequence of those words it is said: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before the swine.” Perhaps, then, the one who does not have pearls, or the very precious pearl, is not even a disciple of the Saviour—fine pearls, I mean, not the cloudy or the misty, such as are the words of the heterodox, which are born not toward the east but toward the west or the north, if we must also take this into account because of the difference we found in pearls born in different places. And perhaps the turbid words and the heresies wrapped up in the works of the flesh are the misty pearls, and those born in marshes, which are not fine. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:45: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:1: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:19: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 5:20: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:45; Matt 7:6; Matt 5:1; allusion to the works of the flesh, Gal 5:19–20. The words “the one who does not have” are a reading by sense of a garbled word in the scan OCR. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.8 (PG 13:853b–856b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-9 - Source: PG 13:856c–857b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The many fine pearls of the law and prophets prepare for the one pearl, Christ, as the partial glory of Moses prepares for the surpassing glory of the gospel. ### Greek text Συνάψεις δὲ τῷ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας τό· ι Ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε ο › καὶ τό· ι Πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει. ι Τί γὰρ ζητεῖτε; ἢ τί πᾶς 6 ζητῶν εὑρίσκει; Ἀποτολμησας εἴπω, τοὺς μαργαρίτας, καὶ τὸν μαργαρίτην, ὃν 6 πάντα δοὺς καὶ ζηο μιωθεὶς κτᾶται, διʼὄν φησιν 6 Παῦλος· ι Τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω, ι πάντα λέγων τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας· ε ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω, ι τὸν ἕνα πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην. Τίμιον μὲν οὖν λύχνος τοῖς ἐν σκότει, καὶ χρεία λύχνου ἓως ἀνατείλῃ ό ἦλιος· τιμία δὲ καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ προσώπου Μωὺσέως δόξα, ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι ὅτι καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, καὶ καλὸν θέαμα, διʼ ἦς είσαγόμεθα πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι ίδεῖν τὴν δόξαν Χριστοῦ, μαρτυρῶν 6 Πατήρ φησινʼ ι Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 Υἱός μου 6 ἀγαπητὸς, είς ὃν ηὑδὸκησα. Ἀλλʼ οὑ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ὲν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει ἕνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης, ι καὶ χρεία ἡμῖν πρότερον δόξης τῆς ἐπιδεχομένης,καταργησιν ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑπερὸαλλοὺσης δόξης, ὡς χρεία σεως τῆς ὲκ μέρους, ἥτις καταργηθήσεται, ὅταν ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον. Πᾶσα τοίνυν ψυχὴ ἐρχομένη είς νηπιότητα, καὶ όδεὺουσα ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα δεῖται, μέχρις ἐνστῇ αὑτῇ τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου, παιδαγωγοῦ, καὶ οίκονόμων, καὶ ἐπιτρόπων, ἵνα μετά ταῦτα πάντα 6 πρότερον μηδὲν διαφέρων δούλου, Κύριος πάντων ὢν, ἀπολάβῃ ἐλευθερωθεὶς ἀπὸ παις διγωγοῦ, καὶ οἰκονόμων, καὶ ἐπιτρόπων τά πατρῷα, τά ἀνάλογον τῷ πολυτιμήτω μαργαρίτῃ, καὶ τῷ ἐρχομένῳ τελείῳ καταργοῦντι τὸ ἐκ μέρους, ὅταν τδ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ χωρῆσαί τις δυνηθῇ, προεγγυμνασάμενος ταῖς, ἵνʼ οὓτως ὀνομάσω, ὑπερεχυμέναις γνώσεσιν ὑπὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ γνώσεως. Ἀλλʼ oi πολλοὶ, μὴ νοήσαντες τὸ κάλλος τῶν πολλῶν μαργαριτῶν νομικῶν, καὶ τὴν ἐτι ἐκ μέρους γνῶσιν τὴν πᾶσαν προφητικὴν, οῖονται δύνασθαι χωρὶς ἐκείνων τρανουμένων καὶ καταλαμβανομένων διʼ ὅλων εὑρεῖν τὸν ἕνα πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην, καὶ θεωρῆσαι τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὗ συγκρίσει πάντα τά πρὸ τῆς τηλικαύτης καὶ τοσαύτης γνώσεως, οὑ σκύβαλα τῇ ἰδίᾳ φύσει τυγχάνοντα, σκύβαλα ἀναφαίνεται, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τὰ παραβαλλόμενα τάχα τῇ συκῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀμπελουργοῦ κόπρια, αἴτια τυγχάνοντα τοῦ αὐτὴν καρποφορῆσαι. ### English translation (Claude) You will connect with the one seeking fine pearls the saying, “Seek, and you will find,” and this: “Everyone who seeks finds.” For what are you seeking? Or what does everyone who seeks find? I will venture to say: the pearls, and the pearl which the one who has given all and suffered the loss of all acquires; the one on account of whom Paul says, “I have suffered the loss of all things, that I may gain Christ,” meaning by “all things” the fine pearls, and by “that I may gain Christ” the one very precious pearl. A lamp, then, is precious to those in darkness, and there is need of a lamp until the sun rises; and precious too is the glory on the face of Moses—and, I think, of the prophets as well—and a fine sight, by which we are led on so as to be able to see the glory of Christ, to whom the Father bears witness, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” But “what was glorified has not been glorified in this respect because of the glory that surpasses it”; and we need first the glory that admits of being done away, for the sake of the glory that surpasses it, as we need the knowledge that is in part, which will be done away when the perfect comes. Every soul, then, that comes into infancy and is travelling toward perfection needs, until the fullness of time comes upon it, a tutor, stewards and guardians, so that after all these things the one who formerly differed in nothing from a slave, though he is lord of all, may, set free from tutor, stewards and guardians, receive his father’s inheritance—which corresponds to the very precious pearl and to the perfect that comes and does away with what is in part—when one is able to contain the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ, having first been exercised in the kinds of knowledge that are, if I may so put it, surpassed by the knowledge of Christ. But the many, not having understood the beauty of the many pearls of the law and the knowledge, still in part, of all prophecy, think that without these being made clear and fully grasped they can find the one very precious pearl and behold the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, in comparison with which all things that come before such great and lofty knowledge—not being refuse by their own nature—appear as refuse; they are perhaps the dung put round the fig tree by the vinedresser, which is the cause of its bearing fruit. ### Scripture references - Matt 7:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:8: quotation, high confidence - 2 Pet 1:19: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 3:7: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:17: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:9: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:10: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:1: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:2: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:4: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 13:8: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 7:7–8; Phil 3:8; 2 Pet 1:19 (lamp till day dawns); 2 Cor 3:7–11; Matt 3:17; 1 Cor 13:9–10; Gal 4:1–4; Phil 3:8 (refuse); Luke 13:8 (dung round the fig tree). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.9 (PG 13:856c–857b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-10 - Source: PG 13:857b–857c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: As elementary teaching must be valued and then passed beyond, so the law and prophets prepare for the perfect understanding of the Gospel. ### Greek text Τοῖς πᾶσι τσίνυν ὁ χρόνος, καὶ καιρὸς τῷ παντὶ πράγματι ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἔστι τις καιρὸς τοῦ συναγαγεῖν τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας λίθους, καὶ καιρὸς μετὰ τὴν συναγωγὴν αὑτῶν τοῦ εὑρεῖν ἕνα πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην, ὅτε καθήκει ἀπελθόντα πωλῆσαι πάντα ὅσα τις ἔχει, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ τὸν μαργαρίτην ἐκεῖνονʼ ὥσπερ γάρ πάντα τὸν ἐσόμενον σοφὸν ἐν λόγοις ἀληθείας δεήσει στοιχειωθῆναι πρότερον, καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διαῦἧναι τῆς στοιχειώσεως, καὶπερὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖσθαι τὴν στοιχείωσιν, οὐ μὴν ἀπομένειν ἐν τῇ στοιχειώσει, ὡς τιμήσαντα αὑτὴν κιτά τὰς ἀρχὰς, ἁλλά διαβάντα ἐπὶ τελειότητα, χάριν ἔχειν τῇ εἰσαγωγῇ, ώς χρησίμῳ γενομένῃ κατά τὰ πρότερα· οὕτω τελείως νοηθέντα τὰ νομικὰ καὶ τὰ προφητικὲμ στοιχείωσίς ἐστι πρὸς τελείωσιν νοούμενον τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον, καὶ πάντα τὸν περὶ τῶν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἔργων καὶ λόγων νοῦν. ### English translation (Claude) For all things, then, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; there is a time to gather the fine pearl stones, and a time, after gathering them, to find one very precious pearl, when it is fitting for one to go away and sell all that he has in order to buy that pearl. For just as everyone who is to become wise in the words of truth must first be taught the elements, and pass through the elementary teaching more fully, and value it highly—yet not remain in the elements, as one who honoured them at the beginning, but having passed on to perfection, be grateful for the introduction as having been useful at the earlier stage—so the things of the law and the prophets, when perfectly understood, are an elementary teaching toward the perfect understanding of the Gospel and of the whole meaning of the works and words of Christ Jesus. ### Scripture references - Eccl 3:1: quotation, high confidence - Eccl 3:5: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 6:1: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions: Eccl 3:1, 5 (a time to gather stones); Heb 6:1 (going on to perfection). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.10 (PG 13:857b–857c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-11 - Source: PG 13:857d–861b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Against those who read the net as proof of fixed good and evil natures, Origen argues from Ezekiel that human beings become good or bad by free choice. ### Greek text ι Πάλιν ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σα·γήνῃ βληθείσῃ είς τὴν θάλασσαν. ι Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν εἰκόνων καὶ τῶν ἀνδριάντων αἱ ὁμοιότητες οὑκ ἐξ ὅλων είσὶν ὁμοιότητες ἐκείνων πρὸς ἃ. ταῦτα γίνεται, ἀλλʼ ή μὲν ἐν ἐπιπέδῳ ξύλῳ, φέρε εἰπεῖν κηρογραφουμένη είκὼν τῆς ἐπιφανείας μετά τοῦ χρώματος ἔχει τὴν ὁμοιότητα, οὐκέτι δὲ σώζει τὰς εἰσοχάς καὶτὰς ἐξοχὰς, ἀλλʼ ἔμφασιν μόνην αὐτῶν· ή δὲ κατά τοὺς ἀνδριάντας πλάσις τὸ μὲν κατὰ τὰς είσοχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξοχὰς πειρᾶται σώζειν ὁμοίωμα, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ κατά τὴν χρόαν σ ἐὰν δὲ καὶ κήρινον ἐκμαγεῖον γένηται, σώζειν μὲν πειρᾶται ἀμφότεραν λέγω δὲ καὶ κατά τὴν χρόαν, καὶ κατά τὰς κοιλότητας καὶ ἐξοχὰς, οὐ μὴν καὶ τῶν ὲν βάθει εἰκὼν ἐστινʼ οὕτω μοι νόει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατά τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ὁμοιώσεων, τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοιουμένην τινὶ ὁμοιοῦσθαι οὐ κατὰ πάντα τὰ προσόντα τῷ είςδ ή ὁμοίωσις, ἀλλὰ διά τινα ὧν χρῄζει ό παραληφθεὶς λόγος. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ὴ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· ι οὐχ ὠς οἴονταί τινες περιστάντες τῷ λόγῳ φύσεις εἶναι ὑποκειμένας διαφόρους τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην ἐληλυθότων πονηρῶν καὶ δικαίων · ὥστε νομίζειν εἶναι διὰ τόν ι Ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ, ι δικαίων πολλὰς καὶ διαφόρους φύσεις, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ πονηρῶν· τῇ γάρ τοιαύτῃ ἐκδοχή ἐναντιοῦνται πᾶσαι αἱ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἐμφαίνουσαι Γραφαὶ, καὶ αἰτιώμεναι μὲν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, ἀποδεχόμεναι δὲ τοὺς κατορθοῦντας · οὑκ ἂν δικαίως μέμψεως τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν γενῶν φύσειθτοιούτων τυγχαε νόντων ἀκολουθούσης, ἢ ἐπαίνου τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειοτέρων. Ἰχθύων γὰρ φαύλων καὶ καλῶν ήαί-η τία, οὐ περὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἰχθύων ἐστὶν, ἀλλά περὶ ἐκεῖνο, ὅπερ ἐπιστάμενος ὁ Λόγος εἶπεν ι Ἐξαγιγέτω τὰ ὕδατα ἑρπετά ψυχῶν ζωσῶν, ι ὅτε καὶ ι ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ κήτη τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζώων ἑρπετῶν, ἃ ἐξήγαγε τὰ ὕδατα κατὰ· γένη αὐτῶν. › Οὐκοῦν ἐκεῖ μὲν πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ζώων ιρπετῶν ἐξήγαγε τά ὕδατα κατά γένη αὐτῶν, οὐκ οὕσης τῆς αἰτίας περὶ αὐτήν ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν οἱ αἴτιοι τοῦ εἶναι καλά καὶ ἀξια τῶν λεγομένων ἁγγῶν γένη, ἢ σαπρὰ καὶ ἄξια τοῦ ἔξω βληο θῆναιʼ ού γάρ φύσις ὲν ήμϊν αίτία τῆςʼπονηρίας. ἀλλά προαίρεσις ἑκούσιος οὖσα κακοποιητική. οὕτως δὲ οὐδὲ φύσις αίτία δικαιοσύνης, ὡς ἀνεπίδεκτος ἀδικίας, ἀλλά λόγος δν παρεδεξάμεθα, ὁ κατασκευάζων δικαίους υ καὶγὰρ τὰ μὲν τῶν ἐνύδρων γένη οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν μεταβάλλοντα ἀπὸ φαύλων ὼς ὲν ἰχθύσι ἐπὶ τὰ ἀστεῖα, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν βελτιόνων ἐπὶ τὰ χείρονα· τοὺς δὲ ὲν ἀνθρώποις δικαίους ἢ πονηροὺς ἀεὶ ἔστι θεωρεῖν ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ὲκ κακίας φθάνοντας. ἡ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν προκοπῆς ἀναλυομένους ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς κακίας χύσιν. Διὸ καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἱεζεκιῆλ περὶ μὲν τοῦ ἀπὸ ἀνομίας ἐπιστρέφοντος ἐπὶ τὴν τήρησιν τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν τοιαῦτα γέγραπται· ι Καὶγό ἄνομος ἐὰν ἀποστρέψῃ ὲκ πασῶν ἀνομιῶν αὑτοῦ ὦν εποίησε, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ · ι Ὠς τὸ ἀποστρέψαι αύτὺνὲκ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς πονηρᾶς, καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν· ι περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀναλυομένου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν προκοπῆς ἐπὶ τήν τῆς κακίας χύσιν, τοιαῦτα· ι Ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀποστρέψαι δίκαιον ὲκ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιῆσαι ἀδικίαν, ι καὶτὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ ὲν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὑτοῦ, αἶς ἥμαρτεν, ὲν αὐταῖς ἀποθανεῖται.» Ἦ λεγέτωσανὴ μτν οι ὲκ τῆς κατὰ σαγήνην παρασολῆς φύσεις εἰσάγοντες, ὀ ἄνομος ὕστερον ἀποστρέφων ὲκ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ ὧν εποίησε, καί φυλάσσων τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου, καί ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἔλεον, ποίας φύσεως ἦν ἄνομοςῶνς ού γὰρ δὴ τῆς ὲπαινετῆς. Ἀλλʼ εί ἄρα ψεκτῆς, καὶ ποίας φύσεως εὐλόγως ἂν λεχθῇ, ὅτε ἀποστρέφει ὲκ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν ἑαυτοῦ ὧν ὲποίησεν; El μὲν γὰρ τῆς φαύλης διὰ τά πρότερα, πῶς μετέβαλεν ἐπὶ τά βελτίονα; εί δὲ τῆς ἀστείας διὰ τά δεύτερα, πῶς ἀστείας φύσεως τυγχάνων ἄνομος ἦν; Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον ὲπαπορήσεις καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀποστρέφοντος δικαίου ὲκ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὑτοῦ, καὶ ποιοῦντος ἀδικίαν κατά πάσας τάς ἀνομίας · πρὶν γὰρ ἀποστρέψαι ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὲν δικαίοις ἔργοις τυγχάνων, φαύλης φύσεως ούκ ἦνʼ φαύλη φύσις οὐκ ἂν ὲν δικαιοσύνη γένοιτο, ἐπεὶ μὴ δύναται δένδρον πονηρὸν, ἡ κακία, καρποὺς ἀγαθοὺς ποιεῖν τοὺς ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς. Πάλιν τε αὖ οὐκ ἂν, ἀστείας καὶ ἀμεταβλήτου φύσεως ῶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ καλοῦ ἀπέστρεφεν ἂν. μετά τὺ χρηματίσαι δίκαιος, ὲκ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὑτοῦ, ἐπὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι ἀδικίαν κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας αύτοῦ, ἃς ἐποίησε ### English translation (Claude) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea.” In portraits and statues the likenesses are not likenesses in every respect of the things of which they are made. A portrait painted in wax on a flat wooden board, for example, has the likeness of the surface with its colour, but no longer preserves the depressions and projections, only an appearance of them; the moulding of statues tries to preserve the likeness in the depressions and projections, but no longer in colour; and if a wax cast is made, it tries to preserve both—I mean both the colour and the hollows and projections—but it is not an image of what lies in depth. So too, I would have you understand, in the similitudes of the Gospel the kingdom of heaven, when it is likened to something, is likened not in all the features of the thing to which it is compared, but in those which the subject in hand requires. Here too, then, “the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea,” not, as some think who distort the passage, so as to show that there are different underlying natures among the wicked and righteous who have come into the net, so that because of “gathering from every kind” one should think there are many different natures of the righteous, and likewise of the wicked. For all the Scriptures that show free will stand against such an interpretation, blaming those who sin and approving those who do right; for blame would not justly follow those who belong to such kinds by nature, nor praise those of the better kinds. For the cause of fish being bad or good does not lie in the souls of the fish, but in that which the Word knew when he said, “Let the waters bring forth creeping things that have living souls,” when also “God made the great sea creatures and every soul of living creeping things, which the waters brought forth according to their kinds.” There, then, the waters brought forth every soul of living creeping things according to their kinds, the cause not lying in the soul itself; but here it is we who are the cause of being good kinds, worthy of what are called vessels, or rotten and worthy to be cast out. For it is not nature in us that is the cause of wickedness but deliberate choice, which works evil; and so neither is nature the cause of righteousness, as if it could not admit unrighteousness, but the word which we have received, which makes men righteous. For one cannot see the kinds of water creatures changing from bad fish, as fish go, to good, or from the better to the worse; but among men one can always see the righteous or the wicked either arriving at virtue from wickedness, or falling away from progress toward virtue into the flood of wickedness. That is why in Ezekiel this is written concerning the one who turns from lawlessness to keeping the divine commandments: “And the lawless man, if he turns from all his lawless deeds which he has done,” and so on as far as “that he turn from his wicked way and live”; and concerning the one who falls away from progress toward virtue into the flood of wickedness, this: “But when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits unrighteousness,” and so on as far as “and in his sins which he has sinned, in them he shall die.” Let those who introduce natures on the strength of the parable of the net tell us: the lawless man who later turns from all his lawless deeds which he has done, and keeps the commandments of the Lord, and does righteousness and mercy—of what nature was he when he was lawless? Surely not of the praiseworthy one. But if of the blameworthy, of what nature could he reasonably be said to be when he turns from all his lawless deeds which he has done? If of the bad nature because of his former deeds, how did he change to the better? If of the good nature because of his later deeds, how, being of a good nature, was he lawless? You will raise the same difficulty about the righteous man who turns from his righteousness and commits unrighteousness in all the lawless deeds. For before he turned from righteousness, while he was engaged in righteous works, he was not of a bad nature; a bad nature could not be in righteousness, since a bad tree—wickedness—cannot produce good fruits, the fruits of virtue. And again, if he were of a good and unchangeable nature, he would not have turned from the good, after having been called righteous, from his righteousness to commit unrighteousness in all the lawless deeds which he did. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:47: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:20: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:21: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:21: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:23: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:18: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:47; Gen 1:20–21; Ezek 18:21–23; Ezek 18:24; Matt 7:18. Origen's opponents (“who introduce natures”) are probably Valentinian and other Gnostic teachers who held fixed classes of souls; he does not name them. Topic: free will. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.11 (PG 13:857d–861b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-1/#p-10-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-12 - Source: PG 13:861b–864d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The net is Scripture, woven of law, prophets, Gospels and apostles, cast into the sea of human life, which angels will draw ashore at the end to separate good and bad. ### Greek text Τούτων δὲ εἰρημένων, νομιστέον ι ῶμοιῶσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ είς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ὲκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ, ι είς παράστασιν τοῦ ποικίλου τῶν έν ἀνθρώποις προαιρέσεων, διαφορὰν πρὸς ἀλλήλας πλείστην ὅσην ἐχουσῶν, ὡς εἶναι τό ο ι Ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγα γούσῃ, ι ἐπαινετοὺς καὶ ψεκτοὺς έν ταῖς πρὸς τά εἴδη τῶν ἀρετῶν ἢ τῶν κακιῶν ὲπιρῤεπείαις. Σαγήνῃ δὲ πλοκῇ ποικίλῃ ὡμοιώθη η βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν κατά τὴν πεπλεγμένην ὲκ παντοδαπῶν καὶ ποικίλων νοημάτων παλαιάν καὶ καινὴν Γραφήν. Ὠσπερ τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην πιπτόντων ἰχθύων οί μὲνκατά τάδε τὰ μέρη τῆς σαγήνης εὑρίσκονται, οἱ δὲκαθʼ ἕτερα, καὶ ἕκαστος ὑφʼ ὃ κεκράτηται μέρος· οὓτως εὕροις ἂν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπὸ σαγήνην τῶν Γραφῶν ἐληλυθότων τινὰς μὲν κεκρατημένους ὑπὸ τὴν προφητικὴν πλοκὴν, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, Ἡσαΐου κατά τόδε τὺ ῥητὸν, ἢ Ἱερεμίου, ἢ Δανιήλ ’ ἄλλους δὲ κατά νομικὴν, καὶ ἄλλους κατὰ εὐαγγελικὴν, καὶ τινὰς κατὰ ἀποστολικήν. Πρῶτον γὰρ ἁλισκόμενος τις ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου, ἦ δοκῶν ἁλίσκεσθαι, ὲκ τινὸς λαμβάνεται μέρους τῆς ὅλης σαγήνης. Οὐδὲν δὲ ἄτοπον εί τινες τῶν ἁλόντων ἰχθύων ἐμπεριέχονται ὅλῃ τῇ τῆς ὲν ταῖς Γραφαϊς σαγήνης πλοκῇ, κού πανταχόθεν συνέχονται, καὶ κρατούνται,διαδράναι μὴ δυνάμενοι, ἀλλʼ ὠσπερεὶ πάντοθεν καταδουλούμενοι, καὶ ἐκπεσεῖν τῆς σαγήνης οὐκ ἐώμενοι. Βέβληται δὲ ἡ σαγήνη αὕτη εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, τὸν πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης τῶν ἀνθρώπων κυματούμενον βίον, καὶ ὲν τοῖς aluum; πράγμασι τοῦ βίου νηχόμενον. Αὕτη δὲή σαγήνῃ πρὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ ὅλη μὲν πεπληρωμένη οὐκ ἦν, ἔλειπε γὰρ τῇ νομικῇ καὶ προφητική πλοκῇ ὁ εἰπών · ι Μή νομίσητε, ὅτι ἦλθον καταλῦσαι τὸν νόμον, ἦ τοὺς προφήτας ούκ ἦλθον καταλῦσαι, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. ι Καὶ πεπλήρωται ἡ τῆς σαγήνης πλοκὴ ὲν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις καὶ τοῖς Χριστοῦ διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων λόγοις. Διά τοῦτο οὖν ι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ είς τὴν Θάλασσαν, καὶ ὲκ παντὸς γένους συναγαγούσῃ. ι Δύναται δὲ χωρὶς τῶν ἀποδεδομένων τό· ι Ἕκ παντὸς συναγαγούσῃ, ι δηλοῦν τὴν ἀπὸ παντὸς γένους ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν. Οἱ δὲ διακονησαμενοι τῇ βληθείσῃ είς τήν Θάλασσαν σαγήνξλ κύριόςἐστι τῆς σαγήνης Ἰησόῦς Χριστὸς, καὶ ι οἱ προσελθόντες ἄγγελοι, καὶ διακονησάμενοι αὐτῷ, ι οἵτινες οὐκ ἀναβιβάζουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης τὴν σαγήνην, οὐδὲ φέρουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἔξω αὐτῆς αἰγιαλὸν, τὰ ἔξω τοῦ βίου πράγματα, ἐὰν μὴ πληρωοῇ ἡ σαγήνην τουτέστι τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς αὐτὴν είσέλθῃʼ ὅταν δὲ εἰσέλθῃ, τότε αὐτὴν ἀναβιβάζουσιν ἀπὺ τῶν τῇδε καὶ κάτω πραγμάτων, καὶ φέρουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν τροπικῶς καλούμενον αἰγιαλόν· ἔνθα ἔργον ἔσται τῶν ἀναβιβασάντων αὐτὴν καὶ καθίσαι παρά τῷ αιγιαλῷ, καὶ ίδρύσαι ἑαυτοὺς ἐκεῖ, ἵνα ἕκαστον μὲν τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην καλῶν εἰς τὸ, οἰκεῖον τάγμα καταστήσωσι κατὰ τὰ ὀνομαζόμενα ἐνταῦθα αὐτῶν ἀγγεῖαο τά δὲ ἐναντίως έχοντα, καὶ σαπρὰ καλούμενα ἔξω βάλωσι. Τὸ δὲ, ι ἔξω, ι ἡ κάμινός ἔστι τοῦ πυ· ρδςν ὼς ὁ Σωτὴρ ήρμήνευσεν, είπών · ι Οὕτως ἔσται ὲν τῇ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αίῶνοςο ἐξελεύσονται oi ἄγγελοι, καὶ ἀφοριοῦσιν αὐτοὺς τοὺς πονηροὺς ὲκ μέσοι-» τῶν δικαίων, καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς είς τήν τοῦ πυρός. ι Πλὴν τηρητέον, ὅτι ήδη διὰ τῆς τῶν ζιζανίων παραβολῆς, καὶ τῆς προκειμένης ὁμοιῶσεως διδασκόμεθα, ὅτι ἄγγελοι μέλλουσι πιστεύεσθαι τὸ διακρῖναι, καὶ διαχωρίσαι τοὺς φαύλους ἀπδ τῶν δικαίων. Ἀνωτέρω μὲν γὰρ λέγεται, ὅτι, ι ’Δποστεο λεῖ ὀ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλέξουσιν ὲκ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ πάντα τά σκάν· δαλα, καὶ τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν, καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς είς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσταιὸ D κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων, › ἐνταῦθαᾶ ### English translation (Claude) With this said, we must suppose that “the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net that was cast into the sea and gathered from every kind” to show the variety of choices among men, which differ from one another as widely as can be, so that “gathering from every kind” means those who are praiseworthy and blameworthy in their inclinations toward the kinds of virtues or of vices. And the kingdom of heaven was likened to a net of varied weave because of the Old and New Scripture, woven of thoughts of every sort and variety. Just as of the fish that fall into the net some are found in these parts of the net and others in others, each in the part by which it has been caught, so you would find of those who have come into the net of the Scriptures that some are caught in the prophetic weave—say, of Isaiah in this passage, or of Jeremiah, or of Daniel—others in the weave of the law, others in that of the Gospel, and some in that of the apostles. For when someone is first caught by the Word, or seems to be caught, he is taken from some part of the whole net. And there is nothing strange if some of the fish caught are enclosed by the whole weave of the net in the Scriptures, and are held and gripped on every side, unable to escape, but, as it were, made captive from every side and not allowed to fall out of the net. This net has been cast into the sea, that is, into the life of men tossed by waves everywhere in the inhabited world and swimming in the bitter affairs of life. Before our Saviour Jesus this net was not wholly complete; for the weave of the law and the prophets lacked the one who said, “Do not think that I came to abolish the law; I did not come to abolish the prophets but to fulfil.” And the weave of the net has been completed in the Gospels and in the words of Christ through the apostles. For this reason, then, “the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered from every kind.” Besides what has been said, “gathering from every kind” can also indicate the calling of every race of the nations. Those who serve the net cast into the sea are Jesus Christ, the lord of the net, and “the angels who came and served him”; they do not draw the net up out of the sea, nor bring it to the shore outside it—the things outside this life—until the net is filled, that is, until “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” to it. But when it has come in, then they draw it up from the things here below and bring it to what is figuratively called the shore. There it will be the task of those who drew it up to sit down by the shore and settle themselves there, so that they may set each of the good things in the net in its own rank, according to what are here called their vessels, and cast out those of the opposite kind, which are called rotten. The “outside” is the furnace of fire, as the Saviour explained, saying: “So it will be at the consummation of the age: the angels will come out and separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.” Note, however, that already through the parable of the weeds and through the present similitude we are taught that angels are to be entrusted with judging and separating the bad from the righteous. For above it is said, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who do lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”; and here … ### Scripture references - Matt 13:47: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:48: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:11: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:49: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:50: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:41: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:42: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:47–48; Matt 5:17; Matt 4:11; Rom 11:25; Matt 13:49–50; Matt 13:41–42. A note of the Latin editor and garbled characters intruded into the Greek after “This net has been cast” and have been removed. “Bitter affairs” renders a word garbled in the scan OCR (by sense). The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.12 (PG 13:861b–864d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-13 - Source: PG 13:864d–865d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Saved humans are not therefore above all angels; the church on earth contains the wicked until the angels separate them, and the bad will go into the furnace of which Ezekiel speaks. ### Greek text Τούτοις δὲ οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ, ὅπερ οἴονταί τινες. ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων εἰσὶ κρείττους οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ σωζόμενον πῶς γὰρ δύνανται οἱ ὕπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων είς ἄγγη βαλλόμενοι τοῖς βάλλουσιν είς τὰ ἄγγη παρασάλλεσθαι, ὑπὸ τήν ἐκείνων τεταγμένοι ἐξουσίαν; Ταῦτα δέ φαμεν οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντες, τινῶν ἀγγέλων, τῶν μὴ τοιαύτην οἰκονομίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένων, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τούτων πάντων, διαφέρειν τοὺς ὲν Χριστῷ σωθησομένους ἀνθρώπους · ἀνέγνωμεν γὰρ καὶ τό ο Εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι· ι ἔνθα οὐκ εῐρηται, ι πάντες ἄγγελοι. ι Οἴδα μεν καὶ τό ο ι Ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν, ιʼὃπου μὴ λέλεκται, t πάντας ἀγγέλους. ι Τούτων δὲ ἀναγεγραμμένων περὶτῆς σαγήνης, καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην, ὁ βουλόμενος πρὸ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αίῶνος, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἐξελθόντας τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀφορίσαι τοὺς πονηροὺς ὲκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων, μή εἴναι καὶ πονηροὺς ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην ὲκ παντὸς γένους, ἔοικε μήτε τὴν Γραφὴν νενοηκέναι, καὶ ἀδύνατον ἐπιθυμεῖν. Διὸ μὴ ξενιζώμεθα, ἐὰν πρὸ τοῦ ἀφορισθῆναι τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐκ μέσου τῶν δικαίων ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἐξαποστελλομένων ἀγγέλοω, ὁρῶμεν ἡμῶν τά ἀθροίσματα πεπληρωμένα καὶ πονηρῶν. Ἀλλʼ είθε μὴ πλείους οὗτοι τυγχάνοιεν ὄντες τῶν δικαίων, oi βληθησόμενοι είς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρόςί Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐλέγομεν ὲν ἀρχῇ, ὅτι αἱ παραδολαὶ καὶ αί ὁμοιώσεις ούκ είς πάντα οἷς παραβάλλονται ἢ ὁμοιοῦνται, παραλαμθάνονται, ἀλλʼ είς τινα, ἔτι τοῦτο κατασκευαστέον καὶ ὲκ τῶν λεχθησομένων, ὃτι ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἰχθύων, ὡς πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν, φαῦλόν τι αὐτοῖς συμβαίνει, τὸ ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην εὑρεθῆναι· τῆς γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν αὐτοῖς ζωῆς στερίσκονται, καὶ οὔτε είς ἄγγη οὔτε ἔξω ῥιπτόμενοι πλεῖόν τι πάσχουσι C τοῦ ἀπολέσαι τὴν ώς ἐν ίχθύσι ζωήν ο ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν, διʼ ἃ λαμβάνεται ἡ παραβολὴ, φαῦλον μὲν ἔστι τὸ εἶναι ὲν θαλάσσῃ, καὶ μή ὑπὸ τήν σαγήνην ἐλθεῖν, ἐπὶ τῷ τίς ἄγγη μετά τῶν καλῶν βληθῆναι. Οὕτω δὲ ἰχθῦς μὲν φαῦλοι ἔξω βάλλονται καὶ ριπτοῦνται ο οἱ δὲ κατά τήν προκειμένην ὁμοίωσιν φαῦλοι βάλλονται είς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς, ἴνα τὰ ὲν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ περὶ τῆς καμίνου εἰρημένα καί ὲπὶ τούτους φθάσῃ · ι Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, ιδοὺ γεγόνασί μοι ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ ἀναμεμιγμένοι πάντες χαλκῷ καὶ σιδήρῳ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἓως τοῦ· ι Καὶ ἐπιγνώσεσθε, διότι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὲξέχεα τὸν θυμόν μου ἐφʼ ὑμᾶς. ι ' ### English translation (Claude) It does not follow from this, as some think, that the men saved in Christ are better even than the holy angels. For how can those who are cast into vessels by the angels be compared with those who cast them into the vessels, being placed under their authority? We say this not unaware that the men who will be saved in Christ surpass some angels, those who have not been entrusted with such a stewardship—though not even all of these. For we have read: “Into which angels long to look,” where it is not said “all angels.” We know also: “We shall judge angels,” where it is not said “all angels.” Since these things are written about the net and those in the net, the one who wants that, before the consummation of the age and before the angels come out and separate the wicked from the midst of the righteous, there should be no wicked of every kind in the net, seems not to have understood the Scripture and to desire the impossible. So let us not be surprised if, before the wicked are separated from the midst of the righteous by the angels sent out for this, we see our assemblies filled with wicked people too. But may those who will be cast into the furnace of fire not be more numerous than the righteous! And since we said at the beginning that parables and similitudes are not taken in respect of everything with which they are compared or likened, but in respect of certain things, this must be shown also from what follows. For in the case of the fish, as regards their life, it is something bad that befalls them to be found in the net; for they are deprived of the life natural to them, and whether thrown into vessels or outside they suffer nothing more than losing the life of fish. But in the case of those for whom the parable is taken, it is bad to be in the sea and not to come into the net so as to be cast into vessels with the good. So bad fish are cast out and thrown away; but those who are bad according to the present similitude are cast into the furnace of fire, so that what is said in Ezekiel about the furnace may reach them too: “And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, the house of Israel has become to me all mixed with bronze and iron,” and so on as far as “and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath upon you.” ### Scripture references - 1 Pet 1:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:49: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:50: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 22:17: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 22:18: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 22:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: 1 Pet 1:12; 1 Cor 6:3; Matt 13:49; Ezek 22:17–22. Origen's “assemblies” are the church's gatherings. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.13 (PG 13:864d–865d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-14 - Source: PG 13:865d–872a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen discusses how the unlettered disciples can be called scribes, and explains the scribe made a disciple of the kingdom as one who rises from the letter of Scripture to its spiritual meaning. ### Greek text t Συνήκατε ταῦτα πάντας Λέγουσι, Ναί. ι '0 γινώσκων ’τὰ ὲν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ὡς καὶ περὶ τούτου ἐδίδαξεν ὲν τῷ Εὑαγγελίῳ Ἰωάννης, ούκ ἀγνοῶν ἐρωτᾷ, ἀλλʼ ἅπαξ ἀναλαβὼν ἄνθρωπον, χρῆται καὶ τοῖς αὑτοῦ πᾶσιν, ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ ἐρωτᾷν ο καί ού θαυμαστὸν εί ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὅπου γε καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τροποφορῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὼς εί τις τροποφορήσαι - ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ, πυνθάνεται, ὡς ὲν τῷʼ t Ἀδὰμ, ποῦ εἷ; ι καί· ‹ Ποῦ ἐστιν Ἀβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; › Βιασάμενος δέ τις ἐνταῦθα φήσει οὐκ ἐρωτηματικῶς εξρῆσθαι, ἀλλά ἀποφαντικῶς, τοῖʼ ι συνηκατε. ι Ἐρεῖ δʼ ὅτι καὶ οἰ μαθηταὶ μαρτυροῦντες αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀπο. φάσει λέγουσιν αὑτῷ τό· ι Ναί. ι Πλὴν εἴτε ὲρωτᾷ, εἴτε ἀποφαίνεται, ἀναγκαίως λέγεται, ἀΰ τὺ, ι ταῦτα, ι μόνον, δεικτικὸν ὃν, οὐδὲ τὸ, ι πάντα, ι μόνον, ἀλλά τὸ, ι ταῦτα πάντα. ι Ἐοικε δὲ νῦν τοὺς μαθητὰς παριστάναι πρὸ τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας γραμματεῖς γεγονέναι· ἀλλὰ τούτῳ ἐναντιώσεται τὸ ὲν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦτον εʼρημένον τὸν τρόπονʼ ι Θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν Πέτρου παρρησίαν καὶ Ἰωάννου, καὶ καταλαοόντες, ὃτι ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοί εἱσι καὶ ἰδιῶται, ἐθαύμαζον, ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς, ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν. ι Ἐπιζητήσαι τις οὖν πρὸς ταῦτα· Ei μὲν γραμματεῖςῖβαν, πῶς ἀγράμματοι ὲν ταῖς Πράξεσι λέγονται καὶ ἰδιῶται; εἱδ ἦσαν ἀγράμματοι καὶ ἰδιῶται, πῶς σαφέστατα γραμματεῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὀνομάζονται ; λεχθείη δʼ ἂν είς τά ἐξῃτημένοι, ὅτι ῆτοι οὐ πάντες, ἀλλά Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀγράμματοι καὶ ἰδιῶται ὲν ταῖς Πράξεσιν εἴρηνται, πλείονες δʼ ἦσαν οἰ μαθηταὶ, ἐφʼ οἷς συνιεῖσι πάντα λέλεκται τό· ι Πᾶς γραμματεὺς, ι καὶτὰ ἑξῆς · ἢ γραμματεὺς πᾶς ό μεμαθητευμένος τῇ κατά τὸ γράμμα τοῦ νόμου διδασκαλίᾳ ὀνομάζεται, ὡς καλ τοὺς ἀγραμμάτους μὲν καί ἱδιιὶιτας,ἀγομένους δὲ ὑπὸ τῷ τοῦ νόμου γράμματι γραμματεῖς λέγεσθαι κατά τι σημαινόμενον. Καὶ ἰδιωτῶν γε μάλιστά ἐστι, μὴ είδότων τροπολογεῖν, μηδὲ συνιέντων τὰ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς τῶν Γραφῶν, ἀλλὰ τῷ γράμματι ψιλῷ πιστευόντων, καὶ τοῦτο ἐκδικοῦντων, τὸ χρηματίζειν αὐτοὺς γραμματεῖς. Οὕτως δέ τις διηγήσεται καὶ τό· ι Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί,ο ι ὡς παντὶ εἰρημένον τῷ πλὴν τοῦ γράμο ματος μηδὲν ἐπισταμένῳ. Ἔνθα ζητήσεις εἰ ὥσπερ νομικὸς γραμματεὺς, οὕτως ἐστὶ καὶ εὐαγγελικὸς, καὶ ὥσπερ τὸν νόμον ἀναγινώσκων, καὶ ἀκούων, καὶ λέγων ι ἆτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα, ι οὔτω καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον · ὡς εἰδέναι, τηρουμένης τῆς κατά τὰ γενόμενα ἱστορίας, τὴν ἐπὶ τά πνευματικά ἄπταιστον ἀναγωγὴν, ἵνα μὴ μαθήματα ι πνευματικὰ πονηρίας, ι ἀλλʼ ἐναντίως ἔχοντα πνευματικοῖς πονηρίας. πνευματικά ἀγαθότητος. Μαθητεύεται δὲ τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν γραμματεὺς, κατά μὲν τὸ ἁπλούστερον, ὅτε ἀπὸ Ἰουδαῖσμοῦ ἀναλαμβάνει τις τὴν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὲκκλησιαστικὴν διδασκαλίαν ' κατά δὲ τὸ βαθύν τερον, ὅτε, τὰς διά τοῦ γράμματος τῶν Γραφῶν τίσαγωγὰς παραλαβών τις, ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τά πνευματικὰ, ὀνομαζόμενα βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Καὶ καθʼ ἕκαστόν γε διανόημα ὲπιτυγχανόμενον, καὶ ἐπαναβεο δηκότως νοηθὲν, καὶ παραδειχθὲν, καὶ ἀποδειχθὲν εστι νοῆσαι βασιλείαν οὐρανοῦ, ὡς τὸν περισσεύοντα τῇ ἀψευδεῖ γνώσει, ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ γίνεσθαι τοῦ πλήθους τῶν οὕτως ἀποδεδομένων οὐρανῶν. Οὐτω δὲ καὶ τροπολογήσεις τόʼ ι Μετανοεῖτε· ἧγγικε γάρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι ἶνʼ οί γραμματεῖς, τουτέστιν οἱ “El γράμματι ψιλῷ προσαναπαυόμενοι, μετανοοῦντες ἀπὸ τῆς τοιαύτης ὲκδοχῆς, μαθητεύωνται τῇ διὰ Ίησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἐμψύχου Λόγου πνευματικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, καλουμένῃ βασιλεία οὐρανῶν. Διά τοῦτο καὶ ὅσον ιάν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ ὲν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Θεὸς Λόγος, οὐκ ἐπιδημεῖ ψυχῇ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὲν ἐκείνῃ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὅταν δὲ ἐγγὺς γένηται τοῦ χωρῆσαι τὸν Λόγον, τούτῳ ἐγγίζει ήβασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ δὲ ταύτόν ἐστιν ὑποστάσει, εὶ καὶ μὴ ὲπινοία, βασιλεία οὐρανῶν καλ βασιλεία Θεοῦ, δηλονότι πρὸς οὒς λέγεταιο ι Ἦ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲνeo; ὐμῶν ἐστι, ι πρὸς τούτους ἂν λέγοιτο καὶ τό· Ἠ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστι, καὶ μάλιστα διὰ τὴν ἀπὺ τοῦ γράμματος ἐπὶ τὸ πνεῦμα μετάνοιαν · ι Ὅτε ἡνίκα ἂν ἐπιστρέψῃ τις πρὸς Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ ἐπὶ τῷ γράμματι κάλυμμα · ι ι ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν. ι ’0 δὲ ἀληθῶς οίκοδεσπότης καί ἐλεύθερός ὲστι, καὶ πλούσιος · πλουτῶν διὰ τὸ ἀπὸ γραμματείας μεμαθητεῦσθαι τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὲν παντὶ λόγῳ τῷ παρά τῆς Παλαιᾶς Διαθήκης, καὶ ὲν πάσῃ γνώσει τῇ περὶ τῆς καινῆς Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διδασκαλίας, καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον τοῦτον ἔχων ἀποκείμενον ὲν τῷ αὐτοῦ θησαυρῷ, ᾧ θησαυρίζει, ὡς βασιλείᾳ μεμαθητευθεὶς τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὲν οὐρανῷ, ι ὅπου οὐτε σὴς ἀφανίζει, οὐτε κλέπται διορύσσουσι. ι Καὶ ἔστι γε ἀληθῶς ὁρίσασθαι περὶ τοῦ, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ἐν οὐρανοῖς θησαυρίζοντος, ὅτι οὐδὲ εἷς σὴς τῶν παθῶν ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ τῶν πνευματικῶν καὶ οὐρανίων δύναται χρημάτων. Σὴς δὲ τῶν παθῶν εἷπον, λαβὼν ἀφορμὴν ἀπὸ τῶν Παροιμιῶν, ὲν αἷς γέγραπται· ι Ὠσπερ ὲν ξύλῳ σκώληξ, οὐτιοε λύτιη ἀνδρὸς βλάπτει καρδίαν · ι σκώληξ γὰρ καὶ σής ἐστιν ἡ λύπη, βλάπτουσα καρδίαν, τὴν μὴ ὲν οὐρανοῖς καὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἔχουσαν τοὺς θησαυρούς, ὲν οἷς ὲάν τις θησαυρίζῃ, ἐπεὶ ι ὅπου ὁ θησαυρὸς, ἐκεῖ καὶ ή καρδία, ι ὲν οὐρανοῖς ἔχει τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ διʼ αὐτὴν λέγει* ι Ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπʼ ἐμὲ παρεμβολὴ, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία μου. ι Οὐτω δὲ οὐδὲ κλέπται, περὶ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὅτι, ι Πάντες ὅσοι ἦλθον πρὸ ἐμοῦ κλέπται εἰσὶ καὶ λῃσταί, ι διορύσσειν δύνανται τὰ ὲν οὐρανοῖς τεθησαυρισμένα, καὶ τὴν παροῦσαν αὐτοῖς καρδίαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγουσαν ο ‹ Συνήγειρε, καὶ συνεκάθισεν ὲν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ὲν Χριστῷο› καί· ι Ἦμῶν ἃ τδ πολίτευμα ὲν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει. ι _ ### English translation (Claude) “Have you understood all these things? They say, Yes.” Christ Jesus, who knows what is in the hearts of men, as John taught about this too in his Gospel, does not ask out of ignorance; but having once taken up manhood, he uses all that belongs to it, one part of which is asking. And it is not surprising that the Saviour does this, since even the God of all, bearing with men as a man might bear with his son, inquires, as in “Adam, where are you?” and “Where is Abel your brother?” But someone forcing the text here will say that “you have understood” is said not as a question but as a statement; and he will say that the disciples, bearing witness to his statement, say to him, “Yes.” However, whether he asks or states, it was necessary to say, not just “these things,” which is demonstrative, nor just “all,” but “all these things.” He seems now to show that the disciples had become scribes before the kingdom of heaven. But against this will stand what is said in the Acts of the Apostles in this way: “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlettered and common men, they were amazed, and recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Someone might ask, then: if they were scribes, how are they called unlettered and common in the Acts? And if they were unlettered and common, how are they most plainly named scribes by the Saviour? To what has been asked it might be said, either that not all, but Peter and John, are called unlettered and common in the Acts, while the disciples were more numerous, and to them, since they understood all, was said “Every scribe,” and so on; or that everyone who has been instructed in the teaching according to the letter of the law is called a scribe, so that those who are unlettered and common but are led by the letter of the law are called scribes in a certain sense. Indeed it belongs above all to common men, who do not know how to interpret figuratively, nor understand the anagogical sense of the Scriptures, but believe the bare letter and defend it, to be called scribes. In this way someone will also explain “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” as said to everyone who knows nothing but the letter. Here you will inquire whether, just as there is a scribe of the law, so there is also a scribe of the Gospel; and whether, just as one reads, hears and speaks the law, “which things are an allegory,” so also the Gospel; so as to know, while the literal account of what happened is preserved, the unerring anagogical sense that leads to spiritual things—not lessons of “the spiritual hosts of wickedness,” but, contrary to the spiritual hosts of wickedness, spiritual things of goodness. A scribe is made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven, in the simpler sense, when someone comes from Judaism and takes up the church’s teaching of Jesus Christ; in the deeper sense, when someone, having received the introductions given through the letter of the Scriptures, ascends to the spiritual things, which are named the kingdom of heaven. And with every thought that is attained, rightly understood in its ascent, set forth and proved, one can conceive the kingdom of heaven, so that the one who abounds in true knowledge comes to be in the kingdom of the multitude of heavens thus explained. In this way you will also interpret figuratively “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near,” so that the scribes, that is, those who rest on the bare letter, repenting of such an interpretation, may be made disciples by the spiritual teaching given through Jesus Christ, the living Word, which is called the kingdom of heaven. That is why, as long as Jesus Christ, the God Word who was in the beginning with God, does not dwell in a soul, the kingdom of heaven is not in it; but when someone comes near to containing the Word, to him the kingdom of heaven draws near. And if the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same in reality, even if not in concept, then clearly to those to whom it is said, “The kingdom of God is within you,” it could also be said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you,” and above all because of the turning from the letter to the spirit; for “when one turns to the Lord, the veil over the letter is taken away; and the Lord is the Spirit.” The true householder is both free and rich; rich because, from being a scribe, he has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven, in every word of the Old Testament and in all knowledge of the new teaching of Christ Jesus; and he has this wealth laid up in his treasure, which he stores up, as one made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven, in heaven, “where neither moth consumes nor thieves break in.” Indeed one may truly define the one who, as we have explained, stores up treasure in heaven as one whose spiritual and heavenly riches not a single moth of the passions can touch. I said “moth of the passions” taking occasion from the Proverbs, where it is written: “As a worm in wood, so grief harms a man’s heart.” For grief is a worm and a moth, harming the heart that does not have its treasures in heaven and in spiritual things; but whoever stores up treasure there, since “where the treasure is, there is the heart also,” has his heart in heaven, and because of it he says: “Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.” So neither can the thieves, of whom the Saviour said, “All who came before me are thieves and robbers,” break into what is stored up in heaven, nor into the heart present with it, which therefore says: “He raised us up with him and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ,” and, “Our citizenship is in heaven.” ### Scripture references - Matt 13:51: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:52: allusion, high confidence - John 2:25: allusion, high confidence - Gen 3:9: quotation, high confidence - Gen 4:9: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 23:13: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:24: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 17:21: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 6:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 6:21: quotation, high confidence - Prov 25:20: quotation, medium confidence - Ps 27:3 (26:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 10:8: quotation, high confidence - Eph 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:20: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:51–52; John 2:25; Gen 3:9; Gen 4:9; Acts 4:13; Matt 23:13; Gal 4:24; Eph 6:12; Matt 3:2; Luke 17:21; 2 Cor 3:16–17; Matt 6:20–21; Prov 25:20 LXX; Ps 27:3 (26:3 LXX); John 10:8; Eph 2:6; Phil 3:20. On Judaism Origen speaks of the convert's “simpler sense” of becoming a disciple; translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.14 (PG 13:865d–872a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-15 - Source: PG 13:872a–873b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The scribe of the kingdom brings out old and new, holding law and prophets together with the Gospel, against those who divide the Godhead; the householder he imitates is Jesus. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ ‹ πᾶς γραμματεὺς, μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ι δηλονότι καὶ, κατά τὴν καλουμένην τῆς προτάσεως ἀντιστροφὴν, πᾶς ὅστις οὐ προφέρει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὑτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιὰ, οὐκ ἔστι γραμματεὺς μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Συνάγειν οὖν παντὶ τρόπῳ πειρατέον ὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἡμῶν διὰ τοῦ προσέχειν τῇ ἀναγνώσει. τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλία, καὶ ι ὲν τῷ νόμῳ Κυρίου μελετᾷν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς, ι οὐ μόνον τὰ καινὰ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων, καὶτῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῆς Ἀποκαλύψεως αὐτῶν λόγια, ἀλλὰ καὶ παλαιὰ τοῦ σκιὰν ἔχοντος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν νόμου, καὶ τῶν ἀκολούθως αὐτῷ προφητευσάντων προφητῶν. Συναχθήσεται δὲ ταῦτα, ἐπὰν καὶ ἀναγινώσκωμεν καὶ γινώσκωμεν, καὶ με μνη μένοι τούτων πνευματικὰ πνευματικοῖς εὐκαίρως συγκρίνωμεν, οὐ τὰ ἀσύγκριτα πρὸς ἄλληλα συγκρίνοντες, ἀλλὰ συγκριτὰ, κα) ὁμοιότητά τινα ἔχοντα λέξεως ταυτὸν σημαινούσης, καὶ νοημάτων, καὶ δογμάτων, ἵνʼ ἐπὶ στόματος δύο, ἦ τριῶν, ἢ καὶ πλειόνων μαρτύρων τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς στήσωμεν, ’καὶ βεδαιώσωμεν πᾶν ῥῆμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ διὰ τούτων δὲ δυσωπητέον τοὺς ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς τὴν θεότητα διαιροῦντας, καὶ διακόπτοντας ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν η τά καινὰ, ὡς μακρὰν τυγχάνοντας τῆς πρὸς τὸν σίκυδεσπὸτην ὁμοιώσεως, προφέροντα ὲκ τοῦ θησαυρῶ αὐτοῦ καινά καὶ παλαιά. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁμοιούμενος τινι. ἕτερός ἐστι παρʼ ἐκεῖνον ᾧ ὁμοιοῦται, ἕσται ὁ μὲν μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν γραμματεὺς ὁ ὁμοιούμενος· ἕτερος δὲ παρὰ τοῦτον ὁ οίκοδεσπότης. ὃς προφέρει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ καὶ πα· λαιά. Ὀ δὲ ὁμοιούμενος αὐτῷ, ὡς τοῦτον μιμούμενος, τὸ παραπλήσιον ποιεῖν βούλεται. Μήποτε οὖνὸ μὲν οἰκοδεσπότης ἄνθρωπος, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, προφέρων ὲκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας. καινὰ μὲν τὰ πνευματικὰ, καὶ ἀεὶ ἀνακαινούμενα ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ὲν τῷ ἔσω τῶν δικαίωνὰν· θρὼπῳ, καὶ ι άνακαινουμένων ἀεὶ ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ· παλαιὰ δὲ τὰ ὲν γράμμασιν ἐντετυπωμένα λίθοις καὶ λιθίναις καρδίαις τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἴνα τῇ συγκρίσει τοῦ γράμματος καὶ τῇ παραστάσει τοῦ πνεύματος πλουτίσῃ τδν μαθητευθέντα τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν γραμματέα, καὶ ποιήσῃ ἑαυτῷ ὅμοωνν ἕως ὁ μαθητὴς γένηται ὡς ὁ διδάσκαλος, μιμούμενος πρῶτον τὸν μιμητὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου ° ι Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κάγὼ Χριστοῦ.» Δύναται δὲ καὶ ἁπλούστερον Ἰησοῦς ὁ οίκοδεσπότης προφέρειν ὲκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ μὲν τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν διδασκαλίαν, παλαιά δὲ τὴν σύγκρισιν τῶν ἀπὸ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν παραλαμβανομένων ρητῶν, ὧν παραδείγματα ἐστιν ὲν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις εὑρεῖν. Περὶ δὲ τούτων τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ καινῶν ἀκουστέον,καὶ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νόμου λέγοντος ὲν Λευῖτικῷ· ε Καὶ φάγεσθε παλαιὰ, καὶ παλαιὰ παλαιῶν καὶ παλαιὰ ὲκ προσώπου νέων ἐξοίσετε, καὶ θήσω τήν σκηνήν μου ὲν ὑμῖν. ι Ἐσθίομεν γὰρ ὲν εὐλογία τὰ παλαιά, τοὺς προᾳητικοὺς λόγους, καὶ τούτων παλαιῶν τὰ παλαιά, τοὺς νομικοὺς, καὶ ἐλθόντων τῶν νέων καὶ εὐαγγελικῶν, βιοῦντες κατὰτὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, τὰ παλαιά τοῦ γράμματος ὲκ προσώπου νέων ἐκφέρομεν, καὶ τίθησι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σκηνὴν ὲν ἡμῖν, πληρῶν ἥν εἶπεν ἐπαγγελίαν· t Ἐνοικήσω, καὶ ὲμπεριπατήσω ὲν αὐτοῖς. ι ### English translation (Claude) Since “every scribe who has been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like a householder,” clearly also, by what is called the conversion of the proposition, everyone who does not bring out of his treasure things new and old is not a scribe made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven. We must try, then, in every way to gather in our heart, by attending to reading, to exhortation, to teaching, and by meditating “on the law of the Lord day and night,” not only the new oracles of the Gospels, of the apostles and of their Revelation, but also the old things of the law that has a shadow of the good things to come, and of the prophets who prophesied in accordance with it. And these will be gathered when we both read and know them, and, keeping them in memory, compare spiritual things with spiritual at the right time—not comparing things that cannot be compared with one another, but things comparable, which have some likeness of wording with the same meaning, and of thoughts and doctrines—so that on the mouth of two or three or even more witnesses from Scripture we may establish and confirm every word of God. Through these words we must also put to shame those who, as far as in them lies, divide the Godhead and cut off the new things from the old, as being far from likeness to the householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. And since one who is likened to someone is other than the one to whom he is likened, the one likened will be the scribe made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven, and other than he the householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old. And the one likened to him, as imitating him, wishes to do the like. Perhaps, then, the householder is Jesus himself, who brings out of his treasure, at the time of his teaching, new things—the spiritual things, always renewed by him in the inner man of the righteous, who are always “renewed day by day”—and old things, those engraved in letters on stones and on the stony hearts of the old man, so that by comparing the letter and setting forth the spirit he may enrich the scribe made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven and make him like himself, until the disciple becomes like the teacher, imitating first the imitator of Christ, and after him Christ himself, according to what Paul said: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” More simply, Jesus the householder can be said to bring out of his treasure new things, the teaching of the Gospel, and old things, the comparison of texts taken from the law and the prophets, examples of which can be found in the Gospels. Concerning these old and new things we must also listen to the spiritual law, which says in Leviticus: “And you shall eat old things, and old things of old things, and you shall bring out the old because of the new, and I will set my tabernacle among you.” For we eat with blessing the old things, the words of the prophets, and the old things of these old things, the words of the law; and when the new things of the Gospel have come, living according to the Gospel, we bring out the old things of the letter because of the new; and he sets his tabernacle among us, fulfilling the promise he spoke: “I will dwell and walk among them.” ### Scripture references - Matt 13:52: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:13: allusion, high confidence - Ps 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Heb 10:1: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:13: allusion, high confidence - Deut 19:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:16: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 4:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:3: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:7: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 6:40: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 11:1: quotation, high confidence - Lev 26:10: quotation, high confidence - Lev 26:11: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 6:16: quotation, high confidence - Lev 26:12: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:52; 1 Tim 4:13; Ps 1:2; Heb 10:1; 1 Cor 2:13; Deut 19:15; 2 Cor 4:16; 2 Cor 3:3, 7; Matt 10:25; 1 Cor 11:1; Lev 26:10–11 LXX; 2 Cor 6:16 (Lev 26:12). “Those who divide the Godhead” are teachers such as the Marcionites, who set the God of the Old Testament against the Father of Christ; Origen does not name them. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.15 (PG 13:872a–873b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-16 - Source: PG 13:873b–876b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks how the similitudes can be called parables, and reads Jesus' “own country,” where he was dishonoured, as all Judea in contrast to the Gentiles who honour him. ### Greek text t Kal. ἐγένετο, ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολάς ταύτας, μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἐλθὼν είς τήν πατρίδα αὑτοῦ. ι Ἑπεὶ ὲν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω ὲξητάσαμεν μήποτε τά μὲν τοῖς ὄχλοις λελαλημένα παραβολαὶ ἦσαν, τὰ δὲ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁμοιότητες, καὶ τὰς είς τοῦτο ὑποπεσούσας παρατηρήσεις ὲξεθέμεθα, ὡς οἶμαι, οὐκ εὐκαταφρονήτους τυγχανούσας θ χρή ειδέναι, ὅτι δόξει ἐκείνοις πᾶσιν ἐναντιοῦσθαι τὸ ἐπιλέγεσθαι οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς παραβολαῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς, ὡς ὲξεδὼκαμεν, ὁμοιότησι, τό· ς Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολὰς ταύτας, μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν. › Ζητοῦμεν οὖν πότερον ἐκεῖνα πάντα ἀθετητέον, ἢ δύο γένη παραβολῶν λεκτέον, τῶν τε τοῖς ὄχλοις λαλουμένων, καὶ τῶν τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπαγγελλομένων · ἢ καὶ ὁμώνυμον τὸ τῆς παραβολῆς δυομα νομιστέον· ἢτό·.t Ἐγένετο, ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολὰς ταύτας, ι ἐπὶ τὰς ἀνωτέρω παραβολὰς μόνας τὰς πρὸ τῶν ὁμοιώσεων ἀνενεκτέον. Διά γάρ τό· ι Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ὲν παραβολαῖς, ι οὺχοῖόν τε λέγειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἅτε οὐκ οὗ σι τῶν ἐξω,ὲν παραβολαῖς ἐκείνοις τὸν Σωτῆρα λελαληκέναι. Τούτῳ δὲ ἀκολουθεῖ ἦτοι τό ‹ Ἐγένετο, ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς παραβολὰς ταύτας, μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν, ι ἀναφέρεσθαι ἐπὶ τάς ἀνωτάτω εἰρημένας παραβολὰς, ἢ ὁμώνυμον εἶναι τὸ τῆς παραβολῆς ὄνομα, ἢ δύο γένη εἶναι παραβολῶν, ἦ μηδʼ ὅλως εἶναι παραβολὰς, ἂ ὠνομάσαμεν ὁμοιὼσεις. Πρόσχες δὲ, ὅτι ἔξω τῆς πατρίδος ἑαυτοῦ λέγει τὰς παραβολὰς, ἃς ι ὅτε ἐτέλεσε μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ έλθων είς τὴν πατρίδα αὑτοῦ, ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς ὲν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν· ι καὶ ὁ Μάρκος δέ φησι* ι Καὶ ἦλθεν είς τὴν πατρίδα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ oi μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. › Ζητητέον οὖν καὶ κατά τὴν λέξιν, πότερον Νάξαρα λέγει τὴν πατρίδα αὑτοῦ, ἢ Βηθλεέμ υ Νάζαρα μὲν, διὰ τό ι Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται ο ι Βηθλεὲμ δὲ, ἐπεὶ ὲν αὐτῇ γεγένηται. Ἔτι δὲ ὲφίπημι μήποτε δυνάμενοι οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ εἰπεῖν, ἐλθὼν εἰς Βηθλεέμ, ἢ ἐλθὼν είς Νάζαρα, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ πεποιήκασι, πατρίδα δὲ ὠνομάκασι διά τι μυστικῶς ὲν τῷ τόπῳ περί τῆς πατρίδος αὑτοῦ δηλούμενον, ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ὲν ἠτίμωται κατὰ τὸ· ι Ούκ ἔστι προφήτης ἄτιμος (ll) εί μὴ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι αὑτοῦ. ι Καὶ ἐάν τίς γε κατανοήσῃ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ι Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ι παρʼ οἷς μὲχρι τοῦ νῦν διώκεται, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι κηρυσσόμενον καὶ πεπιστευμένον (ἕως γὰρ πάσης γῆς ἔδραμεν ὁ λόγος αὑτοῦ) · ὄψεται, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὲν μὲν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ εἶχε, παρὰ δὲ ι τοῖς ξένοις τῶν διαθηκῶν ι τιμᾶται τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Τίνα δὲ διδάσκων ἔλεγεν ὲν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἀναγεγράφασιν οἱ εὑαγγελισταὶ, ἀλλʼ ὅτι τηλικαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα ἦν, ὥστε ἐκπλήττεσθαι πάντας ’ καὶ εἰκὸς, ὅτι ὑπὲρ γραφὴν ἦν τὰ εἰρημένα. Πλὴν ὲν τῇ συναγωγῇ αὐτῶν ἐδίδασκεν, οὐ σχίζων ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ἀθετῶν αύ- ### English translation (Claude) “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there; and coming into his own country …” Since above we examined whether the things spoken to the crowds were parables and those spoken to the disciples similitudes, and set out the observations that occurred to us on this, which are, I think, not to be despised, we must know that all of them will seem to be contradicted by the fact that “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there” is said not only of the parables but also of what we have explained as similitudes. We ask, then, whether all that must be set aside; or whether we must speak of two kinds of parables, those spoken to the crowds and those announced to the disciples; or whether we must consider the name “parable” homonymous; or whether “It came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables” must be referred only to the parables above, those before the similitudes. For because of “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to the rest in parables,” it is not possible to say that the Saviour spoke in parables to the disciples, since they were not among those outside. It follows from this, then, either that “It came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there” refers to the parables spoken first, or that the name “parable” is homonymous, or that there are two kinds of parables, or that what we have named similitudes are not parables at all. Note that he speaks the parables outside his own country; and “when he had finished them, he went away from there, and coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue.” And Mark says: “And he came into his own country, and his disciples follow him.” We must inquire, then, also according to the wording, whether by his own country he means Nazareth or Bethlehem: Nazareth because of “He shall be called a Nazarene,” Bethlehem since he was born there. I further consider whether the evangelists, though they could have said “coming into Bethlehem” or “coming into Nazareth,” did not do so, but named it “his country,” because something is indicated mystically in the passage about his country, namely the whole of Judea, in which he was dishonoured, according to the saying, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” And if one considers Jesus Christ—“to the Jews a stumbling block,” among whom he is persecuted to this day, but preached and believed among the Gentiles (for his word has run to the whole earth)—he will see that Jesus had no honour in his own country, but is honoured among “the strangers to the covenants,” the Gentiles. What he said when he taught in their synagogue the evangelists have not recorded, but only that it was so great and of such a kind that all were astonished; and it is likely that what was said was beyond writing. However, he taught in their synagogue, not separating from it nor setting it aside … ### Scripture references - Matt 13:53: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:54: quotation, high confidence - Luke 8:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:11: allusion, high confidence - Mark 6:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:57: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:23: quotation, high confidence - Ps 147:15 (147:4 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Eph 2:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:53–54; Matt 13:11 (Luke 8:10); Mark 6:1; Matt 2:23; Matt 13:57; 1 Cor 1:23; Ps 19:4 (18:5 LXX) and Ps 147:15 (147:4 LXX); Eph 2:12. A note of the Latin editor on a variant reading (“old things”, Codex Regius “spiritual things”) intruded into the Greek and has been removed. Origen's remark that Christ is persecuted by Jews “to this day” is translated as written. The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.16 (PG 13:873b–876b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-17 - Source: PG 13:876b–880a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains the astonishment at Nazareth, says the brothers of Jesus were by some held to be Joseph's sons by a former wife so as to keep Mary a virgin, and cites Josephus on James. ### Greek text Τὸ δέ ' ι Τούτῳ πόθεν ὴ σοφία αὕτη ; ι πλείονα σαφῶς ἐμφαίνει καὶ ἐξαίρετον σοφίαν τῶν λόγων τοῦ Ἰησοῦ,’ἀξίαν τοῦ · ι Kal. ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶντος ὧδε, ι καὶ δυνάμεις μείζους ἐποίει τῶν ὲν Ἠλίᾳ καὶ ὲν Ἐλισσαίῳ, καὶ ἔτι πρότερον ὲν Μωῠσῇ. καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ. Ἔλεγον δὲ οἱ Θαυμάζοντες, οὐκ εἰδότες αὐτὸν Παρθένου υἱὸν, οὐδὲ πιστεύοντες, εἰ καὶ ἐλέγετο, ἀλλʼ ὑπολαμβάνοντες εἶναι Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ τέκτονος ο ι Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ τέκτονος υίόςς ι Kal. ὅλην γε τὴν φαινομένην αὐτοῦ ἐγγυτάτω συγγένειαν ὲξευτελίζοντες, ἔφασκον τόο ι υύχ ἠ μήτηρ αὑτοῦ λέγεται Μαριάμ; καλ οί ἀδελφοὶ αὑτοῦ Ἰάκω- 60;, καὶ Ἰωσὴφ, καὶ Σίμων, xai. Ἰούδαςς Καὶ αἱ ἀδελφαὶ αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ πᾶσαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἰσι; ᾭοντο οὖν αὐτὸν εἶναι Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρίας υἱόνʼ τοὺς δὲ ἀδελφοὺς Ἰησοῦ, φασί τινες εἶναι, ὲκ παραδόσεως ὁρμώμενοι τοῦ ἐπιγεγραμμένου κατὰ Πέτρον Εὐαγγελίου, ἢ τῆς βίβλου Ἰακώβου, υἱοὺς Ἰωσὴφ ἐκ προτέρας γυναικὸς, συνφ φκηκυίας αὐτῷ πρὸ τῆς Μαρίας. Oi δὲ ταῦτα λέγον τες τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς Μαρίας ἐν παρθενίᾳ τηρεῖν μέχρι τέλους βούλονται, ἴνα μὴ ’.ὸ κριθὲν ἐκεῖνο σῶμα διακονήσασθαι τῷ εἰπόντι Λόγῳ· ι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπελεύσεται ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ δύναμις Ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάσει σοι, ι γνῷ κοίτην ἀνδρὸς μετὰ τὸ ἐπελθεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, καὶ τὴν ἐπεσκιακυῖαν αὐτῇ δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους. Καὶ οἶμαι λόγον ἔχειν, ἀνδρῶν μὲν καθαρότητος τῆς ἐν ἁγνείᾳ ἀπαρχὴν γεγονέναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, γυναικῶν δὲ τὴν Μαριάμ. Οὐ γὰρ εὔφημον, ἆλλην παρʼ ἐκείνην τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τῆς παρθενίας ὲπιγράψασθαι. Ἰάκωβος δέ ἐστιν οὗτος, ὃν λέγει Παῦλος ίδεῐν ὲν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας Ἐπιστολῇ εἰπώνʼ ι Ἕτερον δὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐκ εἶδον εί μὴ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Κυρίου. ι Ἐπὶ τοσοῦτονδὲ διέλαμψεν οὗτος ὁ Ἰάκωβος ἐν τῷ λαῷ ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, ὡς Φλάβιον Ἰώσηπον, ἀναγράψαντα ὲν εἰκοσι βιβλίοις τὴν Ἰουδαῖκὴν ἀρχαιολογίαν, τὴν αίτίαν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενον τοῦ τὰ. τοσαῦτα πεπονθέναι τὸν λαὸν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ναὸν κατασκαφῆναι, εἰρηκέναι κατά μῆνιν Θεοῦ ταῦτα αὐτοῖς ἀπηντηκέναι, διὰ τὰ είς Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰησοῦ τοῦ λεγομένου Χριστοῦ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τετολμημένα. Καὶ τὸ θαυμαστόν ἐστιν, ὅτι, τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἡμῶν οὐ καταδεξάμενος εἶναι Χριστὸν, οὐδὲν ἦττον Ἰακώβῳ δικαιοσύνην ἐμαρτύρησε τοσαύτην. Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι καὶ ὁ λαὸς ταῦτα ἐνόμιζε διὰ τὸν Ἰάκωβον πεπονθέναι. Καὶ Ἰούδας ἔγραψεν Ἐπιστολὴν ὁλιγὸστιχον μὲν, πεπληρωμένην δὲ τῶν τῆς οὐρανίου χάριτος ἐρρωμένων λόγων, ὅστις ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ εἴρηκεν· ι Ἰούδας Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος, ἁδελφὸς δέ Ἰακώβου. ι Περὶ δὲ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Σίμωνος οὐδὲν ἱστορήσαμεν· τὸ δέʼ ι Καὶ αί ἀδελφαὶ αὑτοῦ οὐχὶ πᾶσαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς εἱσι ; ι δοκεῖ μοι τοιοῦτδν τι σημαίνειν· Τὰ ἡμέτερα φρονοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ξένον ἔχουσιν ἐξαιρέτου συνέσεως. ὡς ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Μήποτε δὲ ἐμφαίνεται διὰ τούτων ἐπαπύρησις περὶ τοῦ μηδὲ ἄνθρωπον εἶναι, ἀλλά τι θειότερον τὸν Ἰησοῦν, υἱὸν μὲν ὄντα, ὡς ὑπελάμβανον, Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρίας, ἀδελφὸν δὲ τεσσάρων, ούδὲν δʼ ἦττον καὶ ἐτέρων θηλειῶν, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχοντά τινι τῶν ἐκ γένους παραπλήσιον, μηδʼ ἐκ παιδεύσεως καὶ, διδασκαλίας, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον σοφίας καὶ δυνάμεως ἥκοντα. Καὶ γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγουσι· ι Πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδε μὴ μεμαθηκώς; ι Ὧν παραπλήσιόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἐνταῦθα λεγόμενον. Πλὴν οί λέγοντες ταῦτα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὲπαποροῦντες, καὶ ἐκπλησσάμενοι, οὐκ ἐπίστευον μὲν, ι ἐσκανδαλίζοντο δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ.» ὡσεὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς διανοίας κρατούμενοι ὑπὸ δυνάμεων, ἃς ἔμελλεν ἐν τῷ καιριῖ» τοῦ πάι θους θριαμβεύειν ὲν τῷ ξύλῳ. ### English translation (Claude) But “Where did this man get this wisdom?” clearly shows the greater and exceptional wisdom of the words of Jesus, worthy of “And behold, something greater than Solomon is here”; and he did greater mighty works than those done through Elijah and Elisha, and still earlier through Moses and Joshua the son of Nun. Those who marvelled spoke, not knowing that he was the son of a virgin, nor believing it even if it was said, but supposing him to be the son of Joseph the carpenter: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” And belittling the whole of what appeared to be his nearest kin, they said: “Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” They thought, then, that he was the son of Joseph and Mary. As for the brothers of Jesus, some say, basing themselves on a tradition of the Gospel entitled “according to Peter,” or of the Book of James, that they were sons of Joseph by a former wife who had lived with him before Mary. Those who say this wish to preserve the honour of Mary in virginity to the end, so that that body which was chosen to serve the Word that said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you,” might not know the bed of a man after the Holy Spirit had come upon her and the power from on high had overshadowed her. And I think it reasonable that Jesus became the firstfruits of the purity that consists in chastity among men, and Mary among women; for it is not fitting to ascribe the firstfruits of virginity to any other woman than her. This James is the one whom Paul says he saw, in the Epistle to the Galatians, saying: “But I saw none of the other apostles except James the brother of the Lord.” This James was so renowned among the people for righteousness that Flavius Josephus, who wrote the Jewish Antiquities in twenty books, wishing to set out the cause of the people’s having suffered so much that even the temple was razed, said that these things befell them by the wrath of God because of what they had dared against James the brother of Jesus who was called Christ. And the remarkable thing is that, though he did not accept our Jesus as Christ, he nonetheless bore witness to such great righteousness in James. He says that the people too thought they had suffered these things because of James. And Jude wrote an epistle of few lines, but filled with the strong words of heavenly grace, who said in the opening: “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.” Of Joseph and Simon we have learned nothing. But “And his sisters, are they not all with us?” seems to me to mean something like this: they think as we do, not as Jesus does, and have nothing strange of exceptional understanding as Jesus has. But perhaps through these words a doubt is expressed whether Jesus was even a man, and not something more divine, being, as they supposed, the son of Joseph and Mary and the brother of four, and of other women besides, yet having nothing like any of his kin, and having come to such wisdom and power not from education and teaching either. For elsewhere too they say: “How does this man know letters, having never studied?” What is said here is similar. Yet those who said this, and doubted so much and were astonished, did not believe, but “took offence at him,” as though the eyes of their understanding were held by the powers which he was to triumph over on the tree at the time of his passion. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:54: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:42: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:55: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:56: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:35: quotation, high confidence - Gal 1:19: quotation, high confidence - Jude 1:1: quotation, high confidence - John 7:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:57: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:15: allusion, medium confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Prot. Jas. (Protevangelium of James): allusion, high confidence - Josephus, Ant. 20.200 (Josephus (works)): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:54–57; Matt 12:42; Luke 1:35; Gal 1:19; Jude 1; John 7:15; Col 2:15. Origen names the Gospel of Peter and the “Book of James” (the Protevangelium of James) as the source of the view that Jesus' brothers were Joseph's sons by an earlier wife, and himself favours Mary's lasting virginity; translated as written. His report of Josephus on James's death as the cause of the fall of Jerusalem is not found in the surviving text of Josephus (cf. Ant. 20.200, which records James's death); Origen gives it also in Against Celsus 1.47. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.17 (PG 13:876b–880a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-12/#p-10-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-18 - Source: PG 13:880a–884a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Taken figuratively, the saying that a prophet has no honour in his own country fits all the prophets, persecuted by Israel, and Christians who live righteously and are dishonoured by the world. ### Greek text ι '0 δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖςʼ Οὐκ ἐστι προφήτης ἄτιμος εί μὴ ὲν τῇ πατρίδι αὐτοῦ.ι Ζητητέονπότερον καθολικῶς ἴσον δύναται ἐπὶ πάντα προφήτην ἀναφερόμενον τὸ λεγόμενον, ὡς ἑκάστου τῶν προφηο τῶν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι άτιμωθέντος μόνῃ, ού παντὸς τοῦ ἁτιμωθὲντος ὲν τῇ πατρίδι ἀτιμωθέντος· ἢδιὰ τὸ ἑνικῶς εἰρῆσθαι, περὶ ἑνὸς ταῦτα λέλεκται. Ei μὲν οὖν περὶ ἐνὸς ταῦτα λέγεται, ἀρκεῖ τὰ είρημένα, ἀναφερόντων ἡμῶν τὸ γεγραμμένον είς τὸν Σωτῆραο εἰ δὲ καθολικόν ἐστιν, ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἱστορίας ούκ ἀληθές οὔτε γὰρ Ἠλίας ἐν Θεσὸὼν τῆς Γαλαὰδ ἠτιμώθη, οὗτε Ἐλισσαῖος ἐν Ἑὸαλμαουλᾶ, οὕτε ὁ Σαμουὴλ ὲν Ἀρμαθατμ, οὔθʼ Ἱερεμῖας ὲν Ἀναθὼθ· ’ τρόπολογούμενον δέ, καὶ πάνυ ἀληθές. Χρὴ γὰρ πατρίδα νομίζειν αὐτῶν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καὶ συγγενεῖς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκεῖνον, οἰκίαν δὲ τάχατδ σῶμα· ὴτιμώθησαν γὰρ πάντες ὲν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὑπὸ τοῦ κατά σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ, ἔτι ἧντες ὲν τῷ σώματι, ὼς ὲν ταῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων Πράξεσι γέγραπται ἐν ὲλεγμῷ λεγόμενον πρὸς τὸν λαόνο ι Τίνα γὰρ τῶν προφητῶν οὐκ ἐδίωξαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, τοὺς προκαταγγείλαντας περὶ τῆς ἐλεύσεως τοῦ Δικαίους ν Παρά δὲ τῷ Παύλῳ ὲν τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς προτέρᾳ τὰ ὅμοια λέλεκται· ι Ὑμεῖςδὲ μιμηταὶ ἐγενήθητε, ἀδελφοὶ, τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν οὐσῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὲν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦο ὅτι τὰ αύτά ἑπάθετε καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων συμφυλετῶν, καθὼς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, τῶν καὶ τὸν Κύριον ἀποκτεινάντων Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων, καὶ Θεῷ μὴ ἀρεσκόντων, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων.» Ούκ ἔστιν οὖν προφήτης ἄτιμος ὲν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἢ γὰρ οὐδʼ ὅλως οἴδασιν αὑτὸν, ἢ μαθόντες καὶ παραδεξάμενοι αὐτὸν προφήιι-ην, τιμῶσι. Τοιοῦτοι δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἐκκλησίας. Ἀτιμάζονται δὲ oi προφῆται, πρῶτον μὲν διωχθέντες κατά ἱστορίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ· δεύτερον δὲ, μὴ πιστευομένης αὐτῶν τῆς προφητείας ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ. El γὰρ ἐπίστευον Μωῦσεῖ καὶ προφήταις, ἐπίστευον ἂν Χριστῷ. τῷ πα ραστήσαντι,ὃτι ἀκολουθεῖ τοῖς πιστεύουσι Μωῦσῇ καὶ προφήταις πιστεύειν Χριστῷ, καὶτοῖς μὴ πιστεύουσι Χριστῷ τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν Μωῦσεῖ. Ἔτι δὲ ὥσπερ διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν πιστεύειν τῷ προφητευομένῳ ἀτιμάζεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀπιστοῦντος ταῖς προφητείαις ὁ προφήτης. Χρήσιμα δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀναλέξασθαι ἃ πέπονθεν Ἱερεμίας ὲν τῷ λαῷ, ἐφʼ οἷς εἴπεο ι Καὶ εἶπαο Οὐ μὴ λαλήσω, οὐδὲ μὴ ὀνομάσω τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου· ο καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· ι Διετέλεσα μυκτηριζόμενοςοὶ Ὅσα δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ τότε βασιλέως τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ πέπονθεν, ὲν τῇ προφητείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀναγέγραπται. Καὶ Μωῦσέα δὲ ὃτι ἦλθον πολλάκις λιθόλευστον ποιῆσαι οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο γέγραπται · καὶ ἦν αὗτῷ πατρὶς οὐχ οί λίθοι τινὸς τόπου, ἀλλʼ οἱ ἀκολουθήτ σαντες αὐτῷ ό λαὸς, παρʼ οἷς καὶ αὐτὸς ἠτιμώθη 88Ι Καὶ Ἡσαΐας δὲ πεπρίσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ἱστόρηται. Et δέ τις οὐ προσίεται τὴν ἱστορίαν, διὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ Ἡσαΐᾳ αὐτὴν φέρεσθαι, πιστευσὰτω τοῖς ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἐβραίους οὕτω γεγραμμένοις· ι Ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν ι τὸ γὰρ, ι ἐπρίσθησαν,› ἐπὶ τὸν Ἦσαῒαν ἀναφέρεταιο ῶσπερ τό· ι Ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον,ι ἐπὶ τὸν Ζαχαρίαν φονευθέντα μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ῶς ό Σωτὴρ ἐδίδαξε μαρτυρῶν, ὡς οἶμαι, Γραφῇ, μὴ φερομένῃ μὲν ὲν τοῖς κοινοῖς καὶ δεδημευμένοις βιβλίοις, είκδς δʼ ὅτι ὲν ἀποκρύφοις φερομένῃ. Ἠτιμώθησαν δὲ ἐν τῇ πατρίδι παρὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, σ καὶ περιελθόντες ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι,» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. c Πάντες γὰρ οί θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται.» Εικδξ δʼ ὅτι τοῦτο ἐπιστάμενος ό Παῦλος, τὸ προφήτην ἐν τῇ ίδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχειν, πολλαχοῦ τὸν λόγον κηρύξις, οὐκ ἐκήρυξεν ἐν Ταρσῷ. Καὶ oi ἀπόστολοι διὰ τοῦτο κατέλιπον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἐποίησαν δὲ τὸ προστεταγμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· Μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ι καὶ τό· ι Ἔσεσθέ μοι μάρτυρες ἔν τε Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Σαμαρείᾳ, καὶ ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. ι Πεποιήκασι μὲν οὖν τὸ προστεταγμένον ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ* ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ Ιχει, μὴ παραδεξαμένων Ἰουδαίων τὸν λόγον, ἀπεληλύθασιν είς τὰ ἔθνη. Πρόσχες δὲ, εί δύνασαι, διὰ τόʼ ι Ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσι,› πεπληρωμένον μετὰ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν ταῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαις λέγειν, ὅτι οί πρότερον ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ διὰ τοῦ πιστεύειν γενόμενοι οὐκέτι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, ἐν τῇ ίδξᾳ πατρίδι, τῷ κόσμῳ, ἅγιον Πνεῦμα λαβόντες, καὶ προφητεύοντες, τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ ἀτιμάζονται. Διὸ μακάριοί είσι τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς προφήταις παθόντες, κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος λεγόμενονʼ ι Κατὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἐποίουν τοῖς προφήταις oi πατέρες αὐτῶν. ι Τούτοις δέ τις ἐμμελῶς προσέχων, εί διὰ τὸ πάνυ εὐτόνως βιοῦν, καὶ ἐλέγχειν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, μισοῖτο, καὶ ἐπιβουλεύοιτο, ὡς διωκόμενος, καὶ ὀνειδιζόμενος ἐνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, οὐ μόνον οὐ λυπηθήσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαρήσεται, καὶ ἀγαλλιάσιται, πειθόμενος διὰ ταῦτα μισθὸν ἕχεινξπολὺν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοιώσαντος αὐτὸν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐκ τοῦ ταῦτα πεπονθέναι. ’Δτιμὰζεσθαι τοίνυν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι βαρουμένοις τῷ βίῳ τοῦ δικαίου χρὴ τὸν ζηλοῦντα βίον προφητικὸν, καὶ χωρήσαντα τὸ ἐν ἐκείνοις Πνεῦμα. ### English translation (Claude) “But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour except in his own country.” We must inquire whether the saying can be referred universally and equally to every prophet, as if each of the prophets was dishonoured in his own country only—not that everyone dishonoured was dishonoured in his country—or whether, because it is said in the singular, it is said about one. If it is said about one, what has been said is enough, since we refer the text to the Saviour. But if it is universal, then according to the literal account it is not true; for neither was Elijah dishonoured in Tishbe of Gilead, nor Elisha in Abel-meholah, nor Samuel in Ramathaim, nor Jeremiah in Anathoth. Interpreted figuratively, however, it is entirely true. For we must take their country to be Judea, their kinsmen that Israel, and their house perhaps the body. For all were dishonoured in Judea by Israel according to the flesh while they were still in the body, as is written in the Acts of the Apostles, said in reproof to the people: “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute, who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One?” And in Paul, in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, similar things are said: “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and do not please God, and oppose all men.” A prophet, then, is not without honour among the Gentiles; for either they do not know him at all, or having learned of him and accepted him as a prophet they honour him. Such are those of the church. The prophets are dishonoured, first, by being persecuted by the people according to the literal account; second, by the people’s not believing their prophecy. For if they had believed Moses and the prophets, they would have believed Christ, who showed that believing Christ follows for those who believe Moses and the prophets, and not believing Moses for those who do not believe Christ. Further, just as God is dishonoured through the transgression of the law, so the prophet is dishonoured by one who disbelieves the prophecies. It is useful, as regards the literal account, to gather what Jeremiah suffered among the people, on account of which he said, “And I said, I will not speak, nor will I name the name of the Lord,” and again elsewhere, “I have been continually mocked.” And what he suffered also from the king of Israel of that time is recorded in his prophecy. That those of the people came many times to stone Moses is also written; and his country was not the stones of some place but the people who followed him, among whom he too was dishonoured. And Isaiah is recorded to have been sawn in two by the people. And if anyone does not accept the account because it is found in the apocryphal Isaiah, let him believe what is written thus in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted”; for “they were sawn in two” refers to Isaiah, just as “they died by the slaughter of the sword” refers to Zechariah, who was slain between the temple and the altar, as the Saviour taught, bearing witness, I think, to a writing not found in the common and published books, but probably found in apocryphal ones. And they were dishonoured in their country among the Jews, “going about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted,” and so on. “For all who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” It is likely that Paul, knowing that a prophet has no honour in his own country, though he preached the word in many places, did not preach in Tarsus. And the apostles for this reason left Israel and did what was commanded by the Saviour: “Make disciples of all the nations,” and, “You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” They did what was commanded in Judea and Jerusalem; but since a prophet has no honour in his own country, when the Jews did not accept the word they went away to the Gentiles. Consider, if you can, whether because “I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, and they shall prophesy” was fulfilled after the coming of the Saviour in the churches from the Gentiles, one may say that those who were formerly of the world, and through believing have become no longer of the world, having received the Holy Spirit and prophesying, have no honour in their own country, the world, but are dishonoured. Therefore they are blessed who suffer the same things as the prophets, according to what the Saviour said: “For so their fathers did to the prophets.” One who attends to these things carefully, if because of living very strictly and rebuking sinners he is hated and plotted against, as one persecuted and reproached for righteousness’ sake, will not only not be grieved but will rejoice and exult, being persuaded that on this account he has a great reward in heaven from the one who made him like the prophets by his having suffered these things. The one who strives after the prophetic life, then, and has received the Spirit that was in them, must be dishonoured in the world and among sinners, who find the life of the righteous a burden. ### Scripture references - Matt 13:57: quotation, high confidence - Acts 7:52: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:15: quotation, high confidence - John 5:46: allusion, high confidence - Rom 2:23: allusion, medium confidence - Jer 20:9: quotation, high confidence - Jer 20:7: quotation, high confidence - Exod 17:4: allusion, medium confidence - Num 14:10: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 11:37: quotation, high confidence - Matt 23:35: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 3:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - Acts 1:8: quotation, high confidence - Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 15:19: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 6:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:10: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:12: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 2:15 (Wisdom of Solomon): echo, low confidence - Ascen. Isa. 5.1 (Ascension of Isaiah): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:57; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess 2:14–15; John 5:46; Rom 2:23; Jer 20:9; Jer 20:7; Num 14:10 (Exod 17:4); Heb 11:37; Matt 23:35; 2 Tim 3:12; Matt 28:19; Acts 1:8; Joel 2:28 (3:1 LXX); John 15:19; Luke 6:23, 26; Matt 5:10–12; Wis 2:15 (“the life of the righteous a burden”). Isaiah's being sawn in two is from the Ascension of Isaiah (the “apocryphal Isaiah”). 1 Thess 2:14–15 on the Jews is quoted as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.18 (PG 13:880a–884a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-19 - Source: PG 13:884a–885b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus did few mighty works at Nazareth because of unbelief; divine power and human faith work together, as weather and farming do in producing a harvest. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τό· ι Οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ δυνάμεις πολλὰς διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν.» Διά τούτων δέ διδασκόμεθα, ὅτι αἱ δυνάμεις ἐν τοῖς πιστεύωσιν ἐγίνοντο, ἐπεὶ. ι παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται, καὶ περισσευθήσεται·› ἐν ἀπίστοις δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐνήργουν αί δυνάμεις, ἀλλʼ ὼς ὁ Μάρκος ἀνεγραψεν, οὐδὲ ἐδύναντο ἐνεργεῖν. Πρόσχες γὰρ τῷ· ι Οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἐκεῖ οὐδεμίαν ποιῆσαι δύναμινη οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ι οὐκ ἧθελεν,› ἀλλʼ, ι οὐκ ἐδύνατο, ι ὡς ἐρχομένης μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐνεργοῦσαν δύναμιν συμπράξεως ὐπὸ πί· στεως ἐκείνου είς ὃν ἐνήργει ἡ δύναμις, κωλυομένης δέ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀπιστίας. Ὅρα οὖν, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς εἰπόντας· ι Διά τί οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτός εἶπε· Διά τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶνʼ» καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀρξάμενον καταποντίζεσθαι Πέτρον λέλεκται· ι Ὀλιγόπιοντε, είς τί ἐδίστασας ; ι Ἀλλά καὶὴ αἱμορροοῦσα. μὴ ἀξιώσασα περὶ τῆς θεραπείας, ἀλλὰ μόνον λογισαμένη εί ἅψαιτο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἰαθήσεται, ίάθη παραχρῆμα, καὶ ὁμολογεῖ τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς ἰάσεως ὁ Σωτὴρ λέγων· ι Τίς μου ἧψατος ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.) Καὶ τάχα ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἐστί τισι πρός τινα φυσικὴ ὁλκὴ, ὡς τῇ μαγνησίᾳ λίθῳ πρὸς σίδηρον, καὶ τῷ καλουμένῳ νάφθα πρὸς πῦρ, οὕτως τῇ τοιᾷδε πίστει πρὸς θείαν δύναμιν· καθὸ ρηται καὶ τό ι Ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρείτι τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· Μετάβηθι ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται. ι Ἀκριβῶς δὲ δοκοῦσί μοι ὁ Ματθαῖος καὶ ό Μάρκος, τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς θείας δυνάμεως παραστῆσαι βουλόμενοι, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ δύναται, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖον δύναται, ὅσον δύναται ἐν πίστει τῇ τῶν εὐεργετουμένων, εἰρηκέναι, οὐχ ὄτι οὐκ ἐποίησε δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἐκεῖ δυνάμεες πολλάς. Καὶ ὁ Μάρκος δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐδύνατο ἐκεῖ οὐδεμίαν ποιῆσαι δύναμιν, καὶ ἔστη ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκεν· ι Εἰ μὴ ὀλίγοις ἀρρώστοις ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας ἐθεράπευσε,ι νικώσης τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ δυνάμεως καὶ οὕτως τὴν ἀπιστίαν. Δοκεῖ δέ μοι, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σωματικῶν, οὐτε αὐτάρκης γεωργία πρὸς συγκομιδὴν καρπῶν, ἐὰν μὴ τὸ περιεχόμενον είς τοῦτο συνεργῇ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ περιέχον ποιότητι ὁποίᾳ βούλεται ὁ κοσμῶν, καὶ ποιῶν αὐτό ὁποῖον θέλει οὐτε τὸ περιέχον χωρὶς γεωργίας, μᾶλλον δὲ 6 προνοῶν οὐ· ποιήσαι ἂν ἀνατεῖλαι ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ei ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀνατέλλοντα χωρὶς γεωργίας ἅπαξ γὰρ τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ὲν τείν ι Βλαστησάτω i γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου σπεῖρον σπέρμα κατά γένος κα καθʼ ὁμοιότητα» οὕτω δὲ οὔτε τὰ ἐνεργήματα τῶ· δυνάμεων χωρὶς πίστεως τῆς τῶν θεραπευομένων τέ αὐτοτελὲς ἔργον ἐπιδείκνυται πρὸς ἴασιν, οὔθʼ ή πίε στις, ὁποία ποτʼ ἂν ᾗ, χωρὶς τῆς θείας δυνάμεως Kal. τὸ γεγραμμένον δὲ περὶ σοφίας ὲιραρμόσεις κα τῇ πίστει καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς κατʼ εἶδος, ὥστε τοιοῦτοι ποιῆσαι λόγον· ι Κᾶν γάρ τις τέλειος ὲν πίστει ἐπ υίοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ δυνάμεως ἀπούσης, είς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται-ι ἤ τέλειος τῇ σωφροσύνῃ, ὡς ὲν υἱοῖς ἀνθρώπων, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ σωφροσύνης ἀπούσης είς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται· ἢ τέλειος ὲν δικαιοσύνῃ κα ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἀρεταῖς, τῆς ἀπὸ σοῦ δικαιοσύνης καὶτῶν ἀπὸ σοῦ λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν, είς οὐδὲν λογισθή σεται. Ὅθεν· ι Μὴ καυχάσθω 6 σοφὸς ὲν τῇ σοφίς αύτοῦ, μηδὲ 6 ἰσχυρὸς ὲν ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦʼ» τὸ γὰι καυχήσεως ἄξιον οὐχ ἡμέτερον, ἀλλά δῶρόν ἐστι Θεοῦ ήάπ* αὐτοῦ σοφία, καὶ ή ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ ms;- καὶ οὕτω ### English translation (Claude) Next we may consider: “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” By these words we are taught that the mighty works took place among those who believed, since “to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance”; but among the unbelieving not only did the mighty works not operate, but, as Mark recorded, they could not even operate. Note the words: “He could do no mighty work there.” For he did not say “he would not,” but “he could not,” as though there comes to the power at work a cooperation from the faith of the one in whom the power works, and the power is hindered from working by unbelief. See, then, that to those who said, “Why could we not cast it out?” he said, “Because of your little faith”; and to Peter, who began to sink, it was said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” But the woman with the flow of blood, too, who did not ask to be healed but only reckoned that if she touched the fringe of his garment she would be healed, was healed at once; and the Saviour acknowledges the manner of the healing, saying, “Who touched me? For I perceived that power had gone out from me.” And perhaps, just as among bodies some have a natural attraction toward certain others, as the magnet stone toward iron and what is called naphtha toward fire, so such faith has toward divine power; as it is said also: “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move.” And Matthew and Mark, wishing to show the surpassing greatness of the divine power—that it can work even amid unbelief, but cannot work as much as it can amid the faith of those who are benefited—seem to me to have spoken exactly, saying not that he did no mighty works because of their unbelief, but that he did not do many mighty works there. And Mark did not say that he could do no mighty work there and stop at that, but added: “except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them,” the power in him overcoming even so the unbelief. It seems to me that, just as in bodily things, farming is not sufficient for gathering in a harvest unless the surrounding air cooperates for this—or rather the one who orders the air with whatever quality he wishes and makes it as he wills—nor is the air sufficient without farming—or rather the one who provides would not make things spring up from the earth without farming, for he did that once, in “Let the earth bring forth green grass, sowing seed according to its kind and likeness”—so neither do the operations of the powers show a work complete in itself for healing without the faith of those being healed, nor does faith, however great it may be, without the divine power. And you will apply what is written about wisdom to faith and to each of the virtues, so as to frame a saying like this: “For even if one is perfect in faith among the sons of men, if the power that comes from you is absent, he will be reckoned as nothing”; or perfect in self-control among the sons of men, if the self-control that comes from you is absent, he will be reckoned as nothing; or perfect in righteousness and the other virtues, if the righteousness from you and the other virtues from you are absent, he will be reckoned as nothing. Hence: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength.” For what is worthy of boasting is not ours, but is a gift of God: the wisdom that comes from him, and the strength that comes from him, and so … ### Scripture references - Matt 13:58: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:29: quotation, high confidence - Mark 6:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:31: quotation, high confidence - Mark 5:30: allusion, high confidence - Luke 8:46: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:11: quotation, high confidence - Jer 9:23: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 9:6 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 13:58; Matt 25:29; Mark 6:5; Matt 17:19–20; Matt 14:31; Luke 8:46 (Mark 5:30); Gen 1:11; Wis 9:6 (adapted to faith and the virtues); Jer 9:23. The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”). A running head of the Migne edition inside the text has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.19 (PG 13:884a–885b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-20 - Source: PG 13:885b–889b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks how Herod could think Jesus was John risen from the dead, rejects transmigration, and suggests Herod thought John's powers had passed to Jesus as Elijah's spirit had passed to John. ### Greek text ι Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἤκουσεν Ἡρώδης 6 τε· τράρχης τὴν ἀκοὴν Ἰησοῦ, καὶ εἷπε τοῖς παισὶν ἑαυ 10'3- Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰωάννης 6 Βαπτιστής. ι Παρὰ δ τῷ Μάρκῳ οὕτως, καὶ παρά τῷ Λουκᾷ οὕτως. Δια φόρδυς δόξας εἶχον oi Ἰουδαῖοι, τινάς μὲν ψευδεῖς ὁπῡίας ἐφρόνουν οί Σαδδουκαῖοι περὶ ἁναστά· σεως νεκρῶν, ὡς οὐκ ἐγειρομένων, καὶ περὶ ἀγγέ· λων ὼς οὐχ ὑπαρχόντων, ἀλλά τροπολογου μένων τῶε περὶ αὐτῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων μόνον, καὶ μηδὲν ὠ‹ πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀληθὲς ἑχόντων· ἐτέρας δὲ du ἀληθεῖς, ὡς περὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν, ὅτι ἐγεί ρονται, ἐδίδασκον οί Φαρισαῖοι. Τὸ οὖν ζητούμενα κατά τὸν τόπον ἐστὶν, εί τοιαύτη τις ἧν περὶ ψυχῆε δόξα ἣν ἐφρόνει Ἡρώδης ἐσφαλμένως, καί τινες τῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ, ὃτι 6 πρὸ ὀλίγου ἀναιρεθεὶς ὑπʼ αύτοί Ἰωάννης ἀνέστη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν μετά τὸ ἀποκεφα· λισθῆναι, καὶ ἦν 6 αὐτὸς ἑτέρῳ ὀνόματι χρώμενος καὶ καλούμενος νῦν Ἰησοῦς, δεκτικὸς τῶν αὐτοῦ δυνάμεων, αῖ πρότερον ἐνήργουν ὲν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ. Ποία οἷν ἔχει πιθανότητα τὸν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον γνώριμον παντ λαῷ, καὶ διαξόητον ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὃν ἔλεγοε υίὺν εἶναι τοῦ τέκτονος καὶ Μαρίας, καὶ ἀδελφοὺ‹ ἔχειν τοιούσδε καὶ ἀδελφὰς, νομίζεσθαι εἶναι ού) ἕτερον Ἰωάννου, ᾧ πατὴρ ἦν Ζαχαρίας, καὶ μήτηρ Ἐλισάὸετ, κούδʼ αὐτοὶ ἄσημοι ὲν τῷ λαῷ; Εἰκὸς δʼ ὅτι 6 λαὸς φρονοῦντες περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου, ὅτι δντως προφήτης ἦν, καὶ τοσοῦτοι τυγχάνοντες, ὡς φοβεῖσθαι τοὺς Φαρισαίους, διὰ τὸ μὴ δυσάρεστον δοκεῖν τῷ λαῷ λέγειν, ἀποκρίνεσθαι, ι πότερον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν, ἦ ἐξ ἁθρώπων τὸ βάπτισμα αὑτοῦ, ι οὐκ ὴγνόόυν υἱὸν αὑτὸν τυγχάνειν Ζαχαρίου. Τάχα δὲ καὶ εἷς τινας ἔφθασεν αὐτῶν τὰ τῆς ὲωραμένης ὀπτασίας ὲν τῷ ναῷ, φανέντος τῷ Ζαχαρία τοῦ Γαβριήλ. Ποίαν δὴ οὖν ἔχειʼ πιθανότητα ἡ τοῦ είτε Ἡρώδου εἴτε τινῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ἀπάτη, πρὸς τδ voμίσαι, ὅτι οὐ δύο τινὲς γεγόνασιν 6 Ἰωάννης καὶό Ἰησοῦς, ἀλλʼ εἷς καὶ αὐτὸς ὢν Ἰωάννης, ἀναστάς, μετὰ τὸ ἁποκεφαλισθῆναι, ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐκλήθη Ἰησοῢς; Λέγοι δʼ ἄν τις τὴν τῆς μετενσωματὼσεως ψευδοδοξίαν γεγονέναι ὲν τῷ Ἡρώδῃ καί τισι τῶν άπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ, ἀφʼ ἧς ᾤοντο τόν ποτε Ἰωάννην ἐν γενέσει γενέσθαι, καὶ ὲκ νεκρῶν ἐληλυθέναι εἷς τὸν βίον, ὡς Ἰησοῦν ’ ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ταύτην τὴν ψευδοδοξίαν πιθανὴν ὲᾷ νομισθῆναι 6 μεταξὺ χρόνος τῆς γενέ· σεως Ἰωάννου καὶ Ἰησοῦ, οὐ πλεῖον μηνῶν ἒξ τυγο χάνων. Τάχα δὲ μᾶλλον τοιαύτη τις ὑπόληψις ἦν ἐν τῷ Ἡρώδῃ, ὅτι αῑ ὲνεργήσασαι δυνάμεις ὲν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ μετέστησαν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀφʼ ὧν Ἰωάννης Βαπτιστὴς εἶναι πεπίστευτο ὲν τῷ λαῷ· καὶ χρήσαιτό τις ἐπιχειρήματι τοιούτῳʼ Ὥσπερ διὰ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν δύναμιν Ἠλίου, καὶ οὗ διὰ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, περὶ Ἰωάννου λέγεται ο ι Αὐτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας 6 μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι, ι τοῦ ὲν Ἠλίᾳ πνεύματος καὶ τῆς ὲν ἐκείνῳ δυνάμεως μετεληλυθυιῶν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰωάννηψ οὕτως ᾤετο 6 Ἡρώδης τὰς ὲν Ἰωάννη δυνάμεις ὲν μὲν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ἐνηργηκέναι τὰ τοῦ βαι πτίσματος καὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας· ‹ Ἰωάννης γὰρ ἑποίησε σημεῖον οὐδὲ ἒν· › ὲν δὲ τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰς ραστίους δυνάμεις. Τδ δʼ ὅμοιόν τις φήσει ὑπειληὶ φέναι τοὺς εἰρηκότας ι Ἠλίαν πεφηνέναι ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἢ προφήτην ἕνα τῶν ἀρχαίων ἐγηγέρθαι. ι Οὐδὲν δὲ ζητήσεως ἔχεται τὺ δόγμα τῶν εἰρηκότων, ο Ὅτι προφήτης ὼς εἷς τῶν προφητῶν ἦν ’ῐτ σοῦς. ι Ψευδὴς μὲν οὖν 6 τοῦ εἴτε Ἡρώδου περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐστιν ἀναγεγραμμένος, ἐἴτελὸ ὑπὸ τινων εἰρημένος. Πλὴν δοκεῖ μοι μᾶλλον ἔχεσθαι πει θανότητος τὸ ἀνάλογον, ι τὸ tv πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἡλίου προεληλυθέναι τὸν Ἰωάννην, ι τοῖς νῦν ὐποιοουμένοις περὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ Ἰησοῦ ὑπὸ τούτων. Ἑπεὶ δὲ πρῶτον ἐμάθομεν, ὃτι μετὰ τὸν πειρασμὸν δ Σωτὴρ ἀκούσας, ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη, ἁνεχώρη σεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι ὲν τῷ δεσμω τηρίῳ τυγχάνων, ἀκούσας τά περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ι πέμψας δύο τῶν μαθητῶν αὑτοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτῴ ο Σί ei ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν; t καὶ τρίτοι ἁπαξαπλῶς, ὅτι Ἡρώδης εἷπε περὶτοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτ ι Αὐτός ἐστιν Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς, αὐτὸς ἠγέρθη ἀπὶ τῶν νεκρῶν, ι οὐδαμόθεν δὲ προέγνωμεν τὸν τρόποι τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο νῦν κα τοῦτο ἀνέγραψεν ὁ Ματθαίος, καὶ ὁ Μάρκος δὲ αὖτε ταραπλησίως· ὀ δὲ Λουκᾶς τά πολλὰ τῆς παρὰ τούι τοις παρε σιώπησεν ἱστορίας. ### English translation (Claude) “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus, and said to his servants, This is John the Baptist.” So it is in Mark, and so in Luke. The Jews held different opinions: some false, such as the Sadducees held about the resurrection of the dead, that the dead are not raised, and about angels, that they do not exist, but that what is written about them is only to be taken figuratively and has nothing true as regards the literal account; and others true, as the Pharisees taught about the resurrection of the dead, that the dead are raised. The question in this passage, then, is whether there was some such opinion about the soul, which Herod held mistakenly, and some of the people, that John, who had shortly before been put to death by him, rose from the dead after being beheaded and was the same person using another name and now called Jesus, receiving his powers, which had formerly worked in John. What plausibility is there that one so well known to the whole people and famous in all Judea, whom they said was the son of the carpenter and of Mary, and had such brothers and sisters, should be thought to be none other than John, whose father was Zechariah and mother Elizabeth, who were themselves not obscure among the people? It is likely that the people, thinking that John was truly a prophet, and being so many that the Pharisees feared, lest they seem to say something displeasing to the people, to answer whether his baptism was from heaven or from men, were not ignorant that he was the son of Zechariah. And perhaps the vision seen in the temple, when Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, had reached some of them too. What plausibility, then, has the error of Herod, or of some of the people, in thinking that John and Jesus were not two persons, but one, and that John himself, having risen from the dead after being beheaded, was called Jesus? Someone might say that the false opinion of transmigration of bodies was in Herod and some of the people, from which they thought that John of old had come into being by birth and come out of the dead into life as Jesus. But the interval between the birth of John and that of Jesus, which was not more than six months, does not allow even this false opinion to seem plausible. Perhaps rather some such supposition was in Herod: that the powers which had worked in John had passed over to Jesus, on account of which he was believed by the people to be John the Baptist. And one might use an argument like this: just as it is said of John, because of the spirit and power of Elijah, and not because of his soul, “He is Elijah who is to come,” since the spirit that was in Elijah and the power in him had passed over to John, so Herod thought that the powers in John had worked in John the things of baptism and teaching—“for John did no sign”—but in Jesus the mighty works. Someone will say that those who said that “Elijah had appeared” in Jesus, or that “one of the old prophets had risen,” supposed the same. The opinion of those who said, “He is a prophet like one of the prophets,” raises no question. False, then, is the view about Jesus recorded either of Herod or as said by certain people. Yet the analogy of John’s having gone before “in the spirit and power of Elijah” seems to me more plausible as an account of what they now supposed about John and Jesus. And since we learned first that after the temptation the Saviour, having heard that John had been handed over, withdrew into Galilee; second, that John, being in prison and hearing what concerned Jesus, “sent two of his disciples and said to him, Are you the one who is coming, or shall we look for another?”; and third, simply that Herod said of Jesus, “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead,” but we had nowhere learned beforehand the manner of the Baptist’s death—for this reason Matthew now recorded this too, and Mark likewise; but Luke passed over in silence much of the account found in these. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:2: quotation, high confidence - Mark 6:14: allusion, high confidence - Luke 9:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:23: allusion, medium confidence - Acts 23:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:26: allusion, high confidence - Luke 1:11: allusion, high confidence - Luke 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:14: quotation, high confidence - John 10:41: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:8: quotation, high confidence - Mark 6:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 11:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:3: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:36: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:1–2; Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7; Matt 21:25–26; Luke 1:11–19; Luke 1:17; Matt 11:14; John 10:41; Luke 9:8; Mark 6:15; Matt 4:12; Matt 11:2–3. “Transmigration of bodies” (μετενσωμάτωσις) is the doctrine of reincarnation; Origen rejects it here. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.20 (PG 13:885b–889b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-21 - Source: PG 13:889c–892d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: With John's death the Jews' rulers lost the power of capital punishment, fulfilling Jacob's prophecy; Origen then turns to Herod's marriage to his brother's wife. ### Greek text Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως η τοῦ Ματθαίου λέξις· ο Ὁ γάρ ’Πρὼδης, κρατήσας τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἔδησεν αὐτὸν ὲκ τῇ φυλακῇ. ι Είς ταῦτʼ οὖν δοκεῖ μοι ὃτι, ὥσπερ ι νόμος καὶΙ οἱ προφῆται μέχρι Ἰωάννου, μεθʼ ὃν ἕλη ξεν ἡ προφητικὴ ἀπὸ Ἰουδαίων χάρις υ οὕτως ἡ τῶ βασιλευσάντων ὲν τῷ λαῷ ἐξουσία, μέχρι τοὲ ἀναιρεῖν τοὺς νομιζομένους ἀξίους θανάτου αὐτοῖ ὑπάρχουσα, ἓως Ἰωάννου ἦν, καὶ ἀναιρεθέντος τοὶ τελευταίου τῶν προφητῶν παρανόμως ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡρώδου, άψῃρέθη 6 Ἰουδαίων βασιλεὺς τῆς τοῦ άναιρεί ἔξουσίας* εί γὰρ μὴ ἀφῄρητο αὐτὴν ὁ Ἡρώδης, οὐκ ἂν ἐδίκασεν ὁ Πιλάτος τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἀλλʼ ἤρκεσεν ἂν εἰς τοῦτο Ἡρώδης μετὰ τῆς τῶ ἀρχιερέων, καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαυῦ είς τοῦτο βουλῆς. Καὶ τότε, οἶμαι, πεπλήρωται τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰακὼό πρὸς Ἰούδαν τοῦτον εἰρημένον τὸν τρόπον· ι Ούκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, οὐδὲ ἡγούμενος ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὃ ἀπόκειται, καὶ αὖτίς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν. ι Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀφῃρέθησαν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην Ἰουδαῖοι, τῆς θείας παρασχούσης προνοίας τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλίᾳ ὲν τῷ λαῷ νομὴν, ἵνα, κᾶν κωλύηται ὑπʼ,Ἰουδαίων αὕτη, ἀλλὰ μὴ μέχρι ἀναιρέσεως τῶν πιστευόντων χωρῇ, δοκούσης κατὰ νόμον γίγνεσθαι. ι Ἡρώδης δὲ, κρατήσας τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἔδησεν ὲν φυλακῇ, καὶ ἀπέθετο, ι σύμβολον ποιῶν τοῦτο, ὅσον ἐφʼ ἐαυτῷ, καὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ, καταδῆσαι καὶ κατακλεῖσαι λόγον τὸν προφητικὸν, καὶ κωλῦσαι αὐτὸν ἔτι μένειν τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυκα ἐπʼ ἐλευθερίᾳ, ὡς τὸ πρότερον. Τοῦτο δὲ πεποίηκεν Ἡρώδης ι διὰ Ἡρωδιάδα τὴν γυναῖκα Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ · ἔλεγε γὰρ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάννης· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν αὐτὴν. ι Οὗτος δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἦν τετράρχης τῆς Ἰτουρίας, καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος χώρας. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν οἴονται, ὅτι, ἀποθανόντος Φιλίππου θυγατέρα καταλιπόντος Ἠρωδιάδα, ἔγημε τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γυναῖκα ὁ Ἡρώδης, τοῦ νόμου τὸν γάμον ἐν ἀπαιδίᾳ συγχωροῦντος (κιο). Ἥμείς δὲ, μηδαμῆ σαφῶς εὑρίσκοντες (ιΗ) τεθνηκέναι τον Φίλιππον, μεῖξον ἔτι τὸ m- ### English translation (Claude) Matthew’s wording is as follows: “For Herod had seized John and bound him in prison.” On this it seems to me that, just as “the law and the prophets were until John,” after whom the prophetic grace ceased from the Jews, so the authority of those who ruled among the people, which extended to putting to death those they thought worthy of death, lasted until John; and when the last of the prophets had been unlawfully put to death by Herod, the king of the Jews was deprived of the authority to put to death. For if Herod had not been deprived of it, Pilate would not have passed the sentence of death on Jesus; Herod, with the council of the chief priests and elders of the people, would have sufficed for this. And then, I think, what was said by Jacob to Judah was fulfilled in this way: “A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from Israel, until what is laid up comes, and he is the expectation of the nations.” And perhaps the Jews were deprived of this authority because divine providence was giving the teaching of Christ room to spread among the people, so that, even if it was hindered by the Jews, the hindrance might not go as far as putting believers to death under an appearance of being done according to law. “Herod seized John, bound him in prison, and put him away,” making this a symbol, as far as lay with him and the wickedness of the people, of binding and shutting up the prophetic word, and preventing it from remaining any longer a herald of the truth in freedom, as before. Herod did this “because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip; for John said to him, It is not lawful for you to have her.” This Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis. Some think, then, that when Philip died leaving a daughter, Herodias, Herod married his brother’s wife, though the law allows that marriage only when there is no child. But we, finding nowhere clearly that Philip had died, [think] the … still greater … ### Scripture references - Matt 14:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:4: quotation, high confidence - Luke 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Gen 49:10: quotation, high confidence - Luke 3:1: allusion, medium confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, high confidence - Lev 18:16: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:3–4; Luke 16:16; Gen 49:10 LXX; Luke 3:1 (Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis). Origen's claim that the Jewish rulers lost the right to execute after John's death is his own reading, translated as written. On Herod's marriage: the law of levirate marriage (Deut 25:5) permits marrying a dead brother's wife only if he died childless; Lev 18:16 forbids it otherwise. The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”); Origen goes on to argue that Herod's sin was greater because Philip was still alive. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.21 (PG 13:889c–892d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-22 - Source: PG 13:893a–897b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads Herodias’s dancing daughter as the vicious teaching that pleased Herod and silenced prophecy among the Jews, notes that no righteous man in Scripture keeps a birthday, and warns that not every oath should be kept. ### Greek text Διόπερ προφητικῇ παρρησίᾳ κεκοσμημένος ὁ Ἰωάννης, κα) μὴ καταπληττόμενος τὸ βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα τοῦ Ἡρώδου, μηδὲ διὰ τὸ δέος τοῦ θανάτου παρασιωπῶν περὶ τοῦ τηλικούτου ἁμαρτήματος, ἔλεγε τῷ Ἡρώδῃ θείου πληρωθεὶς φρονήματος· ι Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν αὐτήν· ού γὰρ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. ι '0 μὲν Ἡρώδης, κρατήσας τὸν Ἰωάννην, δήσας ἀπέθετο ὲν τῇ φυλακῇ, μὴ τολμῶν πάντη ἀποκτεῖναι, καὶ τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον ἀνελεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦʼ ἡ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Τραχωνίτιδος γυνὴ, πονηρά τις οὖσα δόξα, καὶ μοχθηρά διδασκαλία, θυγατέρα ἐγέννησεν ὁμώνυμον, ἧς τά δοκοῦντα εὓρυθμα κινήματα, ἀρέσαντα τῷ Ἡρώδῃ τὰ γενέσεως ἀγαπῶντι πράγματα, αἴτια γεγένηται τοῦ μηκέτι εἶναι ἐν τῷ λαῷ κεφαλὴν προφητικήν. Μέχρι δὲ τοῦ δεῦρο νομίζω τὰ δοκοῦντα κατὰ τὸν νόμον εἶναι κινήματα τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων μὴ ἄλλο τι τυγχάνειν ἦ τῆς Ἡρωδιάδος θυγατρόςο ἀλλʼ ἡ Ἡρωδιάδος ὄρχησις ἐναντία ἦν ὀρχήσει ἁγίᾳ, ἢν οἱ μὴ ὀρχησάμενοι ὀνειδισθήσονται ἀκούοντες · ι Ηύλήσαμεν ύμῖν, καὶ οὐκ ὠρχήσασθε. ι Καὶ ὲν γενεθλίοις δὲ παρανόμου βασιλεύοντος αὐτῶν λόγου ὀρχοῦνται, ὡς ἀρέσκειν ἐκείνῳ τῷ λόγῳ τὰς ςΗ).εγχε δε δέ Ἰωάννης τον Ἡρώδην, ὡς ”παρανόμως ωεγχε οε ο ἰωαννης τον ιιρωοην, ως πα ανομως έχοντα του ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα.- Ὀ γέρ νόμος ἐκέλευε τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γυναῖκα τότε λαμβάνειν τὸυ ἀδελφὸν, ὅτε ἄπαις τελευτήσοι ἐκεῖνοςὲ Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὁ φίλιππος ούκ ἄπαις ἐτελεύτησεν· ἦν γὰρ αὐτῷ κινήσεις αύτῶν. Ἐτήρησε μὲν οὖν τις τῶν πρ) ἡμῶν τὴν ἀναγεγραμμένην ὲν Γενέσει τεῦ Φαραὼ γενέθλιον, καὶ διηγήσατο, ὅτι ὁ φαῦλος τά γενέσεως ἀγαπῶν πράγματα, ἑορτάζει γενέθλιον ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἀπʼ ἐκείνου ταύτην εὑρόντες ἀφορμὴν, ἐπʼ ούδεμιᾶς Γραφῆς εὕρομεν ὑπὸ δικαίου γενέθλιον ἀγόμενον · ἄδικος γὰρ μᾶλλον ἐκείνου τοῦ Φαραιὼὸ Ἡρώδης καὶ γὰρ ὑπʼ ἐκείνου μὲν ὲν γενεθλίῳ ἀρχισιτοποιὶις ἀναιρεῖται, ὑπὸ δὲ τούτου Ἰωάννης, ι οὗ μείζων ὲν γενητοῖς γυναικῶν οὐδεὶς ἐγήγερται· ι περὶ οὗ ὁ Σωτὴρ λέγει ’ ι Ἀλλὰ τί ὲξεληλύθατες Προφήτην ἰδείν; Ναὶ λέγω ὑμῖν, καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου. ι Ἀλλά εύχαριστητέον τῷ Θεῷ, εί καὶ ὴ προφητικὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ἦρται χάρις, ή πάσης ἐκείνης μείζων ἐξεχύθη εἰς τὰ ἔθνη διὰ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ, ι ὃς ἐγένετο ὲν νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος καὶ ἐσταυρώθη ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ὲκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ. ι ’Ἔτι δὲ ὅρα τὸν λόγον παρʼ ᾧ καθαρὰ μὲν καὶ ἀκάθαρτα. ἐξετάζεται βρώματα, καταφρονεῖται δὲ προφητεία ἐπὶ πίνακι ἀντὶ δεξιον προαγομένη. Τὴν δὲ κεφαλὴν τῆς προφητείας Ἰουδαῖοι οὐκ ἔχουσι, τὸ κεφάλαιον πάσης προφητείας Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀρνούμενοι καὶ ἀποκεφαλίζεται ὁ προᾳήτης διʼ ὅρκον, ἐφʼ οἷς μᾶλλον ἐπιορκεῖν ἢ εὐορκεῖν ἔδει· ού ταυτὸν γὰρ ἦν ἔγκλημα προπετείας ὅρκων, καὶ τῆς διὰ τὴν προπέτειαν ἐπιορκίας ἔγκλημα ἀναιρέσεως προφητικῆς. Καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο μόνον ἀποκεφαλίζεται, ἀλλά καὶτοὺς συνανακειμένους, βουλομένους μᾶλλον ἀναιρεθῆναι τὸν προφήτην, ἢ ζῇν. Συνανάκεινται δὲ καὶ συνεστιῶνται λόγῳ μοχθηρῷ Ἰουδαίων βασιλεύοντι οἱ ἐπὶ τῇ γενέσει αὐτού εὐφραινόμενοι. Χρήσῃ δέ ποτε χαριέντως τῷ ῥητῷ πρὸς τοὺς προπετῶς ὀμνύοντας, καὶ θέλοντας ἐμπεδοῦν ὅρκους ἐπὶ παρανομίᾳ παραληφθέντας, λέγων ὅτι ού πᾶσα τήρησις ὅρκων ἐστὶ καθήκουσα, ὡς οὐδὲ τοῦ Ἡρώδου, Ἔτι δὲ πρόσχες, ὅτι ού μετά παρρησίας, ἀλλά κρύφα καὶ ὲν φυλακῇ φονεύει τὸν Ἰωάννην ὁ Ἡρώδης. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μετά παῤῥησίας ἀρνεῖται ό νῦν Ἰουδαίων λόγος τὰς προφητείας, δυνάμει δὲ καὶ ἐν κρυπτῷ αὐτὰς ἀρνεῖται, καὶ ἐλέγχεται αὑταῖς ἀπιστῶν. Ὠσπερ γὰρ, εί ἐπίστευον Μωῢσῇ, τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπίστευσαν ἄν· οὕτως, εί ἐπίστευον τοῖς προφήταις, προσήκαντο ἂν τὸν προφητευόμενον. ’Δπιστοῦντες δὲ τούτῳ, κάκείνοις ἀπιστοῦσι, καὶ ἀποτέμνουσιν ὲν φυλακῇ κατακλείσαντες τὸν λόγον τὸν προφητικὸν, καὶ ἔχουσιν αὐτὸν νεκρὸν, καὶ διαιρεθέντα, καὶ μηδαμοῦ ὑγιῆ, ἐπεὶ μὴ νοοῦσιν αὐτόν. Ἀλλʼ ἡμεῖς ὀλόκληρον ἔχομεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, πληρωθείσης τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγούσης προφητείας· ι Ὀστοῦν ού συντριβήσεται. i ### English translation (Claude) Therefore John, adorned with prophetic boldness, not dismayed by the royal dignity of Herod, and not keeping silent about so great a sin through fear of death, said to Herod, filled with a divine spirit: “It is not lawful for you to have her”; for it is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. Herod, then, having seized John, bound him and put him away in prison, not daring to kill him outright and to take the prophetic word away from the people. But the wife of the king of Trachonitis, who is a kind of wicked opinion and vicious teaching, bore a daughter of the same name, whose seemingly graceful movements, pleasing Herod, who loved the things of birth, became the cause of there no longer being a prophetic head among the people. And I think that to this day the movements of the Jewish people that seem to be according to the law are nothing other than those of the daughter of Herodias. But the dancing of Herodias was the opposite of the holy dancing which those who have not danced will be reproached for, when they hear: “We piped to you, and you did not dance.” And at the birthday feasts of the lawless word that reigns over them they dance, so that their movements please that word. [Here the scan text has a passage that interrupts the sentence: “John rebuked Herod for having his brother’s wife unlawfully. For the law commanded a man to take his brother’s wife only when the brother had died childless; but here Philip did not die childless, for he had …”] Now one of those before us observed the birthday of Pharaoh recorded in Genesis, and explained that it is the worthless man, who loves the things of birth, who celebrates a birthday; and we, taking this starting point from him, have found in no Scripture a birthday kept by a righteous man. For Herod was more unrighteous than that Pharaoh: by Pharaoh, on his birthday, a chief baker is put to death, but by Herod John, “than whom none greater has arisen among those born of women,” of whom the Saviour says: “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” But we must give thanks to God that, even if the prophetic grace has been taken away from the people, a grace greater than all of that has been poured out on the Gentiles through our Saviour Jesus, who became “free among the dead,” and “was crucified out of weakness, but lives by the power of God.” Observe further the word among whom clean and unclean foods are scrutinized, but prophecy is despised, being brought in on a platter in place of food. And the Jews do not have the head of prophecy, since they deny Christ Jesus, the head of all prophecy; and the prophet is beheaded because of an oath, in a case where it would have been better to break the oath than to keep it. For the charge of rashness in swearing, and of the perjury that the rashness would entail, was not the same as the charge of killing a prophet. And he is not beheaded for this reason alone, but also because of those reclining with him, who wished rather that the prophet be put to death than that he live. And those who rejoice at his birthday recline and feast with the vicious word that reigns over the Jews. You may at times make apt use of this text against those who swear rashly and want to make good oaths taken for some lawless deed, saying that not every keeping of oaths is fitting, as Herod’s was not. Observe further that Herod murders John not openly but secretly and in prison. For the present word of the Jews also does not deny the prophecies openly, but denies them in effect and in secret, and is convicted of disbelieving them. For as, “if they believed Moses, they would have believed” Jesus, so, if they believed the prophets, they would have received the one prophesied. But disbelieving him, they disbelieve them too; and having shut the prophetic word up in prison they cut it off, and they have it dead and divided and nowhere whole, since they do not understand it. But we have Jesus entire, since the prophecy that speaks of him has been fulfilled: “Not a bone shall be broken.” ### Scripture references - Matt 14:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 11:17: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 40:20: allusion, high confidence - Gen 40:22: allusion, high confidence - Matt 11:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:9: quotation, high confidence - Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 13:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:9: allusion, high confidence - John 5:46: quotation, high confidence - John 19:36: quotation, high confidence - Exod 12:46: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:3–4, 6–11; Matt 11:17; Gen 40:20–22 (Pharaoh’s birthday); Matt 11:11, 9; Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX); 2 Cor 13:4; John 5:46; John 19:36 (Exod 12:46). The bracketed passage on John’s rebuke and the law of a brother’s wife (Deut 25:5) stands in the scan text in the middle of a sentence; it is not part of this section in the public-domain English and is probably displaced from elsewhere on the page. “One of those before us” is not named (possibly Philo). Several words are garbled in the scan OCR and read by sense (“in place of food”). Origen’s polemic against the Jews and against birthdays is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.22 (PG 13:893a–897b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-23 - Source: PG 13:897b–900d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus’ withdrawal after John’s death teaches flight from avoidable persecution, and spiritually signifies the Word’s departure from the Jews to the Gentiles, whom he pities and heals. ### Greek text Οξ μαθηταὶ δὲ ἐλθόντες τοῦ Ἰωάννου θάπτουσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ λείψανον, ι καὶ ἐλθόντες ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. ι '0 δὲ ἀνεχώρησεν είς ἔρημον τόπον, τὰ ἔθνη· καὶ μετά τὴν τῶν προφητῶν ἀναίρεσιν illo: αὐτῷ ἠκολούθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν πανταχοῦ πόλεων, ὅντινα πολὺν. ὄντα θεασάμενος, ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν, καὶ μετά τοῦτο τρέφει τοῖς εύλογηθείσι καὶ πλεονάσασιν ἐξ ὀλίγων ἀρτων τοὺς ἀκολουθήσαντας αὐτῷ. ι Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ὲν πλοίῳ ἐκεῖθεν εἰς ἔρημον τόιτον κατʼ ἰδίαν. ι Τὸι μὲν ῥητὸν διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὅση δύναμις ἀπὸ τῶν διωκόντων, καὶ τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ διὰ τῶν λόγων ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι, ἀναχωρεῖν· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ κατά εὐλόγιστον γένοιτʼ ἄν· τὸν δὲ δυνάμε- C νον ἔξω εἶναι τῶν περιστατικῶν ὁμόσε χωρεῖν αὐτοῖς προπετές ἐστι καὶ θρα-σύ. Τίς δὲ ἔτι ἀμφιβἀλοι ἂν περὶ τοῦ ἐκκλίνειν τά τοιαῦτα, ού μόνον ἐπὶ τοῖς κατά τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀναχωρήσαντος, ἀλλά καὶ διδάσκοντος, καὶ λέγοντος· ι Ἑάν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε είς τὴν ἑτέραν. ι Ἐπελθόπα μὲν οὖν οὐ παρʼ ἡμᾶς πειρασμὸν ἀναγκαῖον ὑπομένειν εὐγενῶς λίαν καὶ τεθαρρηκότως· παρὸν δὲ ἐκκλίνειν, τοῦτο μὴ ποιεῖν τολμηρόν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετά τὸ ῥητὸν καὶ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν τὸν τόπον ἐξεταστέον. λεκτέον, ὅτι ἐπιβουλευθείσης παρά Ἰουδαίοις τῆς προφητείας, καὶ ἀναιρεθείσης, διὰ τὸ τιμᾶσθαι παρʼ αὐτοῖς τά γενέσεως πράγματα, καὶ κατὰ ἀποδοχὴν κενῶν κινημάτων γεγενημένων, ὡς μὲν παρʼ ἀληθείᾳ δικαζούσῃ, άρῤύθμων καὶ ἐκμελῶν, ὡς δʼ ὑπολαμβάνει 6 τῶν φαύλων ἄρχων καὶ οἱ συνεστιώμενοι αὐτῷ, εὐρύθμων, καὶ ἀρεσκόντων ἐκείνοις, ἀναχωρεῖ 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾧ προφητεία ἐπιβουλευθεῖσα κατεδικάσθη· ἀναχωρεῖ δὲ εἰς τὸν ἔρημον Θεοῦ παρὰ τοῖς έθνεσι τόπον, ἵνα 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, αἰρομένης τῆς βασιλείας ἀπʼ ἐκείνων, καὶ διδομένης ι ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ι γένηται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ διʼ αὐτὸν πολλὰ γένηται ι τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου ι μᾶλλον, μήτε νόμον μήτε προφήτας δεδιδαγμένης, ι ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα, ι τὸν νόμον. Ὅτε μὲν οὖν πάλαι ὁ Λόγος παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἦν, οὐχ οὕτως ἦν παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ὼς παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσι· διὸ λέλεκται ἐν πλοίῳ, τουτέστι τῷ σώματι, εἰς τὸν ἔρημον τόπον κατʼ ἰδίαν γεγονέναι, ἀκούσαντα περί τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τοῦ προφήτου. Κατʼ ἰδίαν δὲ γενόμενος εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ἦν ἐν αὐτῇ, τῷ ἰδιάζοντα εἶναι τὸν λόγον, καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὑτοῦ παρὰ τὰ εἰθισμένα ἐν τοίς ἔθνεσι γίνεσθαι καὶ νενομισμένα. Καὶ οἰ ἐν τνῖς ῑθνεσιν ὄχλοι ἀκούσαντες Λόγον ἐπιδεδημηκέναι τῆ ἐρήμῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ τοῦτον κατʼ ἰδίαν τυγχάνειν, ὡς προαποδεδώκαμεν, ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόλεων, τῲ ἕκαστον καταλελοιπέναι τὰ πά·τρια τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας έθη, καὶ τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσεληλυθέναι νόμῳ. Πεςῇ δὲ αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἐν πλοίῳ ἠκολούθησαν, ἅτε μὴ τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ γυμνῇ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου πεισθείσῃ προαιρέσει ἠκολουθηκότες τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ Θεοῦ Καὶ πρὸς τούτους γε 6 Ἰησοῦς ἐξέρχεται, μὴ χωροῦντας προσιέναι πρὸς αὑτὸν, ἵνα, τοῖς ἔξω γενόμενος, ἔσω τοὺς ἔξω εἰσαγάγῃ. Πολὺς δὲ 6 ἔξω ὄχλος, εἰς ὃν ἐξέρχεται 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἐκχέας τὸ φῶς τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτοῦ εἰς αὑτὸν, εἶδεν αὑτὸν, καὶ ἰδὼν τοῦ ἐλεεῖσθαι μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἀξίους, διὰ τὸ ἐν τοιοῖσδέ τισιν εἶναι, ὡς φιλάνθρωπος, πέπονθεν 6 ἀπαθὴς τὸ σπλαγχνισθῆναι, καὶ ού μόνον ἐσπλαγχνίσθη, ἀλλά καὶ τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν ἐθεράπευσεν ἔχοντας ποικίλα καὶ παντοδαπὰ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας ἀρρωστήματα. ### English translation (Claude) “And his disciples came and buried his body, and went and told Jesus.” And he withdrew into a desert place, the Gentiles; and after the killing of the prophets the crowds followed him from the cities everywhere; seeing that they were many, he had compassion on them and healed their sick, and after this he feeds those who had followed him with loaves that were blessed and multiplied from a few. “Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desert place apart.” The literal text teaches us to withdraw, as far as we can, from persecutors and from the prospect of being plotted against through words; for this would be in keeping with good sense; but for one who is able to keep out of danger to go out to meet it is rash and reckless. And who would still doubt about avoiding such things, since Jesus not only withdrew at what befell John but also taught, saying: “If they persecute you in this city, flee to the other”? A temptation that comes upon us not of our own doing must be endured very nobly and courageously; but when it is possible to avoid it, not to do so is reckless. But since, after the literal sense, the passage must also be examined anagogically, we must say that, when prophecy had been plotted against among the Jews and slain because the things of birth were honoured among them, and in approval of empty movements that had taken place, which in the judgment of truth are out of rhythm and out of tune, but which, as the ruler of the wicked and those who feast with him suppose, are graceful and pleasing to them, Jesus withdraws from the place in which prophecy, plotted against, was condemned; and he withdraws into the place among the Gentiles that was deserted by God, so that the Word of God, the kingdom being taken from the Jews and given “to a nation producing its fruits,” might come to be among the Gentiles, and that through him “the children of the desolate one,” who had been taught neither law nor prophets, might be more numerous “than those of her who has the husband,” the law. When of old the Word was among the Jews, then, it was not among them as it is among the Gentiles; therefore it is said that he went in a boat, that is, in the body, into the desert place apart, when he heard of the killing of the prophet. And having come apart into the desert, he was in it in this sense, that the Word was set apart, and his teaching came among the Gentiles contrary to their customs and established usages. And the crowds among the Gentiles, hearing that the Word had come to dwell in their desert and was apart, as we explained before, followed him from their own cities, in that each had left the ancestral customs of superstition and come over to the law of Christ. They followed him on foot and not in a boat, since they followed the image of God not with the body but with the bare soul and with the will persuaded by the Word. And Jesus goes out to these, since they are not able to come to him, so that, going out to those outside, he may bring those outside within. And great is the crowd outside, to which the Word of God goes out; and pouring the light of his visitation upon it, he saw it; and seeing that they were the more deserving of mercy because of the state they were in, he who is impassible, as one who loves humankind, felt compassion; and he not only had compassion but also healed their sick, who had various and manifold sicknesses from wickedness. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:14: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:19: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 10:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Isa 54:1: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:27: quotation, medium confidence - Col 1:15: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:12–14; Matt 14:19–20; Matt 10:23; Matt 21:43; Isa 54:1 (Gal 4:27); Col 1:15 (the image of God); Luke 1:78 (visitation, allusion uncertain). A garbled word before “followed him” is read by sense as “the crowds.” The teaching that one may flee persecution but must endure what cannot be avoided is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.23 (PG 13:897b–900d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-24 - Source: PG 13:900d–901d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen distinguishes the soul’s weakness, sickness, and sleep, using 1 Cor 11:30: not every sin is a sickness, only one that takes over the whole soul. ### Greek text Εἰδέ θέλεις ἰδεῖν ποῖά ἐστι τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρῤωστήματα, κατανόει μοι τοὺς φιλαργύρους, καὶ τοὺς φιλοδόξους, καὶ τοὺς φιλόπαιδας, καί εἴτις ἐστὶ φιλόγυνος· καὶ τούτους γάρ ἐν τοῖς δχλοις ἰδὼν, καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἐθεράπευσεν. Οὐ πᾶν δὲ ἁμάρτημα νομιστέον ἀρρωστίαν εἶναι, ἀλλʼ ὅπερ ἐναπέσκηψεν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ. Οὕτως ἔστιν γὰρ ἰδεῖν τοὺς μὲν φιλαργύρους ὅλους τεταμένους ἐπὶ τὸ ἀργύριον, καὶ τὴν τούτου φρουρὰν καὶ συναγωγήν· τοὺς φιλοδόξονς ἐπὶ τὸ δοξάριον· κεχήνασι γὰρ περὶ τὸν ἀπὺ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ χυδαιοτέρων ἔπαινον. Καὶ τὸ ἀνάλογον νοήσεις ἐφʼ ὧν ὠνομάσαμεν λοιπῶν, καὶ εί τι ἀλλο τούτοις ἐστὶ παραπλήσιον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν διηγούμενοι τόʼ ι Ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν, ι εἴπομεν μὴ πᾶν ἀμάρτημα εἶναι ἀρρώστημα, ἀξιον ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς καὶ περὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς τούτων παραμυθήσασθαι. Φησὶ δὴ ὁ ’Δπόστολος Κορινθίοις, ποικίλα ἔχουσιν ἁμαρτήματα, γράφων· ι Διά τοῦτο ὲν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ ἄρρωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. ι ’Δκουε γάρ ὲν τούτοις τοῦ καὶ σύνδεσμον πλέκοντος, καλ συμπεπλεγμένον ποιοῦντος ὲκ διαφόρων ἁμαρτημάτων, καθὸ οἱ μέν είσιν ἀσθενεῖς, ἕτεροι δὲ ἄρρωστοι πλέον ἢ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ ἄλλοι παρʼ ἀμφοτέρους κοιμώμενοι. Oi μέν γάρ ὀλισθηρώς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀδυναμίαν πρὸς τδ ότιποτοῦν ἁμαρτάνειν ἔχοντες, κάν μὴ ὅλοι ὧσιν εῐδους τινὸς ἁμαρτίας, ὡς οἱ ἄρρωστοι, ἀσθενεῖς εἱσι μόνονʼ oi δὲ ὅλῃ ψυχῇ καὶ ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ καὶ ὅλῃ διανοίᾳ, ἀντὶ τοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπᾷν, ἀγαπῶντες ἀργύρια, ἢ δοξάρια, ἢ γυναῖκα,ῆ παῖδας, οὗτοι πλέον ἢ ἀσθενείας πεπόνθασι, καὶ εἰσὶν ᾰρῤωστοι. Κοιμῶνται δὲ οί, δέον προσέχειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι τῇ ψυχῇ, τοῦτο μὲν ού ποιοῦντες, ἀπὸ δὲ πολλῆς ἀπροσεξίας νυστάζοντες τὴν προαίρεσιν, καὶ ύπνώττοντες τοῖς λογισμοῖς· οἵτινες ἐνυπνιαζόμενοι σάρκα μὲν μιαίνουσι, κυριώτατον δὲ ἀθετοῦσι, δόξας δὲ βλασφημοῦσιν. Οὗτοι δὲδιά τὸ κοιμᾶσθαι ὲν κεναῖς εἱσι φαντασίαις, καὶ παραβαλλομέναις ἐνυπνίοις, ταῖς ἦρι τῶν πραγμάτιον (ἔθʼ..τά μὲν ῦπαρ καὶ ἀληθῆ C οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενοι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν ὲν ταῖς κεναῖς φαντασίαις ἀπατώμενοι· περὶ ὧν καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ λέγεται ‘ τὸἷι Ὃν τρόπον ἐνυπνιάζεται ὁ διψῶν ώς ὁ πίνων, καὶ ἐξαναστὰς ἔτι διψᾷ, ἡ δὲ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ είς κενὸν ῆλπισεν· οὕτως ἔσται ὁ πλοῦτος πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὅσοι ἐπεστράτευσαν ὲν Ἰερουσαλήμ. ι El καὶ ἐδόξαμεν οᾷν παρεκβεβηκέναι, διηγούμενοι διαφοράν ἀσθενῶν, καὶ ἀρρώστων, καὶ κοιμωμένων, διά τὸ τὸν ’Λπόστολον ὲν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους εἰρηκέναι ἀ ἒξεθέμεθα, τὴν παρέκβασιν πεποιήμεθα, βουληθέντες παραστῆσαι τί σημαίνεται νοητὸν ὲκ τοῦ ι Καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν. ι ### English translation (Claude) If you want to see what the sicknesses of the soul are, consider, I pray, the lovers of money, the lovers of glory, those too fond of their children, and anyone who is too fond of women; for these too he saw among the crowds, had compassion on them, and healed them. Not every sin, however, is to be thought a sickness, but only one that has settled upon the whole soul. For in this way one can see the lovers of money wholly bent on money and on guarding and amassing it, and the lovers of glory on a little glory, for they gape after the praise of the many and the more vulgar. And you will understand the like in the case of the others we have named, and of anything else similar to them. Since, then, in explaining “He healed their sick,” we said that not every sin is a sickness, it is worth showing from Scripture the difference between them. The Apostle, then, writing to the Corinthians, who had various sins, says: “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a good number are asleep.” Notice in these words the conjunction “and,” weaving a combination out of different sins, in that some are weak, others are sick, which is more than weak, and others besides both are asleep. For those whose soul is so feeble that it slips easily into any sin whatever, even if they are not wholly given over to some kind of sin as the sick are, are only weak; but those who, instead of loving God with the whole soul and the whole heart and the whole mind, love money, or a little glory, or a wife, or children, these have suffered more than weakness, and are sick. And those are asleep who, when they ought to pay attention and keep awake in soul, do not do so, but from great inattention nod in their will and slumber in their thoughts; who, “dreaming, defile the flesh, reject lordship, and blaspheme glories.” These, because they are asleep, are in empty fancies, like dreams, … not accepting the waking and true things, but deceived by what is in their empty fancies; of whom it is said in Isaiah: “As a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, and when he rises is still thirsty, and his soul has hoped in vain, so shall be the wealth of all the nations that have marched against Jerusalem.” If we have seemed to digress in explaining the difference between the weak, the sick, and those asleep because of what the Apostle said in the Epistle to the Corinthians, which we have set out, we made the digression wishing to show what is meant spiritually by “And he healed their sick.” ### Scripture references - Matt 14:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:37: allusion, medium confidence - Jude 1:8: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:14; 1 Cor 11:30; Matt 22:37 (allusion); Jude 8; Isa 29:8. φιλόπαιδας (“too fond of their children”) can also mean “lovers of boys”; the later list (“a wife, or children”) suggests the former. A few words after “like dreams” are garbled in the scan OCR (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.24 (PG 13:900d–901d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 10.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-25 - Source: PG 13:901d–904a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus heals the sick before giving the loaves of blessing, as those who receive the Lord’s bread unworthily become weak, sick, or asleep. ### Greek text Μετά τοῦτό φησιν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι, ι ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος, καὶ ἡ ὥρα παρῆλθεν ἤδη· ἀπόλυσον οὖν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἴνα, ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας, ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα. ι Καὶ πρῶτόν γε τήρησον, ὂτι, μέλλων τοὺς τῆς εὐλογίας ἀρτους διδόναι τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνα παραθῶσι τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους, ἵνα ὑγιάναντες τῶν τῆς εὐλογίας μεταλάβωσιν ἀρτων· ού γάρ δύνανται ol ἔτι ἄρρωστοι χωρῆσαι τοὺς τῆς Ἰησοῦ εὐλογίας ἄρτους. Ἀλλά κα) ὶάν τις, δέον ἀκούειν τοῦ· ι Δοκιμαζέτω δὲ ἕκαστος ἑαυτὸν, καὶ οὑτως εσθιέτω ἐκ τοῦ ἄρτου, ι καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ, τούτων μὲν μὴ κατακούῃ, ὡς ἔτυχε δὲ μεταλαμβάνῃ ἄρτου Κυρίου, καὶ ποτηρίου αὑτοῦ, ἀσθενὴς ἢ ἄρρωστος γίνεται, ἢ καὶ ὲκ τοῦ, ἵνʼ οὕτως εἴπω, καροῦσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ ἄρτου δυνάμεως, κοιμώμενος. ### English translation (Claude) After this the word says: “When it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, The place is desert, and the hour is already past; send the crowds away, then, so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” And first observe that, being about to give the loaves of blessing to the disciples for them to set before the crowds, he healed the sick, so that, being made healthy, they might partake of the loaves of blessing; for those who are still sick cannot receive the loaves of Jesus’ blessing. But if anyone who ought to heed the saying, “Let each one examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread,” and the rest, does not heed it, but partakes of the bread of the Lord and of his cup carelessly, he becomes weak or sick, or even, if I may so put it, asleep, stupefied by the power of the bread. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:27: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:30: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:15; 1 Cor 11:28; allusions to 1 Cor 11:27, 30. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 10.25 (PG 13:901d–904a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/10-18/#p-10-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-1 - Source: PG 13:904b–905a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The disciples’ “evening” and “the hour is past” signify the end of the age of the law and prophets; Jesus answers that the crowds need not go away, since he can feed them through his disciples. ### Greek text ι Ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης, προσῆλθον αὑτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦʼ ο τουτέστιν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος, καθʼ δέ ἔστιν εὐκαίρως εἰπεῖν τό· ι Ὲσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν, ἐν τῇ Ἰωάννου Ἐπιστολῇ κείμενον· οἵτινες, μηδέπω νοοῦντες ὃ ἔμελλε ποιεῖν ὁ Λόγος, φασὶν αὑτῷ, ὅτι ι ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος, ι ’δρῶντες τῆν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καί νόμου, καὶ Λόγου ἐρημίαν ὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς* λέγουσι δʼ αὐτῷ τόʼ t Καὶ ἡ ὥρα παρῆλθεν, ι οἱονεὶ παρελήλυθε τὸ εῦκαιρον νόμου καὶ προφητῶν. Τάχα δὲ τοῦτο ἔλεγον, ἀναφέροντες τὸν λόγον, καὶ διὰ τὸ -τὸν Ἰωάννην ἁποκεκεφαλίσθαι, καὶ τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, οἳ ἦσαν μέχρι Ἰωάννου, πεπαῦσθαι. Παρῆλθεν οῦν, φασί, ἡ ὥρα, καὶ οὑ πάρεστι τροφὴ, τῷ τὸν καιρδν αὐτῆς μηκέτι ἐνεστηκέναι, ἶνʼ οἱ ὲν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὶκολουθήσαντές σοι, νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις δουλεύσωσι. Καὶ ἔτι φασὶν oi μαθηταί” ’Δπόλυσον οῦν αὑτοὺς, ἵνʼ ἕκαστος, εἰ μὴ δύναται ἀπὸ τῶν πόλεων, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τῶν κωμῶν, τῶν ἀτιμοτέρων χωρίων, ὠνήτηται βρώματα. Ταῦτα μὲν ἔφασκον οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἀπογινώσκοντες τοῖς ὄχλοις εὑρεθήσεσθαι, μετὰ τὸ καταλελύσθαι τὸ γράμμα τοῦ νόμου, καὶ πεπαῦσθαι προφητείας, παραδόξους καὶ καινὰς τροφάς. ’Δλλʼὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅρα τί ἀποκρίνεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς, μονονουχὶ βοῶν καὶ σαφῶς λέγωνʼ Ὑμεῖς μὲν ὑπολαμβάνετε ὅτι, ἐὰν ἀπέλθωσιν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ ὁ πολὺς ὄχλος χρῄζοντες τροφῶν, ταύτας εὑρήσουσιν ὲν κώμαις μᾶλλονῇ παρʼ ιμοὶ, καὶ ἐν συστήμασιν ἀνθρώπων οὑ πολιτῶν, ἀλλὰ κωμητῶν μᾶλλον,ἢ ὅτι παραμενοῦσί μοι· ὲγὼδὲὺμῖν ὶποφαίνομαι, ὅτι οῦ μὲν ὑπολαμβάνετε χρῄζειν αὑτοὺς, οὑ χρῄζουσιν· οὑ γὰρ χρείαν ἔχουσιν τοῦ ἀπελθεῖν· οῦ δὲ νομίζετε αὑτοὺς μὴ ἔχειν χρείαν, τουτέστιν ἐμοῦ, ὡς μὴ δυναμένου αὐτοὺς τρέφειν, τούτου. παρὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν προσδοκίαν, χρείαν ἔχουσιν. Ἐπὶ οῦν παιδεύσας ὑμᾶς, ἱκανοὺς ἐποίησα πρὸς τὸ διδόνα τοῖς δεομένοις λογικὴν τροφὴν, ὑμεῖς δότε τοῖς ἀκολουθήσασί μοι ὄχλοις φαγεῖν· ἔχετε γὰρ δύναμι ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ λαβόντες τοῦ δοῦναι τοῖς ὄχλοις φαγεῖν, ᾗτινι εί ἦτε ἐπιστήσαντες, κατενοήσατε ἂν, ὅτι πολλῷ πλεῖον ἐγὼ δύναμαι αὐτοὺς θρέψαι, καὶ οὐκ εἰρήκειτε ἄνʼ ι Ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες ἀγοράσωτιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα. ι ### English translation (Claude) “When it was evening, his disciples came to him,” that is, at the consummation of the age, concerning which it is fitting to say what is in the Epistle of John: “It is the last hour.” Not yet understanding what the Word was about to do, they say to him that “the place is desert,” seeing the desolation of God, of the law, and of the Word among the many; and they say to him, “And the hour is past,” as though the fit time of the law and the prophets had passed. And perhaps they said this referring also to John’s having been beheaded, and to the law and the prophets, which were until John, having ceased. “The hour is past,” then, they say, “and there is no food at hand, since its time is no longer present, so that those who followed you into the desert might serve the law and the prophets.” And further the disciples say: “Send them away, then, so that each, if he cannot buy food from the cities, may at least buy it from the villages,” the meaner places. The disciples said this because they despaired that unexpected and new foods would be found for the crowds after the letter of the law had been abolished and prophecy had ceased. But see what Jesus answers the disciples, all but crying out and saying plainly: “You suppose that if the great crowd go away from me in need of food, they will find it in villages rather than with me, and in communities of men who are not citizens but villagers, rather than by staying with me; but I declare to you that what you suppose they need, they do not need, for they have no need to go away; but what you think they do not need, that is, me, as though I could not feed them, of this, contrary to your expectation, they have need. Since, then, having trained you, I have made you competent to give rational food to those who need it, you give the crowds that have followed me something to eat; for you have the power, received from me, to give the crowds to eat; and if you had paid attention to it, you would have perceived that I am much more able to feed them, and you would not have said: ‘Send the crowds away, that they may go and buy themselves food.’” ### Scripture references - Matt 14:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 2:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:13: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:16: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 14:16: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:15–16; 1 John 2:18; Matt 11:13 (Luke 16:16). Garbled words in the scan OCR (“they say,” “in the desert”) are corrected by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.1 (PG 13:904b–905a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-2 - Source: PG 13:905a–908c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads the five loaves as the sense-perceptible words of Scripture and the two fish as the spoken and inward word, or the word about Father and Son, multiplied by Jesus’ blessing, with twelve baskets of deeper teaching left for the disciples. ### Greek text '0 μὲν οὖν Ἰησοῦς, διʼ ἢν ἔδωκε δύναμιν καὶ ἑτέρων θρεπτικὴν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, εἷπε· ι Δότε αὐτοῖς ὑμεῖς φαγεῖν. ι Οἱ δὲ μὴ ἀρνούμενοι μὲν τὸ δύνασθαι διδόναι ἄρτους, πολλῷ δὲ ὀλιγωτέρους αὐτοὺς νομίζοντες εἶναιʼ, καί οὐχ ἱκανοὺς τρέφειν τοὺς άκολουθήσαντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ, οὐδὲ θεωροῦντες, ὅτι, ἐκαστον ἄρτον, λόγον, δ Ἰησοῦς λαβὼν, εἰς ὅσον βούλεται ἐκτείνει, ποιῶν αὐτὸν διαρκῆ πᾶσιν ὅσους ἐὰν θρέψαι θέλῃ, φασίν · ι Οὐκ ἔχομεν ὦδε εἰ μὴ πέντε ἄρτους καί δύο ἰχθύας ι πέντε μὲν ῐσως αἰνισσόμενοι ἄρτους εἶναι τοὺς αἰσθητοὺς τῶν Γραφῶν λόγους, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἰσαρίθμους ταῖς πέντε αἰσθήσεσι- δύο δὲ ἰχθῦς, ἦτοι τὸν προφορικὸν καὶ τὸν ἐνδιάθετον λόγον, ὡσπερεί ὄψον τυγχάνοντας τῶν ὲν ταῖς Γραφαῖς αἰσθητῶν κειμένων, ἢ τάχα καὶ τὸν φθάσαντα ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς περὶ Πατέρος καὶ Υἰοῦ λόγον. Διδ καί αὐτὸς ἔφαγεν ἰχθύος ὀπτοῦ ἀναστὰς, μέρος λαβὼν άπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν, καὶ ἀποδεξάμενος ἢν ἐδύναντο ὲκ μέρους ἀπαγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ Πατρδς θεολογίαν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν οῦν οὕτως τῷ περί τῶν πέντε ἄρτων καὶ δύο ἰχθύων ἐπιβαλεῖν δεδυνήμεθα λόγῳ · εἰκὸς δὲ ὅτι oi μᾶλλον ἡμῶν συναγαγεῖν δυνάμενοι τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς, πλείονα καί κρείττονα δύναιντʼ ἂν ἀποδοῦναι περί τούτων νοῦν. Παρατηρητέον μέντοι, ὅτι τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καί τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας οί μαθηταὶ λέγουσιν ἔχειν παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ, καὶ τῷ Μάρκῳ, καὶ τῷ Λουκᾷ, οὗθʼ ὅτι πύρινοι, οὔθʼ ὅτι κρίθινοι ἦσαν ὑποσημειωσάμενοι· δ δὲ Ἰωάννης μόνος κριθίνους εἶπεν εἶναιτοὺς ἄρτουςο διὸ τάχα οὐδὲ οἰ μαθηταὶ ὁμολογοῦσιν αὐτοὺς παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ἰωάννου Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἀλλὰ λέγουσι παρʼ αὐτῷ, ὅτι, ι Ἔστι παιδάριον ὧδε, ὃ ἕχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους, καί δύο ὀψάρια. ι Καὶ ὅσον μὲν οἱ πέντε ἄρτοι οῦτοι καὶ δύο ἰχθύες οὐκ ἐφέροντο ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὐκ ηὔξανον, οὐδὲ ἐπλήθυνον, οῦδὲ ἐδύναντο τρέφειν πλείονας· ὅτε δὲ λαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὁ Σωτὴρ πρῶτον ἀνέβλεψεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ταῖς ἀκτῖσι· τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὑτοῦ οἱονεὶ καταβιβάζων δύναμιν ἐκεῖθεν, τὴν ἁνακραθησομένην τοῖς ἄρτοις καὶ τοῖς ἰχθύσι, μέλλουσι τρέφειν τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, καὶ μετά τοῦτο ηὐλόγησε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους, καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας, τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῇ εὐλογίᾳ αὔξων, καὶ πληθύνων αὐτοὺς, καὶ τρίτον μερίζων, καὶ κλῶν ἔδωκε τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνʼ ἐκεῖνοι τοῖς,δχλοις παραθῶσι ’ τότε διήρκεσαν oi ἄρτοι καὶ οἱ ἰχθύες, ὡς φαγεῖν πάντας, καὶ κορεσθῆναι, καί τινας τῶν εὐλογηθέντων ἄρτων μὴ χωρῆσαι φαγεῖν. Ἐπερίσσευσε γὰρ τοῖς δχλοις τοσαῦτα, ἃ κατὰ μὲν τοὺς ὄχλους οὐκ ἦν, κατὰ δὲ τοὺς δυναμένους μαθητάς ἆραι τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων, καὶ ἀποθέσθαι είς κοφίνους πληρουμένους τῶν περισσευμάτων, ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμὸν τοσούτους ὅσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ὲν Ψαλμοῖς γέγραπταιο ι Αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ὲν τῷ κοφίνῳ ὲδούλευσαν· ι περὶ δὲ τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν, ὅτι ἦραν τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων, οἱ δώδεκα, ol- , μαι, δώδεκα κοφίνους, οὐχ ἡμιτελεῖς, ἀλλὰ πλήρεις καί εἰσιν, οἶμαι, μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, καὶ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, οἱ πλήρεις κόφινοι δώδεκα τῶν κλασμάτων ἄρτου ζῶντος, οὓς μὴ δύνανται οἱ ὄχλοι ἐσθίειν, παρά τοῖς τῶν ὄχλων κρείττοσι μαθηταῖς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. *Ησαν δὲ οἱ ἐσθίοντες άπὸ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων, τῶν πρὸ τῶν περισσευσάντων κοφίνων δὼδεκα, συγγενεῖς τῷ πέντε ἀριθμῷ· μέχρι τῶν αἰσθη τῶν ἔφθασαν οἱ φαγόντες, ἐπεὶ καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναβλέψαντος είς οὐρανὸν ἐτράφησαν, καὶ εὐλογήσαντος, καὶ κλάσαντος αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ παῖδες, οὐδὲ γυναῖκες, ἀλλὰ ἄνδρες. Εἰσὶ γάρ καὶ ὲν αἰσθηταῖς, οἶμαι, τροφαῖς διαφοραὶ, ὥστε τινάς μὲν αὐτῶν εἶναι c ι καταργησάντων τά τοῦ νηπίου, ι τινὰς δὲ ἔτι τῶν νηπίων καὶ σαρκίνων ὲν Χριστῷ. ### English translation (Claude) Jesus, then, because of the power he had given the disciples, the power of nourishing others too, said: “You give them something to eat.” They did not deny that they could give loaves, but thought them far too few and not enough to feed those who had followed Jesus; and not perceiving that Jesus, taking each loaf, a word, extends it as far as he wishes, making it suffice for all whom he wishes to feed, they say: “We have here only five loaves and two fish”; perhaps hinting that the five loaves are the sense-perceptible words of the Scriptures, and are therefore equal in number to the five senses; and the two fish either the spoken word and the word within the mind, being like a relish to the sense-perceptible things set down in the Scriptures, or perhaps the word about the Father and the Son that had reached them. Therefore he himself, after he rose, also ate of a broiled fish, taking a portion from the disciples and accepting the account of the Father which they were able to declare to him in part. We, then, have been able to approach the account of the five loaves and the two fish in this way; but it is likely that those who are better able than we to gather the five loaves and the two fish within themselves could give a fuller and better sense of them. It must be observed, however, that in Matthew, Mark, and Luke the disciples say that they have the five loaves and the two fish, without indicating whether they were of wheat or of barley; John alone said that the loaves were barley. Therefore perhaps in John’s Gospel the disciples do not even acknowledge that they have them themselves, but say to him: “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish.” And as long as these five loaves and two fish were not carried by Jesus’ disciples, they did not grow or multiply, and could not feed more people; but when the Saviour took them, first he looked up to heaven, as though bringing down power from there by the rays of his eyes, to be mingled with the loaves and the fish that were to feed the five thousand; and after this he blessed the five loaves and the two fish, increasing and multiplying them by the word and the blessing; and third, dividing and breaking them, he gave them to the disciples for them to set before the crowds. Then the loaves and the fish sufficed, so that all ate and were filled, and some of the blessed loaves they could not eat. For so much was left over for the crowds, beyond the capacity of the crowds but within that of the disciples, who could take up what was left over of the fragments and put it into baskets filled with the leftovers, as many in number as the tribes of Israel. Now of Joseph it is written in the Psalms: “His hands served in the basket”; but of the disciples of Jesus, that the twelve took up what was left over of the fragments, twelve baskets, I think, not half full but full. And there are, I think, to this day and until the consummation of the age, the twelve full baskets of the fragments of the living bread, which the crowds cannot eat, with the disciples of Jesus, who are better than the crowds. And those who ate of the five loaves, before the twelve baskets that were left over, were akin to the number five: those who ate reached as far as the things of sense, since they too were fed by him who looked up to heaven, blessed the loaves, and broke them; and they were not children, nor women, but men. For there are, I think, differences even among foods of sense, so that some of them are for those “who have done away with childish things,” and others for those who are still infants and fleshly in Christ. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 24:42: allusion, high confidence - Luke 24:43: allusion, high confidence - Mark 6:38: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 9:13: allusion, medium confidence - John 6:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:19: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:21: allusion, high confidence - Ps 81:6 (80:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 6:51: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:1: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:16–21; Luke 24:42–43; Mark 6:38; Luke 9:13; John 6:9; Ps 81:6 (80:7 LXX); John 6:51; 1 Cor 13:11; 1 Cor 3:1. A marginal note of the Latin editor (“Each loaf, a word. Ambrose, book 9 …”, with a variant) intruded into the Greek and has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.2 (PG 13:905a–908c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-3 - Source: PG 13:908c–912a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads the men, women, and children at the feeding as grades of spiritual maturity, the grass as the flesh put underfoot, the hundreds and fifties as sacred numbers, and the twelve baskets as belonging to the twelve apostles who judge the tribes. ### Greek text Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν λέλεκται διὰ τό · r Ἐσθίοντες ἦσαν ἄνδρες πεντακισχίλιοι, χωρὶς παιδίων καὶ γυναικῶν, ι ὅπερ ἀμφίβολόν ἐστινʼ ἢ γὰρ οἱ φαγόντες ἦσαν ἄνδρες πεντακισχίλιοι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἦν ὲν τοῖς ἐσθίουσι παιδίον ἢ γυνή· ἦ ὅτι μόνον ἄνδρες πεντακισχίλιοι ἦσαν, μὴ ἀριθμουμένων μήτε παίδων μήτε γυναικῶν. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν, ὡς φθάσαντες εἰρήκαμεν, οὓτως ὲξειλήφασιν, ὅτι οὔτε παιδία, οὔτε γυναῖκες. παρῆσαν τοῖς ηὐξηκόσι καὶ πεπληθυσμένοις άπὸ τῶν πέντε άρτων καὶ τῶν δύο ἰχθύων. Εῐποι δʼ ἄν τις ὅτι, πολλῶν φαγόντων, καὶ κατʼ ἀξίαν καὶ δύναμιν μετειληφότων άπὸ τῶν τῆς εὐλογίας ἄρτων, οἱ μὲν ἀριθμῶν ἄξιοι, ἀνάλογον τοῖς ὲν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν Ἆριθμῶν ἀριθμηθεῖσιν εἰκοσαέτεσιν, Ἰσραηλῖται ἄνδρες ἦσαν· οἱ δὲ μὴ άξιοι τηλικούτου λόγου καὶ ἀριθμοῦ, παῖδες ἦσαν καὶ γυναῖκες. Τροπολογεῖ δέ μοι καὶ τοὺς παῖδας, κατὰ τό· ι Οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ· 1 καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας κατὰ τόʼ Βούλομαι δὲ τοὺς πάντας ὑμᾶς ι παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷο 1 τοὺς δὲ ἄνδρας κατὰ τό· ι Ὅτε γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. 1 Μὴ παρέλθωμεν ἀδιήγητον καὶ τό· ι Κελεύσας τοὺς ὗχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας, ἀναβλέψας είς τὸν οὐρανὸν ηὐλόγησε, καὶ κλάσας εδωκε τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοὺς ἄρτους, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς δχλοις, καὶ ἔφαγον πάντες. 1 Τί γὰρ σημαίνοι τόο ι Καὶ ἐκέλευσε πάντας τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, ι καὶ τί ἄξιόν ἐστι τῆς κελεῦσεως Ἰησοῦ νοῆσαι κατὰ τὸν τόπον; Νομίζω δὲ, ὅτι τοὺς ὄχλους ἐκέλευσεν ἀνακλιθῆναι ὲν τῷ χόρτῳ διὰ τὸ ὲν Ἡσαΐᾳ λελεγμένον· ι Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, 1 τουτέστιν ὑποκάτω ποιῆσαι τὴν σάρκα, καὶ ὑποτάξαι ι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, 1 ἵνʼ οὕτω τις δυνηθῇ ὧν εὐλογεῖ ἄρτων Ἰησοῦς μεταλαβεῖν. Εἶτα ἐπεὶ τάγματα διάφορά ἐστι τῶν δεομένων τῆς ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ τροφῆς, μὴ πάντων τοῖς ἴσοις λόγοις τρεφομένων, διὰ τοῦτο οἶμαι τὸν μὲν Μάρκον πεποιηκέναι ο ι Καὶ ἐπέταξεν αὐτοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνακλιθῆναι συμπόσια συμπόσια ὲπὶ τῷ χλωρῷ χόρτῳ, καὶ ἀνέπεσον πρασιαὶ πρασιαὶ ἀνὰ ἑκατὸν καὶ πεντήκονταο 1 τὸν δὲ Λουκᾶν · ι Εἶπε δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὑτοῦ, Κατακλίνατε αὐτοὺς κλισίας ὡσεὶ ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα. 1 Ἔδει γὰρ τοὺς ἀναπαυσομένους ἐπὶ ταῖς Ἰησοῦ τροφαῖς ἦτοι ὲν τάγματι εῖναι τοῦ ἑκατὸν, ἱεροῦ ἀριθμοῦ, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τὴν μονάδα ἀνακειμένου, ἢ ὲν τάγματι τῶν πεντήκοντα, ἀριθμῷ περιέχοντι τὴν ἄφεσιν, κατὰ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ, Ἰωβηλαίου, γινομένου διὰ πεντηκονταετίας καὶτῆς κατὰ τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν ἑορτῆς. Οἶμαι δὲ, ὅτι al δὼδεκα κόφινοι ἦσαν παρὰ τοῖς μαθηταῖς, πρὸς οὓς εἴρηται· ι Καθήσεσθε ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους, κρίνοντες τὰς ιβʼ φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, Καὶ ὥσπερ λέγοιτο ἂν μυστήριον εἶναι θρόνος κρίνοντος φυλὴν Ῥουβεὶμ, καὶ θρόνος κρίνοντος φυλὴν Συμεὼν, καὶ ἄλλος φυλὴν Ἰούδα, xal οὕτω καθεξῆς ’ οὕτως εἴη ἂν καὶ κόφινος τροφῆς Ῥουβεὶμ, καὶ ἄλλος Συμεὼν, καὶ ἄλλος Λευῖ. Οὐ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα δέ ἐστι λόγον νῦν τοσοῦτον ἐκβῆναι τοῦ προκειμένου, ὡς συναγαγεῖν τὰ περὶ τῶν ιβʼ φυλῶν, καὶ ἰδία τὰ περὶ ἑκάστης αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰπεῖν τίς ἑκάστη τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ φυλή. ### English translation (Claude) We have said these things because of the words: “Those who ate were five thousand men, besides children and women,” which is ambiguous: either those who ate were five thousand men, and there was no child or woman among those eating; or the men alone were five thousand, neither children nor women being counted. Some, then, as we said before, have taken it to mean that neither children nor women were present when the loaves and fish were increased and multiplied from the five loaves and the two fish. But one might say that, when many ate and partook of the loaves of blessing according to their worth and capacity, those worthy of being numbered, like those numbered in the book of Numbers from twenty years old, were Israelite men; but those not worthy of such an account and numbering were children and women. And I take the children figuratively according to “I could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ”; the women according to “I wish to present you all as a pure virgin to Christ”; and the men according to “When I became a man, I did away with childish things.” Let us not pass over unexplained this either: “Commanding the crowds to recline on the grass, he took the five loaves and the two fish, looked up to heaven, and blessed; and having broken the loaves he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds; and all ate.” For what might “And he commanded all the crowds to recline on the grass” mean, and what is it worth understanding about Jesus’ command in this passage? I think that he commanded the crowds to recline on the grass because of what is said in Isaiah, “All flesh is grass,” that is, to put the flesh underneath and to subject “the mind of the flesh,” so that one may thus be able to partake of the loaves that Jesus blesses. Then, since there are different ranks among those who need the food that comes from Jesus, not all being fed with the same words, for this reason, I think, Mark wrote: “And he commanded them all to recline by companies on the green grass, and they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties”; and Luke: “And he said to his disciples, Make them recline in companies of about fifty each.” For those who were to rest upon Jesus’ foods had to be either in the rank of the hundred, a sacred number, dedicated to God because of the unit, or in the rank of the fifty, a number that contains release, according to the mystery of the jubilee, which comes every fifty years, and of the feast of Pentecost. And I think that the twelve baskets were with the disciples, to whom it was said: “You will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” And just as it might be said to be a mystery that there is a throne of one judging the tribe of Reuben, a throne of one judging the tribe of Simeon, another judging the tribe of Judah, and so on in order, so there might be a basket of food for Reuben, another for Simeon, and another for Levi. But it does not suit the present discourse to depart so far now from the subject before us as to gather what concerns the twelve tribes, and separately what concerns each of them, and to say what each tribe of Israel is. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:21: quotation, high confidence - Num 1:3: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 3:1: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:19: quotation, high confidence - Isa 40:6: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:7: quotation, medium confidence - Mark 6:39: quotation, high confidence - Mark 6:40: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:14: quotation, high confidence - Lev 25:10: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 19:28: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:19–21; Num 1:3; 1 Cor 3:1; 2 Cor 11:2; 1 Cor 13:11; Isa 40:6; Rom 8:7; Mark 6:39–40; Luke 9:14; Lev 25:10 (jubilee); Matt 19:28. “Release” renders ἄφεσις, also “forgiveness.” ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.3 (PG 13:908c–912a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-4 - Source: PG 13:912b–913c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen collects Gospel texts showing that the evangelists consistently distinguish the crowds, who need healing and hear parables, from the disciples, who know the mysteries of the kingdom. ### Greek text t Kal εὐθέως ἠνάγκασε τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐμβῆναι είς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν είς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ, ἀπολύσῃ τοὺς ὄχλους. ι Παρατηρητέον ποσάκις εἴρηται κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς τόπους τὸ ὄνομα, ι οἱ ὄχλοι, ι καὶ ἄλλο ὄνομα, ι οί μαθηταί, ι ἵνʼ ὲκ τῆς παρατηρήσεως καὶ τῆς περὶ τούτου συναγωγῆς θεωρηθῇ, ὅτι τὸ προκείμενον τοῖς εὒαγγελισταῖς ἦν διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ἱστορίας παραστῆσαι διαφορὰς τῶν προσερχομένων τῷ Ἰησοῦʼ ὧν οί μέν εἰσιν ὄχλοι, καὶ οὐ χρηματίζουσι μαθηταὶ, ’ἑτεροι δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ, κρείττους τυγχάνοντες τῶν ὄχλων. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ὀλίγα ῥητὰ ἡμᾶς παραθέσθαι, ἵνα ἀπὸ τούτων κινηθείς τις τὸ ὅμοιον ποιήσῃ επὶ ὅλων τῶν Εὐαγγελίων. Γέγραπται τοίνυν, ὼς κάτω τῶν ὄχλων τυγχανόντων, τῶν δὲ μαθητῶν ἀναβάντι είς τὸ ὄρος τῷ Ἰησοῦ δυναμένων προσελθεῖν, ἔνθα οὐχ οἷοίτε ἦσαν οἱ ὄχλοι γενέσθαι. τοιαῦτα· ‹ Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος· καὶ καθίσαντος αὑτοῦ, προσῆλθον αὑτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων ο Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ πάλιν ὲν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ, ὠς τῶν ὄχλων δεομένων θεραπείας, λέλεκται· ι Ἦκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, xal ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς. ι Οὐχ εὕρομεν δὲ περὶ μαθητῶν ἀναγεγραμμένην θεραπείανο ἐπεὶ, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἢδη μαθητὴς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὑγιαίνει ἐκεῖνος, καὶ καλῶς ἔχων δεῖται τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὐχὶ ἰατροῦ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς ἄλλας αὑτοῦ δυνάμεις. Πάλιν ὲν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ· ι Λαλοῦντος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οί ἀδελφοὶ είστήκεισαν ἔξω ζητοῦντες λαλῆσαι αὐτῷʼ ι ὅπερ αὑτῷ ἐδηλώθη, πρὸς ὃν ἀπεκρίνατο t ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα, ι οὐκ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀλλʼ ι ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς, καὶ εἴπεψ ι Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ μου καὶ oi ἀδελφοί μου ο ι καὶ μαρτυρῶν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ὡς ποιοῦσι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ὲν τοίς οὐρανοῖς· ι Αὐτός μου καὶ ἁδελφὸς, καὶ ἀδελφὴ, καὶ μήτηρ ἐστι. ι Kal πάλιν ὲν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ γέγραπται, ὅτι, t Πᾶς ὁ ὄχλος ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν εἱστήκει, καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὲν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς πολλά ι εἶτα μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σπόρου παραβολὴν προσελθόντες οὐκέτι οἱ ὄχλοι, ἀλλʼ οε μαθηταὶ, εἷπον αὐτῷ, οὐ, ι Διά τί ἐν παραβολαῖς (Ἡ) ἡμῖν λαλεῖς; ι ἀλλάο ι Διά τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αύτοῖςς ι ὅτε καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν, ού τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τό· ι Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τά μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ούρανῶψ ι τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐν παραβολαῖς. Οὐκοῦν τῶν προσερχομένων τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ“οί μὲν γινώσκοντες τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, μαθηταὶ χρηματίζοιεν ἄνʼ οἷς δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον οὐ δέδοται, ὄχλοι, οῖ τῶν μαθητῶν ἤττους λέγοιντʼ ἀν. Πρόσχες γάρ ἐπιμελῶς, ὃτι τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἷπε τόʼ ι Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι περὶ δὲ τῶν ὄχλων τό· ι Ἑκείνοις δὲ ού δέδοται. ι Καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ ἀφίησι μὲν τοὺς ὄχλους, ι καὶ ἔρχεται είς τὴν οἰκίαν, ι οὐχὶ δὲ τοὺς μαθητάς καὶ είς τὴν οἰκίαν αὑτοῦ ι προσῆλθον αὐτῷ, ι ούχὶ οἱ ὄχλοι, ἀλλʼ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζαιίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ. ι Ἀλλά καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ, ἡνίκα ἀκούσας τὰ περὶ Ἰωάννου ὁ Ἰησοῦς ι ἀνεχώρησεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατʼ ίδίαν, οί ὄχλοι ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ, ι ὅτε, ι ἐξελθὼν εἶδε πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς, ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν, ι τῶν ὄχλων, ούχὶ τῶν μαθητῶν. ι Ὀψίας δέ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ, ι ούχ οἱ ὄχλοι, ἀλλʼ ι ol μαθηταὶ λέγοντες, ι ὡς ἕτεροι τῶν ὄχλωνʼ ι Ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἴνα ἀπελθόντες είς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα. ι Ἀλλά καὶ ἡνίκα ι λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους, καὶ τοὺς δύο ίχθύας, ἀναβλέψας είς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὑλόγησε, καὶ κλάσας τοὺς ἄρτους, ι ού τοῖς ὄχλοις, ἀλλά ι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔδωκεν, ι ἵνα οἱ μαθηταὶ δῶσι τοῖς ὄχλοις, μὴ χωροῦσιν ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ λαβεῖν, ἀλλά μόγις διά τῶν μαθητῶν δεχομένοις τοὺς τῆς εὐλογίας Ἰησοῦ ἄρτους, καὶ οὐδὲ τούτους πάντας ἐσθίουσι· χορτασθέντες γὰρ ol ὄχλοι καταλελοίπασι τὸ περισσεῦον ὲν κοφίνοις οὖσι πλήρεσι δώδεκα. ### English translation (Claude) “And immediately he compelled the disciples to get into the boat and go before him to the other side, until he should send the crowds away.” We must observe how often in the same passages the name “the crowds” occurs, and another name, “the disciples,” so that from observing and collecting this it may be seen that the evangelists’ purpose was to set out through the Gospel narrative the differences among those who come to Jesus: some of them are crowds and are not called disciples, while others are the disciples, who are better than the crowds. For the present it is enough for us to set out a few texts, so that someone, stirred by these, may do the like for the whole of the Gospels. It is written, then, as though the crowds were below, while the disciples could come to Jesus when he had gone up the mountain, where the crowds were not able to be, as follows: “Seeing the crowds, he went up the mountain; and when he had sat down, his disciples came to him; and opening his mouth he taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and so on. And again in another place, as though the crowds needed healing, it is said: “Many crowds followed him, and he healed them.” But we have not found healing recorded of disciples; for if anyone is already a disciple of Jesus, he is healthy, and being well he needs Jesus not as a physician but according to his other powers. Again in another place: “While he was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him”; this was made known to him, and he answered the one who told him, “stretching out his hand,” not toward the crowds, but “toward the disciples, and he said, Here are my mother and my brothers”; and, bearing witness to the disciples that they do the will of the Father in heaven: “He is my brother and sister and mother.” And again in another place it is written that “the whole crowd stood on the shore, and he spoke many things to them in parables”; then after the parable of the sower it was no longer the crowds but the disciples who came and said to him, not “Why do you speak to us in parables?” but “Why do you speak to them in parables?”; when he also answered and said, not to the crowds but to the disciples: “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” but to the rest in parables. Therefore, of those who come to the name of Jesus, those who know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven would be called disciples; but those to whom this has not been given, crowds, who would be said to be inferior to the disciples. For notice carefully that he said to the disciples, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” but of the crowds, “But to them it has not been given.” And in another place he dismisses the crowds “and goes into the house,” but not the disciples; and into his house there “came to him” not the crowds but “his disciples, saying, Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” And in another place too, when Jesus, hearing what concerned John, “withdrew in a boat to a desert place apart, the crowds followed him,” when, “going out, he saw a great crowd, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick,” the sick of the crowds, not of the disciples. “When it was evening, there came to him” not the crowds but “the disciples, saying,” as being different from the crowds, “Send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” And also when, “taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed, and broke the loaves,” he gave them not to the crowds but “to the disciples,” so that the disciples might give them to the crowds, since they were not able to receive them from him, but scarcely received the loaves of Jesus’ blessing through the disciples; and they do not even eat all of these, for the crowds, having been filled, left what remained over in twelve full baskets. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 9:12: allusion, low confidence - Matt 12:46: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:49: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:50: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:20: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 14:22; Matt 5:1–3; Matt 19:2 (cf. 12:15); Matt 12:46–50; Matt 13:2–3, 10–11, 36; Matt 14:13–14, 15, 19–20. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.4 (PG 13:912b–913c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-5 - Source: PG 13:913c–917d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Only the disciples, true “Hebrews” who cross over to the unseen, are sent to the other side; the boat is the struggle of temptation, in which they cannot overcome the contrary wind without Jesus. ### Greek text 05 δὲ ἕνεκεν ταύτας παρειλήφαμεν, ἐστὶ τὸ προκείμενον ὅτι, χωρίσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν ὄχλων τοὺς μαθητὰς, ι ἠνάγκασεν αὐτοὺς ἐμβῆναι είς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν είς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ ἀπολύσῃ αὑτὸς τοὺς ὄχλους· ι οὔ γάρ ἐδύναντο οί ὄχλοι είς τὸ πέραν ἀπελθεῖν, ὠς ού μυστικῶς Ἑβραῖοι, οἵτινες ἑρμηνεύονται Περατικοί· ἀλλά τοῦτο ἔργον ἦν τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν λέγω δὲ είς τὸ πέραν ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ ὑπερβῆναι τὰ βλεπόμενα καὶ σωματικὰ, ὡς πρόσκαιρα, φθάσαι δὲ ἐπὶ τά μὴ βλεπόμενα, καὶ αἰώνια. Εὐεργεσία οὖν αὐτάρκης ἦν τοῖς ὄχλοις ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ αὐτοῖς διδομένη, μὴ δυναμένοις, διὰ τὸ ὄχλους εἶναι, ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἀπολυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· ἥντινα ἀπόλυσιν οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ἀπολύειν, ἢ ὁ Χριστὸς μόνος· καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐστὶν ἀπολυθῆναί τινα, μὴ πρότερον φαγόντα ἄρτων, ὧν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐλογεῖ· οὐχ οἷον δὲ φαγεῖν τῶν ἄρτων τῆς εὐλογίας Ἰησοῦ, εἰ μὴ ὡς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιήσαντα, καὶ ἀνακλιθέντα ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν. Ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τοῦτο οἷόν τε ποιῆσαι τοὺς ὄχλους μὴ ἀκολουθήσαντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόλεων, ἀναχωρήσαντι εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατʼ ἰδίαν. Καὶ πρότερον μὲν ἀξιούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπολῦσαι τοὺς ὄχλους, οὐκ ἀπέλυσεν, ἕως ἔθρεψε τοῖς ἄρτοις τῆς εὐλογίας· νῦν δὲ ἀπολύει, τῶν μαθητῶν πρότερον ἀναγκασθέντων ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ ἀπολύει αὐτοὺς κάτω που τυγχάνοντας· κάτω γὰρ ἡ ἔρημος· αὐτὸς δὲ ι ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι. ι Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παρατηρητέον, ὅτι εὐθέως μετὰ τὸ τραφῆναι τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους ἠνάγκασεν 6 Ἰησοῦς τοὺς μαθητὰς ᾳ ἐμβῆναι είς 16 πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὖ· τὸν είς τὸ πέραν. ι Πλὴν ού δεδύνηνται οἱ μαθηταὶ προάγειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν είς 16 πέραν, ἀλλά μέχρι 106 μέσου τῆς θαλάσσης φθάσαντες, βασανιζομένου 106 πλοίου τῷ 16v ἄνεμον αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἐναντίον, ἐφοβήθησαν, περὶ τετάρτην φυλακὴν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐλθόντος πρὸς αὐτοὺς 106 Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ εί μὴ ἀναβεβήκει είς 16 πλοῖον 6 Ἰησοῦς, οὔτʼ ἂν 6 τοίς πλέουσι μαθηταῖς ἐναντιούμενος ἐπαύσατο ἄνεμος, 061‘ ἂν διαπεράσαντες ἧλθον είς 16 πέραν οἱ πλέοντες· καὶ τάχα βουλόμενος τῇ πείρᾳ αὐτοὺς διδάξαι, ὅτι οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐστὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἀπελθεῖν είς 16 πέραν, ι ἠνάγκασε μὲν ἐμβῆναι είς 16 πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὑτὸν είς 16 πέραν· ι μὴ δυνηθεῖσι δʼ αὐτοῖς πλέον 106 μέσου τῆς θαλάσσης διελθεῖν, ἐπιφανεὶς καὶ ποιήσας τὰ γεγραμμένα, ἔδειξεν ὅτι 6 εἰς τὸ πέραν γιγνόμενος Ἰησοῦ αὑτῷ συμπλέοντος φθάνει ἐκεῖ. Τί δέ 16 πλοῖον είς 6 ἠνάγκασεν ἐμβῆναι τοὺς μαθητὰς 6 Ἰησούς; ἢ τάχα 6 τῶν πειρασμῶν καὶ περιστάσεων ἀγὼν, είς ὃν ἀναγκαζόμενός τις ὑπὸ 106 Λόγου, καὶ οἱονεὶ οὐχ ἑκὼν ἔρχεται, βουλομένου τοῦ Σωτῆρος γυμνάσασθαι τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐν τῷ βασανιζομένῳ τούτῳ πλοίῳ ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων 106 ἐναντίου ἀνέμου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ι εὐθέως ἠνάγκασε τοὺς μαθητάς ἐμβῆναι είς 16 πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὑτὸν εἰς 16 πέραν, ι ὀλίγον ἐναλλάξας τὴν λέξιν ἀνέγραψε καὶ 6 Μάρκος, ποιήσας· t Καὶ εὐθέως ἠνάγκασε τοὺς μα θητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι είς 16 πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν είς 16 πέραν εἰς Βηθσαῖδᾶο ι ἀναγκαῖον ἐπιστῆσαι τῷ ι ἠνάγκασεν, ι ἐπὰν πρότερον ἴδωμεν τὰ τῆς ὀλίγης παραλλαγῆς τοῦ Μάρκου, ὡρισμένον πλεῖόν τι ἐμφαίνοντος διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκης ο οὐ γὰρ ταυτὸν ἐμφαίνεται ἀπὸ τῶν ι εὐθέως ἠνάγκασε τοὺς μαθητάς ι ἔχει δέ τι πλεῖον τὸ, ι τοὺς μαθητάς αὐτοῦ, ι παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ γεγραμμένον, παρὰ τὸ ἁπλῶς, ι τοὺς μαθητάς. ι Τάχα οὖν ἵνα καὶ τῇ λέξει παραστῶμεν, oi μέν μαθηταὶ, δυσαποσπάστως ἔχοντες τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸ τυχὸν αὑτοῦ χωρίζεσθαι δύνανται, βουλόμενοι παρεῖναι αὐτῷ· 6 δὲ κρίνας αὐτοὺς πεῖραν λαβεῖν κυμάτων καὶ ἐναντίου ἀνέμου, οὐκ ἂν γενομένου, εί ἦσαν μετὰ “ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀνάγκην αὐτοῖς ἐπήρτησε χωρισθεῖσιν αὑτοῦ ἐμβῆναι είς πλοῖον. Ἀναγκάξει μὲν οὖν τοὺς μαθητάς ἐμβῆναι είς τὸ πλοῖον τῶν πειρασμῶν 6 Σωτὴρ, καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν είς τὸ πέραν, καὶ ἐπέκεινα τῶν περιστάσεων διὰ τὸ νικᾷν αὐτοὺς γενέσθαιʼ oi δὲ είς τὸ μέσον τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τῶν ἐν πειρασμοῖς γενόμενοι κυμάτων, καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀνέμων κωλυόντων αὐτοὺς ἀπελθεῖν είς τὸ πέραν, παλαίοντες οὐ δεδύνηνται χωρὶς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ νικῆσαι τὰ κύματα καὶ τὸν ἐναντίον ἄνεμον, καὶ φθάσαι είς τὸ πέραν. Διόπερ ἐλεήσας αὐτοὺς 6 Λόγος, πάντα τὰ παρʼ ἐαυτοὺς πράξαντας, ἵνα εἰς τὸ πέραν γένωνται, ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχουσαν κύματα, οὐδέ ἄνεμον ἐναντιοῦσθαι δυνάμενον, εί καὶ ἐβούλετο· καὶ γάρ οὐ γέγραπται, ι ’Ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτοὺς περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τά κύματα, ι ἀλλʼ, ι ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα· ι ὥσπερ 6 Πέτρος, ὅστις, κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς εἰπόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ · ι Ἐλθέο καταβὰς άπὸ τοῦ πλοίου, περιεπάτησεν, ο οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰ κύματα, ἀλλʼ ι ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα, ι ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦνο ἐπεὶ δέ ἐδίστασεν, εἶδεν ἰσχυρὸν τὸν ἄνεμον, οὐκ ὅντα c ἰσχυρὸν τῷ άποθεμένῳ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν καὶ τὸν δισταγμόν. Καὶ ἀναβάντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μετὰ Πέτρου είς τὺ πλοῖον, ἐκόπασεν 6 ἄνεμος, μηδὲν ἔτι δυνά- · μενος ἐνεργεῖν, είς αὐτὸ ἀναβάντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) The reason we have adduced these texts is the matter before us, that Jesus, separating the disciples from the crowds, “compelled them to get into the boat and go before him to the other side, until he himself should send the crowds away.” For the crowds could not go away to the other side, since they were not Hebrews in the mystical sense, a name interpreted as “those who cross over”; this was the work of Jesus’ disciples—I mean, to go away to the other side and pass beyond the things that are seen and bodily, as temporary, and to reach the things that are not seen and eternal. It was therefore a sufficient benefit, given to the crowds by Jesus, since, being crowds, they could not go away to the other side, to be sent away by Jesus; a dismissal that no one has authority to grant except Christ alone; and it is not possible for anyone to be sent away who has not first eaten of the loaves that Jesus blesses; and it is not possible to eat of the loaves of Jesus’ blessing without having done as Jesus commanded and reclined on the grass, as we have explained. But the crowds cannot do even this unless they have followed Jesus from their own cities when he withdrew to a desert place apart. And before, when asked by the disciples to send the crowds away, he did not send them away until he had fed them with the loaves of blessing; but now he sends them away, after the disciples have first been compelled to get into the boat; and he sends them away while they are somewhere below, for the desert is below; but he himself “went up the mountain to pray.” And this too must be observed: immediately after the five thousand had been fed, Jesus “compelled the disciples to get into the boat and go before him to the other side.” But the disciples were not able to go before Jesus to the other side; having reached the middle of the sea, the boat being tormented because the wind was against them, they were afraid, when Jesus came to them about the fourth watch of the night. And if Jesus had not gone up into the boat, the wind that opposed the disciples as they sailed would not have ceased, nor would those sailing have crossed over and come to the other side. And perhaps, wishing to teach them by experience that it is not possible to go away to the other side without him, he “compelled them to get into the boat and go before him to the other side”; and when they could not get beyond the middle of the sea, he appeared and did what is written, and showed that one who reaches the other side arrives there because Jesus sails with him. And what is the boat into which Jesus compelled the disciples to get? Perhaps the struggle of temptations and difficulties, into which a person comes when compelled by the Word, and as it were unwillingly, the Saviour wishing to train the disciples in this boat tormented by the waves of the contrary wind. And since Mark too has recorded “immediately he compelled the disciples to get into the boat and go before him to the other side” with a slight change of wording, writing, “And immediately he compelled his disciples to get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida,” it is necessary to consider the word “compelled,” once we have first looked at Mark’s slight variation, which indicates something more definite through the added word. For the same thing is not indicated by “immediately he compelled the disciples”: “his disciples,” as written in Mark, has something more than simply “the disciples.” Perhaps, then, to present it according to the wording too: the disciples, being hard to tear away from Jesus, cannot be separated from him for any ordinary reason, since they want to be with him; but he, having judged that they should have experience of waves and a contrary wind, which would not have happened if they had been with Jesus, laid on them the necessity of being separated from him and getting into a boat. The Saviour, then, compels the disciples to get into the boat of temptations and to go before him to the other side, and to come to be beyond difficulties by conquering them; but they, having come into the middle of the sea and of the waves in temptations, with the contrary winds hindering them from going away to the other side, struggled but could not without Jesus conquer the waves and the contrary wind and reach the other side. Therefore the Word, having pity on them, since they had done all in their power to reach the other side, came to them walking on the sea, which for him had no waves, nor any wind able to oppose him, even if it wished; for it is not written, “He came to them walking on the waves,” but “on the waters”; just as Peter, when at first Jesus said to him, “Come,” got down from the boat and walked, not on the waves, but “on the waters,” to come to Jesus; but when he doubted, he saw the wind as strong, which is not strong for one who has put away little faith and doubting. And when Jesus went up with Peter into the boat, the wind ceased, no longer able to do anything, since Jesus had gone up into it. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:32: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, high confidence - Mark 6:45: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:22–32; 2 Cor 4:18; Mark 6:45. Origen’s etymology of “Hebrews” as “those who cross over” (περατικοί) follows Philo and others. In this section the scan OCR prints two overlapping copies of several lines; the duplicate lines have been removed and the better copy kept. It also regularly reads the article ὁ/τό/τοῦ as digits (6, 16, 106); these are read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.5 (PG 13:913c–917d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-6 - Source: PG 13:917d–924a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus prays for the crowds and the disciples; Origen applies the storm to the believer’s temptations, three watches of struggle against evil powers, until the Word comes in the fourth watch and rescues the doubting “Peter” in us. ### Greek text Καὶ τότε οἱ μαθηταὶ, ι διαπεράσαντες, ἦλθον είς τὴν γῆν Γενησαρέτ, ι ἦς τὴν ἑρμηνείαν εἰ ἐγνωμεν, καὶ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ὠνάμεθα ἄν τι προς τὴν τῶν προκειμένων διήγησιν. Παρατήρει δὲ, ἐπεὶ πιστὸς ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἐῶν πειρασθῆναι τοὺς ὄχλους ὑπὲρ ὧν δύνανται, τίνα τρόπον ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς μὲν μαθητὰς ἠνάγκασεν ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, ὡς ἰσχυροτέρους, καὶ δυναμένους ἐπὶ τὸ μέσον τῆς Θαλάσσης φθάσαι, καὶ ὑπομεῖναι τὴν άπὸ τῶν κυμάτων βάσανον, ’έως ἄξιοι τῆς θείας βοηθείας γένωνται, καὶ ἴδωσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἀκούσωσιν ἀναβάντος αὑτοῦ, διαπερᾶσαι, καὶ ἐλθεῖν είς τὴν γῆν Γενησαρέτ· ι τοὺς δὲ ὄχλους ἀπολύσας, ι οὐ λαβόντας πεῖραν, ὡς ἀσθενεστέρους, πλοίου καὶ κυμάτων καὶ ἐναντιουμένου ἀνέμου, ι ἀνέβη είς τὸ ὅρος κατʼ ἰδίαν προσεύξασθαι. ι Περὶ τίνος δὲ προσεύξασθαις ἥ τάχα περὶ μὲν τῶν ὄχλων, ἵνα, ἀπολυθέντες μετὰ τοὺς τῆς εὐλογίας ἄρτους, μηδὲν ἐναντίον τῇ άπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπολύσει πράξωσι; περὶ δὲ τῶν μαθητῶν, ἵνα, ἀναγκασθέντες ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι είς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν είς τὸ πέραν, μηδὲν πάθωσιν ἐν τῇ θαλάττῃ, μηδʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου ἀνέμου; Kal θαρρήσας εἴποιμι ἂν, ὅτι διὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς Πατέρα περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν εὑχὴν, οὐδὲν πεπόνθασιν οὗτοι, θαλάσσης καὶ κυμάτων καὶ ἐναντίου ἀνέμου αὐτοῖς ἀντιπρασσόντων. '0 μὲν οὗν ἁπλούστερος ἀρκείσθω τῇ ἱστορίᾳ · ἡμεῖς δὲ, εἴ ποτε ἀνάγκῃ πειρασμῶν περιπίπτομεν, ἀναμιμνῃσκώμεθα, ὄτι ἠνάγκασεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐμβῆναι είς τὸ πλοῖον αὐτῶν, βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς προάγειν είς τὸ πέραν. Οὐ γὰρ δυνατὸν μὴ πειρασμοὺς ὑπομεί· ναντας κυμάτων καὶ ἀνέμου ἐναντίου, εἰς τὸ πέραν φθάσαι. Εἶτʼ ἐπειδὰν ἴδωμεν πολλὰ τὰ περιεστηκότα ἡμᾶς πράγματα, καὶ χαλεπά, καὶ κάμνοντες μετρίως αὐτὰ ἐπὶ ποσὸν διανηξὼμεθα, λογιζώμεθα, ὅτι τὸ πλοῖον ἡμῶν μέσον ἐστὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, τότε βασανιζόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν κυμάτων, βουλομένων ἡμᾶς ναυαγῆσαι περὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἧ τινα τῶν ἀρετῶνο ἀλλʼ ἐπὰν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πονηροῦ βλέπομεν ἀντιπρᾶττον ἡμῶν τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἐννοήσωμεν, ὅτι τότε ἡμῖν ἐναντίος ἐστὶν ό ἄνεμος. Ἐπὰν οὖν ταῦτα πάσχοντες τρεῖς, φυλακὰς τῆς νυκτὸς, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς σκότους, διανύσωμεν, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀγωνιζόμενοι καλῶς. καὶ τηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὺ μὴ ναυαγῆσαι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἦ τινα τῶν ἀρετῶν· πρώτην φυλακὴν, τὸν πατέρα τοῦ σκότους καὶ τῆς κακίας, καὶ δευτέραν, τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀντικείμενον, καὶ ι ἐπαιρόμενον ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα· ι καὶ τρίτην, τὸ ἐναντίον τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι πνεῦμα α τότε πιστεύομεν, ὅτι τετάρτης ἐνεστηκυίας φυλακῆς, ὅτε ἡ νὺξ προέκοψεν, ἡ δὲ ἡμέρα ἤγγικεν, ἐλεύσεται πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνʼ εὐτρεπίσῃ ἡμῖν τὴν θάλασσαν, περιπατῶν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς. Καὶ ἐπὰν ἴδωμεν τὸν Λόγον ἡμῖν ὲμφανιξόμενον, ταραχθησόμεθα μὲν πρὶν τρανῶς καταλαβεῖν ὅτι ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῖν ἐπιδεδήμηκεν, οἰόμενοι ἔτι φάντασμα θεωρεῖν, καὶ φοβούμενοι κεκραξόμεθα · ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς εὐθέως ἡμῖν λαλήσει λέγων· ι Θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε· ι καὶ θερμότερον κινούμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ ι Θαρσεῖτε, ι εἴ τις ὲν ἡμῖν εὑρεθείη Πέτρος, ὁδεύων μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα, οὐδέπω δὲ τοιοῦτος γεγενημένος, καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ πλοίου, ὡς ἔξω τοῦ πειρασμοῦ γινόμενος ἐκείνου, ὲν ᾧ ἐβασανίζετο, περιπατήσει μὲν καταρχὰς, βουλόμενος ἐλθεῖν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα· ὡς ἔτι δὲ ὀλιγόπιστος, καὶ ὡς ἔτι διστάζων, βλέψει ἰσχυρὸν τὸν ἄνεμον, καὶ φοβηθήσεται, καὶ ἄρξεται μὲν καταποντίζεσθαι · ού πείσεται δὲ τοῦτο, διὰ τὸ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μεγάλῃ καλεῖν φωνῇ, καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ· ι Κύριε, σῶσόν με ο ι εἶτʼ εὐθέως ἔτι λαλοῦνις τοῦ τοιούτου Πέτρου, καὶ λέγοντος · ι Κύριε, σῶσον με, ι ὲκτενεϊ τὴν χεῖρα ό Λόγος, ὀρέγων τῷ τοιούτῳ βοήθειαν, καὶ ἐπιλήψεται αὐτοῦ ἀρξαμένω καταποντίζεσθαι, καὶ ὀνειδίσει αύτῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ὀλιγοπιστίᾳ καὶ τῷ δισταγμῷ. Πλὴν τήρει, ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν, ι ἄπιστε, ι ἀλλὰ, ι όλιγόπιστε, ι καὶ ὅτι λέλεκται· ι Εἰς τί ὲδίστασαςς › ἔχων μέν τι τῆς πίστεως, κλίνων δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον αὐτῇ. ### English translation (Claude) And then the disciples, “having crossed over, came to the land of Gennesaret”; if we knew the interpretation of this name, we might gain something from it for the explanation of the matter before us. But observe, since God is faithful and does not let the crowds be tempted beyond what they are able, how the Son of God compelled the disciples to get into the boat, as being stronger and able to reach the middle of the sea and to endure the torment of the waves, until they should become worthy of divine help, and see Jesus, and hear him, and, when he had gone up into the boat, “cross over and come to the land of Gennesaret”; but “having sent away the crowds,” who, being weaker, had no experience of boat and waves and contrary wind, “he went up the mountain by himself to pray.” And to pray for what? Perhaps for the crowds, that, having been sent away after the loaves of blessing, they might do nothing contrary to their dismissal by Jesus; and for the disciples, that, having been compelled by him to get into the boat and go before him to the other side, they might suffer no harm on the sea or from the contrary wind? And I would make bold to say that because of Jesus’ prayer to the Father for the disciples they suffered nothing, though sea and waves and contrary wind worked against them. Let the simpler person, then, be content with the narrative; but as for us, if ever we fall into the compulsion of temptations, let us remember that Jesus compelled us to get into their boat, wishing us to go before him to the other side. For it is not possible to reach the other side without enduring temptations of waves and contrary wind. Then, when we see the many hard things that surround us, and, struggling moderately, have swum through them for a while, let us reckon that our boat is in the middle of the sea, then tormented by the waves, which want us to suffer shipwreck concerning the faith or some one of the virtues; and when we see the spirit of the evil one working against our affairs, let us realize that then the wind is against us. When, then, suffering these things, we have passed through three watches of the night, of the darkness that is in temptations, struggling well as far as we can and guarding ourselves against shipwreck concerning the faith or some one of the virtues—the first watch against the father of darkness and wickedness, the second against his son, the adversary, “who exalts himself against everything called God or object of worship,” and the third against the spirit opposed to the Holy Spirit—then let us believe that, when the fourth watch has come, when “the night is far gone and the day is at hand,” the Son of God will come to us, to make the sea calm for us, walking on it. And when we see the Word appearing to us, we shall be troubled before we clearly grasp that the Saviour has come to us, thinking we still see a phantom, and in fear we shall cry out; but he himself will at once speak to us, saying: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” And if there is found among us a Peter, moved more warmly by “Take heart,” on the way to perfection but not yet become such, he will get down from the boat, as coming out of that temptation in which he was being tormented, and at first he will walk, wishing to come to Jesus on the waters; but being still of little faith and still doubting, he will see the strong wind, and will be afraid, and will begin to sink; yet he will not suffer this, because he calls on Jesus with a loud voice and says to him: “Lord, save me.” Then at once, while such a Peter is still speaking and saying, “Lord, save me,” the Word will stretch out his hand, extending help to such a one, and will take hold of him as he begins to sink, and will reproach him for his little faith and doubting. But observe that he did not say “faithless” but “you of little faith,” and that it is said, “Why did you doubt?”—as of one having something of faith, but inclining also toward its opposite. ### Scripture references - Matt 14:34: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:22: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:25: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 1:19: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Thess 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 13:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:28: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:29: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:31: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:23–34; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Tim 1:19; 2 Thess 2:4; Rom 13:12. Several words are garbled in the scan OCR and corrected by sense (“disciples,” “see”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.6 (PG 13:917d–924a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-7 - Source: PG 13:924a–925a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The disciples confess Jesus as truly the Son of God, and the sick of Gennesaret, brought by others, are healed by touching the fringe of his garment. ### Greek text Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις γε καὶ ό Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ό Πέτρος ἀναβήσεται είς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ κοπάσει ό ἄνεμος· ι Καὶ οἱ ὲν τῷ πλοίῳ ι ὲννοήσαντες ἀφʼ οἴων διεσώθησαν κινδύνων, ι προσκυνήσουσι λέγοντες, ι οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ‹ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἴ, ι ὼς καὶ οἱ δύο δαιμονιζόμενοι, ἀλλʼ, ι Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἶ· ι ὅπερ λέγουσιν οἱ ὲν τῷ πλοίῳ μαθηταί ο οὐ γὰρ ἄλλους τῶν μαθητῶν νομίζω τοῦτο εἰρηκέναι. Ἐπὰν δὲ ὲν τούτοις ὅλοις γενώμεθα, διαπεράσαντες, ἐλευσόμεθα είς τὴν γῆν, ἔνθα προάγειν ἡμῖν ἐκέλευσεν ό Ἰησοῦς. Τάχα δὲ καὶ δηλοῦταί τι ἀπόρρητον καὶ κεκρυμμένον μυστήριον περί τινων σεσωσμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀπὸ τοῦ· ι Καὶ ἐπιγνόντες αὑτὸν οί ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, ι δῆλον δʼ ὃτι τοῦ ὲν τῷ πέραν, ι ἀπέστειλαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον ἐκείνην, ι περίχωρον τοῦ πέραν, οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ πέραν, ἀλλὰ περὶ αὐτὸ, ι καὶ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας. ι Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ τήρει, ὅτι προσήνεγκαν αύτῷ ού πολλοὺς ι κακῶς ἔχοντας ι μόνον, ἀλλὰ ι πάντας ι τοὺς ὲν-τῇ χώρῳ ἐγείνῃθ οί δὲ προσενεχθέντες αὐτῷ κακῶς ἔχοντες ι παρεκάλουν αὑτὸν, ἴνα κᾶν μόνον ἅψωνται τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὑτοῦ, ι χάριν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ αἰτοῦντες ταύτην, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἦσαν ὁποία ι ἡ αἱμορροοῦσα γυνὴ τὰ,ιδʼ ἔτη, καὶ προσελθοῦσα δπισθεν, καὶ ἁψαμένη τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, ὅτε ἔλεγενέν ιυτῇ· El μόνον ἅψωμαι τοῦ ί ματίου αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι. ι Τήρει γὰρ ὲν τοῖς περὶτοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ, διὸ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ἡ ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς. Οί δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ περιχώρου τῆς Γενησαρὲτ, είς ἢν διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον Ἰησοῦς καὶ , μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, οὑκ ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν προσῆλθον τῷ Ἰησοῦ,άλλά προσήχθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἁποστειλάντων,ᾰτε μὴ δυνάμενοι, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα κακῶς ἔχειν, προσελεῖν ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν · καὶ οὐδὲ μόνοι ἥψαντο τοῦ κρασπέδου ὡς ή αἱμορροοῦσα, ἀλλὰ παρακαλεσάντων ἐκείνων. Πλὴν καὶ τούτων ι ὅσοι ἥψαντο, διεσώθησαν. ι Εἱδέ ις διαφορά τοῦ, ι διεσώθησαν, ι ἐπὶ τούτων εἰρημένου πρὸς τὺ, ι σωθῆναι, ι (εἴρηται γὰρ πρὸς τὴν αἱμορῥοοῦσαν· ι Ἦ πίστις σου σέσωκέ es" Περὶ τῶν προσελθόντων Φαρισαίων καὶ γραμματέων καὶ ἐξερωτησάντων· ι Διὰ τί οἱ μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσι τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρε.. σβυτέρων ; ι ### English translation (Claude) And upon this both Jesus and Peter will go up into the boat, and the wind will cease; and those in the boat, perceiving from what dangers they have been brought safely through, will worship him, saying, not simply, “You are the Son of God,” as the two demoniacs also said, but “Truly you are the Son of God”; which the disciples in the boat say, for I do not think that any others than the disciples said this. And when we have come through all these things, having crossed over we shall come to the land to which Jesus commanded us to go before him. And perhaps some secret and hidden mystery is also indicated concerning some who have been saved by Jesus, in the words: “And when the men of that place recognized him”—clearly, of the place on the other side—“they sent into all that surrounding region”—the region around the other side, not the other side itself but around it—“and brought to him all who were sick.” And in this observe that they brought to him not only many “who were sick,” but “all” those in that region; and those brought to him, being sick, “begged him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment,” asking this grace from him, since they were not like “the woman with a flow of blood for twelve years, who came up behind and touched the fringe of his garment,” when she said in herself: “If I only touch his garment, I shall be saved.” For observe, in what is said about the fringe of his garment, for what reason the flow of her blood stopped at once. But those from the region around Gennesaret, to which Jesus and his disciples came when they had crossed over, did not come to Jesus of themselves, but were brought by those who sent word, since, being very sick, they could not come of themselves; nor did they touch the fringe on their own, as the woman with the flow of blood did, but at the request of those others. Yet of these too, “as many as touched were brought safely through.” And whether there is some difference between “were brought safely through,” said of these, and “to be saved”—for it was said to the woman with the flow of blood, “Your faith has saved you” … [Heading of the next chapter:] On the Pharisees and scribes who came and asked, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” ### Scripture references - Matt 14:32: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 8:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:35: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 9:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 9:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 9:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 14:32–36; Matt 8:29 (the two demoniacs); Matt 9:20–22; Matt 15:1–2 (heading). The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”); the sentence probably ended by leaving the question to the reader. The last line is the editor’s heading of the next chapter, partly garbled in the scan OCR and read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.7 (PG 13:924a–925a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-1/#p-11-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-8 - Source: PG 13:925a–928b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Pharisees, unmoved by the healings, can accuse the disciples only of breaking a tradition of the elders, not a commandment of God; Origen urges washing the hands of the soul before receiving Christ’s bread. ### Greek text ι Τότε προσέρχονται αὐτῷ ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων Φαρισαῖοι καὶ γραμματεῖς λέγοντες· Διὰ τί οί μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσι τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων; οὐ γὰρ νίπτονται τὰς χεῖρας, ὅταν άρτον ἐσθίωσι. ι Παρατηρήσας κατά ποῖον καιρὸν προσῆλθον τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων Φαρισαῖοι καὶ γραμματεῖς λέγοντες· ι Διά τί οῖ μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσι τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων; ι καὶ τά ἐξῆς, εἴσεται, δτι ἀναγκαίως ό Ματθαῖος οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀνέγραψε προσεληλυθέναι τοὺς ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων Φαρισαίους καὶ γραμματεῖς τῷ Σωτῆρι πυνθανομένους αὑτοῦ τά ἐκκείμενα, ἀλλά πεποίηκε· ι Τότε ἀπέρχονται αὐτῷ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων. ι Πότε οῦν, ‹ τότε, ι κατανοητέονς Ἠνίκα διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον είς τὴν γῆν Γενησαρέτ τῷ πλοίῳ ό Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὒτοῦ, κοπάσαντος τοῦ ἀνέμου, ἀφʼ οῦ ἐπιβέβηκεν ό Ἰησοῦς τῷ πλοίῳο καὶ ὅτε, ι ἐπιγνόντες αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, ἀπέστειλαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον ἐκείνην, καὶ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας, καὶ παρεκάλουν ἵνα κᾶν μόνον ἅψωνται τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὑτοῦ· καὶ ὅσοι ἥψαντο διεσώθησαν. Τηνίκα προσῆλθον αὐτῷ ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων Φαρισαῖοι καὶ γραμματεῖς, μὴ καταπλαγέντες τὴν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ δύναμιν, ίασαμένην τοὺς κᾶν μόνον τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὑτοῦ ἁψαμένους, φιλαιτίως δὲ ἐγκαλοῦντες ἐπὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου, οὐ περὶ παραβάσεως ἐντολῆς Θεοῦ, ἀλλά παραδόσεως μιᾶς Ἰουδαϊκῶν πρεσβυτέρων. Καὶ εἰκὸς ότι αὐτὸ τὺ τῶν φιλαιτίων ἔγκλημα παρίστησι τὴν τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰησοῦ εὐλάβειαν, μηδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν διδόντων ἐπιλήψεως, ὡς περὶ παραβάσεως ἐντολῶν θεοῦ τοῖς Φαρισαίοις καὶ γραμματεῦσιν, οἵτινες οὐκ ἂν προσηνέγκαντο περὶ παραβάσεως τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔγκλημα, ὡς παραβαίνουσι τὴν ἐντολὴν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, εῖπερ εἶχον ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων, καὶ ἀποδεικνύναι αὐτοὺς παραβαίνοντας ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ. Μὴ νομίσῃς δὲ ταῦτα κατασκευαστικὰ εἶναι τοῦ δεῖν τηρεῖσθαι τὸν κατὰ τὸ γράμμα Μωῦσέως νόμον, ἐπεὶ· οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ ἓως τότε αὐτὸν ἐφύλαττον οὐ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ παθεῖν ι ἐξηγόρασεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου ι ό ἐν τῷ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων ι γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα. ι Ἀλλὰ ὡσπερεὶ καθηκόντως καὶ Παῦλος τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ι Ἰουδαῖος ἐγένετο, ἵνα Ἰουδαίους κερδήσῃ, ι τί ἄτοπον τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐν Ἰουδαίοις ποιουμένους τὶς διατριβὰς, κᾶν τὰ πνευματικὰ νοῶσι τοῦ νόμου, χρῆσθαι τῇ συμπεριφορᾷ, ὠς καὶ Παῦλος Τιμόθεον περιτεμὼν, καὶ θυσίαν κατά τινα νομικὴν εὐχὴν προσαγαγὼν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς τῶνάποστόλων γέγραπται Πράξεσι; Πλὴν πάλιν φαίνονται φιλεγκλήμονες οἱ περὶ μέν ἐντολῆς Θεοῦ μηδὲν ἔχοντες ἐγκαλεῖν τοῖς Ἰησοῦ μαθηταῖς, μόνον δέ περὶ πρεσβυτέρων παρα· δόσεως μιᾶς· καὶ μάλιστα ἐμφαίνεται οὕτως τὸ φιλέγκλημον, δ παρʼ αὐτοῖς ίαθεῖσιν άπὸ τοῦ κακῶς ἔχειν προσάγουσι τὸ ἔγκλημαʼ τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν κατὰ τῶν μαθητῶν, τὸ δʼ ἀληθές τὸν διδάσκαλον διαβάλλειν προαιρούμενοι · δ καὶ παράδοσις ἦν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τὸ νίπτεσθαι, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. ’ῼοντο γὰρ κοινάς μὲν καὶ ἀκαθάρτους εἶναι χεῖρας τὰς τῶν μὴ νιψαμένων πρὸ τοῦ ἀρτοφαγείν· καθαρὰς δὲ καὶ ἁγίας γεγονέναι τὰς τῶν ἀποπλυνομένων ὕδατι, οὐ συμβολικῶς ἀνάλογον τῷ κατὰ τὸ γράμμα Μωῦσέως νόμῳ. ᾞμεῖς δέ οὐ κατὰ τὴν τῶν παρʼ ἐκείνοις πρεσβυτέρων παράδοσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον καθαίρειν πειρώμεθα ἐαυτῶν τὰς πράξεις, καὶ οὕτως τὰς τῶν ψυχῶν νίπτεσθαι χεῖρας, ὅταν μέλλωμεν ’ἐσθίειν οὓς αἰτοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ φίλου ἡμῖν θέλοντος εἶναι Ἰησοῦ τρεῖς ἄρτους· κοιναῖς γὰρ καὶ ἀνίπτοις καὶ οὐ καθαραῖς χερσὶν οὐ χρὴ τῶν ἄρτων μεταλαμβάνειν. ### English translation (Claude) “Then Pharisees and scribes came to him from Jerusalem, saying, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” One who observes at what time Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” and so on, will know that Matthew necessarily did not simply record that the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to the Saviour to ask him about the matters set out, but wrote: “Then they came to him from Jerusalem.” When, then, is “then” to be understood? When Jesus and his disciples had crossed over and come in the boat to the land of Gennesaret, the wind having ceased from the time Jesus went up into the boat; and when “the men of that place, recognizing him, sent into all that surrounding region, and brought to him all who were sick, and begged that they might only touch the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched were brought safely through.” At that time Pharisees and scribes came to him from Jerusalem, not struck with wonder at the power in Jesus that healed those who only touched the fringe of his garment, but, in a fault-finding spirit, bringing a charge before the teacher, not about a transgression of a commandment of God, but of one tradition of Jewish elders. And it is likely that this very charge of the fault-finders shows the piety of Jesus’ disciples, who gave the Pharisees and scribes no handle for blame as regards transgressing commandments of God; for they would not have brought against the disciples the charge of transgressing the commandment of the elders, if they had been able to fasten on those they accused and show them transgressing a commandment of God. But do not think that this establishes that the law of Moses must be kept according to the letter, because Jesus’ disciples kept it until then; for it was not before he suffered that he “redeemed us from the curse of the law,” he who in suffering for human beings “became a curse for us.” But just as Paul too fittingly “became a Jew to the Jews, in order to win Jews,” what is strange in the apostles, who spent their time among Jews, even if they understood the spiritual meaning of the law, using accommodation, as Paul too did when he circumcised Timothy and offered a sacrifice according to a vow under the law, as is written in the Acts of the Apostles? Yet again they appear fond of bringing charges, since they have nothing to charge Jesus’ disciples with concerning a commandment of God, but only concerning one tradition of elders; and their love of accusation shows itself especially in this, that they bring the charge in the presence of those healed of their sickness, seemingly against the disciples, but in truth intending to slander the teacher; and the washing was a tradition of the elders, held as necessary for piety. For they thought that the hands of those who had not washed before eating bread were common and unclean, but that the hands of those who washed them with water had become clean and holy—not symbolically, in a way corresponding to the law of Moses according to the letter. But we, not according to the tradition of the elders among them, but according to sound reason, try to purify our actions, and so to wash the hands of our souls, when we are about to eat the three loaves that we ask of Jesus, who wishes to be our friend; for we must not partake of the loaves with common, unwashed, and unclean hands. ### Scripture references - Matt 15:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:35: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:36: quotation, high confidence - Gal 3:13: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:20: quotation, high confidence - Acts 16:3: allusion, high confidence - Acts 21:26: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 11:5: allusion, medium confidence - Mark 7:2: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:1–2; Matt 14:34–36; Gal 3:13; 1 Cor 9:20; Acts 16:3; Acts 21:23–26; Luke 11:5 (three loaves asked from a friend); Mark 7:2. Origen’s remark that the apostles kept the law by accommodation is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.8 (PG 13:925a–928b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-9 - Source: PG 13:928c–933b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains Corban from what a Hebrew told him: a gift dedicated to the poor released a son from supporting his parents, a tradition that annulled God’s commandment; he warns church leaders who misuse the fund of the poor, like Judas. ### Greek text Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖ περὶ παραδόσεως αὐτοῖς πρεσβυτέρων Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ περὶτῶν ἐντολῶν Θεοῦ ἀναγκαιοτάτων δύο, ὧν ή μὲν ἑτέρα πέμπτη ἦν τῆς Δεκαλόγου, οὕτως ἔχουσα · ι Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου, καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ἵνʼ εὖ σοι γένηται, καὶ γένῃ μακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἦς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς σου δίδωσί σοι· ι ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ τοῦτον ἐγέγραπτο τὸν τρόπον · ι Ἐὰν ἄνθρωπος κακῶς εἴπῃ τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ, θανάτῳ θανατούσθω· πατέρα αὑτοῦ,ἢ μητέρα κακῶς εἶπεν, ἔνοχος ἐσται. ι Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ αὐτὴν θέλομεν ἰδεῖν τὴν λέξιν, ἣν ἐξέθετο ὁ Ματθαῖος, ὅτι ι ὁ κακολογῶν πατέραῆ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω, ι ἐπίστησον μή ποτε ἐλήφθη ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου ἔνθα γέγραπταιο ι ’ος τύπτει πατέρα αὑτοῦῆ μητέρα αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ τελευτάτω· καὶ ὀ κακολογῶν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἢ μητέρα αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ τελευτάτω.» οὕτως μέν οὗν εἶχον αίάπὸ τοῦ νόμου λέξεις περὶ τῶν δύο ἐντολῶν. Ὀ δὲ Ματθαῖος ἐκ μέρους καὶ ἐπιτετμημένως αὐτάς ἐξέθετο, καὶ οὐκ αὐταῖς λέξεσι. Τί δὲ ἐγκαλεῖ τοῖς ἀπὸ Ἰεροσολύμων Φαρισαίοις καὶ γραμματεῦσιν ὁ Σωτὴρ, λέγων αὐτοὺς παραβαίνειν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐαυτῶν παράδοσιν, κατανοητέον. Καὶ ὀ μὲν Θεὸς εἷπε · ι Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ι διδάσκων τὴν δέουσαν τιμὴν ἀπονέμειν γονεῦσι τὸν ἐξ αὐτῶν γεννώμενον. Ταύτης τῆς πρὸς τοὺς γονεῖς τιμῆς μέρος ἦν καὶ τὸ κοινωνεῖν αὐτοῖς τῶν βιωτικῶν χρειῶν είς διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, καὶ ετ τι ἀλλο οἶός τε ἦν χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς ἐαυτοῦ γονεῦσιν* οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τοιαύτην ἐναντιουμένην τῷ νόμῳ παράδοσιν ἐκδεδὼκασιν, ἀσαφέστερον ἐν τῷ Εὑαγγελίῳ κειμένην, οὐδʼ αὐτοὶ ἐπιβεβλήκαμεν ἂν, εἱ μὴ τῶν Ἐβραίων τις ἐπιδέδωκεν ἡμῖν τὰ κατά τὸν τόπον οὕτως ἔχοντα. Ἕσθʼ ὅτε, φησὶν, οἱ δανεισταὶ, δυστραπέλοις περιπίπτοντες χρεώσταις, καὶ δυναμένοις μὲν, μὴ βουλομένοις δὲ ἀποδιδόναι τὸ χρέος, ἀνετίθεσαν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον είς τὸν τῶν πενήτων λόγον, οἷς ἐβάλλετο είς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ὑφʼ ἑκάστου, ὡς ἐδύνατο, τῷν βουλομένων αὐτοῖς κοινωνεῖν. Ἔλεγον οὖν ἐσθʼ ὅτε τοῖς ὀφείλουσι κατά τὴν οἰκείαν διάλεκτον· Κορβἄν ἐστιν δ ὀφείλεις μοι, τουτέστι, δῶρον ο ἀνέθηκα γὰρ αὐτὸ εἰς λόγον τῆς εἰς Θεὸν εὐσεβείας τοῖς πένησιν. Εἶτα ὀ χρεώστης, ὼς μηκέτι ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ ὀφείλων, καὶ τῇ εἰς αὑτὸν εύσεβεία, οἱονεὶ συνεκλείετο πρὸς τὸ, καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος, ἀποδοῦναι τὸ χρέος, οὐκέτι μὲν τῷ δανειστῇ, ἤδη δὲ είς τὸν λόγον τῶν πενήτων τῷ Θεῷ, ἐξ ὀνόματος τοῦ δανειστοῦ. Ὅπερ οὖν ὁ δανειστὴς ἐποίει τῷ χρεώστῃ, τοῦτό ποτέ τινες τῶν υἱῶν τοῖς γονεῦσι, καὶ ἔλεγον αὐτοῖς, ὅτι, Ὀ ἂν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς, πάτερ ῆ μῆτερ, τοῦτο ἴσθι ἀπὸ τοῦ Κορβἄν λαμβάνειν, ὲκ τοῦ λόγου τῶν Θεῷ ἀνακειμένων πενήτων. Εἶτα ἀκούοντες οἱ γονεῖς, ὅτι Κορβᾶν ἐστιν ἀνακείμενον τῷ Θεῷ τὸ διδόμενον αὐτοῖς, οὐκέτι ἐβούλοντο λαμβάνειν, εἰ καὶ πάνυ ἔχρῃζον τῶν ἀναγκαίων, ἀπὸ τῶν υἱέων. Οἱ οῦν πρεσβύτεροι τοιαύτην παράδοσιν είς τοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ελεγον, ὅτι, Ὅστις ἂν τῷ πατέρι ἢ τῇ μητέρι εἴπῃ τδ διδόμενόν τινι αὐτῶν Κορβᾶν εἶναι, καὶ δῶρον, οὗτος οὐκέτι ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὲν δόσει τῶν πρὸς τὰς τοῦ βίου ί χρείας. Ταύτην οὖν ὲλέγχει, ὡς ούχ ύγιῶς ἔχουσαν, παράδοσιν 6 Σωτὴρ, ἀλλὰ ἐναντιουμένην τῇ ἐντολῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εί γὰρ 6 μὲν Θεὸς λέγει τό· ι Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα· ι ἠδὲ παράδοσις ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ὀφείλει τιμᾷν τὸν πατέρα ἢ τὴν μητέρα τῇ δόσει 6 ἀναθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς Κορβὰν, τὸ δοθησόμενον ἃν τοίς γεγεννηκόσι· δῆλον, ὃτι ήκυροῦτο ή τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τιμῆς γονέων ἐντολὴ ὑπό τῆς τῶν. Φαρισαίων καὶ γραμματέων παραδόσεως, λεγούσης μηκέτι δεῖν τιμᾷν ῖ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα τὸν ἅπαξ ἀνατεθεικότα η τῷ Θεῷ ὃ ἔλαβον οί γεγεννηκότες. Καὶ ὡς φιλάργυροί γε οί Φαρισαῖοι, ἵνα τῇ προφάσει τῶν πενήτωνι λαμβάνωσι καὶ τὰ δοθησόμενα ἂν τοῖς γονεῦσι τινος, τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐδίδασκον. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ γε αὐτῶν τῇ φιλαργυρίᾳ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον λέγον· ι Ἤκουον δὲ ταῦτα oi Φαρισαῖοι φιλάργυροι ὄντες, καὶ ἐξεμυκτήριζον αὐτόν. ι Εἰ τις οὖν καὶ τῶν λεγομένων ὲν ἡμῖν πρεσβυτέρων,ἢ ὅπως ποτὲ ἀρχόντων τοῦ λαοῦ, μᾶλλον τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κοινοῤ βούλεται διδόναι τοῖς πένησιν ἤπερ τοῖς οἰκείοις τῶν διδόντων, εί τύχοιεν τῶν ἀναγκαίων χρῄζοντες, καὶ μὴ δύναιντο οί διδόντες ἀμφότερα, ἀδελφὸς ἂν οὗτος ἐνδίκως λέγοιτο τῶν ἀκυρωσάντων τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τὴν παράδοσιν ἑαυτῶν Φαρισαίων, καὶ ἐλεγχθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὑποκριτῶν. Καὶ σφόδρα γε ἀποτρεπτικά ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ λόγου τῶν πενήτων λαμβάνειν τινὰ προθύμως, καὶ ι νομίζειν πορισμὸν εἶναι τὴν ἑτέρων εὐσέβειαν, ι ού μόνα ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ προδότου Ἰούδα γεγραμμένα, ὃς τῷ μὲν δοκεῖν ἐπρέσβευε τὰ τῶν πενήτων, καὶ ἀγανακτῶν ἔλεγενο ι Ἡδύνατο τοῦτο τὺ μύρον πραθῆναι δηναρίων τριακοσίων» καὶ δοθῆναι πτωχοῖςʼ ι τὸδʼ ἀληθὲς ι κλέπτης ἦν, καὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον ἔχων, καὶ τὰ βαλλόμενα ἐβάσταζεν. Εἰ τις οὖν καὶ νῦν, τὺ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἔχων γλωσσόκομον, λέγει μὲν, ὡς κα) Ἰούδας, ὑπὲρ πενήτων, τά δὲ βαλλόμενα βαστάζει, τὴν μερίδα ἑαυτῷ τιθείη μετὰ τοῦ ταῦτα πράξαντος Ἰούδα, διʼ ἃ ὡς γάγγραινα νομὴν ἐσχηκότα ὲν τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ, ὁ διάβολος ἔβαλεν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τὸν Σωτῆρα παραδοῦναι, καὶ παραδεξάμενον τὸ πεπυρωμένον περὶ τούτου βέλος, ὕστερον αὐτὸς εἰσελθὼν είς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπλήρωσεν αὐτόν. Καὶ τάχα ἐπάν λέγῃ ὁ ’Δπόστολοςʼ ι Ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἠ φιλαργυρία, ι διὰ τὴν Ἰούδα λέγει φιλαργυρίαν, ἥτις ῥίζα πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστι κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) But Jesus does not bring a charge against them about a tradition of Jewish elders, but about two most necessary commandments of God, of which one was the fifth of the Decalogue, which runs: “Honour your father and your mother, that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the land which the Lord your God gives you”; and the other had been written in Leviticus in this way: “If a man speaks evil of his father or his mother, let him surely be put to death; he has spoken evil of father or mother; he shall be guilty.” But since we wish to see the very wording that Matthew set out, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death,” consider whether it was not taken from the place where it is written: “Whoever strikes his father or his mother, let him die the death; and whoever speaks evil of his father or his mother, let him die the death.” Such, then, were the words of the law about the two commandments; Matthew set them out in part and abridged, and not in their very words. What charge the Saviour brings against the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, in saying that they transgress the commandment of God because of their tradition, we must consider. God said, “Honour your father and your mother,” teaching that one born of parents should render them due honour. A part of this honour toward parents was also sharing with them the needs of life, for food and clothing, and anything else one was able to bestow on one’s parents. But the Pharisees and the scribes handed down a tradition opposed to the law, which is set down rather obscurely in the Gospel and which we ourselves would not have grasped had not one of the Hebrews given us the facts of the passage, as follows. Sometimes, he says, lenders, falling in with awkward debtors who were able but unwilling to pay the debt, dedicated what was owed to the fund of the poor, for whom each of those who wished to share with them cast into the treasury as much as he could. So they would sometimes say to their debtors in their own language: “What you owe me is Corban,” that is, a gift; “for I have dedicated it to the poor, as an act of piety toward God.” Then the debtor, owing no longer to human beings but to God and to piety toward him, was as it were constrained, even against his will, to pay the debt, no longer to the lender but now to God, for the fund of the poor, in the lender’s name. What the lender did to the debtor, then, some sons once did to their parents, and said to them: “Whatever you would have gained from me, father or mother, know that you receive it from the Corban, from the fund of the poor dedicated to God.” Then the parents, hearing that what was given them was Corban, dedicated to God, no longer wished to take it from their sons, even if they were in great need of necessities. The elders, then, told the people such a tradition: “Whoever says to his father or mother that what is given to either of them is Corban and a gift is no longer a debtor to his father or mother for giving what the needs of life require.” The Saviour, then, convicts this tradition as unsound and as opposed to the commandment of God. For if God says, “Honour your father and mother,” but the tradition said, “He who has dedicated to God as Corban what would have been given to his parents is not bound to honour his father or mother with a gift,” it is clear that the commandment of God about honour to parents was annulled by the tradition of the Pharisees and scribes, which said that one who had once dedicated to God what his parents would have received was no longer bound to honour his father and mother. And it was as lovers of money that the Pharisees taught such things, so that on the pretext of the poor they might receive even what would have been given to someone’s parents. And the Gospel bears witness to their love of money, saying: “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard these things, and they ridiculed him.” If, then, any of those called presbyters among us, or rulers of the people in whatever way, wishes to give in the name of the common fund to the poor rather than to the relatives of the givers, if these happen to be in need of necessities and the givers cannot do both, such a one might justly be called a brother of the Pharisees who annulled the word of God for the sake of their own tradition and were convicted by the Saviour as hypocrites. And very strong deterrents against anyone’s eagerly taking from the fund of the poor, and against thinking “that the piety of others is a means of gain,” are not only these things but also what is written of Judas the traitor, who in appearance championed the cause of the poor and said indignantly, “This ointment could have been sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor,” but in truth “was a thief, and having the money box used to carry off what was put into it.” If, then, anyone now who has the money box of the Church speaks, like Judas, on behalf of the poor, but carries off what is put into it, let him set his portion with Judas, who did these things; because of which, when they had spread in his soul like gangrene, the devil put it into his heart to betray the Saviour; and when he had received the flaming dart for this, afterwards the devil himself entered into his soul and filled him. And perhaps when the Apostle says, “The love of money is a root of all evils,” he says it because of Judas’s love of money, which was the root of all the evils against Jesus. ### Scripture references - Exod 20:12: quotation, high confidence - Lev 20:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:4: quotation, high confidence - Exod 21:15: quotation, high confidence - Exod 21:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:6: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:7: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Tim 6:5: quotation, high confidence - John 12:5: quotation, high confidence - John 12:6: quotation, high confidence - 2 Tim 2:17: allusion, medium confidence - John 13:2: allusion, high confidence - Eph 6:16: allusion, medium confidence - John 13:27: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 6:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Exod 20:12; Lev 20:9; Matt 15:4–6; Exod 21:15, 17; Luke 16:14; Matt 15:7; 1 Tim 6:5; John 12:5–6; 2 Tim 2:17 (gangrene); John 13:2, 27; Eph 6:16; 1 Tim 6:10. The explanation of Corban was given to Origen by an unnamed Hebrew. Some debris in the scan OCR after “taking from the fund of the poor” has been removed and the word read as “eagerly.” The warning to church leaders who misuse the fund of the poor is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.9 (PG 13:928c–933b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-10 - Source: PG 13:933b–936b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Corban tradition annuls both commandments, since calling one’s gift to parents Corban treats them as sacrilegious, and so speaks evil of them. ### Greek text Ἀλλᾶ γὰρ ἐπανέλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὰ προκείμενα, ἐν οἷς ὁ Σωτὴρ δύο ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ὲπιτεμνόμενος ἐντολὰς ἐξέθετο, τὴν μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Δεκαλόγου άπὸ τῆς Ἐξόδου, τὴν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Λευιτικοῦ, ἢ τὴν ἄλλην ἀπό τινος τῶν ἐν τῇ Πεντατεύχῳ. Εἶτα ἐπεὶ διηγησάμεθα πῶς ἠκύρωσαν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ φάσκοντα ο ι Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σοῦʼ καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ι oi λέγοντεςʼ ι οὐ τιμήσει τὸν πατέρα ἢ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦʼ Δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς, ι ζητήσαι τις ἂν πῶς οὐ παρέλκει τόʼ ι Κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα Θανάτῳ τελευτάτω. ι Ἔστω γάρ, οὐ τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, τῷ καλουμένῳ Κορβἄν ἀνατιθεὶς τὰ δοθησόμενα ἂν εἰς τιμὴν πατρὸς καὶ μητρός· πῶς οῦν ή τῶν Φαρισαίων παράδοσις ἀκυροῖ καὶ τὸν λέγοντα· ι Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα Θανάτῳ τελευτάτω» Ἀλλὰ μήποτε ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί· ι Δῶρον, ὃ ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς, ι ὡσπερεὶ λοιδορίαν ἐπιφέρει τῷ πατρὶῆ τῇ μητρὶ, οἷον ἱεροσύλους λέγων τοὺς γονεῖς, λαμβάνοντας τά ἀνακείμενα τῷ Κορβάν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνατεθεικότος αὐτὰ αὐτῷ. Ἰουδαῖοι οὖν ὑμᾶς, ὡς κακολογοῦντας πατέρα ἦ μητέρα, τοὺς λέγοντας τῷ πατρὶῆ τῇ μητρίʼ ι Δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς, ι κολάζουσι κατὰ τὸν νόμον· ὑμεῖς δὲ τῇ μιᾷ ὑμῶν παραδόσει δύο ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ άκυροῦτε. Εἶτα οὐκ αἰδεῖσθε ἐγκαλοῦντες τοῖς ἐμοῖς μαθηταῖς, οὐδεμίαν μὲν ἐντολὴν παραβαίνουσι ο πορεύονται γὰρ ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ δικαιώμασιν ἀμέμπτως παραβαίνουσι δέ πρεσβυτέρων παράδοσιν εὐλαβείᾳ τοῦ μὴ παραβῆναι ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ ὅπερ ει καὶ ὑμῖν προέκειτο, τὴν μέν περὶ τιμῆς πατρὸς καὶ μητρὸς ἐντολὴν ἐφυλάξατε ἂν, καὶ τὴν λέγουσινʼ ι Ὀ κακολογῶν πατέραῆ μητέρα, θανάτῳ τελευτάτω» τὴν δέ ἐναντιουμένην ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ταύταις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων παράδοσιν οὐκ ἂν ἐφυλάξατε. ### English translation (Claude) But let us return to the matter before us, in which the Saviour, abridging two commandments from the law, set them out: the one from the Decalogue in Exodus, the other from Leviticus, or the other from some other of the books of the Pentateuch. Then, since we have explained how those who say, “He shall not honour his father or his mother, whoever says to his father or his mother, It is a gift, whatever you would have gained from me,” annulled the word of God that says, “Honour your father and your mother,” one might ask how “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death” is not superfluous. For granted that he does not honour his father and mother who dedicates to what is called Corban what would have been given in honour of father and mother; how, then, does the tradition of the Pharisees annul also the word that says, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death”? But perhaps whoever says to his father or mother, “It is a gift, whatever you would have gained from me,” is as it were casting abuse at his father or mother, as if calling his parents sacrilegious for taking from the one who dedicated them things dedicated to the Corban. The Jews, then, punish according to the law, as speaking evil of father or mother, those who say to their father or mother, “It is a gift, whatever you would have gained from me”; but you by your one tradition annul two commandments of God. And then you are not ashamed to bring a charge against my disciples, who transgress no commandment—for they walk in all his commandments and ordinances blamelessly—but transgress a tradition of elders out of reverent care not to transgress a commandment of God. And if this had been your aim too, you would have kept the commandment about honour of father and mother, and the one that says, “Whoever speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death”; but you would not have kept the tradition of the elders that opposes these commandments. ### Scripture references - Matt 15:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:6: quotation, high confidence - Exod 20:12: allusion, high confidence - Lev 20:9: allusion, high confidence - Luke 1:6: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:4–6; Luke 1:6. The words from “The Jews, then” are spoken as Jesus to the Pharisees; the scan text has “you” (ὑμᾶς) after “The Jews,” which does not fit the sentence and is left untranslated. A long passage of debris in the scan OCR (a garbled Latin editor’s note and repeated Greek lines from the previous section) interrupted the word “Pharisees” and has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.10 (PG 13:933b–936b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-11 - Source: PG 13:936c–940b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen sets out Isa 29:9–15 in full and applies the sealed book and the lip-service to the Jews who do not believe in Jesus, whose wisdom and prophecy God has removed. ### Greek text Μετὰ δέ ταύτας, ὅλας τὰς παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων παραδόσεις ἀπὸ τῶν προφητικῶν βουλόμενος άπελέγξαι λόγων, παρέθετο ῥητὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου, ὅπερ αὐταῖς λέξεσιν οὕτως ἔχει Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος · Ἐγγίζει μοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἐν στόματι αὐτῶν, ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς. Καὶ προείπομεν γε, ὅτι οὒκ αὑταῖς λέξεσιν ἀνέγραψεν ό Ματθαῖος τὸ προφητικᾶν. Εἰ δέ δεῖ, διὰ τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον χρησάμενον αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτὸ διηγήσασθαι, προσληψόμεθα τὴν ἀνωτέρω λέξιν, χρησίμως, οἶμαι, ἡμῖν τετηρημένην εἰς διήγησιν τῆς ἐν τῷ Εὑαγγελίῳ άπὸ τοῦ Προφήτου εἰλημμένης. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ ρητόνο ι Ἐκλύθητε, καὶ ἐκστητε, κραιπαλήσατε οὐκ ἀπὸ σίκερα, οὐδʼ ἀπὸ οἴνου· ὅτι πεπότικεν ὑμᾶς Κύριος πνεύματι κατανύξεως, καὶ καμμύσει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν δρῶντες τὰ κρυπτά. Καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα πάντα, ὡς οἱ λόγοι τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ ἐσφραγισμένου, ὃ ἐὰν δῶσιν αὐτὸ άνθρὼπῳ ἐπισταμένῳ γράμματα, λέγοντες Ἀνάγνωθι ταῦτα· καὶ ἐρεῖ· Οὐ δύναμαι ἀναγνῶναιο ἐσφράγισται γάρ. Καὶ δοθήσεται τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο είς χεῖρας ’ ἀνθρώπου μὴ ἐπισταμένου γράμματα, καὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ· ἈνάγνωΘι τοῦτο· καὶ ὲρεῑο Οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι γράμματα. Καὶ εἷπε Κύριος ο Ἐγγίζει μοι ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ ’ ι Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐν κρυφῇ βουλὴν ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἐσται ἐν σκότει τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν. ι Προσλαβὼν τοίνυν τὴν προκειμένην ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ λέξιν, ἐθέμην τινὰ τῶν πρὸ αὐτῆς, καί τινα τῶν ἐξῆς αὐτῆς, ἵνα παραστήσωμεν τίνα τρόπον ἀπειλεῖ καμμύσειν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ό λόγος, ἐκστάντων, καὶ κραιπαλησάντων, καὶ πεποτισμένων πνεύματι κατανύξεως ο ἀπειλεῖ δέ καμμῦσαι καὶ τοὺς προφήτας αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐπαγγελλομένους δρᾷν τὰ κρυπτά ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν ο ἅπερ, οἶμαι, γεγένηται μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίαν ἐν τῷ λαῷ ἐκείνην γέγονε γὰρ αὐτοῖς πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ὅλων μὲν τῶν Γραφῶν, καὶ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου δὲ, ι ὡς λόγοι βιβλίου ἐσφραγισμένου. ι Τὸ δὲ, ι ἐσφραγισμένου, ι εἴρηται, οίονεὶ κεκλεισμένου τῇ ἀσαφείᾳ, καὶ μὴ ἠνοιγμένου τῇ σαφηνείᾳ · ὅπερ ἐπίσης τοῖς μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι γράμματα, ἀναγνῶναι αὐτὸ δυναμένοις, καὶτοῖς ἐπαγγελλομένοις εἰδέναι γράμματα, ἐστὶν ἀσαφὲς, οὗ γινώσκουσι τὸν ἐν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις νοῦν. Καλῶς οὖν ἐπιφέρει τοῖς, ὅτι, ἐπάν ἐκλυθεὶς άπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ό λαὸς, καὶ ἐκστὰς μανῇ κατʼ αὑτοῦ, οἷς καὶ κραιπαλήσει κατʼ αὐτοῦ πνεύματι κατανύξεως, ὃ ποτισθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, καμμύοντος αὐτῶν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ὡς ἀναξίους τοῦ βλέπειν, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν, τῶν ἐπαγγελλομένων βλέπειν τά κρυπτά τῶν ἐν ταῖς Θείαις Γραφαϊς μυστηρίων καὶ ἐπὰν καμμύσωσιν αὐτῶν οί ὀφθαλμοὶ, τότε αὐτοῖς ἔσται τὰ προφητικά ῥήματα ἐσφραγισμένα, καὶ ἐπικεκρυμμένα ο ὅπερ πεπόνθασιν ὁ λαὸς ὁ τῶν μὴ πιστευόντων είς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὡς Χριστόν. Ἑπὰν δὲ γένηται τά προφητικὰ αὐτοῖς ε ὡς λόγοι βιβλίου ἐσφραγισμένου, ι οὐ μόνον τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐπαγγελλομένοις ειδέναι γράμματα, τότε εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος μόνῳ τῷ στόματι ἐγγίζειν τὸν λαὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων τῷ θεῷʼ καὶ τοῖς χείλεσι τιμᾷν αὐτόν φησι, διότι ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν είς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπιστίαν πόρρω ἐστὶν ἀπὸ Κυρίου. Καὶ νῦν μάλιστα, ἐξ οῦ τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν ἠρνήσαντο, λεχθείη ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ αὐτῶν τό ο ι Μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με· ι οὐκέτι γάρ διδάσκουσιν ἐντάλματα Θεοῦ, άλλά ι ἀνθρώπων, καὶ διδασκαλίας οὐκέτι τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος σοφίας, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἀνθρωπίνας. Ὅθεν τούτων αὐτοῖς συμβαινόντων, μετέθηκεν ό Θεὸςτδν τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν, καὶ ἀπώλεσε τὴν σοφίαν αὐτῶν τῶν παρʼ αὐτοῖς σοφῶν ’ οὐκέτι γάρ ἐστι σοφία παρʼ αὑτοῖς, ὠς οὔτε προφητεία, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν τοῦ λαοῦ κατορώρυχέ που, καὶ ἐκρυψενό Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκέτι ἐστὶ λαμπρὰ καὶ ἐπιφανής· διὸ, κᾶν δοκῶσι βουλήν τινα βαθέως ποιεῖν, οὐ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αὐτὴν ποιοῦντες ταλανίζονταιθ κᾶν κρυπτά τινα ὲπαγγέλλωνται βουλῆς Θείας, ψεύδονται, ἐπεὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν οὐ φωτός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ σκότους καὶ νυκτός, Διά βραχέων δὲ ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν ἐκθέσθαι τὴν προφητείαν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ ποσὸν σαφήνειαν αὐτῆς, ἐπείπερ ἐμνήσθη αὐτῆς ὁ Ματθαῐος, ἐμνήσθη δὲ καὶ ὁ Μάρκος, παρʼ οὗ χρησίμως παραστησόμεθα περὶ τῆς πάραβάσεως τῶν πρεσβυτέρων δοξάντων νίπτειν τὰς χεῖρας, ὅταν ἄρτον ἐσθίωσιν Ἰουδαῖοι, τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον οὕτως ἔχοντα· ι oi γὰρ Φαρισαῖοι, καὶ πάντες οί Ἰουδαῖοι, ἐὰν μὴ πυγμῇ νίψωνται τὰς χεῖρας, οὒκ ἐσθίουσι, κρατοῦντες τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀπʼ ἀγορᾶς, ἐὰν μὴ βαπτίσωνται, οὐκ ἐσθίουσι. Καὶ ἄλλα τινά ἐστιν ἃ παρέλαβον κρατεῖν, καὶ κλινῶν. ι ### English translation (Claude) After these, wishing to refute from the words of the prophets all the traditions of the elders among the Jews, he set beside them a text from Isaiah, which in its very words runs thus: “And the Lord said, This people draws near to me with their mouth,” and so on. And we said before that Matthew did not record the prophetic text in its very words. If, because the Gospel used it, we must explain it as far as possible, we will take in addition the wording above it, which has been preserved, I think, usefully for us for the explanation of what the Gospel took from the Prophet. The text in Isaiah runs thus from the beginning: “Faint and be amazed; be drunk, not from strong drink nor from wine; for the Lord has made you drink a spirit of stupor, and he will close their eyes, and those of their prophets, and of their rulers who see hidden things. And all these words shall be to you like the words of the sealed book, which, if they give it to a man who knows letters, saying, Read this, he will say, I cannot read it, for it is sealed. And this book will be given into the hands of a man who does not know letters, and one will say to him, Read this; and he will say, I do not know letters. And the Lord said, This people draws near to me,” and so on, as far as “Woe to those who make counsel in secret, and their works shall be in darkness.” Having taken in addition, then, the wording set out in the Gospel, I have set down some of what precedes it and some of what follows it, so that we may show how the word threatens to close the eyes of those of the people who are amazed and drunk and have been made to drink a spirit of stupor; and it threatens to close those of their prophets too, and of their rulers who profess to see hidden things. This, I think, has happened since the Saviour’s coming among that people: for all the words of the whole of Scripture, and of Isaiah too, have become to them “like the words of a sealed book.” “Sealed” is said as of a book shut by obscurity and not opened by clarity; which is equally obscure to those who cannot read it at all because they do not know letters, and to those who profess to know letters, since they do not know the sense in what is written. He rightly adds, then, that when the people, fainting from its sins and amazed, rages against him, it will also be drunk against him with a spirit of stupor, which it will be made to drink by the Lord, who closes their eyes as unworthy of seeing, and those of their prophets and of their rulers who profess to see the hidden things of the mysteries in the divine Scriptures; and when their eyes are closed, then the prophetic words will be sealed and hidden for them; which is what the people of those who do not believe in Jesus as the Christ have suffered. And when the prophetic words have become to them “like the words of a sealed book,” not only for those who do not know letters but also for those who profess to know them, then the Lord said that the people of the Jews draws near to God with the mouth only; and he says that they honour him with their lips, because their heart, through their unbelief in Jesus, is far from the Lord. And now especially, since they denied our Saviour, God might say of them: “In vain do they worship me”; for they no longer teach the commandments of God but “of men,” and no longer the teachings that come from the wisdom of the Spirit but human ones. Hence, these things having befallen them, God has removed the people of the Jews, and has destroyed the wisdom of their wise; for there is no longer wisdom among them, as there is no longer prophecy either; and God has buried somewhere and hidden the understanding of the understanding ones of the people, and it is no longer bright and manifest. Therefore, even if they seem to make some deep counsel, since they do not make it through the Lord, they are wretched; and even if they profess to know some hidden things of the divine counsel, they lie, since their works are not of light but of darkness and night. We have thought fit to set out the prophecy briefly, and to clarify it to some degree, since Matthew mentioned it; and Mark mentioned it too, from whom we shall usefully present what the passage says about the transgression of the elders who held that Jews should wash their hands when they eat bread: “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place they do not eat unless they wash; and there are many other things which they have received to keep, … and of couches.” ### Scripture references - Isa 29:13: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:9: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:10: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:11: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:12: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:14: allusion, high confidence - Isa 29:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:9: quotation, high confidence - Mark 7:6: allusion, medium confidence - Mark 7:3: quotation, high confidence - Mark 7:4: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Isa 29:9–15 (LXX); Matt 15:8–9; Mark 7:6–7; Mark 7:3–4. Words of Mark 7:4 (“the washing of cups and pots and bronze vessels”) are lost in the scan text (“…”). Origen’s polemic against the Jews is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.11 (PG 13:936c–940b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-12 - Source: PG 13:940c–944a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Foods are indifferent in themselves; what defiles is evil speech and thought, greed, gluttony, or eating with a doubting conscience what is offered to demons, while the food laws are a shadow of spiritual nourishment. ### Greek text ι Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ὄχλον, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ’Δκούετε καὶ συνίετε, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Σαφῶς διὰ τούτων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος διδασκόμεθα, ἀναγινώσκοντες ὲν τῷ Λευῖτικῷ, καὶ ὲν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ τὰ περὶ καθαρῶν καὶ ἀκαθάρτων βρωμάτων, ἐφʼ οἷς ὡς παρανομοῦσιν ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἡμῖν oi σωματικοὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ οἱ ὀλίγῳ διαφέροντες αὐτῶν Ἐβιωναϊοι, μὴ νομίζειν τὸν σκοπὸν εἶναι τῇ Γραφῇ πρόχειρον περὶ τούτων νοῦν. ι Εἰ γὰρ ού τὸ είσερχόμενον εἰς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, άλλά τὸ ὲξερχόμενον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, ι καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον ἔλεγε ταῦτα ὁ Σωτὴρ, ι καθαρίζων πάντα τὰ βρώματα, ι δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ κοινούμεθα μὲν ἐσθίοντες ἃ Ἰουδαῖοί φασι, τῷ γράμματι τοῦ νόμου δουλεύειν θέλοντες, εἶναι ἀκάθαρτα ° τότε δὲ κοινούμεθα, ὅτε, δὲον τὰ χείλη ἡμῶν δεδέσθαι αἰσθήσει, καὶ ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς οἷς λέγομεν ζυγὸν καὶ σταθμὸν, λέγομεν μὲν τὰ παρατυχόντα, διαλογιζόμεθα δὲ τὰ μὴ δέοντα, ἀφʼ ὧν ἡ πηγὴ ἡμῖν ἔρχεται τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Καὶ πρέπον γέ ἐστι Θεοῦ νόμῳ ἀπαγορεύειν τὰ ἀπὸ κακίας, καὶ προστάσσειν τά κατʼ ἀρετήν - τὰ δὲ τῷ ίδίῳ λόγῳ ἀδιάφορα, ταῦτα ὲᾷν ἐπὶ χώρας, δυνάμενα διὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν καὶ τὸν ὲν ἡμῖν λόγον, ἁμαρτανόμενα μὲν κακῶς πράττεσθαι, κατορθούμενα δὲ γίγνεσθαι καλῶς. Ταῦτα δέ τις ἐπιμελῶς νοήσας, ὅψεται, ὅτι καὶ τά νομιζόμενα ἀγαθά οἶόν τε ἐστὶ, κακῶς καὶ ἀπὸ πάθους λαβόντα, ἁμαρτάνειν, καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα ἀκάθαρτα, δυνατὸν κατὰ λόγον ὲν χρήσει ἡμῖν γινόμενα, λογίζεσθαι καθαρά. Ὠσπερ γὰρ τοῦ ἀμαρτάνοντος Ἰουδαίου ἠ περιτομὴ είς ἀκροβυστίαν λογισθήσεται, τοῦ δὲ κατορθοῦντος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡ ἀκροβυστία είς περιτομὴν, οὕτως τά μὲν νομιζόμενα καθαρά λογισθήσεται είς ἀκάθαρτα τῷ μὴ δεόντως αὐτοῖς, μηδὲ ὅτε δεῖ, μηδὲ ὅσον δεῖ, μηδὲ ὅθεν δεῖ χρωμένῳ ο τὰ δὲ λεγόμενα ἀκάθαρτα ι πάντα γίνεται καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς · τοῖς γὰρ μεμιασμένοις καὶ ἀπίστοις οὐδὲν καθαρὸν, ἐπεὶ μεμίανται αὐτῶν καὶ ό νοῦς, καὶ ὴ συνείδησις · ι καὶ ταῦτα, μεμιασμένα, ἅπαντα ποιεῖ μιαρά ὧν ἂν ἅψηταιο ὡς πάλιν ὲκ τοῦ ἐναντίου ό καθαρὸς νοῦς καὶ ὴ καθαρά συνείδησις πάντα ποιεῖ καθαρὰ, κᾶν δοκῇ ἀκάθαρτα τυγχάνειν · ού γὰρ ἀπὸ ἀκολασίας, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ φιληδονίας, οὐδὲ μετά διακρίσεως περιελκούσης είς ἑκάτερα οί δίκαιοι χρῶνται τοῖς βρώμασινῆ πόμασι, μεμνημένοι τοῦ · ι Εῖτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε ἄλλο ποιεῖτε, είς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. ι Et δὲ χρὴ ὑπογράψαι τά κατά τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον ἀκάθαρτα βρώματα, φήσομεν, ὅτι τοιαῦτά ὲστι τά ἀπὸ πλεονεξίας πεπορισμένα, καὶ ἀπὸ αἰσχροκερδείας περιγεγενημένα, καὶ ἀπὸ φιληδονίας λαμβανόμενα, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοποιεῖσθαι τιμωμένην τὴν γαστέρα, ὃταν αὐτὴ, καὶ ai κατʼ αὐτὴν ὀρέξεις, καὶ μὴ ὁ λόγος, ἄρχῃ τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν. Ἀλλά καὶ γινώσκοντες δαιμονίοις κεχρῆσθαί τινα, ἢ μὴ γινώσκοντες μὲν, ὑπονοοῦντες δὲ, καὶ διακρινόμενοι περὶ τούτου, εί χρησαίμεθα τοῖς τοιούτοις, οΰκ είς δόξαν Θεοῦ αὐτοῖς κεχρήμεθα, οὐδὲ ὲν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ, ού μόνον τῆς περὶ τοῦ είδωλόθυτα εἶναι ὑπολήψεως κατακρινούσης τὸν ἐσθίοντα, ἀλλά καὶ τῆς περὶ τούτου διακρίσεως · ι '0 γάρ διακρινόμενος, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἐὰν φάγῃ, κατακέκριται, ὅτι οὐκ ὲκ πίστεως πᾶν δὲ ὃ οὐκ ὲκ πίστεως, ἁμαρτία ἐστίν. ι Ἐκ πίστεως μὲν οὖν ἐσθίει ό πεπιστευκὼς μὴ ὲν εἰδωλείοις τεθύσθαι τὸ ἐσθιόμενον, μηδὲ πνικτὸν αὐτὸ εἶναι, ἢ αἷμα ο οὐκ ὲκ πίστεως δὲ ό περὶ τούτων τινὸς διακρινόμενος ο καὶ κοινωνὸς δὲ τῶν δαιμονίων γίνεται ό καὶ αὐτὰ εἰδὼς δαιμονίοις τεθύσθαι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦττον χρώμενος μετά μεμολυσμένης τῆς περὶ τῶν δαιμονίων κοινωνησάντων τῷ θύματι φαντασίας. Καὶ ό Ἀπόστολος μέντοι ὲπιστάμενος μὴ τὴν φύσιν τῶν βρωμάτων αἰτίαν εἶναι βλάβης τῷ χρωμένῳ, ἢ ὡφελείας τῷ ἀπεχομένῳ, ἀλλὰ τά δόγματα καὶ τὸν ἐνυπάρχοντα λόγον, εἷπε ο ι Βρῶμα δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐ παρίστησι τῷ Θεῷ ο οὔτε γὰρ ἐὰν φάγωμεν, περισσευόμεθα, οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν, ὑστερούμεθα. ι Kal. ἐπείπερ ἠπίστατο τοὺς μεγαλοφυέστερον νοοῦντας κατά τὸν νόμον τίνα τὰ καθαρὰ, καὶ τίνα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα, ἀποστάντας τῆς περὶ τοῦ χρῆσθαι ὡς καθαροῖς, καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις διαφορᾶς, καὶ δεισιδαιμονίας, οἶμαι, ἐν διαφόροις ἑνδιαφορεῖν τῇ χρήσει τῶν βρωμάτων, καὶ διά τοῦτο ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων ὡς παρανόμους κρίνεσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο εἶπέ τό· ι Μὴ οὖν κρινέτω τις ἡμᾶς ἐν βρώσει, ἧ ἐν πόσει, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, διδάσκων. ἡμᾶς, ὅτι τὰ μὲν κατὰ τὸ γράμμα σκιά ἐστι, τὰ δʼ ἀληθῆ τοῦ νόμου ἐναποκείμενα τούτοις νοήματα μέλλοντά ἐστιν ἀγαθὰ, ἐν οἷς ἐστιν εὑρεῖν τίνα τά καθαρά τῆς ψυχῆς πνευματικὰ βρώματα, καὶ τίνα τὰ ἀκάθαρτα ἐν λόγοις ψευδέσι, καὶ ἐναντίοις, βλάπτοντα τὸν τρεφόμενον ἐν αὐτοῖς· ι Σκιὰν γὰρ ἐῖχεν ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν. ι ### English translation (Claude) “And calling the crowd to him, he said to them, Hear and understand,” and so on. Through these words we are clearly taught by the Saviour, when we read in Leviticus and Deuteronomy what concerns clean and unclean foods—over which the bodily-minded Jews, and the Ebionites who differ little from them, accuse us of transgressing the law—not to think that the aim of Scripture concerning them is the obvious sense. For if “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth,” and especially since, according to Mark, the Saviour said this “making all foods clean,” it is clear that we are not defiled by eating what the Jews, who want to serve the letter of the law, say is unclean; but we are defiled when, though our lips ought to be bound with understanding and we ought to make for what we say a yoke and a balance, we say whatever comes to hand and harbour thoughts we should not, from which the spring of our sins comes to us. And it befits a law of God to forbid what comes from wickedness and to command what accords with virtue, but to leave in their place things indifferent in their own nature, which, because of our choice and the reason within us, are done badly when we sin in them, and turn out well when we do them rightly. One who understands this carefully will see that even what are thought to be good things can be a sin when taken badly and from passion, and that the things called unclean, when used by us according to reason, can be reckoned clean. For as the circumcision of the Jew who sins will be reckoned as uncircumcision, and the uncircumcision of one from the Gentiles who does right as circumcision, so the things thought clean will be reckoned unclean for one who uses them not as he should, nor when he should, nor as much as he should, nor for the reason he should; but as for the things called unclean, “to the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, since both their mind and their conscience are defiled”; and these, being defiled, make defiled everything they touch; as again, on the contrary, the pure mind and the pure conscience make all things pure, even if they seem to be unclean. For the righteous do not use foods or drinks from licentiousness, nor from love of pleasure, nor with a doubt that drags them two ways, remembering the saying: “Whether you eat or drink or do anything else, do all to the glory of God.” And if we must describe the foods that are unclean according to the Gospel, we will say that they are such as are procured by greed, gained by shameful profit, taken out of love of pleasure, and from honouring the belly as a god, when it and its appetites, and not reason, rule our soul. But also, if we know that some things have been offered to demons, or, not knowing, suspect it and are in doubt about it, and use such things, we have not used them to the glory of God nor in the name of Christ; for not only the belief that they have been offered to idols condemns the one who eats, but also the doubt about it: “For whoever doubts,” according to the Apostle, “is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.” He eats from faith, then, who believes that what he eats has not been sacrificed in idol temples, and is not strangled, nor blood; and he does not eat from faith who is in doubt about any of these; and one becomes a partner of demons who knows that these things have been sacrificed to demons and none the less uses them, his imagination defiled with the demons who shared in the sacrifice. And the Apostle, knowing that it is not the nature of foods that causes harm to the one who uses them or benefit to the one who abstains, but our opinions and the reason within, said: “Food will not commend us to God; for we are no better off if we eat, and no worse off if we do not eat.” And since he knew that those who understood more nobly what things are clean and what unclean according to the law had given up the distinction about using things as clean or unclean, and the superstition, I think, of making differences among indifferent things in the use of foods, and for this reason were judged by Jews as transgressors of the law, he said for this reason: “Let no one, then, judge us in food or in drink,” and so on, teaching us that what is according to the letter is a shadow, but the true meanings of the law stored up in it are the good things to come, in which one can find what are the clean spiritual foods of the soul, and what are the unclean, in false and contrary words, which harm the one nourished on them: “For the law had a shadow of the good things to come.” ### Scripture references - Matt 15:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:11: quotation, high confidence - Mark 7:19: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:25: allusion, high confidence - Rom 2:26: allusion, high confidence - Titus 1:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:31: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:19: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 10:20: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 14:23: quotation, high confidence - Acts 15:29: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 8:8: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:16: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:17: allusion, high confidence - Heb 10:1: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 28:25 (Sirach): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:10–11; Lev 11; Deut 14; Mark 7:19; Sir 28:25 (a yoke and a balance for one’s words); Rom 2:25–26; Titus 1:15; 1 Cor 10:31; Phil 3:19; 1 Cor 10:20; Rom 14:23; Acts 15:29; 1 Cor 8:8; Col 2:16–17; Heb 10:1. Origen’s remarks on the Jews and the Ebionites are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.12 (PG 13:940c–944a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-13 - Source: PG 13:944a–944d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Pharisees, offended at Jesus’ teaching on food, are not the Father’s planting and are blind guides of the blind, while Jesus calls the crowd away from the literal sense of the law. ### Greek text ’Ὠσπερ δὲ ἐν πολλοῖς κατανοητέον τὸ θαυμαζόμενον παρά Ἰουδαίοις ἐπὶ τοῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγοις, ὅτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ἐλέγοντο, οὓτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον. Τὸν ὄχλον γοῦν προσκαλεσάμενος, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ι Ἀκούετε καὶ συνίετε, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ τοῦτʼ ἔλεγε, Φαρισαίων σκανδαλιζομένων ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ, ὡς διὰ τὰ μοχθηρά δόγματα, καὶ τὴν φαύλην παρὰ τοῦ νόμου ἐκδοχὴν, οὐκ ὄντων φυτείας τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἑαυτοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκριζουμένων· ἐξεῤῥιζώθησαν γὰρ μὴ παραδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεωργουμένην ἄμπελον ἀληθινὴν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. Πῶς γάρ ἠδύναντο εἶναι φυτεία τοῦ Πατρός οἱ ἐπὶ τοῖς Ἰησοῦ σκανδαλισθέντες λόγοις, ἀφιστᾶσι μὲν τοῦ ο ι Μὴ ἅψῃ, μηδέ γεύσῃ, μηδὲ θίγῃς, ἃ ἦν πάντα είς φθορὰν τῇ ἀποχρήσει, κατά τὰ ἐντάλματα καὶ διδασκαλίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ’ ι προσάγωσι δὲ τὸν συνετὸν ἑαυτῶν ἀκροατὴν τῷ τὰ ἄνω περὶ τούτων ζητεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ γῆς, ὡς οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι; Καὶ ἐπεὶ διὰ τὰ μοχθηρά δόγματα οὐ φυτεία ’ἦσαν τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, διὰ τοῦτο ὡς περὶ ἁνιάτων αὐτῶν λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς τό· ‹ ’Ἄφετε αύτούς· ι ἄφετε, διά τοῦτο, ὅτι τυφλοὶ ὄντες, δέον αὐτοὺς αἰσθάνεσθαι τῆς τυφλότητος καὶ ζητεῖν ὁδηγοὺς, οἱ δὲ ἐπαγγέλλονται, ἀναισθητοῦντες τῆς ἑαυτῶν τυφλότητος, ὁδηγεῖν τυφλοὺς, οὐ λογιζόμενοι ἐμπεσεῖσθαι είς βόθυνον, περὶ οὗ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς γέγραπταιʼ ι Λάκκον ὤρυξε, καὶ ἀνέσκαψεν αὐτὸν, καὶ. ἐμπεσεῖται είς βόθρον δν εἰργάσατο. ι Ἀλλαχοῦ μὲν οὖν γέγραπται, ὅτι, ι Ἰδὼν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀνέβη είς τὸ ὅρος, καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· ι ἐνταῦθα δέ ὀρέγει χεῖρα τῷ ὄχλῳ, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀφιστὰς τῆς ρητῆς τῶν κατά νόμον ἐρωτημάτων ἐκδοχῆς, ὅτε πρῶτον μὲν ἔλεγεν ι Ἀκούετε καὶ συνίετε, ι οὐδέπω συνιεῖσιν ὧν ἢκουον ο ἑξῆς δέ ὡς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖςʼ ι Οὐ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον είς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλά τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον. ι ### English translation (Claude) As in many places one must observe what the Jews wondered at in the Saviour’s words, that they were spoken with authority, so too in this passage. Calling the crowd to him, at any rate, he said to them, “Hear and understand,” and so on; and he said this when the Pharisees were offended at this word, since, because of their vicious opinions and their bad interpretation of the law, they were not a planting of his own Father in heaven and for that reason were being uprooted; for they were uprooted because they did not accept the true vine cultivated by the Father, Jesus Christ. For how could those be a planting of the Father who were offended at the words of Jesus, which draw people away from “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch—things which all perish as they are used—according to the commandments and teachings of human beings,” and lead their intelligent hearer to seek concerning these things what is above, and not on earth, as the Jews do? And since, because of their vicious opinions, the Pharisees were not a planting of the Father in heaven, he therefore says to the disciples, as of people beyond cure: “Let them alone”; let them alone for this reason, that, though they are blind, and ought to perceive their blindness and seek guides, they, insensible of their own blindness, profess to guide the blind, not reckoning that they will fall into a pit, of which it is written in the Psalms: “He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and he will fall into the hole that he has made.” Elsewhere it is written that “seeing the crowds, he went up the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him”; but here he stretches out a hand to the crowd, calling it to him and drawing it away from the literal interpretation of the questions of the law, when first he said to them, “Hear and understand,” though they did not yet understand what they heard; and next he said to them, as in parables: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out.” ### Scripture references - Matt 7:29: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 15:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:14: quotation, high confidence - John 15:1: allusion, high confidence - Col 2:21: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:22: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:2: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 7:15 (7:16 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:11: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 7:28–29 (authority); Matt 15:10–14; John 15:1; Col 2:21–22; Col 3:1–2; Ps 7:15 (7:16 LXX); Matt 5:1; Matt 15:11. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.13 (PG 13:944a–944d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-8/#p-11-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-14 - Source: PG 13:944d–952a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Against those who separate the God of the law from the Father of Jesus, Origen says the Pharisees were rejected for their misreading of the law, not for the law; and he argues that the bread of the Lord benefits only one who receives it with a pure conscience, the word spoken over it, not its matter, being what helps. ### Greek text Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀξιον ἰδεῖν λέξιν συκοφαντουμένην ὑπὸ τῶν φασκόντων οὐ τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι νόμου καὶ Εὑαγγελίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ Θεόνʼ οἵτινές φασιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐστιν 6 Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐράνιος Πατὴρ γεωργὸς τῶν κατὰ Μωῦσέως νόμον οἰομένων Θεὸν εὐσεβεῖν. Αὐτὸς εἶπεν 6 Ἰησοῦς τοὺς Φαρισαίους, οῖ ἦσαν λατρεύοντες τῷ κτίσαντι τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὸν νόμον Θεῷ, οὐκ εἶναι φυτείαν ἣν ἐφύτευσεν 6 οὐράνιος αὐτοῦ Πατὴρ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὴν ὲκριζοῦσθαι. Εἴποις δʼ ἂν καὶ ταῦτα, ὃτι, κᾶν εἴπερ Πατὴρ ἦν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ι 6 εἰσαγαγὼν, καὶ φυτεύσας ι τὸν ἀπὸ Αἰγύπτου ἐξελθόντα λαὸν, ι είς ὅρος κληρονομίας ἑαυτοῦ, είς ἕτοιμον κατοικητήριον ἑαυτοῦ, ι εἶπεν ἂν Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ τοῖς Φαρισαίοις τό ι Πᾶσα φυτεία ἣν οὐκ ἐφύτευσεν 6 Πατήρ μου 6 οὐράνιος, ὲκριζωθήσεται. ι Πρὸς ταῦτα δὲ φήσομεν, ὅτι ὅσοι διὰ τὴν μοχθηρὰν περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐκδοχὴν οὐκ ἦσαν φυτεία τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς, οὗτοι τετύφλωντο τὰ νοήματα, ὡς μὴ πιστεύοντες τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλὰ εύδοκοῦντες τῇ ἀδικίᾳ, ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοποιηθέντος ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λεγομένου παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ Θεοῦ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς Παῦλον ἡμᾶς ἀληθῶς εἶναι λέγειν αὐτὸν Θεόν· ὡς γὰρ μὴ οὖσα Θεὸς ἡ κοιλία τῶν ύπερτιμώντων τὴν ἡδονὴν, φιληδόνων μᾶλλον ἢ φιλοθέων, λέγεται ὑπὸ Παύλου εἶναι Θεὸς αὐτῶν οὕτως μὴ ὢν Θεὸς 6 ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, περὶ οῦ φησιν 6 Σωτήρ· ι Νῦν 6 ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου κέκριται, ι Θεὸς εἶναι λέγεται τῶν μὴ βουληθέντων τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς υἱοθεσίας λαβεῖν, ἵνα γένωνται υίοὶ τοῦ αίῶνος ἐκείνου, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μεινάντων ἐν τῇ υίότητι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. Ταῦτα δέ μοι ἔδοξεν, εἰ καὶ παρεκβατικῶς εἴρηται, ἀναγκαίως παρειλῆφθαι διὰ τό· ι Τυφλοι εἰσιν ὁδηγοὶ τυφλῶν· ι τίνες δέ; Oi Φαρισαῖοι, ὧν 6 Θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσε τὰ νοήματα, ὄντων ἀπίστων παρὰ τὸ μὴ πεπιστευκέναι είς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ ἐτύφλωσεν ι είς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι αὐτοῖς τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲν προσώπῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ι Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἀπʼ ἐκείνων φευκτέον όδηγεῖσθαι τυφλῶν, τῶν αἰσθανομένων δεῖσθαι ὁδηγῶν, παρὰ τὸ μηδέπω αὐτῶν ἀπειληφέναι τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ διʼ αὐτῶν βλέπειν· ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων, τῶν ἐπαγγελλομένων ὁδηγεῖν έν ὑγιεῖ διδασκαλίᾳ ὲπιμελῶς ἀκουστέον, καὶ κρίσιν ὑγιῆ τοῖς λεγομένοις προσακτέον, μήποτε κατʼ ἄγνοιαν τυφλῶν, καὶ μὴ βλεπόντων τὰ πράγματα τῆς ὑγιοῦς διδασκαλίας ὁδηγούμενοι, τυφλοὶ καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ βλέπειν τὸν νοῦν τῶν Γραφῶν τυγχάνοντες φανῶμεν, ὡς ἁμφοτέρους, τόν τε όδηγοῦντα καὶ ὁδηγούμενον ἐμπεσεῖν είς τὸν βόθυνον, περὶ οὗ προειρήκαμεν. Ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις γέγραπται τίνα τρόπον 6 Πέτρος ἀποκριθεὶς εἷπε τῷ Σωτῆρι, ὡς μὴ νοήσας τό ο ι Ού τὸ εἱσερχόμενον είς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, τό· ι Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολήν. ι Πρὸς ὃ ὁ Σωτήρ φησι τό· ι Ἀκμὴν καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε, ι οἱονεὶ τοσούτῳ μοι συνόντες χρόνῳ ἔτι οὐ συνίετε τοῦ βουλήματος τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ἔτι ού νοεῖτε, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο οὐ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπεὶ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον αύτοῦ εἰς τὸ στόμα είς τὴν κοιλίαν χωρεῖ, καὶ προχωροῦν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς είς ἀφεδρῶνα βάλλεται. Ού παρὰ τὸν νόμον ᾧ πιστεύειν ἐδόκουν, ούκ ἦσαν φυτεία τοῦ Πατρός Ἰησοῦ Φαρισαῖοι, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν μοχθηρὰν περὶ τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ γεγραμμένων ἐκδοχὴν. Δύο γὰρ νοουμένων κατὰ τὸν νόμον, διακονίας τε θανάτου τῆς ἐντετυπωμένης γράμμασι, καὶ οὐδὲν οἰκεῖον ἐχούσης πρὸς τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ διακονίας ζωῆς τῆς νοουμένης ἐν τῷ πνευματικῷ νόμῳ, οἱ μὲν δυνάμενοι ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ἀληθευούσης λέγειν τό · ι Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, δτι 6 νόμος πνευματικός ἐστι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο 6 νόμος ἅγιος, καὶ ή ἐντολὴ ἁγία, καὶ δικαία, καὶ ἀγαθὴ, ι οὗτοι ἦσαν φυτεία ἢν ἐφύτευσεν ό οὐράνιος Πατήρ· οί δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖνον γράμμα περιέποντες μόνον, οὐκ ἦσαν φυτεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πωρώσαντος αὐτῶν τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ κάλυμμα ἐπιθέντος αὐτῇ, ἰσχύον ἐν ἐκείνοις ὅσον οὐκ ἐπέστρεφον πρὸς τὸν Κύριονο ι Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα· ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν. Εἴποι δʼ ἄν τις κατᾶ τὸν τόπον γενόμενος, ὅτι, ὥσπερ ού τὸ εἰσερχόμενον είς τὸ στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κᾶν νομίζηται εἶναι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων κοινόν· οὕτως οὐ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον είς τὸ στόμα ἁγιάζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κᾶν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκεραιοτέρων νομίζηται ἁγιάζειν 6 ὀνομαζόμενος ἄρτος τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ ἔστιν, οἶμαι, ό λόγος οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο δεόμενος σαφοῦς διηγήσεως, οὕτως ἐμοὶ δοκούσης ἔχειν. Ὥσπερ ού τὺ βρῶμα, ἀλλʼ ἡ συνείδησις τοῦ μετὰ διακρίσεως ἐσθίοντος κοινοῖ τὸν φαγόντα ° ι '0 γὰρ διακρινόμενος, ἐὰν φάγῃ κατακέκριται, ὃτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως· ι καὶ ὥσπερ ούδέν καθαρὸν ού παρʼ αὐτό ἐστι τῷ μεμιασμένῳ καὶ ἀπίστῳ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸν μιασμόν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀπιστίαν· οὕτως τὸ ι ἁγιαζόμενον διὰ λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως ι ού τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ ἁγιάζει τὸν χρώμενον εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο, ἡγίαζε γὰρ ἂν καὶ τὸν ἐσθίοντα ἀναξίως τὸν ἄρτον τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν διὰ τὸ βρῶμα τοῦτο ἀσθενὴς, ἢ ἄρῥωστος ἐγίνετο, ἦ ἐκοιμᾶτο· τοιοῦτον γάρ τι ό Παῦλος παρέστησεν ὲν τῷο ι Διὰ τοῦτο ὲν ὑμῖν πολλοὶ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ ἄρρωστοι, καὶ κοιμῶνται ἱκανοί. ι Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄρτου τοίνυν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ ὠφέλεια τῷ χρωμένῳ ἐστὶν, ἐπὰν ἀμιάντῳ τῷ νῷ, καὶ καθαρᾷ τῇ συνειδήσει μεταλαμβάνῃ τοῦ ἄρτου. Οὕτω δὲ οὔτε ἐκ τοῦ μὴ φαγεῖν, παρʼ αὐτὸ τὸ μὴ φαγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγιασθέντος λόγῳ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξει ἄρτου, ὑστερούμεθα ἀγαθοῦ τινος, οὔτε ὲκ τοῦ φαγεῖν περισσεύομεν ἀγαθῷ τινι· τὸ γὰρ, αἴτιον τῆς ὑστερήσεως ἡ κακία ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ·· καὶ τὺ αἴτιον τῆς περισσεύσεως ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα· ὡς τοιοῦτο εἶναι τὸ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ λεγόμενον ὲν τῷ· ι Οὔτε ἐὰν φάγωμεν, περισσεύομεν, οὔτε ἐὰν μὴ φάγωμεν, ὑστερούμεθα. ι El δὲ ι πᾶν τὸ εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς τὸ στόμα είς κοιλίαν χωρεῖ, καὶ είς ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκβάλλεται, ι καὶ τὸ ἁγιαζόμενον βρῶμα διὰ λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως κατʼ αὐτὸ μὲν τὸ ὑλικὸν είς τὴν κοιλίαν χωρεῖ, καὶ είς ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκβάλλεται· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὲπιγενομένην αὐτῷ εὐχὴν, κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως, ὠφέλιμον γίνεται, καὶ τῆς τοῦ νοῦ αἴτιον διαβλέψεως, ὁρῶντος ἐπὶ τὺ ὠφελοῦν· καὶ οὐχ ἡ ὕλη τοῦ ἄρτου, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ εἰρημένος λόγος ἐστὶν ὀ ὠφελῶν τὸν μὴ ἀναξίως τοῦ Κυρίου ἐσθίοντα αὐτόν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τοῦ τυπικοῦ καὶ συμβολικοῦ σώματος · πολλὰ δʼ ἂν καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοιτο τοῦ Λόγου ὃς γέγονε σὰρξ, καὶ ἀληθινὴ βρῶσις, ἧν τινα ὁ φαγὼν πάντως ζήσεται είς τὸν αἰῶνα, οὐδενὸς δυναμένου φαύλου ἐσθίειν αὑτήν· εί γὰρ οἷόν τε ἦν ἔτι φαῦλον μένοντα ἐσθίειν τὸν γενόμενον σάρκα, Λόγον ὄντα καὶ ἄρτον ζῶντα, οὐκ ἂν ἐγέγραπτο, ὅτι ι Πᾶς ὁ φαγὼν τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον ζήσεται εἰς τὸν ### English translation (Claude) After this it is worth looking at a text that is maligned by those who say that the God of the law and the God of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not the same; who say that the heavenly Father of Jesus Christ is not the cultivator of those who think they worship God according to the law of Moses. Jesus himself, they say, said that the Pharisees, who worshipped the God who created the world and the law, were not a planting that his heavenly Father had planted, and that for this reason it was being uprooted. But you might also say this: that even if the Father of Jesus was the one who brought in and “planted” the people that came out of Egypt “in the mountain of his inheritance, in his prepared dwelling place,” Jesus would still have said of the Pharisees: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” To this we will say that all those who, because of their vicious interpretation of what is in the law, were not a planting of the Father in heaven, had their minds blinded, as not believing the truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness, by him who has been made a god by the sons of this age, and is for this reason called by Paul “the god of this age.” And do not think that Paul tells us that he is truly God; for just as the belly of those who prize pleasure too highly, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,” though it is not a god, is said by Paul to be their god, so the ruler of this age, though not God—of whom the Saviour says, “Now the ruler of this world has been judged”—is said to be the god of those who did not wish to receive the spirit of adoption so as to become sons of that age and of the resurrection from the dead, and who for this reason remained in the sonship of this age. These things, even if said by way of digression, seemed to me necessary to include because of “They are blind guides of the blind.” And who are they? The Pharisees, whose minds the god of this age blinded, since they were unbelievers in not having believed in Jesus Christ; and he blinded them “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ might not shine on them.” And we must not only avoid being guided by those blind ones who perceive that they need guides because they have not yet recovered the power of seeing by themselves; but also, in the case of all who profess to guide in sound teaching, we must listen carefully and bring sound judgment to what is said, lest, being guided in ignorance by the blind, who do not see the matters of sound teaching, we too prove to be blind, because we do not see the sense of the Scriptures, so that both, the guide and the guided, fall into the pit of which we spoke before. Next after this it is written how Peter answered and said to the Saviour, as not having understood “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth”: “Explain the parable to us.” To which the Saviour says: “Are you also still without understanding?”—as if to say: having been with me so long, do you still not understand the intent of what is said, and do you not yet perceive that what goes into his mouth does not defile a person for this reason, that it passes into the belly and, passing on from it, is cast into the latrine? It was not because of the law in which they seemed to believe that the Pharisees were not a planting of the Father of Jesus, but because of their vicious interpretation of the law and of what is written in it. For since two things are understood in the law, the ministry of death engraved in letters, which has nothing akin to the spirit, and the ministry of life understood in the spiritual law, those who could say with a sincere disposition, “For we know that the law is spiritual,” and therefore “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good,” were a planting which the heavenly Father planted; but those who were not such, but clung only to the letter that kills, were not a planting of God but of him who hardened their heart and laid a veil over it, which had force in them so long as they did not turn to the Lord; “for when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed; and the Lord is the Spirit.” One who has come to this passage might say that, just as it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, even if it is thought by Jews to be defiled, so it is not what goes into the mouth that sanctifies a person, even if what is called the bread of the Lord is thought by the simpler to sanctify. And the point is, I think, not to be despised, and therefore needs a clear explanation, which seems to me to be as follows. Just as it is not the food but the conscience of one who eats with doubt that defiles the one who has eaten—“for whoever doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith”—and just as nothing is pure to the defiled and unbeliever, not because of the thing itself, but because of his defilement and unbelief, so what is “sanctified by the word of God and prayer” does not by its own nature sanctify the one who uses it. For if it did, it would sanctify even the one who eats the bread of the Lord unworthily, and no one would become weak or sick or fall asleep because of this food; for Paul showed something of the kind in the words, “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a good number are asleep.” In the case of the bread of the Lord, then, there is benefit to the one who uses it when he partakes of the bread with an undefiled mind and a pure conscience. And so neither are we deprived of any good merely by not eating of the bread sanctified by the word of God and prayer, nor by eating do we abound in any good; for the cause of the lack is wickedness and sins, and the cause of the abundance is righteousness and right actions; so that this is the meaning of what Paul says: “If we eat, we do not abound, and if we do not eat, we do not lack.” And if “whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and is cast out into the latrine,” the food sanctified by the word of God and prayer too, as regards its material part, passes into the belly and is cast out into the latrine; but by the prayer that has come upon it, according to the proportion of faith, it becomes beneficial and a cause of the mind’s clear sight as it looks to what is beneficial; and it is not the matter of the bread but the word spoken over it that benefits the one who eats it not unworthily of the Lord. And so much concerning the typical and symbolic body; but much might also be said about the Word himself, who became flesh and true food, which whoever eats will surely live for ever, no wicked person being able to eat it; for if it were possible for one who still remains wicked to eat him who became flesh, being the Word and the living bread, it would not have been written that “everyone who eats this bread will live for [ever].” ### Scripture references - Matt 15:13: quotation, high confidence - Exod 15:17: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:4: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:12: allusion, high confidence - 2 Tim 3:4: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:19: allusion, high confidence - John 12:31: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:15: allusion, high confidence - Luke 20:35: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 20:36: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 15:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:17: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:6: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:7: allusion, high confidence - Rom 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:12: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:14: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:17: quotation, high confidence - Rom 14:23: quotation, high confidence - Titus 1:15: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:27: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:30: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:8: quotation, high confidence - Rom 12:6: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:14: allusion, high confidence - John 6:55: allusion, high confidence - John 6:51: quotation, high confidence - John 6:58: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:13–17; Exod 15:17; 2 Cor 4:4; 2 Thess 2:12; 2 Tim 3:4; Phil 3:19; John 12:31; Rom 8:15; Luke 20:35–36; 2 Cor 3:6–7, 14–17; Rom 7:14, 12; Rom 14:23; Titus 1:15; 1 Tim 4:5; 1 Cor 11:27, 30; 1 Cor 8:8; Rom 12:6; John 1:14; John 6:55, 51, 58. The opponents (who distinguish the God of the law from the Father of Jesus) are not named; Origen elsewhere has the Marcionites and Valentinians in view. His teaching on the bread of the Lord (the “typical and symbolic body”) is translated exactly as written. The last word is lost in the scan text and supplied in brackets from the Gospel text Origen quotes (John 6:51). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.14 (PG 13:944d–952a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-15 - Source: PG 13:952b–956b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Evil thoughts in the heart are the spring of all sin and can corrupt even good acts such as almsgiving, chastity, teaching, and seeking the office of bishop; eating with an unwashed heart, not unwashed hands, defiles. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς τούτῳ ἴδωμεν πῶς τὰ ἐκπορευόμενα καὶ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐ παρὰ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐκπορεύεσθαι κοινοί τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχει τῆς κοινώσεως ὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτε ἐξέρχονται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, πρὸ τῶν ἐκπορευομένων διὰ τοῦ στόματος, διαλογισμοὶ πονηροὶ, ὧν ἐν εἴδει εἰσὶ ι φόνοι, μοιχεῖαι, πορνεῖαι, κλοπαὶ, ψευδομαρτυρίαι, βλασφημίαι· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι τὰ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ι ὅτε ἐξέρχεται ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας, καὶ ἐξελθόντα ἀπʼ αὐτῆς διαπορεύεται διὰ τοῦ στόματος· ὡς εί ἔξω τῆς καρδίας μὴ ἐγίνετο, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ που περὶ τὴν καρδίαν κατείχετο, οὐκ ὲπιτρεπτόμενα διὰ τοῦ στόματος λαλεῖσθαι, τάχιστα ἂν ἠφάνιστο, καὶ οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπος ἐκοινοῦτο. Πηγὴ οὖν καὶ ἀρχὴ πάσης ἁμαρτίας διαλογισμοὶ πονηροί· μὴ γὰρ ἐπικρατησάντων τούτων, οὒτε φόνοι, οὔτε μοιχεῖαι, οὔτʼ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων ἔσονται ’ διὰ τοῦτο πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρητέον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καρδίαν ο καὶ γὰρ ὲν ἡμέρα κρίσεως ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος, ι φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτὰ τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν· ι μεταξὺ πάντων τῶν λογισμῶν ἀνθρώπων κατηγορούντων, η καὶ ἀπολογουμένων, ἡνίκα ἐὰν κυκλώσῃ αὐτοὺς τὰ διαβούλια ἑαυτῶν. Τοιοῦτοι δʼ εἰσὶν oi πονηροὶ διαλογισμοὶ, ὡς ἐσθʼ ὅτε καὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ κρίσει τῶν πολλῶν ἐπαινετὰ, ψεκτὰ ποιεῖν. Ἐὰν γοῦν ποιῶμεν ἐλεημοσύνην ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὲν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς ἡμῶν σκοποῦντες τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρὼποις φιλάνθρωποι, καὶ ἐπὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ δοξασθῆναι, ἀπέχομεν τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων μισθόνο καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς πᾶν τὸ γινόμενον μετὰ τοῦ ὲν τῷ πράττοντι συνειδότος ἐπὶ τῷ δοξασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔχει τέλος ἀπὸ τοῦ βλέποντος ὲν τῷ κρυπτῷ, καὶ ἀποδιδόντος τὸν μισθὸν τοῖς ὲν τῷ κρυπτῷ καθαροῖς, Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἡ δοκοῦσα ἁγνεία, ἐὰν διαλογισμοὺς ἔχῃ τοὺς ἐπὶ κενοδοξία, ἢ φιλοκερδίᾳ· καὶ ἡ νομιζομένη ὲκκλησιαστικὴ διδασκαλία, ἐὰν ὲν λόγῳ κολακείας ἀνελευθερία γενηται, ἢ προφάσει πλεονεξίας, ἢ ζητοῦντός τινος τὴν ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ διδασκαλίᾳ δόξαν, οὐκ ἔστι λελογισμένη ἀπὸ τῶν ι τεθέντων ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία πρῶτον ἀποστόλων, δεύτερον προφητῶν, καὶ τρίτον διδασκάλων. ι Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον ἐρεῖς καὶ ἐπὶ t τοῦ ὀρεγομένου ἐπισκοπῆς ι διὰ τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δόξαν, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων κολακείαν, ἢ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν προσιόντων τῷ λόγῳ πορισμὸν, διδόντων προφάσει εὐσεβείας* ό γοῦν τοιοῦτος ἐπίσκοπος ι ού καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ, ι οὐδὲ δύναται εἶναι ι ἀνεπίληπτος, οὐδὲ νηφάλιος, οὐδὲ σώφρων, ι μεθύων ὑπὸ δόξης, καὶ ἀκολάστως αὐτῆς ἐμφορούμενος. Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ περὶ πρεσβυτέρων καὶ διακόνων ἐρεῖς. Ταῦτα δὲ, εί καὶ δόξομέν τισιν ἐν παρεκβάσει εἰρηκέναι, ὅρα εἰ μὴ ἀναγκαίως λέλεκται, διὰ τὸ πηγὴν εἶναι πάντων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τοὺς πονηροὺς διαλογισμοὺς, δυναμένους μολῦναι κα) τὰ, εἰ χωρὶς αὐτῶν πράττοιτο, δικαιώσαντα ἂν τὸν ποιήσαντα. Τίνα μὲν οὖν τὰ κοινοῦντα, κατά δύναμιν ἡμῖν ἐξήτασται· τὸ δὲ ἀνίπτοις χερσὶ φαγεῖν οὐ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον · ἀλλʼ εἰ δεῖ τολμήσαντα εἰπεῖν, κοινοῖ τὸ ἀνίπτῳ καρδίᾳ ότιποτοῦν φαγεῖν, ὃ πέφυκε τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἡμῶν ἐσθίειν. Περὶ τῆς Χαναναίας. ### English translation (Claude) Next to this let us see how the things that come out and defile a person do not defile a person because they come out of the mouth, but have the cause of the defilement in the heart, when evil thoughts come out of it before the things that issue through the mouth; of which the kinds are “murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies; these are what defile a person,” when they come out of the heart and, having come out of it, pass through the mouth; so that if they did not come to be outside the heart, but were held fast somewhere about the heart itself, not being allowed to be spoken through the mouth, they would very quickly vanish, and a person would no longer be defiled. The spring and beginning of all sin, then, is evil thoughts; for if these do not prevail, there will be neither murders nor adulteries nor anything else of the kind. Therefore one must guard one’s heart with all vigilance; for indeed in the day of judgment, when the Lord comes, he “will bring to light the things hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of hearts,” all the thoughts of human beings meanwhile accusing or excusing them, when their own counsels surround them. Such are evil thoughts that they sometimes make blameworthy even what seem to be good things and, as far as the judgment of the many goes, praiseworthy. If, for instance, we give alms before people, aiming in our thoughts to be seen by people as loving toward humankind and to be glorified for our love of humankind, we have our reward from people; and, in a word, everything done with the doer’s consciousness that it is for being glorified by people has no fruit from him who sees in secret and gives the reward to those who are pure in secret. So, then, the seeming chastity too, if it has thoughts of vainglory or love of gain; and what is thought to be the teaching of the Church, if it becomes servile in flattering speech, or on the pretext of greed, or when someone seeks glory from people for his teaching, is not reckoned among the teaching of those whom “God has appointed in the Church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.” And you will say the same of one who “aspires to the office of bishop” for the sake of glory among people, or the flattery of people, or the gain from those who come to the word and give on the pretext of piety; for such a bishop “does not desire a noble work,” nor can he be “above reproach, sober, self-controlled,” being drunk with glory and gorging himself on it without restraint. And you will say the same of presbyters and deacons. And though we may seem to some to have said these things by way of digression, consider whether they have not been said of necessity, because evil thoughts are the spring of all sins, able to defile even what, if done without them, would have justified the doer. What defiles, then, we have examined as best we could; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person; rather, if one may make bold to say it, what defiles is eating with an unwashed heart anything whatever that our ruling faculty is by nature fitted to eat. [Heading of the next chapter:] On the Canaanite woman. ### Scripture references - Matt 15:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:20: quotation, high confidence - Prov 4:23: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 4:5: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:15: allusion, high confidence - Hos 7:2: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 6:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 6:4: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:18–20; Prov 4:23; 1 Cor 4:5; Rom 2:15; Hos 7:2 LXX; Matt 6:1–4; 1 Cor 12:28; 1 Tim 3:1–2. A passage of debris in the scan OCR (a garbled Latin and Greek editor’s note quoting another writer on the symbols of the flesh and blood in John’s Gospel) interrupted the word “comes” and has been removed. The last words are the editor’s heading of the next chapter. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.15 (PG 13:952b–956b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-16 - Source: PG 13:956b–957d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus withdraws to the districts of Tyre (“constraint”) and Sidon (“hunters”), standing for the Gentiles, and the Canaanite woman (“prepared for humiliation”) comes out of those regions by faith, as the sinner who turns to virtue leaves the regions of evil. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐκεῖθεν ό Ἰησοῦς, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ μέρη Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ Χαναναία. ι Πόθεν, ι ἐκεῖθεν; ι ἦ ἀπὸ γῆς Γενησαρέτ, περὶ ἧς προείρητο ι Καὶ διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον είς τὴν γῆν Γενησαρέτ; ι Ἀνεχώρησε δὲ, τάχα διὰ τὺ σκανδαλίζεσθαι τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἀκούσαντας, ὅτι οὐ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον κοινοῖ τὸν ἆνθρωπον. Ὅτι δὲ διὰ τοὺς ὑπονοουμένους ἐπιβουλεύειν εἷπε τό· ι ἀνεχώρησε, ι δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ ο ι ’Δκούσας δὲ, ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη, ἀνεχώρησεν είς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. ι Τάχα διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ό Μάρκος ἀναγράφων τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον φησὶν, ὅτι, ι Ἀναστὰς ἦλθεν είς τά ὅρια Τύρου, καὶ εἰσελθὼν είς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐδένα ἐθέλησε γνῶναι. ι Εἰκὸς, ὅτι τοὺς σκανδαλισθέντας ἐπὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ αὐτοῦ Φαρισαίους περιίστατο, περιμένων τὸν ἐπιτηδειότερον εἰς τὸ παθεῖν καὶ καλῶς ὡρισμένον καιρόν. Εἴποι δʼ ἄν τις, ὅτι Τύρος, καὶ Σιδὼν ἀντὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν λέλεκται. Ἀναχωρήσας οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, είς τά μέρη τῶν ἐθνῶν παραγίνεται. Τύρος μὲν οὖν παρʼ Ἑβραίοις ὀνομαζομένη μεταλαμβάνεται Σὸρ, ἥτις ἑρμηνεύεται συνοχὴν Σιδὼν δὲ οὕτως καὶ παρʼ Ἑβραίοις ὀνομαζομένη μεταλαμβάνεται εἰς τὸ, θηρῶντες. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ οἱ θηρῶντές εἰσιν αἱ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις, καὶ πολλὴ συνοχὴ παρʼ αὐτοῖς, ἡ ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ καὶ τοῖς πάθεσιν. Έξελθὼν οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς Γενησαρέτ ό Ἰησοῦς, ἀνεχώρησε μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἦλθε δὲ οὐκ είς Τύρον καὶ Σιδῶνα, ἀλλʼ είς τά μέρη Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος, τῷ ὲκ μέρους νῦν πιστεύειν τοὺς άπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ὠς εί είς πᾶσαν Τύρον, καὶ Σιδῶνα ἐπεδήμησεν, οὐδεὶς ἄπιστος ἐν αύτῇ κατελείφθη. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Μάρκον· ι Ἀναστάς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν είς τὰ ὅρια Τύρου, ι τῆς συνοχῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἵνα καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων ἐκείνων oi πιστεύοντες σωθῆναι δυνηθῶσιν, ἐπάν ὲξέλθωσιν αὑτάʼ πρόσχες γὰρ τῷο ι Καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ Χαναναία ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων ἐκείνων ἐξελθοῦσα ἐκραξε λέγουσα · Ἐλέησόν με, υίέ Δαυὶδ, ἡ θυγάτηρ μου δεινῶς δαιμονίζεται. ι Καὶ οἶμαι, ὅτι ούκ ἂν μὴ ἐξελθοῦσα ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων ἐκείνων κράζειν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν ἐδύνατο ἀπὸ μεγάλης, ῶς ἐμαρτυρήθη, πίστεως · καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν γε τῆς πίστεως ἐξέρχεταί τις ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁρίων, ἃ, ὅτε διεμέριζεν ἔθνη ὁ Ὕψιστος, ἔστησε κατὰ ἀριθμὸν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καί τὴν ἐπὶ πλεῖον φοράν αὐτῶν ἐκώλυσεν. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οῦν ὅρια εἴρηταί τινα Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος · ὲν δὲ τῇ Ἐξόδῳ ὅρια τοῦ Φαραὼ, ἐν οἷς, φασὶ, γίνονται αἱ κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων μάστιγες. Καὶ νομιστέον γε ἕκαστον ἡμῶν, ἁμαρτάνοντα μὲν, ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις εἶναι Τύρου, ἢ Σιδῶνος, ἢ Φαραὼ καὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἡ τινος τῶν ἔξω τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κληροδοσίας· μεταβάλλοντα δὲ άπὸ τῆς κακίας είς ἀρετὴν, ἐξέρχεσθαι μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τά φαῦλα ὁρίων, φθάνειν δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια τῆς μερίδος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν τούτοις οῦσης διαφορᾶς, ἥτις φανεῖται τοῖς τά τοῦ μερισμοῦ καὶ τῆς κληροδοσίας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ δυναμένοις άνάλογον τῷ πνευματικῷ συνιστάναι νόμῳ. Πρόσχες δὲ καὶ τῇ οἱονεὶ ἀπαντήσει γενομένῃ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς τὴν Χαναναίαν γυναῖκα · ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔρχεται ὡς ἐπὶ τά μέρη Τύρου καί Σιδῶνος, ἡ δὲ ἐξελθοῦσα τῶν ὁρίων ἐκείνων κέκραγε λέγουσα · ι Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, υίὲ Δαυίδ. r Χαναναία δὲ ἦν ἡ γυνὴ, ὅπερ μεταλαμβάνεται εἰς τὸ, ἡτοιμασμένη ταπεινώσει. Οἱ μὲν δίκαιοι ἡτοιμασμένοι εἰσὶν ἐν βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τῇ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑψώσει ’ οἱ δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἡτοιμασμένοι ταπεινώσει τῆς ὲν αὐτοῖς κακίας, καὶ τῶν κατʼ αὐτὴν πράξεων, ἑτοιμαζόντων αὐτοὺς αὐτῇ, καὶ τῆς βασιλευούσης ἐν τῷ θνητῷ αὐτῶν σώματι ἁμαρτίας. Πλὴν ἡ Χαναναία ἐξελθοῦσα ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων ἐκείνων, ἐξῄει ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡτοιμάσθαι τῇ ταπεινώσει, κεκραγυῖα καὶ λέγουσαο t Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, υἱὲ Δαυίδ. › ### English translation (Claude) “And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon; and behold, a Canaanite woman.” From where, “from there”? Was it from the land of Gennesaret, of which it was said before, “And having crossed over they came to the land of Gennesaret”? And he withdrew perhaps because the Pharisees were offended when they heard that it is not what goes in but what comes out that defiles a person. That he used “withdrew” because of those suspected of plotting against him is clear from “Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.” Perhaps for this reason Mark too, recording what concerns this passage, says: “Rising, he went to the region of Tyre, and entering a house he wished no one to know.” It is likely that he was keeping out of the way of the Pharisees who had been offended at his teaching, awaiting the time more suitable for suffering and rightly appointed. But someone might say that Tyre and Sidon stand for the Gentiles. Withdrawing, then, from Israel, he comes to the districts of the Gentiles. Now Tyre, as it is named among the Hebrews, is rendered Sor, which is interpreted “constraint”; and Sidon, named so among the Hebrews as well, is rendered “hunters.” And among the Gentiles there are both the hunters, the wicked powers, and much constraint among them, the constraint in wickedness and the passions. Going out, then, from Gennesaret, Jesus withdrew from Israel, and came not into Tyre and Sidon, but into the districts of Tyre and Sidon, because those of the Gentiles now believe in part; for if he had visited the whole of Tyre and Sidon, no unbeliever would have been left in it. According to Mark, “Rising, Jesus went to the region of Tyre,” the constraint of the Gentiles, so that those who believe may be saved from those regions too, when they go out of them. For notice: “And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those regions and cried out, saying, Have mercy on me, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” And I think that had she not gone out from those regions she could not have cried out to Jesus from great faith, as was testified of her; and according to the proportion of faith one goes out from the regions among the Gentiles which, “when the Most High divided the nations, he fixed according to the number of the sons of Israel,” checking their further advance. Here, then, certain regions of Tyre and Sidon are spoken of; and in Exodus the regions of Pharaoh, in which, they say, the plagues against the Egyptians take place. And we must think that each of us, when he sins, is in the regions of Tyre or Sidon, or of Pharaoh and Egypt, or of one of those outside God’s allotted inheritance; but when he changes from wickedness to virtue, he goes out from the regions of evil things and reaches the regions of the portion of God, and there is a difference among these too, which will be apparent to those who can relate the matters of the division and allotment of Israel to the spiritual law. Notice also the meeting, as it were, that took place between Jesus and the Canaanite woman: he comes as to the districts of Tyre and Sidon, and she, going out of those regions, cried out, saying: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.” The woman was a Canaanite, which is interpreted “prepared for humiliation.” The righteous are prepared in the kingdom of heaven and for the exaltation in the kingdom of God; but sinners are prepared for humiliation by the wickedness in them and by the deeds that accord with it, which prepare them for it, and by the sin that reigns in their mortal body. But the Canaanite woman, going out from those regions, went out from being prepared for humiliation, crying out and saying: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.” ### Scripture references - Matt 15:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:34: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:12: quotation, high confidence - Mark 7:24: quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:8: quotation, high confidence - Rom 12:6: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 8:2: allusion, low confidence - Rom 6:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:28: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:21–22; Matt 14:34; Matt 4:12; Mark 7:24; Deut 32:8 LXX; Rom 12:6; Exod 8:2 (the borders of Pharaoh, allusion uncertain); Rom 6:12. The interpretations of Tyre, Sidon, and Canaan are the traditional onomastic ones. A line of debris in the scan OCR before “Notice also” has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.16 (PG 13:956b–957d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-17 - Source: PG 13:960a–965a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The different petitioners and titles for Jesus signify different kinds of souls; the Canaanite woman, at first answered as a little dog, wins the children’s bread by great faith, and Origen rejects the transmigration of souls into animals while allowing that a soul may sink or rise in rationality. ### Greek text Συνάγαγε δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Εὑαγγελίων, τίνες μὲν αὐτὸν καλοῦσιν υίὺν Δαυὶδ, ὡς αὐτὴ, καὶ οἱ ὲν Ἱεριχοῖ τυφλοί · τίνες δὲ υίὸν Θεοῦ, καὶ ἢτοι χωρὶς τῆς, ἀληθῶς, προσθήκης, ᾡς οἱ δαιμονιζόμενοι λέγοντες· ι Τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοὶ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι τίνες δὲ μετὰ τῆς, ἀληθῶς, προσθήκης, ὡς oi ὲν τῷ πλοίῳ προσκυνοῦντες ο ι ’Δληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εί · › λέγοντες αύτῷ. Καὶ γάρ χρήσιμος, οἶμαι, ἔσται σοι ἡ τούτων συναγωγὴ πρὸς τὸ ίδεϊν τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν προσιόντων· τινὲς μὲν οἱονεὶ τῷ γενομένῳ ὲκ σπέρματος Δαυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα προσίασι · τινὲς δὲ ι τῷ όρισθὲντι Υίῷ Θεοῦ ὲν δυνάμει, κατά πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης, ι καὶ τούτων τινὲς μὲν μετὰ τοῦ, άληθῶς· τινὲς δὲ χωρὶς τούτου. Εἶτα πρόσχες, ὅτι ἡ Χαναναία μὲν οὐ περὶ υίοῦ, ὃν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν γεγεννηκέναι φαίνεται, ἀλλά περὶ θυγατρὸς παρεκάλει, δεινῶς δαιμονιζομένης· ἄλλη δὲ μήτηρ υίὸν ἐκκομιζόμενον νεκρὸν ἁπολαμβάνει ζῶντα· καὶ πάλιν ό μὲν ἀρχισυνάγωγος περὶ δωδεκαέτους θυγατρὸς ἀξιοῖ, ὡς ἀποτεθνηκυίας· ό δὲ βασιλικὸς περὶ υἱοῦ, ὡς ἔτι νοσοῦντος καὶ ἁποθνήσκειν μέλλοντος. Δαιμονῶσα τοίνυν θυγάτηρ, καὶ υἱὸς νεκρὸς, δύο ἦσαν μητέρων · καὶ τεθνηκυὶα θυγάτηρ, καὶ υίὸς πρὸς θάνατον ἀσθενῶν, τῶν δύο πατέρων, ὧν ό μὲν ἀρχισυνάγωγος, ὁ δὲ βασιλικὸς ἦν. Ἔχειν δὲ ταῦτα πείθομαι λόγους περὶ γενῶν ἐν ψυχαῖς διαφόρων, ἅστινας ό Ἰησοῦς ζωοποιῶν ἰᾶται. Καὶ πάντα δὲ ὃσα θεραπεύει ὲν τῷ λαῷ, μάλιστα ὑπὸ τῶν εύαγγελιστῶν ἀναγεγραμμένα, γέγονε μὲν τότε, ἵνα oi μὴ ἄλλως πιστεύοντες, ἐὰν μὴ ίδωσι σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα, πιστεύσωσι · σύμβολα γὰρ ἦν τά ποτε, τῶν ἀεὶ ὑπὸ τῆς δυνάμεως Ἰησοῦ ἐπιτελουμένων. Ούκ ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε ἕκαστον τῶν γεγραμμένων ὑπὸ τῆς δυνάμεως Ἰησοῦ κατά τὴν ἑκάστου ἀξίαν οὗ γίνεται. Γένους μὲν οῦν χάριν ἡ Χαναναία οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξία ἦν τῆς ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ τυχεῖν,όμολογοῦντος οὐκ ἐπʼ ἄλλο τι ι ἀπεστάλθαι ι παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἢ πρὸς τά πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ, ι γένος ψυχῶν διορατικῶν ἀπολωλόςʼ προαιρέσεως δὲ ἕνεκα καὶ τοῦ προσκεκυνηκέναι Ἰησοῦ Υίῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποκρίσεως τυγχάνει, ἐλεγχούσης αὐτῆς τὴν δυσγένειαν, καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν αὐτῆς παριστάσης, ὅτι ψιχίων, ὡς κυνίδιον, καὶ οὐκ άρτων ἦν ἀξία. Ὠς δὲ ἐπιτείνασα τὴν προαίρεσιν, καὶ παραδεξαμένη τὸν Ἰησοῦ λόγον. ἐπιδικάζεται κᾶν ὡς κυνίδιον τυχεῖν ψιχίων, καὶ ὁμολογεῖ κυρίους τοὺς εὐγενεστέρους, τότε τυγχάνει ἀποκρίσεως δευτέρας μαρτυρούσης αὐτῆς τῇ πίστει. ὡς μεγάλῃ, καὶ ὲπαγγελλομένης ἔσεσθαι αὐτῇ ὃ βούλεται. ’Λνάλογον δʼ οἶμαι ι τῇ άνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα μητρὶ Παύλου, ι καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων αύτῷ δεήσει νοῆσαι τὴν Χαναναίαν, μητέρα τῆς δεινῶς δαιμονιζομένης, σύμβολον τυγχάνουσαν μητρὸς τοιᾶσδε ψυχῆς. Καὶ ἐπίστησον εί μὴ εὔλογόν ἐστιν εἶναι καὶ πολλοὺς πατέρας, καὶ πολλάς μητέρας. ἀνάλογον τοῖς πατράσιν Ἀβραάμ, πρὸς οὓς ἀπῄει ὁ πατριάρχης, καὶ τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ μητρὶ ὡς Παῢλός φησι περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτῷ. Εἰκὸς δὲ ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ταύτην, ἦς σύμβολον ὴ Χαναναία, ἀπὸ τῶν όρίων Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος, ὧν τύποι ἦσαν οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς τόποι, προσεληλυθυῖαν τῷ Σωτῆρι ἠξιωκέναι αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔτι νῦν ἀξιοῦν λέγουσαν· ι Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, υἱὲ Δαυὶδ, ἠ θυγάτηρ μου δεινῶς δαιμονίζεται. ι Εἶτα καὶ τοῖς ἔξωθεν, καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ὅτε δεῖ, ἀποκρινόμενος εἷπε τόʼ ι Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην, ι διδάσκων, ὅτι εἰσί τινες προηγούμεναι ψυχαὶ νοεραὶ, καὶ διορατικαὶ ἀπολωλυῖαι, τροπικῶς λεγόμεναι ι πρόβατα οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ, ι ἅπερ, οἴμαι, οἱ ἁπλούστεροι, ἐπὶ τοῦ κατά σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ νομίζοντες λελέχθαι, ἀναγκαίως προσήσονται, ὅτι ό Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἀπεστάλη ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρδς, οὐχὶ πρὸς ἀλλους ἢ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκείνους ἀπολωλότας. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ εὐχόμενοι ἐξ ἀληθείας λέγειν, ι εί καὶ Χριστόν ποτε κατά σάρκα ἐγνώκαμεν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκοντες, ι ῐσμεν τοῦ Λόγου προηγούμενον εἶναι ἔργον σώζειν τοὺς συνετωτέρουςʼ οἰκειότεροι γάρ οὗτοι παρά τοὺς ἀμβλυτέρους αὐτῷ τυγχάνουσιν. Ἀλλά ἐπεὶ ι τὰ ἀπολωλότα πρόβατα οίκου Ἰσραὴλ, ι παρά τὸ κατʼ ὲκλογὴν χάριτος λεῖμμα, ἠπείθησαν τῷ Λόγῳ, διὰ τοῦτο ι ἐξελέξατο τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, ι τὸν μὴ Ἰσραὴλ μηδὲ διορατικόν, ι ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλο ι καὶ ἐκάλεσε ι τά μὴ ὄντα, ι συνετὸν ἔθνος παραδοὺς αὐτοῖς, οἳ ἠδύναντο χωρῆσαι ι τὴν μωρίαν τοῦ κηρύγματος, ι καὶ εὐδοκήσας σῶσαι τοὺς εἰς τοῦτο πιστεύοντας, ἵνα διελέγξῃ ι τά ὄντα, εκ τοῦ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων καταρτισάμενος αὺτῷ αἶνον, ι ἐπεὶ γέγονεν ὲχθρά τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Ἑλθοῦσα δὲ ἠ Χαναναία, προσεκύνει ὡς Θεῷ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγουσα· ι Κύριε, βοηθησόν μοι. '0 δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Οὐκ ἔξεστι λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις. ι Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις τὺ βούλημα καὶ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως, ἐπεὶ μέτρου μὲν, παρόντος ἀρτων, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι καὶ τὰ τέκνα ἐσθίειν ἄρτους, καὶ κυνίδια τῆς οἰκίας, ἦ καὶ ἄλλους, ἀρτων εὖ εἰργασμένων, οὐχ οἷόν τε κατά τὸ εὔλογον κυνιδίοις δίδοσθαι τροφὴν τὸν καλῶς εἰργασμένον τῶν τέκνων ἄρτον. Οὐδὲν δὲ τοιοῦτον φαίνεται ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰησοῦ δυνάμεως, ἀφʼ ἦς δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ τά τέκνα μεταλαμβάνειν, καὶ τά λεγόμενα κυνίδια. Ὅρα οὖν μήπως πρὸς τόʼ ι Οὐκ ἔξεστι λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, ι λεκτέον, ὅτι ι ό κενώσας ἑαυτὸν τῷ μορφὴν δούλου ἀνειληφέναι, ι μέτρον δυνάμεως, καθʼ ὃ ἐχώρει τὰ ὲν κόσμῳ πράγματα, ἐκόμισεν · ἀφʼ ἦς δυνάμεως καὶ ᾐσθάνετό τινα ἐξέρχεσθαι ποσότητα ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ὡς δῆλον ὲκ τοῦ Ἥψατό μού τις, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ. ι Ἀπὸ τούτου οὖν τοῦ μέτρου τῆς δυνάμεως ὲταμιεύετο, τοῖς μὲν προηγουμένοις πλείονα ἐπιδιδοὺς καὶ καλουμένοις υἱοῖς, τοῖς δὲ μὴ τοιούτοις ἐλάττονα, ὡς τοῖς κυνιδίοις. Ἀλλʼ εί καὶ ταῦτα οὕτως ἐγίνετο, οὐδὲν ἦττον ὅπου μεγάλη πίστις, ἔδωκε τδν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, ὼς τέκνῳ, τῇ διὰ τὴν ὲν Χαναναία δυσγένειαν κυνιδίῳ τυγχανούσῃ. Τάχα δὲ καὶ τῶν λόγων Ἰησοῦ εἰσί τινες ἄρτοι, οὓς τοῖς λογικωτέροις ὡς τέκνοις ἔξεστι διδόναι μόνοις· καὶ ἄλλοι λόγοι, οἱονεὶ ψιχία ἀπὸ τῆς μεγάλης ἑστίας, καὶ τραπέζης τῶν εὐγενεστέρων καὶ κυρίων, οἷς χρήσαιντʼ ἄν τινες ψυχαὶ ὡς κύνες. Καὶ κατά τὸν Μωῦσέως νόμον περί τινων γέγραπται τῷ κυνὶ ἀπορρίψω αὐτὰ, καὶ ὲμέλησε τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἐντείλασθαι περί τινων βρωμάτων, ἵνα κυσὶ ’παραληφθῇ. ’Δλλοι μὲν οὖν ὕπολαμβανέτωσαν ξένοι τοῦ ὲκκλησιαστικοῦ λόγου μεταβαίνειν τάς ψυχὰς ἀπὺ σωμάτων ἀνθρώπων σώματα κύνεια κατά τὴν διάφορον κακίαν· ἡμεῖς δὲ, μηδαμῶς τοῦτο εὑρίσκοντες ὲν τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, φαμέν, ὅτι κατάστασις λογικωτέρα μεταβάλλει είς ἀλογωτέραν, ὲκ πολλῆς ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ ἀμελείας τὸ τοιοῦτον πάσχουσα· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἀλογωτέρα προαίρεσις παρά τὸ τοῦ λόγου ἠμεληκέναι, ἐπιστρέφει ποτὲ εἰς τὸ λογικὴ εἶναι, ὡς τό ποτε κυνίδιον, ἀγαπῶν ἐσθίειν ἀπὺ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὐτοῦ, ἥκειν είς κατάστασιν τέκνου, Μέγα γὰρ συμβάλλεται ἀρετὴ μὲν πρὸς τδ ποιῆσαι τέκνον Θεοῦ, κακία δὲ καλ τὸ λυσσῶδες ὲν λόγοις ὑβριστικοῖς, καὶ τὺ ἀναιδὲς πρὸς τὸ σαί τινα χρηματίσαι, κατά τὸν τῆς Γραφῆς λόγον, κύνα. Τὸ δὲ ὅμοιον νοήσεις καὶ ἐπὶ ἄλλων ὀνομάτων, τῶν κατὰ τὰ ἄλογα ζῶα. Πλὴν ὁ ἐλεγχθεὶς ὡς κύων, και μὴ ἀγανακτήσας ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνάξιος εἶναι λέγεσθαι ἄρτου τέκνων, καὶ μετά πάσης ἀνεξικακίας είπὼν τὸν τῆς Χαναναίας ἐκείνης λόγον, τὸν φήσαντα· ι Ναὶ, Κύριε, καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὺ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν, ι τεύξεται τῆς προσηνεστάτης ἀποκρίσεως Ἰησοῦ λέγοντος αὑτῷ · ι Μεγάλη σου ὴ πίστις, t ὲπάν τηλικαύτην ἀναλάβῃ πίστιν, καὶ λέγοντος· ι Γενέσθω σοι ὦς θέλεις, ι ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἰαθῇ, καὶ εἴ τινα καρπὸν ἐγέννησε δεόμενον ἰάσεως, καὶ οὗτος θεραπευθῇ. Περὶ τῶν θεραπευθέντων ὄχλων. ### English translation (Claude) Gather from the Gospels who call him Son of David, as she does, and the blind men in Jericho; and who call him Son of God, either without the addition “truly,” like the demoniacs who say, “What have we to do with you, Son of God?”, or with the addition “truly,” like those in the boat who worshipped him, saying to him, “Truly you are the Son of God.” For the collection of these will be useful to you, I think, for seeing the difference among those who come to him: some come as it were to him who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, others to him who was “declared Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness,” and of these some with the “truly,” others without it. Then notice that the Canaanite woman made her request not about a son, whom she does not seem to have borne at all, but about a daughter severely possessed; another mother receives back alive her son who was being carried out dead; and again the ruler of the synagogue asks for a twelve-year-old daughter, as having died, and the royal official for a son, as still sick and about to die. A possessed daughter and a dead son, then, belonged to two mothers; and a dead daughter and a son sick to the point of death to two fathers, of whom one was ruler of the synagogue and the other a royal official. I am persuaded that these things contain meanings about different kinds among souls, which Jesus heals by giving them life. And all the healings that he performs among the people, especially those recorded by the evangelists, took place at that time so that those who would not otherwise believe unless they saw signs and wonders might believe; for the things done then were symbols of what is always being accomplished by the power of Jesus. For there is no time when each of the things written is not taking place by the power of Jesus, according to the worth of each. Because of her race, then, the Canaanite woman was not worthy even to receive an answer from Jesus, who acknowledged that he had been “sent” by the Father for nothing else than “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” a lost race of discerning souls; but because of her resolve and because she worshipped Jesus as the Son of God she receives an answer, which exposes her low birth and shows her worth: that she was worthy of crumbs, as a little dog, and not of loaves. But when she intensified her resolve and, accepting Jesus’ word, claims to receive crumbs even as a little dog, and acknowledges the nobler as masters, then she receives a second answer, bearing witness to her faith as great and promising that what she wishes will be hers. And I think we will need to understand the Canaanite woman, mother of the severely possessed daughter, by analogy with “the Jerusalem above, the free,” the mother of Paul and those like him, as the symbol of the mother of such a soul. And consider whether it is not reasonable that there are many fathers and many mothers, like the fathers of Abraham, to whom the patriarch went away, and Jerusalem the mother, as Paul says of himself and those like him. And it is likely that she of whom the Canaanite woman is a symbol, having gone out from the regions of Tyre and Sidon, of which the places on earth were types, came to the Saviour and asked him, and still now asks him, saying: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” Then, answering both those outside and the disciples when necessary, he said, “I was not sent …,” teaching that there are certain preeminent souls, intellectual and discerning, that are lost, figuratively called “sheep of the house of Israel.” The simpler, I think, thinking that this is said of Israel according to the flesh, will necessarily admit that our Saviour was sent by the Father to none other than those lost Jews. But we who pray to say in truth, “Even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, we know him so no longer,” know that it is the principal work of the Word to save the more intelligent; for these are more akin to him than the duller. But since “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” apart from “the remnant chosen by grace,” disobeyed the Word, for this reason “he chose the foolish things of the world,” that which was not Israel nor discerning, “to shame the wise” of Israel; and he called “the things that are not,” handing over to them an understanding nation, who could receive “the foolishness of the preaching,” and was pleased to save those who believe in it, so that he might confound “the things that are,” having “prepared praise for himself out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes,” since it had become hostile to the truth. And the Canaanite woman came and worshipped Jesus as God, saying: “Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” One might ask the intent of this saying too. For where the measure of loaves is such that both the children and the little dogs of the house, or others besides, cannot eat loaves, it is not reasonable, when the loaves are well made, for the children’s well-made bread to be given as food to little dogs. But nothing of the kind appears in the case of Jesus’ power, from which both the children and the so-called little dogs could partake. Consider, then, whether in answer to “It is not right to take the children’s bread” we should say that he “who emptied himself” by taking on “the form of a servant” brought a measure of power, as much as the things in the world could contain; from which power he also perceived a certain quantity going out from him, as is clear from “Someone touched me; for I perceived that power had gone out from me.” From this measure of power, then, he dispensed, giving more to those who were preeminent and called sons, and less to those who were not such, as to the little dogs. But even if these things were so, none the less, where faith was great, he gave the children’s bread, as to a child, to her who was a little dog because of her low birth as a Canaanite. And perhaps among the words of Jesus too there are some loaves which may be given only to the more rational, as to children, and other words, like crumbs from the great hearth and table of the nobler and the masters, which some souls might use, like dogs. And in the law of Moses it is written of certain things, “you shall throw them to the dog,” and the Holy Spirit took care to give a command about certain foods, that they be handed over to dogs. Let others, then, strangers to the teaching of the Church, suppose that souls pass from human bodies into dogs’ bodies according to their different wickedness; but we, finding this nowhere in the divine Scripture, say that a more rational condition changes into a less rational one, suffering this from great sloth and neglect; and likewise a less rational will, which has neglected reason, sometimes turns back to being rational, so that the one who was once a little dog, glad to eat of the crumbs that fall from its masters’ table, comes to the condition of a child. For virtue contributes greatly to making one a child of God; and wickedness, and rabid fury in insulting words, and shamelessness, to one’s being called, according to the word of Scripture, a dog. And you will understand the like also of other names taken from irrational animals. But one who is reproved as a dog, and is not indignant at being said to be unworthy of the children’s bread, and says with all forbearance the word of that Canaanite woman who said, “Yes, Lord, for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table,” will obtain the gentlest answer of Jesus, who says to him, “Great is your faith,” when he has taken up such great faith, and says, “Let it be done for you as you wish,” so that he himself may be healed, and, if he has borne any fruit that needs healing, this too may be cured. [Heading of the next chapter:] On the crowds who were healed. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 8:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:33: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:4: quotation, high confidence - Luke 7:12: allusion, high confidence - Luke 8:42: allusion, high confidence - John 4:47: allusion, high confidence - John 4:48: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:22: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:26: quotation, high confidence - Gen 15:15: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 5:16: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:21: quotation, high confidence - Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:16: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 15:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:26: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Luke 8:46: quotation, high confidence - Exod 22:31: quotation, medium confidence - Matt 15:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:28: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:30; Matt 8:29; Matt 14:33; Rom 1:3–4; Luke 7:12–15; Luke 8:41–42; John 4:46–48; Matt 15:23–28; Gal 4:26; Gen 15:15; 2 Cor 5:16; Rom 11:5; 1 Cor 1:21, 27–28; Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX; Matt 21:16); Phil 2:7; Luke 8:46; Exod 22:31. The sense of “handing over to them an understanding nation” is uncertain. Origen’s view that the more intelligent souls are the Word’s principal concern, and his rejection of transmigration, are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.17 (PG 13:960a–965a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-18 - Source: PG 13:965a–969c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The mountain where Jesus sits is the Church; the deaf, blind, lame, and maimed in soul, such as catechumens laid at the feet of Christ’s body, are healed in time, fulfilling Isaiah spiritually. ### Greek text ι Καὶ μεταβὰς ἐκεῖθεν 6 Ἰησοῦς. ι Δῆλον δὲ ἐκ τῶν προειρημένων, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν μερῶν Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος ι ἦλθε παρά τὴν Θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ι ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ συνήθως ὀνομαζομένη Γενησαρέτ τις λίμνη καὶ πάλιν ι ἀνέβη είς τὸ ὅρος, ι ἔνθα ἀναβάς ἐκαθέζετο. Ἔστιν οῦν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι εἰς τὸ ὅρος τοῦτο, ὅπου καθέζεται 6 Ἰησοῦς, οὐχ ὑγιαίνοντες ἀναβαίνουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ μετά τῶν ὑγιαινόντων καὶ ol διάφορα πάθη πεπονθότες. Καὶ τάχα τοῦτο τὸ ὅρος, ἔνθα ἀναβἀς καθέζετο 6 Ἰησοῦς, ἡ κοινοτέρως ἐστὶν ὀνομαζομένη Ἐκκλησία, ἀνεστηκυῖα διὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ παρά τὴν λοιπὴν γῆν, καὶ τοὺς ἀπʼ αὐτῆς· ὅπου προσέρχονται οὐχ oi μαθηταὶ καταλιπόντες τοὺς ὄχλους, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν μακαρισμῶν, ἀλλά πολλοὶ ὄχλοι, οἵτινες αὐτοὶ μὲν ού κατηγοροῦντο ὡς κωφοὶ, ἦ τι πεπονθότες, έχουσι δὲ μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν τοὺς τοιούτους. Kal γάρ ἐστιν ἰδεῖν μετὰ τῶν προσερχομένων δχλων εἰς τοῦτο τὸ ὅρος, ἔνθα 6 υίὸς καθέζεται τοῦ Θεοῦ, τινὰς μὲν κεκωφωμένους πρὸς τά ἐπαγγελλόμενα, ἄλλους δὲ τυφλοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ μὴ βλέποντας τὸ ἀληθινὺν φῶς, καὶ ἄλλους χωλοὺς καὶ μὴ δυναμένους πορεύεσθαι κατά λόγον, καὶ ἄλλους κυλλοὺς καὶ μὴ δυναμένους κατά λόγον ἐργάζεσθαι. Οῦτοι τοίνυν οἱ ταῦτα κατὰ ψυχὴν πεπονθότες, ol μετά τῶν ὄχλων εἰς τὸ ὅρος ἀναβάντες, ἔνθα ἦν 6 Ἰησοῦς, ὅσον μὲν ἔξω τῶν ποδῶν εἰσι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ού θεραπεύονται ὑπʼ αὐτοῦʼ ἐπὰν δὲ, ὡς τοιαῦτα πεπονθότες, ριφῶσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ὄχλων παρά τοὺς πόδας αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὰ τελευταῖα τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐδὲ τούτων ἄξιοι τὸ ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς τυγχάνοντες, τότε ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ θεραπεύονται. Kal ὲπάν ἴδῃς ἐν τῷ τῆς κοινότερον Ἐκκλησίας λεγομένης ἀθροίσματι ἐρριμμένους μετὰ τοὺς τελευταίους αὐτῆς, οἱονεὶ καὶ παρά τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἑκκλησίας, τοὺς κατηχουμένους προσελθόντας μετὰ τῆς ἰδίας κωφότητος, καὶ τυφλότητος, χωλότητος τε, καὶ κυλλότητος, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ θεραπευομένους κατά τὸν Λόγον, οῦκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις τοὺς τοιούτους λέγων, ἀναβάντας μετὰ τῶν ὄχλων τῆς Έκκλησίας εἰς τὸ ὅρος ὅπου ἦν 6 Ἰησοῦς, ὲρῤίφθαι παρά τοὺς πόδας αὑτοῦ, καὶ τεθεραπεῦσθαι αὐτοὺς, ὥστε τὸν ὀχλον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας θαυμάζειν βλέποντας ἀπὸ τηλικούτων κακῶν μεταβολὰς ὲπὶ τὸ βέλτιον γενομένας, ῶστʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν· 0i πρότερον κωφοὶ ὓστερον λαλοῦσι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οἱ χωλοὶ περιπατοῦσι· πληρουμένης καὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἡσαΐου ού μόνον ἐν σωματικοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲν πνευματικοῖς προφητείας λέγοντος ι Τότε ἁλεῖται ὡς ἔλαφος ό χωλὸς, καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλου· κἀκεῖ δὲ, εἰ μὴ ἀποκληρωτικῶς εἴρηται τόο ι Ὡς ἔλαφος ἁλεῖται ὁ χωλὸς, φήσομεν μὴ μάτην ἐλάφῳ καθαρῷ ζώῳ, καὶ πολεμίῳ τῶν ὄφεων, καὶ μηδὲν βλάπτεσθαι ὑπὸ ἰοῦ αὐτῶν δυναμένῳ παραβεβλῆσθαι τοὺς πρότερον χωλοὺς, καὶ διὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀλλομένους ὠς ἔλαφον. Πληροῦται δὲ καὶ κατά τὸ βλέπεσθαι κωφοὺς λαλοῦντας ἡ λέγουσα προφητείαο ι Καὶ τρανὴ ἔσται γλῶσσα μογιλάλων, ι ἢ μᾶλλον ἡ φάσκουσα· Οἱ κωφοὶ ἀκούσατε· ι καὶ oi τυφλοὶ δὲ βλέπουσι κατὰ τὴν λέγουσαν προφητείαν ἑξῆς τό ι Oi κωφοὶ ἀκούσατε, καὶ οἱ τυφλοὶ ἁναβλὲψατε ἰδεῖν. ι 0i τυφλοὶ δὲ βλέπουσιν, ὅτε, βλέποντες τὸν κόσμον, ὲκ μεγέθους τοῦ κάλλους τῶν κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως αὐτοῖς τὸν γενεσιουργδν θεωροῦσι, καὶ ὅτε τὰ ἀόρατα αὑτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορῶσι, τουτέστιν ἐπιμελῶς καὶ σαφῶς ὁρῶσι, καὶ νοοῦσι. Ταῦτα δὲ βλέποντες oi ὄχλοι ι ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ι καὶ δοξάζουσι πειθόμενοι, ὅτι ὁ αὐτὸς Θεὸς Πατῇρ ἐστι τοῦ θεραπεύσαντος τοὺς προειρημένους, καὶ Θεὸς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων μόνον ό Θεός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐθνῶν. Ἀναβιβάζωμεν οὖν μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ ὅρος, ἔνθα καθέζεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν αὑτοῦ, τοὺς βουλομένους ἀναβαίνειν ἐπʼ αὐτὸ μεθʼ ἡμῶν κωφοὺς, τυφλοὺς, χωλοὺς, κυλλοὺς, καὶ ἑτέρους πολλοὺς, καὶ ῥίπτωμεν αὐτοὺς παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ίνα θεραπεύσῃ αὐτοὺς, ὥστε θαυμάσαι ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων θεραπεία τοὺς ὄχλους· οἰ γὰρ μαθηταὶ οὐκ ἀναγεγραμμένοι εἰσὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα θαυμάζειν, καίτοιγε παρόντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τότε, ὼς δῆλον ὲκ τοῦο ‹ '0 δὲ Κύριος, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ, εἶπε Σπλαγχνίζομαι ἐπὶ τὸν όχλον, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τάχα δὲ εί ἐπιμελῶς προσέχοις τῷ· ι Προσῆλθον αὑτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, ι εὕροις ἂν, ὅτι οἱ μαθηταὶ τότε οὑ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ πάλαι ἀρξάμενοι ἀκολουθεῖν, καὶ είς τὸ ὅρος ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Προσῆλθον δὲ αὑτῷ οἱ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐλάττους, καὶ τότε πρῶτον αὐτῷ προσιόντες, οὐ τὰ ὅμοια τοῖς μετʼ αὐτῶν ἀναβεβηκόσι πεπόνθασι. Παρατήρει δὲ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τίνες μὲν ἀναγεγραμμένοι είσὶν ηκολουθηκέναι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, τίνες δὲ προσεληλυθέναι, τίνες δὲ προσῆχθαι, καὶ τίνες διῃρῆσθαι είς προάγοντας καὶ είς ἀκολουθοῦντας, καὶ τῶν προσεληλυθότων τίνες αὐτῷ ὲν τῇ οἰκίᾳ προσῆλθον, καὶ τινες ἀλλαχοῦ τυγχάνοντι. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἂν εὕροις ὲκ τῆς παρατηρήσεως, πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνων, ἄξια τῆς ὲν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἀκριβοῦς σοφίας. ### English translation (Claude) “And Jesus passed on from there.” It is clear from what was said before that it was from the districts of Tyre and Sidon that “he came beside the Sea of Galilee,” which is the lake usually called Gennesaret, and again “went up the mountain,” where, having gone up, he sat. One may say, then, that to this mountain where Jesus sits not only the healthy go up, but with the healthy also those who have suffered various afflictions. And perhaps this mountain, where Jesus went up and sat, is what is more commonly called the Church, raised up by the word of God above the rest of the earth and those who belong to it; where not the disciples, leaving the crowds, come to him, as in the case of the beatitudes, but great crowds, who themselves were not charged with being dumb or having suffered anything, but have such people with them. For one can see, with the crowds that come to this mountain where the Son of God sits, some deaf to what is proclaimed, others blind in soul and not seeing the true light, others lame and unable to walk according to reason, and others maimed and unable to work according to reason. These, then, who have suffered such things in soul, who have gone up with the crowds to the mountain where Jesus was, are not healed by him so long as they are away from the feet of Jesus; but when, as having suffered such things, they are cast by the crowds at his feet, the last parts of the body of Christ, not being worthy even of these as far as lies in themselves, then they are healed by him. And when you see in the assembly of what is more commonly called the Church the catechumens cast down after its last members, as it were at the feet of the body of the Church of Jesus, who have come with their own deafness and blindness, lameness and maimedness, and in time are healed according to the Word, you would not be wrong in saying that such people, having gone up with the crowds of the Church to the mountain where Jesus was, were cast at his feet and were healed, so that the crowd of the Church marvels at seeing changes for the better from such great evils, so as to say: Those formerly dumb now speak the word of God, and the lame walk; the prophecy of Isaiah being fulfilled not only in bodily things but also in spiritual, which says: “Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the stammerer shall be clear.” And there, if “The lame shall leap like a deer” is not said at random, we will say that it is not without purpose that those formerly lame, who leap like a deer because of Jesus, have been compared to the deer, a clean animal, an enemy of serpents, which cannot be harmed by their venom. And when the dumb are seen speaking, the prophecy is fulfilled that says, “And the tongue of the stammerers shall be clear,” or rather the one that says, “You deaf, hear”; and the blind see, according to the prophecy that says next, “You deaf, hear, and you blind, look up to see.” And the blind see when, looking at the world, they contemplate by analogy, from the greatness of the beauty of created things, their maker, and when they perceive the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, being understood through the things made, that is, see them carefully and clearly and understand them. And seeing these things the crowds “glorified the God of Israel,” and glorify him, being persuaded that the same God is Father of him who healed those mentioned and God of Israel; for he is not the God of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles. Let us, then, bring up with us to the mountain where Jesus sits, his Church, those who wish to go up to it with us, the deaf, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others, and let us cast them at the feet of Jesus, so that he may heal them, so that the crowds marvel at their healing; for the disciples are not recorded as marvelling at such things, although they were with Jesus then too, as is clear from: “But the Lord called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion on the crowd,” and so on. And perhaps if you attend carefully to “Great crowds came to him,” you would find that the disciples did not come to him then, but, having begun to follow him long before, followed him to the mountain too. Those less than the disciples came to him, and coming to him then for the first time, had not suffered the same things as those who had gone up with them. Observe in the Gospel who are recorded as having followed Jesus, who as having come to him, who as having been brought to him, who as being divided into those going before and those following, and among those who came to him, who came to him in the house and who came to him elsewhere. For from such observation, “comparing spiritual things with spiritual,” you would find much that is worthy of the exact wisdom in the Gospels. ### Scripture references - Matt 15:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:1: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:9: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 35:6: quotation, high confidence - Isa 42:18: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:20: quotation, high confidence - Rom 3:29: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:13: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 13:5 (Wisdom of Solomon): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:29–32; Matt 5:1; John 1:9; Isa 35:6; Isa 42:18; Wis 13:5; Rom 1:20; Rom 3:29; 1 Cor 2:13. The deer as enemy of serpents is a commonplace of ancient natural history. “Catechumens” are those under instruction before baptism. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.18 (PG 13:965a–969c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-14/#p-11-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 11.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-11-19 - Source: PG 13:969c–973c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen compares the feeding of the four thousand with that of the five thousand detail by detail and judges those fed with the seven loaves a higher rank; he notes whom Jesus “sends away” and whom he does not. ### Greek text Περὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀρτων. ι '0 δὲ Ἰησοῦς, προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὑτοῦ, εἶπεν. › ’Δνωτέρω μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁμοίας ταύτης περὶ τῶν ἄρτων ἱστορίας, πρὸ τῶν ἄρτων, ιὲξελθὼν ό Ἰησοῦς εἶδε πολὺν ὄχλον, καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη ἐπʼ αὑτὸν, καὶ ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντεςʼ‹ Ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος, καὶ ἡ ὥρα παρῆλθεν ἤδη ἀπόλυσον αὖτοὺς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· νῦν δὲ μετὰ τὴν θεραπείαν τῶν κωφῶν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν σπλαγχνίζεται ἐπὶ τὸν ὄχλον τρεῖς ἤδη ἡμέρας προσμένοντα αὐτῷ, καὶ μὴ ἔχοντα φαγεῖν* καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν οἱ μαθηταὶ περὶ τῶν πεντακισχιλίων ἀξιοῦσιν ἐνθάδε δὲ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ περὶ τῶν τετρακισχιλίων λέγει· κάκεῖνοι μὲν ὀψίας τρέφονται, ἡμέραν αὐτῷ συνδιατρίψαντες· οὗτοι δὲ, μαρτυρηθέντες, ὅτι αὐτῷ τρεῖς ἡμέρας προσέμειναν, μεταλαμβάνουσι τῶν ἄρτων, ἱνα μη ἐκλυθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ· κάκεῖ μὲν πέντε ἄρτους καὶ δύο ίχθύας φασὶν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔχειν μόνους οὐ πυθομένῳ· ἐνθάδε δὲ πυθομένῳ ἀποκρίνονται περὶ ἑπτὰ ἄρτων καὶ ὀλίγων ἰχθυδίων· κάκεῖ μὲν κελεύει τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνακλιθῆναι,ἥ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου· καὶ γὰρ 6 Λουκᾶς, ι Κατακλίνατε αὐτοὺς, ι ἀνέγραψε· καὶ 6 Μάρκος, ι Ἑπέταξε, ι φησὶν, ι αὐτοῖς πάντας ἀνακλῖναι· » ἐνθάδε δὲ ού κελεύει, ἀλλά παραγγέλλει τῷ ὄχλῳ ἀνακλιθῆναι· πάλιν ἐκεῖ μὲν αὐταῖς λέξεσιν οί τρεῖς εὐαγγελισταί φασιν, ὅτι, ι Λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἀρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ίχθύας, ἀναβλέψας είς τὸν οὐρανὸν ηύλόγησεν· ἐνθάδε δὲ, ὡς 6 Ματθαῖος καὶ Μάρκος ἀνέγραψαν, ι Εὐχαριστήσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἔκλασε· ι κάκεῖ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου ἀνακλίνονται· ἐνθάδε δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἀναπίπτουσι. Ζητήσεις δὲ ἐν τοῖς κατά τοὺς τόπους τὸ τοῦ Ἰωάννου παρηλλαγμένον, ὂς ἐπʼ ἐκείνης μὲν τῆς πράξεως ἀνέγραψεν, ὅτι εἶπεν 6 Ἰησοῦς* «Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν, ι καὶ ὅτι εὐχαριστήσας ἔδωκε τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρτωνο ταύτης δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμνημὸνευσε. Προσέχων οὖν τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν, κατά τοὺς τόπους, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄρτοις γεγραμμένων, τούτους νομίζω τάγματος εἶναι διαφέροντος παρʼ ἐκείνους· διόπερ οὗτοι μὲν ὲν ὄρει τρέφονται, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ἐν ἐρήμῳ τόπῳ· καὶ οὗτοι μὲν τρεῖς παραμείναντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἡμέρας, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μίαν, ἧς ὲν τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ ἐτράφησαν. Ἔτι δὲ εί μὴ ταυτόν ἐστι τὸ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, τῷ ἀπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀκούσαντα πρᾶξαι, ὅρα εί μὴ διαφέρουσιν οί εὐεργετηθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, αὐτόθεν ἐπὶ τῷ εὐεργετῆσαι θρέψαντος αύτούς. Et δὲ κατὰ Ἰωάννην κρίθινοι ἦσαν οἱ ἄρτοι. ἀφʼ ὧν ἐπερίσσευσαν οἱ δώδεκα κόφινοι, οὐδὲν δὲ τοιοῦτον περὶ τούτων λέγεται, πῶς οὐ βελτίους οὗτοι παρά τοὺς προτέρους; Κάκείνων μὲν τοὺς ἀρρώστους ἐθεράπευσεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὺς μετά τῶν ὀχλων ούκ ἀρρώστους θεραπεύει, ἀλλά τυφλοὺς, καὶ χωλοὺς, καὶ κωφοὺς, καὶ κυλλούς διὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις μὲν θαυμάζουσιν οἱ τετρακισχίλιοιο ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀρρώστοις οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον λέλεκται. Κρείττους δέ εἰσιν, οἶμαι, οἱ φαγόντες ἀπὺ τῶν ἑπτὰ εὑχαριστηθέντων ἀρτων, τῶν φαγόντων ἀπὸ πέντε εὐλογηθέντωνο καὶ οἱ φαγόντες ἀπὸ τῶν ὀλίγων ἰχθυδίων παρὰ τοὺς φαγόντας ἀπὸ τῶν fl" τάχα δὲ καὶ οί ἀναπεσόντες ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἀπὸ ὀλιγωτέρων ἀρτων δώδεκα κοφίνους καταλείπουσιν· οὗτοι δὲ ἀπὸ πλειόνων ἑπτὰ σπυρίδας, τῷ χωρητικὼτεροι εἶναι μειζόνων· καὶ τάχα οὗτοι μὲν ἐπιβαίνουσι πάντων τῶν γηΐνων, καὶ ἀναπίπτουσιν ὲπ αὐτῶν· οἱ δʼ ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου, ἐπὶ μόνης τῆς σαρκος αὐτῶν· ι Πᾶσα ι γὰρ ι σὰρξ χόρτος. ι Πρόσχες καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα, ὃτι τούτους ἀπολῦσαι 6 Ἰησοῦς νήστεις ού θέλει, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλυθῶσιν, ὡς κενοὶ τῶν ἀρτων Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἔτι ὲν τῇ τυγχάνοντες. τῇ ἐπὶ τὰ οίκεῖα, βλαβῶσι. Σημείωσαι δὲ εἴ που ἀναγέγραπται 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀπολελυκέναι, ἵνʼ ἴδῃς διαφορὰν τῶν μετᾶ τὸ τραφῆναι ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀπολυθέντων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλως ἀπολυθέντων. Παράδειγμα δὲ άλλως ἀπολυθέντος τό· ι Γύναι, ἀπολέλυσαι τῆς ἀσθενείας σου. ι Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις οἰ μὲν ἀεὶ συνόντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ οὐκ ἀπολύονται ἀπʼ αὐτοῦʼ οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι φαγόντες ἀπολύονται. Καθά πάλιν οἱ μαθηταὶ μηδὲν μέγα φρονοῦντες περὶ τῆς Χαναναίας φασιν· ι Ἀπόλυσον αὑτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν· ι ό δὲ Σωτὴρ ούδαμὼς αὐτὴν ἀπολύων φαίνεται· εἰπὼν γὰρ αὐτῇ· ι Ὦ γύναι, μεγάλη σου ἡ πίστις· γενηθήτω σοι ὼς Θέλεις, ι ἰάσατο μὲν τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνηςʼ οὐ μέντοι γέγραπται, ὅτι ἀπέλυσεν αὐτήν. Τοσαῦτα καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐγκείμενον ῥητὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἐξετάσαι, καὶ ἰδεῖν δεδυνήμεθα. Περὶ τῶν σημεῖον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς. ### English translation (Claude) [Heading:] On the seven loaves. “And Jesus called his disciples to him and said.” Above, in the similar narrative about the loaves, before the loaves, “Jesus went out and saw a great crowd, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. And when it was evening the disciples came to him, saying, The place is desert, and the hour is already past; send them away,” and so on; but now, after the healing of the deaf and the rest, he has compassion on the crowd that has already remained with him three days and has nothing to eat. And there the disciples make the request about the five thousand; but here he speaks of his own accord about the four thousand. And those are fed in the evening, after spending a day with him; but these, who are attested to have remained with him three days, partake of the loaves lest they faint on the way. And there the disciples say that they have only five loaves and two fish, without his asking; but here, when he asks, they answer about seven loaves and a few small fish. And there he commands the crowds to recline or sit down on the grass—for Luke wrote, “Make them recline,” and Mark says, “He commanded them all to recline”—but here he does not command, but instructs the crowd to recline. Again, there the three evangelists say in the same words that “taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed”; but here, as Matthew and Mark wrote, “Jesus gave thanks and broke”; and there they recline on the grass, but here they sit down on the ground. And you will inquire in these passages into the variation in John, who recorded of that event that Jesus said, “Make the people sit down,” and that having given thanks he gave of the loaves to those who were reclining; but of this one he made no mention at all. Attending, then, to the difference in what is written about the loaves in these passages, I think that these people belong to a different rank from those; therefore these are fed on a mountain, those in a desert place; and these remained with Jesus three days, those one, in the evening of which they were fed. And if it is not the same thing for Jesus to act of his own accord and to act after hearing from the disciples, consider whether those who received his benefit differ, when he fed them on his own initiative in order to benefit them. And if according to John the loaves from which the twelve baskets were left over were barley, but nothing of the kind is said of these, how are these not better than the former? And of those he healed the sick; but here, with the crowds, he heals not the sick but the blind, the lame, the deaf, and the maimed; therefore the four thousand marvel at these, but nothing of the kind is said about the sick. And those who ate of the seven loaves over which thanks were given are, I think, better than those who ate of the five that were blessed; and those who ate of the few small fish than those who ate of the two; and perhaps also those who sat down on the ground. And those leave twelve baskets from fewer loaves, but these seven baskets from more, because they are able to contain greater things. And perhaps these tread upon all earthly things and sit down on them; but those on the grass sit on their flesh alone: “For all flesh is grass.” Notice also after this that Jesus does not wish to send these away fasting, lest they faint, being empty of Jesus’ loaves, and come to harm while still on the way, the way to their own homes. Note too wherever Jesus is recorded to have sent people away, so that you may see the difference between those sent away after being fed by him and those sent away otherwise. An example of one sent away otherwise is “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Besides this, the disciples who are always with Jesus are not sent away from him; but the crowds, having eaten, are sent away. So again the disciples, thinking nothing great of the Canaanite woman, say, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us”; but the Saviour does not appear to send her away at all; for having said to her, “O woman, great is your faith; let it be done for you as you wish,” he healed her daughter from that hour; yet it is not written that he sent her away. This much we have been able to examine and see on the text before us for the present. [Heading of the next chapter:] On those who asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ### Scripture references - Matt 15:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:33: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:35: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:37: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:38: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:39: allusion, high confidence - Matt 14:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:19: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:14: quotation, high confidence - Mark 6:39: quotation, high confidence - Mark 8:6: quotation, high confidence - John 6:10: quotation, high confidence - John 6:11: allusion, high confidence - John 6:13: allusion, high confidence - Isa 40:6: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:28: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 15:32–39; Matt 14:14–21; Mark 8:1–9; Luke 9:14; Mark 6:39; John 6:9–13; Isa 40:6; Luke 13:12; Matt 15:23, 28; Matt 16:1 (heading). ἀπολύω means both “send away” and “set free,” which Origen plays on. After “those who ate of the two” the scan text has a garbled word, probably “fish”; “on the way” is read by sense where a word is lost. The opening and closing words are the editor’s chapter headings. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 11.19 (PG 13:969c–973c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-11-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-1 - Source: PG 13:973c–976b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Pharisees and Sadducees, opposed on the resurrection, unite to test Jesus, as Herod and Pilate became friends against him and as hostile powers combine against Christ and his people. ### Greek text c Καὶ προσελθόντες Σαδδουκαῖοι καὶ Φαρισαῖοι, πειράζοντες ἐπηρώτων αὑτὸν σημεῖον ὲκ τοῦ ούρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς. ι Οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφωνοῦντες περὶ τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων δογμάτων Σαδδουκαῖοι καὶ Φαρισαῖοι· πρεσβεύουσι γάρ οἱ μὲν Φαρισαῖοι,τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, ἐλπίζοντες εἴναί τινα μέλλοντα αἰῶνα· οἱ δὲ Σαδδουκαῖοι οὐδὲν ἴσασι μετὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον ἀνθρώπῳ ἀποκείμενον, ἦτοι ὡς ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν προκόψαντι,ῆ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπιτηδεύσαντι ἐξελθεῖν τῶν τῆς κακίας ὅρων· οὗτοι, ἵνα πειράσωσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὁμονοοῦσιν. Ὅμοιον· δὲ τούτων γεγένηται, ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς ἀνέγραψε, πρὸς Ἡρώδην καὶ Πιλάτον, γενομένους ἀλλήλοις φίλους, ἴνα τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀποκτείνωσι· τάχα γὰρ ἡ μέν πρὸς ἀλλήλους αὐτῶν μάχη ἐποίησεν ἂν τὸν μὲν Ἡρώδην μὴ εἰς χάριν τοῦ λέγοντος λαοῦ Σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτόν, ἀξιοῦν αὑτὸν ἀναιρεθῆναι· τὸν δὲ Πιλάτον ῥοπήν τινα ἔχοντα τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἂν αὑτὸν καταδεδικάσθαι, συμβαλλομένης τῆς πρὸς Ἡρώδην ἔχθρας τῇ πρὸς τὸ ἀπολῦσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν προϋπαρχούσῃ ῥοπῇ. Ἡ δὲ νομιζομένη φιλία τὸν Ἡρώδην ἰσχυρότερον πρὸς τὴν κατά τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀξίωσιν πεποίηκε πρὸς Πιλάτον, βουλόμενον τάχα καὶ διὰ τὴν νεαρὰν φιλίαν κεχαρισμὲνον τι τῷ Ἡρώδῃ. καὶ παντὶ τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει ποιῆσαι. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ νῦν όρᾷν ἐστιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ καὶ τοὺς διαφωνότατα δόγματα εἴτε ὲν τῇ Έλλήνων φιλοσοφίᾳ, εἴτε καὶ ὲν ἄλλοις λόγοις ἔχοντας ὁμονοεῖν δοκοῦντας, ἵνα χλευάζωσι καὶ προσπολεμῶσι τῷ ὲν τοῖς μαθηταῖς Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. Ἀπὸ τούτων δὲ, οἶμαι, ἐστι διαβῆναι τῷ λόγῳ ἐπὶ τὸ ἰδεῖν, ὃτι μήποτε καὶ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἐνεργειῶν διαφωνίαν πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἐχουσῶν, ὡς Φαραὼ πρὸς Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ Θαραθὰ βασιλέως Αἰθιόπων πρὸς Σενναχηρεὶμ βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων, γίνεται ποτε συμφωνία κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ. Οὕτως τάχα καὶ ι παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, οὐδαμῶς πρότερον ἀλλήλοις ὁμονοοῦντες, ἵνα, σκοπήσαντες κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἀποκτείνωσιν, ### English translation (Claude) “And the Sadducees and Pharisees came, and testing him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.” The Sadducees and Pharisees, who disagree with each other about the most necessary doctrines—for the Pharisees uphold the resurrection of the dead, hoping that there is an age to come, while the Sadducees know of nothing stored up for a person after this life, whether he has advanced in virtue or has not even tried to come out of the bounds of wickedness—these agree in order to test Jesus. Something similar to this happened, as Luke recorded, with Herod and Pilate, who became friends with each other in order to kill Jesus. For perhaps their quarrel with each other would have kept Herod from demanding, to please the people who said, “Crucify, crucify him,” that he be put to death; and Pilate, who had some inclination toward not condemning him, would have had his enmity toward Herod added to the inclination he already had to release Jesus. But their supposed friendship made Herod more forceful in his demand against Jesus before Pilate, who wished perhaps, because of the new friendship too, to do Herod and the whole Jewish nation a favour. And often even now one can see in life those who hold the most discordant doctrines, whether in the philosophy of the Greeks or in other systems, seeming to agree, in order to mock and make war on Jesus Christ in his disciples. And from these things, I think, one may pass in thought to seeing whether, among opposing powers that are in discord with one another, as Pharaoh was with Nebuchadnezzar, and Tirhakah king of the Ethiopians with Sennacherib king of the Assyrians, an agreement does not sometimes come about against Jesus and his people. So perhaps also “the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers gathered together” in one, never before in agreement with one another, so that, having taken counsel against the Lord and against his Christ, they might kill the Lord of glory. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:1: quotation, high confidence - Acts 23:8: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 23:12: allusion, high confidence - Luke 23:21: quotation, high confidence - Jer 46:2 (26:2 LXX): allusion, low confidence - 2 Kgs 19:9: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:26: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:1; Acts 23:8; Luke 23:12, 21; Jer 46:2 (Pharaoh against Nebuchadnezzar); 2 Kgs 19:9 (Isa 37:9); Ps 2:2 (Acts 4:26); 1 Cor 2:8. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.1 (PG 13:973c–976b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-2 - Source: PG 13:976b–980b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Pharisees sought a sign from heaven because they suspected earthly signs might come from Beelzebul, but signs from heaven too can be false, as in Job and in the coming man of sin; Jesus’ raising of Lazarus, calming of the sea, and teaching showed him truly the Son of God. ### Greek text Ἐπὶ ταῦτα δὲ τῷ λόγῳ ἐληλύθαμεν, διὰ τοὺς ἅμα προσελθόντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ Φαρισαίους καὶ Σαδδουκαίους, τοὺς ἐν τοῖς περὶ ἀναστάσεως διαφωνοῦντας, καὶ οἱονεὶ συμφωνήσαντας διὰ τὸ πειράσαι τὺν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐπερωτῆσαι αὐτὸν σημεῖον ὲκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκούμενοι ὲν ταῖς ἱάσεσι πάσης νόσου, καὶ πάσης μαλακίας ὲν τῷ λαῷ τεραστίοις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις παραδόξοις, ἃ ὲν γνώσει πολλῶν πεποιήκει ό Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἠβούλοντο αὐτὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς καὶ ὲξ οὐρανοῦ σημεῖον. Καὶ στοχάζομαι, ὅτι ὑπενόουν μὲν τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς σημεῖα, ὡς δυνάμενα καὶ μὴ ὲκ Θεοῦ εἶναι· οὐκ ὤκνησαν γοῦν λέγειν, ὅτι, ι Ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ι ὲδόκει δʼ αὐτοῖς μὴ δύνασθαι ἐξ οὐρανοῦ σημεῖον ἀπὸ Βεελζεβοὺλ, ἦ τινος ἄλλης πονηρᾶς γίγνεσθαι δυνάμεως. Ἠμάρτανον δὲ περὶ ἀμφοτέρων, τῶν τε ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ σημείων, μὴ δόκιμοι τραπεζῖται, μηδὲ ἑπιστάμενοι διακρίνειν πνεύματα τὰ ἐνεργοῦντα, ποῖα μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, ποῖα δὲ ἀφεστηκότα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐχρῆν αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι, ὃτι καὶ τὰ πολλά τῶν ἐπὶ Μωῦσέως κατὰ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τεραστίων, οὐκ ὄντα ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, σαφῶς ἦν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ πεσὸν πῦρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ τά πρόβατα τοῦ Ἰὼβ οὐκ ἦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· τοῦ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ ἦν, οὗ ἦσαν καὶ oi αἰχμαλωτεύσαντες, καὶ οἱ ποιήσαντες τρεῖς ἀρχὰς ἱππέων κατὰ τῶν κτηνῶν τοῦ Ἰὼβ. Οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ, ὡς δυναμένων σημείων δειχθῆναι καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ οὐρανοῦ, ἀληθῶν μὲν ὲκ Θεοῦ· ί Ἐν πάσῃ δὲ δυνάμει, καὶ σημείοις, καὶ τέρασι ψεύδους,» ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, λέλεκται τῷ Ἀχάζ· ι Αἴτησον σεαυτῷ σημεῖον παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, εἰς βάθος, ἢ εἰς ὕψος· ι εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἦν σημεῖα, καὶ οὐ παρά Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ τινα τῶν εἰς βάθος, καὶ τῶν είς ὔψος, οὐκ ἂν ἐλέλεκτο τό· ι Αῐτησον σεαυτῷ σημεῖον παρὰ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου εἰς βάθος, ἢ εἰς ὕψος. ι Εὗ οἶδα δὲ, ὃτι δόξει τινὶ βίαιον εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον τῆς περί τοῦ, ε Αἵτησον σεαυτῷ σημεῖον παρά Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ, › ἐκδοχῆς · ἀλλά ἐπίστησον τῷ εἰρημένῳ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τῆς ἀμαρτίας, τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς ἀπωλείας, ὅτι ι ὲν πάσῃ δυνάμει, καὶ σημείοις, καὶ τέρασι ψεύδους, καὶ πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ἀδικίας ι τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ἐκεῖνος ὲπιφανεῖται, μιμούμενος πάντα τέρατα, τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας. Καὶ ῶσπερ οἰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὲπαοιδοί καὶ φαρμακοὶ, ὡς ἐλάττους τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ τοῦ υίοῦ τῆς ἀπωλείας, δυνάμεις τινὰς ἐμιμήσαντο, καὶ σημεῖα, καὶ τέρατα τῆς ἀληθείας, ποιοῦντες τὰ τοῦ ψεύδους, εἰς τὺ μὴ πιστεύεσθαι τὰ ἀληθῆ· οὕτως οἶμαι τὸν ἄνθρωπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ σημεῖα μιμήσασθαι καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις. Τάχα δὲ καί ταῦτα ὑφορώμενοι διά τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείας οἰ Φαρισαῖοι· ζητῶ δὲ εἰ καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι πειράζοντες ἐπηρώτων σημεῖον ὲκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς τὸν Ἰησοῦν· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο λέγοιμεν αὐτοὺς ὑπονενοηκέναι, τί φήσομεν αὐτοὺς πεπονθέναι πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γινόμενα τεράστια, ἀτέγκτους μένοντας,καὶ μὴ δυσωπουμένους τῶν γινομένων τὰ παράδοξα; Ἐὰν δέ τις ὑπολαμβάνῃ ἀπολογίας ἡμᾶς ἀφορμὰς δεδωκέναι τοῖς Φαρισαίοις καὶ Σαδδουκαίοις, ὅπου μὲν ὲν Βεελζεβοὺλ φάσκουσιν ἐκβεβλῆσθαι ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ τὰ δαιμόνια, ὅπου δὲ ἐπερωτῶσι μετά τοῦ πειράζειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περὶ σημείου οὐρανίου· ἵστω, ὅτι μὲν πιθανότητός φαμεν αὐτοὺς περιεσπᾶσθαι πρὸς τὸ μὴ πιστεῦσαι τοῖς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παραδόξοις, οὐ μὴν ῶστε καὶ συγγνωστοὺς εἶναι, μὴ ὲνορῶντας τοῖς τῶν προφητῶν λόγοις πληρουμένοις ὲν ταῖς πράξεσι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἃς οὐδαμῶς πονηρά δύναμις μιμήσασθαι οἷά τε ἦν. Ψυχὴν δὲ ἐξελθοῦσαν ἐπιστρέψαι, ὦστε ήδη ὄζοντα, καὶ τετάρτην ἡμέραν ἄγοντα ἀπὸ τῶν μνημείων ἐξελθεῖν, οὐδενὸς ἦν ἢ τοῦ ἀκούσαντος ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατέροςο ι Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν.» Ἀλλά καὶ ἀνέμοις κελεῦσαι, καὶ ὁρμὴν θαλάσσης λόγῳ παῦσαι, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου ἦν ἢ ἐκείνου, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, καὶ αὐτὴ ή θάλασσα, καὶ οἱ ἄνεμοι γεγόνασιν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ή διδασκαλία ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ κτίσαντος προσκαλουμένη συνᾳδόντως νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις, καὶ τὰς ὁρμὰς καταστέλλουσα,καὶ τά ήθη κατʼ εὐσέβειαν μορφοῦσα, τί ἄλλο ὲδήλου τοῖς ὁρᾷν δυναμένοις, ἢ ὅτι ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς ἦν ὁ τὰ τοσαῦτα ὲργαζόμενος; ἐφʼ οἷς εἷπε καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοῦ Ἰωάννου· ι Πορευθέντες ἀπαγγείλατε Ἰωάννῃ ὅσα εἴδετε καί ἠκούσατε· τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέπουσι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ### English translation (Claude) We have come to these things in our discourse because of the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Jesus together, who disagree about the resurrection and as it were came to an agreement in order to test our Saviour and ask him to show them a sign from heaven. For not content with the wonders among the people in the healing of every disease and every sickness, and with the other marvels which our Saviour had done in the knowledge of many, they wanted him to show them a sign from heaven as well. And I conjecture that they suspected the signs on earth, as possibly not being from God; at any rate they did not hesitate to say that “Jesus casts out the demons by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons”; and it seemed to them that a sign from heaven could not come from Beelzebul or any other evil power. But they erred about both, the signs on earth and those from heaven, not being approved money-changers, nor knowing how to discern the spirits at work, which are from God and which have revolted from him. And they ought to have known that many of the wonders against Egypt in the time of Moses, though they were not from heaven, were clearly of God, and that the fire that fell from heaven on Job’s sheep was not from God; for that fire belonged to the same one to whom belonged both those who took captives and those who formed three companies of horsemen against Job’s cattle. And I think that in Isaiah too—as though signs could be shown both from the earth and from heaven, the true ones from God, but those “with all power and signs and lying wonders” from the evil one—it was said to Ahaz: “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, in the depth or in the height.” For if there were not signs, some in the depth and some in the height, that are not from the Lord God, it would not have been said, “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God, in the depth or in the height.” I know well that such an interpretation of “Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord God” will seem forced to some; but attend to what is said by the Apostle about the man of sin, the son of perdition, that “with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all deception of unrighteousness” he will appear to those who are perishing, imitating all the wonders of the truth. And just as the enchanters and sorcerers of the Egyptians, being inferior to the man of sin and son of perdition, imitated certain powers and signs and wonders of the truth, doing those of falsehood so that the true might not be believed, so I think the man of sin will imitate the signs and the powers. And perhaps the Pharisees suspected these things too because of the prophecies about him; but I ask whether the Sadducees too, testing him, asked Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. And if we do not say that they suspected this, what shall we say they felt in face of the wonders done by Jesus, when they remained unmoved and were not abashed by the marvels that took place? But if anyone supposes that we have given the Pharisees and Sadducees grounds for a defence, both where they say that the demons were cast out by Jesus by Beelzebul, and where, testing Jesus, they ask about a heavenly sign, let him know that we say they were drawn away by plausibility into not believing Jesus’ marvels, but not so as to be pardonable, since they did not see the words of the prophets fulfilled in the deeds of Jesus, which no evil power was able to imitate. For to bring back a soul that had departed, so that one already stinking and on his fourth day came out of the tomb, belonged to none other than him who heard from the Father, “Let us make man according to our image and likeness.” And to command the winds and stop the surge of the sea by a word belonged to none other than him through whom all things came into being, the sea itself and the winds too. Further, the teaching that calls people to the love of the Creator in harmony with the law and the prophets, and restrains the passions, and shapes character to piety—what else did it show to those able to see than that he who did such things was truly the Son of God? In view of which he said also to the disciples of John: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight,” and so on. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:23: allusion, high confidence - Matt 12:24: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:1: allusion, medium confidence - Job 1:16: allusion, high confidence - Job 1:17: allusion, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:9: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:10: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:3: allusion, high confidence - Isa 7:11: quotation, high confidence - Exod 7:11: allusion, medium confidence - John 11:39: allusion, high confidence - Gen 1:26: quotation, high confidence - Matt 8:26: allusion, high confidence - John 1:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 11:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:5: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:1; Matt 4:23; Matt 12:24; 1 John 4:1; Exod 7–12; Job 1:16–17; Isa 7:11; 2 Thess 2:3, 9–10; Exod 7:11, 22; John 11:39–44; Gen 1:26; Matt 8:26–27; John 1:3; Matt 11:4–5 (Luke 7:22). “Be approved money-changers” is a saying ascribed to Jesus outside the Gospels and often cited by Origen; it is not in the controlled list of extrabiblical texts. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.2 (PG 13:976b–980b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-3 - Source: PG 13:980b–981a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The sign of Jonah, Christ’s three days in the earth and his resurrection, was itself a sign from heaven, and every sign in Scripture points to something fulfilled later. ### Greek text Μετά ταῦτα κατανοήσωμεν τίνα τρόπον, ἐπερωτηθεὶς περὶ σημείου ἐνὸς, ἵνʼ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδείξῃ τοῖς ὲπερωτήσασι Φαρισαίοις καὶ Σαδδουκαίοις, ἀποκρίνεται καὶ λέγειʼ ι Γενεά πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ, εί μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου ὅτε καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἀπῆλθε. Τὸ σημεῖον δὲ ἄρα τοῦ Ἰωνᾶ, κατὰ τὴν ἐρώτησιν αὐτῶν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς σημεῖον ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ· ὥστε αὐτὸν καὶ τοῖς πειράζουσι, καὶ ἐπιζητοῦσι σημεῖον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, οὐδὲν ἦττον κατὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθὸτητα δεδωκέναι τὸ σημεῖον. Εἰ γὰρ ὡς Ἰωνᾶς ἐποίησεν ὲν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἁνθρὼπου ὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς, καὶ μετά τοῦτο ἀνέστη ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, πόθεν ἂν λέγοιμεν τὺ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γεγονέναι σημεῖον ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεὶ παρά τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους γέγονε σημεῖον εὐεργετουμένῳ λῃστῇ είς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσελθεῖν τοῦ Θεοῦʼ μετά τοῦτο, οἶμαι, καταβαίνων είς ᾅδου πρὸς τοὺς νεκροὺς, ι ὼς ὲν νεκροῖς ἐλεύθερος.» Καὶ δοκεῖ μοι συνάπτειν τὸ ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ σημεῖον ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωνᾶν σημείου, λέγων οὐχ ὅμοιον ἐκείνῳ μόνον δίδοσθαι σημεῖον ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο· πρόσχες γὰρ τῷ ι Καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ τοῦ προφήτου. ι Οὐκοῦν ἐκεῖνο τοῦτο ἦν, τῷ ἐκεῖνο τούτου δηλωτικὸν γεγονέναι, ἵνα ἡ ἐκείνου λύσις τοῦ σημείου ἀσάφειαν αὐτόθεν ἔχοντος τὸ παθεῖν τὸν Σωτῆρα, καὶ ὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας πεποιηκέναι. ’Ἅμα δὲ καὶ καθολικόν τι μανθάνομεν, ὅτι, εἴπερ τὸ σημεῖον σημαίνει τι, ἕκαστον τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων σημείων, εῖτε ὡς ὲν γενομένῃ ἱστορία εἴτε ὡς ἐν ἐντολῇ, δηλωτικόν τινός ἐστιν ὕστερον πληρουμένου· οἷον τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ἐξιόντος μετά τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀπὸ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἦν ἀναστάσεως μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας ἀνισταμένου ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν· καὶ ὴ περιτομὴ λεγομένη σημεῖον τῆς παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ δηλουμένης ὲν τῷ. ι Ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ή περιτομή.» Ζήτει δὲ καὶ σὺ πᾶν τὸ ὲν τοῖς παλαιοῖς Γράμμασι σημεῖον τίνος ὲν τῇ Καινῇ γράμματός ἐστι· καὶ τὸ ὲν τῇ καινῇ Διαθήκῃ ὀνομασθὲν σημεῖον τίνος ἐστὶν ἢ ὲν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι δηλωτικὸν,ῆ καὶ ὲν ταῖς ὕστερον γενεαῖς, μετὰ τὸ γεγονέναι τὸ σημεῖον. ### English translation (Claude) After this let us observe how, when asked about one sign, that he should show it from heaven to the Pharisees and Sadducees who asked him, he answers and says: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet”; when also “he left them and went away.” The sign of Jonah, then, was, in accordance with their request, not simply a sign but also one from heaven; so that even to those who tested him and sought a sign from heaven he none the less gave the sign, in his great goodness. For if as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so did the Son of Man in the heart of the earth, and after this he rose from it, from where would we say the sign of Jesus’ resurrection came, if not from heaven? And especially since at the time of the passion he became a sign to the robber to whom it was granted to enter the paradise of God; after this, I think, descending to Hades to the dead, “as free among the dead.” And the Saviour seems to me to join the sign that comes from himself to the account of the sign concerning Jonah, saying not only that a sign like that one is given by him, but that very sign; for attend to: “And no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.” That sign, then, was this one, in that the former became indicative of the latter, so that the solution of that sign, which in itself was obscure, was the Saviour’s suffering and his spending three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. At the same time we also learn something general: that, if a sign signifies something, each of the signs recorded, whether as in an event of history or as in a commandment, is indicative of something fulfilled later; for instance, the sign of Jonah, coming out after three days from the belly of the sea monster, was a sign of the resurrection of our Saviour, rising after three days and three nights from the dead; and circumcision, which is called a sign, was a sign of the circumcision shown by Paul in the words, “For we are the circumcision.” And seek for yourself what each sign in the old writings is a sign of in the New; and what is named a sign in the New Testament, what it indicates either in the age to come or in later generations, after the sign has taken place. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:4: quotation, high confidence - Jonah 1:17 (2:1 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Matt 12:40: allusion, high confidence - Luke 23:43: allusion, high confidence - Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gen 17:11: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 4:11: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 3:3: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:4; Jonah 1:17 (2:1 LXX); Matt 12:40; Luke 23:42–43; Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX); Gen 17:11; Rom 4:11; Phil 3:3. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.3 (PG 13:980b–981a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-4 - Source: PG 13:981a–985a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Pharisees and Sadducees are “adulterous” because the soul, wedded to the law of the mind, has turned to the law of sin; with Rom 7 Origen describes the law as the soul’s husband, who dies for the perfect, who are then joined to the living Word, while the Word leaves the synagogue for the Gentiles. ### Greek text Καὶ πονηρὰν μὲν εἶπεν αὐτοὺς γενεὰν διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ :06 πονηροῦ ποιότητα είς αὐτοὺς ἐγγενομένην· ἔστι δὲ ἡ πονηρία ἑκούσιος κακοποιία· μοιχαλίδα δὲ διὰ τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ τὸν τροπικῶς λεγόμενον ἄνδρα, τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον, ἢ νόμον καταλιπόντες οί Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ἐμοιχεύθησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ψεύδους καὶ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας. El γὰρ δύο εἰσὶ νόμοι, 6 τε ι ὲν τοῖς μέλεσιν ἡμῶν ἀντιστρατευόμενος τῷ νόμῳ :06 νοὸς, ι καὶ 6:06 νοὸς, λεκτέον, ὅτι ὁ μὲν τοῦ νοὸς, τουτέστιν 6 πνευματικὸς, ἀνήρ ἐστι, ’πρὸς ὃν ἡρμόσθη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ γυνὴ ἡ ψυχὴ, ἀνδρὶ τῷ νόμῳ, κατά :6 γεγραμμένων ι Παρὰ δὲ Θεοῦ ἁρμόζεται ἀνδρὶ γυνή ’ ι 6 δὲ ἄλλος μοιχός ἐστι τῆς ὑποτασσομένης αὐτῷ ψυχῆς, καὶ διʼ αὑτὸν μοιχαλίδος χρηματιζούσης. Ὅτι δὲ 6 νόμος ἀνὴρ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐστιν, σαφῶς ὲν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους 6 Παῦλος παριστᾷ λέγων, ὅτι, ι Ὀ νόμος κυριεύει:06 ἀνθρώπου ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ἢ γὰρ ὕπανδρος γυνὴ τῷ ζῶντι ἀνδρὶ δέδεται, δντι νόμῳ· ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πρόσχες γὰρ ὲν τούτοις, ὅτι 6 νόμος κυριεύει:06 ἀνθρώπου, ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ 6 νόμος, ὡς ἀνὴρ γυναικός · ἡ γὰρ ὕπανδρος γυνὴ, ἠ 61:6 τὸν νόμον ψυχὴ, τῷ ζῶντι ἀνδρὶ δέδεται, δντι νόμῳ· ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ 6 ἀνὴρ, 6 νόμος κατήργηται ἀπὸ:06 νόμου, ὃς ἐστιν ἁνήρ. Ἀποθνήσκει δὲ 6 νόμος τῷ ἀναβάντι ἐπὶ τὴν μακαριότητα, καὶ μηκέτι 61:6 νόμον πολιτευομένῳ· ἀλλʼ ὡς 6 Χριστὸς πράττων, ὃς, ει καὶ γέγονεν 61:6 νόμον διὰ τοὺς 61:6 νόμον, ἴνα τοὺς 61:6 νόμον κερδήσῃ, οὔτʼ ἔμεινεν 61:6 νόμον, οὔτʼ ἀφῆκεν 61:6 νόμον τοὺς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐλευθερωθέντας · ἀνήγαγε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἅμα ἑαυτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τὸν νόμον θείαν πολιτείαν, τὸν περιέχοντα, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς ἀτελεστέρους, καὶ ἔτι ἁμαρτάνοντας, θυσίας περὶ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων. Ὁ οὖν ἀναμάρτητος, καὶ μηκέτι δεόμενος τῶν νομικῶν θυσιῶν, ὑπερβέβηκε τελειωθεὶς τάχα καὶ τὸν πνευματικὸν νόμον, καὶ γέγονεν ἐν τῷ ὑπὲρ αὑτὸν, λόγῳ, ὅστις τοῖς μὲν ὲν σαρκὶ ζῶσι σὰρξ ἐγεγόνει ο τοῖς δὲ μηδαμῶς ἔτι κατὰ σάρκα στρατευομένοις, ὡς ἦν ὲν ἀρχῇ πρὸς Θεὸν Θεὸς Λόγος ὢν, θεωρεῖται, καὶ ἀποκαλύπτει τὸν Πατέρα. Τρία τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν τόπον νομιστέον, γυναῖκα ὕπανδρον 61:6 ἄνδρα τὸν νόμον · καὶ γυναῖκα μοιχαλίδα, ζῶντος :06 ἀνδρὸς νόμου γινομένην ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ, τῷ νόμῳ τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ψυχήν· καὶ γυναῖκα τῷ ἀδελφῷ:06 τεθνηκότος ἀνδρὸς γαμουμένην τῷ ζῶντι, καὶ μὴ ἀποθνήσκοντι Λόγῳ, ὃς, ἐγερθεὶς ι ὲκ νεκρῶν, οὐκέτι ἀποθνήσκει· Θάνατος γὰρ αὑτοῦ οὐκέτι κυριεύει.» Καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τό · ι Ἐὰν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ, κατήργηται ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ι καὶ διὰ τό ι Ἆρʼ οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει, ἂν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ, ι διὰ τό· ι Ἐὰν ἀποθάνῃ ό ἀνὴρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, τοῦ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὴν μοιχαλίδα γενομένην ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ. ι Αὐτὸ δὲ τόʼ ι Ἆρʼ οὖν ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει, ι παρειλήφαμεν, βουλόμενοι σαφῶς παραστῆσαι διὰ τί τοῖς πειράζουσι Φαρισαίοις καὶ Σαδδουκαίοις, καὶ ἑπιζητοῦσι σημεῖον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς, ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν οὐ μόνον τό · ι Γενεά πονηρὰ, ι ἀλλὰ καὶ, ι μοιχαλίς. ι Γενικῶς μὲν οὖν ι ὁ ὲν τοῖς μέλεσι νόμος, ὁ ἀντιστρατευόμενος τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοὸς, ι ὡς μοιχὸς ἀνὴρ, μοιχός ἔστι τῆς ψυχῆς ἤδη δὲ καὶ πᾶσα δύναμις ἀντικειμένη, ἐπικρατοῦσα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ψυχῆς, καὶ ἀναμιγνυμένη αὐτῇ, μοιχός ἐστιν αὐτῆς, νυμφίον ἐχούσης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτῇ δοθέντα τὸν Λόγον. Μετὰ ταῦτα γέγραπται, ὅτι ι καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἀπῆλθε· ι πῶς γὰρ οὑκ ἔμελλεν ὁ νυμφίος Λόγος καταλιπεῖν τὴν μοιχαλίδα γενεὰν, καὶ ἀπεῖναι ἀπʼ αὐτῆς; Εἴποις δʼ ἄν, ὄτι τὴν Ἰουδαίων συναγωγὴν ὡς μοιχαλίδα καταλιπὼν ό τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ἀπελήλυθεν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἔλαβε γυναῖκα πορνείας, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ὲθνῶν ο ἐπεὶ ἐκεῖνοι μὲν, ὅντες πόλις πιστὴ Σιὼν, γεγόνασι πόρνοι· οὗτοι δὲ ὡς ἡ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη, τοὺς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κατασκόπους ὑποδεξαμένη. διεσώθη πανοικὶ, μετὰ τοῦτο μηκέτι πορνεύουσα. ἀλλʼ ἐλθοῦσα παρὰ τοὺς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πόδας, καὶ βρέχουσα αὐτοὺς τοῖς τῆς μετανοίας δάκρυσι, καὶ ἀλείφουσα τῇ τῆς ἁγίας πολιτείας τῶν μύρων εὐωδίᾳ, διʼ ἢν Σίμωνι τῷ λεπρῷ, τῷ προτέρῳ λαῷ ὀνειδίζων Ἐλεγεν ὅσα γέγραπται. Περὶ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων. ### English translation (Claude) And he called them an evil generation because of the quality from the evil one that had come to be in them—for wickedness is voluntary evil-doing; and adulterous for this reason, that the Pharisees and Sadducees, having left the one figuratively called husband, the word of truth or the law, were led into adultery by falsehood and the law of sin. For if there are two laws, the one “in our members, warring against the law of the mind,” and the law of the mind, we must say that the law of the mind, that is, the spiritual law, is a husband, to whom the soul was joined by God as wife, to the husband who is the law, according to what is written: “A wife is joined to a husband by God”; but the other is the adulterer of the soul that is subject to it, which because of him is called an adulteress. That the law is the husband of the soul Paul clearly shows in the Epistle to the Romans, saying: “The law is lord of a person as long as he lives; for the married woman is bound to the living husband,” the husband who is the law, and so on. For notice in these words that the law is lord of a person as long as the law lives, as a husband is of a wife; for the married woman, the soul under the law, is bound to the living husband, who is the law; but if the husband dies, she is discharged from the law, which is the husband. And the law dies for one who has gone up to blessedness and no longer lives as a citizen under the law, but acts as Christ did, who, though he came to be under the law for the sake of those under the law, in order to win those under the law, neither remained under the law nor left under the law those whom he had set free; for he led them up with himself to the divine citizenship above the law, which contains, as for the more imperfect and those still sinning, sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. One who is without sin, then, and no longer needs the sacrifices of the law, has perhaps, when perfected, passed beyond even the spiritual law and come to be in the Word who is above it; who for those living in the flesh had become flesh, but for those who no longer at all make war according to the flesh is contemplated as he was in the beginning with God, being God the Word, and reveals the Father. Three things, then, are to be understood in this passage: a married woman under the husband, the law; an adulterous woman, the soul, which while the husband, the law, lives, becomes another man’s, the law of the flesh; and a woman married to the brother of the dead husband, to the living Word who does not die, who, “having been raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has dominion over him.” And this because of “If the husband dies, she is discharged from the law of the husband,” and because of “Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she becomes another man’s while her husband lives,” and because of “If the husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress if she becomes another man’s.” We have adduced this very text, “Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress while her husband lives,” wishing to show clearly why Jesus said to the Pharisees and Sadducees who tested him and sought him to show them a sign from heaven not only “an evil generation” but also “adulterous.” In general, then, “the law in the members, warring against the law of the mind,” is, as an adulterous man, the adulterer of the soul; and indeed every opposing power that gains mastery over the human soul and mingles with it is its adulterer, since the soul has the Word as bridegroom, given to it by God. After this it is written that “he left them and went away”; for how was the Word, the bridegroom, not going to leave the adulterous generation and go away from it? And you might say that the Word of God, leaving the synagogue of the Jews as adulterous, went away from it and “took a wife of harlotry,” those from the Gentiles; since those who were “Zion, the faithful city,” have become harlots, but these are like Rahab the harlot, who received the spies of Jesus and was saved with all her house, and after this no longer played the harlot, but came to the feet of Jesus, and wet them with the tears of repentance, and anointed them with the fragrance of the ointments of holy living; because of whom, reproaching Simon the leper, the former people, he said what is written. [Heading of the next chapter:] On the leaven of the Pharisees. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:23: quotation, high confidence - Prov 19:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:1: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:2: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:3: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 9:20: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 10:3: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:1: allusion, high confidence - John 1:14: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 11:27: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 6:9: quotation, high confidence - Hos 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 1:21: quotation, high confidence - Josh 2:1: allusion, high confidence - Josh 6:25: allusion, high confidence - Luke 7:38: allusion, high confidence - Luke 7:40: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 26:6: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:4; Rom 7:23; Prov 19:14 LXX; Rom 7:1–3; Deut 25:5 (the brother of the dead husband); 1 Cor 9:20; 2 Cor 10:3; John 1:1–2; Matt 11:27; Rom 6:9; Hos 1:2; Isa 1:21; Josh 2:1; 6:25; Luke 7:37–38, 40; Matt 26:6. In Greek Joshua and Jesus are the same name, so “the spies of Jesus” are Joshua’s spies. The scan OCR regularly reads ὑπό and τοῦ as digits; these are read by sense. Origen’s allegory of the law as husband and his polemic against the synagogue are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.4 (PG 13:981a–985a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-5 - Source: PG 13:985a–988c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is the old teaching of the bare letter and the denial of the resurrection; disciples who have crossed to the spiritual must see and beware, for Christ himself is their living bread. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὑτοῦ εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἐπελάθοντο ἄρτους λαβεῖν. ι Ἐπεὶ μὴ χρήσιμοι ἦσαν οἱ ἄρτοι, οί πρὸ τοῦ πέραν, τοῖς ἐλθοῦσι μαθηταῖς εἰς τὸ πέραν· ἄλλων γὰρ ἔχρῃζον πρὸ τοῦ πέραν, καὶ ἄλλων ἐδέοντο εἰς τὸ πέραν ο διὰ τοῦτο, ἀμελήσαντες τοῧ ἐπάγεσθαι ἀπιόντες είς τὸ πέραν ἄρτους, ι ἐπελάθοντο ι αὐτοὺς σὺν ἑαυτοῖς t λαβεῖν, ι Εἰς τὸ πέραν δέ γεγόνασι μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οἱ διαβάντες ἀπὸ τῶν σωματικῶν ἐπὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐπὶ τὰ νοητά. Καὶ τάχα ἵνα ἀποστρέφηται τοὺς διὰ τοῦ ἐφθακέναι εἰς τὸ πέραν ἀρξαμένους πνεύματι, τοῦ παλινδρομεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ σάρκινα, εἷπε τοῖς εἰς τὸ πέραν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ι Ὀρᾶτε, καὶ προσέχετε· ι ἦν γάρ τι φύραμα διδασκαλίας καὶ ζύμης ἀληθῶς παλαιᾶς, τῆς κατά τὸ ψιλὸν γράμμα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὔκ ἀπηλλαγμένης τῶν ἀπὸ κακίας. ὅπερ παρεῖχον Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ἀφʼ ἦς οὐ βούλεται Ἰησοῦς ἐσθίειν ἔτι τοὺς ἰδίους μαθητὰς, ποιήσας αὐτοῖς νέον καὶ πνευματικὸν φύραμα, ἑαυτὸν παρασχὼν τοῖς ἀποστᾶσι τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων, καὶ προσεληλυθόσιν αύτῷ, ἄρτον ζῶντα ἐξ ούρανοῦ καταβεβηκότα, καὶ ζωὴν διδόντα τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁδός ἐστι τῷ μηκέτι χρησομένῳ ζύμῃ, καὶ φυράματι, καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων, πρότερον μὲν τὸ θεωρεῖν, δεύτερον δέ τὸ προσέχειν, ἵνα μήποτε ἐκ τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν καὶ ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας μεταλάβῃ τις τῆς ἀπηγορευμένης ζύμης ἐκείνων · διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτον τό· t Ὀρᾶτε, ι λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς, καὶ δεύτερον τό· ι Προσέχετε. ι Διορατικῶν οὖν ἐστι καὶ προσεκτικῶν χωρίζειν τὴν ζύμην τῶν Σαδδουκαίων καὶ Φαρισαίων, καὶ πᾶσαν οὐκ ι ἀζύμων είλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας ι τροφὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ζῶντος ἄρτου, καὶ ἐξ ούρανοῦ καταβεβηκότος, ἵνα τὰ μὲν τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων μὴ προσίηται, τὸν δὲ ζῶντα καὶ ἀληθινὸν ἄρτον ἐσθίων τις ρωσθῇ τὴν ψυχήν. Καὶ τὸ ῥητὸν δέ εύκαίρως ἂν προσφέροιμεν τοῖς μετά τοῦ Χριστιανίζειν αἱρουμένοις τὸ σωματικῶς Ἰουδαΐζειν· οῦτοι γὰρ οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, οὑδέ προσέχουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων, ἀλλά παρά τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ἀπαγορεύσαντος αὐτὴν Ἰησοῦ τὸν Φαρισαίων ἄρτον ἐσθίουσι. Καὶ πάντες δʼ, οἶμαι, ὅσοι οὐ βούλονται φρονεῖν, ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν, καὶ σκιὰν ἔχει τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ σκιά ἐστι τῶν μελλόντων, οὐδὲ ζητοῦσι τίνος μέλλοντος ἀγαθοῦ ἐστι σκιά ἕκαστος τῶν νόμων, οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, οὐδὲ προσέχουσιν ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων θ οί δὲ καὶ τὴν τῶν νεκρῶν ἀθετοῦντες ἀνάστασιν ού φυλάττονται ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Σαδδουκαίων έ καὶ πολλοί γε ἐν τοῖς ἐτεροδόξοις διὰ τὴν περὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἀπιστίαν είσὶν οἱ ἐμφυρὸμενοι τῇ τῶν Σαδδουκαίων ζύμῃ. Ταῦτα δὴ λέγοντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διελογίζοντο οὐ γεγωνὸς, λέγοντες oi μαθηταὶ, ἀλλʼ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἑαυτῶν ο ι Ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἐλάβομεν. ι Καὶ οἱονεὶ τοιαῦτα ἦν ἀ ἔλεγον· Εἰ μὲν εἴχομεν ἄρτους, οὐκ ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων είληφειμεν · ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπορίᾳ ἄρτων κινδυνεύομεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων ζύμης λαβεῖν, οὐ βούλεται δʼ ἡμᾶς ὁ Σωτὴρ παλινδρομεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκείνων διδασκαλίᾳ, διὰ τοῦτο ἡμῖν εἶπε τό· ι Ὁρᾶτε, καὶ προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων. ι Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκεῖνοι διελογίζοντο· ὁ δὲ βλέπων Ἰησοῦς τὰ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀκούων τῶν ἐν αὐταῖς λόγων, ὡς τῶν καρδιῶν ἐπίσκοπος ἀληθὴς, ἐπιπλήσσει αὐτοῖς, ὡς οὐ νοοῦσιν, οὐδὲ μεμνημένοις ἄρτων, ὧν παρʼ αὐτοῦ είλήφασι, διʼ οὓς καὶ ἐν ἀπορία δοκοῦντες εἶναι ἀρτων, οὐκ ἔχρῃζον τῆς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ζύμης. ### English translation (Claude) “And when his disciples came to the other side, they forgot to take bread.” Since the loaves from before the other side were of no use to the disciples who had come to the other side—for they needed some loaves before the other side and needed others on the other side—for this reason, neglecting to bring loaves with them as they went away to the other side, they “forgot to take” them with them. And those disciples of Jesus have come to the other side who have crossed over from bodily things to spiritual, and from things of sense to things of the mind. And perhaps, to turn back those who by reaching the other side had begun in the spirit from running back to fleshly things, Jesus said to those on the other side: “See and beware”; for there was a lump of teaching and of truly old leaven, that according to the bare letter and therefore not free of what comes from wickedness, which the Pharisees and Sadducees provided, and of which Jesus no longer wishes his own disciples to eat, having made them a new and spiritual lump, giving himself to those who had left the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees and come to him, as living bread that came down from heaven and gives life to the world. And since for one who will no longer use the leaven and lump and teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees the way is first to see and second to beware, lest from not seeing and from inattention one partake of their forbidden leaven, for this reason he says to the disciples first, “See,” and second, “Beware.” It belongs, then, to the discerning and attentive to separate the leaven of the Sadducees and Pharisees, and all food that is not of “the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,” from the living bread that came down from heaven, so as not to admit the things of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but by eating the living and true bread to be strengthened in soul. And we might fittingly apply the text to those who, while being Christians, choose to live as Jews in a bodily way; for these do not see nor beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but, contrary to the will of Jesus who forbade it, eat the bread of the Pharisees. And all, I think, who will not consider that the law is spiritual, and has a shadow of the good things to come, and is a shadow of things to come, and do not seek what good thing to come each of the laws is a shadow of, do not see nor beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; and those who reject the resurrection of the dead do not guard against the leaven of the Sadducees; and indeed many among the heterodox, because of unbelief about the resurrection of the dead, are kneaded with the leaven of the Sadducees. While Jesus was saying this, the disciples reasoned, not saying it aloud, but in their hearts: “Because we did not take bread.” And what they said was something like this: “If we had loaves, we would not have taken of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees; but since through lack of loaves we are in danger of taking of their leaven, and the Saviour does not wish us to run back to their teaching, for this reason he said to us, See and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” This they reasoned; but Jesus, seeing what was in their hearts and hearing the words in them, as the true overseer of hearts, rebukes them as not understanding, nor remembering the loaves they had received from him, because of which, even when they seemed to be in want of loaves, they had no need of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:9: allusion, high confidence - Gal 3:3: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 5:7: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:8: quotation, high confidence - John 6:33: allusion, high confidence - John 6:51: allusion, high confidence - Rom 7:14: allusion, high confidence - Heb 10:1: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:17: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:5–9; Gal 3:3; 1 Cor 5:7–8; John 6:33, 51; Rom 7:14; Heb 10:1; Col 2:17. Origen’s remark about Christians who keep Jewish observances is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.5 (PG 13:985a–988c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-6 - Source: PG 13:988c–989c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Leaven in Scripture signifies teaching; Jesus’ knowledge of the disciples’ thoughts shows his divinity, and all faith in this life is “little faith” compared with what is perfect. ### Greek text Εἶτα, σαφηνίζων, καὶ γυμνότερον παριστὰς τοῖς περιελκομένοις διὰ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν ἄρτου καὶ ζύμης, ὅτι μὴ περὶ αἰσθητοῦ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ἄρτου, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ζύμης. ἐπιφέρει τό· ι Πῶς οὐ νοεῖτε, ὅτι οὐ περὶ ἄρτου εἷπον ὑμῖν, προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων; ι Καίτοι μηδὲ γυμνώσαντος αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, ἀλλʼ ἔτι ἐπιμένοντος τῇ τροπολογίᾳ, συνῆκαν oi μαθηταί, ὅτι ὁ λόγος τῷ Σωτῆρι ἦν περὶ διδασκαλίας, τροπικῶς ζύμης εἰρημένης, ἦν ἐδίδασκον Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι. Ὅσον μὲν οῦν ἔχομεν σὺν ἡμῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ποιοῦντα τὴν φάσκουσαν ἐπαγγελίαν· ι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθʼ ὑμῶν είμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, ι ού δυνάμεθα νηστεύειν, οὐδέ ἀπορεῖν τροφῆς, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν αὐτῆς ζητεῖν κᾶν παρά Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων τῆς ἀπηγορευμένης ζύμης λαμβάνειν, καὶ ἑσθίειν. Γένοιτο δʼ ἄν ποτε καιρὸς συνόντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἡμᾶς ἀτροφεῖν, ὡς ἑν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω λέλεκται, ἑν τῷο ι Ἤδη ἡμέρας τρεῖς παραμένουσι μοι, καὶ οὐκ έχουσι τί φάγωσιν. ι Ἀλλὰ κᾶν τοῦτο συμβῇ, μὴ βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς νήστεις ἀπολῦσαι, μήποτε ἑκλυθῶμεν ὲν τῇ ὀδῷ, εὐχαριστεῖ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρὰ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἄρτοις, καὶ ποιεῖ ἡμῖν περισσεῦσαι ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν ἄρτων, τὰς ἑπτὰ σπυρίδας. Ἐτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τηρητέον, διὰ τοὺς οἰομένους μὴ πάνυ τι τήν θεότητα παρίστασθαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἑκ τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίου, δτι τὸ, διαλογιζομένων ἑν ἑαυτοῖς τῶν μαθητῶν, καὶ λεγόντων ἄρτους μὴ ἔχειν, γνῶναι τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εἰπεῖνʼ ι Τί διαλογίζεσθε ἑν ἑαυτοῖς, ὀλιγόπιστοι, ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἐλάβετε; ι οὐκ ἀνθρώπινον ἦν ’ μονώτατος γὰρ γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἅνθρώπων, ὡς ὀ Σολομῶν ἑν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν φησιν, ὀ Κύριος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ, τοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰπόντος· ι Προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης, ι συνῆκαν οῖ μαθηταὶ, δτι οὐκ εἷπε προσέχειν ἀπὸ τῶν ἄρτων, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῆς διδαχῆς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων, ἐπιστήσεις εί ὅπου ποτʼ ἂν ζύμη ὠνομάσθη, εἰς διδαχὴν τροπολογεῖται, εἴτε ἑν νόμῳ εῖτε καὶ ἑν ταῖς μετὰ τδν νόμον Γραφαῖς · οῦτω δὲ μήποτε ζύμη ού προσφέρεται ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον·ού γὰρ δεῖ τὰς εὐχὰς τρόπον ἔχειν διδασκαλίας, ἀλλʼ εἷναι αὐτὸ μόνον αἰτήσεις ἀγαθῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις διὰ τὰ ἀποδεδομένα περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ἐλθόντων είς τὸ πέραν, εἰ δύναταί τις ἐλθὼν είς τὸ πέραν ὀνειδίζεσθαι ὡς ὀλιγόπιστος, καὶ ὡς οὐδέπω νοῶν, οὐδὲ μνημονεύων τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γεγενημένων. Ού χαλεπὸν δʼ, οἶμαι, πρὸς τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὡς πρὸς τὸ τέλειον, ι ὅπερ ὅταν ἑλθῃ, τὸ ἑκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται, ι πᾶσα ἡ ἐνταῦθα πίστις ήμῶν ὀλιγοπιστία ἐστὶ, καὶ ὡς πρὸς ἐκεῖνο οὐδέπω νοοῦμεν οἱ ἑκ μέρους γινώσκοντες, οὐδὲ μνημονεύομεν · ού γὰρ διαρκῆ, καὶ συμπαρεκτεινομένην μνήμην ἀναλαβεῖν δυνάμεθα τῷ πλήθει τῆς φύσεως τῶν θεωρημάτων. ### English translation (Claude) Then, making it clear, and showing more plainly to those who were being led astray by the double sense of “bread” and “leaven” that he was not speaking to them about bread of sense but about the leaven in teaching, he adds: “How do you not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And though he had not laid bare the interpretation but still kept to the figure, the disciples understood that the Saviour’s word was about teaching, figuratively called leaven, which the Pharisees and Sadducees taught. As long, then, as we have Jesus with us fulfilling the promise that says, “Behold, I am with you all the days, until the consummation of the age,” we cannot fast nor lack food, so as through lack of it to seek to take and eat the forbidden leaven even from Pharisees and Sadducees. There may at times be an occasion, while he is with us, of our being without food, as was said above in the words, “They have already remained with me three days and have nothing to eat.” But even if this happens, not wishing to send us away fasting, lest we faint on the way, he gives thanks over the loaves the disciples have and makes the seven baskets left over for us from the seven loaves, as we have explained. This too must be observed, because of those who think that the divinity of the Saviour is not at all shown in the Gospel according to Matthew: that, when the disciples were reasoning among themselves and saying that they had no bread, Jesus knew their reasonings and said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, that you have not taken bread?”—this was not human; for the Lord alone knows the hearts of human beings, as Solomon says in the third book of Kingdoms. And since, when Jesus said, “Beware of the leaven,” the disciples understood that he did not tell them to beware of the loaves but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, you will consider whether wherever leaven is named it is taken figuratively of teaching, whether in the law or in the Scriptures that come after the law; and so perhaps leaven is not offered on the altar, for prayers ought not to have the character of teaching, but should be only requests for good things from God. One might ask, because of what has been explained about the disciples who came to the other side, whether one who has come to the other side can be reproached as of little faith and as not yet understanding nor remembering what Jesus had done. It is not hard, I think, to answer that, in relation to the perfect—“when it comes, the partial will be done away”—all our faith here is little faith, and in relation to that we who know in part do not yet understand nor remember; for we cannot attain a memory sufficient and extending to the great number of the objects of contemplation. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 28:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 15:37: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 16:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:8: quotation, high confidence - 1 Kgs 8:39: allusion, high confidence - Lev 2:11: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 13:10: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:9: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:11–12; Matt 28:20; Matt 15:32; Matt 16:7–8; 1 Kgs 8:39 (3 Kingdoms 8:39 LXX); Lev 2:11; 1 Cor 13:9–10. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.6 (PG 13:988c–989c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-7 - Source: PG 13:989d–992c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Sins of the heart alone, such as adultery in the heart, are punished, though less than the act; a woman violated against her will remains chaste in heart though not pure in body. ### Greek text Ἔτι δέ ἑστι καὶ ἑντεῦθεν μαθεῖν, δτι καὶ ἐπὶ μόνοις διαλογισμοῖς οὒς ἑν ἑαυτοῖς διαλογιζόμεθα, ἔσθʼ ὅτε ἑγκαλούμεθα, καὶ ὡς ὀλιγόπιστοι ὀνειδιζόμεθα. Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι, ὅτι, ῶσπερ μοιχεύει τις ἑν καρδίᾳ μόνῃ, ού πάντως φθάνων καὶ ἑπὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν, οὕτω καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων ἑν μόνῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ τις πράττει. Ὠς οῦν ὀ μοιχεύσας ἑν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἀνάλογον τῇ τοιαύτῃ μοιχεία κολασθήσεται, οὕτω καὶ ὀ τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων τι ποιήσας ἑν τῇ καρδίᾳ, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, κλέψας ἑν μόνῃ καρδία, ἦ ψευδομαρτυρήσας ὲν μόνῃ καρδίᾳ, οὐχ ὡς ὀ καὶ ἑργῳ μὲν κλέψας, ἢ καὶ τήν πρᾶξιν τῆς ψευδομαρτυρίας ἐπιτελέσας, ὡς δὲ μόνον ὲν τῇ καρδία τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιήσας κολασθήσεται, καί τοῦτο, εί παρʼ αὑτὸν μὴ ἦλθε καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν μοχθηρὰν πρᾶξιν. Εί γὰρ πρὸς τῷ βεβουλῆσθαι ἐνεχείρησε μὲν, οὐ τέτευχε δέ, κολασθήσεται, οὐχ ὡς τῇ καρδίᾳ μόνῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ πράξει ἡμαρτηκὼς. Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα, εί μοιχεύει μέν τις ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μόνῃ, κᾶν μὴ τὺ ἔργον τῆς μοιχείας ποιήσῃ, οὐ σωφρονεῖ δέ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ. Τὸ παραπλήσιον δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ποιήσεις ἐπαινετῶν. Ἔχει δέ τι πιθανῶς ἡμᾶς παραλογίσασθαι δυνάμενον 6 τόπος, ὅπερ τοῦτον, οἶμαι, καθαρτέον τὸν τρόπον · Μοιχεία μὲν γενομένη ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἔλαττόν ἐστιν ἁμάρτημα, ἢ εί προσθείη τις καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν· ἀμήχανον δὲ σωφροσύνην εῖναι ἐν καρδίᾳ, ἐμποδίζουσαν τῇ σωφρονικῇ πράξει· εί μὴ ἄρα τις καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου τὴν ἐν ἐρημίᾳ βιασθεῖσαν παραλάβοι, κατὰ τὸν νόμον, είς παραδειγμα παρθένον. Ἔστω γὰρ τὴν καρδίαν τινὸς εἶναι καθαρωτάτην, τὴν δὲ βίαν πεποιηκέναι ἐν τῷ ἀκολάστῳ τὴν φθορὰν τοῦ σώματος τῆς σώφρονος· αῦτη δὴ δοκεῖ μοι σώφρων μὲν πάντως εῖναι ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ, τῷ δὲ σώματι οὐκέτι εἶναι καθαρὰ, ὁποία πρὸ τῆς βίας ἦν· ἀλλʼ οὐχὶ, ἐπεὶ οὐ καθαρὰ, ἤδη καὶ ἀκόλαστος. Ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τό· ι Ἑλογίζοντο ἐν ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες, δτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἐλάβομεν* ι ᾧ ἐπιφέρεται τό· ι Γνοὺς δὲ 6 Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Ὀλιγόπιστοι, τί διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς; ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ° ἔδει γὰρ τδν περὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ ψόγον ἐξετασθῆναι, καὶ παρανακειμένως αὐτῷ τῶν ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ τὸν ἔπαινον. ### English translation (Claude) We may also learn from this that we are sometimes charged, and reproached as of little faith, for the reasonings alone that we reason within ourselves. And I think that, just as one commits adultery in the heart alone without going on to the act at all, so one does the rest of the forbidden things in the heart alone. As, then, one who has committed adultery in the heart will be punished in proportion to such adultery, so too one who has done any of the forbidden things in the heart—for example, has stolen in the heart alone, or borne false witness in the heart alone—will be punished not as one who has stolen in deed too, or carried out the act of false witness, but as one who did such things in the heart alone; and this, if it was owing to himself that he did not go on to the vicious act. For if, besides having willed it, he made the attempt but did not succeed, he will be punished as having sinned not in the heart alone but also in act. One might ask on such matters whether, while one can commit adultery in the heart alone even without doing the deed of adultery, one cannot be chaste in the heart alone. And you will do the like with the rest of the praiseworthy things. The passage contains something that can plausibly mislead us, which, I think, must be cleared up in this way: adultery committed in the heart is a lesser sin than if one added the act as well; but it is impossible for there to be chastity in the heart while one hinders the chaste act—unless one should here too take as an example the virgin who, according to the law, was forced in a solitary place. For let it be granted that someone’s heart is most pure, but that violence, in the licentious man, has brought about the corruption of the body of the chaste woman. She seems to me to be wholly chaste in secret, but in body no longer pure, as she was before the violence; but not, because she is not pure, therefore also unchaste. I have said this because of “They reasoned among themselves, saying, Because we did not take bread,” to which is added, “But Jesus, aware of it, said, You of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves?” and so on; for the blame of things done in secret had to be examined, and alongside it the praise of things in secret. ### Scripture references - Matt 5:28: allusion, high confidence - Deut 22:25: allusion, high confidence - Deut 22:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 5:28; Deut 22:25–27 (the betrothed virgin forced in the open country); Matt 16:7–8. Origen’s discussion of sins of the heart and of the violated virgin is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.7 (PG 13:989d–992c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/11-19/#p-12-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-8 - Source: PG 13:992c–993a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: As the Samaritan woman took Jesus’ water literally, the disciples may have taken the leaven literally; both must be understood figuratively, the leaven being the raw teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ### Greek text Θαυμάζω δʼ εί οἱ μαθηταί ῷοντο, πρὶν σαφηνισθῆναι αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὸν λόγον, ὅτι ἀπαγορεύει αὺτοῖς 6 διδάσκαλος καὶ 6 Κύριος αἰσθητὴν ζύμην Φαρισαίων ἢ Σαδδουκαίων φυλάξασθαι, ὡς οὐ καθαρὰν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀπαγορευομένην, ἴνα μηδʼ, ὅτι ἄρτους ,οὐκ είλήφεισαν, τῇ ἐκείνων ζύμῃ χρήσωνται. Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον καὶ ἐπʼ ἄλλων μὲν ζητήσαιμεν, ἀρκεῖ δὲ παραδείγματος χάριν τὸ περὶ τῆς Σαμαρείτιδος ἐν τῷ· ι Πᾶς 6 πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὓδατος τούτου διψήσει πάλιν ὃς δʼ ἂν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ ὓδατος, οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αίῶνα · ι καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ _ λέξει, ή Σαμαρεῖτις δόξει οἴεσθαι περὶ ὓδατος αἰσθητοῦ ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγοντα· ι Ὃς δʼ ἂν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος, οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ διψήσει είς τὸν αἰῶνα. ι Κάκεῖνα οῦν τροπολογητὲον, καὶ συνεξὲταστέον ὕδωρ πηγῆς τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἀφʼ ἧς ἤντλει ἡ Σαμαρεῖτις, ὕδατι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ὅμοιον ποιητέον· τάχα γὰρ οὐδὲ ἄρτοι ἦσαν πεφθέντες, ἀλλά τις ζύμη αὐτὸ μόνον ὠμή, ἡ διδαχὴ τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων. Περὶ τῆς έν ’Καισαρείᾳ ἐπερωτήσεως τοῦ Ἰησοῦ περὶ τοῦ τίνα αὐτὸν λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι. ### English translation (Claude) But I wonder whether the disciples thought, before the saying was made clear to them by Jesus, that their teacher and Lord was forbidding them to guard against a sense-perceptible leaven of the Pharisees or Sadducees, as unclean and therefore forbidden, so that they should not use that leaven because they had not taken loaves. We might inquire into the like in other cases too, but for an example the passage about the Samaritan woman suffices: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” For there too, as far as the wording goes, the Samaritan woman will seem to have thought that the Saviour was promising sense-perceptible water when he said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.” Those words, then, must be taken figuratively, and the water of the spring of Jacob from which the Samaritan woman drew must be examined together with the water of Jesus; and here the like must be done; for perhaps there were not even baked loaves, but only some raw leaven, the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [Heading of the next chapter:] On Jesus’ question at Caesarea, who people say that he is. ### Scripture references - John 4:13: quotation, high confidence - John 4:14: quotation, high confidence - John 4:6: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 16:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 4:13–14; John 4:6, 11–12; Matt 16:13 (heading). Some words of the closing heading are garbled in the scan OCR and read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.8 (PG 13:992c–993a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-9 - Source: PG 13:993a–996d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The people’s opinions that Jesus was John, Elijah, Jeremiah, or a prophet came from unsound reasoning, while Peter, taught by the Father, confessed him as the Christ and Son of the living God. ### Greek text ἰ Ἐλθὼν δὲ 6 Ἰησοῦς είς τὰ μέρη Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου, ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητάς αὑτοῦ. ι Πυνθάνεται τῶν μαθητῶν 6 Ἰησοῦς τίνα λέγουσιν αὑτὸν oi ἄνθρωποι εἶναι, ἵνʼ ἡμεῖς μάθωμεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως τῶν ἀποστόλων τὰς διαφόρους περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ήμῶν ὲν Ἰουδαίοις γενομένας ὑπολήψεις τότε · τάχα δὲ καὶ ἵνα οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διδάσκωνται ἀεὶ περιεργάζεσθαι περὶ τῶν λεγομένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων περὶ αὐτῶν· ὅπερ πράττουσι συμβαλεῖται πρὸς τὸ, εἴ τι μὲν φαῦλον λέγεται, τούτου τὰς ἀφορμὰς παντὶ τρόπῳ περιαιρεῖν, εί τι δὲ ἀστεῖον, τούτου τάς προφάσεις συναύξειν. Πλὴν ὅρα διὰ τὰ διάφορα ὲν Ἰουδαίοις περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κινήματα, τίνα τρόπον ἀπό τινων οὑχ ὑγιῶν δογμάτων ἔλεγόν τινες μὲν, ὃτι Ἰωάννης ἦν 6 Βαπτιστὴς, ὁμοίως Ἡρώδῃ τῷ τετράρχῃ, τῷ εἰπόντι τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ· ι Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰωάννης 6 Βαπτιστής · αὑτὸς ἠγέρθη ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αἱ δυνάμεις ἐνεργοῦσιν ἐν αὑτῷ · › ἄλλοι δὲ, ὅτι Ἠλίας ἐστὶν ὁ νῦν καλούμενος Ἰησοῦς, ήτοι γένεσιν ὑπομείνας δευτέραν, ἢ ἔκτοτε ὲν σαρκὶ ζῶν, κατὰ τὸν παρόντα ἐπιφανεὶς χρόνον. Καὶ οἱ φάσκοντες δὲ, δτι Ἱερεμίας εἴη 6 Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οὑχὶ τὺπος τοῦ Χριστοῦ 6 Ἱερεμίας, τάχα ὲκ τῶν εἰρημένων ὲν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς τοῦ Ἰερεμίου περὶ Χριστοῦ ἐκινήθησαν, οὑ πληρωθέντων μὲν ὲν τῷ προφήτῃ τότε, ἀρξαμένων δὲ πληροῦσθαι ὲν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃν ι ἔθετο 6 Θεὸς είς ἔθνη καὶ βασιλείας, ὲκριζοῦν, καὶ κατασκάπτειν, καὶ ἀπολλύειν, καὶ ἀνοικοδομεῖν, καὶ μεταφυτεὺειν, ι προφήτην αὑτὸν εἰς ἔθνη γενέσθαι ποιήσας, οἷς ἐκήρυξε τὸν λόγον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ λέγοντες, ὃτι εἷς τις ἦν τῶν προφητῶν, τοιαῦτα περὶ αὑτοῦ ὑπελάμβανον διὰ τὰ ὲν τοῖς προφήταις, ὡς πρὸς αὑτοὺς μὲν ῥηθέντα, οὑ πεπληρωμένα δὲ ἐπʼ αὑτοῖς. Ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν Ἰουδαῖοι, ὡς ἄξιοι τοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ καρδία αὑτῶν καλύμματος, ἐψευδοδόξουν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ’ Πέτρος δὲ, ὡς οὑ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος μαθητὴς, ἀλλὰ καὶ χωρήσας ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς, ὁμολόγησεν αὑτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν τυγχάνειν. Ἧν μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πέτρου λεγόμενον τῷ Σωτῆρι, τό · ι Σὺ εἷ ὁ Χριστος, ι μὴ γινωσκόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι Χριστὸς εἴη, μέγα· μεῖζον δὲ, ὅτι ἠπίστατο αὐτὸν οὐ μόνον Χριστὸν εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ‹ Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, › καὶ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν εἰρηκότοςʼ ι Ζῶ ἐγὼ, ι καί · ‹ Ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ὓδατος ζῶντος ο ι καὶ ζωὴ δὲ, ὡς ἀπὸ πηγῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Πατρὺς, ὁ εἰπών ‹ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή. ι Καὶ πρόσχες ἐπιμελῶς εἰ μὴ, ῶσπερ οὑ ταυτὸν ἐστι πηγὴ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ὁ ποταμός, οὕτως ζωῆς καὶ ζωή. Καὶ ταῦτα προσεθήκαμεν, διὰ τὸ προσκεῖσθαι τῷ· ι Σὺ εἷ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι τό, ι τοῦ ζῶντος· ἐξαίρετον γάρ τι ἐχρῆν παραστῆσαι ἐν τῷ λεγομένῳ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρδς τῶν ὅλων, ὡς ζῶντος παρὰ τε τὴν αὐτοζωὴν, καὶ τὰ μετέχοντα αὐτῆς. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἴπομεν μὴ ἀπό τινων ὑγιῶν δογμάτων εἰρηκέναι τοὺς ἀποφηναμένους εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Ἰωάννην τὸν Βαπτιστὴν, ἡ τινα τῶν ἐπιφερομένων, κατασκευάσωμεν, καὶ τοῦτο λέγοντες, ὅτι, εἰ παρατετεύχεισαν ἐπί τὸ βάπτισμα ἀπεληλυθότι τῷ Ἰησοῦ προς τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ βαπτίζοντι τῷ Ἰωαννῇ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἢ εἰ ἀκηκόεισαν παρά τινος, οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγον Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν Ἰωάννην. Ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰ νενοήκασι τὸ δόγμα ἀφʼ οὗ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς · ι Εἰ θέλετε δέξασθαι, αὐτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι, ι καὶ ὡς ἔχοντες ὦτα ἀκηκόεισαν τοῦ λελεγμένου, οὐκ ἂν εἶπόν τινες αὑτὸν εἶναι Ἠλίαν· καὶ οἱ εἰπόντες αὐτὸν εἶναι Ἱερεμίαν, εἰ ἑώρων, ὅτι οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν ἔλεγον αὑτὸν εἶναι Ἱερεμίαν · ὁμοίως δὲ οὐδὲ ἄλλοι ἕνα τινὰ τῶν προφητῶν. ### English translation (Claude) “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples.” Jesus asks the disciples whom people say him to be, so that we may learn from the apostles’ answer the various opinions about our Saviour that arose among the Jews at that time; and perhaps also so that the disciples of Jesus may be taught always to take an interest in what people say about them; for this will help those who do it, so that, if something bad is said, they may remove the occasions for it in every way, and if something good, they may increase the grounds for it. But observe how, because of the various movements among the Jews about Jesus, some, from unsound opinions, said that he was John the Baptist, like Herod the tetrarch, who said to his servants: “This is John the Baptist; he has been raised from the dead, and for this reason the powers are at work in him”; and others that the one now called Jesus is Elijah, having either undergone a second birth, or having lived in the flesh since then and appeared at the present time. And those who said that Jesus was Jeremiah, and not that Jeremiah was a type of the Christ, were perhaps moved by what is said at the beginning of Jeremiah about Christ, which was not fulfilled in the prophet at that time, but began to be fulfilled in Jesus, whom “God set over nations and kingdoms, to uproot and tear down and destroy and rebuild and plant,” making him a prophet to the nations, to whom he preached the word. And those who said that he was one of the prophets held such opinions about him because of things in the prophets that were spoken as of themselves but were not fulfilled in them. But the Jews, as deserving the veil on their heart, held false opinions about Jesus; Peter, however, as a disciple not of flesh and blood, but as one who had received a revelation from the Father in heaven, confessed that he was the Christ. What Peter said to the Saviour, “You are the Christ,” when the Jews did not know that he was the Christ, was great; but greater still that he knew him to be not only the Christ but also “the Son of the living God,” who said through the prophets, “I live,” and “They have forsaken me, the spring of living water”; and he is also life, as from the Father, the spring of life, he who said, “I am the life.” And consider carefully whether, as the spring of a river is not the same as the river, so the spring of life is not the same as life. And we have added this because to “You are the Christ, the Son of God” there was added “living”; for something exceptional had to be shown in what is said of the God and Father of all, as living beyond both life itself and the things that participate in it. And since we said that those who declared Jesus to be John the Baptist, or one of the others named, said it from unsound opinions, let us establish this too, saying that if they had chanced upon Jesus when he went away to John for baptism, and upon John baptizing Jesus, or had heard it from someone, they would not have said that Jesus was John. And if they had grasped the teaching from which Jesus said, “If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come,” and had heard what was said as those who have ears, some would not have said that he was Elijah; and those who said that he was Jeremiah, if they had seen that most of the … , would not have said that he was Jeremiah; and likewise the others would not have said that he was one of the prophets. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:14: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 14:2: quotation, high confidence - Jer 1:10: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - Num 14:28: quotation, medium confidence - Jer 2:13: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:13: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 11:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:15: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:13–16; Matt 14:2; Jer 1:10; 2 Cor 3:15; Matt 16:17; Num 14:28 (and often: “I live”); Jer 2:13; John 14:6; Matt 3:13–15; Matt 11:14–15. The scan text has a garbled Latin editor’s note after “the veil on their heart,” which has been removed; near the end some words are lost (“…”): Origen’s point, as the public-domain English gives it, is that most of the prophets bore features symbolic of Christ. The section is about Peter’s confession; it is translated exactly, without comment on later debates. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.9 (PG 13:993a–996d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-10 - Source: PG 13:996d–1000a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Whoever confesses Christ as Peter did, by revelation from the Father, becomes a Peter, and on every such disciple, a “rock,” the Church is built by God. ### Greek text Τάχα δὲ ὅπερ ἀποκριθεὶς Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν ἐν τῷ · ι Σὺ εἷ 6 Χριστὸς 6 Υίδς τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, ἐὰν ὡς 6 Πέτρος λέγωμεν, οὐ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος ἡμῖν ἁποκαλύψαντος, ἀλλὰ φωτὸς ήμῶν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὲλλάμψαντος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς, καὶ αὐτοὶ γινόμεθα ὅπερ καὶ 6 Πέτρος, ὁμοίως αὐτῷ μακαριζόμενοι, διὰ τὸ τὰ αἴτια τοῦ μακαρισμοῦ ἐκείνῳ καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐφθακέναι, τῷ σάρκα καὶ αἷμα μὴ ἀποκεκαλυφέναι ἡμῖν περὶ τοῦ τὸν Ἰησοῦν εῖναι Χριστὸν, Υίὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα ἀπʼ αὐτῶν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ῖνα ὲν οὐρανοῖς πολιτευσώμεθα, ἀποκαλύψαντος ἡμῖν ἀποκάλυψιν ἀνάγουσαν είς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς τοὺς περιαιροῦντας μὲν πᾶν κάλυμμα ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας, ἀναλαβόντας δὲ ι τὺ Πνεῦμα τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως. ι Ei δὲ φήσαντες καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὡς 6 Πέτρος · ι Σὺ εἷ 6 Χριστὸς 6 Υίδς τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, ι οὐχ ὡς σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος ἡμῖν άποκαλυψάντων, ἀλλὰ φωτὸς ἡμῶν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὲλλάμψαντος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός, γινόμεθα Πέτρος· καὶ ἡμῖν ἂν λέγοιτο ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου τό· ι Σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πέτρα γὰρ πᾶς 6 Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς, ἀφʼ οὗ ἔπινον οἱ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας, ι καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην πέτραν οἰκοδομεῖται 6 ὲκκλησιαστικδς πᾶς λόγος, καὶ ἠ κατʼ αὐτὸν πολιτεία · ὲν ἑκάστῳ γὰρ τῶν τελείων ἐχόντων τὸ ἄθροισμα τῶν συμπληροὺντων τὴν μακαριότητα λόγων, καὶ ἔργων καὶ νοημάτων, ἔστιν ἡ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκοδομουμένη Ἐκκλησία. ### English translation (Claude) And perhaps, if we say what Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” as Peter did, flesh and blood not having revealed it to us, but a light from the Father in heaven having shone in our heart, we too become what Peter was, being pronounced blessed as he was, because the grounds of his blessedness have reached us too: flesh and blood did not reveal to us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, but the Father in heaven, from the heavens themselves, so that we may have our citizenship in heaven, revealed to us the revelation that leads up to the heavens those who remove every veil from the heart and receive “the Spirit of the wisdom of God and of revelation.” And if we too have said, like Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” not as though flesh and blood had revealed it to us, but by a light from the Father in heaven shining in our heart, we become a Peter, and to us too it might be said by the Word: “You are Peter,” and so on. For every disciple of Christ is a rock, of whom those drank who drank from “the spiritual rock that followed”; and on every such rock is built every word of the Church and the way of life that accords with it; for in each of the perfect, who have the sum of the words and deeds and thoughts that make up blessedness, is the Church being built by God. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:20: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 3:16: allusion, high confidence - Eph 1:17: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:6: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 10:4: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:16–18; Phil 3:20; 2 Cor 3:16; Eph 1:17; 2 Cor 4:6; 1 Cor 10:4. Origen applies the words to Peter to every disciple who confesses Christ as Peter did; this is translated exactly as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.10 (PG 13:996d–1000a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-11 - Source: PG 13:1000a–1005a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen argues that the promises to Peter—the rock, the keys, binding and loosing—belong to every disciple who confesses Christ as Peter did, and that the gates of Hades cannot prevail against the rock or the Church, which are one. ### Greek text Εἰ δέ ἐπὶ τον ἕνα ἐκεῖνον Πέτρον νομίζεις ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκοδομεῖσθαι τὴν πᾶσαν Ἐκκλησίαν μόνον, τί ἂν φήσαις περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ τῆς βροντῆς υἱοῦ ἢ ἑκάστου τῶν ἀποστόλων; Ἀλλως τε ἆρα τολμήσωμεν λέγειν, ὃτι Πέτρου μὲν ἰδίως πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσι, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν τελείων κατισχύσουσιν ; Οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ αὐτῶν τὸ προειρημένον, τό ο ι Πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς, ι γίνεται ; καὶ τό· ι Ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν; Ἆρα δὲ τῷ Πέτρῳ μόνῳ δίδονται ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου αἱ κλεῖδες τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἕτερος τῶν μακαρίων αὑτὰς λήψεται; Εἰ δὲ κοινόν ἐστι καὶ πρὸς ἐτέρους τό· ι Δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ο πῶς οὐχὶ καὶ πάντα τά τε προειρημένα καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα ὡς πρὸς Πέτρον λελεγμένα ; Καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα μὲν ὡς πρὸς Πέτρον εἰρῆσθαι δοκεῖ τά* ι Ὅσα ἂν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδεμένα ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ὲν δὲ τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην δοὺς Πνεῦμα ἆγιον ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς διὰ τοῦ ἐμφυσήματος, φησι· ‹ Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, υ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πολλοὶ τοίνυν φήσουσι πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα· ι Σὺ εἴ ό Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ι ἀλλʼ οὐ πάντες οἱ τοῦτο φάσκοντες ἐροῦσιν αὐτῷ, οὐδαμῶς μὲν ἀπὸ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος ἀποκαλυψάντων τοῦτο μεμαθηκότες, αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρὺς ἀφελόντος τὸ ἐπικείμενον τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν κάλυμμα· ἵνα μετὰ τοῦτο, ι ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, ι ὲν Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ λαλῶσι, λέγοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ τό· ι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ι καὶ πρὸς αὑτὸν τόʼ ι Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. ι Καὶ εἴ τις λέγει τοῦτο ὡς ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐ σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος ἀποκαλυψάντων αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς, τεύξεται τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς μὲν τὸ γράμμα τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου λέγει, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν Πέτρον, ὡς δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα αὑτοῦ διδάσκει, πρὸς πάντα τὸν γενόμενον, ὁποῖος ὁ Πέτρος ἐκεῖνος. Παρώνυμοι γὰρ πέτρας πάντες οἱ μιμηταὶ Χριστοῦ, τῆς πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας τοῖς σωζομένοις, ἵνα ἐξ αὐτῆς πίνωσι τὸ πνευματικὸν πόμα. Οὗτοι δὲ παρὼνυμοί εἰσι τῆς πέτρας, ὡς Χριστός · ἀλλὰ καὶ Χριστοῦ μέλη ὄντες, παρώνυμοι ἐχρημάτισαν Χριστιανοί· πέτρας δὲ, Πέτροι. Ἀπὸ δὲ τούτων ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν φήσεις τοὺς δικαίους παρωνύμους εἶναι Χριστοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τοὺς σοφοὺς Χριστοῦ τῆς σοφίας· καὶ οὕτως ποιήσεις ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν αὑτοῦ ὀνομάτων παρώνυμα ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους, καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς τοιούτους ἂν λέγοιτο ἀπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὸ λέγον· ι Σὺ εἷ Πέτρος, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς. ι Τίνος δὲ, αύτῆς; ἆρα γὰρ τῆς πέτρας, ἐφʼ ἢν Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεῖ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν; ἢ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας; ἀμφίβολος γὰρ ἡ φράσις· ἢ ὡς ἐνὸς καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τῆς πέτρας καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας; Τοῦτο δʼ οἶμαι ἀληθὲς τυγχάνειν· οὔτε γὰρ τῆς πέτρας, ἐφʼ ἦς ὁ Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεί τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οὔτε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πύλαι ᾅδου κατισχύσουσιν, ὡς οὐδὲ ι ὁδὸς ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας. ι κατὰ τὸ ὲν Παροιμίαις γεγραμμένον, εὑρεθείη ἄν. El δέ τινος πύλαι ᾅδου κατισχύσουσιν, οὔτε πέτρα ὁ τοιοῦτος ἂν εἴη, ἐφʼ ἢν ὁ Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεί τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οὔτε ἡ ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ οἰκοδομουμένη ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν Ἐκκλησία ἡ τε γὰρ πέτρα ἄβατος ἐστιν ὄφει, καὶ ἰσχυροτέρα τῶν ἀντιπαλαιουσῶν αὐτῇ πυλῶν ᾅδου, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς μὴ κατισχύειν αὐτῆς τὰς πύλας τοῦ ᾅδου ι ἦ τε Ἐκκλησία, ὼς Χριστοῦ οἰκοδομὴ, ι τοῦ οἰκοδομήσαντος ἑαυτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν φρονίμως ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν, ι ἀνεπίδεκτός ἐστι πυλῶν ᾅδου, κατισχυουσῶν μὲν παντὸς ἀνθρώπου τοῦ ἐξω τῆς πέτρας καὶ τῆς Ἑκκλησίας, οὐδὲν δυναμένων πρὸς αὐτὴν. ### English translation (Claude) But if you think that the whole Church is built by God on that one Peter alone, what would you say about John, the son of thunder, or each of the apostles? Shall we otherwise dare to say that the gates of Hades will not prevail against Peter in particular, but will prevail against the other apostles and the perfect? Is not the saying already quoted, “The gates of Hades will not prevail against it,” true of all and of each of them? And also “On this rock I will build my Church”? Are the keys of the kingdom of heaven given by the Lord to Peter alone, and will no other of the blessed receive them? But if “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” is common to others too, how are not all the things said before, and those added after, as spoken to Peter, common as well? For here what seems to be said as to Peter is “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” and so on; but in the Gospel according to John the Saviour, giving the Holy Spirit to the disciples by breathing on them, says: “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and so on. Many, then, will say to the Saviour, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”; but not all who say this will say it to him having learned it not at all from flesh and blood revealing it, but from the Father in heaven himself, who has removed the veil lying on their heart, so that after this, “beholding with unveiled face the glory of the Lord,” they may speak in the Spirit of God, saying of him, “Lord Jesus,” and to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And if anyone says this to him as Peter did, flesh and blood not having revealed it to him, but the Father in heaven, he will obtain what was said—as the letter of the Gospel says, to that Peter, but, as its spirit teaches, to everyone who has become such as that Peter was. For all imitators of Christ take their name from the rock, the spiritual rock that follows those who are being saved, so that they may drink from it the spiritual drink. And these take their name from the rock, as Christ does; but also, being members of Christ, they have been named Christians after him, and Peters after the rock. And taking a starting point from this you will say that the righteous take their name from Christ the righteousness, and the wise from Christ the wisdom; and so with his other names you will make names derived from them for the saints; and to all such the Saviour’s saying might be said: “You are Peter,” and the rest, as far as “will not prevail against it.” But against what is “it”? Is it the rock, on which Christ builds the Church? Or the Church? For the phrase is ambiguous. Or is it as though the rock and the Church were one and the same? This I think to be true; for the gates of Hades will prevail neither against the rock on which Christ builds the Church nor against the Church, just as “the way of a serpent upon a rock,” as is written in Proverbs, could not be found. But if the gates of Hades prevail against anyone, such a one would be neither a rock on which Christ builds the Church nor the Church built by Christ on the rock; for the rock is inaccessible to the serpent, and stronger than the gates of Hades that wrestle against it, so that because of its strength the gates of Hades do not prevail against it; and the Church, as the building of Christ, “who built his house wisely upon the rock,” is not open to the gates of Hades, which prevail against every person outside the rock and the Church, but can do nothing against it. ### Scripture references - Mark 3:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:19: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - John 20:23: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:16: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:18: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:4: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:30: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 12:27: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 30:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:24: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Mark 3:17; Matt 16:16–19; John 20:22–23; 2 Cor 3:16, 18; 1 Cor 12:3; 1 Cor 10:4; 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Cor 12:27; Prov 30:19; Matt 7:24. Origen’s view that the words to Peter apply to all who are like Peter is translated exactly as written; the passage has been read in different ways in later debates about the Church, and no position is taken here. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.11 (PG 13:1000a–1005a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-12 - Source: PG 13:1005a–1008c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Every sin is a gate of Hades; a soul stained by sin is no rock and no part of the Church, however many claim membership, and each heretic, such as Marcion, Basilides, and Valentinus, has built a gate of Hades. ### Greek text Νοήσαντες δὲ, ὡς ἑκάστη τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν διʼ ὧν ἐστιν εἱς ᾅδου γενέσθαι, πύλη ἐστὶν ᾅδου, καταληψόμεθα, ὅτι ι ἡ ἔχουσα σπῖλον, ἦ ῥυτίδα, ἦ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ι καὶ διὰ τὴν κακίαν μηδὲ ἁγία μηδὲ ἄμωμος τυγχάνουσα ψυχὴ, οὔτε πέτρα ἐστὶν ἐφʼ ἢν ὀ Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεῖ, οὔτε Ἐκκλησία, οὔτε Ἐκκλησὶας μέρος. ἢν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν ὁ Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεῖ. Ἐὰν δέ τις πρὸς ταῦτα δυσωπεῖν ἡμᾶς βούλεται διὰ τὰ πλήθη τῶν πιστεύειν νομιζομένων ἐκκλησιαστικῶς, λεκτέον αὐτῷ οὐ μόνον τό· ι Πολλοὶ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοὶ, ι ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος πρὸς τοὺς προσιόντας αὐτῷ λελεγμένον, ὡς ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν εἴρηται, οὕτως ἔχον · ι Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς θύρας, ὅτι πολλοὶ, λέγω, ὑμῖν, ζητήσουσιν εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τῆς στενῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἰσχύσουσι· ι καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον δὲ γεγραμμένον τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον ῥητέον· ι Ὀτι στενὴ ἡ πύλη, καὶ τεθλιμμένη ή ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν. ι Προσέχων δὲ τῷ ι ι Ὅτι πολλοὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, ζητήσουσιν εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἰσχύσουσι, ι συνήσεις, ὅτι τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοὺς αὐχοῦντας μὲν εἶναι ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησιας, ἀσθενῶς δὲ καὶ παρὰ τὸν λόγον βιοῦντας ἀναφέρεται. Οἱ μὲν οὖν μὴ ἰσχύοντες εἰσελθεῖν τῶν ζητούντων εἰσελθεῖν, τῷ πύλας ᾅδου κατισχύειν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἂν ἰσχύσουσιν· ὧν δὲ πύλαι ᾅδου ού κατισχύουσιν, οὗτοι ζητοῦντες εἰσελθεῖν ἰσχύσουσι, πάντα ἰσχύοντες ὲν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντι αὐτοὺς Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ οὕτως ἕκαστος μὲν τῶν πατέρων μοχθηρᾶς γνώμης ἀρχιτέκτων γέγονε πύλης τινὸς ᾅδου· οἱ δὲ συνεργοὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀρχιτέκτονος τῶν τοιούτων διδασκαλίᾳ, ὑπουργοί τινες καὶ οἰκονόμοι δουλεύοντες μοχθηρῷ ἁρχιτεκτονικῷ ἀσεβείας λόγῳ. Πολλῶν δὲ καὶ δυσαριθμήτων οὐσῶν τῶν ᾅδου πυλῶν, οὐδεμία πύλη ᾅδου κατισχύσει τῆς πέτρας, ἢ Ἐκκλησίας ἢν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ Χριστὸς οἰκοδομεῖ. Πλὴν ἔχουσί τινα ἰσχὺν αὐται αἱ πύλαι, ἀφʼ ἦς τινῶν μὲν κρατοῦσι τῶν μὴ ἀντιτεινόντων καὶ ἀνταγωνιζομένων πρὸς αὐτάς· ὑφʼ ἑτέρων δὲ νικῶνται, τῶν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ εἰπόντος· ι Ἑγὼ είμι ἡ θύρα, ι πάσας τὰς ᾅδου πύλας καθελόντων ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ψυχῆς. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ χρὴ εἰδέναι, ὅτι, ῶσπερ αἱ πόλεων πύλαι ὀνόματα ἔχουσιν ἑκάστη οἰκεῖα, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον αἱ τοῦ ᾅδου πύλαι ὀνομασθεῖεν ἂν κατὰ τά εἴδη τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὡς μίαν μὲν ὀνομάζεσθαι πύλην ᾅδου πορνείαν, διʼ ἧς ὁδεύουσιν οἱ πορνεύοντες· ἑτέραν δὲ ἄρνησιν, διʼ ἦς ἀρνησίθεοι είς ᾅδου καταβαίνουσιν. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν ἑτεροδόξων, καὶ γεννησάντων ψευδώνυμόν τινα γνῶσιν, ᾠκοδόμησεν ᾅδου πύλην, ἀλλην μὲν Μαρκίων, καὶ Βασιλίδης ἀλλην, καὶ Οὐαλεντίνος ### English translation (Claude) And when we have understood that each of the sins through which one comes to Hades is a gate of Hades, we shall grasp that the soul “that has spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind,” and because of wickedness is neither holy nor blameless, is neither a rock on which Christ builds, nor a Church, nor part of the Church which Christ builds on the rock. But if anyone wishes to put us to shame on these points because of the great numbers of those thought to believe in the Church’s way, we must say to him not only “Many are called, but few are chosen,” but also what was said by the Saviour to those who came to him, as it is said in the Gospel according to Luke, as follows: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter through the narrow one and will not be able”; and what is written in the Gospel according to Matthew must also be quoted, thus: “For narrow is the gate and hard the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” And attending to “For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able,” you will understand that this refers to those who boast that they belong to the Church but live weakly and contrary to the word. Those among the seekers who are not able to enter, then, will not be able because the gates of Hades prevail against them; but those against whom the gates of Hades do not prevail will be able, when they seek to enter, being able for all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens them. And so each of the fathers of a vicious opinion has become the architect of some gate of Hades; and those who work with the teaching of the architect of such things are assistants and stewards serving a vicious architect’s word of impiety. And though the gates of Hades are many and hard to number, no gate of Hades will prevail against the rock or the Church which Christ builds on it. Yet these gates have some strength, by which they master some who do not resist or struggle against them; but they are conquered by others, who, by not departing from him who said, “I am the door,” have pulled down all the gates of Hades from their own soul. And this too one must know, that as the gates of cities each have their own names, in the same way the gates of Hades might be named according to the kinds of sins, so that one gate of Hades is called sexual immorality, through which those who commit sexual immorality pass; and another denial, through which those who deny God go down to Hades. And indeed each of the heterodox, who have begotten some knowledge “falsely so called,” has built a gate of Hades, Marcion one, Basilides another, and Valentinus … ### Scripture references - Eph 5:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Phil 4:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: allusion, high confidence - John 10:9: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 6:20: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Eph 5:27; Matt 22:14; Luke 13:24; Matt 7:14; Phil 4:13; Matt 16:18; John 10:9; 1 Tim 6:20. The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”). Origen’s naming of Marcion, Basilides, and Valentinus is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.12 (PG 13:1005a–1008c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-13 - Source: PG 13:1008c–1012a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Opposed to the gates of Hades, which are vices and hostile powers, are the gates of Zion, the virtues, at each of which the soul lifted from the gates of death declares a praise of God. ### Greek text Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν πύλαι ᾅδου εἴρηνται· ἑν δὲ τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς ὁ Προφήτης εὐχαριστεῖ λέγων· ι Ὁ ὑψῶν με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, ὅπως ἂν ἑξαγγείλω πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις σου έν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών. ι Καὶ ἑκ τούτου δὲ μανθάνομεν, ὅτι μήποτε οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐστὶν πάσας δυνηθῆναι ἐξαγγεῖλαι τὰς αἱνέσεις τινὰ τοῦ Θεού, μὴ ύψωθέντα ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ γενόμενον παρὰ ταῖς πύλαις Σιών. Πύλαι δὲ Σιὼν ἐναντίως νοηθεῖεν ταῖς πύλαις τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς εἶναι πύλην μὲν θανάτου τὴν ἀκολασίαν, πύλην δὲ Σιὼν τὴν σωφροσύνην· καὶ οὕτω θανάτου μὲν τὴν ἀδικίαν, Σιὼν δὲ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἥντινα δεικνὺς ό προφήτης φησινʼ ι Αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ Κυρίου, δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ὲν αὐτῇ · ι καὶ πάλιν τὴν μὲν δειλίαν, θανάτου πύλην τὴν δὲ ἀνδρείαν, Σιών · καὶ ἀφροσύνην μὲν θανάτου, τὴν δὲ ἐναντίαν αὐτῇ φρόνησιν τῆς Σιών. Πάσαις δὲ ταῖς πύλαις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως μία ἐναντία ἐστὶ πύλη ἡ τῆς άψευδοῦς γνώσεως. Ἐπίστησον δὲ εί δύνασαι διὰ τό· ι Ούκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ι καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ, λέγειν ἑκάστην ι ἐξουσίαν, καὶ κοσμοκράτορα τοῦ σκότους τούτου, καὶ πνευματικὸν τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, ι πύλην εἶναι ᾅδου καλ πύλην θανάτου. Πύλαι οὖν ᾅδου λέγοιντο καὶ αἱ ἀρχαὶ, καὶ ἐξουσίαι, πρὸς ἃς ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη· πύλαι δὲ δικαιοσύνης ι τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα. ι Ὠσπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν κρειττόνων πολλαὶ προλέγονται πύλαι, καὶ μετὰ τὰς πύλας μία ὲν τῷ· ι Ἀνοίξατὲ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης· εἰσελθὼν ὲν αὑταῖς ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, ι καί· ι Αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ Κυρίου· δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ὲν αὐτῇ· ι οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, πολλαὶ μὲν πύλαι ᾅδου καὶ θανάτου, ἑκάστη ἐξουσία· ὑπὸ πάσας δὲ ταύτας αὐτὸς ό πονηρός. καὶ προσέχωμεν γε ἐφʼ ἑκάστης ἁμαρτίας, ὡς εἰς πύλην ᾅδου τινὰ καταβαίνοντες, εἰ ἁμαρτάνομεν· ἀλλὰ ὑψούμενοι ὲκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, ἐξαγγείλωμεν πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών· οἷον ἐν μίᾳ πύλῃ τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιὼν τῇ καλουμένῃ σωφροσύνῃ ἐξαγγελοῦμεν ἀπὸ σωφροσύνης τάς αίνέσεις τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ἐν άλλη, τῇ δικαιοσύνη, ἀπὸ δικαιοσύνης τὰς αίνὲσεις τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ὲν πᾶσιν οἷς γινόμεθα ἐπαινετοῖς, ὲν τούτοις γινόμεθα εν τινι πύλῃ τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών· κατʼ ἐκείνην ἐξαγγέλλοντες αίνεσίν τινα τοῦ Θεού. Ἐξεταστέον δὲ πῶς ἔν τινι τῶν Δώδεκα λέλεκται· ι Ἐμίσησαν ἐν πύλαις ἐλέγχοντα, καὶ λόγον ὅσιον ἐβδελύξαντο. ι Μήποτε οὖν ὁ ἐν πύλαις ἐλέγχων ἐστὶν ἀπὸ πυλῶν θυγατρὸς Σιὼν τοὺς ὲν τοῖς ἐναντίοις τῆς πύλης ταύτης γενομένους ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ πυλῶν ᾅδου ἢ θανάτου. Ei δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἀκούεις τοῦ, ι Ἐμίσησαν ὲν πύλαις ἐλέγχοντα, ι ἦτοι παρελκόντως ἔσται εἰρημένον τό, ι ὲν πύλαις, ι ἢ ζήτει πῶς ἂν ἀξιον προφητικοῦ Πνεύματος εἴη τὸ λελεγμένον. ### English translation (Claude) Here, then, gates of Hades are spoken of; but in the Psalms the prophet gives thanks, saying: “You who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion.” And from this we learn that perhaps no one can declare all the praises of God unless he has been lifted up from the gates of death and has come to be at the gates of Zion. And the gates of Zion might be understood as opposite to the gates of death, so that one gate of death is licentiousness, and a gate of Zion self-control; and so of death unrighteousness, and of Zion righteousness, which the prophet shows, saying, “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter by it”; and again cowardice is a gate of death, but courage a gate of Zion; and folly a gate of death, but its opposite, prudence, a gate of Zion. And to all the gates of the knowledge falsely so called one gate is opposed, that of knowledge without falsehood. Consider whether, because of “Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh,” and the rest, you can say that each “authority, and world ruler of this darkness, and spiritual force of wickedness in the heavenly places” is a gate of Hades and a gate of death. Then the principalities and authorities against which we wrestle might be called gates of Hades, and the gates of righteousness “the ministering spirits.” And just as in the case of the better things many gates are first spoken of, and after the gates one, in “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter by them and give thanks to the Lord,” and “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter by it,” so too in the opposite case there are many gates of Hades and of death, each authority, and beyond all these the evil one himself. And let us take heed in each sin, as though we were going down into some gate of Hades if we sin; but being lifted up from the gates of death, let us declare all the praises of the Lord in the gates of the daughter of Zion: for instance, in one gate of the daughter of Zion, called self-control, we shall declare the praises of God by self-control; and in another, righteousness, the praises of God by righteousness; and in a word, in all the praiseworthy things in which we come to be, in these we come to be in some gate of the daughter of Zion, declaring at it some praise of God. We must examine how it is said in one of the Twelve: “They hated the one who reproves in the gates, and abhorred the holy word.” Perhaps, then, the one who reproves in the gates is one who, from the gates of the daughter of Zion, reproves those who are in the sins opposed to that gate, and of the gates of Hades or death. But if you do not so understand “They hated the one who reproves in the gates,” either “in the gates” will have been said superfluously, or you must seek how what is said could be worthy of the prophetic Spirit. ### Scripture references - Ps 9:13 (9:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 9:14 (9:15 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:20 (117:20 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:19 (117:19 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 6:20: allusion, high confidence - Eph 6:12: quotation, high confidence - Heb 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Amos 5:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Ps 9:13–14 (9:14–15 LXX); Ps 118:19–20 (117:19–20 LXX); 1 Tim 6:20; Eph 6:12; Heb 1:14; Amos 5:10 (“one of the Twelve” = the twelve minor prophets). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.13 (PG 13:1008c–1012a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-14 - Source: PG 13:1012a–1016a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The keys of the kingdom, one for each virtue, are given to whoever is not overcome by the gates of Hades; bishops who claim Peter’s power to bind and loose judge soundly only if they have Peter’s works and are not themselves bound by sin. ### Greek text Μετά ταῦτα ἴδωμεν πῶς λέλεκται τῷ Πέτρῳ, καὶ παντὶ Πέτρῳ τό · ι Δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. ι Καὶ πρῶτόν γε νομίζω ἀκολούθως λελέχθαι τῷ· ι Πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς, ι τό · ι Δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν · ι ἄξιος γὰρ ἀπὸ τού αὐτοῦ Λόγου λαβεῖν ἐστι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ὁ φραξάμενος πρὸς τὰς τοῦ ᾅδου πύλας, ἵνα μὴ κατισχύσωσιν αὐτοῦ· οἱονεὶ ἆθλα λαμβάνων τοῦ μηδὲν δεδυνῆσθαι κατʼ αὐτοῦ τὰς τοῦ ᾅδου πύλας, τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἵνʼ ἑαυτῷ ἀνοίγῃ τὰς κεκλεισμένας πύλας τοῖς νικωμένοις ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ ᾃδου πυλῶν· καὶ εἰσέρχεται, ῶς μὲν σώφρων, διά τινος ἀνοιγομένης σωφροσύνης πύλης, ὑπὸ κλειδὸς ἀνοιγούσης σωφροσύνην· καὶ διʼ ἑτέρας, ὡς δίκαιος, δικαιοσύνης πύλης ἀνοιγομένης ὐπὸ κλειδὸς δικαιοσύνης· καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν. Οἶμαι γὰρ, ὃτι ὑπὲρ ἑκάστης ἀρετῆς τῆς γνώσεώς τινα σοφίας μυστήρια κατάλληλα τῷ εῖδει τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀνοίγεται τῷ κατʼ ἀρετὴν βιώσαντι, διδόντος τοῦ Σωτῆρος τοῖς μὴ κρατηθεῖσιν ὐπὸ τῶν τοῦ ᾅδου πυλῶν τοσαύτας κλεῖδας, ὅσαι είσὶν αῖ ἀρεταὶ, ἀνοιγούσας ἰσαρίθμους πύλας, καταλλήλους κατά τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τῶν μυστηρίων ἑκάστῃ ἀρετῇ· τάχα καὶ ἑκάστη ἀρετὴ οὐρανοῦ ἐστι βασιλεία, καὶ πᾶσι ἅμα βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο ἤδη ὲν βασιλείᾳ εἶναι οὐρανῶν τὸν κατά τὰς ἀρετὰς βιοῦντα, ὡς κατά τοῦτο τό· ι Μετανοεῖτε· ἢγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι οὐκ ἐπὶ χρόνον ἀναφέρεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἐπὶ τὰς πράξεις καὶ τὴν διάθεσιν· ὁ Χριστὸς γὰρ, ἠ πᾶσα ἀρετὴ, ἐπιδεδήμηκε, καὶ λαλεῖ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ι ὲντός ἐστι τῶν αὑτοῦ μαθητῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι καὶ οὐχὶ ὧδε και ὧδε. Ὅρα δὲ ὅσην ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ἡ πέτρα, ἐφʼ ἢν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ οὶκοδομείται ἠ Ἐκκλησία, καὶ πᾶς ὁ λέγων· ι Σὺ εἶ ὀ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ι ὥστε τὰς κρίσεις μένειν βεβαίας τούτου, ὡς κρίνοντος ὲν αὐτῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἴνα ὲν αὐτῷ τῷ κρίνειν μὴ κατισχύσωσιν αὑτοῦ πύλαι ᾅδου. Τοῦ μὲν οὖν ἀδίκως κρίνοντος, καὶ μὴ κατὰ λόγον Θεοῦ δεσμεύοντος ἐπὶ γῆς, μηδὲ κατὰ βούλησιν αὐτοῦ λύοντος ἐπὶ γῆς, πύλαι ᾅδου κατισχύουσιν· οὗ δὲ πύλαι ᾇδου ού κατισχύουσιν, οὗτος δικαίως κρίνει. Διὸ ἔχει τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀνοίγων τοῖς λελυμένοις ἐπὶ γῆς, ἵνα καὶ ὲν οὐρανοῖς ὦσι λελυμένοι καὶ ἐλεύθεροι· καὶ κλείων τοῖς κρίσει δικαίᾳ αὐτοῦ δεδεμένοις ἐπὶ γῆς, ἵνα καὶ ὲν οὖρανοῖς ὦσι δεδεμένοι καὶ κεκριμένοι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οἱ τὸν τόπον τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐκδικοῦντες χρῶνται τῷ ῥητῷ, ὡς Πέτρος, καὶ τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἀπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰληφότες διδάσκουσί τε τὰ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν δεδεμένα, τουτέστι καταδεδικασμένα, καὶ ὲν οὐρανοῖς δεδέσθαι, καὶ τὰ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἄφεσιν εἰληφότα καὶ ὲν οὐρανοῖς λελύσθαι· λεκτέον ὅτι ὑγιῶς λέγουσιν, εί ἔχουσιν ἔργον διʼ ὂ εἴρηται ἐκείνῳ τῷ Πέτρῳ· ι Σὺ εἴ Πέτρος, ι καὶ εἱ τηλικοῦτοί εἰσιν, ὡς ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ οἰκοδομεῖσθαι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς εὐλόγως τοῦτο ἀναφέροιτʼ ἄν· πύλαι δὲ ᾀδου οὐκ ὀφείλουσι κατισχύειν τοῦ θέλοντος δεσμεῖν καὶ λύειν. Εἰ δὲ ι σειραῖς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτοῦ ἔσφιγκται, ι μάτην καὶ δεσμεῖ καὶ λύει· καὶ τάχα δύνασαι εἰπεῖν, ὲν τοῖς ὲν τῷ σοφῷ οὐρανοῖς, ταῖς ἀρεταῖς, δέδεται δ φαῦλος· καὶ πάλιν λέλυται ἐν αὑταῖς δ σπουδαῖος, καὶ ἀμνηστίαν λαβὼν τῶν πρὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτῷ ἡμαρτημένων · ὥσπερ δὲ τὸν μὴ ἔχοντα σειρὰς ἁμαρτιῶν, μηδὲ ἁμαρτίας παραβαλλομένας σχοινίῳ μακρῴ ἢ ζυγοῦ ἱμάντι δαμάλεως, οὐδὲ δ Θεὸς ἂν δήσαιτο· οὕτως οὐδʼ ὅστις ἄν Πέτρος. Εἰ δέ τις μὴ ὣν Πέτρος, καὶ μὴ ἒχων τά εἰρημένα ἐνταῦθα, ὥσπερ Πέτρος οἴεται δήσειν ἐπὶ γῆς, ὡς τὰ δεδεμένα δεδέσθαι ὲν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ λύσειν ἐπὶ γῆς, ὼς τὰ λελυμένα λελύσθαι ἐν οὐρανοῖς, οὗτος τετύφωται μὴ ἐπιστάμενος τὸ βούλημα τῶν Γραφῶν, καὶ ι τυφωθεὶς ἐμπέπτωκεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πτῶμα. ι ### English translation (Claude) After this let us see how it was said to Peter, and to every Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” And first, I think that “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” is said in consequence of “The gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” For he is worthy to receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven from the same Word who has fortified himself against the gates of Hades, so that they do not prevail against him; receiving the keys of the kingdom of heaven as a prize, as it were, because the gates of Hades could do nothing against him, so that he may open for himself the gates that are shut to those who are conquered by the gates of Hades. And he enters, as self-controlled, through a gate of self-control opened by a key that opens self-control; and through another, as righteous, the gate of righteousness opened by the key of righteousness; and so with the other virtues. For I think that for each virtue certain mysteries of the knowledge of wisdom corresponding to the kind of virtue are opened to one who has lived according to virtue, the Saviour giving to those not mastered by the gates of Hades as many keys as there are virtues, which open an equal number of gates, each corresponding to a virtue in the revelation of the mysteries. And perhaps each virtue is a kingdom of heaven, and all together the kingdom of the heavens; so that by this reckoning one who lives according to the virtues is already in the kingdom of the heavens; so that by this reckoning “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” refers not to a time but to deeds and disposition; for Christ, who is all virtue, has come and speaks, and for this reason “the kingdom of God is within” his disciples, and not “here or there.” And see how much authority the rock has on which the Church is built by Christ, and everyone who says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”: that his judgments remain firm, as though God were judging in him, so that in the very act of judging the gates of Hades do not prevail against him. Against one who judges unjustly, then, and does not bind on earth according to the word of God, nor loose on earth according to his will, the gates of Hades prevail; but one against whom the gates of Hades do not prevail judges justly. Therefore he has the keys of the kingdom of heaven, opening to those loosed on earth, so that they may be loosed and free in heaven too; and shutting to those bound on earth by his just judgment, so that they may be bound and judged in heaven too. But since those who claim the place of the episcopate use this text as Peter did, and, as having received the keys of the kingdom of heaven from the Saviour, teach that what is bound by them, that is, condemned, is bound in heaven too, and what has received forgiveness from them is loosed in heaven too, we must say that they speak soundly if they have the works because of which it was said to that Peter, “You are Peter,” and if they are such that the Church is built on them by Christ, and this might reasonably be applied to them; and the gates of Hades ought not to prevail against the one who wishes to bind and loose. But if he “is held fast in the cords of his sins,” he binds and looses in vain. And perhaps you can say that in the heavens that are in the wise man, the virtues, the wicked man is bound; and again in them the earnest man is loosed, receiving amnesty for the sins he committed before his virtue. And just as God himself would not bind one who has no cords of sins, nor sins compared “to a long rope or the strap of a heifer’s yoke,” so neither would any Peter whatever. But if anyone who is not a Peter, and does not have what is spoken of here, thinks that, like Peter, he will bind on earth so that what is bound is bound in heaven, and loose on earth so that what is loosed is loosed in heaven, he is puffed up, not knowing the intent of the Scriptures, and “being puffed up has fallen into the condemnation of the devil.” ### Scripture references - Matt 16:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 17:21: quotation, high confidence - Prov 5:22: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:18: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:18–19; Matt 4:17; Luke 17:21; Prov 5:22; Isa 5:18; 1 Tim 3:6. Origen’s conditions on the claim of bishops to Peter’s power of binding and loosing are translated exactly as written; the passage has been read in different ways in later debates about church authority, and no position is taken here. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.14 (PG 13:1012a–1016a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-15 - Source: PG 13:1016a–1020a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Why does Jesus forbid the disciples to say he is the Christ, when he had sent them to preach? Origen answers that belief is less than knowledge, and knowledge itself has degrees, the highest coming by the Father’s revelation, as Peter received it. ### Greek text ι Τότε διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, ἴνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αὑτός ἐστιν 6 Χριστός. ι Ἀνωτὲρω μὲν γέγραπται, ὅτι τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἀπέστειλεν 6 Ἰησοῦς λέγων αὐτοῖς· ι Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε, ι καὶ ὅσα ἑξῆς ἀναγέγραπται εἰρηκέναι αὐτοῖς, πέμπων αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀποστολήν. Ἆρα οὖν τὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἤδη ποιουμένους ἔργον αὐτοὺς ἐβούλετο κηρύσσειν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη 6 Χριστός; εἴτε γὰρ ἐβούλετο, ἄξιον ζητῆσαι τί δήποτε νῦν διαστέλλεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνα μὴ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη 6 Χριστός· ι εἴτε μὴ ἐβούλετο, πῶς δύναται σώζεσθαι τὰ τῆς ἀποστολῆς; Καὶ ταῦτα δʼ ἄν τις ζητήσαι κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ἄρα, ἀποστέλλων τοὺς δώδεκα, οὐκ ἀπέστελλεν αὐτοὺς φρονοῦντας, ὃτι αὐτὸς εἴη 6 Χριστός· εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἐφρόνουν οἱ δώδεκα, δηλονότι καὶ 6 Πέτρος πῶς οὖν μακαρίζεται νῦν; Ἐμφαίνει γὰρ ἡ λέξις διὰ τούτων, ὅτι νῦν πρῶτον αὐτὸν ὡμολόγησεν 6 Πέτρος Χριστὸν Υἱὺν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Ὀ μὲν οὗν Ματθαῖος πεποίηκε, κατά τινα τῶν ἀντιγράφων. τό ο ι Τότε διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν 6 Χριστός· ι 6 δὲ Μάρκος, ι Ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς, ι φησιν, ι ἵνα μηδενὶ λέγωσι περὶ αὑτοῦ· ι 6 δὲ Λουκᾶς, ι Ἐπιτιμὴσας, ι φησιν, ι αὐτοῖς, παρήγγειλε μηδενὶ λέγειν τοῦτο. ι Τί δὲ, ι τοῦτο; ι ἢ ὅτι καὶ κατʼ αὑτὸν ἀποκριθεὶς 6 Πέτρος εἷπε πρὸς τόο ι Τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι; Τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι Ἰστέον μέντοι, ὅτι τινὰ τῶν ἀντιγράφων τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἔχει τό, ι ἐπετίμησεν. ι Ἦ μὲν οὖν ὲπαπόρησις δοκεί μοι εἶναι γενναιοτάτη· λύσις δʼ αὐτῆς άναντίρῤητος ζητηθήτω, ἢν ὁ εὑρίσκων, ἐὰν πιστικωτέρα τῶν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν λεχθησομένων ώς ὑπομετρίων, εἰς μέσον φερέτω. Πρόσχες οὖν εἰ δύνασαι λέγειν, ὅτι τὸ πιστεύεσθαι Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, ἔλαττόν ὲστι τοῦ γινώσκεσθαι τὸ πεπιστευμένον· τάχα δὲ καὶ τοῦ γινώσκεσθαι Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν διαφορά ἐστιν, ού παντὸς τοῦ γινώσκοντος ὁμοίως αὐτὸν γινώσκοντος. Ὀτι μὲν οῦν τὸ πιστεύεσθαι χωρὶς γνώσεως ἔλαττόν ἐστι τοῦ γινώσκεσθαι, δῆλον ὲκ τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην· ι Ἐὰν μείνητε ὲν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, γνώσεσθε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ η ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶςʼ t ὅτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ γινώσκεσθαι Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν διαφορά ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐπίσης τῶν γινωσκόντων γινωσκόντων αὑτὸν, καὶ αὑτὴ μὲν ἡ ἐνάργεια τῷ κᾶν ἐπὶ ποσὸν ὲπιστήσαντι παρίστησι τὸ πρᾶγμα· τίς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογήσαι, ὅτι, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, Τιμόθεος γινώσκων Ἰησοῦν εῐναι τὸν Χριστὸν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πεφώτιστο εἰς τὴν περὶ αὑτοῦ γνῶσιν, ὅσον ό ἀπόστολος Παῦλος πεφώτιστο; Καὶ τοῦτο δʼ ἂν τίς οὐκ ἂν παραδέξαιτο, ὅτι, κᾶν πλείονες ἀληθεύοντες λέγωσι περὶ Θεοῦ, ὅτι, Αὐτός μοι δέδωκε τῶν όντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ, οὐχ ὁμοίως τρανοῦντες καὶ καταλαμβάνοντες τὰ γινωσκόμενα, οὐδὲ τῷ ἀριθμῷ τοσαῦτα γινώσκοντες τοῦτο ἐροῦσιν; Οὐ μόνον δὲ κατὰ τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ γινώσκειν ἐστὶ τοὺς γινώσκοντας μὴ ὁμοίως γινώσκειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὸ παραστῆσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, ώς κατὰ τοῦτο τὸν ἀποκαλύψαντος τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἰὸν ἐγνωκότα, ὼς Πέτρος μεμαρτύρηται ἐγνωκέναι, ἔχειν τὸν ἀνωτάτω μακαρισμόν. Ei δὲ ὑγιῶς ἡμῖν ταῦτα εῐρηται, ἐπιστήσεις εἰ οἱ δώδεκα πρότερον μὲν ἐπίστευον, οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον δέ· ἑξῆς δὲ τῷ πιστεύειν, καὶ ἀρχὰς εἶχον τοῦ γινώσκειν. καὶ όλιγώτερα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐγίνωσκον· ὕστερον δὲ προύκοπτον ὲν τῷ γινώσκειν, ώς δύνασθαι χωρῆσαι τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς γνῶσιν, ἀποκαλύπτοντος τὸν Υὶὸν, ἐν ὁποίᾳ καταστάσει ό Πέτρος ἦν ἡνίκα ὲμακαρίσθη· καὶ γὰρ μακαρίζεται, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ εἰρηκέναι· ι Σὺ εἴ ό Χριστὸς, ι μόνον, ἀλλὰ μετά τῆς προσθήκης, τῆς, ι Ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. ι Oi γοῦν ἀναγράψαντες Μάρκος καὶ Λουκᾶς ἀποκριθέντα τὸν Πέτρον εἰρηκέναι· ι Σὺ εἴ ὁ Χριστος, ι καὶ μὴ προσθέντες τὸ παρά τῷ Ματθαίῳ κείμενον, οὐκ ἀνέγραψαν τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ εἰρημένῳ μακαρισμδν, καὶ τὴν μετά τὸν μακαρισμὸν εὐλογίαν, λέγουσαν τόσ ### English translation (Claude) “Then he strictly charged his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” Above it is written that Jesus sent out these twelve, saying to them, “Do not go on the road of the Gentiles,” and all that is recorded next as said to them when he sent them on their mission. Did he, then, wish them, when they were already doing the work of apostles, to proclaim that he was the Christ? For if he wished it, it is worth asking why he now charges the disciples not to say that he was the Christ; and if he did not wish it, how can what concerns their mission be maintained? And one might also ask this in the passage: whether, when he sent out the twelve, he did not send them out believing that he was the Christ; and if the twelve believed this, clearly Peter did too; how then is he now pronounced blessed? For the wording here shows that Peter now for the first time confessed him as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Matthew, then, according to some of the copies, wrote: “Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ”; but Mark says, “He rebuked them, to speak to no one about him”; and Luke says, “Rebuking them, he commanded them to tell this to no one.” But what is “this”? That, according to him too, Peter answered the question “Who do you say that I am?” with “The Christ of God.” It must be known, however, that some copies of the Gospel according to Matthew have “he rebuked.” Now the difficulty raised seems to me a most genuine one; let an unanswerable solution of it be sought, and let whoever finds it bring it forward, if it is more convincing than what we shall say, which is of modest worth. Consider, then, whether you can say that believing that Jesus is the Christ is less than knowing what is believed; and perhaps there is also a difference in knowing that Jesus is the Christ, since not everyone who knows him knows him alike. That believing without knowledge is less than knowing is clear from what is in John: “If you abide in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”; and that there is a difference also in knowing that Jesus is the Christ, since not all who know him know him equally, the very evidence of the matter shows to anyone who considers it even a little. For who would not admit that, for instance, Timothy, though he knew that Jesus was the Christ, had not been enlightened to the knowledge of him as far as the apostle Paul had been? And who would not also accept this, that even if many say truthfully of God, “He has given me unerring knowledge of the things that are,” they will not say it with equal clarity and grasp of what is known, nor knowing as many things in number? And those who know do not know alike not only by the difference in knowing, but also by what imparted the knowledge; so that, by this reckoning, one who has come to know the Son by the Father’s revelation, as Peter is attested to have known him, has the highest blessedness. If what we have said is sound, you will consider whether the twelve first believed but did not know; and next, after believing, they had the beginnings of knowing too, and knew rather few things about him; and later they advanced in knowing, so as to be able to receive the knowledge from the Father who reveals the Son, the state in which Peter was when he was pronounced blessed. For he is pronounced blessed not for having said “You are the Christ” only, but with the addition “the Son of the living God.” At any rate, Mark and Luke, who recorded that Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ,” without adding what stands in Matthew, did not record the blessing upon what was said, nor the benediction that followed the blessing, which says … ### Scripture references - Matt 16:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:5: quotation, high confidence - Mark 8:30: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:21: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - John 8:31: quotation, high confidence - John 8:32: quotation, high confidence - Mark 8:29: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 7:17 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:20; Matt 10:5; Mark 8:29–30; Luke 9:20–21; Matt 16:15–17; John 8:31–32; Wis 7:17. Origen notes a variant in Matthew (“he rebuked” for “he charged”). The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”); the blessing that follows is Matt 16:17–19 (“You are Peter,” and so on). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.15 (PG 13:1016a–1020a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-16 - Source: PG 13:1020a–1020d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Perhaps the apostles at first proclaimed Jesus’ great deeds as an introduction, the truth that he was the Christ being built on them later, as much said to the apostles applies to all believers. ### Greek text Ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἐξεταστέον, ὅτι τά μὲν ἄλλα περὶ αὐτοῦ κατήγγελλον, ὡς μεγάλου καὶ θαυμαστοῦ· τὸ δέ Χριστὸν εἶναι οὐδέπω ἐκήρυσσον ἵνα μὴ δοκοίη ό Σωτὴρ ἀφαιρεῖν αὐτῶν ἐξουσίαν τὴν περὶ τοῦ καταγγέλλειν αὐτὸν Χριστὸν, ἦν πρότερον ἐδωρήσατο. Καὶ τάχα τις τῷ τοιούτῳ λόγῳ παραστήσεται, φάσκων ὡς ἐν εἰσαγωγῇ δεδιδάχθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἔνδοξα, ἵνα τούτοις ἐν καιρῷ, ἐποικοδομηθῇ καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Χριστὸν αὑτὸν εἶναι* τάχα δὲ πολλὰ τῶν πρὸς αὐτοὺς λελεγμένων πρὸς πάντας εἰρῆσθαι τοὺς πιστεύοντας δυνάμει· οὐ γάρ μόνοις τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἐφήρμοζε τό· ι Ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας δὲ καὶ βασιλεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ είς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς έθνεσι·ι τάχα δέ οὐδʼ ὅλως τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, ἀλλʼ ἅπασι τοῖς πιστεύειν μέλλουσι τό · ‹ Παραδώσει δέ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· ι Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, οὐκ ἰδίως τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, ἀλλά καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἴρηται. Κατά τοῦτο οὖν προϋποτύπωσις ἐστι διδασκαλίας διὰ τῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους λελεγμένων, ὕστερον κάκείνοις καὶ παντὶ τῷ διδάσκοντι ### English translation (Claude) But first we must also examine this: that they were proclaiming other things about him as great and wonderful, but were not yet proclaiming that he was the Christ, so that the Saviour might not seem to be taking from them the authority to proclaim him as the Christ which he had given them before. And perhaps someone will support such an argument by saying that the Jews were taught by the apostles the glorious things about Jesus by way of introduction, so that in due time the truth that he was the Christ might be built on them; and perhaps many of the things said to them were said in effect to all who believe. For “You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles” did not apply to the apostles alone; and perhaps “Brother will deliver brother to death,” and so on, was said not to the apostles at all, but to all who would believe; and also “So everyone who confesses me,” and so on, was said not specially to the apostles but to all who believe. In this sense, then, there is a preliminary outline of teaching in what was said to the apostles, later both for them and for every teacher … ### Scripture references - Matt 10:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:32: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 10:18, 21, 32. The section breaks off in the scan text (“…”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.16 (PG 13:1020a–1020d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-8/#p-12-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-17 - Source: PG 13:1020d–1021d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: If the apostles had already proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, he now held back the fuller teaching—the crucified and risen Christ—for a fitting time, to spare new believers the offence of the cross. ### Greek text Ὀ δέ βουλόμενος καὶ τὸ Χριστὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι κεκηρύχθαι πρότερον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκουσάντων ἀποστόλων τόʼ ι Ὅ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σκοτία, εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτί· καὶ ὃ εἰς τὸ οὖς ἀκούετε, κηρύσσετε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων, ι ἐρεῖ ὅτι οἰονεί κατηχῆσαι ἠθέλησε πρότερον τοὺς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀκουσομένους τὸ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα, εἶτʼ ἐᾶσαι τοῦτο οἰονεί πεφθῆναι ἐν ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν ἀκουσάντων, ἴνα σιωπῆς γενομένης τοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον περί αὑτοῦ κηρύσσεσθαι, εὐκαιρότερον ἐποικοδομηθῇ τοῖς προκατηχηθεῖσι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἐσταυρωμένος, καί ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγηγερμένος· ὅπερ ἐν ταῖς ἀρχαῖς οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ οἰ ἀπόστολοι ᾔδεισαν* γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς νῦν ἐξεταζομένοις, ὅτι, ι Ἀπὸ τότε ῆρξατο ό Ἰησοῦς δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, ι καὶ τάδε, καὶ τάδε παθεῖν. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα νῦν οἰ ἀπόστολοι μανθάνουσι παρά τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπαντησόμενα αὐτῷ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐπιβουλὴν, καὶ ὡς ἀναιρεθήσεται, καὶ ὼς μετά ταῦτα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστήσεται, τί χρὴ νομίζειν ἐγνωκέναι πρότερον τοὺς μαθητευομένους παρά τοῖς ἀποστόλοις περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἢ ὅτι, εἰ καὶ κατηγγέλλετο αὐτοῖς Χριστὸς, ὡς ἐν εἰσαγωγῇ κατηγγέλλετο ού τρανούσῃ τὰ κατʼ αὐτόν; Καὶ γὰρ ό Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἐβούλετο, διαστελλόμενος τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνα μηδενί εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ό Χριστὸς, τηρῆσαι τὴν τελειοτέραν περί αὑτοῦ διδασκαλίαν ἐπιτηδειοτέρῳ καιρῷ ὅτι ἐδύναντο μαρτυρῆσαι τοῖς ἑωρακόσιν αὐτὸν σταυρούμενον τὰ περί τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ οἰ ἑωρακότες αὑτὸν σταυρούμενον καί ἀναστάντα μαθηταί. Εἰ γὰρ οἰ ἀεὶ αύτῷ συνόντες ἀπόστολοι, καὶ πάντα ἐωρακὸτες ἃ ἐποίει θαυμάσια, καί μαρτυροῦντες αὐτοῦ τοῖς λόγοις, ὅτι ῥήματα ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἦσαν, ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν περί τὴν νύκτα τοῦ προδεδόσθαι αὐτόν· τί οἴει παθεῖν τοὺς πρότερον μαθόντας, ὅτι αΰτδς εἴη ό Χριστός; Ὧν, οἶμαι, φειδόμενος ταῦτα διεστείλατο. ### English translation (Claude) But one who holds that the truth that he is the Christ had also been proclaimed earlier by the apostles, who had heard, “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light; and what you hear in the ear, proclaim on the housetops,” will say that he wished first, as it were, to instruct those who would hear the name of Christ from the apostles, and then to let this be digested, as it were, in the minds of the hearers, so that, after a silence in the proclamation of such a thing about him, Christ Jesus crucified and raised from the dead might be built more fittingly on those already instructed; which at the beginning not even the apostles themselves knew. For it is written in the passage now being examined: “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem,” and suffer this and that. And if the apostles now learn from Jesus what would befall him—the plot of the elders, and that he would be killed, and that after this on the third day he would rise from the dead—what must we think that those who were being taught by the apostles had known about Jesus before, except that, even if Christ was proclaimed to them, he was proclaimed by way of an introduction that did not make clear what concerned him? For our Saviour, in charging the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ, wished to keep the more perfect teaching about him for a more suitable time, when the disciples who had seen him crucified and risen could testify about his resurrection to those who had seen him crucified. For if the apostles, who were always with him and had seen all the wonders he did, and testified of his words that they were words of eternal life, were offended on the night when he was betrayed, what do you suppose would have befallen those who had earlier learned that he was the Christ? It was to spare them, I think, that he gave this charge. ### Scripture references - Matt 10:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - John 6:68: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:31: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 10:27; Matt 16:21; John 6:68; Matt 26:31. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.17 (PG 13:1020d–1021d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-18 - Source: PG 13:1021d–1025d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Alternatively, Jesus kept the title Christ for the fuller, saving proclamation of the crucified and risen Christ, whose cross triumphed over the principalities and the ruler of this world. ### Greek text ’0 δὲ βουλόμενος τὰ εἰρημένα πρὸς τοὺς δώδεκα εἰς τοὺς μετά ταῦτα ἀναφέρεσθαι χρόνους, καὶ μηδέπω κατηγγελκέναι τοὺς ἀποστόλους τοῖς ἀκούουσιν αὐτῶν, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἰη ό Χριστὸς, φήσει, ὅτι ἐβούλετο τηρηθῆναι τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐννοιαν ἐπιπεπλεγμένην τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὀνόματι, τῇ τελειοτέρᾳ καὶ σωτηρίῳ κηρύξει, ὁποίαν ἐπιστάμενος ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε Κορινθίοις τό· ι Ἐγὼ δὲ ἔκρινα μηδὲν ειδέναι ὲν ὑμῖν εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον. ι Διὸ πρότερον μὲν Ἰησοῦν τάδε τινὰ ποιοῦντα, καὶ τοιάδε τινὰ αὐτὸν διδάσκοντα εἶναι ἐκήρυσσον· νῦν δʼ ὅτε Πέτρος Χριστὸν αὑτὸν εἶναι ὁμολογεῖ Υἱδν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ὡς μὴ βουλόμενος κηρύσσεσθαι αὑτὸν ἢδη Χριστὸν, ἵνʼ εὐκαιρότερον κηρυχθῇ, καὶ ἐσταυρωμένος, διαστέλλεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν, ὃτι αὑτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός. Παρίσταται δέ πως τοῦτʼ εἶναι τὸ βούλημα αὑτοῦ κωλύοντος κηρύσσεσθαι αὑτὸν εἶναι Χριστὸν, ὲκ τοῦ· ι Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ αὑτὸν εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ πολλὰ παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ι καὶ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων· οἰονεὶ γὰρ τότε κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐγνωκόσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς Ἰησοῦν εἶναι Χριστὸν Υἱὺν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ἁποκαλύψαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ Πατέρος, κηρύσσει ἀντὶ τοῦ πιστεύειν αὐτοὺς εἰς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐσταυρωμένον, πιστεύειν εἰς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν σταυρωθησόμενον· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ πιστεύειν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ τοῦτον ἐγηγερμένον ὲκ νεκρῶν, διδάσκει αὐτοὺς πιστεύειν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοῦτον ἐγερθησόμενον ὲκ νεκρῶν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ, ι Ἀπεκδυσὰμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς, καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἐδειγμάτισε θριαμβεύσας ὲν παρρησίᾳ ὲν τῷ ξύλῳ, ι εἴτις ἐπαισχύνεται τὸν Χριστοῦ σταυρὸν, ἐπαισχύνεται τὴν οἰκονομίαν, διʼ ἢν ὲθριαμβεύθησαν ἐκεῖναι· δέον καὶ καυχᾶσθαι ὲν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸν καὶ πιστεύοντα καὶ ἐγνωκότα ταῦτα διʼ οῦ Χριστοῦ σταυρουμένου τῷ κόσμῳ τῷ πιστεύοντι ὲδειγματίσθησαν καὶ ἐθριαμβεύθησαν αἱ ἀρχαὶ, ὲν αἷς, οἶμαι, ἦν καὶ ό ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. Διόπερ, ἐγγὺς γενόμενος τοῦ παθεῖν, εἷπε τό· ι Νῦν ὀ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου κέκριται, ι καί ’ ι Νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβληθήσεται ἔξω. Καὶ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ, φησιν, ὲκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν, ι οὐκέτι τοσοῦτον ὅσον δυναμένου τοῦ κωλύοντος ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν τοὺς ἑλκομένους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) But one who holds that what was said to the twelve refers to the times after this, and that the apostles had not yet proclaimed to their hearers that he was the Christ, will say that he wished the notion of the Christ, interwoven with the name of Jesus, to be kept for the more perfect and saving proclamation, such as Paul knew when he said to the Corinthians: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Therefore earlier they proclaimed Jesus as one who did certain things and taught certain things; but now, when Peter confesses him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, since he did not wish to be proclaimed already as the Christ, so that he might be proclaimed at a more suitable time, and as crucified too, he charges the disciples to tell no one that he is the Christ. And that this was his intent in forbidding it to be proclaimed that he was the Christ is shown in some measure by “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders,” and what follows. For then, at the right moment, as it were, he proclaims to the disciples who knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Father having revealed it to them, that instead of believing in Jesus Christ crucified, they should believe in Jesus Christ who would be crucified; and also, instead of believing in Christ Jesus and him raised from the dead, he teaches them to believe in Christ Jesus and him who would be raised from the dead. And since, “having stripped the principalities and authorities, he made a public example of them, triumphing over them boldly on the tree,” if anyone is ashamed of the cross of Christ, he is ashamed of the dispensation through which those powers were triumphed over; whereas one who both believes and knows these things ought even to boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which, when Christ was crucified, the principalities were made a public example and triumphed over before the believing world; among them, I think, was also the ruler of this age. Therefore, when he was near his suffering, he said, “Now the ruler of this world has been judged,” and, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And if I am lifted up from the earth,” he says, “I will draw all people to myself,” since the one who hinders is no longer so able to keep those drawn by him from coming to Jesus. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Gal 6:14: allusion, high confidence - Luke 9:26: allusion, low confidence - John 16:11: quotation, high confidence - John 12:31: quotation, high confidence - John 12:32: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 1 Cor 2:2; Matt 16:16, 20–21; Col 2:15; Gal 6:14; Luke 9:26 (being ashamed); John 16:11; John 12:31–32. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.18 (PG 13:1021d–1025d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-19 - Source: PG 13:1025d–1028b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Proclaiming Christ without the cross is defective, so Jesus prepared the disciples to preach him as crucified and risen, “showing” them this more clearly than bodily sight could. ### Greek text Ἀναγκαῖον μὲν οῦν τῷ κηρύσσεσθαι Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ἐσταυρωμένον κηρύσσεσθαι αὐτόν · καὶ οὐχ οῦτως ἐλλιπὲς εἷναί μοι φαίνεται τὸ Ἰησοῦν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, σιωπωμένου τινδς τῶν ἄλλων τεραστίων αὐτοῦ, ὼς σιωπωμένου τοῦ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐσταυρωμένον. Διόπερ, τηρῶν τὸ τελειοτέρως κηρυχθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ι διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, ἴνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ό Χριστὸς, ι καὶ ηὐτρέπιζεν αὐτοὺς λέγειν, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ό Χριστὸς ό ἐσταυρωμένος καὶ ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς, ἡνίκα ἦρξατο οὐ μόνον λέγειν, οὐδὲ ἕως τοῦ διδάσκειν, προκόπτειν, ἀλλά καὶ ι δεικνύναι τοῖς μαθηταῖς αύτοῦ, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· πρόσεχε γὰρ τῇ ι δεικνύειν, ι λέξει, ὅτι, ὥσπερ τά αἰσθητά δείκνυσθαι λέγεται, οὖτως δείκνυσθαι εἴρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὰ ὑπʼ αύτοῦ λεγόμενα τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως οἶμαι δεδεῖχθαι τοῖς ἑωρακόσι σωματικῶς πολλὰ πάσχοντα αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ ἐκαστον τῶν ὁρωμένων, ὡς τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὴν λογικὴν δεῖξιν περὶ τούτου. ### English translation (Claude) It is necessary, then, in proclaiming Jesus Christ, to proclaim him crucified; and the proclamation that Jesus is the Christ does not seem to me so deficient when any of his other wonders is passed over in silence as when his having been crucified is passed over. Therefore, reserving for the apostles a more perfect proclamation of the things concerning him, “he charged his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ,” and prepared them to say that he is the Christ who was crucified and rose from the dead, when he began not only to say, nor merely to advance as far as teaching, but “to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem,” and so on. For attend to the word “show”: just as sense-perceptible things are said to be shown, so the things spoken by Jesus to his disciples are said to be shown by him. And I do not think that each of the things seen was shown to those who saw him bodily suffering many things from the elders of the people as clearly as the rational demonstration about this was shown to the disciples. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:2: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:20–21; 1 Cor 2:2. A garbled word near the end is read by sense (“rational”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.19 (PG 13:1025d–1028b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-20 - Source: PG 13:1028c–1032a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus had to suffer in the earthly Jerusalem so as to make the firstfruits of the resurrection in the heavenly one, ending the earthly worship; his rising on the third day frees believers from a triad of evil powers, so that they may be baptized into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the three eternal days. ### Greek text Τότε μὲν ἤρξατο δεικνύειν· εἰκὸς δʼ ὅτι μετά τοῦτο τοῖς χωρητικοῖς γινομένοις τρανότερον ἐδείκνυεν, οὐκέτι ὡς εἰσαγομένοις ἀρχόμενος δεικνύναι, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ προκόπτων ὲν τῷ δεικνύναι· καὶ εἴπερ ἐστὶν εὔλογον νοεῖν, ὅτι πάντως οὗπερ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἤρξατο, τοῦτο πάντως ποτὲ ἐτέλεσεν ὃ ἦρξατο δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ, περὶ τοῦ δεῖν τὰ γεγραμμένα αὐτὸν παθεῖν. Ὅτε γὰρ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου περὶ τούτων τελείαν γνῶσιν καταλαμβάνει τις, τότε λεκτέον ἀπὸ λογικῆς δείξεως, ὁρῶντος τοῦ νοῦ τὰ δεικνύμενα, τελειοῦσθαι τὴν δεῖξιν τῷ ταῦτα θεωρεῖν καὶ βουλομένῳ, καὶ δυναμένῳ καὶ θεωροῦντι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ι οὐκ ἐνεδέχετο προφήτην ἀπολέσθαι ἔξω Ἰερουσαλὴμ, › ἀπώλειαν ἀναλογίαν ἔχουσαν πρὸς τό· ι Ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτὴν, ι διὰ τοῦτο ἔδει αὐτὸν εις Ἰεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, ἵνα πολλά παθὼν ἐν ἐκείνοις τὴν ἀπαρχὴν τῆς ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως ποιήσῃ ἐν τοῖς ἄνω Ἰεροσολύμοις, καταργῶν καὶ καταλύων τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς μετὰ πάσης τῆς ὲν αὐτῇ λατρείας · ὅσον μὲν γὰρ ι Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται ὲκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων, ι οὐδὲ συνηγέρθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ γινόμενοι σύμμορφοι τῷ θανάτῳ καὶ τῇ ἀναστάσει αὐτοῦ, κάτω ἐζητεῖτο ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλις, καὶ 6 ναὸς, οί καθαρισμοὶ, καὶ τὰ λοιπά· ὅτε δὲ τοῦτο γέγονεν, οὐκέτι, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἄνω· ἅτινα ἵνα ἐνστῇ, ι ἔδει αὐτὸν είς τὰ κάτω Ἰεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ πολλὰ ἐκεῖ παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ ἀρχιερέων, καὶ γραμματέων τοῦ λαοῦ, ι ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὑπὸ τῶν χωρούντων τὰς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ οὐρανίων πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ θειοτέρων ἀρχιερέων ὑπὸ ἀρχιερεῖ τῷ ἑνὶ τεταγμένων· δοξασθῇ δʼ ὑπὸ τῶν γραμματέων τοῦ λαοῦ ἀσχολουμένων περὶ γράμματα, οὑ τὰ γραφόμενα μέλανι, ἀλλὰ τετρανωμένα πνεύματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος, καὶ ἀποκτανθῇ μὲν ὲν τοῖς κάτω Ἱεροσολύμοις, βασιλεύσῃ δὲ ἀναστὰς ὲν Σιὼν ὄρει, καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ· τῇ τρίτῃ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀνέστη, ἵνα, ῥυσάμενος ἀπὺ τοῦ πονηροῦ, καὶ τοῦ υίοῦ αὑτοῦ, ὲν ᾧ τὸ ψεῦδος ἦν, καὶ ἠ ἀδικία, καὶ 6 πόλεμος, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐναντία οἷς ἐστιν 6 Χριστὸς, ἔτι δὲ τοῦ μετασχηματιζομένου εἰς ἅγιον Πνεῦμα βεβήλου πνεύματος, περιποιήσῃ τοῖς ῥυσθεῖσι βαπτίζεσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸ σῶμα, εἰς ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἅπερ τρεῖς ἡμέραι εἰσιν ἅμα ὲνεστηκυῖαι αἰωνίως τοῖς διʼ αὑτὰς υἱοῖς τοῦ φωτός. ### English translation (Claude) Then he began to show; and it is likely that after this he showed more clearly to those who had become capable, no longer beginning to show, as to beginners, but already advancing in showing; and if it is reasonable to think that whatever Jesus began he certainly finished at some time, he finished what he began to show his disciples about his having to suffer what is written. For when someone grasps from the Word the perfect knowledge of these things, then it must be said that, by a rational demonstration, the mind seeing what is shown, the showing is completed for one who wishes and is able to contemplate these things, and does contemplate them. And since “it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside Jerusalem”—a perishing that corresponds to “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”—for this reason he had to go to Jerusalem, so that, having suffered many things there, he might make the firstfruits of the resurrection from the dead in the Jerusalem above, abolishing and dissolving the earthly one with all the worship in it. For as long as “Christ had not been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” and those who become conformed to his death and resurrection had not been raised with him, the city of God was sought below, and the temple, the purifications, and the rest; but when this had happened, no longer those, but the things above; and so that these might be established, “he had to go” to the Jerusalem below, “and suffer many things” there “from the elders” in it, “and chief priests and scribes” of the people, so that he might be glorified by the heavenly elders who receive his benefits, and by diviner high priests ranked under the one high priest; and might be glorified by the scribes of the people who busy themselves with letters not written in ink but made clear by the Spirit of the living God; and might be killed in the Jerusalem below, but having risen might reign on Mount Zion and in the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. And on the third day he rose from the dead, so that, having rescued them from the evil one and from his son, in whom were falsehood, unrighteousness, war, and all things opposed to what Christ is, and further from the profane spirit that disguises itself as the Holy Spirit, he might obtain for those rescued that they be baptized in spirit, soul, and body into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which are three days present together eternally to those who through them are sons of the light. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:20: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:10: allusion, high confidence - Rom 6:5: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 4:26: allusion, high confidence - Heb 4:14: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 3:3: allusion, high confidence - Heb 12:22: allusion, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:3: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 11:14: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Thess 5:23: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 28:19: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:5: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:21; Luke 13:33; Matt 16:25 (10:39); 1 Cor 15:20; Phil 3:10; Rom 6:5; Gal 4:26; Heb 4:14; 2 Cor 3:3; Heb 12:22; 2 Thess 2:3; 2 Cor 11:14; 1 Thess 5:23; Matt 28:19; 1 Thess 5:5. The three evil powers (the evil one, his “son,” and a false spirit) are set by Origen against the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; translated as written. A stray word at the end of the scan text has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.20 (PG 13:1028c–1032a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-21 - Source: PG 13:1032a–1032d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Peter, not yet taught the necessity of the Passion, rebuked Jesus from ignorance; Jesus approved his intention but rebuked his ignorance, telling him to “get behind” him again and calling him “Satan,” that is, adversary. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνάξια τά πάθη ἐνόμιζεν εἶναι Χριστοῦ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ἥττονα δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἀποκαλύψαντος αὐτῷ Πατρός τὰ τηλικαῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἀποκεκάλυπτο αὐτῷ τὰ περὶ τοῦ πείσεσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο ι προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν, ι καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμενος τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ζῶντος Θεοῦ οὐδὲν ἐπιτιμήσεως λέγει ἦ πράττει ἀξιον, ι ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾷν αὐτῷ, ι καὶ ὡς δεομένῳ ἱλασμοῦ (οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει πω, ὅτι τοῦτον προέθετο ὀ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον διὰ πίστεως ὲν τῷ αὐτοῦ αἵματι), εἶπεν· ι Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε· ι οὗ τὴν μὲν πρόθεσιν ἀποδεξάμενος, τῇ δὲ ἀγνοίᾳ ἐπιτιμῶν, διὰ μὲν τὴν πρόθεσιν οὖσαν δεξιὰν λέγει αὐτῷ· ι Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, ι οἱονεὶ καταλιπόντι τά διʼ ὧν ἠγνόει καὶ οὐκ ὀρθῶς ἔλεγεν, ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· διὰ δὲ τὴν ἄγνοιαν, ὡς ἀντικείμενόν τι ἔχοντι τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἷπε· ι Σατανᾶ, ι ὅπερ ἐστὶν Ἑβραϊκῶς ἀντικείμενος. Εἰ δὲ μήτε ἀπὸ ἀγνοίας εἰρήκει, μήτε ἐπιτετιμήκει τῷ Υίῷ τοῦ ζῶντος Θεοῦ, λέγων αὑτῷ τό· t Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο, 1 οὔτʼ ἂν εἶπεν αὐτῷ τό· ι Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, ι ὡς καταλιπόντι τὸ εἶναι αὐτοῦ ὀπίσω, καὶ ἕπεσθαι αὐτῷ· οὔτʼ ἂν ὼς ἀντικείμενα εἰρηκότι τοῖς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λελεγμένοις ἔλεξεν ἂν τόʼ t Σατανᾶ. ι Νυνὶ δὲ ἴσχυσεν αὑτὸν ὀ Σατανᾶς ἀκολουθήσαντα τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ βαίνοντι ἀποστῆσαι τοῦ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ, καὶ τοῦ ὀπίσω τυγχάνειν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ποιῆσαι αὑτὸν, διʼ ὧν εἶπεν ἀπὸ ἀγνοίας, ἄξιον τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι Σατανᾶν, καὶ σκάνδαλον τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι καὶ ού φρονοῦντα τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλά τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ὅτι δὲ ὀπίσω πρότερον ἦν πρὶν τοῦτο ἁμαρτεῖν, τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Πέτρος, δῆλον ὲκ τοῦ ι ι Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. ι ### English translation (Claude) … But since he thought the sufferings unworthy of Christ, the Son of the living God, and such things about him beneath the Father who had revealed such great things to him—for what concerned his coming suffering had not been revealed to him—for this reason, “taking him aside,” and as though forgetting the dignity of the Christ, and that the Son of the living God says or does nothing deserving rebuke, “he began to rebuke him”; and as to one who needed propitiation (for he did not yet know that “God put him forward as a propitiation through faith in his blood”), he said: “God be merciful to you, Lord.” Accepting his intention but rebuking his ignorance, because of the intention, which was right, he says to him: “Get behind me,” as to one who, through the things of which he was ignorant and did not speak rightly, had left off following Jesus; but because of the ignorance, as to one who had something opposed to the things of God, he said: “Satan,” which in Hebrew is “adversary.” But if he had not spoken from ignorance, nor rebuked the Son of the living God, saying to him, “God be merciful to you, Lord; this shall never happen to you,” he would not have said to him, “Get behind me,” as to one who had left being behind him and following him; nor would he have said, as to one who had spoken things opposed to what he had said, “Satan.” But as it was, Satan had been able to draw him, who had followed Jesus and was walking behind him, away from following him and from being behind the Son of God, and to make him, by what he said from ignorance, worthy to be called Satan and a stumbling block to the Son of God, “not minding the things of God but the things of men.” That Peter was behind the Son of God before he committed this sin is clear from: “Come behind me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ### Scripture references - Matt 16:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence - Rom 3:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:22–23; Rom 3:25; Matt 4:19. The opening of the section (the Gospel text and a first sentence) is lost in the scan text (“…”). Origen’s explanation of Jesus’ rebuke of Peter is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.21 (PG 13:1032a–1032d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-22 - Source: PG 13:1033a–1033c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: To be “behind” Jesus is good, as following him; to cast God’s words behind oneself or walk behind one’s desires is evil; and Jesus’ “turning” is always for the good of those to whom he turns. ### Greek text Ἅμα δὲ συγκρινείς ὅ τι πρὸς μὲν τὸν Πέτρον εἷπεν ο ι ’Υπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶʼ ι πρὸς δὲ τὸν διάβολον εἰπόντα αὐτῷʼ ι Πάντα σοι ταῦτα δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοι· Ὕπαγε, Σατανᾶ, ι χωρὶς τῆς, ι ὀπίσω μου, ι προσθήκης· τὸ γὰρ ὀπίσω τοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἶναι ἀγαθόν ἐστι· διὸ εἴρηται τό · ι Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. ι Τοιοῦτον δέ ἑστι καὶ τό · ι ’ος οὐκ αἴρει τὸν σταυρὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθεῖ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. ι Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τήρει τὴν, ι ὀπίσω, ι λέξιν, ὅτι ἀγαθὸν μὲν ἔστι πρᾶγμα, ὅτε ὀπίσω Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ τις πορεύεται, καὶ ὀπίσω τοῦ Χριστοῦ γίνεται· ἐναντίον δὲ, ὅτε ῥίπτει τις τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, ἢ ὅτε παραβαίνει τὴν λέγουσαν ἐντολήνʼ ι Ὀπίσω τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν σου μὴ πορεύου. ι Καὶ 6 Ἦλίας δὲ ὲν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν πρὸς τὸν λαόν φησιν· ι Ἕως πότε ὑμεῖς χωλανεῖτε ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις; Εἰ ἐστι Κύριος 6 Θεὸς, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δέ ἐστι Κύριος 6 Βάαλ, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. ι Καὶ λέγει τοῦτο τῷ Πέτρῳ 6 Ἰησοῦς στραφεὶς, καὶ τοῦτο εὐεργετῶν ποιεῖ. Καὶ σὺ μὲν οὖν πλείονα συναγαγὼν παραδείγματα τοῦ, ι στραφεὶς, ι καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τεταγμένα, καὶ συνεξετάσας αὐτὰ ἀλλήλοις, εῦροις ἂν οὐ παρελκόντως τὴν λέξιν κειμένην · ἀρκεῖ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος παραθέσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ Ἰωάννην ι Στραφεὶς δὲ ὀ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ θεασάμενος αὐτοὺς ι δηλονότι Πέτρον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν ι ἀκολουθοῦντας, λέγει αὐτοῖςʼ Τί ζητεῖτε; ι Ὅρα γὰρ, ὃτι καὶ ὲν τούτοις, ι στραφεὶς, ι ἐπʼ εὐεργεσίᾳ γίνεται τῶν πρὸς οὒς ἐστράφη. ### English translation (Claude) At the same time compare what he said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan,” with what he said to the devil when he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me”: “Go away, Satan,” without the addition “behind me”; for to be behind Jesus is a good thing. Therefore it is said, “Come behind me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Of the same kind is: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me.” And in general observe the word “behind”: it is a good thing when one walks behind the Lord God and comes to be behind the Christ; but the opposite when one casts the words of God behind him, or when one transgresses the commandment that says, “Do not walk behind your desires.” And Elijah too, in the third book of Kingdoms, says to the people: “How long will you limp on both your hams? If the Lord is God, walk behind him; but if Baal is lord, walk behind him.” And Jesus says this to Peter “having turned,” and he does this to do him good. And if you collect more examples of “having turned,” especially those set down of Jesus, and examine them together, you would find that the word is not set down superfluously; for the present it is enough to set down this from the Gospel according to John: “And Jesus turned and saw them”—clearly Peter and Andrew—“following, and said to them, What are you seeking?” For see that in these words too “having turned” is for the benefit of those to whom he turned. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:38: quotation, high confidence - Deut 13:4: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 50:17 (49:17 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - 1 Kgs 18:21: quotation, high confidence - Mark 8:33: allusion, high confidence - John 1:38: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 18:30 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:23; Matt 4:9–10; Matt 4:19; Matt 10:38; Deut 13:4; Ps 50:17 (49:17 LXX); Sir 18:30; 1 Kgs 18:21 (3 Kingdoms 18:21 LXX); Mark 8:33 (“having turned”); John 1:38. In John 1:35–40 the two disciples are Andrew and an unnamed disciple; Origen names Peter and Andrew. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.22 (PG 13:1033a–1033c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-23 - Source: PG 13:1036a–1037a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Though one perfected in love cannot be made to stumble, Peter, minding human things, was a stumbling block to Jesus; much more are professing disciples who mind earthly things, and teachers like Basilides, Valentinus, and Marcion. ### Greek text Μετᾶ ταῦτα ζητητέον πῶς εἴρηκε τῷ Πέτρῳ τό· ι Σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ· ι μάλιστα ἐπεί φησιν ὀ Δαυίδ· ι Εἰρήνη πολλὴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν νόμον σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον. ι Φήσει γάρ τις · Εἰ διὰ τὸ βέβαιον τῶν τὴν ἀγάπην ἐχόντων, καὶ ἀνεπιδέκτων ὄντων τοῦ σκανδαλίζεσθαι· ι Ἦ ἀγάπη γὰρ πάντα στέγει, πάντα πιστεύει, πάντα ἐλπίζει, πάντα ὑπομένει, ἠ ἀγάπη οὐδέποτε ἐκπίπτει· ι εἴρηται τοῦτο ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ, πῶς αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, ι ὑποστηρίζων πάντας τοὺς καταπίπτοντας, καὶ ἀνορθῶν πάντας τοὺς κατερῤαγμένους, ι εἷπε τῷ Πέτρῳ· ι Σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ; ι Λεκτέον δὲ, ὅτι ἀνεπίδεκτος μὲν ἔστι τοῦ σκανδαλίζεσθαι οῦ μόνον ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἀλλά καὶ ὁ ἐν ἀγάπῃ τετελειωμένος· τὸ ὅσον δέ ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ ὁ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγων ἢ πράττων, σκάνδαλον ἐστι καὶ τοῦ μὴ σκανδαλισθησομένου · εί μὴ ἀρα τὸν μαθητὴν Ἰησοῦς ἁμαρτάνοντα σκάνδαλον καὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἀποκαλεῖ, ὼς πολλῷ μᾶλλον παρά Παῦλον διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην λέξων ἄν· ι Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ; Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; ι παρʼ ὃ δυνατὸν ποιῆσαι· Τίς σκανδαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ σκανδαλίζομαι; Εἰ δὲ Πέτρος τότε διὰ τό· ι Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἐσται σοι τοῦτο, ι σκάνδαλον εἴρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς οὐ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν οἷς εἷπε φρονῶν, ἀλλά τά τῶν ἀνθρώπων· τί λεκτέον περὶ πάντων τῶν ἐπαγγελλομένων μαθητεύεσθαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, μὴ φρονούντων δέ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴ σκοπούντων τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα καὶ αἰώνια, φρονούντων δὲ τά τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ σκοπούντων τά βλεπόμενα καὶ πρόσκαιρα, ἢ ὅτι oi τοιοῦτοι ἔτι μᾶλλον ἂν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀποκαλοῖντο σκάνδαλον αὑτοῦ · καὶ διὰ τὸ σκάνδαλα αὑτοῦ εῖναι καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἐφʼ οἷς ὡς λέγει τό· ι Ἐπείνων, καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατὲ μοι φαγεῖν, ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς, οὕτως εἴποι ἂν καὶ τό· Τρέχοντα ἐσκανδαλίσατέ με; Μὴ νομίσωμεν τοίνυν τὸ τυχὸν εἶναι ἁμάρτημα φρονεῖν τά τῶν ἀνθρώπων, δέον ἐν πᾶσι φρονεῖν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀρμόσει δὲ λέγειν τοῦτο καὶ παντὶ τῷ ἀποπεπτωκότι μὲν δογμάτων Θεοῦ, καὶ λόγων ἐκκλησιαστικῶν, καὶ φρονήματος ἀληθοῦς, φρονοῦντι δʼ ὼς ἀληθῆ, φέρε εἰπεῖν, τὰ Βασιλίδου, ἦ Οὐαλεντίνου, ἦ Μαρκίωνος, ἦ τινος τῶν διδασκόντων τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ὡς θεῖα. ### English translation (Claude) After this we must ask how he said to Peter, “You are a stumbling block to me,” especially since David says, “Great peace have those who love your law, and there is no stumbling block for them.” For someone will say: if this is said in the prophet because of the steadfastness of those who have love and are incapable of being made to stumble—“for love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never fails”—how did the Lord himself, “who upholds all who are falling and sets upright all who are broken down,” say to Peter, “You are a stumbling block to me”? We must say that not only the Saviour but also one who has been perfected in love is incapable of being made to stumble; but, as far as lies in himself, one who says or does such things is a stumbling block even to one who will not be made to stumble; unless indeed Jesus calls the sinning disciple a stumbling block even to himself, as one who would say from love, much more than Paul, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?”—beside which one could put: “Who is made to stumble, and I am not made to stumble?” And if Peter was then called a stumbling block by Jesus for saying, “God be merciful to you, Lord; this shall never happen to you,” as not minding the things of God in what he said but the things of men, what must be said of all who profess to be disciples of Jesus, but do not mind the things of God, nor look at the things unseen and eternal, but mind the things of men and look at the things seen and temporal, except that such people would be called by Jesus still more his stumbling block? And because they are stumbling blocks to him and to the brothers, as he says concerning them, “I was hungry and you did not give me to eat,” and so on, so he might also say, “When I was running you made me stumble.” Let us not, then, think that minding the things of men is a chance sin, since we ought in all things to mind the things of God. And it will be fitting to say this also to everyone who has fallen away from the doctrines of God and the teachings of the Church and the true mind, and who holds as true, for example, the teachings of Basilides, or Valentinus, or Marcion, or of anyone who teaches human things as divine. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:22: quotation, high confidence - Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:7: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:8: quotation, high confidence - Ps 145:14 (144:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:29: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 25:42: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:7: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:22–23; Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX); 1 Cor 13:7–8; Ps 145:14 (144:14 LXX); 2 Cor 11:29; 2 Cor 4:18; Matt 25:42; Gal 5:7 (running, allusion uncertain). The words “When I was running you made me stumble” are Origen’s own phrasing, not a quotation. A garbled word is read by sense as “true.” ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.23 (PG 13:1036a–1037a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-24 - Source: PG 13:1037a–1040b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: To follow Jesus one must deny one’s former sinful self; the righteous confess not themselves but Christ, who is righteousness, and every act of the perfect is a witness to Christ, as each takes up the cross that Simon of Cyrene carried and that Jesus bears for himself. ### Greek text ι Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἷπε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἀκολουθεῖν, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς. Διά τούτων δείκνυται, ὅτι τὸ θελεῖν ὀπίσω τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐλθεῖν καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀνδραγαθήματος γίνεται* καὶ οὐδεὶς μὴ ἀρνησάμενος ἑαυτὸν ἥκοι ἂν ὀπίσω τοῦ Ἰησοῦ · ἀρνεῖται δὲ ἑαυτὸν ό τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πρότερον κατὰ κακίαν βίον γεγενημένον τῇ ἀξιολόγῳ μεταβολῇ ἀπαλείφων · οἷον, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος, ὁ πάλαι ἀκόλαστος ἀρνεῖται αὑτὸν ἀκόλαστον, σωφρονήσας, καὶ καθεξῆς. Ἀλλʼ είκὸς ἀντιπίπτειν τινὰ, εἰ, ὥσπερ ἑαυτὸν ἠρνήσατο, οὓτως καὶ αὑτὸν ὁμολογεῖ, ἀρνησάμενος μὲν ἑαυτὸν τὸν ἀδικον, ὁμολογῶν δὲ ἑαυτὸν τὸν δίκαιον ’ ἀλλʼ εἴπερ Χριστός ἐστιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη, ό τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἀνειληφὼς οὐχ ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλά Χριστὸν ὁμολογεῖ ’ οὕτως καὶ ὁ τὴν σοφίαν εὑρὼν, διʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἔχειν σοφίαν Χριστὸν ὁμολογεῖ. Καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτός γε, ι καρδίᾳ πιστεύων εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ στόματι ὁμολογῶν εἰς σωτηρίαν, ι καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις Χριστοῦ μαρτυρῶν, ὡς ὁμολογήσας διά πάντων τούτων τὸν Χριστὸν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, όμολογηθήσεται ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρός. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὸ μὴ ἀρνησάμενος ἑαυτὸν, ἀρνησάμενος τὸν Χριστὸν, πείσεται τό· ι Κάγὼ αὑτὸν ἀρνήσομαι. ι Διά τοῦτο πᾶς διαλογισμὸς ἡμῶν καὶ νόημα, καὶ πᾶς λόγος, καὶ πᾶσα πρᾶξις γινέσθω τῆς ἡμῶν περὶ ἑαυτῶν μὲν ἀρνήσεως, περὶ δὲ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὲν Χριστῷ μαρτυρίας· πείθομαι γὰρ πᾶσαν τὴν τοῦ τελείου πρᾶξιν μαρτύριον εἶναι Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὴν πάσης ἁμαρτίας ἀποχὴν ἄρνησιν εἶναι ἑαυτοῦ, φέρουσαν ὀπίσω τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ὀ δὲ τοιοῦτος Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωται, καὶ ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ διʼ ἡμᾶς βαστάζοντι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ σταυρὸν, κατά τὸ εἰρημένον οὕτω παρά τῷ Ἰωάννῃ· ι Παραλαβόντες οὖν αὑτὸν ἐπέθηκαν αὐτῷ, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ · ι Ὅπου αὑτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, ι Ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, κατά τὸν Ἰωάννην Ἰησοῦς ἑαυτῴ βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν, καὶ ι βαστάζων αὐτὸν ἐξῆλθεν· ι ὁ δὲ κατά τὸν Ματθαῖον, καὶ Μάρκον, καὶ Λουκᾶν, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ αὐτὸν αἴρει· Σίμων γὰρ ὁ Κυρηναῖος αὑτὸν βαστάζει. Καὶ τάχα οὗτος μὲν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀναφέρεται, τοὺς διὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ἰησοῦ σταυρὸν αἴροντας, αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς ἑαυτόν · οἷον γὰρ δύο ἐπίνοιαι τοῦ σταυροῦ εἰσιν, ἑνὸς μὲν ὃν Σίμων ὁ Κυρηναῖος βαστάζει, ἑτέρου δὲ ὃν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. ### English translation (Claude) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone wishes to follow behind me,” and the rest. By these words it is shown that wishing to come behind Jesus and follow him does not come from ordinary manly virtue, and that no one who has not denied himself could come behind Jesus. And one denies himself who, by a notable change, wipes out his own former life spent in wickedness: for example, one who was formerly licentious denies his licentious self by becoming self-controlled, and so on. But someone may well object: whether, as he denied himself, so he also confesses himself, denying his unjust self but confessing his just self? But if Christ is righteousness, one who has taken up righteousness confesses not himself but Christ; so too one who has found wisdom confesses Christ by the very fact of having wisdom. And such a one, “believing with the heart unto righteousness and confessing with the mouth unto salvation,” and bearing witness to Christ by his works, as one who has confessed Christ by all these before men, will be confessed by him before the Father in heaven. So too one who has not denied himself, but has denied Christ, will undergo the saying, “I too will deny him.” Therefore let every reasoning and thought of ours, and every word and every act, be a denial of ourselves and a witness concerning Christ and in Christ; for I am persuaded that every act of the perfect man is a witness to Christ Jesus, and that abstaining from every sin is a denial of oneself, which brings one behind Jesus. Such a one has been crucified with Christ, and taking up his own cross follows him who for our sake bears his own cross, according to what is said in John: “So they took him and laid on him,” and the rest, as far as “where they crucified him.” But the Jesus according to John, if I may so call him, bears the cross for himself, and “bearing it went out”; but the Jesus according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke does not carry it himself, for Simon of Cyrene carries it. And perhaps Simon refers to us, who take up the cross of Jesus for Jesus’ sake, and Jesus himself to himself; for there are, as it were, two aspects of the cross: one which Simon of Cyrene carries, and another which Jesus carries himself for himself. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:24: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:30: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 10:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:32: allusion, high confidence - Matt 10:33: quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:19: allusion, high confidence - John 19:16: quotation, high confidence - John 19:17: quotation, high confidence - John 19:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:32: allusion, high confidence - Mark 15:21: allusion, high confidence - Luke 23:26: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:24; 1 Cor 1:30; Rom 10:10; Matt 10:32–33; Gal 2:19; John 19:16–18 (as Origen quotes it); Matt 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26. The word rendered “witness” (μαρτύριον) is also the word for martyrdom. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.24 (PG 13:1037a–1040b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-25 - Source: PG 13:1040b–1040d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Self-denial is Paul’s “no longer I who live, but Christ in me”; as Christ died by the cross, so believers die to sin only by being crucified with him. ### Greek text Ἔτι δὲ εἰς τό· ι Ἀρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν, ι δοκεῖ μοι χρήσιμον εἶναι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου ἀρνουμένου ἑαυτὸν εἰρημένον, οὕτως ἔχον ι Ζῶ δὲ οὐκ ἑτι ἐγὼ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός· ι τὸ γὰρ, ι Ζῶ οὐκ ἔτι ἐγώ, ι φωνὴ ἦν ἑαυτὸν ἀρνουμένου, ὡς ἀποθεμένου μὲν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωὴν, ἀνειληφότος δὲ εις ἑαυτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν, ἵνα αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ ζήσῃ, ὼς δικαιοσύνη, καὶ ὡς σοφία, καὶ ὡς ἁγιασμὸς, καὶ ὡς εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, καὶ ὡς δύναμις Θεοῦ, πάντα ὲν αὐτῷ ἐνεργῶν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τούτῳ πρόσχες, ὅτι, πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν τρόπων τοῦ ἀποθνήσκειν, ἐπὶ ξύλου κρεμασθεὶς ἐσταυρώθη ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα πάντες oi ἀποθνήσκοντες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ μὴ ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ ἀποθάνωσιν αὐτῇ ἢ τῷ κατὰ τὸν σταυρόν· διὸ ἐροῦσι τό· ι Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι, ι καὶ τό· ι Ἐμόι μὴ γένοιτο καυχᾶσθαι εἰ μὴ ὲν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου, διʼ οὗ ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κάγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ. ι Τάχα γὰρ καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν συσταυρουμένων Χριστῷ ι ἀπεκδύεται τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, καὶ δειγματίζει αὐτάς, καὶ θριαμβεύει ὲν τῷ ξύλῳ · ι μᾶλλον δὲ Χριστὸς ὲν αὐτοῖς ταῦτα ποιεῖ. ### English translation (Claude) Further, on “Let him deny himself,” what was said by Paul, who denied himself, seems useful to me, as follows: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”; for “It is no longer I who live” was the voice of one denying himself, as one who had put off his own life and taken Christ into himself, so that he might live in him as righteousness, as wisdom, as sanctification, as our peace, and as the power of God, working all things in him. And attend to this too, that though there are many ways of dying, the Son of God was crucified, hung on a tree, so that all who die to sin might die to it in no other way than that of the cross. Therefore they will say, “I have been crucified with Christ,” and, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of the Lord, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” For perhaps each of those crucified with Christ “strips off the principalities and authorities, and makes a public example of them, and triumphs over them on the tree”; or rather, Christ does these things in them. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:24: quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:20: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:30: allusion, high confidence - Eph 2:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:6: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 2:19: quotation, high confidence - Gal 6:14: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:24; Gal 2:20; 1 Cor 1:30; Eph 2:14; 1 Cor 1:24; 1 Cor 12:6; Gal 2:19; Gal 6:14; Col 2:15. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.25 (PG 13:1040b–1040d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-26 - Source: PG 13:1041a–1041c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen gives two readings of “whoever would save his life will lose it”: clinging to bodily life loses blessedness while dying for the truth saves the soul; or, one who seeks salvation must lose his soul to the world for Christ’s sake. ### Greek text ι Ὃς γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ σῶσαι, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν. ι Ἀμφίβολος ἠ πρώτη λέξις· ἐστι γὰρ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς καθʼ ἕνα μὲν τρόπον ταῦτα νοῆσαι· εί τις ὼς φιλόζωος, καὶ οἰόμενος τὴν ἐνεστηκυῖαν εἶναι ζωὴν ἀγαθὸν, περιέπει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν πρὸς τὸ ἐν σαρκὶ ζῇν, φοβούμενος ἀποθανεῖν, ὡς διά τοῦ θανάτου ἀπολέσων αὐτήν· οὗτος ἐν αύτῷ τῷ θέλειν τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον σώζειν τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν, ἔξω ποιῶν αὐτὴν τῶν ὅρων τῆς μακαριότητος. Εἰ δέ τις, καταφρονῶν τοῦ ἐνεστηκότος ζῇν διὰ τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον πείσαντα περὶ αίωνίου ζωῆς μέχρι Θανάτου ἀγωνίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας, ἀπολλύοι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, παραδιδοὺς αὐτὴν ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας τῷ κοινότερον ὀνομαζομένῳ θανάτῳ οὗτος, ὡς διʼ ἐμὲ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν, σώσει αὐτὴν μᾶλλον καὶ περιποιήσεται. Καὶ καθʼ ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον οὓτως ἂν ἐκδεχοίμεθα τὸ ῥητόν· Εἴ τις, νοήσας ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν ἡ σωτηρία, βούλεται κομίσασθαι τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, οὗτος ἀποταξάμενος τούτῳ τῷ βίῳ, καὶ ἀρνησάμενος αὑτὸν, καὶ ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθῶν μοι, ἀπολλύτω τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐμοῦ γὰρ ἕνεκεν καὶ πάσης μου τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπολλὺς αὐτὴν, τέλος τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπωλείας κομίσεται τὴν σωτηρίαν. ’ ### English translation (Claude) “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it.” The first phrase is ambiguous; for one can understand it in one way thus: if anyone, as a lover of life, thinking the present life a good, cherishes his own life with a view to living in the flesh, fearing to die, as though he would lose it through death, this man, by the very wish to save his life in this way, will lose it, putting it outside the bounds of blessedness. But if anyone, despising the present living because of my word, which has persuaded him to contend for truth even to death for the sake of eternal life, loses his own life, handing it over for piety to what is more commonly called death, this man, as having lost his life for my sake, will rather save it and preserve it. And in another way we might take the text thus: if anyone, having understood what salvation is, wishes to obtain the salvation of his own soul, let this man, renouncing this life, and denying himself, and taking up his cross and following me, lose his soul to the world; for losing it for my sake and for the sake of all my teaching, he will obtain salvation as the end of such loss. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:24: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Matt 16:25. ψυχή means both “life” and “soul,” and Origen’s readings move between the two senses. The first reading concerns martyrdom; translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.26 (PG 13:1041a–1041c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-26). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-27 - Source: PG 13:1041d–1044c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Each should lose his sinning soul to the world for Christ’s sake so as to gain the soul that is saved; it is far better to lose the world than the soul. ### Greek text Ἅμα δὲ καὶ τήρει, ὅτι ἐν μὲν τῇ ἀρχῇ τό, ‹ Ὃς ἂν θέλῃ, ι εἴρηται, ὲξῆς δὲ τό, ι ’ος ἀπολέσῃ αὐτήν. ι Θέλοντες οὖν αὐτὴν σώζεσθαι, ἀπολέσωμεν αὐτὴν τῷ κόσμῳ, ὡς Χριστῷ συσταυρούμενοι, καὶ ὼς ἔχοντες καύχημα τὸ ὲν τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, διʼ οὗ ὁ κόσμος ἡμῖν σταυρωθήσεται, καὶ ἡμεῖς τῷ κόσμῳ, ἵνα κομισώμεθα τὸ τέλος τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν, ἀρχομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπολλύναι ἡμᾶς αὐτὴν ἓνεκα τοῦ λόγου. Ἀλλʼ εἴπερ νοοῦμεν τὸ σώζεσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν μακάριον εἶναι, ἀναφερόμενον ἐπὶ τὴν ὲν Θεῷ σωτηρίαν, καὶ τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῷ μακαρισμοὺς, ὀφείλει τις εἶναι καὶ ἀπώλεια ψυχῆς ἀγαθὴ, καὶ ἕνεκεν Χριστοῦ, προοίμιον ἐσομένη τῆς μακαρίας σωτηρίας. Δοκεῖ μοι οὖν, ἀνάλογον τῷ ἀρνεῖσθαι ἑαυτὸν, κατά τὰ ἀποδεδομένα, ἀπολλύναι δεῖν ἕκαστον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Ἀπολλύτω οὖν ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτάνουσαν ψυχὴν, ἵνα, ἀπολέσας τὴν ἁμαρτάνουσαν, ἀναλάβῃ τὴν ὲν τῷ κατορθοῦν σωζομένην. Οὐδὲν δὲ ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδάνῃ · κερδαίνει δʼ, οἶμαι, τὸν κόσμον, ᾧ ὁ κόσμος οὐ σταυροῦται· ᾧ δὲ κόσμος οὐ σταυροῦται, ἐκείνῳ ἔσται ζημία τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Δύο προκειμένων, ἦτοι διὰ τὸ κερδαίνειν τὴν ψυχὴν ζημιοῦσθαι τὸν κόσμον, ἢ διά τὸ κερδαίνειν τὸν κόσμον ζημιοῦσθαι τὴν ψυχὴν, πολλῷ μᾶλλόν ἐστιν αἱρετώτερον ζημιωθῆναι μὲν ἡμᾶς τὸν κόσμον, κερδῆσαι δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ τοῦ διὰ Χριστὸν αὐτὴν ἀπολέσαι. ### English translation (Claude) And at the same time observe that at the beginning “whoever wishes” is said, but next “whoever loses it.” Wishing, then, for it to be saved, let us lose it to the world, as those crucified with Christ and having our boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world will be crucified to us and we to the world, so that we may obtain the end, the salvation of our souls, which begins from our losing it for the sake of the word. But if we understand the saving of the soul to be blessed, referring it to salvation in God and to the blessednesses with him, there must also be a loss of the soul that is good, and for Christ’s sake, which will be a prelude to the blessed salvation. It seems to me, then, that in analogy with denying oneself, as explained, each must lose his own soul. Let each, then, lose his sinning soul, so that, having lost the sinning one, he may take up the one that is being saved in doing right. “For a man will be profited nothing if he gains the whole world”; and he gains the world, I think, to whom the world is not crucified; and to whom the world is not crucified, for him there will be the loss of his own soul. Two things being set before us—either to lose the world for the sake of gaining the soul, or to lose the soul for the sake of gaining the world—it is much more to be chosen that we lose the world and gain the soul by losing it for Christ. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:26: quotation, high confidence - Gal 6:14: allusion, high confidence - Gal 2:19: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Pet 1:9: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:25–26; Gal 6:14; Gal 2:19; 1 Pet 1:9. ψυχή is rendered “soul” here, where Origen speaks of losing the sinning soul; it is the same word as “life” in the Gospel text. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.27 (PG 13:1041d–1044c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-27). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-28 - Source: PG 13:1044c–1048b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: No one can give an exchange for his soul, but God gave the precious blood of Christ; Origen relates this to Isaiah’s “I gave Egypt, Ethiopia, and Syene as your exchange.” ### Greek text Τὸ δέ· ι Ἣ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; ι δόξει μὲν ἐπαπορητικῶς εἰρημένον δύνασθαι δηλοῦν καὶ τὸ δοῦναι ι ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὑτοῦ, ι μετά τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὃλην ἀποδεδομένον τὴν οὐσίαν, ἵνα ψωμίσῃ πένητας τά ὑπάρχοντα αὑτοῦ, ὡς διὰ τούτου σωθησόμενος · καὶ ἀποφαντικῶς δʼ οἶμαι δηλοῦν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅπερ δοὺς ὡς ι ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτοῦ, ι κεκρατημένης ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου, λυτρώσεται αὐτὴν ὲκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ. Ἀνθρωπος μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἂν δῴη τι ι ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ· ι Θεὸς δὲ τῆς πάντων ἡμῶν ψυχῆς ἀντάλλαγμα τὸ τίμιον αἷμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καθʼ ὃ τιμῆς ἠγοράσθημεν, ι οὐ φθαρτοῖς ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ ἀπολυτρωθέντες, ἀλλά τιμίῳ αἵματι, ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἀμώμου καὶ ἀσπίλου Χριστοῦ· ι καὶ ὲν Ἡσαΐᾳ λέλεκται τῷ Ἰσραήλ· ι Ἔδωκά σου ἀντάλλαγμα Αἰθιοπίαν, καὶ Αἴγυπτον, καὶ Σοήνην ὑπὲρ σοῦ, ἀφʼ οὗ σὺ ἔντιμος ἐγένου ἐναντίον μου, ἐδοξάσθης. ι Ἄλλαγμα γὰρ, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, ὑπὲρ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὰ πρωτότοκα γέγονεν Αἰγυπτίων · καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οἱ ἀποθανόντες Αἰγύπτιοι ὲν ταῖς λοιπαῖς μάστιξι ταῖς ὲπεληλυθυίαις ἐπʼ Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἐν τῷ μετά τὰς μάστιγας καταποντισμῷ. Ἀπὸ τούτων δὲ ὁ δυνάμενος ἐξεταζέτω εἰ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἄλλαγμα δίδοται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ι ῥυομένου τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὲκ πασῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτῶν, ι ἡ ἀληθινὴ Αἰθιοπία, καὶ, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, πνευματικὴ Αἴγυπτος, καί τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἡ Σοήνη· ἵνα δὲ τολμηρότερον ζητήσω, τάχα Σοήνη μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ, Αἴγυπτος δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἰουδαίας, Αἰθιοπία δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν φοβουμένων, ἑτέρων ὄντων παρά τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τὸν οἶκον Λευί, καὶ τὸν οἷκον Ἀαρών. ### English translation (Claude) But the saying, “Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”, if taken as a question, will seem able to indicate that one gives “an exchange for his soul” who after his sins has given away his whole substance, “to feed the poor with his possessions,” as though to be saved by this; but taken as a statement, it indicates, I think, that there is nothing a man has which he could give as “an exchange for his soul,” when it is held fast by death, and so redeem it from death’s hand. A man, then, could give nothing as “an exchange for his soul”; but God has given as the exchange for the souls of us all the precious blood of Jesus, according to which “we were bought with a price,” “redeemed not with perishable things, with silver or gold, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, Christ.” And in Isaiah it is said to Israel: “I gave Ethiopia as your exchange, and Egypt and Syene for you, since you became precious in my sight, you were glorified”; for, for example, the firstborn of the Egyptians became the exchange for the firstborn of Israel, and for Israel the Egyptians who died in the remaining plagues that came on Egypt and in the drowning after the plagues. From these things let one who is able examine whether the true Ethiopia, and, so to call it, the spiritual Egypt, and the Syene of Egypt, are given as the exchange for the true Israel by God, “who redeems Israel from all their iniquities.” And to inquire more boldly: perhaps Syene is given for Jerusalem, Egypt for Judea, and Ethiopia for those who fear the Lord, who are other than Israel and the house of Levi and the house of Aaron. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:3: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:20: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:18: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:19: quotation, high confidence - Isa 43:3: quotation, high confidence - Isa 43:4: quotation, high confidence - Exod 12:29: allusion, high confidence - Exod 14:28: allusion, high confidence - Ps 130:8 (129:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 135:19 (134:19 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Ps 135:20 (134:20 LXX): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:26; 1 Cor 13:3; 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Pet 1:18–19; Isa 43:3–4 LXX; Exod 12:29; Exod 14:28; Ps 130:8 (129:8 LXX); Ps 135:19–20 (134:19–20 LXX). “The Lord” after “those who fear” is supplied by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.28 (PG 13:1044c–1048b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-28). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-29 - Source: PG 13:1048c–1049a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Son of Man came first without form or beauty to bear our sins, and will come in the Father’s glory, restored to the form of God and making his disciples conformed to it. ### Greek text ι Μέλλει γὰρ 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ὲν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὑτοῦ μετά τῶν ἀγγέλων αὑτοῦ. ι Νῦν μὲν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐλήλυθεν οὐκ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ· ι Εἴδομεν γὰρ αὑτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εῖχεν εἰδος, οὐδὲ κάλλος· ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον, καὶ ἐκλεῖπον παρά τοὺς υἰοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἀνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν, καὶ πόνῳ, καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ὅτι ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ, ἡτιμάσθη, καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη. ι Καὶ ἔδει αὑτὸν τοιοῦτον ἐληλυθέναι, ι ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρῃ, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνηθῇ · ι οὐ γὰρ ἔπρεπε τὸν ὲν δόξῃ ι φέρειν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ὀδυνηθῆναι περὶ ἡμῶν· ι ἀλλά καὶ ἔρχεται ἐν δόξῃ προευτρεπίσαι τοὺς μαθητὰς διὰ τῆς μὴ ἐχούσης εἶδος, μηδὲ κάλλος ἐπιφανείας αὑτοῦ· καὶ γενόμενος ὡς αὐτοὶ, πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτοὺς ὡς αύτδς, ι συμμόρφους τῆς εἰκόνος ι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, ἐπεὶ πρότερον αὐτὸς γέγονε σύμμορφος ι τῷ σώματι τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, ὴνίκα ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ι ἀποκαθίσταται τε ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μορφὴν, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτοὺς συμμόρφους αὐτῇ. ### English translation (Claude) “For the Son of Man is to come in the glory of his Father with his angels.” Now, indeed, the Son of Man has come, not in his glory: “For we saw him, and he had no form or beauty; but his form was without honour, and failing beside the sons of men; a man in affliction and toil, and knowing how to bear weakness, for his face was turned away; he was dishonoured and not esteemed.” And he had to come such as this, so that he might “bear our sins and suffer pain for us”; for it was not fitting for one in glory to “bear our sins and suffer pain for us.” But he also comes in glory, having first prepared the disciples through his appearing that had no form or beauty; and having become as they are, so that they might become as he is, “conformed to the image” of his glory—since he first became conformed “to the body of our humiliation,” when “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant”—he is restored to the form of God and makes them conformed to it. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:27: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:3: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:29: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:21: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:27; Isa 53:2–4 LXX; Rom 8:29; Phil 3:21; Phil 2:6–7. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.29 (PG 13:1048c–1049a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-29). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-30 - Source: PG 13:1049a–1052b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: To beginners the Word has the form of a servant, but to the perfect he comes in glory with his angels, the words of the prophets; at Christ’s judgment seat the perfect have their sins wiped out, apostates lose their former good deeds, and those in between receive both. ### Greek text Ἐὰν δὲ δυνηθῇς κατανοῆσαι τὰς τοῦ Λόγου διαφορὰς, ὲν ι μωρίᾳ κηρύγματος ι ἐπαγγελλομένου τοῖς πιστεύουσι, καὶ ἐν σοφία λαλουμένου τοῖς τελείοις, ὄψει τίνα τρόπον ό Λόγος τοῖς μὲν εἰσαγομένοις ἔχει δούλου μορφὴν, ὥστʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν αὐτούς ’ ι Εῐδομεν αὑτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος, οὐδὲ κάλλος· ι τοῖς δὲ τελείοις ἐρχεται ὲν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρός αὐτοῦ, λέγουσιν ἂν τό· ι Καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς Μονογενοῦς παρὰ Πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας. ι Καὶ γὰρ τοῖς τελείοις φαίνεται ἠ δόξα τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ τὸ μονογενὲς αὐτοῦ τῷ Πατρὶ Θεῷ, καὶ τὸ τῆς χάριτος πλῆρες, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας · ὅπερ ού δύναται χωρῆσαι ό δεόμενος πρὸς τὸ πιστεύειν ι τῆς μωρίας τοῦ κηρύγματος. ι Μέλλει δὲ ό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ὲν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρός αὑτοῦ, ι οὐ μόνος, ἀλλὰ ι μετά τῶν ἀγγέλων αὑτοῦ. ι Καὶ εί δύνασαι νοῆσαι πάντας τοὺς συνεργοὺς τῆς δόξης τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ τῆς ἀποκαλύψεως τῆς σοφίας, ἅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, συνεπιδημοῦντας αὐτῷ, ὄψει τίνα τρόπον ἔρχεται ι ό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρός αὑτοῦ, μετά τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. ι Καὶ πρόσχες εί δύνασαι ὲν τούτοις τοὺς πρότερον παθόντας προφήτας ἀναλογίαν φάσκειν ἐσχηκέναι πρὸς τὸν μὴ ἐσχηκότα εἶδος μηδὲ κάλλος λόγον, τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι εἶδος μηδὲ κάλλος Λόγῳ. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἔρχεται ι ό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὲν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ι οὕτως ἄγγελοι γινόμενοι οἱ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις λόγοι μετʼ αὑτοῦ παραγίνονται, τὴν ἀναλογίαν σώζοντες τῆς ὲαυτῶν δόξης. Ἐπὰν δὲ τοιοῦτος μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὑτοῦ ἐπιδημήσῃ ὁ Λόγος, μεταδώσει ἑκάστῳ τῆς δόξης ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῆς λαμπρότητος τῶν ἀγγέλων ἑαυτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου πρᾶξιν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν οὐκ ἀθετοῦντες καὶ τὴν ἁπλούστερον νοουμένην δευτέραν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πότε δὲ ταῦτα ἀπαντήσεται; ἢ ὅτε τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ἐκεῖνο πληροῦται λόγιον τὸ λέγον ι Τοὺς γάρ πάντας ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἂ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον; ι Εἰ δὲ ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀποδώσει, οὐ τὴν ἀστείαν μόνην, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τὴν φαύλην χωρὶς τῆς ἀστείας, δῆλον, ὅτι ἑκάστῳ ἀποδώσει κατὰ πᾶσαν φαύλην, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἀστείαν πρᾶξιν. Ὑπολαμβάνω δὲ, ὲν τούτοις πειθόμενος καὶ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ, συμβάλλων δὲ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ, ὲν οἷς τοῦ τελείως ἐπιστρέψαντος ἀπαλείφεται τά ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ τοῦ πάντη ὲκπέσοντος οὐ λογίζεται τά πρότερον κατορθώματα, ὅτι τοῦ μὲν τελειωθέντος, καὶ πάντη τὴν κακίαν ἀποθεμένου, ἁπαλείφεται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· τοῦ δὲ πάντη ἁποστατήσαντος τῆς θεοσεβείας, οὐ λογίζεται εἴ τι πρότερον χρηστὸν αὐτῷ πέπρακται· ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς μεταξὺ τοῦ τελείου καὶ τοῦ ἀποστάτου παραστάσιν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ δίδοται ἃ ἐπράξαμεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον· οὔτε γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἐκαθαρεύσαμεν, ἴνα ἡμῖν μηδόλως ὲπιλογισθῇ τὰ φαῦλα, οῦτε ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐκπεπτώκαμεν, ὣστε ὲπιλησθῆναι ἡμῶν τά κρείττονα. ### English translation (Claude) If you are able to perceive the differences of the Word, proclaimed “in the foolishness of preaching” to those who believe, and spoken “in wisdom” among the perfect, you will see how the Word has the form of a servant to those being introduced, so that they would say, “We saw him, and he had no form or beauty”; but to the perfect he comes in the glory of his Father, and they would say: “And we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” For to the perfect there appears the glory of the Word, and his being only-begotten of God the Father, and his fullness of grace, and likewise of truth; which one who needs “the foolishness of preaching” in order to believe cannot receive. And “the Son of Man is to come in the glory of his Father,” not alone, but “with his angels.” And if you can perceive all the fellow workers of the glory of the Word and of the revelation of wisdom, which is Christ, coming with him, you will see how “the Son of Man comes in the glory of his Father with his angels.” And consider whether in these terms you can say that the prophets who suffered before had, by their word that had no form or beauty, a likeness to the Word who had no form or beauty. And as “the Son of Man comes in the glory of his Father,” so the words in the prophets, becoming angels, come with him, keeping the proportion of their own glory. And when the Word comes in such a way with his angels, he will give to each a share of his own glory and of the brightness of his angels, according to each one’s deeds. We say these things without rejecting the second coming of the Son of God understood in the simpler way. And when will these things come about? Is it not when that apostolic saying is fulfilled which says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive what was done through the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad”? And if he will repay each according to his deeds, not the good alone, nor the bad apart from the good, it is clear that he will repay each according to every bad and every good deed. And I suppose—trusting the Apostle in this, and comparing also the words of Ezekiel, in which the sins of one who has turned completely are wiped out, and the former right deeds of one who has fallen away entirely are not reckoned—that for one who has been perfected and has entirely put off wickedness, the sins are wiped out; and for one who has entirely apostatized from godliness, any good he did before is not reckoned; but to us who are between the perfect and the apostate, when we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, is given what we have done, whether good or bad; for neither have we become so pure that our bad deeds are not reckoned against us at all, nor have we fallen away so far that our better deeds are forgotten. ### Scripture references - 1 Cor 1:21: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:6: allusion, high confidence - Isa 53:2: quotation, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 5:10: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:21: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 18:24: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 33:12: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 1 Cor 1:21; 1 Cor 2:6; Isa 53:2; John 1:14; Matt 16:27; 1 Cor 1:24; 2 Cor 5:10; Ezek 18:21–24; Ezek 33:12–16. Origen expressly does not reject the second coming understood in the simpler, literal way; his teaching on judgment is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.30 (PG 13:1049a–1052b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-17/#p-12-30). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-31 - Source: PG 13:1052b–1056a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Some refer the promise that some would not taste death to the three apostles who saw the Transfiguration; Origen calls this a reading fit for beginners, “milk,” while the mature seek the solid food of Scripture. ### Greek text ι Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, εἰσί τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων, οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου. ι Ταῦτα ἀναφέρουσί τινες ἐπὶ τὴν μεθʼ ἡμέρας ἒξ, ἦ, ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς φησιν, ὀκτὼ ἀνάβασιν τῶν τριῶν ἀποστόλων είς τὸ ὑψηλὸν μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κατʼ ἰδίαν ὄρος· καί φασιν οἱ οὕτω διηγούμενοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐγεύσαντο θανάτου Πέτρος καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δύο, πρὸ ι τοῦ ίδεῖν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὲλθόντα ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ, ὲν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ. ι Ἰδόντες γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν μεταμορφωθέντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὡς λάμψαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἑωράκασι ι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ὲν δυνάμει. ι Καὶ γὰρ ὼς περιεστήκασι βασιλέα δορυφόροι τινὲς, οὕτως ι Μωῦσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ὤφθησαν ι τοῖς ἀναβεβηκόσιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος ι μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λαλοῦντες. ι Ἀξιον δὲ ἐπιστῆσαι εί ἐπὶ τούτους ἀναφέρεται τὸ καθίσαι ὲκ δεξιῶν καὶ εὐωνύμων τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ, ὼς τό, ι ἀλλʼ οἷς ἡτοίμασται, ι διὰ τούτους λελέχθαι. Αῦτη δὲ ἡ διήγησις περὶ τοῦ μὴ γεύσασθαι θανάτου τοὺς τρεῖς ἀποστόλους, ἓως ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν μεταμορφούμενον, ἁρμόζει τοῖς, ὠς ό Πέτρος ὠνόμασε, ι γενομένοις ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη, τὰ ὲπιποθοῦντα τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα, ι πρὸς οὓς ό Παῦλος λέγει ’ ι Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ πᾶσα δʼ, οἶμαι, ἡ πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν οἰκοδομεῖν δυναμένη τοὺς μὴ χωροῦντας μείζονα διήγησις γάλα ἂν εὐλόγως ὀνομάζοιτο, τὸ ῥέον ἀπὸ τῆς ἁγίας τῶν Γραφῶν γῆς, τῆς ῥεούσης μέλι καὶ γάλα. Ἀλλʼ ὁ ὡς ὁ Ἰσαὰκ ἀπογαλακτισθεὶς, ἀξίως εὐφροσύνης καὶ δοχῆς ἢν ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τῷ ἁπογαλακτισμῷ τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ζητήσειεν ἂν τὴν ἐν τούτοις καὶ πάσῃ Γραφῇ στερεὰν, οἶμαι, οὖσαν τοῦ βρώματος μὲν, οὐ στερεᾶς δὲ τροφῆς, καὶ τῶν ὀνομαζομένων τροπικῶς λαχάνων, ἅτινα τῷ ἀπογαλακτισθέντι μὲν, οὐκ ἰσχυρῷ δὲ, ἀλλʼ ἀσθενοῦντι ἐστι τροφὴ, κατὰ τό· ι Ὀ ἀσθενῶν λάχανα ἐσθίει. ι Ὁμοίως καὶ ό ὡς Σαμουὴλ ἀπογαλακτισθεὶς, καὶ ἀνατιθέμενος ἀπὸ τῆς μητρὸς τῷ Θεῷ (αὕτη δὲ Ἀννα ἦν, ἥτις ἑρμηνεύεται χάρις), καὶ εἴη ἂν τῆς χάριτος υἱὸς, ὁ ζητῶν, ὡς ἐν ναῷ τρεφόμενος, Θεοῦ κρέα, ἁγίαν τροφὴν τελείων ἅμα καὶ ἱερέων. ### English translation (Claude) “Truly I tell you, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death.” Some refer these words to the ascent, after six days or, as Luke says, eight, of the three apostles with Jesus to the high mountain apart; and those who explain it so say that Peter and the other two did not taste death before seeing “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom,” in his glory. For seeing Jesus transfigured before them, so that his face shone, and so on, they saw “the kingdom of God come in power.” For as certain bodyguards stand around a king, so “Moses and Elijah appeared” to those who had gone up the mountain with Jesus, “talking with him.” And it is worth considering whether sitting at the right and left of the Saviour in his kingdom refers to these, so that “but for those for whom it has been prepared” was said on their account. This explanation, that the three apostles would not taste death until they saw Jesus transfigured, suits those who have become, as Peter called them, “as newborn infants, longing for the rational, pure milk,” to whom Paul says, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food,” and so on. And every explanation that, keeping to the letter, can build up those who cannot receive greater things might reasonably be called milk, flowing from the holy land of the Scriptures, which flows with milk and honey. But one who, like Isaac, has been weaned, worthy of the feast and reception that Abraham made at the weaning of his son, would seek in these words and in all Scripture the food that is solid—different, I think, from what is food indeed but not solid nourishment, and from what are figuratively called vegetables, which are food for one who has been weaned but is not strong, but weak, according to the saying, “The weak eats vegetables.” Likewise one who, like Samuel, has been weaned and dedicated by his mother to God—she was Hannah, which is interpreted “grace”—and would be a son of grace, seeks, as one nourished in the temple, the meat of God, the holy food of those who are at once perfect and priests. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:1: allusion, high confidence - Luke 9:28: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:2: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:23: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:8: allusion, high confidence - Gen 21:8: allusion, high confidence - Rom 14:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Sam 1:24: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:28; Matt 17:1–3; Luke 9:28–29; Mark 9:1; Matt 20:21–23; 1 Pet 2:2; 1 Cor 3:2; Exod 3:8; Gen 21:8; Rom 14:2; 1 Sam 1:24–28. The sentence on solid food is partly garbled in the scan text and read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.31 (PG 13:1052b–1056a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-31). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.32 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-32 - Source: PG 13:1056a–1057b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Those who stand beside Jesus do not stand equally; only those who stand best, such as a Peter or the sons of thunder, see the Word in his royal glory and do not taste death. ### Greek text Τὰ οὖν είς τὸν προκείμενον τόπον βλεπόμενα ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἡμῖν τοιαῦτά ἐστιν· ἦσαν τινες ἑστῶτες ὅπου ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐρηρεισμένας ἔχοντες τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς βάσεις παρᾶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἦν αὐτῶν ἡ τῶν ποδῶν στάσις συγγενὴς τῇ περὶ ἦς εἷπε Μωῦσῆς στάσει ὲν τῷ· ι Κάγὼ ἔστην ἑν τῷ ὄρει τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαράκοντα νύκτας, ι ἀξιωθέντι καὶ τοῦ ι Σὺ δὲ αὑτοῦ στῆθι μετʼ ἐμοῦ, ι λεγομένου πρὸς αὑτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀξιοῦντος αὑτὸν στῆναι παρʼ αὐτῷ. Οὗτοι δὴ οί ἑστῶτες παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, τουτέστι παρὰ τῷ Λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ πάντες ἐπίσης ἑστήκασιν· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἑστηκόσι παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαφορά· διὸ οὐ πάντες οἱ ἑστῶτες παρὰ τῷ Σωτῆρι, ἀλλὰ τινὲς αὐτῶν, ὡς βέλτιον ἑστηκότες, οὺ γεύονται θανάτου, ἕως ἂν ίδωσι τὸν ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδημήσαντα Λόγον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Υίὺν ἀνθρώπου χρηματίζοντα, ἐρχόμενον ἑν τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἑαυτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἀεὶ, ὅτε ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἔρχεται· ἐπεὶ τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, ὥστε είπεῖν ἂν αὐτοὺς βλέποντας αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔνδοξον, οὐδὲ μέγαν, ἀλλʼ ὑποδεέστερον πολλῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς λόγον· ι Εῐδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος, οὐδὲ κάλλος· ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον, ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.» Καὶ ταῦτα ἑροῦσιν οί ίδόντες αὑτοῦ τὴν δόξαν περὶ τῶν προτέρων ἑαυτῶν χρόνων ὅτε κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς οὐκ εἶχεν αὐτοῖς εἶδος, οὐδὲ κάλλος ὁ ἐν συναγωγῇ νοούμενος Λόγος. Ἔστιν οὖν βασιλικὸν ἐμφαινόμενον ἀξίωμα τοῦ τὴν ἑπὶ πᾶσιν λόγοις ἁρχὴν φανερώτατα ἁνειληφότος Λόγου, βλεπόμενόν τισι τῶν ἑστηκότων παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὲπὰν δυνηθῶσιν αῦτῷ ἀκολουθῆσαι προάγοντι αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀναβαίνοντι εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φανερώσεως ὅρος. Οὗ τινες τῶν ἑστώτων παρὰ Ἰησοῦν ἀξιοῦνται, ὲάν ὦσιν ἤτοι Πέτρος, οῦ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύουσιν, ἢ οἱ τῆς βροντῆς υἱοὶ, καὶ γεννώμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς μεγαλοφωνίας τοῦ Θεοῦ βροντῶντος, καὶ μεγάλα οὐρανόθεν βοῶντος τοῖς ἔχουσιν ὦτα καὶ σοφοῖς. Οἱ τοιοῦτοι γοῦν οὐ γεύονται Θανάτου. ### English translation (Claude) What we see on the passage before us for the present is this. There were some standing where Jesus was, having the foundations of their soul firmly planted beside Jesus, and the standing of their feet was akin to the standing of which Moses said, “And I stood on the mountain forty days and forty nights,” who was also thought worthy of “But you, stand here with me,” said to him by God, who thought him worthy to stand beside him. These, then, who stand beside Jesus, that is, beside the Word of God, do not all stand equally; for there is a difference among those standing beside Jesus. Therefore not all who stand beside the Saviour, but some of them, as standing better, do not taste death until they see the Word who came to dwell among human beings, and is for this reason called Son of Man, coming in his own kingdom; for it is not always, when Jesus comes, that he comes in his kingdom, since to beginners he is such that they would say, seeing him not glorious nor great, but a word inferior to many among them: “We saw him, and he had no form or beauty; but his form was without honour, failing beside all the sons of men.” And those who have seen his glory will say this of their own former times, when at the beginning the Word as understood in the synagogue had no form or beauty for them. There is, then, a royal dignity manifested of the Word who has most manifestly taken up the rule over all words, seen by some of those standing beside Jesus, when they are able to follow him as he goes before them and goes up to the high mountain of his manifestation. Of this some of those standing beside Jesus are thought worthy, if they are either a Peter, against whom the gates of Hades do not prevail, or the sons of thunder, begotten of the great voice of God as he thunders and cries great things from heaven to those who have ears and are wise. Such, at any rate, do not taste death. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:28: allusion, high confidence - Deut 10:10: quotation, high confidence - Deut 5:31: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:1: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 16:18: allusion, high confidence - Mark 3:17: allusion, high confidence - John 12:28: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:28; Deut 10:10; Deut 5:31; Isa 53:2–3; Matt 17:1; Matt 16:18; Mark 3:17; John 12:28–29. A garbled word is read as “synagogue,” as in the public-domain English; it may be “introduction” (εἰσαγωγή). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.32 (PG 13:1056a–1057b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-32). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-33 - Source: PG 13:1057b–1060d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ is the life and the living bread, death his enemy and the dead bread; the soul feeds on one or the other through the doctrines it accepts, and those who stand firm in virtue, like Peter and the sons of thunder, do not even taste death. ### Greek text Τί δὲ τὸ γεύεσθαι θανάτου κατανοητέον. Καὶ ἔστιν ἡ μὲν ζωὴ ὁ εἰπών· ι Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή, ι καὶ αὕτη γε ι ή ζωὴ κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ὲν τῷ Θεῷ· ι καὶ ὅταν ὁ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσονται ι οἱ ἄξιοι τοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθῆναι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ. ι '0 δὲ ἐχθρὸς ταύτης τῆς ζωῆς, ὃς καὶ ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, θάνατός ἐστιν, ὃν ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα ἀποθνήσκει, ἐναντίως διατιθεμένη τῷ γινομένῳ περὶ τὴν κατορθοῦσαν ψυχὴν, καὶ ὲκ τοῦ κατορθοῦν ζῶσαν· καὶ ἐπὰν λέγεται ὲν τῷ νόμῳ ι Δέδωκα πρὸ προσώπου σου τὴν ζωὴν, ι περὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος· ι Ἐγώ ειμι ἡ ζωὴ, ι ταῦτά φησιν ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ αὐτοῦ θανάτου· ὧν τὸ ἕτερον ἕκαστος ἡμῶν διʼ ὧν πράττει ἀεὶ ἐκλέγεται· καὶ ἐπὰν πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν οὔσης τῆς ζωῆς ἁμαρτάνωμεν, πληροῦται ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ὴ λέγουσα ἀρά· ι Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ζωή σου κρεμαμένη σοι ἀπέναντι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ άπὸ τῶν ὁραμάτων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου ὧν ὄψει. ι Ὠσπερ οὖν ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ὁ ζῶν ἄρτος ἔστιν ι ὁ ὲκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς, καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ, ι οὓτως 6 ἐχθρὸς αὐτῷ θάνατος, ἄρτος ἐστὶ νεκρός. Πᾶσα δὲ λογικὴ ψυχὴ ἦτοι ζῶντι τρέφεται ἄρτῳ ἢ νεκρῷ, διʼ ὧν παραδέχεται δογμάτων ἀστείων ῆ φαύλων. Εἴθʼ ὥσπερ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῶν κοινοτέρων τροφῶν ποτὲ μὲν αὐτῶν γεύσασθαι μόνον, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖον αὐτῶν ἐσθίειν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων τῶν ἄρτων 6 μέν τις ἐνδεέστερον ἐσθίει γευόμενος αὐτῶν, ὀ δὲ καὶ ἐμφορεῖται, ἀγαθὸς μὲν ὤν, ἢ ὁδεύων ἐπὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸς εἶναι, τοῦ ζῶντος ἄρτου καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβεβηκότος, μοχθηρὸς δὲ τοῦ νεκροῦ ἄρτου, ὃς ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος. Καὶ τάχα οἱ μὲν σπανίως καὶ μικρὰ ἁμαρτάνοντες μόνον γεύονται Θανάτου· οἱ δὲ ἀρετὴν ἀνειληφότες οὐδὲ γεύονται αὐτοῦ, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ ἄρτῳ τρέφονται ζῶντι. Ἀκόλουθον οὖν ἦν τῷ Πέτρῳ, οὗ πύλαι ᾅδου ού κατισχύσουσι, τὸ μηδὲ γεύσασθαι θανάτου, ἐπεὶ τότε γεύεται θανάτου, καὶ ἐσθίει θανάτου, ὅτε πύλαι ᾅδου κατισχύσουσιν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἀνάλογον ἐσθίει ἢ γεύεται θανάτου τῷ κατισχύειν αύτοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἢ ἔλαττον, καὶ πλείονας ἢ ἐλάττονας ᾆδου πύλας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς τῆς βροντῆς υἱοῖς γεννηθεῖσιν ἀπὸ βροντῆς οὐρανίου χρήματος, ἀδύνατον ἦν γεύσασθαι θανάτου, τοῦ σφόδρα πόρρω τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν βροντῆς. Ταῦτα δὲ προφητεύει 6 Λόγος τοῖς τελειωθησομένοις, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἑστηκέναι παρὰ τῷ Λόγῳ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προκόψασιν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς μηδὲ γεύσασθαι θανάτου, ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, καὶ τὴν δόξαν, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθʼ ἦν ὑπερέχει παντὸς τοῦ ἁντιπερισπῶντος, καὶ περιέλκοντος λόγου φαντασίᾳ ἀληθείας τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους διαρρῆξαι τοὺς τοῦ περισπασμοῦ δεσμοὺς, καὶ ἀνελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος τῆς ὑπεροχῆς τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας Λόγου. ### English translation (Claude) And what tasting death is must be considered. Life is he who said, “I am the life”; and this life “is hidden with Christ in God”; and “when Christ, our life, appears,” then with him will appear those worthy to appear with him “in glory.” And the enemy of this life, who is also the last of all his enemies to be abolished, is death, which the sinning soul dies, being disposed in the opposite way to what happens to the soul that does right and lives from doing right. And when it is said in the law, “I have set life before your face,” Scripture says this about him who said, “I am the life,” and about his enemy, death; one of which each of us always chooses by what he does. And when we sin though life is before our face, the curse is fulfilled upon us which says, “And your life shall hang before you,” and so on, as far as “and from the sights of your eyes which you will see.” As, then, the life is also the living bread “that came down from heaven and gives life to the world,” so his enemy, death, is dead bread. And every rational soul is fed either with living bread or with dead, through the doctrines, good or bad, that it accepts. Then, just as with more ordinary foods one sometimes only tastes them and sometimes eats more of them, so too with these loaves one person eats rather sparingly, only tasting them, while another is filled—if he is good, or on the way to being good, with the living bread that came down from heaven; if wicked, with the dead bread, which is death. And perhaps those who sin rarely and little only taste death; but those who have taken up virtue do not even taste it, but are always fed on living bread. It was consistent, then, for Peter, against whom the gates of Hades will not prevail, not even to taste death, since one tastes death and eats death when the gates of Hades prevail against him; and he eats or tastes death in proportion as more or fewer gates of Hades prevail over him to a greater or lesser degree. And for the sons of thunder too, begotten of heavenly thunder, it was impossible to taste death, which is very far from their mother, the thunder. These things the Word prophesies to those who will be perfected and who, from standing beside the Word, have advanced so far that they do not even taste death until they see the manifestation, the glory, the kingdom, and the pre-eminence of the Word of God, by which he excels every word that, with an appearance of truth, distracts and drags away those who cannot break the bonds of distraction and go up to the height of the pre-eminence of the Word of truth. ### Scripture references - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:26: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 18:4: allusion, high confidence - Deut 30:15: quotation, high confidence - Deut 28:66: quotation, high confidence - Deut 28:67: quotation, high confidence - John 6:33: quotation, high confidence - John 6:51: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: allusion, high confidence - Mark 3:17: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 16:28: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 14:6; Col 3:3–4; 1 Cor 15:26; Ezek 18:4; Deut 30:15; Deut 28:66–67 LXX; John 6:33, 51; Matt 16:18; Mark 3:17. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.33 (PG 13:1057b–1060d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-33). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.34 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-34 - Source: PG 13:1060d–1064a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: “Until” does not set a limit after which the opposite happens, as Christ’s “I am with you until the end of the age” shows; so those who have seen the Son of Man in his kingdom will not taste death afterward either. ### Greek text Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ δόξαι ἄν τις τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπαγγελίαν περιορίζειν χρόνῳ τὸ μὴ γεύσασθαι θανάτου, ὅτι οὐ γεύσονται μὲν θανάτου, ι ἕως ἂν ἴδωσι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ, ι μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο γεύσονται αὐτοῦ· παραστήσωμεν κατά τινα συνήθειαν τῆς Γραφῆς τό, ι ἕως, ι δηλοῦν τὸν κατεπείγοντα περὶ τοῦ δηλουμένου χρόνον, οὐ περιοριζόμενον, ὥστε πάντως μετὰ τὸ ι ἕως, ι γενέσθαι τὸ ἐναντίον τῷ δηλουμένῳ. Φησὶ δὲ ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς ἕνδεκα μαθηταῖς, ἡνίκα ἀνέστη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν πρὸς ἑτέροις καὶ τό· ι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθʼ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αίῶνος. ι Ἆρα γὰρ, εἰπὼν τοῦτο, ἕως μὲν τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς συνέσεσθαι, μετὰ δὲ τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ αἰῶνος, ἐνισταμένου τοῦ ἐτέρου, τοῦ καλουμένου μέλλοντος, οὐκέτι συνέσεσθαι αὐτοῖς ἐπηγγέλλετο; ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο κρεῖττον εἶναι ἂν τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὸ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος περὶ αὐτοῖς κατάστημα, τοῦ περὶ τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ αίῶνος; Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἂν οἶμαι τινα τολμῆσαι λέγειν, ὃτι μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκέτι συνέσται τοῖς μαθηταῖς ό Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐπεὶ ἡ λέξις ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἔσεσθαι αὐτὸν μετʼ αὐτῶν φησιν, ἕως ἡ συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐνστῇ· σαφὲς γὰρ, ὅτι τὸ ζητούμενον ἦν, εί πρὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ τῶν ἐλπιζομένων ἀμοιβαίων ἐπαγγελιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἤδη συνέσεσθαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔμελλεν ό Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ζητούμενον δʼ ἂν ἦν, διδομένου τοῦ συνέσεσθαι αὐτοῖς, μήποτε ὁτὲ μὲν συνῆν αὐτοῖς, ότέ δέ οὐ συνῆν· διόπερ ἀπολύων ἡμᾶς τῆς περὶ τοῦ διστάζειν ὑπονοίας, ἀπεφήνατο, ὅτι ἤδη καὶ ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας συνεῖναι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἤμελλεν, οὐ καταλείψων τοὺς μαθητευθέντας αὐτῷ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐ μὴν κατὰ τὰς νύκτας, εἴ τινι ἔδυνεν ό ἣλιος, συνῆν αὐτοῖς. Εἰ δέ τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τό· ι Ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, ι δηλονότι οὒκ ἀναγκασθησόμεθα παραδέξασθαι γεύσασθαι θανάτου τοὺς ἰδόντας τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὑτοῦ, μετὰ τὸ καταξιωθῆναι τοῦ τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν· ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ ἐφʼ οὗ παρεθέμεθα ῥητοῦ, τὸ κατεπεῖγον ἦν ἡμᾶς μαθεῖν, ὅτι ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐ καταλείψει ἡμᾶς, ἀλλʼ ἔσται μεθʼ ἡμῶν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας· οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τούτου σαφὲς μὲν οἶμαι τοῖς βλέπειν εἰδόσιν ἀκολουθίαν πραγμάτων εἶναι, τὸν ἅπαξ ἰδόντα ι τὸν Υῑὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ, ι καὶ ἰδόντα αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ, ι καὶ ἰδόντα τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ὲν δυνάμει, ι ούκ ἂν μετὰ τὴν τῶν τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν θεωρίαν θανάτου γεύσασθαι. Τὸ χωρὶς δὲ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἀλόγως ἂν ὑπενοήσαμεν γεύσασθαι θανάτου, ὅσον οὐδέπω κατηξιώθημεν ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ὲν δυνάμει, καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ καὶ ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ. ### English translation (Claude) But since someone might think that the Saviour’s promise limits not tasting death to a time—that they will not taste death “until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom,” but after this will taste it—let us show from a certain usage of Scripture that “until” indicates the time that is pressing as regards the thing indicated, not a limit, so that after the “until” the opposite of what is indicated must certainly happen. The Saviour says to the eleven disciples, when he had risen from the dead, among other things: “Behold, I am with you all the days, until the consummation of the age.” Did he, then, in saying this, promise that he would be with them until the consummation of the age, but that after the consummation of the age, when the other age, called the coming one, sets in, he would no longer be with them? So that by this reckoning the state of the disciples until the consummation of the age would be better than their state at the consummation of the age? But I do not think anyone would dare to say that after the consummation of the age the Son of God will no longer be with the disciples, because the wording says that he will be with them so long, until the consummation of the age sets in. For it is clear that what was in question was whether, before the coming age and the hoped-for promises of God in reward, the Son of God would already be with the disciples. And it might have been asked, granted that he would be with them, whether he was sometimes with them and sometimes not; therefore, freeing us from the suspicion of doubt, he declared that already, and on all the days, he would be with the disciples, not leaving those who had become his disciples until the consummation of the age—not, however, that during the nights, when the sun had set, he was not with them. If such is the sense of “until the consummation of the age,” clearly we shall not be compelled to admit that those who saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom tasted death after being thought worthy to see him so; but, as in the text we adduced the pressing point was for us to learn that until the consummation of the age he will not leave us but will be with us all the days, so in this case too it is clear, I think, to those who know how to see the sequence of things, that one who has once seen “the Son of Man coming in his kingdom,” and seen him “in his glory,” and seen “the kingdom of God come in power,” would not taste death after the contemplation of such great goods. But apart from the word of Jesus’ promise, we might not unreasonably have supposed that we taste death so long as we have not yet been thought worthy to see the kingdom of God come in power, and the Son of Man coming in his glory and in his kingdom. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 28:20: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:26: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:28; Matt 28:20; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:26–27. The clause about the nights is garbled in the scan text and read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.34 (PG 13:1060d–1064a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-34). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.35 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-35 - Source: PG 13:1064b–1065c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Scripture speaks of seeing, tasting, being followed, overtaken, and swallowed by death as degrees of evil; to see the Son of Man in his kingdom and glory is to see the Word triumph over falsehood and reign within the perfect. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐνταῦθα μὲν γέγραπται παρὰ τοῖς τρισὶν εὐαγγελισταῖς τό· ι Οὐ μὴ γεύσονται θανάτου, ι ἐν δὲ ἄλλοις διάφορα περὶ Θανάτου, οὐκ ἄτοπον κάκεῖνα παραθέμενον συνεξετάσαι τῷ ‹ γεύσασθαι. ι Ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς λέλεκταιʼ ι Τις ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὃς ζήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ὄψεται θάνατον; ι καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ· ι Ἐλθέτω δὲ θάνατος ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, καὶ καταβήτωσαν εἰς ᾅδου ζῶντες· ι ἐν δέ τινι τῶν προφητῶν· ι Κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας· ι ἐν δὲ τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει· ι Ὁ θάνατος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἀκολουθεῖ τισιν. ι Ἐν τούτοις δὲ δοκεῖ μοι ἕτερον μὲν εἶναι τὸ γεύσασθαι θανάτου, ἓτερον δὲ τὸ ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ ἐλθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπί τινας, καὶ τέταρτον σημαίνεσθαι παρὰ τὰ προειρημένα ὲκ τοῦ· Ι Κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας,ι καὶ πέμπτον τι παρὰ ταῦτα ἐκ τοῦ· ι Ὁ θάνατος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἀκολουθεῖ αὐτοῖς. ι Καὶ σὺ δʼ ἀναλεξάμενος τάχα εὕροις καὶ ἐτέρας παρὰ ταύτας, ὧν ὑπεμνήσθημεν διαφορὰς, ἅστινας παρατιθεὶς ἀλλήλαις, καὶ ὀρθῶς ζητῶν, εὕροις ἃν τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον τόπον σημαινόμενα πράγματα. Ζητῶ δὲ ἐν τούτοις μήποτε ἔλαττον μὲν κακόν ἐστι τὸ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, τούτου δὲ μεῖζον τὸ γεύσασθαι αὐτοῦ, τούτου δὲ ἔτι χεῖρον τὺ ἀκολουθεῖν τινι θάνατον, καὶ ού μόνον ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἤδη ἐλθεῖν ἐπʼ αὑτὸν. καὶ καταλαβεῖν ἐκεῖνον ᾧ πρότερον ὴκολουθεῖ· τὸ δὲ καταποθῆναι πάντων δοκεῖ μοι βαρύτερον εἶναι τῶν εἰρημένων. Ἐπιστήσας δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων, οὐκ ὀκνήσεις, παραδέξασθαι τοιαῦτα τινα νενοῆσθαι τῷ ὲνεργήσαντι ταῦτα γραφῆναι ἐν τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ Θεοῦ Πνεύματι. Ei δὲ παρὰ τὰ εἰρημένα σαφέστερον ἐκθέσθαι δεῖ τί δηλοῦται ἐν τῷ ίδεῖν τὸν Υἱὺν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ, ἢ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ, καὶ τί σημαίνεται ἐν τῷ ἰδεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει· τὰ εἴτε ἐλλαμπόμενα ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, εἴτε ζητοῦσιν εὑρισκόμενα, εἴτε ὑποπίπτοντα τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἡμῶν (ἕκαστος δὲ ὡς βούλεται κρινέτω) ἐκθησόμεθα. Ὁ θεωρῶν καὶ καταλαμβάνων τὴν τοῦ Λόγου ὑπεροχὴν, λύοντος καὶ διελέγχοντος πάσας τὰς ὑπὲρ τῶν ψευδῶν μὲν, ἐπαγγελλομένων δὲ ἀλήθειαν πιθανότητας, βλέπει τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, κατὰ τὸν Ἰωάννου λόγον, τὸν Λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ βασιλείᾳ· εί δὲ βλέποι ὁ τοιοῦτος τὸν Λόγον, οὐ μόνον λύοντα πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἐναντίων πιθανότητα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ίδια τρανότατα παριστάντα, βλέποι ἂν αὑτοῦ πρὸς τῇ βασιλεία καὶ τὴν δόξαν. Καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτός γε ἐν αὐτῷ βλέποι ἃν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν ἐληλυθυῖαν ἐν δυνάμει· καὶ τοῦτο βλέποι ἂν, ὡς οὐδαμῶς ἔτι ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίας βασιλευόμενος βασιλευούσης ὲν τῷ θνητῷ σώματι τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ τεταγμένος ὑπὸ βασιλεῖ τῷ τῶν ὅλων Θεῷ, οὗ ἡ βασιλεία δυνάμει μὲν ἐντὸς ἡμῶν ἐστιν, ἐνεργείᾳ δέ, καὶ ὡς ὠνόμασεν ὁ Μάρκος, ἐν δυνάμει, καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ, ἐντὸς τῶν τελείων μόνων. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἑστῶσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐ περὶ πάντων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ περί τινων προφητεύων ἐπηγγείλατο. Περὶ τῆς μεταμορφώσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος. ### English translation (Claude) And since here the three evangelists have written “will not taste death,” while elsewhere various things are said about death, it is not out of place to set those beside it too and examine them together with “taste.” In the Psalms, then, it is said, “Who is the man who will live and not see death?”; and again in another place, “Let death come upon them, and let them go down to Hades alive”; and in one of the prophets, “Death, having prevailed, swallowed up”; and in the Revelation, “Death and Hades follow” some. In these it seems to me that tasting death is one thing, seeing it another, its coming upon some another; a fourth thing besides these is signified by “Death, having prevailed, swallowed up,” and a fifth besides these by “Death and Hades follow them.” And you too, on reading, might perhaps find other differences besides those we have mentioned; and by setting them beside one another and searching rightly you would find the things signified in each passage. And I ask whether among these seeing death is a lesser evil, tasting it a greater one, and worse still death following someone, and not only following, but also already coming upon him and overtaking the one whom it followed before; and being swallowed up seems to me heavier than all those mentioned. Attending to what has been said and to the difference of sins, you will not hesitate to accept that something of this kind was intended by the Spirit who caused these things to be written in the oracles of God. And if, beyond what has been said, we must set out more clearly what is shown in seeing the Son of Man coming in his kingdom, or in his glory, and what is signified in seeing the kingdom of God come in power, we shall set out what either shines in our hearts, or is found as we search, or occurs to our thoughts (let each judge as he will). One who contemplates and grasps the pre-eminence of the Word, as he refutes and exposes all the plausibilities that support falsehoods while professing truth, sees the Son of Man—according to John’s way of speaking, the Word of God—coming in his own kingdom; and if such a one should see the Word not only refuting all the plausibility of opponents, but also setting forth his own teachings most clearly, he would see, besides the kingdom, his glory too. And such a one would see in himself the kingdom of God come in power; and he would see this as one no longer at all ruled by sin reigning in the mortal body of those who sin, but always ranked under the King, the God of all, whose kingdom is within us potentially, but actually—and, as Mark called it, “in power,” and not at all in weakness—within the perfect alone. These things, then, Jesus promised prophetically to the disciples standing there, not about all of them but about some. [Heading of the next chapter:] On the transfiguration of the Saviour. ### Scripture references - Matt 16:28: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:27: allusion, high confidence - Ps 89:48 (88:49 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 55:15 (54:16 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 25:8: quotation, high confidence - Rev 6:8: quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 6:12: quotation, high confidence - Luke 17:21: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 13:4: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27; Ps 89:48 (88:49 LXX); Ps 55:15 (54:16 LXX); Isa 25:8 LXX; Rev 6:8; John 1:1; Rom 6:12; Luke 17:21; 2 Cor 13:4. The closing words are the editor’s heading of the next chapter. A garbled phrase is read by sense as “occurs to our thoughts.” ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.35 (PG 13:1064b–1065c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-35). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.36 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-36 - Source: PG 13:1065c–1068c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Transfiguration “after six days” signifies passing beyond the six days of the created, visible world; one who no longer loves the world keeps a new sabbath and sees the Word transfigured, as each can receive. ### Greek text ι Μετὰ δὲ ἡμέρας ἐξ, ι κατὰ τὸν Ματθαίον καὶ τὸν Μάρκον, ι παραλαμβάνει τὸν Πέτρον, καὶ Ἰάκωβον, καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνάγει αὐτοὺς είς ὅρος ὑψηλὸν κατʼ ἰδίαν καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο δέ καὶ πρδ τῆς κατὰ ταῦτα φαινομένης ἡμῖν διηγήσεως γεγονέτω πάλαι, καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν. Δοκεῖ δέ μοι τοὺς ἀναγομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ είς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος, καὶ ἀξιουμένους τοῦ κατʼ ἰδίαν αὑτοῦ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν θεωρῆσαι, μὴ μάτην μεθʼ ἒξ ἡμέρας ἀνάγεσθαι τῶν προειρημένων λόγων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἐν ἐξ ἡμέραις, τελείῳ ἀριθμῷ, ό σύμπας γεγένηται κόσμος, τὸ τέλειον τοῦτο δημιούργημα, διὰ τοῦτʼ οἶμαι τὸν ὕπερβαίνοντα πάντα τὰ τοῦ κόσμου πράγματα ὲν τῷ ὲσκοπηκέναι, οὐκέτι μὲν τά βλεπόμενα, πρόσκαιρα γάρ ταῦτα, ήδη δὲ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, καὶ μόνα τά μὴ βλεπόμενα, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτά αἰώνια, δηλοῦσθαι ὲν τῷ· ι Μεθʼ ἡμέρας ἒξ παραλαμβάνει ό Ἰησοῦς τούσδε τινάς.» Εἴ τις οὖν ἡμῶν βούλεται τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παραλαμβάνοντος αὑτὸν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀναχθῆναι είς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος, καὶ ἀξιωθῆναι τοῦ κατʼ ἰδίαν θεωρῆσαι τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν αὑτοῦ, ὑπεραναβαινὲτω τὰς ἓξ ἡμερας, διὰ τὸ μὴ σκοπεῖν ἔτι τὰ βλεπόμενα μηδὲ ἀγαπᾷν ἔτι τὸν κόσμον, μηδὲ τά ὲν κόσμῳ, μηδέ τινα κοσμικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπιθυμεῖν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐπιθυμία σωμάτων, καὶ τοῦ ὲν σώματι πλούτου, καὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα δόξης, καὶ ὃσα πέφυκε τὴν ψυχὴν περισπᾷν, καὶ περιέλκειν ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ θειοτέρων καταβιβάζειν, καὶ ἐρείδειν τῇ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, ὲν πλούτῳ καὶ δόξῃ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς ἐχθραῖς ἀληθείας ἐπιθυμίαις· ἐπειδὰν γὰρ διέλθῃ τὰς ἒξ, ὡς εἰρήκαμεν, καινὸν σαββατιεῖ σάββατον, εὐφραινόμενος ὲν τῷ ὑψηλῷ ὄρει ὲκ τοῦ βλέπειν μεταμορφωθέντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· διαφόρους γὰρ ἔχει ό Λόγος μορφὰς, φαινόμενος ἑκάστῳ ὡς συμφέρει τῷ βλέποντι, καὶ μηδενὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ χωρεῖ ό βλέπων, φανερούμενος. ### English translation (Claude) “And after six days,” according to Matthew and Mark, “he takes Peter and James and John his brother, and leads them up a high mountain apart; and he was transfigured before them.” And before the explanation of these things that occurs to us, let it be granted that this took place long ago, and according to the letter. But it seems to me that those who are led up by Jesus to the high mountain, and thought worthy to see his transfiguration apart, are led up not without purpose six days after the words spoken before. For since in six days, a perfect number, the whole world, this perfect work of creation, was made, for this reason, I think, the one who goes beyond all the things of the world, in that he looks no longer at the things that are seen—for these are temporary—but now at the things that are not seen, and at those alone, because they are eternal, is indicated in “After six days Jesus takes” certain persons. If, then, any of us wishes, when Jesus takes him, to be led up by him to the high mountain and to be thought worthy to see his transfiguration apart, let him go beyond the six days, by no longer looking at the things that are seen, nor loving the world any longer, nor the things in the world, nor desiring any worldly desire, which is the desire of bodies, and of the wealth that is in the body, and of glory according to the flesh, and of all that by nature distracts the soul and drags it away from better and more divine things, brings it down, and fixes it in the deceit of this age, in wealth and glory and the other desires that are hostile to truth. For when he has passed through the six days, as we have said, he will keep a new sabbath, rejoicing on the high mountain at seeing Jesus transfigured before him; for the Word has different forms, appearing to each as is profitable for the one who sees, and being manifested to no one beyond what the one who sees can receive. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:2: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:2: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:15: allusion, high confidence - 1 John 2:16: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:1–2; Mark 9:2; Gen 1:31–2:2 (six days of creation); 2 Cor 4:18; 1 John 2:15–16. Origen explicitly grants the literal, historical event before giving his spiritual reading. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.36 (PG 13:1065c–1068c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-36). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.37 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-37 - Source: PG 13:1068c–1069b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus is transfigured “before them,” not before all: to those who rise to wisdom the Jesus of the Gospels is known no longer according to the flesh but in the form of God, the sun of righteousness. ### Greek text Ζητήσεις δὲ εί, ὅτε μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἀναχθέντων είς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος, ὤφθη αὐτοῖς ὲν μορφῇ Θεοῦ, ὑπῆρχε πάλαι· ὡς τοῖς μὲν κάτω ἔχων τὴν δούλου μορφὴν, τοῖς δὲ ἀκολουθήσασιν αὐτῷ μετά ἓξ ἡμέρας εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος, οὐκ ἐκείνην, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλά ἄκουε τούτων, εί δύνασαι, πνευματικῶς προσέχων ἅμα, ὃτι οὐκ εἴρηται μὲν ἁπαξαπλῶς, ι Μετεμορφώθη, ι μετά δέ τινος ἀναγκαίας προσθήκης, ἢν ἀνέγραψε Ματθαῖος καὶ Μάρκος· κατὰ γὰρ ἀμφοτέρους, ι Μετεμορφὼθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. ι Καὶ κατά τοῦτό γε ἐρεῖς δυνατὸν εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἔμπροσθεν μέν τινων μεταμορφωθῆναι ταύτην τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν· ἔμπροσθεν δὲ ἐτέρων, κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ καιροῦ μὴ μεταμορφωθῆναι. Εί δὲ θέλεις τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἰδεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀναβάντων είς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος κατʼ ἰδίαν σὺν αὐτῷ, ἴδε μοι τὸν ἐν τοίς Εὐαγγελίοις Ἰησοῦν ἁπλούστερον μὲν νοούμενον, καὶ, ὼς ἂν ὀνομάσαι τις, κατὰ σάρκα γινωσκόμενον τοῖς μὴ ἀναβαίνουσι διὰ τῶν ἐπαναβεβηκότων ἔργων καὶ λόγων ἐπὶ τδ ὑψηλὸν τῆς σοφίας ὅρος· ούκέτι δὲ κατὰ σάρκα γινωσκόμενον, ἀλλὰ θεολογούμενον διʼ ὅλων τῶν Εύαγγελίων, καὶ ὲν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μορφῇ κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν αὐτῶν θεωρούμενον· τούτων γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν μεταμορφοῦται 6 Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οὐδενὶ τῶν κάτω. Ἐπάν δὲ μεταμορφωθῇ, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ λάμπει ὡς 6 ἣλιος, ἵνα φανερωθῇ τοῖς τέκνοις τοῦ φωτὸς ὲκδυσαμένοις τά ἔργα τοῦ σκότους, καὶ ὲνδυσαμένοις τὰ ὅπλα τοῦ φωτὸς, καὶ μηκέτι οὖσι τέκνοις σκότους ἢ νυκτὸς, ἀλλὰ γενομένοις υἱοῖς ἡμέρας, καὶ ὡς ὲν ἡμέρᾳ εὐσχημόνως περιπατοῦσι, καὶ φανερωθεὶς λάμψει αὐτοῖς, οὺχ ἁπλῶς ὡς 6 ἥλιος, ἀλλʼ ἐπιδεικνύμενος αὐτοῖς τὸ εἶναι δικαιοσύνης ἥλιος. ### English translation (Claude) You will ask whether, when he was transfigured before those whom he led up the high mountain, he appeared to them in the form of God in which he existed of old; so that for those below he had the form of a servant, but for those who followed him after six days to the high mountain, not that form but the form of God. But hear these things, if you can, attending spiritually at the same time: it is not said simply, “He was transfigured,” but with a necessary addition, which Matthew and Mark recorded; for according to both, “He was transfigured before them.” And by this you will say that it is possible for Jesus to be transfigured with this transfiguration before some, and at the same time not to be transfigured before others. And if you wish to see the transfiguration of Jesus before those who went up the high mountain apart with him, see, I pray, the Jesus in the Gospels, understood more simply, and, as one might say, known according to the flesh by those who do not go up, through elevated works and words, to the high mountain of wisdom; but no longer known according to the flesh, but spoken of as God throughout the Gospels, and contemplated in the form of God according to the knowledge of those who do go up; for before these Jesus is transfigured, and before none of those below. And when he is transfigured, his face too shines like the sun, so that he may be manifested to the children of light, who have put off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, and are no longer children of darkness or night, but have become sons of the day, and walk decently as in the day; and being manifested he will shine on them, not simply as the sun, but showing them that he is the sun of righteousness. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:2: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:2: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:16: allusion, high confidence - Rom 13:12: allusion, high confidence - Rom 13:13: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:5: allusion, high confidence - Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:2; Mark 9:2; Phil 2:6–7; 2 Cor 5:16; Rom 13:12–13; 1 Thess 5:5; Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX). A stray mark after “those below” has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.37 (PG 13:1068c–1069b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-37). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.38 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-38 - Source: PG 13:1069b–1072b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus’ shining garments are the words of the Gospels and apostles, made bright to one who understands them; Moses and Elijah are the law and the prophets, seen in glory when understood spiritually in harmony with Jesus. ### Greek text Καὶ οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς μεταμορφοῦται ἔμπροσθεν τῶν τοιούτων μαθητῶν, οὐδὲ προστίθησι μόνον τῇ μεταμορφώσει τὸ λάμψαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ ὡς 6 ἥλιος ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὑτοῦ τοῖς ἀναχθεῖσιν ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος κατʼ ἰδίαν φαίνεται λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς· ἱμάτια δὲ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ αἱ λέξεις καὶ ἃ ἐνεδύσατο τῶν Εύαγγελίων γράμματα. Οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις δηλοῦντα τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἱμάτιά ὲστιν Ἰησοῦ, γινόμενα τοῖς ἀναβαίνουσιν εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὅρος μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λευκά. Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ καὶ λευκῶν εἱσι διαφοραὶ, τὰ ἱμάτια αύτοῦ γίνονται λευκὰ ὡς τὸ πάντων λευκὸν λαμπρότατον καὶ καθαρώτατον· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ φῶς. Ἐπὰν οὖν ἴδῃς τινά ού μόνον τὴν περὶ Ἰησοῦ θεολογίαν ἀκριβοῦντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν λέξιν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων πᾶσαν σαφηνίζοντα, μὴ ὄκνει τῷ τοιούτῳ φάσκειν γεγονέναι τὰ ἱμάτια τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. Ἑπὰν δὲ οὕτω νοηθῇ καὶ θεωρηθῇ μεταμορφωθεὶς 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς τὸ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ εἶναι ἥλιον, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὑτοῦ λευκά ὼς τὸ φῶς, εὐθέως ὀφθεῖεν ἂν τῷ τοιοῦτον ἰδόντι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Μωσῆς 6 νόμος, καὶ ὁ Ἠλίας συνεκδοχικῶς, οὐχ εἷς μόνος, ἀλλὰ πάντες οἱ προφῆται κοινολογούμενοι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν· τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι τὸ δηλούμενον ι Μετʼ αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες· ι κατὰ δὲ τὸν Λουκᾶν· ι Μωσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ὀφθέντες ὲν δόξῃ,ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ, ‹ ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ. ι Εἴ τις δὲ εἶδε Μωσέως τὴν δόξαν, νοήσας τὸν πνευματικὸν νόμον, ὡς ἕνα πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν λόγον, καὶ τὴν ὲν τοῖς προφήταις ἐν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένην σοφίαν, εἶδε Μωσῆν καὶ Ἠλίαν ὲν δόξῃ, ὅτε εἶδεν αὐτοὺς μετὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) And not only is he himself transfigured before such disciples, nor does he add to the transfiguration only the shining of his face like the sun; but his garments too appear white as the light to those whom he led up the high mountain apart. And the garments of Jesus are the expressions and letters of the Gospels with which he clothed himself. And I think that the words in the apostles that make known the things about him are also garments of Jesus, which become white to those who go up the high mountain with Jesus. But since there are differences among white things too, his garments become white like that which is brightest and purest of all white things, and this is the light. When, then, you see someone not only exact in the theology about Jesus but also making clear the whole wording of the Gospels, do not hesitate to say that for such a one the garments of Jesus have become white as the light. And when the Son of God is so understood and contemplated as transfigured, so that his face is a sun and his garments white as the light, at once there would be seen, by one who has seen Jesus so, Moses—the law—and Elijah—by synecdoche not one only but all the prophets—conversing with Jesus; for such is what is shown in “talking with him”; and according to Luke, “Moses and Elijah, appearing in glory,” and so on, as far as “in Jerusalem.” And if anyone has seen the glory of Moses, having understood the spiritual law as a discourse in harmony with Jesus, and the wisdom hidden in mystery in the prophets, he has seen Moses and Elijah in glory, when he saw them with Jesus. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:3: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:4: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 9:30: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:31: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:2–3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30–31; 1 Cor 2:7. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.38 (PG 13:1069b–1072b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-38). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.39 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-39 - Source: PG 13:1072b–1073a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Word is transfigured as he prays to the Father on the mountain; his garments, whiter than any earthly fuller can make them, are the Scriptures, whose despised wording shines with meaning beyond the polished style of worldly wisdom. ### Greek text Εἶτα, ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον δεήσει διηγήσασθαι τό· ‹ Καὶ ὲν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι αὑτὸν μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, ι λεκτέον, ὃτι μήποτε μάλιστά ἐστιν ἰδεῖν τὸν Λόγον ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν μεταμορφούμενον, ἐὰν τὰ προειρημένα ποιήσωμεν καὶ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ ἴδωμεν τὸν Αὑτολόγον κοινολογούμενον πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ εὐχόμενον αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ ὧν εὔξαιτʼ ἂν ἀληθινὸς ἀρχιερεὺς ἀληθινῷ μόνῳ Θεῷ. Ἵνα δὲ οὕτω Θεῷ ὁμιλῇ, καὶ προσεύξηται τῷ Πατρὶ, ἀναβαίνει εἰς τὸ ὅρος· τότε δὲ κατὰ Μάρκον ι Γίνονται τὰ ἱμάτια αὑτοῦ λευκὰ καὶ στίλβοντα ὡς τὸ φῶς, οἷα γναφεὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐ δύναται οὕτως λευκάναι. ι Καὶ τάχα οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γναφεῖς oi ὲπιμελούμενοί εἰσι σοφοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου λέξεως ἦς νομίζουσι λαμπρᾶς καὶ καθαρᾶς, ὡς κοσμεῖσθαι δοκεῖν καὶ τὰ αἰσχρὰ νοήματα, καὶ τὰ ψευδῆ δόγματα ὑπὸ τῆς, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, γναφικῆς αὐτῶν· ὁ δὲ στίλβοντα τοῖς ἐπαναβεβηκόσιν ἔτι δεικνὺς τὰ ἱμάτια αὑτοῦ, καὶ λαμπρότερα ὧν δῦναται ποιεῖν ἡ ἐκείνων γναφικὴ, ό Λόγος ἐστὶ, παριστὰς ὲν ταῖς ὑπὸ πολλῶν καταφρονουμέναις λέξεσι τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν τῶν νοημάτων στίλψιν, ὅτε ι ὁ ἱματισμδς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν, λευκὸς καὶ ἐξαστράπτων ι γίνεται. ### English translation (Claude) Then, since according to Mark we shall need to explain “And as he was praying he was transfigured before them,” we must say that perhaps it is most possible to see the Word transfigured before us if we do the things said before, and go up the mountain, and see the Word himself conversing with the Father and praying to him for what the true high priest would pray to the only true God. And so that he may thus converse with God and pray to the Father, he goes up the mountain; and then, according to Mark, “his garments become white and glistening like light, such as no fuller on earth can whiten them.” And perhaps the fullers on earth are the wise of this age, who take pains over a diction that they think bright and pure, so that even shameful thoughts and false doctrines seem to be adorned by their fulling, if I may so call it; but the one who shows his garments glistening to those who have gone up further, and brighter than their fulling can make them, is the Word, who displays, in the wording of the Scriptures despised by many, the glistening of the thoughts, when “the clothing of Jesus,” according to Luke, becomes “white and dazzling.” ### Scripture references - Luke 9:29: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:2: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:3: quotation, high confidence - Heb 4:14: allusion, medium confidence - John 17:3: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 9:29 (“as he was praying,” which Origen here cites as Mark); Mark 9:2–3; Heb 4:14; John 17:3. Origen’s contrast between worldly eloquence and the plain style of Scripture is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.39 (PG 13:1072b–1073a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-39). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.40 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-40 - Source: PG 13:1073a–1077b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Peter, “not knowing what he said,” may have spoken under a spirit not yet conquered by the cross, seeking to keep Jesus from his saving passion; or, more simply, he wished to stay and enjoy the vision of glory. ### Greek text Ἴδωμεν δὲ μετά ταῦτα τί νοήσας 6 Πέτρος ἀποκριθεὶς εἷπε τῷ Ἰησοῦ ’ ι Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι · ποιήσωμεν τρεῖς σκηνάς, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς. Διά τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα ταῦτα ζητητέον, ἐπεὶ 6 μὲν Μάρκος ἐπήγαγεν αὐτοῖς ὡς ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου προσώπου τό · ι Οὐ γάρ ᾔδει τί ἀπεκρίθη· ι 6 δὲ Λουκᾶς, ι Μὴ εἰδὼς, φησὶν, 6 λέγει. ι Ἐπιστήσεις οὖν εί κατʼ ἔκστασιν ταῦτα ἐλάλει πεπληρωμένος τοῦ κινοῦντος αὐτὸν πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ είπεῖν ταῦτα, ὅπερ ἅγιον μὲν εἶναι οὐ δύναται· ἐδίδαξε γὰρ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ Ἰωάννης πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος μηδένα Πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐσχηκέναι, εἰπών· ι Οὔπω γὰρ ἦν Πνεῦμα, ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη. ι Ei δὲ οὔπω ἦν Πνεῦμα, ὁ δὲ μὴ εἰδὼς τί ἐλάλει, ὑπό τινος κινούμενος πνεύματος ἐλάλει, ἕν τι τῶν πνευμάτων ἦν τὸ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι ἐνεργοῦν, ὃ μηδέποτε ἐθριάμβευτο ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ, μηδὲ ἐδειγμάτιστο μετʼ ἐκείνων περὶ ὧν γέγραπται τό ο ι Ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχάς, καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παῤῥησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ. ι Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τάχα τὸ κληθὲν σκάνδαλον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ 6 εἰρημένος σατανᾶς ἐν τῷ ο ‹ Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλόν μου εἷ. ι Εῦ οῖδα δʼ ὃτι τά τοιαῦτα πολλοῖς προσκόψει τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων, οἰομένοις οὐ κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον δυσφημεῖσθαι τὸν πρὸ μικροῦ μακαρισθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα ἀποκεκαλυφέναι αὑτῷ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὡς ἀρα 6 Ἰησοῦς εἴη, καὶ 6 Χριστὸς, καὶ 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Ἀλλʼ 6 τοιοῦτος ἐπιστησάτω τῇ τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποστόλων ἀκριβείᾳ, καὶ αὐτῶν δεηθέντων, ὡς ἀλλοτρίων ἔτι τοῦ ἐξαγοράσοντος αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ ὠνησομένου αὐτοὺς τῷ τιμίῳ αὑτοῦ αἵματι · ἢ λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν οἱ θέλοντες καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πάθους Ἰησοῦ τελείους γεγονέναι τοὺς ἀποστόλους, πόθεν ι ὁ Πέτρος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ κατά τὸν καιρὸν τῆς Ἰησοῦ μεταμορφώσεως ἦσαν βεβαρημένοι ὕπνῳ. ι ’Ἱνα δέ προλαβών τι καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς είς τὸ προκείμενον παραλάβω, ἐπαπορήσαιμ ἂν τοιαῦτα, ἆρά ἐστί τινα σκανδαλισθῆναι ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ σκανδαλίζοντος διαβόλου ἐνεργείας· ἔστι δέ ἀρνήσασθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ παιδισκαρίου, καὶ θυρωροῦ, καὶ ἀνθρώπων εὐτελεστάτων, μὴ συνόντος τῷ ἀρνουμένῳ πνεύματος ἐχθροῦ τῷ διδομένῳ πνεύματι, καὶ σοφίᾳ, τοῖς πρὸς τὸ ὁμολογεῖν κατά τινα ἀξίαν αὐτῶν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ βοηθουμένοις. Ἀλλʼ οὐ φήσει ὅ γε τὰς ῥίζας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναφέρειν μεμαθηκὼς ἐπὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν διάβολον, χωρὶς ἐκείνου ἢ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσκανδαλίσθαι ἦ τὸν Πέτρον ὴρνῆσθαι πρὸ τῆς ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἐκείνης τρίς. Εἰ δὲ τοῦθʼ οὕτως ἔχει, μήποτε ὁ ὑπὲρ τοῦ σκανδαλίσαι τὸ ὅσον ἐφʼ ἐαυτῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἀποστῆσαι τῆς κατά τὸ πάθος σωτηρίου ἀνθρώποις μετά πολλῆς προθυμίας οἰκονομίας, τὰ εἰς ταῦτα φέρειν δοκοῦντα ἐνεργῶν, αὐτὸς καὶ ἐνταῦθα οἱονεὶ ἀπατηλῶς περισπάσαι βούλεται τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὡς ἐπικαλῶν τῷ μηκέτι συγκαταβαίνειν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀναδέξασθαι θάνατον, ἁπομεῖναι δὲ ἐν τῷ ὑψηλῷ όρει μετά Μωῦσέως καὶ Ἠλίου · ἐπηγγέλλετο δὲ καὶ ποιῆσαι τρεῖς σκηνὰς, μίαν μὲν ἰδίαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἑτέραν δὲ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ, καὶ ἄλλην τῷ Ἠλίᾳ, ὡς μὴ χωρούσης, εἰ καὶ ἐν σκηναῖς αὐτοὺς ἔδει εἶναι καὶ ἐν τῷ ὑψηλῷ ὄρει, μιᾶς σκηνῆς τοὺς τρεῖς. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἐκακούργει ό ι τὸν μὴ εἰδότα τί λέγει ι ἐνεργῶν, βουλόμενος μὴ ἃμα εἶναι Ἰησοῦν καὶ Μωῦσέα, καὶ Ἠλίαν, ἀλλά χωρίσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, προφάσει τῶν τριῶν ἐκείνων. Ψεῦδος δὲ ἧν καὶ τό· ι Καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὦδε εἶναι· ι εἰ γὰρ ἦν καλὸν, κᾶν ἔμειναν ἐκεῖ· εί δὲ ψεῦδος, ζητήσεις τίς ἐνήργησε λαληθῆναι τό ψεῦδος καὶ μάλιστα ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἰωάννην, ι Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων, λαλεῖ, ὅτι ψεύστης ἐστὶ καὶ ό πατὴρ αὐτοῦ · ι καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀλήθεια χωρὶς ἐνεργείας εἰπόντοςʼ ι Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια, ι οὕτως οὑδὲ τὸ ψεῦδος χωρὶς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Τὰ ἐναντία τοίνυν ἔτι ὲν τῷ Πέτρῳ ἦν, ἀλήθεια καὶ ψεῦδος ’ καὶ ἀπὸ ἀληθείας μὲν ἔλεγε τό · ι Σὺ εἴ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ψεύδους τό· ι Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, οὔ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο, ι ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· ι Καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι. ι '0 δὲ μὴ θέλων ἀπό τινος ἐνεργείας χείρονος τὸν Πέτρον εἰρηκέναι ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ ψιλῆς εἶναι τῆς προαιρέσεως αύτοῦ τοὺς λόγους, ἀπαιτούμενος πῶς ἂν παραστῆσαι τό ’ ι Μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ ἐλάλει, ι καὶ τό · ι Οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἀπεκρίθη, ι φήσει, ὅτι κάκεῖ ὡς δύσφημον ἐποίησε καὶ ἀνάξιον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὸ παραδέξασθαι ἀποκτανθῆναι τὸν Υἱδν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, τὸν Χριστὸν, ὃν ἤδη ἀποκαλύψας ἦν αὐτῷ ὁ Πατήρ· καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὡς τάς δύο μορφὰς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἰδὼν, καὶ πολὺ διαφέρουσαν τὴν κατά τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν, ταύτῃ εύαρεστούμενος καλὸν εἶπεν εἷναι τὰς διατριβὰς ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκείνῳ ποιήσασθαι, ἵνα αὐτὸς τε καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ εὐφραίνωνται θεωροῦντες τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τὸ λάμπον πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ τά λευκά ὡς τὸ φῶς ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τοὺς ἅπαξ ὀφθέντας ὲν δόξῃ ἀεὶ θεωρῶσιν ἐν δόξῃ Μωῦσῆν καὶ Ἠλίαν· εὐφραίνωνται δὲ ἐφʼ οἷς ἂν ἀκούσωσιν αὐτῶν συλλαλοῦντων ἀλλήλοις καὶ κοινολογουμένων, Μωῠσέως μὲν καὶ Ἠλίου πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς αὐτούς. ### English translation (Claude) Let us see after this what Peter had in mind when he answered and said to Jesus: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tents,” and so on. These things must be inquired into especially for this reason, that Mark added to them, as in his own person, “For he did not know what to answer,” and Luke says, “not knowing what he was saying.” You will consider, then, whether he spoke these things in ecstasy, filled with the spirit that moved him to say them, which cannot have been holy; for John taught in his Gospel that before the Saviour’s resurrection no one had had the Holy Spirit, saying: “For the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” And if the Spirit was not yet, and the one who did not know what he was saying spoke moved by some spirit, the one causing these things to be said was one of the spirits that had not yet been triumphed over on the tree, nor made a public example of with those of whom it is written: “Having stripped the principalities and authorities, he made a public example of them, triumphing over them boldly on the tree.” And this was perhaps what was called a stumbling block by Jesus, and the Satan spoken of in “Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling block to me.” I know well that such things will offend many readers, who think it unreasonable to speak ill of one who shortly before had been pronounced blessed by Jesus because the Father in heaven had revealed to him the truth about the Saviour, that he is Jesus, and the Christ, and the Son of the living God. But let such a one attend closely to Peter and the other apostles, and to their having needs as well, as being still strangers to him who would redeem them from the enemy and buy them with his precious blood; or let those who will have it that the apostles became perfect even before Jesus’ passion tell us how it was that “Peter and those with him,” at the time of Jesus’ transfiguration, “were weighed down with sleep.” And, taking in advance something of what follows for the matter in hand, I would raise this question: is it possible to be made to stumble in Jesus without the working of the devil who causes stumbling? And is it possible to deny Jesus, and that before a slave girl and a doorkeeper and the meanest of people, without there being with the one who denies a spirit hostile to the Spirit, and to the wisdom, that are given to those helped by God to confess according to some worth of theirs? But one who has learned to trace the roots of sins back to the father of sin, the devil, will not say that without him either the apostles were made to stumble or Peter denied three times before that cock-crow. And if this is so, perhaps the one who, in order to make Jesus stumble as far as lay in him, and to turn him from the saving dispensation through the passion that he undertook for human beings with great eagerness, worked what seemed to lead to this, here too wished as it were deceitfully to draw Jesus away, as calling on him no longer to come down to human beings, and come to them, and accept death for them, but to stay on the high mountain with Moses and Elijah. And he promised also to make three tents, one apart for Jesus, another for Moses, and another for Elijah, as though, if they had to be in tents even on the high mountain, one tent could not hold the three. And perhaps in this too the one working in him who “did not know what he was saying” acted maliciously, not wishing Jesus and Moses and Elijah to be together, but to separate them from one another, on the pretext of those three tents. And “It is good for us to be here” was also a falsehood; for if it was good, they would have stayed there. And if it was a falsehood, you will ask who caused the falsehood to be spoken; especially since, according to John, “When he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and its father”; and as there is no truth without the working of him who said, “I am the truth,” so there is no falsehood without the enemy of the truth. There were, then, still opposites in Peter, truth and falsehood; and from truth he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of God,” but from falsehood, “God be merciful to you, Lord; this shall never happen to you,” and also, “It is good for us to be here.” But one who will not have Peter say these things from some worse working, but holds his words to be of his bare choice, when asked how he would explain “not knowing what he was saying” and “For he did not know what to answer,” will say that there he held it blasphemous and unworthy of Jesus to accept that the Son of the living God, the Christ, whom the Father had already revealed to him, should be killed; and here, having seen the two forms of Jesus, and the one in the transfiguration far superior, being well pleased with it, he said it was good to spend their time on that mountain, so that he and those with him might rejoice in contemplating the transfiguration of Jesus, his face shining like the sun, and his garments white as the light, and besides these might always contemplate in glory Moses and Elijah, who had once been seen in glory; and might rejoice at whatever they should hear from them as they talked and conversed with one another, Moses and Elijah with Jesus, and Jesus with them. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:4: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:6: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:33: quotation, high confidence - John 7:39: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:22: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:18: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Pet 1:19: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 9:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 26:69: allusion, high confidence - John 18:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:75: allusion, high confidence - John 8:44: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:4; Mark 9:5–6; Luke 9:32–33; John 7:39; Col 2:15; Matt 16:16, 22–23; 1 Pet 1:18–19; Matt 26:69–75; John 18:17; John 8:44; John 14:6. Origen offers two readings of Peter’s words, one attributing them to a hostile spirit, one to Peter’s own choice; both are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.40 (PG 13:1073a–1077b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-31/#p-12-40). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.41 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-41 - Source: PG 13:1077b–1080d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Figuratively, Peter and the sons of thunder may have wished to make tents within themselves for the Word, the law, and the prophecy, preferring contemplation; but love, which does not seek its own, brought Jesus down to those below. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ μηδέπω περιεργασάμενοι τροπολογεῒν τά κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν βασανίζοντες ταῦτα εἴπωμεν, τούτοις ἀκολούθως ἴδωμεν, μήποτε ἀναβιβασθέντες εἰς τὸ ὕψος τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων, καὶ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν ἰδόντες τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τῶν ὀφθέντων ἐν δόξῃ μετʼ αὐτοῦ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἠλίου, ὁ ἀποδεδομένος Πέτρος καὶ οἱ τῆς βροντῆς υἱοὶ βούλοιντʼ ἂν ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνὰς ποιῆσαι τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγῳ κατοικήσοντι ὲν αὐτοῖς, καὶ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μετὰ δόξης τεθεωρημένῳ, καὶ τῇ προφητείᾳ τὴν ἔξοδον λαλούσῃ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἣν ἔμελλε πληροῦν, καὶ ὡς τὸν θεωρητικόν γε ἀγαπήσας ὁ Πέτρος βίον, καὶ τὸ ὲν αὐτῷ τερπωλὸν προκρίνας τοῦ ὲν πολλοῖς εἶναι μετά τινος ὀχλήσεως, ἐπὶ προθέσει τοῦ ὠφελεῖν τοὺς βουλομένους, εἶπε τό · ι Καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὦδε εἶναι. ι Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἡ ἀγάπη ι οὐ ζητεί τὰ ἑαυτῆς, ι τὸ νομιζόμενον τῷ Πέτρῳ καλὸν οὐ πεποίηκεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· διὸ καταβέβηκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὅρους πρὸς τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους ἀναβῆναι ἐπʼ αὐτὸ, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὴν αὐτοῦ μεταμόρφωσιν, ἵνα κἂν ὁποῖον χωροῦσιν αὑτὸν ἰδεῖν θεωρήσωσι. Δικαίου τοίνυν ἐστὶ καὶ τὴν μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῆς ζητοῦσαν ἀγάπην ἔχοντος ι ἐλεύθερον μὲν εἶναι ὲκ πάντων, πᾶσι δὲ αὑτὸν δουλῶσαι τοῖς κάτω, ἴνα τοὺς πλείονας αὐτῶν κερδήσῃ. ι Εἴποι δʼ ἄν τις πρὸς τὰ ἀποδεδομένα περὶ ἐκστάσεως, καὶ ἐνεργείας πνεύματος χείρονος εἰς τὸν Πέτρον περὶ τοῦ· ι Μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει, ι μὴ προσιέμενος ἐκείνην τὴν διήγησιν, ὅτι παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ τινὲς ι Θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, ι οὐκ οἴδασι περὶ ὧν λέγουσι, ἀλλʼ ὅτι μὴ τρανοῦντες τὴν φύσιν τῶν λεγομένων, μηδὲ νοοῦντες αὐτῶν τὸ βούλημα διαβεβαιοῦνται περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἴσασι· τοιοῦτόν τι ἐπεπόνθει καὶ ὁ Πέτρος μὴ καταλαβὼν γὰρ τί τὸ καλὸν περὶ τῆς κατά Ἰησοῢν οἰκονομίας, καὶ τῶν ὀφθέντων ὲν τῷ ὄρει Μωῦσέως καὶ Ἠλίου, λέγει τό· ι Καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ι Μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει· Οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἐλάλει· ι καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ ι σοφὸς νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος, ἐπὶ δὲ χείλεσι φορεῖ τὴν ὲπιγνωμοσύνην, ι ὁ μὴ οὕτως ἔχων οὐ νοεῖ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος, οὐδὲ συνίησι τῆς φύσεως τῶν ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ λεγομένων. ### English translation (Claude) But since, without yet having taken pains to interpret the passage figuratively, we have said these things examining them according to the letter, let us next see whether those led up to the height of the doctrines of truth, who have seen the transfiguration of Jesus and Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory with him—the Peter we have spoken of, and the sons of thunder—might wish to make tents in themselves for the Word of God, who would dwell in them, and for his law, contemplated with glory, and for the prophecy that speaks of the departure of Jesus which he was to fulfil; and whether Peter, as one who loved the contemplative life and preferred its delight to being among the many with some trouble for the purpose of helping those who wish it, said, “It is good for us to be here.” But since love “does not seek its own,” Jesus did not do what Peter thought good; therefore he came down from the mountain to those unable to go up it and see his transfiguration, so that they might at least see him such as they can receive. It belongs, then, to the righteous man, who has the love that does not seek its own, “being free from all, to make himself a slave to all” those below, “that he may win the more” of them. But someone might say, in answer to what was explained about ecstasy and the working of a worse spirit in Peter concerning “not knowing what he was saying,” not admitting that explanation, that in Paul some “desiring to be teachers of the law” do not know what they are talking about—not in that sense, but in that, not making plain the nature of what they say nor understanding its intent, they make confident assertions about what they do not know; and that Peter too had experienced something of this kind. For not having grasped what was good concerning the dispensation of Jesus and the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the mountain, he says, “It is good for us to be here,” and so on, “not knowing what he was saying”; “for he did not know what he was saying.” For if “the wise will understand what comes from his own mouth, and carries knowledge on his lips,” one who is not so does not understand what comes from his own mouth, nor grasp the nature of what he says. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:4: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:31: allusion, high confidence - Mark 3:17: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 13:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:19: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 1:7: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:33: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:6: quotation, high confidence - Prov 16:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:4; Luke 9:31, 33; Mark 3:17; Mark 9:6; 1 Cor 13:5; 1 Cor 9:19; 1 Tim 1:7; Prov 16:23 LXX. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.41 (PG 13:1077b–1080d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-41). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.42 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-42 - Source: PG 13:1080d–1081d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: God answers Peter’s three tents with a better tent, the bright cloud, a pattern of the resurrection; Origen suggests it may be the Father’s power, the Holy Spirit, the Saviour, or the shared light of Father, Son, and Spirit over the true disciples. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς τούτοις ἐστὶ τό· ι Ἔτι λαλοῦντος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτοὺς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι, τὸν Πέτρον ὁ Θεὸς ἀποτρέπων τοῦ ποιῆσαι τρεῖς σκηνὰς ὑφʼ ἃς ἔμελλεν ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ βουλήματι σκηνοῦν, δείκνυσι κρείττονα, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, καὶ πολλῷ διαφέρουσαν σκηνὴν τὴν νεφέλην. Εἰ γὰρ ἔργον ἐστὶ σκηνῆς τὸ ὲπισκιάσαι τὸν ὲν αὐτῇ καὶ σκεπάσαι, ἡ δὲ φωτεινὴ νεφέλη ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτοὺς, οἱονεὶ σκηνὴν θειοτέραν, ἆτε καὶ φωτεινὴν τυγχάνουσαν, πεποίηκεν αὐτοῖς εἰς παράδειγμα μελλούσης ἀναστάσεως ὁ Θεός · φωτεινὴ γὰρ νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζει τοὺς δικαίους σκεπαζομένους ἅμα καὶ φωτιζομὲνους καὶ ὲλλαμπομένους ὑπʼ αὐτῆς. Τίς δʼ ἂν εῖη ἠ φωτεινὴ νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζουσα τοὺς δικαίους; Ἢ τάχα μὲν πατρικὴ δύναμις ἀφʼ ἦς ἔρχεται ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς φωνὴ, μαρτυροῦσα τῷ Υίῷ ὡς ἀγαπητῷ καὶ εὐδοκητῷ, καὶ προτρέπουσα τοὺς σκιαζομένους ὑπʼ αὐτῆς, τούτου καὶ μὴ άλλου τινὸς άκούειν; Λέγει δʼ οὗτος, ὡς πάλαι, οὕτως καὶ ἀεὶ διʼ ὧν βούλεται. Τάχα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἡ φωτεινή ἐστι νεφέλη, ἐπισκιάζουσα τοὺς δικαίους, καὶ προφητεύουσα τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος ὲν αὐτῇ καὶ λέγοντος ’ ι Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 Υἱός μου 6 ἀγαπητὸς ἐν ᾧ ηὐδόκησα. ι Τολμήσας δʼ ἂν εἴποιμι καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν εῐναι φωτεινὴν νεφέλην. Πέτρος μὲν οῦν λέγων· ι Ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνὰς ι ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Υίοῦ μίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μίαν· φωτεινὴ γὰρ Πατρός, Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζει τοὺς Ἰησοῦ γνησίους μαθητάς· ἢ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ τὸν νόμον, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζει φωτεινὴ τῷ δυναμένῳ ὲνορᾷν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτῆς κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ τδν νόμον, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας. Ἠ δὲ ὲκ τῆς νεφέλης φωνὴ τάχα μὲν Μωῡσεῖ καὶ Ἠλίᾳ λέγει· ι Οὗτός ἐστιν ὀ Υἱός μου 6 ἀγαπητὸς, ὲν ᾦ ηὑδόκησα · ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ, ι ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ίδεῖν τὸν Υίὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτοῦ, καὶ θεωρῆσαι αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστι· τάχα δὲ τοὺς μαθητὰς διδάσκει, ὃτι 6 κυρίως Υίὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀγαπητὸς αὐτοῦ, ὲν ᾧ ηὐδόκησεν, οὗ μάλιστα ἀκούειν δεῖ, 6 τότε θεωρούμενος ἦν, καὶ μεταμορφωθεὶς, καὶ λάμψας τῷ προσώπῳ ὡς 6 ἣλιος, καὶ ἐνδεδυμένος τὰ ὡς φῶς λευκὰ ἱμάτια. ### English translation (Claude) Next after these is: “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them,” and so on. I think that God, turning Peter away from making three tents, under which he was going to dwell as far as his wish went, shows a better tent, so to speak, and one far superior: the cloud. For if the work of a tent is to overshadow and cover the one in it, and the bright cloud overshadowed them, God made for them, as it were, a more divine tent, since it was bright, as a pattern of the resurrection to come; for a bright cloud overshadows the righteous, who are at once sheltered and enlightened and illumined by it. And what might the bright cloud overshadowing the righteous be? Perhaps the Father’s power, from which comes the voice of the Father, bearing witness to the Son as beloved and well-pleasing, and urging those overshadowed by it to listen to him and to no one else? And he speaks, as of old, so always through whom he wills. Perhaps also the Holy Spirit is the bright cloud that overshadows the righteous and prophesies the things of God, who works in it and says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And I would make bold to say that our Saviour too is a bright cloud. Peter, then, said, “Let us make three tents here” … one from himself, and one from the Son, and one from the Holy Spirit; for a bright cloud of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit overshadows the genuine disciples of Jesus. Or a cloud overshadows the Gospel and the law and the prophets, bright to one who can see by its light in the Gospel and the law and the prophets. And the voice from the cloud perhaps says to Moses and Elijah, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him,” since they longed to see the Son of Man and hear him and behold him as he is; and perhaps it teaches the disciples that the one who is properly Son of God, his beloved in whom he is well pleased, to whom above all one must listen, was the one then being contemplated, transfigured, shining in his face like the sun, and clothed in garments white as the light. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:17: allusion, medium confidence - 1 John 3:2: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:4–5; Matt 13:17; 1 John 3:2. Words are lost in the scan text after “Let us make three tents here” (“…”); the public-domain English has the same gap. Origen’s alternative readings of the cloud are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.42 (PG 13:1080d–1081d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-42). ## Commentary on Matthew 12.43 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-43 - Source: PG 13:1081d–1085a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The apostles fall before the voice from the cloud, and after the Word’s touch see Jesus alone: the law and the prophets become one with the Gospel; Jesus forbids telling the vision until after the resurrection, lest the crowds be harmed at seeing the glorified one crucified. ### Greek text Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα γέγραπται, ὅτι ἀκούσαντες τῆς φωνῆς τῆς νεφέλης μαρτυρούσης τῷ Υἱῷ οἱ τρεῖς ἀπόστολοι μὴ φέροντες τὴν τῆς φωνῆς δόξαν, καὶ τὴν ἐπʼ αὐτῆς δύναμιν, ἱκέτευσαν πεσόντες ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τὸν Θεόν· σφόδρα γὰρ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸ παράδοξον τοῦ θεάματος, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεάματος λελεγμένων. Πρόσχες δὲ εἰ δύνασαι καὶ ταῦτα εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ὅτι νοήσαντες οἰ μαθηταὶ τὸν Υἰδν τοῦ Θεοῦ κεχρηματικέναι Μωῦσεῖ, καὶ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν εἰρηκότα · ι Οὐ γὰρ ὄψεται ἄνθρωπος τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ζήσεται, ι καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσλαβόντες, ὡς μὴ φέροντες τὰς τοῦ Λόγου αὐγὰς, ἐταπεινώθησαν ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁφὴν τοῦ Λόγου, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπάραντες, εἶδον Ἰησοῦν μόνον, καὶ οὐδένα ἄλλον. Ἓν μόνον γέγονε Μωϋσῆς ὁ νόμος καὶ Ἠλίας ἡ προφητεία Ἰησοῦ τῷ Εὑαγγελίῳ· καὶ οὐχ ὥσπερ ἦσαν πρότερον τρεῖς, οὔτω μεμενήκασιν, ἀλλὰ γεγόνασιν οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἓν. Ταῦτα δέ μοι νόει ὡς πρὸς τὰ μυστικὰ πράγματα· πρὸς γὰρ τὸ ψιλὸν τοῦ γράμματος βούλημα, Μωῦσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας, ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ καὶ συλλαλοῦντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀπεληλύθασιν, ὅθεν ἐληλύθεισαν τάχα τῶν λόγων δώσοντες, ὧν ἐλάλησε μετʼ αὐτῶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς ὅσον οὐδέπω εὐεργετηθησομένοις ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους, ὅτε ἔμελλε ι πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἀγίων, ι ἀνοιχθέντων αὐτῶν τῶν μνημείων, ἀπιέναι είς τὴν ἀληθῶς ἁγίαν πόλιν τὴν μὴ κλαιομένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐμφανίζεσθαι πολλοῖς. Μετὰ δέ τὴν ἐν τῷ ὄρει οἰκονομίαν, καταβαινόντων ὲκ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν μαθητῶν, ἵνα ἐλθόντες πρὸς τὸν ὄχλον ὑπηρετήσωσι τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τῆς ἐκείνων σωτηρίας, ι Ἐνετείλατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς λέγων· Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα, ἕως οῦ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. ι Τὸ δέ· ι Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα, ι παραπλήσιον τῷ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω ἐξετασθέντι, ὅτε ι διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ἴνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ό Χριστός. ι Διὸ τὰ εἰς ἐκεῖνον εἰρημένα τὸν τόπον δύναται ἡμῖν εἶναι χρήσιμα καὶ πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον, ἐπεὶ καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα βούλεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς μὴ λεχθῆναι τὰ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πρὸ τῆς μετά τὸ πάθος δόξης αὐτοῦ· ἐβλάβησαν ἂν οἱ ἀκούοντες, καὶ μάλιστα ὄχλοι τὸν οὕτω δεδοξασμένον ὁρῶντες σταυρούμενον. Διόπερ ἐπεὶ συγγενὲς ἦν τῇ μεταμορφώσει αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ ὀφθέντι αὐτοῦ προσώπῳ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὸ δοξασθῆναι αὑτὸν τῇ ἀναστάσει, διά τοῦτο βούλεται τότε ταῦτα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων λαληθῆναι, ἡνίκα ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῇ. ### English translation (Claude) After this it is written that the three apostles, hearing the voice from the cloud bearing witness to the Son, and not bearing the glory of the voice and the power upon it, fell on their faces and besought God; for they were greatly afraid at the strangeness of the sight and of what was spoken from the sight. Consider whether you can say this too about the passage: that the disciples, having understood that the Son of God had spoken with Moses, and that it was he who said, “For no one shall see my face and live,” and having received in addition God’s testimony about him, being unable to bear the rays of the Word, humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God; but after the touch of the Word, lifting up their eyes, they saw Jesus only, and no one else. Moses, the law, and Elijah, prophecy, became one only with Jesus, the Gospel; and they did not remain three as they were before, but the three became one. Understand these things, I pray, as regards the mystical matters; for as regards the bare intent of the letter, Moses and Elijah, having appeared in glory and talked with Jesus, went away to where they had come from, perhaps to give of the words that Jesus spoke with them to those who were very soon to receive his benefit at the time of the passion, when “many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep,” their tombs being opened, were to go away into the truly holy city—not the Jerusalem wept over by Jesus—and appear there to many. And after the dispensation on the mountain, as the disciples came down from the mountain so as to go to the crowd and serve the Son of God for their salvation, “Jesus commanded the disciples, saying, Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And “Tell no one the vision” is like what was examined above, when “he charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” Therefore what was said on that passage can be useful to us for the matter before us too, since here too Jesus wishes the things of his glory not to be told before his glory after the passion; for the hearers, especially the crowds, would have been harmed on seeing one so glorified being crucified. Therefore, since his being glorified in the resurrection was akin to his transfiguration and to his face appearing like the sun, for this reason he wishes these things to be told by the apostles then, when he has risen from the dead. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:6: allusion, high confidence - Exod 33:20: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 5:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:52: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:53: allusion, high confidence - Luke 19:41: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 17:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:20: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:5–9; Exod 33:20; 1 Pet 5:6; Matt 27:52–53; Luke 19:41; Matt 16:20. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 12.43 (PG 13:1081d–1085a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/12-41/#p-12-43). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-1 - Source: PG 13:1085c–1092a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains the disciples' question about Elijah and argues at length that “Elijah” in John cannot mean a transmigrated soul, since transmigration contradicts the Scriptures on the end of the world. ### Greek text ι Ἔπηρὼτησαν αὑτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· Τί οὖν οἱ γραμματεῖς λέγουσιν, ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον; ι Οἱ μὲν συναναβάντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν γραμματέων περὶ Ἠλίου παραδιδομένων ἓμέμνηντο, ὅτι πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας ἐλθὼν Ἠλίας εὐτρεπίσει αὐτῷ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν παραδεξομὲνων αὐτόν· ἡ δὲ ὲν τῷ ὄρει ὀπτασία, καθʼ ἡνό Ἠλίας ἐφάνη, ἐδόκει μὴ συνᾴδειν τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἐπεὶ οὐ πρὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἔδοξεν αὐτοῖς ἐληλυθέναι ὁ Ἧλίας, ἀλλά μετʼ αὐτόν. Διὸ ταῦτά φασιν, οἰόμενοι ψεύδεσθαι τοὺς γραμματεῖς. Πρὸς δὲ τοῦτο ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀποκρίνεται, οὐκ ἀθετῶν τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἠλίου παραδιδόμενα, ἀλλά ἄλλην τοῦ Ἠλίου, πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ, ἐπιδημίαν, ἀγνοηθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν γραμματέων εἶναι φάσκων, καθʼ ἢν ἀγνοήσαντες αὐτὸν, ὡς συναίτιοι γενόμενοι τῷ αὐτὸν εἰς φυλακὴν βληθῆναι ὑπὸ Ἠρώδου, καὶ τῷ αὐτὸν ἀναιρεθῆναι ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ, ι πεποιήκασιν ὲν αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν· ι εἶτα ἀνάλογον οἷς πεποιήκασιν εἰς τὸν Ἠλὶαν φησιν ὑπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν πείσεσθαι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς περὶ Ἠλίου οἴ τε μα·θηταὶ ἐπηρώτων, καὶ ό Σωτὴρ ἀπεκρίνατο· οἰ δὲ ἀκούσαντες συνῆκαν τό · ι Ἠλίας ήδη ἦλθε, ι καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς αὑτῷ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, τὴν ἀνα-ξ φορὰν ἐσχηκέναι ἐπὶ τὸν Βαπτιστὴν Ἰωάννην· Καὶὲ ΤΤ”’ΛἹ”””“’ ’ ’ '—""""'l' '"""'l" ""' ταῦτα μὲν εἰρήσθω σαφηνείας ’ένεκεν τοῦ ἐκκειμένουί ῥητοῦ · ἤδη δὲ κατὰ δύναμιν καλ τῶν ἐναποκειμένων αὐτῷ πραγμάτιον τὴν ἐξέτασιν ποιησώμεθα. Ἐν τοὺτοις Ἠλίας οὐχ ἠ ψυχὴ δοκεῖ μοι λέγεσθαι, ῐνα μὴ ἐμπίπτω εἰς τὸ ἀλλότριον τῆς Ἑκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τῆς μετενσωματώσεως δόγμα, οὔτε παραδιδόμενον ὑπδ τῶν ἀποστόλων, οὔτε ὲμφαινόμενόν που τῶν Γραφῶν· καὶγὰρ ἐναντιον ἐστὶ τῷ τὰ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα εἶναι, καί συντέλειαν πείσεσθαι τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πληρωθῆναι τό· ι ’0 οὐρανὸς καὶ ή γῆ παρελεύσονται, › καὶ τόο ι Παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, ι καὶ τό- ι Οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, ι μετὰ τῶν ἑξῆς αὐτῷ. Εἰ γὰρ, καθʼ ὑπόο θεσιν, δὶς δύναται γενέσθαι ὲν τῇ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς μέχρι συντελείας τοῦ κόσμου καταστάσει ἡ αὑτὴ ψυχὴ ἐν τῷ σώματι, διʼ αἰτίαν ἣν ἂν γένοιτο ἐν αὐτῷ ; Ἣ διʼ ἁμαρτίαν γενομένη δὶς ἐν σώματι, διὰ τί οὐχὶ καὶ τρὶς, καὶ πλεονάκις ἔσται ἐν αὐτῷ, τῶν διὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον καὶ τά ἡμαρτημένα ἐν αὐτῷ κολάσεων τούτῳ άποδοθησομένων μόνῳ τῷ τρόπῳ κατὰ τὴν μετενσωμάτωσιν; Ὅπερ ἐὰν ἐξ ἀκολουθίας δοθῇ, οὐκ ἔσται τάχα ὅτε ψυχὴ οὐ μετενσωματωθήσεται· ἀεὶ γὰρ διὰ τὰ πρότερα ἁμαρτήματα ὲπιδημήσει τῷ σώματι, καὶ οὕτως οὐχ ἕξει χώραν ή τοῦ κόσμου φορὰ, καθʼ ἢν ι Ὀ οὐρανὸς καὶ ὴ γῆ παρελεύσονται. ι Ἵνα δὲ, κατὰ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ταύτην, δίδωται. τὸν πάντη ἀναμάρτητον μηκέτι ἥξειν εἰς τὸ διὰ γενέσεως σῶμα, διὰ χρόνων οἴει μίαν εὑρήσεσθαι πάντη καθαρεύσασαν ψυχὴν, καὶ μὴ δεομένην μετενσωματὼσεως; Ὅμως δὲ καὶ οὕτως μιᾶς τινος ἀεὶ ἐκ τοῦ ὡρισμένου τῶν ψυχῶν ἀριθμοῦ μεθισταμένης καὶ μηκέτι είς σῶμα ἐρχομένης, ἐπιλείψει ποτὲ ὡς διά τινων ὡσπερεὶ ἀπείρων χρόνων ἡ γένεσις, καταν· τήσαντος τοῦ κόσμου ἐπί τινα ἕνα ἢ δεύτερον, ἢ ὀλίγῳ πλείους, μεθʼ οὓς καὶ αὐτοὺς τελειωθέντας ἐ κόσμος φθαρήσεται, ἐπιλειπόντων τῶν εἰς σῶμα ἐρα χομένων · ὅπερ οὐκ ἀρέσκει τῇ Γραφῇ πλῆθος γὰρ οἶδεν ἁμαρτωλῶν έν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου φθορᾶς· ὅπερ ἐστὶ δῆλον συνεξεταζομένου τοῦθ ι Πλὴν ἐλθὼν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εὑρήσει τήν πίστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; ι ὡς εὕρομεν παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ οὕτως εἰρημένον· ι Ὥσπερ δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ Νῶε, οὕτως ἔσται ή παρουσία τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἀνθρώπου ’ ὼς γὰρ ἦσαν έν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, › καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἕσται δὲ τοῖς τότε ή τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εῐσπραξις ,οὐκ ὲν μετενσωματώσει ’ εί γὰρ ἔτι άμαρτάνοντες παραλαμβάνονται, ἡτοι ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ κολάσεως μετὰ τοῦτο κολασθήσονται, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ἡτοι δύο ’ τρόποι κολάσεων ἔσονται γενικοί· ὁ μὲν έν μετενσωματὼσει, ὁ δὲ ἔξω τοῦ τοιούτου σώματος, καὶ λεγέτωσαν τὰς τούτων αἰτίας καὶ διαφοράς* ἢ οὐ κολασθήσονται, ὡς ἀθρόως ἀποβαλόντες τὰ ἁμαρτήματα οἱ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ καταλειφθέντες, ἢ, ὅπερ βέλτιον, εἷς ἐστι τρόπος κολάσεως τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἐν σώματι, τὸ ἔξω αὑτοῦ τῆς καταστάσεως τοῦ βίου τούτου τὸ κατʼ ἀξίαν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων παθεῖν. Ἕκαστον δὲ τούτων τῷ ὲνορᾷν δυναμένῳ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀνατρεπτικόν ὲστι τῆς μετενσωματὼσεως. El δὲ ἀναγο καίως οἱ τὴν μετενσωμάτωσιν εἰσάγοντες Ἕλληνες, ὡς ἀκόλουθα αὐτοῖς τιθέντες, οὐδὲ φθείρεσθαι βούἓοντάι τὸν κόσμον, ὥρα καὶ τούτους eammeam; ταῖς ὲκφαινούσαις Γραφαίς φθαρήσεσθαι τὸν κόσμον, ήάπιστῆσαι αὐταῖς, ἢ εὑρεσιλογεῖν περὶ διηγήσεως τῶν κατὰ τὴν συντέλειαν, ὅπερ, κᾶν βούλωνται, ποιῆσαισοὺ δυνήσονται. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς τολμήσασιν ἂν λέγειν μὴ φθαρήσεσθαι τὸν κόσμον φήσομεν, ὅτι, εί μὴ φθείρεται ὁ κόσμος, ἀλλʼ ἐπʼ ἄπειρον ἔσται, οὐκ ἔσται ὁ Θεὸς εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὑτῶν. Ἀλλʼ εἰ ἄρα ἀνὰ μέρος, ήτοι ἕκαστον εἵσεται πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτοῦ, ἡ τινα, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν ἕτεραο ἄπειρα γὰρ τῇ φύσει οὐχ οἷόν τε περιλαμβάνεσθαι τῇ περατοῦν πεφυκυίᾳ τά γινωσύιόμενα γνώσειʼ τούτῳ δὲ ἀκολουθεῖ μηδὲ προφητείας δύνασθαι γενέσθαι περὶ πάντων ὡντινωνοῦν, ἁτε ἀπείρων ### English translation (Claude) “The disciples asked him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” The disciples who had gone up with Jesus remembered what the scribes handed down about Elijah: that before the coming of Christ, Elijah would come and make ready for him the souls of those who would receive him. But the vision on the mountain, in which Elijah appeared, did not seem to agree with what had been said, since it seemed to them that Elijah had come not before Jesus but after him. That is why they say this, thinking that the scribes were lying. To this the Saviour answers, not setting aside what was handed down about Elijah, but saying that there was another coming of Elijah, before Christ, which the scribes did not recognize; in it, not knowing him, they became accessories to his being thrown into prison by Herod and to his being put to death by him, and “they did in him whatever they wished.” Then he says that the Son of Man will suffer at the hands of the same people in a manner corresponding to what they did to Elijah. The disciples asked about these things as about Elijah, and the Saviour answered; but those who heard understood that “Elijah has already come,” and what the Saviour said next, referred to John the Baptist. Let this much be said to make the passage before us clear; now let us, as far as we can, also examine the matters stored up in it. In these words “Elijah” does not seem to me to mean the soul, lest I fall into the doctrine of transmigration of souls into bodies, which is foreign to the church of God, neither handed down by the apostles nor appearing anywhere in the Scriptures. For it is contrary to the truth that the things that are seen are temporary, and that this age will come to its consummation; and also to the fulfilment of “Heaven and earth will pass away,” and “For the form of this world is passing away,” and “The heavens will perish,” with what follows it. For if, for the sake of argument, the same soul can come to be in a body twice within the order of things from the beginning to the consummation of the world, for what reason would it come to be in it? If it comes to be in a body twice because of sin, why not three times, and more often, since the punishments for this life and the sins committed in it would be paid back to it in this one way only, by transmigration? If this is granted as a consequence, there will perhaps never be a time when a soul is not transmigrated; for it will always come to dwell in the body because of its earlier sins, and so there will be no room for the passing of the world, according to which “Heaven and earth will pass away.” And if, on this hypothesis, it is granted that one who is wholly without sin will no longer come into a body through birth, how long a time do you think it will take to find one soul wholly purified and not needing transmigration? Yet even so, if one soul at a time is always removed from the fixed number of souls and no longer comes into a body, birth will at some point fail, after what are, as it were, endless ages, when the world has come down to some one or two, or a few more; after these too are perfected the world will be destroyed, because there is no one left to come into a body. But this does not please Scripture; for it knows of a multitude of sinners at the time of the world's destruction. This is clear when one examines “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” together with what we found said in Matthew: “As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be; for as they were in the days of the flood,” and what follows. For the people of that time the exaction for their sins will not be by transmigration. For if they are taken while still sinning, then either they will be punished afterwards by another mode of punishment, and in that case there will be two general modes of punishment, one by transmigration and the other outside such a body (and let them state the causes and differences of these); or they will not be punished, as if those left at the consummation had cast off their sins all at once; or, which is better, there is one mode of punishment for those who have sinned in a body: to suffer, outside the state of this life, what their sins deserve. Each of these, for anyone able to look into the matter, overturns transmigration. And if the Greeks who bring in transmigration, laying it down as consistent with their views, necessarily refuse to have the world destroyed, then it is time for them too, faced with the Scriptures that plainly declare that the world will be destroyed, either to disbelieve them or to invent ingenious explanations of the account of the consummation; which, even if they wish, they will not be able to do. Further, to those who would dare to say that the world will not be destroyed we shall say this also: if the world is not destroyed but goes on without limit, God will not be one who knows all things before they come to be. But if he does, then only part by part: either he will know each thing before it comes to be, or some things, and after these again others; for things infinite by nature cannot be comprehended by knowledge, which by nature sets limits to what it knows. And it follows from this that there cannot be prophecies about all things whatsoever, since they are infinite … ### Scripture references - Matt 17:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:12: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 24:35: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:31: quotation, high confidence - Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - Luke 18:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:37: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:38: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 17:10–12; Matt 24:35; 1 Cor 7:31; Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX); Luke 18:8; Matt 24:37–38; allusion to 2 Cor 4:18. The section breaks off in mid-sentence in the printed text (“since they are infinite”); the argument resumes in the next section. A run of unreadable characters after “John the Baptist” and a Latin fragment are removed from the scan text. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.1 (PG 13:1085c–1092a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-2 - Source: PG 13:1092a–1100b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen argues that John was “Elijah” not by the same soul but by Elijah's spirit and power, distinguishes spirit from soul, and asks who “did to him whatever they wished.” ### Greek text ’Δναγκαίως δʼ οἶμαι ένδιατετριφέναι τῇ ἐξετάσει τοῦ περὶ μετενσωματώσεως λόγου, διὰ τήν τινων ὑπόνοιαν οἰηθέντων ψυχὴν εἶναι, περὶ ἦς ό λόγος, τὴν αὐτὴν Ἠλίου καὶ Ἰωάννου, πρότερον μὲν κληθεῖσαν Ἠλίαν, δεύτερον δὲ Ἰωάννην· καὶ οὐκ άθεεί γε κεκλῆσθαι Ἰωάννην αὑτὸν, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ τὸν ὀφθέντα ἄγγελον τῷ Ζαχαρία εἰρηκέναι αὐτῷ ι Μὴ φοὸοὖ, Ζαχαρία, διότι εἰσηκούσθη ἡ δέησίς σου ’ καὶ ἡ γυνή σου Ἐλισάβετ γεννήσει υἱόν σοι, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὑτοῦ Ἰωάννην ’ ι καὶ ὲκ τοῦ ἀπειληφέναι τὸν Ζαχαρίαν τὴν φωνὴν, κατὰ τὴν ὲν τῇ πινακίδι γραφην περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννην καλεῖσθαι τὸν γεγεννημένον. Εἴπερ δὲή ψυχὴ Ἠλίας ἦν, ἐχρῆν καὶ δεύτερον αὐτὸν γεννώμενον κληθῆναι Ἠλίαν, ἢ αἰτίαν τινά φανῆναι τῆς μετωνυμίας, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβράμ καὶ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τῆς Σάρας καὶτῆς Σάρρας, καὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τοῦ Σίμωνος καὶ Πέτρου. Καίτοιγε οὐδʼ οὕτως ό λόγος ὲν αὐτοῖς ἐσώζετοο ὲν μιᾷ γὰρ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ζωῇ τοῖς προειρημένοις γεγόνασιν αἱ μετωνυμίαι. Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις, εἰ μὴ ή ψυχὴ Ἠλίας ἐστὶ πρότερον ὲν τῷ Θεσὸίτῃ, καὶ δεύτερον ἐν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, τί ἂν εἴη τὸ κληθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὲν ἀμφοτέροις Ἠλίας; καί φημι τὸν Γαβριὴλ ὲν τοῖς πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν λόγοις δποὸεσληκέναι τίς ἠ αὑτὴ οὐσία ἐν Ἠλίᾳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ ’ φησὶ γάρʼ ι Τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ πολλοὺς ἐπιστρέψει ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὓτῶν · καὶ αὐτὸς προελεύσεται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ὲν πνεύματι κα) δυνάμει Ἠλίου. ι Πρόσχες γάρ, οὐκ εἶπεν, ι ἐν ψυχῇ Ἠλίου, ι ἵνʼ ἔχοι τόπονή μετενσωμάτωσις, ἀλλʼ, ι ὲν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου. ι Σαφῶς δὲ οἶδεν ἡ Γραφὴ διαφορὰν πνεύματος πρὸς ψυχὴν, ὡς τό· «Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑ μῶν τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τη ρηθείη ἀμέμπτως ὲν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ · ι καὶ τό· ι Εὑλογεῖτε, πνεύματα καὶ δικαίων ψυχαὶ, ι ὲν τῷ κατὰ τοὺς Ἐὂδομήκοντα Δανιὴλ φερόμενον, παρίστησι τὴν διαφοράν πνεύματος καὶ ᾁυχῆς. Ἠλίας οὖν ὁ Ἰωάννης οὺ διά τὴν ψυχὴν λέλεκται, ἀλλά διά τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ἆτινα οὐδὲν λυπεῖ τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν λόγον, εἰ πρότερον μὲν ἦν ὲν Ἠλίᾳ, ὕστερον δὲ γέγονεν ὲν Ἰωάννην ι Kal. πνεύμα· τα δὲ προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται, ι οὐχ) δὲ ψυχαὶ προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται ’ καὶ τό · ι Πνεῦμα Ἠλίου ἀναπέπαυται ἐπὶ Ἐλισσαιὲ. ι Ζητητέον δὲ πότερον ταυτόν ἐστι τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Ἠλίου τῷ ὲν Ἠλίᾳ πνεύματι Θεοῦ, ἢ ἕτερα ταῦτʼ ἐστὶν άλλήλωνο καὶ εί παράδοξόν τι τὸ πνεῦμα ἦν Ἠλίου τὸ ὲν αὐτῷ παρὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἑκάστου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ γὰρ σαφῶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος παρέστησεν ἕτερον εἶναι τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πνεῦμα, κᾶν ὲν ἡμῖν ᾖ, παρὰ τὸ πνεῦμα ἑκάστου ἀνθρώπου τὸ ὲν αὐτῷ, ὅπου μὲν λέγων ο ι Αὐτὸ τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα Θεοῦ ι ὅπου δέ ’ ι Οὐδεὶς οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εί μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὺ ἐν αὐτῷ ’ οὕτω καὶ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εί μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι Μὴ θαύμαζε δὲ τὸ περὶ τοῦ Ἠλίου, εἰ ὥσπερ ξένον τι ἀπήντησεν αὑτῷ παρὰ τοὺς ἀναγεγραμμένους πάντας ἁγίους, διὰ τὸ ἀναληφθῆναι ὲν συσσεισμῷ είς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτως ἐξαίρετόν τι εἶχε τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, ὡς οὐ μόνον ὲπαναπαύσασθαι τῷ Ἐλισσαίῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ συγκαταβῆναι εἰς τὴν γένεσιν, καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην ἰδίᾳ μὲν ι Πνεύματος ἁγίου πεπληρῶσθαι ἔτι ὲκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὑτοῦ ιὶδίαδὲι προεληλυθέναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὲν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου. ι Καὶ γὰρ δυνατὸν πλείονα πνεύματα εἶναι ὲν τῷ αὐτῷ, οὐ μόνον χείρονα, άλλά καὶ κρείττονα· αἰτεῖ γοῦν ὁ Δαυῒδ στηριχθῆναι μὲν πνεύματι ἡγεμονικῷ, ὲγκαινισθῆναι δὲ ὲν τοῖς ὲγκάτοις αὐτοῦ πνεῦμα εὑθές. Εἰ δὲ, ἵνα μεταδῷ ἡμῖν ὁ Σωτὴρ t πνεύματος σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, πνεύματος βουλῆς καὶ ίσχύος, πνεύματος γνώσεως καί εὒσεδείας, καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη πνεύματος φόβου Θεοῦο ι δυνατὸν και ταῦτα νοεῖσθαι πλείονα ὲν τῷ αὐτῷ εἶναι κρείττονα πνεύματα. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παρεθέμεθα διὰ τὸ ι ἐν πνεύματι καὶ δυνάμει Ἠλίου ι προεληλυθέναι ἒνώπιον Χριστοῦ τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἵνα τό ι Ἠλίας ἢδη ἦλθεν, ι ἐπὶ τὸ ὲν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ἀναφέρηται πνεῦμα τοῦ Ἠλίου, ὡς καὶ συνῆκαν οἱ συναναβάντες τρεῖς μαθηταὶ, ὅτι περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς. ι Ἐπὶ μὲν οὗν τὸν Ἐλισσαῖον μόνον ἀναπέπαυται τὸ Ἠλίου πνεῦμαʼ ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης προελήλυθεν οὐκ έν μόνῳ τῷ πνεύματι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲν δυνάμει Ἡλίου · διὸ καὶ Ἐλισσαῖος μὲν οὐκ ἂν Ἠλίας εἴρητο, Ἰωάννης δὲ αὐτὸς ἦν Ἠλίας. El δὲ δεῖ παραθέσθαι τὴν Γραφὴν, ὅθεν ἔλεγον οἱ γραμματεῖς, ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον, ἄκουε τοῦ Μαλαχίου λέγοντοςʼ ι Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν Ἠλίαν τὸν Θεσὸἰτην, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ ο ι Μὴ ἔλθω, καὶ πατάξω τήν γῆν ἄρδην (δε). ι Καὶ ἔοικέ γε διὰ τούτων δηλοῦσθαι, ὅτι προευτρεπίσει δ Ἠλίας τῇ ἐνδόξῳ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίᾳ διά τινων ἱερῶν λόγων καὶ καταστάσεων ὲν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τοὺς εἰς τοῦτο ἐπιτηδείους γεγενημένους, ἢν οὐκ ἂν ἤνεγκαν οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς διὰ τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς δόξης, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἠλίου ἦσαν προευτρεπισθέντες. Ἠλίαν δὲ καὶ ὲν τούτοις οὐ τὴν ψυχὴν λαμβάνω τοῦ προφήτου ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὑτοῦ· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστιν οἷς τά πάντα ἀποκαταστήστήσεται, ἵνα … καὶ ὲκ τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως γενομένοις χωρητικοτς τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὲπιδημήσῃ ὁ ὲν δόξῃ όφθησόμενος Υἱὸς τοῦ · Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ λόγος τίς ὲστιν ὁ Ἠλίας, ὑποδεέστερος λόγου τοῦ tv ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Θεοῦ Λόγου, διαὶ οὗτος ἂν δύναιτο ὡσπερεὶ προγύμνασμα ἐπιδημεῖν τῷ έτοιμαζομένῳ λαῷ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα γένηται κατεσκευασμένος πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ τελείου Λόγου. Ἀπορήσει δʼ ἄν τις εί τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἢ δύναμις Ἡλίου τὰ tv Ἰωάννῃ πέπονθε, καὶ τόʼ ι Ἐποίησαν tv αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν · ι καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο λελέξεται ἁπλούστερον μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄτοπον, διά τὴν ἀγάπην συμπάσχειν τά βοηθοῦντα τοῖς βοηθουμένοις* καὶ Ἰησοῦς γοῦν φησι* ι Διά τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ἠσθένουν, καὶ διὰ τοὺς πεινῶντας ιπείνων, καὶ διὰ τοὺς διψῶντας ἐδίψων ο ι βαθύτερον δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ εῐρηταιο ι Ἀλλʼ ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ ὅσα ὲθέλησαν ὲν αὐτῷ · ι ἦν γάρ ἐπερηρεισμένα τῷ πνεύματι καὶ τῇ δυνάμει Ἠλίου τά πεπονθότα, ὴ ψυχὴ Ἰωάννου οὐδαμῶς οὖσα Ἠλίας · τάχα δὲ καί τὸ σῶμα· κατʼ ἄλλον γὰρ τρόπον έν σώματι ψυχὴ, καὶ πνεῦμα, καὶ δύναμις· κατʼ ἄλλον δὲ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ δικαίου tv τοῖς κρείττοσιν, ὥσπερ έρηρεισμένον αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτῶν ἠρτημένον. ι Ui δὲ tv σαρκὶ ὄντες Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ὲν σαρκὶ, ἀλλʼ tv πνεύματι, είπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ tv ὐμίνο ι ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ τοῦ μὲν ἁμαρτωλοῦ tv σαρκί ἐστι, τοῦ δὲ δικαίου tv πνεύματι. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτʼ ἂν ζητηθείη, τό ’ ι Ἀλλʼ ὲποῖησαν tv αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν, ι ἐπὶ τινα ἀναφέρεταις ἄρα γάρ ἐπὶ τοὺς Γραμματεϊς; περὶ ὧν πυνθανόμενοι οι μαθηταὶ ελεγον ο ‹ Τί οὖν οι Γραμματεῖς λέγουσιν, ὅτι,Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον ; ι ἀλλʼ οὗ πάνυ τι φαίνεται ὑπὸ τῶν Γραμματέων πεπονθέναι τι Ἰωάννης, εί μὴ ἄρα ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ, ἤ ὅτι, ὡς καὶ ἀνωτέρω εἴπομεν, συναίτιοι γεγόνασι τοῖς τετολμημένοις κατʼ αὑτοῦ ὑπὸ Ἥρω-ι , δου. ’Δλλος δʼ ἂν εἴποι, ὅτι τόο ι Ἀλλʼ ἐποίησαν tv αὺτῷ ὅσα ὲθέλησαν, ι οὐκ ἐπὶ τοὺς Γραμματεῇς, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἡρωδιάδα, καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸν Ἡρώδην ἀναφέρεται, ι ποιήσαντας tv αὐτῷ ὅσα ἠθέλησαν. ι Καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς δὲ, διὰ τόο ι οὕτως 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μέλλει πάσχειν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, ι ἀναφέροντʼ ἂν εὶ μὲν τὸ πρότερον διὰ τοὺς Γραμματεῇ · ei δὲ τὸ δεύτερον, ἐπὶ τὸν Ἡρώδην, καὶ τὴν Ἥρωδιάδα, καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς, καὶ τὸ δεύτερονο καὶ γὰρ ἔοικε σύμψηφος γεγονέναι ὁ Ἡρώδης τῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀποθανεῖν, τάχα κοινωνούσης αὐτῷ τῆς κατʼ αὐτοῦ ἐπιβουλῆς καὶ τῆς γυναικός. ### English translation (Claude) I think it was necessary to spend time on examining the doctrine of transmigration because of the suspicion of some who supposed that the soul under discussion was the same in Elijah and in John, called Elijah the first time and John the second; and that it was not without God that he was called John, as is clear from the angel who appeared to Zechariah having said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John,” and from Zechariah's recovering his voice after writing on the tablet that the child who had been born was to be called John. But if the soul was Elijah, then when he was born a second time he ought to have been called Elijah, or some reason for the change of name ought to have appeared, as with Abram and Abraham, Sarai and Sarah, Jacob and Israel, Simon and Peter. And yet even so the argument would not hold in their case; for these changes of name came to the people mentioned within one and the same life. Someone might ask: if the soul is not Elijah, first in the Tishbite and second in John, what would it be in both that the Saviour called Elijah? I say that Gabriel, in his words to Zechariah, has set out what the substance was that was the same in Elijah and in John. For he says, “He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God; and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah.” Notice that he did not say, “in the soul of Elijah,” so that transmigration might find a place, but “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” For Scripture plainly knows a difference between spirit and soul, as in “May God sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”; and “Bless the Lord, you spirits and souls of the righteous,” which is found in Daniel according to the Seventy, sets out the difference between spirit and soul. So John was called Elijah not because of the soul but because of the spirit and the power; and it does no harm at all to the church's teaching if these were first in Elijah and later came to be in John. Also: “And the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets,” but souls of prophets are not subject to prophets; and: “The spirit of Elijah has rested upon Elisha.” But we must inquire whether the spirit of Elijah is the same as the Spirit of God that was in Elijah, or whether these are different from each other; and whether the spirit of Elijah that was in him was something extraordinary compared with the spirit of each human being that is in him. For the Apostle plainly showed that the Spirit of God, even if it is in us, is different from the spirit of each human being which is in him, where he says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” and where he says, “No one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him; so also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” Do not be surprised concerning Elijah if, just as something strange happened to him beyond all the saints on record, in that he was taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, so his spirit had something exceptional, so that it not only rested upon Elisha but also came down with John into birth; and that John, on the one hand, was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,” and on the other “went before” Christ “in the spirit and power of Elijah.” For it is possible for several spirits to be in the same person, not only worse ones but also better ones. David, at any rate, asks to be strengthened by a governing spirit, and that a right spirit be renewed within him. And if, so that the Saviour might impart to us something of the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, he was also filled with the spirit of the fear of God, then these too can be understood as several better spirits in the same person. We have set this down because John went before Christ “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” so that “Elijah has already come” may be referred to the spirit of Elijah that was in John, as the three disciples who went up with him also understood that he spoke to them about John the Baptist. Now on Elisha only the spirit of Elijah rested; but John went before not in the spirit alone but also in the power of Elijah. That is why Elisha would not have been called Elijah, but John himself was Elijah. And if we must cite the Scripture from which the scribes said that Elijah must come first, hear Malachi saying, “And behold, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite,” and what follows, as far as “lest I come and strike the earth utterly.” Through these words it seems to be shown that Elijah will make ready beforehand, for the glorious coming of Christ, by certain holy words and dispositions in their souls, those who have become fit for it; for those on earth could not have borne that coming because of the surpassing glory, unless they had first been made ready by Elijah. Here too by Elijah I take not the soul of that prophet but his spirit and his power; for these are the things by which all things will be restored, so that … and when they have become able, through the restoration, to receive the glory of Christ, the Son of God, who will be seen in glory, may come to dwell among them. And if Elijah is also a kind of word, lower than the Word who was God in the beginning with God, perhaps he could come first, as a preliminary exercise, to the people being made ready by him, so that it may be prepared to receive the perfect Word. Someone might raise the question whether the spirit and the power of Elijah suffered what was done in John, and “they did in him whatever they wished.” To this it will be said, more simply, that there is nothing absurd in helpers suffering, out of love, with those whom they help; Jesus, at any rate, says, “Because of the weak I was weak, and because of the hungry I hungered, and because of the thirsty I thirsted.” But at a deeper level, that the words are not “But they did to him whatever they wished in him”; for the things that suffered were supported by the spirit and the power of Elijah, while the soul of John was in no way Elijah, and perhaps the body as well. For soul, spirit, and power are in a body in one way; but the body of the righteous is in the better things in another way, as if supported by them and depending on them. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you”; for the soul of the sinner is in the flesh, but the soul of the righteous is in the spirit. Further, it might also be asked to whom “But they did in him whatever they wished” refers. To the scribes, about whom the disciples were inquiring when they said, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” But John does not seem at all to have suffered anything from the scribes, unless perhaps that they did not believe him, or that, as we said above, they became accessories to what Herod dared against him. Another might say that “But they did in him whatever they wished” refers not to the scribes but to Herodias and her daughter and Herod, who “did in him whatever they wished.” And what follows, “So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands,” would refer, on the first view, to the scribes; on the second, it too will refer to Herod and Herodias and her daughter; for Herod seems to have voted with those who wanted Jesus to die, his wife perhaps also sharing with him in the plot against him. ### Scripture references - Luke 1:13: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:63: allusion, high confidence - Gen 17:5: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 17:15: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 32:28: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:42: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Luke 1:17: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:23: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 14:32: quotation, high confidence - 2 Kgs 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - 2 Kgs 2:11: allusion, high confidence - Luke 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 51:10 (50:12 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 51:12 (50:14 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Isa 11:2: allusion, high confidence - Isa 11:3: allusion, high confidence - Mal 4:5 (3:22 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Mal 4:6 (3:23 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 1:1: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 17:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 25:35: echo, low confidence - Rom 8:8: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 1:13, 1:63–64; Gen 17:5, 15; 32:28; John 1:42; Luke 1:15–17; 1 Thess 5:23; Song of the Three Young Men 64 (Dan 3:86 LXX); 1 Cor 14:32; 2 Kgs 2:15; Rom 8:16; 1 Cor 2:11; 2 Kgs 2:11; Ps 51:10, 12 (50:12, 14 LXX); Isa 11:2–3; Mal 4:5–6 (3:22–23 LXX); John 1:1; Matt 17:12–13; Rom 8:8–9. The saying “Because of the weak I was weak …” is not in the canonical Gospels (cf. Matt 25:35–36; 1 Cor 9:22); its source is uncertain. Origen's point is that Matthew says “they did in him” (ἐν αὐτῷ), not “to him”: what suffered was what rested on Elijah's spirit and power, not that spirit itself. The clause on Isa 11:2–3 (“so that the Saviour might impart them to us”) is translated by sense; the text appears defective. After “so that” a Latin fragment from Migne's facing column stands in place of lost Greek words, shown as “…”. Migne's heading for the next chapter (“On the epileptic”) at the end of the section is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.2 (PG 13:1092a–1100b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-3 - Source: PG 13:1100b–1101a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen notes that Jesus comes down to the crowds to heal, and suggests comparing the healings in which the sufferer, someone else, or no one asks. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἐλθόντων αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν δχλον, προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπος γονυπετῶν αύτῷ, καὶ λέγωνʼ Κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν. › Πάσχοντες,ἢ οἱ τῶν πασχόντων οξκεῖοι μετά τῶν ὄχλων εἰσί· διόπερ, ὲπάν τὰ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ὄχλους 6 Ἰησοῦς οἰκονομήσηται, καταὸαίνει πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἵνʼ οἱ μὴ δυνάμενοι ἀναβαίνειν διὰ τὰς κατεχούσας τὴν ψυχὴν νόσους ὼφε, ληθῶσι, καταβάντος πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπὺ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων τοῦ Λόγου. Ἐξεταστέον δὲ ἐπὶ τίνων μὲν νοσημάτων οἱ πάσχοντες πιστεύουσι καὶ ἀξιοῦσι περὶ τῆς ἰδίας θεραπείας· ἐπὶ τίνων δὲ περὶ αὐτῶν ἕτεροι τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, οἷον 6 ἑκατόνταρχος περὶ παιδὸς, καὶ 6 βασιλικὸς περὶ υἱοῦ, καὶ ἀρχισυνάγωγος περὶ θυγατρὸς, καὶ ἡ Χαναναία περὶ δαιμονῶντος τέκνου θήλεος, καὶ νῦν ι 6 γονυπετῶν αὐτῷ ἀνθρωπος ι περὶ υἱοῦ σεληνιαζομένου. Τούτοις δὲ συνεξετάσεις πότε ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ 6 Σωτὴρ, καὶ ὑπὸ μηδενὸς ἀξιωθεὶς ἰᾶται, ὡς τὸν παραλυτικόν ° αὗται γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συγκριθεϊσαι ἀλλήλαις αἱ θεραπεῖαι, xal. συνεξετασθεῖσαι πολλά τῷ ἀκούειν δυναμένῳ τῆς ἐν μυστηρίῳ άποκεκρυμμένης σοφίας Θεοῦ παραστήσουσι δόγματα περί τε τῶν διαφόρων περὶ τὰς ψυχὰς συμπτωμάτων, καὶ περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς θεραπείας αὑ. των. ### English translation (Claude) “And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him, kneeling before him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son.” Those who suffer, or the relatives of those who suffer, are with the crowds. That is why, whenever Jesus has carried out the things that are above the crowds, he comes down to them, so that those who cannot go up because of the diseases that hold their souls may be helped, when he has come down to them from the loftier things of the Word. We must examine in which diseases the sufferers themselves believe and ask for their own healing, and in which others do this for them: the centurion for his servant, the royal official for his son, the ruler of the synagogue for his daughter, the Canaanite woman for her demon-possessed daughter, and now “the man kneeling before him” for his moonstruck son. Together with these you will examine when the Saviour heals of his own accord, asked by no one, as with the paralytic. For these healings, compared with one another and examined together, will present to anyone able to hear many teachings of the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, both about the various afflictions that befall souls and about the manner of their healing. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 8:5: allusion, high confidence - John 4:46: allusion, high confidence - Mark 5:22: allusion, high confidence - Matt 15:22: allusion, high confidence - John 5:5: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotation: Matt 17:14–15. Allusions: Matt 8:5–13; John 4:46–53; Mark 5:22–23; Matt 15:22; John 5:5–9; 1 Cor 2:7. “Moonstruck” renders σεληνιαζόμενος (Matt 17:15), the usual Greek word for an epileptic; Origen's interpretation in the next sections turns on its connection with the moon (σελήνη). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.3 (PG 13:1100b–1101a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-4 - Source: PG 13:1101a–1104d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen interprets the moonstruck boy figuratively as souls that seem healthy but are periodically seized by passions, falling into the fire of lust or the water of worldly life. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ νῦν οὐ περὶ πάντων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐκκειμένου ῥητοῦ πρόκειται ἐξετάζειν, ἴδωμεν τροπολογοῦντες τίνα δυνάμεθα εἰπεῖν τὸν σεληνιαζόμενον εἶναι, καὶ τὸν ἀξιοῦντα περὶ αὐτοῦ πατέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ τί τὸ πίπτειν τὸν πάσχοντα οὐκ ἀεὶ, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις, ὁτὲ μὲν είς πῦρ, ἐνίοτε δὲ είς ὕδωρ ° καὶ τί τὸ μὴ δεδυνῆσθαι αὑτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν θεραπευθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶγὰρ εὔλογον, εἴπερ πᾶσα νόσος, καὶ πᾶσα μαλακία, ἃς ἐθεράπευσεν 6 Σωτὴρ ἡ μῶν τότε ἐν τῷ λαῷ, ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τά ἐν ψυχαῖς διάφορα συμπτώματα, ὡς τοὺς μὲν παρετοὺς τὴν ψυχὴν,’κειμένην αὐτὴν ἔχοντας ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος παραλελυμένην δηλοῦσθαι ’διὰ τῶν παραλυτικῶν ο τοὺς δὲ τυφλώττοντας περὶ τά τῇ ψυχῇ μόνῃ θεατὰ δηλοῦσθαι διά τῶν τυφλῶν, καὶ εἶναι τυφλούς · τοὺς δὲ κεκωφωμένους πρὸς παραδοχὴν σωτηρίου λόγου σημαίνεσθαι διὰ τῶν κωφῶν. Ἀνάλογον ἐκείνοις ἐξετασθῆναι δεήσει τὰ περὶ τοῦ σεληνιαζομένου. Ἔστι δὲ τδ πάθος τοῦτο ὲκ διαλειμμάτων ἀξιολόγων ἐπιτιθέμενον τοῖς πάσχουσιν, ὲν οἷς οὐδὲν διαφέρειν δοκεῖ ὑγιαίνοντος ὁ πεπονθὼς αὐτὸ παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ μὴ ἐνεργεῖν αὑτὸν τὴν ἐπίληψιν. Τοιαῦτα δέ τινα εὕροις ἂν περί τινας ψυχὰς συμπτώματα, πολλάκις νομιζομένας ὑγιαίνειν ὲν σωφροσύνῃ καὶ ταῖς ᾶλλαις ἀρεταῖς, εἶτʼ ἐσθʼ ὅτε ὡσπερεὶ ἐπιληψίᾳ τινὶ τῇ ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν λαμβανομένας, καὶ καταπιπτούσας άπὸ τοῦ ἔστηκεναι δοκεῖν, καὶ σπωμένας περὶ τὴν ἀπάτην τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ τὰς λοιπάς ἐπιθυμίας. Τάχα οὖν οὐκ ἃν ἁμάρτοις λέγων τοὺς τοιούτους, ἵνʼ οὕτως εἴπω, πνευματικῶς σεληνιάζεσθαι, κατα- 6αλλομένους ὑπὸ ι τῶν ὲν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις πνευμαο τικῶν τῆς πονηρίας, ι καὶ κακῶς ἔχειν πολλάκις παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῶν ἐπιλαμβανομένων τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν παθῶν · ποτὲ μὲν πίπτοντας είς τὸ πῦρ τῶν πυρώσεων, ὅτε γίνονται, κατά τὰ λεγόμενα ὲν τῷ Ὠσηὲ, ι οί μοιχεύοντες, ὡς κλίβανος καιόμενος είς πέψιν κατακαύματος ἀπὸ τῆς φλογός ’ ι ποτὲ δὲ είς ὕδωρ, ὅτε ὁ βασιλεὺς πάντων τῶν ὲν τοῖς ὕδασι δρακόντων καταβάλλει αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλεύθερον δοκεῖν ἀναπνεῖν, ἐπὶ τὸ είς βάθη τῶν κυμάτων τῆς θαλάσσης ἥκειν τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίου. Συμβαλείται δὲ ἡμῖν τῇ τοιαύτῃ περὶ τοῦ σεληνιαζομένου διηγήσει ὀ λέγων ὲν τῇ Σοφίᾳ περὶ μὲν τῆς τοῦ δικαίου ὁμαλότητος ο ι Διήγησις εὐσεβοῦς διὰ παντὸς σοφία ο ι περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀποδεδομένων ο ι '0 δὲ ἄφρων ὡς σελήνη ἀλλοιοῦται. ι Καὶ ἔστι καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ίδεῖν ὁρμάς συναρπάσαι δυναμένας πρὸς ἔπαινον τοὺς μὴ ὲπιστάντας αὐτῶν τῷ άνερματίστῳο ὥστε εἰπεῖν ἂν οἱονεὶ πανσέληνον εἶναι ὲν αὐτοῖς, ἢ παρʼ ὀλίγον πανσέληνον. Ἰδοις δʼ ἂν πάλιν μιμούμενον τὸ δόξαν εἶναι ὲν αὐτοῖς φῶς, οὐχὶ φῶς ἡμερινὸν τυγχάνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ φῶς νυκτερινὸν, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον λῆγον, ἕως μηδὲ δοκοῦν φῶς εἶναι ἐπιβλεπόμενον ὲν αὐτοῖς γένηται. Et δὲ oi πρῶτοι θέμενοι τά ὀνόματα τοῖς πράγμασι διά τοιοῦτόν τι ὠνόμασαν τδ τῆς ἐπιληψίας πάθος σεληνιασμὸν, ἢ μὴ, καὶ αὐ· ’ τὸς ἐπιστήσεις. ### English translation (Claude) But since our task now is to examine not all of these but the passage before us, let us see, interpreting figuratively, whom we can say the moonstruck boy is, and the father who makes the request for him, and what it means that the sufferer falls not always but often, sometimes into fire and at other times into water; and what it means that he could not be healed by the disciples, but only by Jesus himself. For it is reasonable, if every disease and every infirmity which our Saviour then healed among the people refers to the various afflictions in souls, that those paralysed in soul, who have it lying paralysed upon the body, are signified by the paralytics; that those who are blind to the things that are visible to the soul alone are signified by the blind, and are blind; and that those who are deaf to receiving the saving word are signified by the deaf. In the same way the things concerning the moonstruck boy must be examined. This affliction attacks those who suffer from it at considerable intervals, during which the one who has it seems no different from a healthy person, except at the time when the seizure is acting on him. You might find some such afflictions in certain souls, which are often thought to be healthy in self-control and the other virtues, and then sometimes are seized, as if by a kind of epilepsy, by the passions, and fall from seeming to stand, and are convulsed by the deceit of this age and by the other desires. Perhaps, then, you would not be wrong to say that such people are, so to speak, spiritually moonstruck, being thrown down by “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places,” and that they are often ill at the times when the passions seize their soul: sometimes falling into the fire of burning passions, when, according to what is said in Hosea, they become “adulterers, like an oven burning for baking, from the flame”; and sometimes into water, when the king of all the dragons in the waters throws them down from seeming to breathe freely, into the depths of the waves of the sea of human life. The one who speaks in Wisdom will also help us with this account of the moonstruck boy, when he says of the evenness of the righteous, “The discourse of a godly man is wisdom at all times,” and of those set against them, “But the fool changes like the moon.” In such people too one may see impulses able to carry away into praise those who have not noticed their instability; so that one would say there is, as it were, a full moon in them, or nearly full. But again you might see the light that seemed to be in them imitating not the light of day but the light of night, waning until not even what seems to be light is any longer seen in them. Whether those who first gave things their names called the affliction of epilepsy “moonstruckness” for some such reason, or not, you will consider for yourself. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 4:23: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 6:12: quotation, high confidence - Hos 7:4: quotation, high confidence - Job 41:34: allusion, low confidence - Ps 74:13 (73:13 LXX): allusion, low confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 27:11 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:15–16; Matt 4:23; Eph 6:12; Hos 7:4; Sir 27:11 (cited as “Wisdom”). “The king of all the dragons in the waters” recalls Job 41:34 and Ps 74:13–14 (73:13–14 LXX); the exact source is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.4 (PG 13:1101a–1104d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-5 - Source: PG 13:1104d–1105b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen takes the boy's father as his guardian angel, the dumb and deaf spirit as irrational impulses, and explains faith like a mustard seed that removes mountains. ### Greek text Πατὴρ δὲ τοῦ σεληνιαζομένου τάχα ὁ λαχὼν αὑτὸν ἄγγελος (εἴτε πᾶσαν λεκτέον ἀνθρωπίνην ψυ χὴν ὑπό τινι τετάχθαι ἀγγέλῳ), ἀξιῶν ὡς περὶ Υἰοῦ τὸν ἰατρὸν τῶν ψυχῶν, ἵνα αὐτὸν ρύσηται, μὴ δυνηθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὑποδεεστέρου λόγου, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, θεραπευθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ πάθους. Πνεῦμα δὲ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν τροπολογητέον τὰς ἀλόγους, καὶ πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν καλὸν ὁρμάς, ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου ἐκβαλλόμενον, ἵνα ἃ τέως τις ἐποίει άλόγῳ φορᾷ νομιζόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν βλεπόντων καλὰ, μηκέτι μὲν πράττῃ ἀλόγως, κατὰ δὲ τὸν λόγον τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διδασκαλίας. Ἐκ τούτου καὶ δʼ Παῦλος ὡρμημένος εἴπεν · 1 Ἐὰν ἔχω πίστιν πᾶσαν, ὥστε ὅρη μεθιστάνειν* 1 οὑ γὰρ ἓν μόνον ὅρος, άλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀνάλογον αὐτῷ πλείονα μεθίστησιν ὁ ἔχων πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν, ἦτις ἐστὶν ὡς κόκκος σινάπεωςο ἐπεὶ ὲξουθενεῖται μὲν η πίστις ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ βραχύτατόν τε καὶ εὐτελὲς εἶναι φαίνεται ο τυχοῦσα δὲ γῆς ἀγαθῆς, τουτέστι ψυχῆς, τὸ τοιοῦτον σπέρμα παραδέξασθαι καλῶς δυναμένης, γίνεται δένδρον μέγα, ὥστε οὐδὲν μὲν τῶν ὰπτέρων, τὰ δὲ ὲπτερωμένα πνευματικῶς πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν δύνασθαι ὲν τοῖς κλάδοις τῆς τοιαύτης πίστεως. ### English translation (Claude) The father of the moonstruck boy is perhaps the angel to whom he was allotted (if indeed we must say that every human soul is placed under some angel), asking the Physician of souls, as for a son, to rescue him, since he could not be healed of the affliction by the lesser word that was in the disciples. The dumb and deaf spirit must be interpreted figuratively as the irrational impulses, even toward what seems good, which are cast out by the Word, so that what someone used to do by an irrational impulse, thought good by those who saw it, he no longer does irrationally but according to the reason of Jesus' teaching. Starting from this, Paul too said, “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains”; for the one who has all faith, which is like a grain of mustard seed, removes not one mountain only but many like it. For faith is despised by people, and appears to be something very small and cheap; but when it finds good soil, that is, a soul well able to receive such seed, it becomes a great tree, so that none of the creatures without wings, but the birds of heaven that are winged spiritually, can nest in the branches of such faith. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:16: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:25: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:31: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:32: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:15–16, 20; Mark 9:25; 1 Cor 13:2; Matt 13:31–32. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.5 (PG 13:1104d–1105b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-6 - Source: PG 13:1105b–1109c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains epilepsy not by the moon but by an unclean spirit that times its attacks to the moon's phases so as to slander God's creation, and rejects astrology. ### Greek text Ἤδη οῦν παραστῶμεν καὶ τῇ λέξει, καὶ ζητήσωμεν πρότερον πῶς σεληνιάζεσθαι λέγεται ό ὑπό τι· νος πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου, καὶ κωφοῦ, καὶ ἀλάλου σκοτούμενος, καὶ καταόαλλόμενος, καὶ διὰ τί παρὼνυμόν ἐστι τὸ σεληνιάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου έν οὐρανῷ καὶ δευτέρου μετά τὸν ἥλιον φωστῆρος, ὃν ἐταξεν ὀ Θεὸς 1 εἰς ἀρχάς τῆς νυκτός. 1 Ἰατροὶ μὲν οὖν φυσιολογείτωσαν, ἅτε μηδὲ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα εἶναι νομίζοντες κατά τὸν τόπον, ἀλλά σωματικίν σύμπτωμα, καὶ φυσιολογοῦντες τὰ ὑγρά λεγέτωσαν κινεῖσθαι τά ὲν τῇ κεφαλῇ, κατά τινα συμπάθειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸ σεληνιακὸν φῶς, ὑγράν ἔχον φύσινσ ἡμεῖς δὲ οἰ καὶ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ πιστεύοντες, ὅτι τὸ νόσημα τοῦτο ἀπὸ πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου, ἀλάλου, καὶ κωφοῦ ὲν τοῖς πάσχουσιν αὐτὸ θεωρεῖται ἐνεργούμενον, ὁρῶντες δὲ, ὅτι καί οἰ εἰθισμένοι παραπληο σίως τοῖς ὲπαοιδοῖς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι τὴν κατά τοὺς τοιούτους θεραπείαν δοκοῦσί ποτε ἑπιτυγχάνειν ὲν αὐτοῖς, φήσομεν, ὅτι μήποτε, ὑπὲρ τοῦ διαβάλλειν τά κτίσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἴνα ι καὶ ἀδικία εἰς τὸ ῦψος λαληθῇ, καὶ θῶνται εἰς οὐρανὸν τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ι τὸ ἀκάθαρτον τοῦτο πνεῦμα ἐπιτηρεῖ τινας σχηματισμοὺς τῆς σελήνης, καί οὕτως ἐνεργεῖ, ἵνʼ ὲκ τηρήσεως τοῦ κατ-ἀ τὸν τοιόνδε τῆς σεληνης σχηματισμὸν πάσχειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τὴν alτίαν δόξῃ τοῦ τηλικούτου κακοῦ, μὴ τὺ ἀλαλον καὶ κωφὸν λαμβάνε ιν δαιμόνιον, ἀλλὰ μέγας ὲν οὐρανῷ φωστὴρ, ὁ τεταγμένος εἰς ἀρχάς τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἔχων ἀρχὴν τῆς τοιαύτης ὲν ἀνθρώποις νόσου. t Καὶ ἀδικίαν γε εἰς τὸ ὕψος λαλοῦσι ι πάντες ὅσοι παρά τὴν τῶν ἄστρων σχέσιν φασὶν εἰ· ναι τὴν αἰτίαν πάντων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, εἴτε καθολικῶν εἴτε καί τῶν καθʼ ἕκαστον συμπτωμάτων · καί οἰ τοιοῦτοί γε ἀληθῶς ι ἔθεντο εἰς οὐρανὸν τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν, ι κακοποιούς τινας λέγοντες εἶναι τῶν ἀστέρων, καὶ ἄλλους ἀγαθοποιούς· οὐδενὸς ἄστρου γενομένου ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὃλων, ἵνα κακοποιῇ, κατά γε τὸν Ἱερεμίαν, ’ὲνρρηνοις γέγραπταν «- Ἐκ στόματος Κυρίου ἐξελεύσεται τά καλά καί τὸ ἀγαθόν. ι Εἰκὸς δὲ, ὅτι, ὥσπερ τοῦτο τὸ ἐνεργοῦν τὸν καλούμενον σεληνιασμδν πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ἐπιτηρεῖ τοὺς τῆς σελήνης σχηματισμοὺς, ἴνα ὲνεργήσῃ εἰς τὸν διά τινας αἰτίας παραδιδόμενον αύτῷ, καὶ μὴ ποιήσαντα ἑαυτὸν ἀξιον φρουρᾶς ἀγγελικῖκ, οὕτως καὶ ἄλλα πνεύματα, καί δαιμόνια πρός τινας σχηματισμοὺς τῶν ἀλλων ἀστέρων, ἴνα μὴ μόνον σελήνη, ἀλλά καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ λοιδορηθῶσιν ἀστέρες ὑπὸ ι τῶν ἀδικίαν εἰς τὸ ὕψος λαλούντων.» Ἔστι γοῦν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν γενεθλιαλόγων, τὴν αἰτίαν πάσης μανίας, καὶ παντὸς δαιμονιασμοῢ ἀναφερόντων ὲπὶ τοὺς τῆς σελήνης σχηματισμούς. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οἱ τὸν καλούμενον σεληνιασμὺν πάσχοντες ἐνίοτε εἰς τὸ ύδωρ πίπτουσι, δῆλόν ἐστιν · ὅτι δὲ καὶ είς τὸ πῦρ, σπανιώτερον μὲν, πλὴν καὶ αὐτὸ συμβαῖνόν ἐστι, καὶ ὅτι δυσίατόν ἐστι τὸ νόσημα τοῦτο, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας χάριν θεραπεύειν δαιμονῶντας ὁτὲ μὲν άπαυδᾷν πρὸς τοῦτο, ὁτὲ δὲ μετά νηστειῶν, καὶ προσευχῶν, καὶ πλειόνων καμάτων ἐπιτυγχάνειν. Ζητήσεις δὲ εί, ὥσπερ ὲν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οὕτω καί ὲν τοῖς πνεύμασι τοιαῦτα συμπτώματα, ὼς τινὰ μὲν αὐτῶν λαλεῖν, τινά δὲ ἄλαλα εἶναιʼ καὶ τινὰ μὲν ἀκούειν, ἕτερα δὲ κεκωιρῶσθαι ο εὑρεθήσεται γάρ ὥσπερ ὲν αὐτοῖς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ εἶναι ἀκάθαρτα, οὕτως καὶ διὰ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον αὐτῶν καταδεδικάσθαι αὐτὰ τὸ εἶναι ἄλαλα καὶ κωφά ’ καὶ γὰρ ἀνθρώπων τινὲς τὴν τοιαύτην καταδίκην πείσονται, εἴγε ἡ τοῦ προφήτου εὐχὴ ὡς Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ εἰρημένη ὲπακουσθήσεται, ὲν ᾖλέλεκται ὲπί τινων ἁμαρτωλῶν· ι Ἀλαλα γενηθήτω τά χείλη τὰ δόλια. ι Οὖτω δὲ τάχα καὶ οἱ κακῶς χρησάμενοι ταῖς ἀκοαῖς καὶ παραδεξάμενοι ἀκοὴν ματαίαν, κωφωθήσονται ὑπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος· ι Τίς ἐποίησε δύσκωφον καὶ κωφόνς ι ’Ίνα μὴ πλεῖον παραδέχωνται ἀκοὴν ματαίαν. ### English translation (Claude) Let us now attend also to the wording itself, and first inquire how one who is darkened and thrown down by an unclean, deaf, and dumb spirit is said to be moonstruck, and why “being moonstruck” takes its name from the great light in heaven, second after the sun, which God appointed “to rule the night.” Let physicians, then, give their natural explanations, since they do not think there is an unclean spirit in the case at all, but a bodily affliction; and, explaining it by nature, let them say that the moist parts in the head are moved by a certain sympathy with the light of the moon, which has a moist nature. But we, who also believe the Gospel that this disease is seen to be worked in those who suffer from it by an unclean, dumb, and deaf spirit, and who see that those who, like the enchanters of the Egyptians, are accustomed to promise the healing of such people sometimes seem to succeed with them, shall say this: perhaps, in order to slander the creatures of God, so that “unrighteousness may be spoken on high, and they may set their mouth against heaven,” this unclean spirit watches for certain phases of the moon and acts accordingly, so that, from observing that people suffer at such and such a phase of the moon, the cause of so great an evil may be thought to be not the dumb and deaf demon but the great light in heaven, appointed to rule the night, which has no part in causing such a disease among people. And all who say that the cause of everything on earth, whether general events or individual ones, lies in the positions of the stars “speak unrighteousness on high”; such people truly “have set their mouth against heaven,” saying that some of the stars work evil and others work good, though no star was made by the God of the universe to work evil, according to Jeremiah, as it is written in Lamentations: “Out of the mouth of the Lord will come good things and what is good.” It is likely that, just as this unclean spirit which produces what is called moonstruckness watches the phases of the moon, so as to act on one who for certain reasons has been handed over to it and has not made himself worthy of an angel's guard, so also other spirits and demons watch certain positions of the other stars, so that not only the moon but the other stars as well may be reviled by “those who speak unrighteousness on high.” One can, at any rate, hear the casters of nativities referring the cause of all madness and all demon-possession to the phases of the moon. That those who suffer from what is called moonstruckness sometimes fall into water is clear; that they also fall into fire is rarer, but this too happens. It is also clear that this disease is hard to heal, so that even those who have the gift of healing the demon-possessed sometimes give up in the face of it, and sometimes succeed only with fastings and prayers and greater labours. You will inquire whether, as among human beings, so also among spirits there are such afflictions, so that some of them speak and others are dumb, and some hear and others are deaf. For it will be found that, just as the cause of their being unclean lies in themselves, so also, because of their free will, they have been condemned to be dumb and deaf. For some human beings too will suffer such a condemnation, if the prophet's prayer, spoken as by the Holy Spirit, is heard, in which it is said of certain sinners, “Let the deceitful lips be made dumb.” So too, perhaps, those who have misused their hearing and received an empty report will be made deaf by him who said, “Who made the hard of hearing and the deaf?”, so that they may no longer receive an empty report. ### Scripture references - Gen 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 73:8 (72:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 73:9 (72:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 7:11: allusion, medium confidence - Lam 3:38: quotation, high confidence - Ps 31:18 (30:19 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 4:11: quotation, high confidence - Exod 23:1: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 17:15: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Gen 1:16; Ps 73:8–9 (72:8–9 LXX); Exod 7:11; Lam 3:38 (Origen reads it as a statement: in the Hebrew and most Greek it is a question); Ps 31:18 (30:19 LXX); Exod 4:11; Exod 23:1 (“an empty report”); Matt 17:21. Origen's polemic against astrology (“casters of nativities”) is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.6 (PG 13:1105b–1109c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-7 - Source: PG 13:1109c–1112b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains “faithless and perverse generation,” takes the mountains moved by faith as hostile powers lodged in souls, and advises prayer and fasting rather than addressing the spirit. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἶπεν 6 Σωτήρο ι Ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστε καὶ διεστραμμένη,ι ἐμφαίνει, ὅτι ὲκ διαστροφῆς ἡ κακία παρεισελήλυθε, παρὰ φύσιν γενομένη καὶ διαστρόφους ἡμᾶς πεποιηκυῖα. ’Ὀλον δὲ, οἶμαι, τὸ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων γένος διὰ τὴν κακίαν βαρούμενος, καὶ τὴν μετʼ αὐτῶν διατριβὴν 6 Σωτὴρ, εἷπε τό ι Ἕως πότε μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἔσομαις ι Προείπομεν οὖν ἀπὸ μέρους είς τό· ι Ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ,ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· οὐδὲν δʼ ἦττον κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον ἡμῖν τρανότερον καὶ ταῦτα εἰς τὸν τόπον λελέξεται. Ὄρη ὲν τούτοις οἶμαι λέγεσθαι τάς ὲν κακίᾳ κεχυμένη καὶ μεγάλῃ γεγενημένας ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις, αἵτινες ὡσπερεὶ ἐρηρεισμέναι εἰσιν ἔν τισιν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς. Ἑπὰν οὖν ἔχῃ τις τὴν πᾶσαν πίστιν, ὥστε μηκέτι περί τινων ὲν τοῖς ἱεροῖς γράμμασι κειμένων ἀπιστεῖν, καὶ τοι· αύτην αὐτὴν ἔχῃ, ὁποία ἦν ἡ πίστις τοῦ Ἀβραάμ πιστεύοντος τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς λογισθῆναι τὴν πίστιν αὑτοῦ είς δικαιοσύνην, ἔχει τὴν πᾶσαν ’πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεωςο εἶθʼ 6 τοιοῦτος ἐρεῖ τῴ δρει τούτῳο (δείκνυμι δὲ τὺ ἄλαλον καὶ κωφὸν ἐν τῷ λεγομένῳ σεληνιάζεσθαι)· ι Μετάβα ἕνθεν,› δηλονότι ἀπὸ τοῦ πάσχοντος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τάχα τὴν ἄβυσσον, ι καὶ μεταβήσεται.» '0 δὲ ’Δεόστολος ὲντεῦθεν, οἶμαι, τὴν ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν, μετά ἁποστολικῆς εἶπεν ἐξουσίας τό· ι Καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν, ὥστε ὅρη μεθιστάνειν» οὑ γὰρ ’ἐν μόνον ὅρος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀνάλογον αὐτῷ πλείονα μεθίστησιν ὁ ἔχων πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν, ἤτις ἐστὶν ὼς κόκκος σινάπεως* καὶ οὐδέν γε τούτῳ τῷ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πιστεύοντι ἔσται ἀδύνατον. Πρόσχωμεν δὲ καὶ τῷο ι Τοῦτο τὺ γένος οὐκ ἐκπορεύεται εί μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ,› ἵνʼ, ετ ποτε δέοι περὶ θεραπείαν ἀσχολεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς τοιοῦτόν τι πεπονθότος τινὸς, μὴ ὀρκίζωμεν, μηδὲ ὲπερωτῶμεν, μηδὲ λαλῶμεν ὼς ἀκούοντι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ πνεύματι, ἀλλὰ σχολάζοντες προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ ὲπιτύχωμεν προσευχόμενοι περὶ τοῦ πεπονθότος, καὶ τῇ ἑαυτῶν νηστείᾳ ἀπώσωμεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πνεῦμα. ### English translation (Claude) Since the Saviour said, “O faithless and perverse generation,” he shows that wickedness has come in through perversion, having arisen contrary to nature and having made us perverse. And I think it was because the Saviour was weighed down by the whole race of people on earth on account of its wickedness, and by his stay among them, that he said, “How long shall I be with you?” We have already spoken in part on “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,” and what follows; nonetheless these things too will be said on the passage more clearly, as it appears to us. By mountains here I think are meant the opposing powers that have been poured out in wickedness and have become great, which are, as it were, firmly lodged in certain human souls. Whenever, then, someone has all faith, so as no longer to disbelieve anything that lies in the sacred writings, and has such faith as was the faith of Abraham, who believed God to such a degree that his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness, he has all faith, as a grain of mustard seed. Then such a person will say to this mountain (I mean the dumb and deaf spirit in the one said to be moonstruck), “Move from here,” clearly from the suffering man, perhaps into the abyss, “and it will move.” And the Apostle, I think, taking his starting point from here, said with apostolic authority, “And if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains”; for the one who has all faith, which is as a grain of mustard seed, removes not one mountain only but many like it; and nothing will be impossible to one who believes to such a degree. Let us also attend to “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting,” so that, if ever we must busy ourselves with the healing of someone who suffers in this way, we may not adjure it, nor question it, nor speak as though the unclean spirit could hear, but, giving ourselves to prayer and fasting, may succeed as we pray for the sufferer, and by our own fasting may drive the unclean spirit away from him. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:21: quotation, high confidence - Gen 15:6: allusion, high confidence - Rom 4:3: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 8:31: allusion, low confidence - 1 Cor 13:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:17, 20–21; Gen 15:6 (Rom 4:3); Luke 8:31 (the abyss); 1 Cor 13:2. A Latin word from Migne's facing column after “moonstruck” is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.7 (PG 13:1109c–1112b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-1/#p-13-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-8 - Source: PG 13:1112c–1116d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen distinguishes this prediction from the earlier one and argues, by the example of Job, that the Father delivered the Son to hostile powers out of love, while they delivered him to men to bring him under death. ### Greek text ι Στρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν εἱς Γαλιλαίαν, εἶπεν αὑτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Μέλλει ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων.» Καὶ δόξει γε ἐκείνοις ταῦτα ἰσοδυναμεῖν ς ὅτι ἤρξατο δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ὂτι δεῖ αὑτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ πολλά παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων». τὸ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, οὐ γὰρ ταύτόν ἐστι τὸ ι ὑποδείκνυσθαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ πολλά παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων, καὶ γραμματέων,› καὶ μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν ἀποκτανθῆναι, καὶ μετά τὸ ἀποκτανθῆναι, τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθῆναι, τῷ λελέχθαι αὐτοῖς οὖσιν ὲν τῇ Γαλιλαία (ὅπερ ἀνωτέρω οὑ μεμαθήκαμεν), ὡς ἄρα μέλλοι ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι· τὸ γὰρ παραδίδοσθαι ἀνωτέρω μὲν οὐκ εἴρηται, νῦν δὲ καὶ ὅτι ι είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων» ἐφʼ δι ζητήσωμεν ὑπὸ τινος μέλλει παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, ἢ τίνων· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὑφʼ ὧν πείσεται διδασκόμεθα, καὶ ὲν ᾧ τόπῳ πείσεται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπʼ ἐκείνοις μανθάνομεν, ὅτι τὸ πολλὰ παθεῖν αὑτὸν,ὑπὸ τῶν προειρημένων συμβαίνει, οὐκ ἐκείνων πρώτων αἰτίων γινομένων τοῦ πολλὰ αὐτὸν παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ παραδιδόντος ἢτῶν παραδιδόντων αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας ἁνθρὼπων. Ὀ μὲν οὖν φήσει, ὅτι τοῦτο διηγούμενος ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι ’ος γε τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόνʼ» ἔδωκε δὲ καὶ ό Ἰ ἰὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐαυτὺν εις θάνατον, ὥστε οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑφʼ ἑαυτοῦ παρεδόθηο ἕτερος δὲ οὐ μόνον ἐκεῖνο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκκείμενα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναγαγὼν, φήσει παραδεδόσθαι πρῶτον ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν, εἷτα πειραθησόμενον, εἶτα ἀγωνιούμενον, εἶτα ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων πεισόμενον, ἢ καὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα αὐτοῦ ἄρῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, τῷ ἄρχοντι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄρχουσιν αὑτοῦ· εἶτα ὑπὸ τούτων εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων τῶν παραδίδοσθαι τῶν ἁποκτενούντων αὐτόν. Παράδειγμα δὲ παραληφθήσεται τὰ τοῦ ’1ώβʼ ι Ἰδοὺ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν αὑτῷ δίδωμι ἐν τῇ χειρί σου· ἀλλὰ αὑτοῦ μὴ ἅψῃ· εἶτα ὡσπερεὶ παραδοθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου τοῖς ἄρχουσιν αὐτοῦ, τοῖς αἰχμαλωτεύουσι, τοῖς ἱππεῦσι, τῷ καταβαίνοντι ὡς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πυρὶ, τῷ ἐκ τῆς ἐρημίας ἐλθόντι μεγάλῳ πνεύματι, καὶ τὴν οὶ·κίαν χαλάσαντι. Ἐπιστήσεις δὲ εἰ, ὥσπερ (τοῖς αῖχμαλωτεύουσι, παραδέδωκε τὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν, οὕτως καί τινι ἐνεργείᾳ ὑπὸ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ,ἐνεργοῦντος νῦν ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας, ἴνα τὸ ἐκεῖθεν καταβαῖνον πῦρ ἐπὶ τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὀφθῇ καταβαῖνον τῷ ἀπαγγέλλοντι τῷ Ἰὼβ, «ὅτι πῦρ ἔπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ κατέκαυσε τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ, καὶτοὺς ποιμένας κατέφαγεν ὁμοίως. ι Παραπλησιως δὲ τούτοις ζητήσεις εἰ καὶτὸ ἐξαίφνης μέγα πνεῦμᾳ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρήμου ἐλθὸν, καὶ ἁψάμενον ι τῶν τεσσάρων γωνιῶν τῆς οίκίας,ι έν τι τῶν dab τῶν διαβόλων ἦν, παρέδωκεν ό διάβολος ea τῶν υἱῶν καὶτῶν θυγατέρων τοῦ Ἰὼβ συμπόσιον, ἵνα συμπέσῃ ἡ οἰκία ἐπὶ τὰ παιδία τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ τε· λευτήσωσιν. Ἔστω οὖν, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, πρῶτον παραδιδοὺς ὁ Πατὴρ τὸν Υίδν ταῖς ἀντικειμέναις ἐνεργείαις, εἶτʼ αὑταὶ παραδιδότωσαν αὐτὸν είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, ὲν οἷς ἀνθρώποις καὶ Ἰούδας ἦν, ι εἰς ὃν μετά τδ ψωμίον εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Σατανᾶς,» ἁρχικώτερον τοῦ Ἰούδα παραδιδοὺς αὐτόν. ’Δλλʼδρα μήποτε τὸ παραδίδοσθαι ταῖς ἀντικειμέναις ἐνεργείαις ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υίὺν συνεξετάζων τῷ παραδίδοσθαι ὑπʼ ἐκείνων είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων τὸν Σωτῆρα, νομίσῃς ῐσον εἶναιτὸ ἐπʼ ἀμφοτέρωνλιτόιενον παραδίδοσθαι. Κατανόει γάρ, δτιὸ μὲν Πατὴρ δπὲρ ἡμων πάντων παρέδωκεν αὑτδν ἀπὸ-φιλανθρωπίας· αἱ δὲ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις, παραδοῦσαι τὸν Σωτῆρα είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, οὒκ ἐσκόπουν τὸ ὑπέρ τινων σωτηρίας παραδιδόναι αὐτὸν, ἀλλά τὸ ὅσον ἐπʼ αὑταῖς, ἐπεὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν ἐγίνωσκε τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν τὴν ὲν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένην (Ι), παρείδουν αὑτὸν ἀποθανούμενον, ἴνα ό ἐχθρὸς αὑτοῦ θάνατος ὑποχείριον αὐτὸν λάβῃ, ὁμοίως τοῖς ὲν τῷ Ἀδὰμ ἀποθνήσκουσι· καὶ ἀποκτείναντες δὲ αὐτόν ἄνθρωποι θελήματι τυπούμενοι τῶν ίβουλομένων τδν Ἰησοῦν ὑποχείριον γενέσθαι θανάτῳ τοῦτο ἐποίουν. Οἶμαι δὲ ἀναγκαίως ὲξητάσθαι καὶ ταῦτα, διὰ τὸ τίν παραδιδόμενον είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων Ἰησοῦν μὴ ἀνθρώπων είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων παραδίδοσθαι, ὑπὸ δυνάμεων αἷς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων «cpida»va Ιό Πατὴρ τδν Υίὸν, ὲν αὐτῷ τῷ παραδεδόσθαι, καὶ 7‘.- ;σθαι ὑπὸ τοὺς οἷς παρεδόθη, καταλύοντα om κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτουʼ ι Διὰ γὰρ τοῦ θανάτων ### English translation (Claude) “And as they were going about in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” This will seem to some to be equivalent to “He began to show his disciples that he must go away to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests.” But that is not so. For it is not the same thing to show the disciples “that he must go away to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes,” and after suffering be killed, and after being killed be raised on the third day, as to say to them while they were in Galilee (which we did not learn above) that the Son of Man was about to be delivered. For “being delivered” was not said above; but now it is said, and also “into the hands of men.” On this let us inquire by whom he is about to be delivered into the hands of men, or by which ones. There we are taught by whom he will suffer and in what place he will suffer; here we learn in addition that his suffering many things happens at the hands of those already mentioned, but that they are not the first causes of his suffering many things; rather, the one who delivers him, or those who deliver him, into the hands of men. One person will say that the Apostle, explaining this, says of God, “He who did not spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all”; and the Son also gave himself up to death for us, so that he was delivered not only by the Father but also by himself. Another, gathering together not only that passage but also the ones set out here, will say that the Son was first delivered by God, to be tempted, then to contend, then to suffer for human beings, or rather for the whole world, so as to take away its sin, to the ruler of this age and to his other rulers; and then by these delivered into the hands of men, those who would kill him. An example will be taken from the story of Job: “Behold, all that he has I give into your hand; but do not touch him himself”; then, as it were, Job was delivered by the devil to his rulers: to the raiders, to the horsemen, to the fire coming down as from heaven, to the great wind that came from the desert and threw down the house. You will consider whether, just as he delivered Job's possessions to the raiders and to the horsemen, so he delivered them also to some power under “the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience,” so that the fire coming down from there on Job's sheep might be seen as coming down from heaven by the one who reported to Job that “fire fell from heaven and burned up his sheep, and devoured the shepherds likewise.” In the same way you will inquire whether the great wind that suddenly came from the desert and struck “the four corners of the house” was one of the powers under the devil, to whom the devil delivered the banquet of Job's sons and daughters, so that the house might fall on the righteous man's children and they might die. Let it be, then, as with Job: the Father first delivers the Son to the opposing powers, and then they deliver him into the hands of men, among whom was Judas, “into whom after the morsel Satan entered,” who delivered him in a more primary way than Judas did. But perhaps, examining the Son's being delivered by the Father to the opposing powers together with the Saviour's being delivered by them into the hands of men, you may think that the “delivering” spoken of in both cases is the same. But consider that the Father delivered him up for us all out of love for humankind; whereas the opposing powers, when they delivered the Saviour into the hands of men, did not aim at delivering him for anyone's salvation. Rather, as far as lay with them, since none of them knew the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, they delivered him over to die, so that his enemy death might get him under its hand, like those who die in Adam; and the men who killed him did this, shaped by the will of those who wanted Jesus to become subject to death. I think it was necessary to examine these things also, because Jesus, who is delivered into the hands of men, is delivered into the hands of men not by men but by powers to whom the Father delivered the Son for us all; and in his very being delivered, and coming under those to whom he was delivered, he destroys the one who has the power of death. “For through death …” ### Scripture references - Matt 17:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:32: quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:20: allusion, medium confidence - John 1:29: allusion, medium confidence - Job 1:12: quotation, high confidence - Job 1:15: allusion, high confidence - Job 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Job 1:17: allusion, high confidence - Job 1:19: quotation, high confidence - Eph 2:2: quotation, high confidence - John 13:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:22: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 2:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:22; Matt 16:21; Rom 8:32; Gal 2:20; Eph 5:2; John 1:29; Job 1:12, 15–19 (LXX “horsemen” in 1:17); Eph 2:2; John 13:27; 1 Cor 2:7–8; 1 Cor 15:22; Heb 2:14. The section ends at the start of a quotation of Heb 2:14, which is continued in the next section. Several words near the end are garbled in the scan and are translated by sense: “powers to whom the Father delivered the Son” and “coming under those to whom he was delivered.” The phrase rendered “one of the powers under the devil” is garbled in the scan (literally “one of the … of the devils”) and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.8 (PG 13:1112c–1116d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-9 - Source: PG 13:1116d–1120b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains the devil's power of death as spiritual death, holds that the powers of this age delivered Jesus to men, and notes that the disciples grieved at the death but overlooked the resurrection. ### Greek text Κράτος δὲ θανάτου νομιστέον ἔχειν τὸν διάβολον, οὗ τοῦ μέσου καὶ διαφόρου, καθʼ δν ἀποθνήσκουσιν οί σύνθετοι ὲκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος, χωριζομένης αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου καὶ ἐχθροῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος· ι Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή, ι καθʼ όν ι ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα, αῦτη ἀποθανεῖται. ι Ἐμφαίνει δὲ, ὅτι οὐχ ὀ Θεός είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν, ό Σωτὴρ λέγων· ι Ei ἦν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ή βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται ἂν οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις.ι Παραδιδόμενος γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις, εις χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων παρεδόθη, οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶν ίδίων ὑπηρετῶν, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αίῶνος τούτου, εἰπόντος περὶ τῶν ὲν ,ἀοράτοις δυνάμεων, κατὰ ἀνθρώπων ἱσταμένων βασιλειιῖινο ι Ταῦτά σοι πάντα δώσω, ἐὰν πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃς μοιʼ» διὸκαὶ περὶ ἐκείνων λελέχθαι νομιστέον τόο γι Παρὲστησαν oi βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.) Κὰκεῑνοι μὲν oi βασιλεῖς καὶ οί ἄρχοντες παρέστησαν καὶ συνήχθησαν κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὑτοῦ· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἐκ τοῦ παραδεδόσθαι αὐτὸν ὑπʼ ἐκείνων είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀπεκτάνθαι ὠφεληθέντες, φαμὲν τό· ι Διαῤῥήξωμεν τοὺς δεσμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀπορρίψωμιν ἀφʼ ἡμῶν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτῶν.» Ὅτε γὰρ σύμμορφοι γινόμεθα τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐκέτι ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ τοὺς δεσμοὺς τῶν, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, βασιλόων τῆς γῆς, οὐδʼ ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν τῶν κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου συναχθέντων ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ι ό Πατὴρ τοῦ ίδίου Υίοῦ οὐκ ὲφείσατο, ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν· ἶνʼ oi παραλαβόντες αὐτὸν, καὶ παραδόντες αὐτὸν είς c χεῖρας ἀνθ ρώπων, ὑπὸ τοῦ κατοικήσαντος ἂν τοῖς οὑρανοίς ὲγγιλασθῶσι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ἑκμυκτηριο σθῶσιν, είς κατάλυσιν τῆς ἰδίας βασιλείας καὶ ἀρχῆς παρὰ προσδοκίαν παραλαβόντες ἀπὺ τοῦ Πατρός τὸν Υἱὸν, ὅστις τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἠγέρθης τῷ τὸν ἐχθρὸν αὐτοῦ θάνατον κατηργηκέναι. καὶ ἡμᾶς πεποιηκέναι συμμόρφους οὐ μόνον τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως διʼ δν ι ὲν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατοῦμεν,› οὐκέτι καθεζόμενοι ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, διὰ τὸ ἀνατεῖλαν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς φῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰπόντος δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τόʼ ι Μέλλει δ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι είς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν ὶύτὺν, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα ἀναστήσεται,» σφόδρα ἐλυπήθησαν, τῷ μὲν παραδίδοσθαι μὲλλειν αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τῷ ἀποκτίννυσθαι αὑτὸν, ὡς σκυθρωποῖς καὶ ἀξίοις λύπης ἑπιστήσαντεςσ μὴ προσχόντες δὲ τῷ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεσθαι αὐτὸν, δεηθέντα οὐδὲ. χρόνου πλείονος, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου. ### English translation (Claude) We must hold that the devil has the power of death: not of the intermediate and indifferent death by which beings composed of soul and body die when the soul is separated from the body, but of the death that is opposed and hostile to him who said, “I am the life,” the death according to which “the soul that sins, it shall die.” The Saviour shows that it was not God who delivered him into the hands of men when he says, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight, that I might not be delivered to the Jews.” For in being delivered to the Jews he was delivered into the hands of men, not by his own servants, but by the ruler of this age, who said, concerning the powers in the invisible realm, the kingdoms set up against human beings, “All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.” Therefore we must hold that this too was said concerning them: “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.” Those kings and rulers stood up and were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ; but we, having been helped by his being delivered by them into the hands of men and killed, say, “Let us burst their bonds and cast their yoke from us.” For when we are conformed to the death of Christ, we are no longer under the bonds of the kings of the earth, as we have explained them, nor under the yoke of the rulers of this age who were gathered together against the Lord. And for this reason “the Father did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,” so that those who received him and delivered him into the hands of men might be laughed at by “him who dwells in the heavens” and be mocked by the Lord, having received the Son from the Father, contrary to their expectation, for the destruction of their own kingdom and rule; the Son who was raised on the third day by having abolished his enemy death, and who has made us conformed not only to his death but also to his resurrection, through which “we walk in newness of life,” no longer sitting in the region and shadow of death, because the light of God has risen upon us. When the Saviour said, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise,” “they were greatly grieved.” They fixed their attention on his being about to be delivered into the hands of men and on his being killed, as things gloomy and worthy of grief, but they did not attend to his rising on the third day; he needed not even a longer time, in order through death to destroy the one who has the power of death. ### Scripture references - Heb 2:14: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, medium confidence - John 11:25: allusion, medium confidence - Ezek 18:4: quotation, high confidence - John 18:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:9: quotation, high confidence - Ps 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Ps 2:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 2:4: allusion, high confidence - Phil 3:10: allusion, high confidence - Rom 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 6:5: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:32: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:26: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 4:16: allusion, high confidence - Isa 9:2: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 17:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Heb 2:14; John 11:25; John 14:6; Ezek 18:4; John 18:36; Matt 4:9; Ps 2:2–4; Rom 6:4–5; Phil 3:10; Rom 8:32; 1 Cor 15:26; Matt 4:16 (Isa 9:2); Matt 17:22–23. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.9 (PG 13:1116d–1120b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-10 - Source: PG 13:1120b–1121b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen interprets the temple-tax coin: Jesus, who bore no image of Caesar, took the coin from the fish's mouth to pay for himself and Peter without making Caesar's image his own. ### Greek text ι Ἐλθόντων δὲ είς Καπερναοῦμ, προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ.» Είσί τινες βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ τούτων υἰοί, μὴ διδόντες τέλη ἢ κήνσους, καὶ ἕτεροι παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἀλλότριοι τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς, ἀφʼ ὧν λαμβάνουσιν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς τέλη ἢ κῆνσον. Καὶ εἰσὶν οι μὲν υίοὶ αὐτῶν ἐλεύθεροι παρά τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τῆς γῆς ὠς παρά πατράσιν· οἱ δὲ ἀλλότριοι αὐτῶν ὡς μὲν πρὸς τὰ ἔξω γῆς ἐλεύθεροι, ὼς δὲ κατά τοὺς δυναστεύοντας αὐτῶν, καὶ καταδουλουμένους, ὡς κατε δυνάστευον οί Αἰγύπτιοι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ, «καὶ κατωδύνων αὐτῶν τὴν ζωὴν, ι καὶ κατεδουλοῦντο αὐτοὺς μετά βίας, δοῦλοι· διʼ οὓς δουλεύοντας ἀνάλοο γον τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν Ἐβραίων μόνον μορφὴν τοῦ δούλου ἀνείληφεν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐδὲν ἔργον ποιῶν πήλινον, καὶ δοῦλον. Ὠς οὖν ἔχων τὴν τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου μορφὴν, τέλος καὶ κῆνσον δίδωσιν, οὐχʼἕτερον παρά τὸν διδόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ μαθητοῦ αὐτοῦ· ὸ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἤρκει στατὴρ, καὶ τὺ ἓν νόμισμα διδόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῦ μαθητοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτοδὲ τὸ νόμισμα ἐν μὲν τῇ οἰκίᾳ Ἰησοῦ οὐκ ἦν, ὲν δὲ τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἐτύγχανε, καὶ ἦν ὲν τῷ στόματι τοῦ θαλασσίου ἰχθύος, δν καὶ αὐτὸν οἶμαι εὐεργετούμενον (ι) ἀναβεβηκέναι ὲν τῷ Πέτρου ἀγκίστρῳ συνειλημμένον, γενομένου ἁλιέως ἁνθρώπων, ἐν ᾧ ἦν ὁ τροπικῶς λεγόμενος ἰχθὺς, ἵνα καὶ ἀπαρθῇ ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ ἔχον τὴν εἰκόνα Καίσαρος νόμισμα, καὶ γένηται ἐν οἷς οἰ ἁλιευόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν μεμαθηκότων ἀνθρὼπους ἁλιεύειν. ’0 μὲν οῦν ἔχων τὰ Καίσαρος ἀποδιδότω αὐτά τῷ Καίσαρι, ἴνα μετά τοῦτο ἀποδιδόναι δυνηθῇ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐπεί δὲ Ἰησοῦς, εἰκὼν ὢν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, οὐκ εἶχε τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ Καίσαρος, ὁ γάρ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲν εἶχεν ὲν,αὐτῷ, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπὸ οἰκείου τόπου τῆς θαλάσσης τὴν εἰκόνα Καίσαρος λαμβάνει, ἵνα δῷ τοῖς τῆς γῆς βασιλεῦσιν ἀντί αὑτοῦ καὶ τοῦ μαθητοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μηδὲ ὑπολαμβάνωσιν οἰ τά δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες ὀφειλέτην αὐτῶν εἶναι, καὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς τὸν Ἰησοῦνο ἀπέδωκε γὰρ τὴν ὀφειλὴν, οὐκ ἀναλαβὼν αὐτὴν, οὐδὲ κεκτημένος, οὐδὲ πορίσας, οὐδὲ ἴδιόν ποτε ποιήσας αὐτὴν κτῆμα, ἵνα μηδέποτεή Καίσαρος εἰκῶν παρά τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. ### English translation (Claude) “And when they came to Capernaum, those who collected the double drachma came to Peter.” There are certain kings of the earth, and their sons, who do not pay tolls or tribute; and others besides their sons, strangers to the kings of the earth, from whom the kings of the earth take tolls or tribute. Their sons are free in the presence of the kings of the earth, as with their fathers; but the strangers, though free with respect to things outside the earth, are slaves with respect to those who lord it over them and enslave them, as the Egyptians lorded it over the sons of Israel, “and made their life bitter,” and enslaved them by force. For the sake of those who are in slavery, in a manner corresponding to the slavery of the Hebrews, the Son of God took only the form of a slave, doing no work of clay or of a slave. As one, then, who has the form of that slave, he pays toll and tribute, no other than that paid by his disciple; for the same stater was enough, the one coin given for Jesus and for his disciple. This coin was not in the house of Jesus; it happened to be in the sea, in the mouth of the sea fish. I think that the fish too was benefited when it came up caught on the hook of Peter, who had become a fisher of men, in whom was the fish figuratively spoken of, so that the coin bearing the image of Caesar might be taken from it, and it might come to be among those caught by people who have learned to fish for men. So let the one who has the things of Caesar render them to Caesar, so that after this he may be able to render the things of God to God. But since Jesus, being the image of the invisible God, did not have the image of Caesar (for the ruler of this age had nothing in him), for this reason he takes the image of Caesar from the sea, the place proper to it, to give it to the kings of the earth for himself and his disciple, so that those who collected the double drachma might not suppose that Jesus was their debtor or the debtor of the kings of the earth. For he paid the debt without having taken it up or possessed it or acquired it, or ever having made it his own possession, so that the image of Caesar might never be beside the image of the invisible God. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:24: quotation, high confidence - Exod 1:13: allusion, high confidence - Exod 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 4:19: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:21: allusion, high confidence - Col 1:15: allusion, high confidence - John 14:30: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:24–27; Exod 1:13–14; Phil 2:7; Matt 4:19; Matt 22:21; Col 1:15; John 14:30. Migne's chapter heading (“On those who demanded the double drachma”) at the start of the section is removed. Origen's wording on the “work of clay” (Exod 1:14) is compressed; it is translated as printed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.10 (PG 13:1120b–1121b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-11 - Source: PG 13:1121c–1124d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains “the sons are free” of those who are sons of God rather than of earthly kings, and says Jesus paid the tax so as not to offend even those of whom nothing good was expected. ### Greek text Καὶ κατʼ ἄλλον δὲ τρόπον λεχθείη ’ Εἰσί τινες τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς υἱοὶ, καὶ οὐχ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν, πλὴν υἱοὶ, καὶ ἀπολελυμένους υἰοί ’ ἕτεροι δὲ, διά τὸ εἷναι ἀλλότριοι τῶν υἰῶν τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς, οὐδενὸς μὲν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς υἰοὶ, αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο υἱοὶ, ἦτοι δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ τοῦ Υἰοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἦ τινος τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐἀν οὖν ὁ Σωτὴρ πυνθάνηται τοῦ Πέτρου λέγωνʼ ι Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσι τέλη ἢ κῆνσον; ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων υἱῶν, ἦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων αὑτῶν; ι εἰπόντος δὲ τοῦ Πέτρου, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων υἱῶν, ἀλλʼ ι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ι αὐτῶν, φησίνό Ἰησοῦς περὶ τούτων οἵτινες ἀλλότριοί εισι τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς, καὶ διὰ τὸ εῖναι ἐλεύθεροι, υίοὶ τυγχάνουσι, τό· ι Ἀρα γε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἰ υἱοὶ, ι οὐκ ἐλεύθεροι γὰρ οἰ υἰοὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς· ι ἐπεὶ πᾶς ό ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλος τῆς ἀμαρτίας ἐστίν· ι ἐλεύθεροι δὲ οί μείναντες τῇ ἀληθεία τοῦ λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γνόντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἶνα καὶ ἐλευθερωθῶσιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς. Εἴ τις οὖν ἐστιν ὀ υἱὸς ἁπλῶς, καὶ μὴ τοῦτο ὅλον, υἱὸς τῶν βασι. λέων τῆς γῆς, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ἐλεύθερος · καὶ ὅμως, ὢν l ἐλεύθερος, πεφρόντικε τοῦ μὴ σκανδαλίζειν καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνονταςο διό φησιʼ «Μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ πορευθεὶς βάλε τὸ ἄγκιστρον, καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον, ι καὶτὰ ἑξῆς. Πυθοίμην δʼ ἂν τῶν χαιρόντων τῇ πε pl φύσεων μυθοποιίᾳ ποίας φύσεως ἦσαν εἴτε οἱ τῆς γῆς βασιλεῖς, εἴτε ol υἱοὶ αὐτῶν, εἴτε οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες, οὓς μὴ μέλεται σκανδαλίζειν ὁ Σωτήρ φαίνεται δὴ, ὡς κατὰ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ὲπαινετῆς εἰσι φύσεως, καὶ ὅμως πεφρόντικε τοῦ μὴ σκανδαλισθῆναι αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὅμως κωλύει σκάνδαλόν τι αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρον άμαρτάνοιεν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ, εἰ βούλονται, σωθῆναι, καὶ ὲκ τοῦ ἀποδέξασθαι τὸν φεισάμενον αὐτῶν ἴνα μὴ σκανδαλισθῶσι. Καὶ ὡς ὲν χωρίῳ γε παρακλήσεως (οὕτω γάρ ἑρμηνεύεται ἡ Καφαρναούμ), παρακαλῶν τὸν μαθητὴν καὶ ἐλεύθερον αὐτὸν εῖναι καὶ υἱὸν, δίδωσιν αὐτῷ δύναμιν τοῦ sua. λ σαι ἰχθὺν πρῶτον, ἵνα ἀναβάντος αὑτοῦ παρακληθῇ ὁ Πέτρος επὶ τῷ ἀναβάντι καὶ ἁλωυθέντι, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος εἰλῆφθαι τὸν στατῆρα ἀποδοθησόμενον τοῖς οἰκείοις τοῦ στατῆρος, καὶ ἀπαιτοῦσιν ὡς [διον ῐ τὸ τοιοῦτον νόμισμα. ### English translation (Claude) It might also be put in another way. Some are sons of the kings of the earth; others are not their sons, but sons nonetheless, sons in the absolute sense. These others, because they are strangers to the sons of the kings of the earth, are sons of no one on earth, but are sons in just this sense: of God, or of his Son, or of someone who belongs to God. If, then, the Saviour asks Peter, “From whom do the kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their own sons, or from strangers?”, and Peter says, not from their own sons but “from strangers,” Jesus says concerning those who are strangers to the kings of the earth and who, because they are free, are sons: “Then the sons are free.” For the sons of the kings of the earth are not free, “since everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin”; but those are free who have remained in the truth of the word of God, and for this reason have known the truth, so that they may also be set free by it. If, then, anyone is simply a son, and not, wholly, a son of the kings of the earth, that one is free; and yet, though free, he has taken care not to cause offence even to the kings of the earth and their sons and those who collect the double drachma. Therefore he says, “But so that we may not offend them, go and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up,” and what follows. I would ask those who delight in myth-making about natures of what nature they were, the kings of the earth, or their sons, or those who collected the double drachma, whom the Saviour takes care not to offend. It appears, on their hypothesis, that they are not of a praiseworthy nature; and yet he took care that they should not be offended, and prevented any stumbling-block from arising for them, so that they might not sin worse, and with a view to their being saved, if they wish, also through accepting the one who spared them so that they would not be offended. And as in a place of consolation (for that is the meaning of Capernaum), consoling his disciple, who was both free and a son, he gives him power to catch the first fish, so that when it came up Peter might be consoled at the fish that came up and was caught, and at the stater taken from its mouth, which was to be paid to those to whom the stater belonged, who demanded such a coin as their own. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:26: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:27: quotation, high confidence - John 8:34: quotation, high confidence - John 8:31: allusion, high confidence - John 8:32: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:25–27; John 8:31–36. “Those who delight in myth-making about natures” are teachers who held that some people are saved or lost by nature (probably Valentinians); the opening words of the sentence are garbled in the scan and are restored by logged corrections. Capernaum is interpreted as “place of consolation” (Hebrew kephar nahum). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.11 (PG 13:1121c–1124d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-12 - Source: PG 13:1124d–1125c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies the fish with the coin in its mouth to a lover of money converted by a teacher, who now has God's oracles in his mouth instead of money. ### Greek text Χαριέντως δʼ ἄν ποτε χρήσαιο τῷ ῥητῷ ἐπὶ φιλαργύρῳ, μηδὲν ἀνὰ στόμα ἔχοντι, ἢ τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἀργυρίου, ἐπὰν ἴδῃς αὑτὸν ὑπό τινος Πέτρον τε· ματος καὶ τῶν λόγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ aut ὅλης διαθέσεως τὴν στατῆρα, σύμβολον ὄντα πάσης αὑτοῦ φιλαργυρίας ἐρεῖς γὰρ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐν θαλάσσῃ μὲν γεγονέναι, καὶ τοῖς ἁλμυροῖς τοῦ βίου πράγμασι, καὶ τοῖς κύμασι τῶν τῆς φιλαργυρίας φροντίδων καὶ μεριμνῶν, ἔχοντα ἐν τῷ στόματι τὸν στατῆρα, ὅτε ἄπιστος ἦν καὶ φιλάργυρος· ἀναβεβηκέναι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς θαλάσσης ὲν τῷ λογικῷ ἀγκίστρῳ συνειλημμένον, καὶ εὐεργετούμενον ὑπό τινος αὑτὸν διδάξαντος Πέτρου τὴν ἀλήθειαν, μηκέτι ἔχειν ἐν τῷ στόματι τὸν στατῆρα, ἀλλὰ ἀντʼ ἐκείνου τὰ ἔχοντα τὴν εἰκόνα τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) You might sometimes apply the passage gracefully to a lover of money, who has nothing in his mouth but talk about money, when you see him healed by some Peter, who takes away the stater, the symbol of all his love of money, not only from his mouth and his words but also from his whole disposition. For you will say that such a person was in the sea, in the salty affairs of life and the waves of the cares and anxieties of avarice, having the stater in his mouth while he was unbelieving and avaricious; but that he came up from the sea caught on the hook of reason, and, benefited by some Peter who taught him the truth, no longer has the stater in his mouth, but instead of it the oracles of God, which bear his image. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:27: allusion, high confidence - Rom 3:2: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Allusions: Matt 17:27; Rom 3:2. The first sentence is garbled in the scan and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.12 (PG 13:1124d–1125c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-13 - Source: PG 13:1125d–1128c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen contrasts the holy double drachma of the Law with the profane tax that Jesus paid by the stater from the fish. ### Greek text Ἔτι εἰς τό · ι Προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ, ι ’παραθήσῂ ἁπδ τῶν Ἀριθμῶν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν ἁγίων (Η) κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον οὐχ ἁπλῶς δίδραχμον δίδοται, ἀλλὰ δίδραχμον ἆγιον· γέγραπται γάρʼ t Καὶ λήψῃ πέντε σίκλους κατὰ κεφαλὴν κατὰ τὺ δίδραχμον τὸ ἅγιον· ι καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ κεφαλὴν δίδοται δίδραχμον ἅγιον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐχ οἷόν τε μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων διδράχμων ἔχειν καὶ δίδραχμα, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, βέβηλα τὸν ἆγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς λαμβάνουσι τὰ οὐχ ἅγια δίδραχμα, καὶ ὲρωτήσασι τὸν Πέτρον, καὶ εἰποῦσιν· ι Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα; ι προστάσσει δοθῆναι στατῆρα, ὲν ᾧ ἦν δίδραχμα, ὁ Σωτὴρ εὑρισκόμενον ὲν τῷ στόματι τοῦ πρώτου ἀναβάντος ἰχθύος, ἵνα δοθῇ ἀντὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου καὶ τοῦ μαθητοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Further, on “Those who collected the double drachma came to Peter,” you will cite from Numbers that for the holy ones, according to the law of God, it is not simply a double drachma that is given but a holy double drachma; for it is written, “And you shall take five shekels a head, according to the holy double drachma”; and for all the sons of Israel a holy double drachma is given per head. Since, then, the holy one of God cannot have, along with the holy double drachmas, double drachmas that are, if I may call them so, profane, for this reason the Saviour orders that a stater, in which were the double drachmas, found in the mouth of the first fish that came up, be given to those who collected the double drachmas that were not holy and who asked Peter, “Does your teacher not pay the double drachma?”, so that it might be given for the teacher and for the disciple. ### Scripture references - Matt 17:24: quotation, high confidence - Num 3:47: quotation, high confidence - Exod 30:13: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 17:27: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 17:24; Num 3:47; Exod 30:13; Matt 17:27. Migne's chapter heading for the next chapter (“On those who said, Who is greatest? and on the child called by Jesus”) at the end of the section is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.13 (PG 13:1125d–1128c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-14 - Source: PG 13:1128c–1132a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains why Matthew dates the question “Who is greatest?” to the day of the stater: the disciples suspected that Jesus had preferred Peter, or wondered which of the three was greatest. ### Greek text ι Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστιν ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ; › Δυνάμενος ὁ Ματθαῖος, ὑπὲρ τοῦ διδαχθῆναι ἡμᾶς τί τε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ ’1ησοῦ ἠξίουν παρʼ αὑτοῦ μαθεῖν, πῶς τε ἀπεκρίνατο πρὸς τὸ πύσμα αὐτῶν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον διηγήσασθαι, ὁ δὲ προσέθηκε κατὰ μέν τινα τῶν ἀντιγράφων· ι Ἐν ἐκείνῃ-τῇ ὥρᾳ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ* ι κατὰ δὲ ἄλλα ο t Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· »καὶ ἀναγκαῖον μὴ ἀνεξέταστον ἐᾶσαι τὸ βούλημα τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῢο διόπερ ἐπιστήσαντες τοῖς πρὸ τοῦο ι Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ,› ἢ «ὥρᾳ» σκοπήσωμεν εί οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἀπʼ ἐκείνων ὁδὸν λαβεῖν πρὸς τὸ θεωρῆσαι ὡς ἀναγκαίαν τὴν, ι ὲν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ,ἦι «ὥρᾳ,› προσθήκην. Ἐληλύθεισαν τοίνυν είς τὴν Καφαρναοὺμ 6 Ἰησοῦς ἅμα τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, ενθα ι οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳ προσῆλθον, ι καὶ ἐρωτῶντες εἶπον τόδ ι 'U διδάσκαλος ι ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα; ι Εἶτα, ἀποκριναμένου πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοῦ Πέτρου, καί είπόντος· r Ναὶ, ι 6 Ἰησοῦς, προσαπολογησόμενος περὶ τῆς δόσεως τῶν διδράχμων, πέμπει τὸν Πέτρον τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ ὰνασπάσοντα ἰχθὺν, οὗ ἐν τῷ στόματι ἔφασκεν εὑρεθήσεσθαι στατῆρα τὸν δοθησόμενον ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ Πέτρου. Δοκεῖ οὖν μοι, ὅτι μεγίστην νομίσαντες ταύτην εἷναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον τιμὴν, κρίναντος αὐτὸν μείζονα τῶν λοιπῶν γνωρίμων, ἐβούλοντο ὅπερ ὑπενόουν ἀκριβῶσαι διὰ τοῦ πυθόμενοι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀκοῦσαι παρʼ αὐτοῦ εί, ὡς ὑπελάμβανον, μείζονα κέκρικε τὸν Πέτρον αὐτῶν · ἅμα δὲ ἡλπιζον καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν εἴσεσθαι τοῦ προκεκρίσθαι τὸν Πέτρον τῶν λοιπῶν μαθητῶν. Ταῦτʼ οὖν, οἶμαι, δηλῶσαι ὁ Ματθαῖος βουλόμενος, ἐπήγαγε τῷ ο ι Ἐκεῖνον λαβὼν, ι δηλονότι τὸν στατῆρα. ί δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ, ι τόʼ t Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον οί μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντεςʼ Τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν; ι τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀμφέβαλον διὰ τὸ τρεῖς προκεκρίσθαι κατὰ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν ° ἀμφέβαλον δὲ περὶ τοῦ τίς τῶν τριῶν μείζων εἶναι κέκριται παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ · 6 μιν γὰρ Ἰωάννης ἀνέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ διʼ ἀγάπην, καὶ ἀκόλουθον πρὸ τοῦ δείπνου τιμῆς ἐξαιρέτου σύμβολα πολλὰ αὐτοὺς ἑωρακέναι πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ο 6 δὲ Πέτρος ὲν τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ ἢκουσε μακάριος διὰ τό- ι Σὺ εἴ 6 Χριστὸς 6 Υίδς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντοςυ ι πάλιν δὲ διὰ τό· ι Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ · σκάνδαλον μου εἷ ι ὅτι οῦ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθ ρώπων, ι περιεσπῶντο μήποτε οὐχ οὗτος εἴη ό μείζων, ἕτερος δὲ τῶν Ζεβεδαίου υἱῶν. Τοσαῦτα μὲν διὰ τό· ι Ἑν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἢ ὥρᾳ,» ἐν ἐγεγόνει τὰ περὶ τὸν στατῆ pa. ### English translation (Claude) “In that day the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” To teach us what the disciples came to Jesus asking to learn from him, and how he answered their question, Matthew could have told only this; but he added, according to some of the copies, “In that hour the disciples came to Jesus,” and according to others, “In that day.” It is necessary not to leave the evangelist's intention unexamined. Therefore, attending to what comes before “In that day” or “hour,” let us consider whether it is possible to find a way from it to see the addition “in that day” or “hour” as necessary. Jesus, then, had come to Capernaum together with his disciples, where “those who collected the double drachma came to Peter” and asked him, “Does your teacher not pay the double drachma?” Then, when Peter had answered them and said, “Yes,” Jesus, to give a further defence concerning the payment of the double drachma, sends Peter to draw up a fish with the hook, in whose mouth, he said, would be found the stater to be given for himself and for Peter. It seems to me, then, that they thought this was the greatest honour from Jesus to Peter, as if he had judged him greater than his other followers, and that they wanted to make sure of what they suspected by asking Jesus and hearing from him whether, as they supposed, he had judged Peter greater than them; and at the same time they hoped also to learn the reason why Peter had been preferred to the other disciples. Wishing, I think, to show this, Matthew added to “Take that” (clearly the stater) “and give it to them for me and for you” the words “In that day the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Perhaps they were also in doubt because three had been preferred at the transfiguration; and they were in doubt which of the three had been judged greatest by the Lord. For John reclined on his breast because of love, and it is likely that before the supper they had seen many tokens of special honour from Jesus toward John; Peter, on the other hand, at his confession, heard himself called blessed because of “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”; but again, because of “Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling-block to me, because you do not think the things of God but the things of men,” they were distracted by the thought that perhaps he was not the greatest, but rather one of the sons of Zebedee. So much on “In that day” or “hour,” the day in which the matter of the stater had happened. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 17:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:1: allusion, high confidence - John 13:23: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:1; Matt 17:24–27; Matt 17:1; John 13:23–25; Matt 16:16–17, 23. Origen reports that some copies of Matthew read “in that hour” and others “in that day” (the usual text has “hour”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.14 (PG 13:1128c–1132a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-15 - Source: PG 13:1132a–1133d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen draws from the disciples' question a model for bringing questions to Jesus and to the church's teachers, and shows from Scripture that there are degrees of greatness. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς δὲ κατανοητέον τόο ι προσῆλθον αὐτῷ oi μαθηταὶ, ι ὡς μαθηταὶ διδασκάλῳ προβλήματα προτείνοντες, καὶ ἐξετάζοντες, τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Καὶ μιμητέον γε ἐν τούτοις τοὺς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθητὰς, εἴ ποτε ζητούμενόν τι ἐν ἡμῖν μὴ εὑρίσκοιτο, μετὰ πάσης ὁμονοίας περὶ τοῦ ζητουμένου προσέλθωμεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ παρόντι ὅπου δύο καὶ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἑτοίμῳ ἐν τῇ κατὰ δύναμιν παρουσίᾳ φωτίζειν τὰς καρδίας τῶν γνησίως αὐτῷ μαθητεύεσθαι θελόντων πρὸς κατάληψιν τῶν ζητουμένων· οὐκ ἄτοπον δὲ καί τινι τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τεταγμένων ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ διδασκάλων προσελθόντας ἡμᾶς προτείνειν ἀνάλογόν τι πρόβλημα τῷ· ι Τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν; ι Τί μὲν οὖν ἤδη ἔγνωστο τοῖς μαθηταῖς τῶν κατὰ τὸ πύσμα τοῦτο ; τί δὲ ἐζητεῖτο; ὃτι μὲν γὰρ οὐκ εστιν ἰσότης τῶν ἀξιουμένων τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, κατειλήφεισαν· καὶ ὃτι, μὴ οῦσης ἰσότητος, ἔστι τις ὁ μείζων, καὶ οὕτω ε καθεξῆς μέχρι τοῦ ἐλαχίστου· ὁποδαπὸς δὲ ὁ μείζων, καὶ ὅπως βιώσας ὁ ἐλάχιστος, καὶ τίνες οἱ μεταξὺ ἔτι ἐζήτουν εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἀκριβέστερόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τίς μὲν ὁ ἐλάχιστος ᾔδεισαν ἐκ τοῦ· ι Ὃς ἐὰν λύσῃ μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων καὶ διδάξῃ οὕτω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλεία τῶν οὑρανῶψ ι τίς δὲ ὁ πάντων μείζων οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον, εί καὶ κατελάμβανον ι ὐς δʼ ἂν ποιήσῃ, καὶ διδάξῃ, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν» μεγάλων γὰρ ὄντων πλειόνων, τίς ὁ τῶν μεγάλων μείζων, ὡς ὲν ἀνθρώποις, οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς σαφές. Καὶ ὅτι μεγάλοι μὲν πλείους, οὐκ ὲπίσης δὲ μεγάλοι οἱ με· γάλοι, δηλώσει τὸ, μέγας. ὄνομα κείμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, ι ὃς προβαίνων μείζων ἐγίνετο σφόδρα, ι εἰρημένον δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωῦσέως,· καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· καὶ πᾶς γε ὁμολογήσει, ὅτι καὶ πάντες οὗτοι μεγάλοι ἦσαν κατὰ τὴν Γ ραφὴν, ἀλλὰ μείζων αὐτῶν ἦν ὀ Σωτήρ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης τοῦ Ἰσαάκ, xa‘t τοῦ Μωῦσέως μείζων ἦν, οὗ μείζων οὐδεὶς ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν ἦν, ἢ οὐ μείζων μὲν, ῐσος δὲ ἀμφοτέροις, ἦ τινι αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον ἀποφήνασθαι. Καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ο Ἰσαὰκ δὲ t προβαίνων μείζων ἐγίνετο, ἕως οὗ μέγας ἐγένετο, ι οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ προσθήκης τῆς, ισφόδρα,t δὶς κατειλεγμένης, ἔστι μαθεῖν, ὅτι διαφορά ἐστι μεγάλων, τινὸς μὲν ὄντος μεγάλου, ἑτέρου δὲ σφόδρα μεγάλου, καὶ ἄλλου σφόδρα σφόδρα μεγάλου. Ἐζήτουν τοίνυν oi μαθηταὶ προσελθόντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ μαθεῖν, τίς ἄρα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν · καὶ τάχα ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐβούλοντο μαθεῖν ἀκούσαντες ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον '0 δεῖνα μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶνο ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ καθολικώτερον ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον, δεικνὺς δποταπδς τῇ ποιότητι μείζων ἐστὶν ’ὲν τῇ βασιέ λείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅντινα κατὰ δύναμιν ὲκ τῶν γεγραμμένων κατανοήσωμεν· « Προσκαλεσάμενος γὰρ ὁ Ἰησοῦς παιδίον, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ### English translation (Claude) Next we must consider “the disciples came to him,” as disciples putting problems to their teacher and inquiring who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In this we must imitate the disciples of Jesus: if ever something we are investigating is not found, let us come in full agreement about the question to Jesus, who is present where two or three are gathered in his name, and who is ready, by his presence in power, to enlighten the hearts of those who genuinely wish to be his disciples, so that they grasp what is sought. And it is not out of place for us also to come to one of the teachers appointed by God in the church and put to him a problem like “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” What, then, of the matters in this question was already known to the disciples, and what was being sought? They had grasped that there is no equality among those deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven; and that, since there is no equality, there is someone greater, and so on in order down to the least. But what sort of person the greater is, and how the least has lived, and who are those in between, they were still seeking. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that they knew who the least was from “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches people so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,” but did not know who was greatest of all, even if they grasped “But whoever does and teaches them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”; for since there are many who are great, who among the great is greater, as among human beings, was not clear to them. That there are many great ones, but that the great are not equally great, will be shown by the word “great” applied to Isaac, “who, advancing, became greater, very [great],” and said also of Moses, of John the Baptist, and of the Saviour. Everyone will agree that all these were great according to Scripture, but that the Saviour was greater than they. But whether John, than whom none among those born of women was greater, was greater than Isaac and Moses, or not greater but equal to both, or to one of them, it is not without danger to declare. And from “Isaac, advancing, became greater, until he became very great,” not simply but with the added word “very,” set down twice, one can learn that there is a difference among the great: one is great, another very great, and another very, very great. The disciples, then, coming to Jesus, sought to learn who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; and perhaps they wished to learn it by hearing from him something like, “So-and-so is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” But he leads the discussion to something more general, showing what sort of person in quality is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; let us understand this, as far as we can, from what is written: “For Jesus, calling a child,” and what follows. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:19: quotation, high confidence - Gen 26:13: quotation, high confidence - Exod 11:3: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 1:15: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 1:32: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 11:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:1–2; Matt 18:20; Matt 5:19; Gen 26:13; Exod 11:3; Luke 1:15; Luke 1:32; Matt 11:11. Origen notes that in Gen 26:13 (LXX) “very” is added to “great”; the doubled “very” he mentions is not in our Greek text of the verse. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.15 (PG 13:1132a–1133d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-16 - Source: PG 13:1133d–1137c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: In the simple sense, Origen explains becoming like children as reaching by reason the freedom from lust, anger, grief, pleasure, fear, grudges, and pride that small children have by age. ### Greek text Ἔστι δὲ πρότερον ἁπλῶς διηγήσασθαι. Εἴποι δʼ ἂν ὁ κατὰ τὸ ἁπλοῦν διηγούμενος τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν τούτοις λόγον, ὅτι ἐὰν ἀνήρ τις ὢν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον νεκρώσῃ τὰς ἀνδρικάς ἐπιθυμίας, πνεύματι τὰς πραξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατῶν, καὶ ι πάντοτε τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὲν τῷ σώματι περιφέρων, ι ὥστε παιδίου ἀγεύστου ἀφροδισίων, καὶ ἀνεννοήτου ἀνδρικῶν κινημάτων ἔχειν κατάστασιν, 6 τοιοῦτος ἐστράφη, καὶ γέγονεν ὡς τὰ παιδία· κα) 6 Σωτήρ γε προσέθηκε τῇ τῶν παιδίων περὶ τῶν τοιούτων κινημάτων καταστάσει τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀσκούντων, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὲληλακότων σωφροσύνης, τὸ, μείζων ἐστὶν ὲν τῇ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὅπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰ ἀφροδίσια λέλεκται περὶ τῶν παιδίων, τοῦτʼ ἂν λεχθείη καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν παθῶν, καὶ ἀρρωστημάτων, καὶ νοσημάτων τῆς ψυχῆς, εἰς ἆ μὴ πέφυκε παιδία ἐμπίπτειν, ὅσα τὸν λόγον μηδέπω συμπεπλήρωκεν ο οἷον ἵνα καὶ στραφῇ τις, καὶ ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ παιδίον πρὸς ὀργὴν, τοιοῦτος γένηται ὢν ἀνήρʼ καὶ ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ παιδίον πρὸς λύπην ἐσθʼ ὅτε παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ τεθνηκότος πατρὸς, ἢ μητρὸς, ἦ τινος ἀδελφοῦ, ὡς γελᾷν καὶ παίζειν κατʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, τοιοῦτος ἂν γένοιτο 6 στραφεὶς ὡς παιδία, καὶ ἕξιν ἀναλαβὼν ἐκ λόγου τῆς λύπης άπαράδεκτον, ὥστε ὁποῖόν ἐστι πρὸς λύπην τὸ βραχὺ παιδίον, αὑτὸν γενέσθαι. Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον φή· σεις περὶ τῆς καλουμένης ἡδονῆς, καθʼ ἦν ἀλόγως ἐπαίρονται οἱ φαῦλοι, ἣν οὐ πάσχει τά παιδία, οὐδʼ οἱ στραφέντες καὶ γενόμενοι ὼς τὰ παιδία. Ὧς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὸ ἀκριβὲς ἀποδέδεικται καὶ ἄλλοις, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν παθῶν πίπτει εἰς τὰ μηδέπω συμπεπληρωκότα τὸν λόγον παιδίαο εί δʼ οὐδὲν, δηλονότι καὶ ὁ φόβος· ἀλλʼ εί ἄρα ἀνάλογόν τι τοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ ταῦτα ἀμυδρά, καὶ τάχιστα άνασκευαζόμενα, καὶ θεραπευόμενα γίνεται ὲν τοῖς παιδίοις, ὡς ἀγαπητὸν εἶναι ἐπὶ τοῦτο φθάσαι τὸν στραφέντα ὡς τά παιδία ὅσον ἔχει τῆς οἱονεὶ ὑποβολῆς τῶν παθῶν ὡς τὰ παιδία. Καὶ περὶ φόβου τοίνυν τὰ ὃμοια τοῖς ἀποδεδομένοις νοήσειεν, ότι τὰ παιδία τὸν μὲν φόβον τῶν φαύλων οὐ πάσχει, ἄλλο δέ τι οἱ διακριβοῦντες τὰ τῶν παθῶν, καὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἐκείνων, λέγουσιν εῖναι φόβον· οἷον δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν παιδίων ἀμνησίκακον παρʼ αὐτοὺς τοὺς τῶν δακρύων καιροὺς, ὲν ἀκαρεῖ μεταβαλλομένων, καὶ γελώντων, καὶ συμπαιζόντων τοῖς νομιζομένοις λελυπηκέναι, καὶ πεφοβηκέναι, ἀλλʼ ού κατά τὴν ἀλήθειαν ταῦτα ὲνεργηκόσιν. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ταπεινώσει ἑαυτόν τις, ὡς ὃ προσεκαλέσατο 6 Ἰησοῦς παιδίονʼ οὐ γὰρ πίπτει ύψηλοφροσύνη, καὶ οἴησις εὐγενείας, ἢ πλούτου, ἧ τινος τῶν νομιζομένων μὲν, οὐκ ὄντων δὲ ἀγαθῶν είς παιδίονο διόπερ ἐστὶν ἰδεῖν τά κομιδῆ νήπια μέχρι τριῶν καὶ τεττάρων ἐτῶν ὅμοια τοῖς ἀγενέσι, κᾶν εὐγενῆ εἶναι δοκῇ, καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον πάντως φιλεῖν δοκοῦντα τὰ πλούσια παιδία παρά τὰ πενιχρά. Ἐἀν οὖν ὅπερ παρά τὴν ἠλικίαν πάσχει τὰ παιδία πρὸς τὰ τοὺς ἀνοήτους ἐπαίροντα τοιαῦτα πάθη, ἀπὸ λόγου 6 τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθητὴς ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν, ὡς 6 ἔδειξεν 6 Ἰησοῦς παιδίον, ούκ ἐπαιρόμενος ἐπὶ δοξαρίῳ, οὐδὲ φυσιούμενος ἐπὶ πλούτῳ, οὐδʼ ἐπὶ περιβολῇ, οὐδὲ ὁγκούμενος ἐπὶ εὐγενείᾳ, μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς, ὡς 6 Λόγος ἀπέδειξε, στραφέντας, ὡς ὃ προσελάβετο 6 Ἰησοῦς παιδίον, ἀποδεκτέον καὶ μιμητέον ἐπὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὀνόματι, ἐπεὶ μάλιστα ἐν τούτοις ἐστὶν 6 Χριστὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγει τό · ι Καὶ ὃς ἂν δέξηται ἓν παιδίον τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται, ι ### English translation (Claude) First one may explain it simply. One who explains the Saviour's words here in the simple sense might say this: if a man so far puts to death the desires of a man, putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit and “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,” that he has the condition of a child who has not tasted sexual pleasure and has no thought of a man's impulses, such a person has turned and become like the children. And to the one who has the children's condition with regard to such impulses, so much more than those who are in training and have advanced only so far in chastity, the Saviour added the words “is greater in the kingdom of heaven.” What has been said of children in the matter of sexual pleasure might also be said of the other passions, infirmities, and diseases of the soul, into which children who have not yet reached the full use of reason do not by nature fall. For example, one may turn and, being a man, become toward anger such as the child is; and such as a child sometimes is toward grief at the time when a father or mother or some brother has died, so as to laugh and play at that time, such would one become who has turned like the children and has acquired, by reason, a state that does not admit grief, so as to become toward grief such as the little child is. You will say the same about what is called pleasure, by which the base are irrationally elated; children do not feel it, nor do those who have turned and become like the children. It has been demonstrated with precision by others too that none of the passions befalls children who have not yet reached the full use of reason; and if none, then clearly not fear either. But if there is something in children analogous to the passions, it is faint, very quickly overturned and healed, so that it is something to be content with if one who has turned like the children attains to this: to have only so much of the suggestion, as it were, of the passions as children have. Concerning fear, then, one might think much as has been said: children do not suffer the fear of the base, but something else, which those who distinguish precisely the matters of the passions and of their names say is fear. Such too is children's freedom from bearing grudges at the very time of their tears: in an instant they change, and laugh and play with those who are thought to have grieved and frightened them, but who did not truly do these things. So too one will humble himself like the child whom Jesus called. For loftiness of mind and conceit about noble birth or wealth or any of the things that are thought to be good but are not, do not befall a child. That is why one can see very young children, up to three or four years old, behaving like the low-born even if they seem to be of noble birth, and not seeming at all to love rich children more than poor ones. If, then, the disciple of Jesus has, by reason, what children have by reason of their age toward such passions as elate the foolish, and has humbled himself like the child Jesus showed, not elated by a little glory, nor puffed up by wealth or by fine clothing, nor swollen with pride in noble birth, then above all those who, as the Word has shown, have turned like the child whom Jesus took, must be received and imitated in the name of Jesus, since Christ is in these most of all. And for this reason he says, “And whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” ### Scripture references - Matt 18:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:4: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:5: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:5: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 8:13: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:10: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:3–5; Col 3:5; Rom 8:13; 2 Cor 4:10. The view that small children, not yet having full reason, are free of the passions is Stoic; “those who distinguish precisely the passions and their names” are probably Stoic philosophers, but the reference is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.16 (PG 13:1133d–1137c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-17 - Source: PG 13:1137d–1141b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains who are the “little ones” who can be made to stumble, and gives interpretations of the donkey millstone as a healing punishment, the heavy body of the wicked, or the body taken up by hostile powers. ### Greek text Τὸ δὲ ἑξῆς ἐργῶδες κατά ἀκολουθίαν τῶν προαποδεδομένων διηγήσασθαι · εἴποι γάρ ἄν τις, πῶς 6 στραφεὶς καὶ γενόμενος ὡς τά παιδία μικρός ἐστι τῶν πιστευόντων είς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ὲπιδεκτικὸς τοῦ σκανδαλισθῆναι; πειρασώμεθα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἀκολούθως σαφηνίσαι. Πῶς 6 τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὡς Υἱῷ συγκαταθέμενος Θεοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἁληθῆ περὶ αὑτοῦ ἱστορίαν, καὶ ὁδεύων διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον πράξεων εἰς τὸ βιῶσαι κατʼ ἀρετὴν, ἐστράφη καὶ ὁδεύει πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι ὼς τὰ παιδία, τοῦτον ἀμήχανον μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Πολλοὶ οὖν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἀλλʼ ού πάντες οἱ στραφέντες πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι ὡς τά παιδία, ἐφθάκασιν ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ ὲξομοιωθῆναι τοῖς παιδίοιςο ἀλλʼ ἕκαστος τοσοῦτον ἀπολείπεται τῆς πρὸς τά παιδία ὁμοιώσεως, ὅσον ἀπολείπεται τῆς ἀποδεδομένης τῶν παιδίων πρὶς τά πάθη ἕξεως. Ἐν παντὶ οὖν τῷ πλήθει τῶν πιστευόντων εἰσὶ καὶ οἱ ὡσπερεὶ ἄρτι στραφέντες περὶ τὸ γενέσθαι ὡς τά παιδία, οἵτινες κατʼ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐστράφθαι, ἵνα γένωνται ὡς τά παιδία, μικροὶ ιχρηματίζουσι, και τούτων οἱ στραφέντες μὲν ἵνα γένωνται ὼς τά παιδία, πολὺ δὲ ἀπολειπόμενοι τοῦ γενέσθαι ἀκριβῶς ὡς τά παιδία, ἐπιδέχονται τὸ σκανδαλισθῆναι ° ὧν ἕκαστος τοσοῦτον ἀπολείπεται τῆς πρὸς αὐτὰ ὁμοιώσεως, ὅσον ἀπολείπεται τῆς ἀποδεδομένης τῶν παιδίων πρὸς τά πάθη ἕξεως· οἷς οὐ δέον ἀφορμὰς παρέχειν τοῦ σκανδαλισθῆναι· εἰ δὲ μή γε, ὁ σκανδαλισας δεήσεται ὼς συμφέροντος αὐτῷ ἐπὶ θεραπείᾳ, ι τοῦ κρεμασθῆναι μύλον ὀνικὸν περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῆναι έν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσηςσ ι οὕτω γάρ τίσας τὴν αὐτάρκη δίκην ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὅπου ὁ δράκων ὃν ι ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐμπαίζειν αὐτῷ ι κα) πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον πρὸς τὸ τέλος ὁ κολασθεὶς καὶ παθὼν, ὲν τοίς ἑξῆς ἔσται τῶν κατά τὸ πέλαγος τῆς θαλάσσης πόνων, οὓς ὑπέμεινε καθελκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ὀνικοῦ μύλου· εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ μύλων διαφοραὶ, ὡς εἶναι τὸν μέν τινα αὐτῶν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ἀνθρωπικὸν, ἄλλον δὲ ὀνικόν· καὶ ἀνθρωπικὸς μέν ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται· ι Δύο ἔσονται ἀλήθουσαι ἐν ἑνὶ μύλῳ· μία η παραλαμβάνεται, καὶ μία ἀφίεται· ι ὀνικὸς δὲ, ὁ περιτεθησόμενος τῷ σκανδαλίσαντι. Εἴποι δʼ ἀν τιςι οὐκ οἶδα πότερον ὑγιῶς ἢ ὲσφαλμένως λέγων, ὀνικδν εἶναι τὸ βαρὺ τοῦ φαύλου σῶμα, καὶ κατωφερὲς, ὅπερ ἀναλήψεται έν τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἴνα κατι· ποντισθῇ ὲν τῇ ἀβύσσῳ λεγομένῃ πελάγει θαλασσίῳ, ὅπου ὁ δράκων ὃν ι ἔπλασεν 6 Θεὸς ἐμπαίζειν αὐτῷ· ι δὲ *τὸ σκανδαλίζειν ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν ἀνοίσει ἐπὶ τὰς ἁοράτους ἀνθρώποις δυνάμεις· πολλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπδ τούτων σκάνδαλα είς τοὺς δεικνυμένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἶησοῦ μικροὺς γίνεται, ἐπὰν δὲ σκανδαλίσωσι τῶν δεικνυμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μικρῶν ἕνα, πιστευόντων εἰς αὐτὸν, ὀνικὸν μύλον τὸ φθαρτὸν σῶμα τὸ βαρῦνον ψυχὴν ἀναλήψεται, κρεμάμενον ἐκ τοῦ καθελκομένου αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε πράγματα τραχήλου, ἵνα διὰ τούτων καθαιρεθῇ αὐτῶν τὸ οἴημα, καὶ τίσαντες δίκην. ὲν τῷ συμφέρον τι αὐτοῖς διὰ τοῦ ὀνικοῦ μύλου γένωνται. ### English translation (Claude) What follows is laborious to explain consistently with what was set out before. For someone might say: how is one who has turned and become like the children a little one among those who believe in Jesus, and liable to be made to stumble? Let us try to make this clear too, consistently. Whoever has assented to Jesus as the Son of God according to the true history about him, and journeys through the deeds of the Gospel toward living according to virtue, has turned and is journeying toward becoming like the children; it is impossible that such a one should not enter the kingdom of heaven. Such people are many, but not all who have turned toward becoming like the children have arrived at being made like the children; each falls short of likeness to the children by as much as he falls short of the children's disposition toward the passions described above. In the whole multitude of believers, then, there are also those who have, as it were, just turned toward becoming like the children, who, by the very fact of having turned so as to become like the children, are called little ones; and of these, those who have turned to become like the children but fall far short of becoming exactly like the children are liable to be made to stumble. Each of them falls short of likeness to the children by as much as he falls short of the children's disposition toward the passions described above. To these one must not give occasions of stumbling; otherwise, the one who made them stumble will need, as something profitable to him for healing, “to have a donkey millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” For having thus paid the sufficient penalty in the sea, where is the dragon “which God formed to mock at it,” the one who has been punished and has suffered as far as is profitable for the end in view will afterwards be past the labours in the depth of the sea which he endured, dragged down by the donkey millstone. For there are differences among millstones too: one of them is, so to speak, a human millstone, another a donkey millstone. The human one is that of which it is written, “Two women will be grinding at one mill; one is taken and one is left”; the donkey one is that which will be placed around the one who causes stumbling. Someone might say (I do not know whether rightly or mistakenly) that the donkey millstone is the heavy and downward-tending body of the wicked man, which he will take up in the resurrection, so as to be drowned in the abyss, which is called the depth of the sea, where is the dragon “which God formed to mock at it.” Another will refer the causing of one of the little ones to stumble to the powers invisible to human beings; for many stumbling-blocks come from these too to those whom Jesus shows to be little ones. And whenever they cause one of the little ones shown by Jesus, who believe in him, to stumble, they will take up, as a donkey millstone, the perishable body that weighs down the soul, hanging from the neck that drags them down to the things of this world, so that through these their conceit may be pulled down, and, having paid the penalty, they may come to something profitable to them through the donkey millstone. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:3: allusion, high confidence - Ps 104:26 (103:26 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:41: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 9:15 (Wisdom of Solomon): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:3, 6; Ps 104:26 (103:26 LXX); Matt 24:41; Wis 9:15 (“the perishable body weighs down the soul”). Origen presents the punishment of the one who causes stumbling as having a healing end. The view that the hostile powers will take up a body is given as another person's opinion. A running head of the printed volume in the middle of the section is removed. Before “will refer” a word such as “another” seems to be lost in the scan; it is supplied in the translation. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.17 (PG 13:1137d–1141b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-8/#p-13-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-18 - Source: PG 13:1141b–1145a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: As a further interpretation, offered “as doctrine or for exercise,” Origen suggests that the child Jesus set among the disciples is the Holy Spirit, who humbled himself for human salvation. ### Greek text Καὶ ἄλλη δὲ διήγησις παρὰ τὴν ἁπλούστερον λεγομένην λελέχθω, εἴτε ὡς δόγμα, εἴτε ὡς γυμνασίου ἕνεκεν, καὶ ζητήσωμεν ποῖον προσκαλεσάμενος παιδίον 6 Ἰησοῦς, ἔστησεν ὲν μέσῳ τῶν μαθητῶν. Ὅρα δὲ εἰ δύνασαι τὸ ταπεινῶσαν ἑαυτὸ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος προσκληθὲν καὶ σταθὲν έν μέσῳ τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰησοῦ, εἰπεῖν εἶναι ὃ προσεκαλέσατο 6 Ἰησοῦς παιδίον· εἴ τε βούλεται ἡμᾶς πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ἀποστραφέντας τραπῆναι πρὸς τὰ παραδείγματα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου ὑποβαλλόμενα Πνεύματος, ὥστε ἡμᾶς οὕτω γενέσθαι ὡς τὰ παιδία τὰ καὶ αὐτὰ στραφέντα, καὶ ὁμοιωθέντα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι· ἅτινα παιδία ἔδωκεν 6 Θεὸς τῷ Σωτῆρι, κατὰ τὸ ὲν Ἡσαΐᾳ λελεγμένον· ι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἆ μοι ἔδωκεν 6 Θεὸς· ι καὶ οὐκ ἐστι γε εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν μὴ στραφέντα ἀπὸ τῶν κοσμικῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ ἐξομοιωθέντα τοῖς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον πεφορηκόσι παιδίοις· ὅπερ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον προσκαλεσάμενος 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς ίδίας τελειότητος καταβεβηκὸς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὠς παιδίον, ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ὲν μέσῳ τῶν μαθητῶν. Δεῖ οὖν στραφέντα ἀπὸ τῶν κοσμικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὡς τὸ παιδίον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο. Ἔστι δὲ τὸ ταπεινῶσαι ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον ἐκεῖνο, τὸ μιμήσασθαι τὸ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ἀνθρώπων ταπεινῶσαν ἑαυτὸ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Ὀτι δὲ 6 Σωτὴρ καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐξαπεστάλη ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, δεδήλωται ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ, ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Σωτῆρος λέγοντος* ι Καὶ νῦν Κύριος ἀπέστειλέ με καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. ι ’ἰστέον μέντοι, ὅτι ἀμφίβολός ἐστιν ἡ λέξις ο ἢ γὰρ 6 Θεὸς ἀπέστειλεν, ἀπέστειλε δὲ καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἢ, ὡς ὲξειλήφαμεν, ἀμφότερα ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Πατὴρ τὸν Σωτῆρα καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα. Μείζων οὖν ὲν τῇ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν 6 ταπεινώσας ἑαυτὸν παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ταπεινοῦντας ἑαυτοὺς μιμητικῶς ὲκείνου τοῦ παιδίουο πολλοὶ μὲν γάρ οί Θέλοντες ἐαυ· τοὺς ταπεινῶσαι ὡς τὸ παιδίον ἐκεῖνο ° ὁ δὲ πάντη παραπλήσιος γενόμενος τῷ ταπεινώσαντι ἑαυτὸν παιδίῳ, ἐκεῖνος ἂν εὑρεθείη 6 χρηματίζων πάντων μείζων ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, μάλιστα ὲν αὐτῷ ὄντως τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Ὠσπερ δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν δέχεται, ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται ἓν τῶν παιδίων τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, οὕτως τὸν ’1ησοῦν ἀποδοκιμάζει καὶ ἐκβάλλει ὁ μὴ βουλόμενος δέ· ξασθαι ἓν παιδίον τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ ἰησοῦ. Et δὲ καὶ τῶν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεῦματος ἀξιουμένων ἐστὶ διαφορὰ, πλεῖον ἢ ἔλαττον λαμβανόντων τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τῶν πιστευόντων, είεν ἄν τινες oi μικροὶ τῶν είς Θεὸν πιστευόντων σκανδαλίζεσθαι δυνάμενοι, οὓς ἐκδικῶν σκανδαλισθέντας 6 Λόγος, φησὶ περὶ τῶν σκανδαλισάντων αὐτοὺς τό ο ι Συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς είς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης. ι Ταῦτα λελέχθω κατὰ τὰ ἐκκείμενα τοῦ Ματθαίου ῥητά. ### English translation (Claude) Let another interpretation besides the simpler one also be stated, whether as doctrine or for the sake of exercise; and let us inquire what child Jesus called and set in the midst of the disciples. See whether you can say that the child Jesus called is the Holy Spirit, who humbled himself, was called by the Saviour, and was set in the midst of the ruling faculty of the disciples of Jesus; and whether he wishes us, turning away from all other things, to be turned toward the examples set before us by the Holy Spirit, so that we may thus become like the children who themselves have turned and been made like the Holy Spirit; children whom God gave to the Saviour, according to what is said in Isaiah: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me.” And it is not possible to enter the kingdom of heaven without turning from the affairs of the world and being made like the children who have borne the Holy Spirit. Jesus called this Holy Spirit, which had come down from its own perfection to human beings as a child, and set it in the midst of the disciples. One must therefore turn from worldly desires and humble oneself, not simply as the child, but, as it is written, “as this child.” And to humble oneself as that child is to imitate the Holy Spirit, who humbled himself for the salvation of human beings. That the Saviour and the Holy Spirit were sent by the Father for the salvation of human beings is shown in Isaiah, where the Saviour says in his own person, “And now the Lord has sent me, and his Spirit.” One must know, however, that the expression is ambiguous: either God sent the Saviour, and the Holy Spirit also sent him; or, as we have taken it, the Father sent both, the Saviour and the Holy Spirit. Greater in the kingdom of heaven, then, is the one who has humbled himself more than all who humble themselves in imitation of that child. For many wish to humble themselves as that child; but the one who has become altogether like the child that humbled itself would be found to be the one called greatest of all in the kingdom of heaven, in the name of Jesus, being truly in Jesus himself most of all. And as whoever receives one such child in his name receives Jesus, so the one who will not receive one such child in the name of Jesus rejects and casts out Jesus. And if there is a difference among those deemed worthy of the Holy Spirit, believers receiving more or less of the Holy Spirit, there would be some little ones among those who believe in God who can be made to stumble. Avenging them when they are made to stumble, the Word says of those who caused them to stumble, “It is better for him that a donkey millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Let this be said on the passages of Matthew set out above. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:3: allusion, high confidence - Isa 8:18: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:13: quotation, medium confidence - Matt 18:4: quotation, high confidence - Isa 48:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:2–6; Isa 8:18 (Heb 2:13); Isa 48:16. Origen offers the identification of the child with the Holy Spirit tentatively (“whether as doctrine or for the sake of exercise”); it is translated as written. On Isa 48:16 he notes that the Greek can mean either that the Lord and his Spirit sent the speaker, or that the Lord sent the speaker and his Spirit; he prefers the second. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.18 (PG 13:1141b–1145a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-19 - Source: PG 13:1145a–1148d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen compares Mark and Luke on the dispute about greatness, reads the child Jesus took as the Holy Spirit, and discusses receiving the kingdom “as a child.” ### Greek text Ἰδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια ἀπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν. Μᾴρκος τοίνυν φησὶν, ὅτι διελέχθησαν ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ οί δώδεκα, τίς αὐτῶν μείζων ἐστίʼ διὸ καὶ καθίσας ἐφώνησεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ διδάσκει τίς 6 μείζων, λέγων πρωτείων ὡς μείζονα τεύξεσθαι τὸν γενόμενον πάντων διὰ τῆς μετριότητος καὶ τῆς ἐπιεικείας ἔσχατον, ὥστε τὸν μὲν τοῦ διακονουμένου μὴ ἀναδέξασθαι τόπον, τὸν δὲ τοῦ διακονοῦντος, καὶ τοῦτον οὐ πρός τινας μὲν, τινας δʼ οῦ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας ἁπαξαπλῶςο πρόσχες γὰρ τῷ· ι Εἴ τις θέλει πρῶτος γενέσθαι, ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος, καὶ πάντων διάκονος. ι Καὶ ἑξῆς τούτοις φησὶν, ὅτι, ι Λαβὼν παιδίον, (δηλονότι 6 ’1ησοῦς,) r ἔστησεν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐναγκαλισάμενος αὐτὸ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖςʼ ’ος ἐὰν ἓν τῶν παιδίων δέξηται ἐπὶ τῲ ἐμῷ ὀνόματι, ἐμὲ δέχεται. s Ποῖον δὲ ἔλαβε παιδίον καὶ ἐνηγκαλίσατο ό Ἰησοῦς κατὰ τὸν βαθύτερον ἐν τοῖς τόποις λόγον, ἢ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα; καὶ τούτῳ γε τῷ παιδίῳ ἐξομοιώθησάν τινες, περὶ ὧν εἷπε τό ° ι Ὃς ἐὰν ἓν τῶν τοιούτων παιδίων δέξηται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται. ι Κατὰ μέντοι τὸν Λουκᾶν, ι Διαλογισμὸς ι είς τοὺς μαθητὰς οὐκ ἀναβέβηκεν, ἀλλʼ ι είσἦλθε ι περὶ τοῦ, ‹ Τίς αὐτῶν εἴη μείζων. Καὶ ίδὼν 6 Ἰησοῦς τὸν διαλογισμὸν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ι ἅτε ἔχων ὀφθαλμοὺς διαλογισμοὺς καρδιῶν βλέποντας· ι Ἰδὼν τὸν διαλογισμὸν τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ι οὐδὲ ἐρωτηθεὶς κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν, ι ἔλαβε τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἔστησεν, ι οὐ μόνον ὲν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, ὡς 6 Ματθαῖος καὶ 6 Μάρκος εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλʼ ἠδη καὶ ι παρʼ ἐαυτῷ, καὶ εἷπε s τοῖς μαθηταῖς οὐ μόνον τό· ι Ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται ἓν παιδίον τοιοῦτο, ι ἦ· ε·ος ἐὰν ἓν τοιούτων παιδίων δέξηται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται, ι ἀλλʼ ἥδη καὶ ὲπαναὸεδηκότως τό ι Ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται. ι Χρὴ οὖν κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν ἐκεῖνο τὸ παιδίον, οὗ λαβόμενος 6 Ἰησοῦς ἔστησεν αὐτὸ παρʼ ἐαυτῷ, δέξασθαι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ οἶδα εί δύναταί τις μὴ τροπολογῆσαι τόι Ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται τοῦτο τὸ παιδίον ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου. ι Χρὴ γὰρ ὲκεῐνο τὸ παιδίον, δ τότε ἔστησενό Ἰησοῦς παρʼ ἐαυτῷ λαβόμενος αὐτοῦ, δέξασθαι ἔκαε στον ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ζῇ γὰρ ὡς ἀθάνατον, καὶ χρὴ αὐτὸ ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ δέξασθαι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὗ μὴ χωριζόμενος ὁ Ἰησοῦς γίνεται παρὰ τῷ δεχομένῳ τὸ παιδίον, ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο λελέχθαι τό· ι Ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται τοῦτοώ παιδίον ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται. ι Εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ ἁχώριστός ἐστι τοῦ Υίοῦ ὁ Πατὴρ, γίνεται παρὰ τῷ δεξαμένῳ τὸν Υῐόν· διὸ λέλεκταιʼ ι Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν ἐμὲ δέξηται, δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. ι Ὀ δὲ δεξάμενος τὸ παιδίον, καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα, καὶ τὸν ἀποστείλαντα αὐτὸν, μικρότερός ἐστιν ὲν πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰησοῦ μαθηταῖς ἑαυτὸν σμικρύνων· ὅσον δὲ ἑαυτὸν σμικρύνει, τοσοῦτον γίνεται μέγας, αὑτοῦ τοῦ ἐπὶ πλεῖον σμικρύνειν αὑτὸν, καὶ ποιοῦντος ἐπιδιδόναι εἰς μέγεθος ο πρόσχες γὰρ τῷ · ι '0 μικρότερος ὲν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων, οὗτός ἐστι μέγας. ι Ἀνέγνωμεν δὲ καὶ ὲν ἄλλοις, καί· ι Ἔσται μέγας· › κατὰ δὲ τὸν Λουκᾶνο ι Ἐὰν μή τις δέξηται τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν ὡς τὸ παιδίον, οὑ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ είς αὑτήν· ι καὶ ἐστιν ἀμφίβολος η λέξις, ἦ γὰρ ἴνα δ δεχόμενος τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν γένηται ὡς παιδίον, ἢ ἵνα τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν παραδέξηται γενομένην αὑτῷ ὡς παιδίον. Καὶ τάχα ἐνταῦθα μὲν οἱ δεχόμενοι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν δέχονται αὐτὴν οὖσαν ὼς παιδίον, ὲν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι οὐκέτι ὡς παιδίον, καὶτὸ μέγεθος τῆς τελειότητος ὲν τῇ, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω. πνευματικῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἐπιδεικνυμένοις πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος παραδεξαμένοις αὐτὴν οὖσαν ἐν· ταῦθα ὡς παιδίον. ### English translation (Claude) Let us also look at the parallels in the other Gospels. Mark, then, says that the twelve disputed on the way which of them was greater; so he sat down and called them, and teaches who is greater, saying that the one who has become last of all through moderation and gentleness will obtain the first place as greater, so as to take not the place of the one who is served but that of the one who serves, and this not toward some and not toward others, but toward all without exception. For note: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” And next to this he says, “Taking a child” (clearly Jesus), “he set it in the midst of his disciples, and taking it in his arms said to them, Whoever receives one of the children in my name receives me.” What child, according to the deeper meaning in these passages, did Jesus take and embrace, if not the Holy Spirit? And to this child some have been made like, about whom he said, “Whoever receives one of such children in my name receives me.” According to Luke, however, a “reasoning” did not “go up” among the disciples, but “entered” them, about “which of them might be greatest. And Jesus, seeing the reasoning of their heart”: since he has eyes that see the reasonings of hearts, “seeing the reasoning of their heart,” and not even asked, according to Luke, he “took the child and set it” not only in their midst, as Matthew and Mark have said, but now “beside himself,” and said to the disciples not only “Whoever receives one such child” or “Whoever receives one of such children in my name receives me,” but now, going higher, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me.” According to Luke, then, we must receive in the name of Jesus that child whom Jesus took and set beside himself. And I do not know whether one can avoid interpreting figuratively “Whoever receives this child in my name.” For each of us must receive, in the name of Jesus, that child whom Jesus then set beside himself, taking hold of it. For it lives, as being immortal; and we must receive it from Jesus himself in the name of Jesus; and Jesus, not being separated from it, comes to be with the one who receives the child, so that in this sense it is said, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me.” Then, since the Father is inseparable from the Son, he comes to be with the one who has received the Son; therefore it is said, “And whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” The one who has received the child, and the Saviour, and the one who sent him, is lesser among all the disciples of Jesus, making himself small; but the more he makes himself small, the greater he becomes, his very making himself smaller causing him to advance in greatness. For note: “He who is least among you all, he is great.” We have read in other copies also, “will be great.” And according to Luke, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will not enter it”; and the expression is ambiguous: either that the one who receives the kingdom of God becomes like a child, or that he receives the kingdom of God, which has become to him like a child. Perhaps here those who receive the kingdom of God receive it as being like a child, but in the age to come no longer as a child; for it will show the greatness of its perfection, in what I may call spiritual maturity, to all who at present have received it as being here like a child. ### Scripture references - Mark 9:33: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:34: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:35: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:36: quotation, high confidence - Mark 9:37: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:46: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:47: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:48: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:17: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Mark 9:33–37; Luke 9:46–48; Mark 10:15 and Luke 18:17. Origen notes a variant in Luke 9:48 (“will be great” beside “is great”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.19 (PG 13:1145a–1148d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-20 - Source: PG 13:1148d–1152c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen distinguishes senses of “world” (kosmos) in Scripture and argues that in sayings like this one it means the inhabited earth and its people. ### Greek text ι Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων. ι Κατʼ αὐτὴν μὲν καὶ ἁπολελυμένως εἴρηται ἡ ι κόσμος ι φωνή· ι Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἦν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω· ι κατὰ δὲ τὴν πρός τι σχέσιν μετᾶ τῆς πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἐπιπλοκῆς οὗ κόσμος ἐστὶ ὠνόμασται ὲν τῷ · ι Μὴ ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ πάντα τὸν κόσμον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, πλανηθεὶς προσκυνήσῃς αὐτοῖς, καὶ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς. ι Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον φήσεις ἐν τῇ Ἐσθὴρ λελέχθαι περὶ αὐτῆς, ὅτε γέγραπται ι Περιελομένη πάντα τὸν κόσμον αὐτῆς· ι οὐ γὰρ ταυτόν ἐστιν ἁπλῶς 6 κόσμος, καὶ 6 κόσμος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἢ 6 κόσμος τῆς Ἐσθήρ· τὸ δὲ νῦν ἡμῖν ζητούμενον ἄλλο. Νομίζω οὖν, ὅτι οὐ τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς σύστημά ἐστι κατὰ τά θεῖα γράμματα 6 κόσμος, ἀλλʼ 6 περίγειος μόνος τόπος, καὶ οὗτος οὐ καθʼ ὅλην νοούμενος τὴν γῆν, ἀλλʼ 6 κατά τὴν ήμετὲραν οἰκουμένην · ὲν τῷ κόσμῳ γὰρ ἦν τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς, τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ τῷ κατὰ ἡμετέραν νοουμένῳ ο ι Καὶ 6 κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω, ι οἱ ὲν τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ ἄνθρωποι, τάχα δὲ καὶ αἱ οἰκεῖαι τῷ χωρίῳ τούτῳ δυνάμεις ἄτοπον γὰρ λέγειν τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, καὶ τῶν ὲν αὐτοῖς σύστημα · ὥστʼ εἰπεῖν ἂν, ὅτι ἥλιος, καὶ σελήνη, καὶ 6 χορὸς τῶν ἀστέρων, καὶ οἱ ὲν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ ἄγγελοι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς, καὶ ἀγνοοῦντες αὐτὸ ἐτήρησαν τὴν ὲπιτεταγμένην αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ Θεοῦ τάξιν. Ἀλλά καὶ ὅταν λέγηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὲν τῇ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εὐχῇʼ ι Kal. νῦν δόξασόν με, Πάτερ, παρά σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃ ἦν εῐχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρά σοὶ, ι χρὴ ἀκούειν κόσμον λέγεσθαι τὴν καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ γῆς οἰκουμένηνο ἀπὸ γὰρ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἔδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ 6 Πατὴρ ἀνθρώπους, περὶ ὧν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐρωτᾷ τὸν Πατέρα μόνων, κα) οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ὅλου τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὸ Σωτὴρ λέγωνʼ ι Κάγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ὲν τῷ κόσμῳ, ι τὸν ἐπίγειον λέγει κόσμον· οὺ γὰρ νομιστέον τὰ ἀντικείμενα αὐτὸν λέγειν φάσκοντα· ι Κάγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ο καί· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ είμί ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲν τῷ· ι Καὶ ταῦτα λαλῶ ὲν τῷ κόσμῳ, ι τὸν περίγειον τόπον νομιστέον. Σαφῶς δὲ οὗτος σημαίνεται καὶ ὲκ τοῦ ο ι Καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἐμίσησεν αὐτοὺς, ὅτι οῦκ εἰσιν ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου. ι Ἐμίσησε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐξ οὗ μηκέτι σκοποῦμεν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, διὰ τὴν Ἰησοῦ διδασκαλίαν, οὐ κόσμος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ γῆς, καὶ τῶν ὲν αὐτοῖς συνεστηκὼς πᾶς, ἀλλʼ ot ἐπὶ γῆς μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἄνθρωποι. Τό· ι Οὐκ είσὶν ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου, ι ἴσον ἐστι τῷ, Οὔκ εἰσιν ἐκ τοῦ περιγείου τόπουο οὕτω δὲ καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσιν. ὡς οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου ἦν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τό· ι ’Ἱνα ὁ κόσμος πιστεύσῃ, ὅτι σύ . με ἀπέστειλας, ι δὶς εἰρημένον ὲν τῷ κατʼ Ἰωάννην, οὐκ ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τοὺς χρῄζοντας πιστεύειν ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ τὸν Υίὸν εἰς τὸν τῇδε κόσμον ἀπέστειλε · καὶ παρὰ τῷ ’Δποστόλῳ δὲ η πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ὲν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ. ### English translation (Claude) “Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks.” The word “world” (kosmos) is used by itself, in an absolute sense, in “He was in the world, and the world did not know him”; but in a relative sense, joined with that of which it is the kosmos, it is used in “Lest, looking up to heaven and seeing the sun and the moon and all the array (kosmos) of heaven, you be led astray and worship them and serve them.” You will say that the same is said of Esther in Esther, where it is written, “having taken off all her adornment (kosmos)”; for “the world” simply is not the same as “the array of heaven” or “the adornment of Esther.” What we are now seeking is something else. I think, then, that according to the divine writings the world is not the system made up of heaven and earth, but only the region around the earth; and this not understood as the whole earth, but as our inhabited world. For the true light was in the world, that is, in the region around the earth understood as ours; “and the world did not know him”: the people in the region around the earth, and perhaps also the powers that belong to this place. For it is absurd to say that it means the system of heaven and earth and the things in them, so that one would say that the sun and the moon and the choir of stars, and the angels in this whole world, did not know the true light, and yet, while not knowing it, kept the order appointed to them by God. But also when the Saviour says in his prayer to the Father, “And now glorify me, Father, with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was,” we must understand “world” to mean our inhabited earth. For it is from this world that the Father gave people to the Son, for whom alone the Saviour asks the Father, and not for the whole world of human beings. And the Saviour, when he says, “And I come to you, and I am no longer in the world,” speaks of the earthly world; for we must not think that he says contradictory things when he says, “And I come to you, and I am no longer in the world,” and “I am in the world.” In “And these things I speak in the world,” too, we must understand the region around the earth. This is clearly signified also by “And the world hated them, because they are not of the world.” For what hated us, from the time when, because of Jesus' teaching, we no longer look at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen, is not the whole world composed of heaven and earth and the things in them, but the people on earth among us. “They are not of the world” is equivalent to “They are not of the region around the earth”; and so the disciples of Jesus are not of the world, as he himself was not of the world. Further, “that the world may believe that you sent me,” said twice in the Gospel according to John, refers not to beings higher than human beings but to the people who need to believe that the Father sent the Son into the world here; and in the Apostle, “your faith is proclaimed in the whole world.” ### Scripture references - Matt 18:7: quotation, high confidence - John 1:10: quotation, high confidence - John 1:9: allusion, high confidence - Deut 4:19: quotation, high confidence - John 17:5: quotation, high confidence - John 17:6: allusion, high confidence - John 17:9: allusion, high confidence - John 17:11: quotation, high confidence - John 17:13: quotation, high confidence - John 17:14: quotation, high confidence - John 17:16: allusion, high confidence - John 17:21: quotation, high confidence - John 17:23: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, high confidence - Rom 1:8: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Add Esth C.13 (Additions to Esther): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:7; John 1:9–10; Deut 4:19; Greek Esther (Addition C, LXX Esth 4:17k; Vulgate 14:2); John 17:5–6, 9, 11, 13–14, 16, 21, 23; 2 Cor 4:18; Rom 1:8. The Greek kosmos means both “world” and “ornament, array,” which is the point of the first examples. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.20 (PG 13:1148d–1152c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-21 - Source: PG 13:1152c–1153c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen argues that the woe on the world does not touch true disciples, who are not of the world, but does touch nominal disciples who love worldly life. ### Greek text Εί δὲ ι οὐαὶ ι τοῖς πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώποις ι ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων, ι ὧν καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα ἄπτεται, οὐκ εῑσὶ δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου μὴ σκοποῦντες τὰ βλεπόμενα, καθὼς οὐδὲ ό διδάσκαλος ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστὶν, οὐδενὶ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐστιν ι ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων οὐαὶ, › ἐπείπερ ι ἐστὶν εἰρήνη πολλὴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ. καὶ οῦκ ἐστιν αὐτοῖς σκάνδαλον. ι Εἰ δέ τις δοκεῖ μὲν χρηματίζειν μαθητὴς, ἔτι δέ ἐστιν ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου, διὰ τὸ ἀγαπᾷν τὸν κόσμον, καὶ τὰ ὲν αὐτῷ, λέγω δὲ τὴν ὲν τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ ζωὴν, καὶ τὰ ἐν αὑτῷ χρήματα, ἢ κτήματα, ἢ ὁποίαν ποτοῦν περιουσίαν, ὡς μὴ ἁρμόζειν αὐτῷ τό ο ι Ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὒκ είσιν, ι ἀλλʼ ὡς ὲκ τοῦ κόσμου ὄντι τούτῳ τὸ τῷ κόσμῳ συμβαῖνον, ι Οὐαὶ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων, ι συμβήσεται αὐτῷ. ’0 δὲ θέλων ἐκκλῖναι τὸ οὐαὶ τοῦτο, μὴ ἔστω φιλόζωος, ἀλλά λεγέτω κατὰ Παῦλον· ι Ἐμοὶ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κάγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ· ι oi γὰρ ι ὄντες ὲν τῷ σκήνει ι ἅγιοι ι στενάζουσι βαρούμενοι ι ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς ταπεινώσεως σώματος, καὶ πάντα πράττουσιν, ἵνα ἄξιοι γένωνται εὐρεθῆναι ὲν τῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως μυστηρίῳ. ὅτε ι μετασχηματίσει» ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ πάντων ι τὸ σῶμα. τῆς ταπεινώσεως, ι ἀλλά τῶν Χριστῷ γνησίως μαθητευομένων, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμμορφον τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὠσπερ γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶν οὐαὶ συμβαίνει τινὶ τῶν Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν, οὕτως οὐδὲ τό, ι Οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ των σκανδάλων· ι ἵνα γὰρ καὶ μυρία σκάνδαλα γίνηται, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἅψεται τῶν οὐκέτι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. Ei δέ ἐπιδέχεταί τις τὸ σκανδαλίζεσθαι παρὰ τὸ ἀνερμάτιστον τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἀβέβαιον τῆς πρὸς τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ συγκαταβάσεως, ἴστω μηδέπω χρηματίζων παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ μα·θητὴς αὐτοῦ · τοσαῦτα δὲ ἔρχεσθαι νομιστέον σκάνδαλα, ὥστε τὺ οὐαὶ μὴ ἐπί τινα μόρια τῆς γῆς φθάνειν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὸν ὅλον ἐν αὐτῇ κόσμον. ι ### English translation (Claude) If “woe” is to people everywhere on earth “because of stumbling-blocks,” since the stumbling-blocks touch them, but the disciples, who do not look at the things that are seen, are not of the world, just as the Teacher is not of the world, then for none of the disciples of Jesus is there “woe because of stumbling-blocks,” since “great peace have those who love the law of God, and there is no stumbling-block for them.” But if someone seems to bear the name of disciple, yet is still of the world because he loves the world and the things in it (I mean life in the region around the earth, and the money or possessions in it, or property of any kind), so that “They are not of the world” does not fit him, then what happens to the world, “Woe because of stumbling-blocks,” will happen to him as to one who is of the world. Let the one who wishes to escape this woe not be a lover of life, but let him say with Paul, “The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” For the saints, “being in the tent, groan, being burdened” by “the body of humiliation,” and do everything so that they may become worthy to be found in the mystery of the resurrection, when God “will transform” not everyone's “body of humiliation,” but that of those who are genuinely Christ's disciples, so that it becomes conformed to the glory of Christ. For just as none of the woes befalls any of Christ's disciples, so neither does “Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks”; for even if countless stumbling-blocks occur, they will not touch those who are no longer of the world. But if anyone is liable to stumble because of the instability of his faith and the insecurity of his assent to the word of God, let him know that he is not yet called by Jesus his disciple. We must think that so many stumbling-blocks come that the woe reaches not merely certain parts of the earth but the whole world on it. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:7: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:18: allusion, medium confidence - John 17:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 John 2:15: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 6:14: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:4: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:21: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:7; 2 Cor 4:18; John 17:16; Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX); 1 John 2:15; Gal 6:14; 2 Cor 5:4; Phil 3:21. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.21 (PG 13:1152c–1153c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-22 - Source: PG 13:1153c–1156b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen identifies the stumbling-blocks with the devil's army, which uses unbelievers and even nominal believers as instruments, and warns against causing weaker believers to stumble. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἀνάγκη ἐστὶν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα, ι άπερ ἄλλα νομίζω εἶναι τῶν ἀνθρώπων διʼ ὧν ἔρχεται· τὰ οὖν ἐρχόμενα σκάνδαλα στρατιά τις ἐστὶ τοῦ διαβόλου, ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, καὶ μοχθηρὸς χορὸς πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων, ἆπερ, ζητοῦντα ὄργανα διʼ ὧν ἐνεργήσει, εὑρίσκει πολλάκις μὲν τοὺς πάντη ξένους τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἔσθʼ ὅτε δὲ καὶ τῶν νομιζομένων τινὰς πιστεύειν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἷς χεῖρόν ἐστι τὸ οὐαὶ παρὰ τὸ οὐαὶ τῷ σκανδαλιζομένῳ, ὥσπερ ι καὶ Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται ὲν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ι ἥπερ τοῖς τόποις ἔνθα ἐποίησε μὲν σημεῖα Ἰησοῦς, καὶ τέρατα, οὐκ ἐπιστεύθη δέ. Δυνηθείη δʼ ἄν τις ὥσπερ πραγματείαν ποιῆσαι ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν ἐκ τῶν μακαριζομένων, καὶ ἐφʼ οἷς μακαρίζονται συναγωγῆς, ὡσαύτως καὶ ἐκ τῶν γεγραμμένων οὐαὶ, καὶ τῶν ὲφ οῖς λέλεκται τὸ οὐαί. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸ χεῖρον εἶναι τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ σκανδαλίζοντος οὐαὶ παρὰ τὸ τοῦ σκανδαλιζομένου παραστήσεις τό· ι Ὃς δʼ ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμὲ, συμφέρει αὐτῷ, ι καὶ τά ἐξῆςο ὲκδικουμένου γάρ τοῦ σκανδαλισθέντος μικροῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σκανδαλίσαντος αὑτὸν, τοιοῦτον συμφέρει βαρὺ καὶ δυσυπομόνητον ὃ ἀναγέγραπται εἶναι περὶ τοῦ σκανδαλιζοντος* ταῦτα δὲ εἰ ἐπιμελέστερον ἐννοοῦμεν, ἐφυλαξάμεθα ἂν ι ἁμαρτάνειν εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ τύπτειν αὐτῶν τὴν συνείδησιν ἀσθενοῦσαν, ι ἵνα μὴ ι εἰς Χριστὸν ἀμαρτάνωμεν, t πολλάκις ἀπολλυμένων οὐ μόνον τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ. γνώσει, άλλά καὶ ἄλλοις τισὶ τῶν περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀδελφῶν, ι διʼ οὓς ό Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν, ι ἐφʼ οἷς εἰς Χριστὸν ἁμαρτάνοντες τίσομεν δίκας, ὲνδικουμένης τῆς τῶν διʼ ἡμᾶς ἀπολλυμένων ψυχῆς ἐξ … ### English translation (Claude) “For it is necessary that stumbling-blocks come.” I think these are other than the people through whom they come. The stumbling-blocks that come, then, are a kind of army of the devil, his angels and a wicked choir of unclean spirits, which, seeking instruments through which to work, often find those who are wholly strangers to godliness, but sometimes also some of those thought to believe the word of God. For these the woe is worse than the woe for the one who is made to stumble, just as “it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment” than for the places where Jesus did signs and wonders and yet was not believed. One might make a kind of treatise from the Scriptures by collecting those who are called blessed and the things for which they are called blessed, and also the woes that are written and the things for which “woe” is said. Further, that the woe of the one who causes stumbling is worse than that of the one who is made to stumble, you will show by “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it is better for him,” and what follows. For when the little one who was made to stumble is avenged on the one who made him stumble, so heavy and hard to endure is what is written as “better” for the one who causes stumbling. If we considered these things more carefully, we would guard against “sinning against the brothers and wounding their weak conscience,” so that “we may not sin against Christ,” since often brothers around us perish, not only “through our knowledge” but also through other things, brothers “for whom Christ died.” For these, sinning against Christ, we shall pay the penalty, when the soul of those who perish because of us is avenged on … ### Scripture references - Matt 18:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:11: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:7, 6; Matt 11:21–22; 1 Cor 8:11–12. The section breaks off at its end, where a Latin word from Migne's facing column stands in place of the lost Greek; marked “…”. The phrase “not only through our knowledge but also through other things” is translated as printed (the wording is compressed). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.22 (PG 13:1153c–1156b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-23 - Source: PG 13:1156b–1157b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains in what sense stumbling-blocks are “necessary”: wickedness precedes virtue in human beings and evil powers work through people, but the stumbling-blocks arise from free will, not from nature or from God. ### Greek text Μετὰ ταῦτα βασανιστέον τὸ ι τῆς ἀνάγκης ι ὄνομα έν τῷ ο ι Ἀνάγκη γάρ ἔστιν ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα, ι καὶ τὸ ἰσοδυναμοῦν αὐτῷ παρά τῷ Λουκᾷ· t Ἀνένδεκτόν ὲστι τοῦ μὴ ἐλθεῖν τά σκάνδαλα, ι ἀντὶ τοῦ, ι ἀδύνατον ι καὶ ὥσπερ ἀνάγκη τὸ θνητὸν ἀποθνήσκειν, καὶ ἀνένδεκτον αὐτὸ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ ἀνάγκη τρέφεσθαι τὸν ἐν σώματι· ἀνένδεκτον γάρ τὸν μὴ τρεφόμενον ζῇν· οὕτως ἀνάγκη καὶ ἀνένδεκτον μὴ ἐλθεῖν τά σκάνδαλα, ἐπεὶ ἀνάγκη καὶ προϋφεστάναι τὴν κακίαν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὲν ἀνθρώποις, ἀφʼ ἦς κακίας τὰ σκάνδαλαο ἀνένδεκτον γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπον εὑρεθῆναι πάντη ἀναμάρτητον, καὶ χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας ἀνειληφότα τὴν ἀρετήν ° ἡ γάρ ὲν ταῖς πονηραῖς δυνάμεσι κακία, ἀρχηγικὴ τυγχάνουσα τῆς ὲν ἀνθρώποις κακίας, πάντας ὁρμᾷ ἐπὶ τὸ διά τινων ὀργάνων ἐνεργῆσαι κατά τῶν τοῦ κόσμου ἀνθρώπων· τάχα δὲ καὶ πλεῖον αῖ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις ἐξαγριοῦνται ἐκβαλλόμεναι τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ μειουμένης τῆς λατρείας αὐτῶν, τῶν ὲθίμων θυσιῶν αὐτοῖς οὐ προσφερομένων, καὶ ἀνάγκη ἐστὶ ταῦτα ἐλθεῖν, οὐκ ἀνάγκη δὲ διὰ τοῦδέ τινος · διόπερ ὡς τόπον δεδωκότι τῇ πονηρᾷ ἐνεργείᾳ σκανδαλίζειν προαιρουμένῃ τῷ ἀν· θρώπῳ διʼ οὗ τὺ σκάνδαλον ἔρχεται, γίνεται τὸ οὐαί. Μὴ νομίσῃς δὲ φύσει τινὰς, καὶ ὲκ κατασκευῆς τὰ σκάνδαλα εἶναι ἀνθρώπους ζητοῦντα διʼ ὧν ἔλθῃ. ὡς γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς θάνατον οὐκ εποίησεν, οὕτως οὐδὲ σκάνδαλα ἔκτισεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἐγέννησεν ἔν τισι τὸ σκάνδαλον, μὴ βουληθεῖσιν ἀνατλῆναι τοὺς ὓπερ ἀρετῆς πόνους. ### English translation (Claude) After this we must test the word “necessity” in “For it is necessary that stumbling-blocks come,” and its equivalent in Luke, “It is impossible that stumbling-blocks should not come,” where “not admissible” is used for “impossible.” And just as it is necessary that what is mortal should die, and impossible that it should not die; and necessary that one who is in a body should be nourished, for it is impossible for one who is not nourished to live; so it is necessary, and impossible not to happen, that stumbling-blocks should come, since it is also necessary that wickedness should exist in human beings before virtue, and from this wickedness come the stumbling-blocks. For it is impossible that a human being should be found wholly without sin, and to have taken up virtue without sin. For the wickedness in the evil powers, being the origin of the wickedness in human beings, impels them all to work, through certain instruments, against the people of the world; and perhaps the evil powers are enraged even more when they are cast out by the word of Jesus, and their worship diminishes, as the customary sacrifices are no longer offered to them. It is necessary that these things should come, but it is not necessary that they come through this or that particular person. Therefore the woe falls on the person through whom the stumbling-block comes, as on one who has given place to the evil power that chooses to cause stumbling. But do not think that the stumbling-blocks, which seek people through whom to come, are what they are by nature and by constitution. For just as God did not make death, so he did not create stumbling-blocks either; but free will gave birth to the stumbling-block in some who would not endure the labours that virtue requires. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:7: quotation, high confidence - Luke 17:1: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:27: allusion, low confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 1:13 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:7; Luke 17:1 (ἀνένδεκτον, “not admissible”); Eph 4:27 (“give place”); Wis 1:13 (“God did not make death”). Origen's denial that evil spirits are evil “by nature” is aimed at the view that some beings are evil by constitution. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.23 (PG 13:1156b–1157b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-24 - Source: PG 13:1157b–1160d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies the cutting off of hand, foot, and eye to members of the church who cause others to stumble, and to faculties of the soul used sinfully. ### Greek text Καὶ καλὸν μὲν οὖν εί ἐπαινετὸς εἴη ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς καὶ ἡ χεὶρ, ἵνα μὴ δύνηται εὐλόγως εἰπεῖν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς τῇ χειρὶ, ι Χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω. ι Εἰ δέ τις, ἐν τῷ ὅλῳ σώματι τῶν συναγωγῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας χεὶρ χρηματίσας διὰ τὸ πρακτικὸν, μεταβαλὼν γένοιτο σκανδαλίζουσα χεὶρ, λεγέτω τῇ τοιαύτῃ χειρὶ ὁ ὀφθαλμός· ι Χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω, ι καὶ εἰπών· t Ἐκκοψάτω αὐτὴν, καὶ βαλέτω ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ ο ι οὕτω δὲ καλὸν μὲν, εί καὶ κεφαλή τις εἴη μακαρία, καὶ πόδες ἄξιοι τῆς μακαρίας κεφαλῆς, ἵνα μὴ δύνηται τὰ πρέποντα ἑαυτῇ τηροῦσα ἡ κεφαλὴ τοῖς ποσὶν εἰπεῖνʼ 1 Χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχω. 1 Ei μέντοι τις εὑρεθείη ποῦς σκάνδαλον τοῦ ὅλου γινόμενος σώματος λεγέτω ἡ κεφαλὴ τῷ τοιούτῳ ποδί· 1 Χρείαν σου οὐκ ἔχω, 1 κα) ἐκκόψας αὑτὸν βαλέτω ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ· καὶ γὰρ πολλῷ βέλτιον ὲλθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν τὸ λοιπὸν σῶμα, λεῖπον τῷ σκανδαλίσαντι ποδὶ, ἢ τῇ σκανδαλισάσῃ χειρὶ, ἢπερ διαδοθέντος τοῦ σκανδάλου ἐπὶ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρὸς μετᾶ τῶν δύο ποδῶν, ἢ τῶν δύο χειρῶν. Οὕτω δὲ καλὸν μὲν τὸν δυνηθέντα γενέσθαι ὀφθαλμὸν τοῦ ὅλου σώματος ἄξιον εἶναι Χριστοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ὅλου σώματος· εἰ μέντοι μεταβάλοι ποτὲ ὀ τοιοῦτος ὀφθαλμὸς εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν σκάνδαλον τοῦ ὅλου σώματος, καλὸν αὑτὸν ἐξελόντα ἔξω βαλεῖν τοῦ σώματος ὅλου, καὶ χωρὶς ἐκείνου τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ σωθῆναι τὸ λοιπὸν σῶμα, ἢ μετʼ αὑτοῦ ὅλου βεβλαμμένου τοῦ σώματος, βληθῆναι ὅλον τὸ σῶμα εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρόςʼ δύναται γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἀμαρτητικῶς μὲν, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, πορευτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἁμαρτητικῶς δὲ διορατικὸν ἡ σκανδαλίζουσα εἶναι χεὶρ, καὶ ὀ σκανδαλίζων ποῦς, καὶ ό σκανδαλίζων ὀφθαλμός· ἅτινα κρεῖττον ἁποὸαλεῖν, καὶ ἀποθέμενον αὐτὰ χωρὶς αὐτῶν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, οἱονεὶ χωλὸν, ἢ κυλλὸν, ἦ μονόμματον, ἢ μετʼ ἐκείνων τὴν ὅλην ἀπολέσαι ψυχήν· Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καλὸν καὶ μακάριον ἐπὶ τοῖς βελτίστοις χρῆσθαι τῇ δυνάμει αὐτῆς· εἰ δὲ μέλλομεν διά τινα μίαν ἀπολέσθαι, αἱρετώτερον ἁπο- 6αλεῖν τὴν χρῆσιν αὒτῆς, ἵνα μετὰ· τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων σωθῶμεν. ### English translation (Claude) It is good, then, if the eye and the hand are praiseworthy, so that the eye cannot reasonably say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” But if someone in the whole body of the congregations of the church, called a hand because of his active role, should change and become a hand that causes stumbling, let the eye say to such a hand, “I have no need of you,” and, having said it, let it “cut it off and throw it” from itself. So too it is good if a head is blessed and the feet are worthy of the blessed head, so that the head, keeping what befits it, cannot say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” But if some foot should be found becoming a stumbling-block to the whole body, let the head say to such a foot, “I have no need of you,” and let it cut it off and throw it from itself. For it is much better that the rest of the body should enter into life lacking the foot or the hand that caused stumbling, than that the stumbling-block should spread through the whole body and it be thrown into the Gehenna of fire with the two feet or the two hands. So too it is good that one who has been able to become the eye of the whole body should be worthy of Christ and of the whole body; but if ever such an eye should change so as to become a stumbling-block to the whole body, it is good to take it out and throw it out of the whole body, and that the rest of the body be saved without that eye, rather than that, with the whole body harmed along with it, the whole body be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. For the hand that causes stumbling, the foot that causes stumbling, and the eye that causes stumbling can also be the soul's faculty of walking, if I may call it so, when used sinfully, and its faculty of seeing, when used sinfully; it is better to cast these off and, having put them away, to enter into life without them, as it were lame or maimed or one-eyed, than to lose the whole soul with them. Likewise with the soul: it is good and blessed to use its power for the best things; but if we are about to perish because of some one power, it is preferable to cast off the use of it, so that we may be saved with the other powers. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:9: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:21: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:8–9; 1 Cor 12:21. Origen applies the saying first to the church as a body, from which a member who causes stumbling should be put out, and then to the faculties of the soul. In the list of faculties a third term (probably the faculty of acting, matching the hand) seems to have dropped out; the sentence is translated as printed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.24 (PG 13:1157b–1160d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-25 - Source: PG 13:1160d–1161c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies the cutting off of hand, foot, and eye to relatives, friends, or a wife who draw one away from godliness, who must be given up for the sake of salvation. ### Greek text Δυνατδν δὲ τοῖς ῥητοῖς τούτοις χρήσασθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκειοτάτων, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ μελῶν ἡμῶν, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν οἰκειότητα, εἴτε συγγενικὴν εἴτε ἐκ τινος συνηθείας, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, φιλικῆς, μελῶν ἡμῶν νενομισμένων, ὧν οὐ χρὴ φείσασθαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν βλαπτόντων. Ἐκκόψωμεν γὰρ ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν ὡς χεῖρα, ἢ πόδα, ἢ ὀφθαλμὸν, πατέρα ἢ μητέρα τὰ ἐναντία τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ ἡμᾶς πράττειν θέλοντας· καὶ υἱὸν, ἢ θυγατέρα τὸ ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτῆς ἀφιστάντας ἡμᾶς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ κᾶν γυνὴ ἡ ὲν κόλπῳ, ἢ φίλος ό ἴσος τῆς ψυχῆς σκάνδαλα ἡμῶν γίνωνται, μὴ φεισώμεθα, ἀλλὰ ἐκκόψαντες αὐτοὺς ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν, βάλωμεν ἔξω τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν, ὼς οὐκ οἰκείους, ἀλλὰ πολεμίους ἡμῶν τῇ σωτηρίᾳ· ὅστις γὰρ οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα,ἢ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα, ὅτε καιρός ἐστιν αὐτὰ μισεῖν, ὡς πολέμια καὶ ἐπίβουλα, ἵνα δυνηθῇ κερδῆσαι Χριστὸν, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος τοῦ Υίοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦʼ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων τέ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐκ περιστάσεως οἱονεὶ χωλός τις σώζεται ἀπολέσας πόδα, φέρε εἰπεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ μόνος κληρονομῶν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ κυλλὸς σώζεται, μὴ σωζομένου αὐτῷ τοῦ πατρὸς, ἀλλʼ ἐκείνων μὲν ἀπολλυμένων, αὐτοῦ δὲ χω· ριζομένου ἐκείνων, ἵνα μόνος τύχῃ τῶν μακαρισμῶν· οὕτω δὲ καί μονόμματός τις σώζεται, τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ οίκίας ἐκκόψας, τὴν γαμετὴν πορνεύσασαν, ἵνα μὴ δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχων ἀπέλθῃ εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός. ### English translation (Claude) These sayings can also be applied to those most closely related to us, who are, as it were, our members because of our great closeness to them, whether of kinship or of what I may call friendly intimacy; they are regarded as our members, but we must not spare them when they harm our soul. Let us cut off from ourselves, as a hand or a foot or an eye, a father or mother who want us to do things contrary to godliness, and a son or daughter who, as far as lies with them, draw us away from the church of Christ and from his love. Even if the wife in our bosom, or the friend who is as our own soul, becomes a stumbling-block to us, let us not spare them, but cutting them off from ourselves let us cast them out of our soul, as not our own but as enemies of our salvation. For whoever does not hate father or mother, and the rest that follows, when it is time to hate them as hostile and treacherous, so that he may be able to gain Christ, is not worthy of the Son of God. And in these cases it may be said that, through force of circumstances, someone is saved as it were lame, having lost a foot (say, his brother), and he alone inherits the kingdom of God; and someone is saved maimed, his father not being saved along with him, but they perishing and he being separated from them, so that he alone obtains the blessings; and so too someone is saved one-eyed, having cut out the eye of his own house, his wife who had committed sexual immorality, so that he may not go with two eyes into the Gehenna of fire. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:9: quotation, high confidence - Deut 13:6: quotation, high confidence - Luke 14:26: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:37: allusion, high confidence - Phil 3:8: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:8–9; Deut 13:6 (“the wife in your bosom, the friend who is as your own soul”); Luke 14:26; Matt 10:37; Phil 3:8 (“gain Christ”). The last example, cutting out “the eye of his own house, his wife who had committed sexual immorality” (πορνεύσασαν), is translated exactly; Origen does not say here what form the separation takes. On Matt 19:9 see Origen's discussion in book 14. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.25 (PG 13:1160d–1161c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-26 - Source: PG 13:1161c–1165c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains smallness and greatness of soul as matters of free choice, and suggests that the little ones are cared for by angels while the perfect are cared for by the Lord himself. ### Greek text ‹ Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἐνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. ι Δοκεῖ μοι, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις σώμασίν ἐστι μεγέθη διάφορα, ῶς τινας μὲν εἶναι μικροὺς, ἐτέρους δὲ μεγάλους, καὶ ἄλλους μεταξύ · καὶ πάλιν εἶναι μικρῶν διαφορὰς ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἢ ἔλαττον ὅντων μικρῶν, ὁμοίως καὶ μεγάλων, καὶ τῶν μεταξύ· οὕτως καὶ ὲν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχαῖς ἐστί τινα χαρακτηρίζοντα τὴν μικρότητα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἄλλα τὴν … μεγαλειότητα, καὶ … ἀνάλογον τοῖς σωματικοῖς,τὴν μεταξύτητα. Ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν σωμάτων οὐ παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοὺς σπερματικοὺς λόγους, ὁ μέν τις ἐστὶ βραχὺς καὶ μικρὸς, ὁ δὲ μέγας, ὁ δὲ μεταξύ ο ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ψυχῶν, καὶ τὸ ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, καὶ αἱ τοιαίδε πράξεις, καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἦθος τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχει τοῦ μέγαν τινὰ εἶναι, ἦ μικρὸν,ἢ ὲν τοῖς μεταξὺ τυγχάνειν· καὶ ἔστιν ὲκ τῶν ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, ἦτοι προκόπτειν τῇ ἡλικία ἐπιδιδόντα είς μέγεθος, ἢ μὴ προκόπτοντα εἶναι βραο χύν. Καὶ οὕτω γε ἀκούω περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀναλαβόντος ἀνθρωπίνην ψυχὴν, τό· ι '0 Ἰησοῦς προέκοπτεν. ι Ὠς γάρ ὲκ τοῦ ἐφʼ ἡμῖν τῆς ψυχῆς αὑτοῦ ἦν ἡ ὲν σοφίᾳ προκοπὴ καὶ χάριτι, οὕτω καὶ ὲν ἡλικίᾳ· καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολοςο ‹ Μέχρι καταντήσωμεν πάντες εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ι Καταντᾷν γὰρ εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ τοῦτον τέλειον, κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον νομιστέον τὸν διαβάντα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου, καὶ φθάσαντα ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ καταργήσαντα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς τελειώσαντα τὰ τοῦ ἀνδρός* οὕτω δʼ ὑποληπτέον εἶναί τι καὶ μέτρον πνευματικῆς ἡλικίας, ἐφʼ ὃ ἡ τελειοτάτη δύναται φθάσαι ψυχὴ ἐκ τοῦ μεγαλύνειν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ μεγάλη γίνεσθαι. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ μεγάλοι μὲν, περὶ ὧν τοῦτʼἁναγέγραπται, γεγόνασιν, Ἰσαὰκ. καὶ Μωῦσῆς, καὶ Ἰωάννης, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὁ Σωτήρ* καὶ γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ Σωτὴρ εἷπε τό· «Ἔσται μέγας ο ι μικροὶ δὲ, ι τά ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη, λογικὸν, ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθοῦντα, ι οἵτινες καὶ τῶν παρὰ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ λεγομένων τιθηνῶν δέονται καὶ τρο· φῶν, λέγοντι περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ὲθνῶν κλήσεως · ι Καὶ ἄξουσι τοὺς υἱοὺς ὲν κόλπῳ, τὰς δὲ θυγατέρας ἐπὶ τῶν ῶμων άροῦσι ο καὶ έσονται βασιλεῖς τιθηνοί σου. αἱ δὲ άρχουσαι αὐτῶν τροφοί σου( ι Ἐπιστὴσεις οὖν διὰ ταῦτα καὶ τῷ* ‹ Μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν, ι μήποτε οί ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν οἱ ἄγοντες αὐτούς εἰσιν ὲν κόλπῳ, ὲπᾰν ὦσιν υἱοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲπὶ τῶν ὤμων αἴροντες τὰς λεγομένας θυγατέρας, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων εἰσὶ τιθηνοὶ μὲν οἱ λεγόμενοι βασιλεῖς, τροφοὶ δὲ αἱ ὀνομαζόμεναι ἄρχουσαι. Καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ δεικνύμεέ νοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μικροὶ ὡς ὑπὸ τροφῶν καὶ τιθηνῶν οἱκονομοῦνται, διὰ τοῦτʼ οἶμαι καὶ Μωϋσέα πιστεύοντα ἐν τῇ τῶν μεγάλων ἤδη τετάχθαι χώρᾳ, εἰρηκέναι πρὸς τό ο ι '0 ἄγγελός μου προπορεύσεται ὑμῶν, ι τό· ι El μὴ αὐτὸς συμπορεύῃ μετʼ ἐμοῦ, μή με ἀναγάγῃς ἐντεῦθεν· ι εἴπερ γὰρ ό μικρδς μὲν καὶ κληρονόμος ᾖ, νήπιος δὲ ὡς μηδὲν διαφέρων δούλου, ὅτε ἐστὶ νήπιος, καὶ μικρός ἐστι ι τὸ τῆς δουλείας εἰς φόβον ἔχει πνεῦμα ο ι ὁ δὲ μηο δαμῶς ἔτι τοιοῦτος, οὐκέτι μὲν τὸ τῆς δουλείας, ἤδη δὲ τὸ τῆς υἱοθεσίας, ὅτε ι ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ι δῆλον ἔσται σοι, ὃτι κατὰ ταῦτα παρεμβάλλειν λέγεται ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοὸουμένων αὑτὸν, καὶ ῥύεσθαι αὐτούς. Ἐπιστήσεις δὲ κατὰ ταῦτα καὶ εἰ μικρῶν μέν εἰσιν ἄγγελοι πνεύματι δουλείας τῶν εἰς φόβον ἀγομένων, ἐπεὶ παρεμβάλλει ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὑτὸν, καὶ ῥύεται αὐτούςʼ μεγάλων δὲ ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων μείζων Κύριος, ὅστις λέγοι ἂν περὶ ἑνὸς ἑκάστου αὐτῶν τόʼ ι Μετʼ αὑτοῦ εἰμι ὲν θλίψει, ι κα). ὅσον ἐσμὲν ἁτελεῖς, καὶ δεόμενοι τοῦ βοηθοῦντος ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ ρυσθῆναι ἀπὸ κακῶν, ἀγγέλου δεόμεθα περὶ οὖ ἔλεγεν 6 ’ἰακὼὸ τό· ι '0 ἄγγελος ό ρυόμενός με ὲκ πάντων τῶν κακῶνο ι τελειωθέντες δὲ, καὶ διελθόντες τὸ ὑπὸ τιθηνοὺς εἶναι, καὶ τροφοὺς οίκονόμους, καὶ ὲπιτρόπους, χωροῦμεν ἤδη ὑπʼ αὐτῷ οἰκονομεῖσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ. ### English translation (Claude) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones.” It seems to me that, just as among human bodies there are different sizes, so that some are small, others large, and others in between, and again there are differences among the small, some being more and some less small, and likewise among the large and those in between, so also in the souls of human beings there are things that mark their smallness, and others that mark their greatness, and, analogously to bodies, their in-between state. But with bodies it is not through any cause in the person, but through the seminal principles, that one is short and small, another large, another in between; whereas with souls, what lies in our power, and particular actions, and a particular character, are the cause of someone's being great or small or being among those in between. And it lies within our power either to advance in stature, growing into greatness, or, by not advancing, to remain short. It is in this way too that I understand the words about the Saviour, who took a human soul, “Jesus advanced.” For just as his advance in wisdom and grace came from the free choice of his soul, so also his advance in stature. And the Apostle says: “Until we all attain to the perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” For attaining to the man, and to the perfect man, must be understood of the inner man, who has passed through the things of the infant and reached manhood, and has done away with the things of the infant, and, in short, has brought to completion the things of the man. So too we must suppose that there is a measure of spiritual stature, to which the most perfect soul can attain by magnifying the Lord and becoming great. In this way, then, those of whom this is recorded became great: Isaac, Moses, John, and above all the Saviour himself; for of him too it was said, “He will be great.” But little ones are “the newborn babes, longing for the rational, pure milk,” who also need the nurses and foster-fathers spoken of in Isaiah, which says concerning the calling of the Gentiles, “And they will bring your sons in their bosom, and carry your daughters on their shoulders; and kings will be your foster-fathers, and their princesses your nurses.” On this account, then, you will consider, in connection with “Do not despise one of the little ones,” whether their angels are those who bring them in the bosom when they are sons, and also carry on their shoulders those called daughters; and of these, the so-called kings are foster-fathers, and those named princesses are nurses. And since the little ones pointed out by our Saviour are cared for as by nurses and foster-fathers, it is for this reason, I think, that Moses, believing that he was already ranked among the great, said in reply to “My angel will go before you”: “If you yourself do not go with me, do not bring me up from here.” For if the little one, even though an heir, is an infant, differing in no way from a slave while he is an infant, and is small, he has “the spirit of slavery leading to fear”; but the one who is no longer such at all has no longer the spirit of slavery but now that of adoption, when “perfect love casts out fear.” It will then be clear to you that it is in accordance with this that the angel of the Lord is said to encamp around those who fear him and to deliver them. You will consider, accordingly, whether the little ones, who are led to fear by a spirit of slavery, have angels, since the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them; while the great have the Lord, who is greater than the angels, who might say of each one of them, “I am with him in affliction.” So long as we are imperfect, and need someone to help us to be delivered from evils, we need an angel, of whom Jacob said, “The angel who delivers me from all evils”; but when we have been perfected, and have passed beyond being under nurses and foster-fathers, stewards and guardians, we advance to being cared for by the Lord himself. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:10: quotation, high confidence - Luke 2:52: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:13: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: allusion, high confidence - Luke 1:46: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 1:32: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 49:22: quotation, high confidence - Isa 49:23: quotation, high confidence - Exod 23:20: quotation, high confidence - Exod 33:15: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:1: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:2: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:18: quotation, high confidence - Ps 34:7 (33:8 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 91:15 (90:15 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gen 48:16: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:10; Luke 2:52; Eph 4:13, 16; 1 Cor 13:11; Luke 1:46; Gen 26:13; Exod 11:3; Luke 1:15, 32; 1 Pet 2:2; Isa 49:22–23; Exod 23:20 (32:34); Exod 33:15; Gal 4:1–2; Rom 8:15; 1 John 4:18; Ps 34:7 (33:8 LXX); Ps 91:15 (90:15 LXX); Gen 48:16. The scan text says that “the Saviour” said “He will be great”; the words are Gabriel's (Luke 1:32), and ANF 9 translates “Gabriel said”; the scan reading is probably an error and the translation follows the sense. A few garbled words in the first sentence are marked “…” in the corrected text; the sense (“others that mark their greatness”) is clear from the context. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.26 (PG 13:1161c–1165c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-26). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-27 - Source: PG 13:1165d–1168b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks whether the guardian angels of the little ones take charge of them from their baptism or from their birth, and cites texts that favour birth. ### Greek text Εἶτα πάλιν ζητήσειεν ἄν τις, πότε τῶν δεικνυμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος μικρῶν οἱ λεγόμενοι αὐτῶν ἄγγελοι. προΐστανται, πότερον δεξάμενοι τὴν οἰκονομίαν περὶ αὐτοὺς διοικεῖν, ἀφʼ οὗ διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, ᾧ ἐγενήθησαν ι ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη, τὸ λογικὸν καὶ ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθοῦσι, ι καὶ μηκέτι ὑποκείμενοι πονηρᾷ τινι δυνάμει· ἦ ἀπὸ γενέσεως κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόγνωσιν καὶ τὸν προορισμὸν αὺτοῦ ἐπιταχθέντας τούτους ι οὓς καὶ προέγνω καὶ προώρισεν ἐσομένους ι συμμόρφους τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ ι 6 Θεός. Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸ ἀπὸ γενέσεως ἔχειν ἀγγέλους εἴποι τις ταῦτα, τό · ι Ἀφορίσας με ὲκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, ι καὶ τόν ι Ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου σύ μου εἶ σκεπαστής,» καί· ι Ἀντελάὁετό μου ὲκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, ι καίο ι Ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπερρίφην ὲκ μήτρας, ι καὶ ὲν τῇ Ἰούδα Ἐπιστολῇ. ι Τοῖς ὲν Θεῷ Πατρὶ ἠγαπημένοις, καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τετηρημένοις κλητοῖς, ι πάντως ὑπὸ τῶν τηρούντων ἀγγέλων. ### English translation (Claude) Then again someone might ask when the so-called angels of the little ones pointed out by the Saviour take charge of them: whether they received the charge of administering them from the time when, through the washing of regeneration by which they were born, “as newborn babes, they long for the rational and pure milk,” and are no longer subject to any evil power; or from birth, these angels having been appointed by God, according to his foreknowledge and predestination, over those “whom” God “also foreknew and predestined” to be “conformed to the glory of Christ.” In favour of having angels from birth one might cite these words: “who set me apart from my mother's womb”; and “From my mother's womb you are my protector”; and “He took hold of me from my mother's womb”; and “Upon you I was cast from the womb”; and in the Epistle of Jude, “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ,” surely kept by the guardian angels. ### Scripture references - Titus 3:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:29: quotation, high confidence - Gal 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 71:6 (70:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 22:10 (21:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Jude 1:1: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 2:2; Rom 8:29; Gal 1:15; Ps 71:6 (70:6 LXX); Ps 22:9–10 (21:10–11 LXX); Jude 1. The third quotation (“He took hold of me from my mother's womb”) has not been identified with certainty; it resembles Ps 71:6 and Isa 49:1. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.27 (PG 13:1165d–1168b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-18/#p-13-27). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-28 - Source: PG 13:1168c–1172a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen sets out views on when guardian angels take charge (from baptism, or even an angel converted along with its human charge), and answers an objection from Acts 12 about Peter's angel. ### Greek text Πρὸς δὲ τόο ι Ὅτε διὰ λουτροῦ γέγονα ἐν Χριστῷ νήπιος, ι μὴ παρεῖναι ἅγιον ἄγγελον τοῖς ἐτι κακίᾳ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀπιστίας ὑπὸ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις εἶναι τοῦ Σατανᾶ· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἀναγέννησιν 6 τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος ἐξαγοράσας ἡμᾶς παραδίδωσιν ἁγίῳ ἀγγέλῳ, καὶ διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα βλέποντι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ τρίτος δʼ ἀν τις τοιοῦτος εἴη κατὰ τὸν τόπον λόγος φάσκων, ὅτι δυνατὸν, ὥσπερ μεταβάλλειν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ ἀπιστίας είς πίστιν, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀκολασίας είς σωφροσύνην, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετὴν, οὕτω καὶ τὸν ἐγκεχειρισμένον ἅμα γενέσει ψυχήν τινα, κατὰ μὲν τὰς ἀρχὰς φαῦλον εἶναι δύνασθαι, ὕστερον δέ ποτε ἀνάλογον τῷ πιστεύοντι πιστεύειν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προκόπτειν, ὡς γενέσθαι αὑτὸν ἄγγελον ἕνα τῶν διὰ παντὸς βλεπόντων τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός· ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ χρόνου τῷ προγνωσθέντι κατὰ τόνδε τὸν χρόνον πιστεύειν, καὶ προορισθέντι συζεύγνυται, τῶν ἀρρήτων κριμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξερευνήτων, καὶ ἀβύσσοις ἐοικότων εἰκότως πᾶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην ἁρμονίαν συναγαγόντων, ἀγγέλους πρὸς ἀνθρώπους. Δυνατὺν δὲ καὶ ὥσπερ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς ἀμφοτέρων ἀπίστων, ὁτὲ μὲν ὁ ἀνὴρ πρότερον πιστεύσας τῷ χρόνῳ σώζει τὴν γυναῖκα · ὁτὲ δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ἀρξαμένη ὕστερόν ποτε πείθει τὸν ἄνδρα, οὕτω γίνεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐπʼ ἄλλων γίνεται ἀγγέλων τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἢ μὴ, κα) αὐτὸς ἐξετάσειςο μήποτε δὲ οὐχ ἁρμόζει περὶ τοῦ ἑκάστου ἀγγέλου τὸ τοιοῦτο λέγειν, τοσοῦτον τετιμημένου κατά τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν λόγον, ὥστε διὰ παντὸς αὐτὸν βλέπειν λέγεσθαι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω ἐλέγομεν τῶν μὲν μικρῶν εἶναι ἀγγέλους, διεληλυθέναι δὲ τὴν τοιαύτην τάξιν τοὺς μεγάλους, ἀντερεῖ τις ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν Πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων, ἔνθα γέγραπται, ὅτι Ῥόδη παιδίσκη τις τοῦ Πέτρου κρούσαντος τὴν θύραν προσῆλθεν ὑπακοῦσαι, καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ Πέτρου, εἰσδραμοῦσα ἀπήγγειλεν ἑστάναι τὸν Πέτρον πρὸ τοῦ πυλῶνος ο θαυμάσαντες δὲ οἱ ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ συνηθροισμένοι, καὶ ὠσπερεὶ ἀδύνατον εἶναι νομίσαντες τὸν Πέτρον ἀληθῶς ἑστηκέναι, ἔλεγον, δτι ὁ ἄγγελος αὐτοῦ ἐστι ’.φήσει γὰρ, ὅτι ἅπαξ μαθόντες ἐκεῖνοι ἕκαστον τῶν πιστευόντων ἔχειν ἄγγελον τόνδε τινὰ, ᾔδεισαν καὶ Πέτρου τινὰ εἶναι ἄγγελον. ’0 δὲ παριστάμενος οἷς προειρήκαμεν φήσει, ὃτι οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι δόγμα τὸν τῆς Ῥόδης λόγον, τάχα δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἡκριβωκότων πότε μὲν ὑπʼ ἀγγέλων τῷ ὼς μικρός τις, καὶ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεὸν οἰκονομεῖται, πότε δὲ ἠδη ὑπʼ αύτῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Μετά ταῦτα είς κατασκευὴν τοῦ ὡς ὲξειλήφαμεν νοεῖσθαι τὸν μικρὸν λεχθήσεται, ὅτι οὑ δεόμεθα μὲν ἐντολῆς τῆς περὶ τοῦ μὴ κατα· φρονεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν μεγάλων, χρῄζομεν δὲ αὑτῆς ἐπὶ τῶν μικρῶν· διὸ οὑχ ἁπλῶς εἴρηταιο ι Μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τούτων, ι δεικνυμένων πάντων τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀλλʼ ι ἑνὸς τούτων τῶν μικρῶν, ι δεικνυμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ βλέποντος μικρότητα καὶ μεγαλότητα ψυχῆς. _ ### English translation (Claude) In favour of the view expressed in “From the time I became an infant in Christ through the washing,” one might say that a holy angel is not present to those who are still in wickedness, but that during the time of unbelief they are under the angels of Satan; while after the new birth the one who redeemed us with his own blood hands us over to a holy angel, who because of his purity sees the face of God. A third account of the passage might be one which says this: it is possible that, just as a human being changes from unbelief to faith, and from licentiousness to self-control, and in short from vice to virtue, so also the angel entrusted with a soul at its birth may at first be bad, but later at some time believe as the believer does, and advance so far as to become one of the angels who always see the face of the Father in heaven. Beginning from this time, he is joined to the one who was foreknown to believe at this time and was predestined; for the ineffable and unsearchable judgments of God, which fittingly resemble abysses, have brought together all such harmony, angels with human beings. It is possible too that, just as with a husband and wife who are both unbelievers, sometimes the husband believes first in time and saves the wife, and sometimes the wife begins and later at some time persuades the husband, so it may happen also with angels and human beings. Whether this happens in the case of other angels or not, you will examine for yourself; but perhaps it is not fitting to say such a thing of the angel of each of the little ones, so highly honoured according to our Saviour's word that he is said always to see the face of the Father in heaven. And since we said above that the little ones have angels, while the great have passed beyond such an order, someone will object to us from the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written that when Peter knocked at the door a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer, and, recognizing Peter's voice, ran in and reported that Peter was standing before the gate; and those gathered in the house, amazed and thinking it impossible that Peter was really standing there, said, “It is his angel.” For he will say that they, having once learned that each believer has a particular angel, knew that Peter too had an angel. But one who supports what we have said will say that Rhoda's word is not necessarily doctrine, and that perhaps they had not understood precisely when someone is cared for by angels as a little one who fears God, and when he is now cared for by the Lord himself. After this, to establish that “little one” is to be understood as we have taken it, it will be said that we do not need a commandment not to despise the great, but we do need it in the case of the little ones. That is why it is not said simply, “Do not despise one of these,” as if all the disciples were being pointed to, but “one of these little ones,” pointed out by him who sees the smallness and greatness of the soul. ### Scripture references - Titus 3:5: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Pet 1:19: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 18:10: allusion, high confidence - Rom 11:33: allusion, high confidence - Ps 36:6 (35:7 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 7:16: allusion, medium confidence - Acts 12:13: allusion, high confidence - Acts 12:14: allusion, high confidence - Acts 12:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 1:18–19; Matt 18:10; Rom 11:33; Ps 36:6 (35:7 LXX); 1 Cor 7:16; Acts 12:13–15. The opening words (“From the time I became an infant in Christ through the washing”) state a view, not a Scripture quotation. The suggestion that a guardian angel might itself first be bad and later believe is offered tentatively and then doubted by Origen; it is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.28 (PG 13:1168c–1172a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-28). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-29 - Source: PG 13:1172a–1173a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen gives another view, that the “little ones” are the perfect who humble themselves, even apostles and bishops, and notes that even the righteous can fall. ### Greek text Ἀλλος δʼ ἂν λέγοι μικρὸν ὲν τούτοις λέγεσθαι τὸν τέλειον, συγχρώμενος τῷ · ι '0 γὰρ μικρότερος ὲν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων, οὗτός ἐστι μέγας, ι καὶ φήσει, ὅτι ό ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν, καὶ γινόμενος νήπιος ὲν μέσῳ πάντων πιστευόντων, κᾶν ἀπόστολος, κᾶν ἐπίσκοπος ᾖ, καὶ γινόμενος ι τοιοῦτος ὡς ἂν τροφὸς θάλπη τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα, ι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ δεικνύμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μικρὸς, καὶ ἄξιόν γε τοῦ τοιούτου ἄγγελον εἷναι βλέποντα τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ μικροὺς λέγειν ἐνταῦθα τοὺς τελείους κατὰ τό· ι '0 γὰρ μικρότερος ὲν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων, οὑτός ἐστι μέγας, ι καὶ ὼς ό Παῦλος εἶπε τό ’ ι Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αῦτη, ι δόξει μὲν συνᾴδειν τῷ · ι Ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, υ καὶ τῷ· ‹ Οῦτως οὑκ ἐστι θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς, ίνα ἀπόλοιτο εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ι ό γὰρ, ὡς ἀποδέδοται, νῦν μικρὸς οὑ σκανδαλισθείη, οὐδʼ ἀπόλοιτʼ ἄν· ι Εἰρήνη γὰρ πολλὴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὑκ ἔστιν αὑτοῖς σκάνδαλονυ ι καὶ οὑκ ἂν ἀπόλοιτο ὁ πάντων μικρότερος ὲν πᾶσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς Χριστοῦ ὑπάρχων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γινόμενος μέγας καὶ ἐπεὶ οὑκ ἂν ἀπόλοιτο, λέγοι ἂν τό · ι τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἀλλʼ ό βουλόμενος τὴν τελευταίαν ταύτην κρατεῖν διήγησιν φήσει, ὅτι μεταπτωτή ὲστι καὶ ἡ τοῦ δικαίου ψυχὴ, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ καὶ ό ’ῐεζεκιὴλ λέγων τὸν δίκαιον ἀφίστασθαι δύνασθαι τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς μὴ λογισθῆναι αὐτῷ τὴν προτέραν δικαιοσύνην ο ε τοῦτο λέγεται · ι Ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, ι καὶ τόο ι Ούκ ἔστι θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. ι Τὰ δὲ περὶ τῶν ἑκατὸν προβάτων ἔχεις εἰς τὰς κατὰ Λουκᾶν ὁμιλίας. ### English translation (Claude) Another might say that “little one” here means the perfect, making use of “For he who is least among you all, he is great.” He will say that the one who humbles himself and becomes an infant among all believers, even if he is an apostle or a bishop, and becomes “as a nurse cherishing her own children,” is the little one pointed out by Jesus, and that it is fitting that such a person's angel should see the face of God. For calling the perfect “little ones” here, in line with “For he who is least among you all, he is great,” and with Paul's words, “To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given,” will seem to agree with “Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble” and with “So it is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” For the one who is now little in the sense explained would not be made to stumble, nor would he perish: “For great peace have those who love the name of God, and there is no stumbling-block for them”; and the one who is least among all the disciples of Christ, and for that reason becomes great, would not perish; and since he would not perish, he might say, “Who shall separate us from the love,” and what follows. But the one who wishes to hold this last interpretation will say that even the soul of the righteous is liable to fall, as Ezekiel too testifies when he says that the righteous man can turn away from God's commandments, so that his former righteousness is not reckoned to him; and so it is said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble,” and “It is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” As for the hundred sheep, you have it in the Homilies on Luke. ### Scripture references - Luke 9:48: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:10: allusion, high confidence - Eph 3:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:14: quotation, high confidence - Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:35: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:12: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Origen, Hom. Luc. (Homilies on Luke): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 9:48; 1 Thess 2:7; Matt 18:10; Eph 3:8; Matt 18:6, 14; Ps 119:165 (118:165 LXX; Origen says “the name of God” where the Psalm has “your law”); Rom 8:35; Ezek 18:24; Matt 18:12–13. Origen refers to his own Homilies on Luke for the parable of the hundred sheep. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.29 (PG 13:1172a–1173a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-29). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-30 - Source: PG 13:1173a–1177d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen discusses whether Matthew's steps of reproof apply to all sins or only lesser ones, notes that the Gospel leaves undecided the fate of one who does not listen, and urges repentance after any number of sins. ### Greek text ι Ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ ό ἀδελφός σου, ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὑτὸν μεταξύ σου καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου. ι '0 μὲν ἐπ ρεισάμενος τῇ λέξει, ὑπερβάλλουσαν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παριστὰς, φήσει, ὅτι, τῶν ῥητῶν διαφορὰν ἁμαρτημάτων οὐχ ὑποβαλλόντων, περισσὸν ποιοῦσι καὶ παρὰ τὴν χρηστότητα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οἱ προι υπακούοντες ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἁμαρτημάτων τοῦ· χώραν ἔχειν λέγεσθαιο ἄλλος δέ τις καὶ τῇ λέξει ὲπ ρειδόμενος, καὶ μὴ ἔξωθεν προσυπακούειν θέλοι ταῦτα, μήτε περὶ παντὸς ἁμαρτήματος λέγεσθαι φήσει, ὅτι τὰ μεγάλα ἐκεῖνα ἁμαρτάνων, οὐδὲ ἀδελφός ἐστι, ἀλλʼ εἰ ἄρα ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος, ὥς φη σιν ὁ Ἀπόστολοςο ι Ἐὰν δέ τις ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζε μενος, ἦ πόρνος, ἣ πλεονέκτης, ἢ εἰδωλολάτρης, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ι τῷ τοιούτῳ μηδὲ συνεσθίειν οὐδεὶς γὰρ εἰδωλολάτρης ἀδελφὸς, οὐδὲ πόρνος, οὐδὲ πλεονέκτης ’ εἰ γὰρ ἔχει τι τούτων δοκῶν φορε τὸ Χριστοῦ ὖνομα ἀδελφὸς ὀνομαζόμενος, ἀλλʼ ού ἁδελφὸς ἐνδίκως ἂν λέγοιτο. Ὥσπερ οῦν φαντασίας τοῦ εἰς ὑπερβολὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιεικείας ἀφορμὴν παρεῖχεν ὁ ἐπὶ παντὸς ἁμαρτήματος λέγων τά τοι αῦτα εἰρῆσθαι, κᾶν φόνος τὸ άμάρτημα,ἧ φαρμα κία, ἢ παιδοφθορία, ἦ τι τῶν τηλικούτων · οὕτως ὲ τοῦ ἐναντίου ό τὸν ’ἀδελφὸν διαστειλάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνομαζομένου ἀδελφοῦ, διδάξαι ἂν ἐπὶ ἐλάττοσι τῶ ἀνθρωπίνων ἁμαρτημάτων μὴ ἐπιστρέψαντα μετ τὸν ἔλεγχον, ὡς ὲθνικδν καὶ τελώνην λογισθῆναι ὲπ ἁμαρτήμασι τοῖς μὴ t πρὸς θάνατον, › ἢ ὡς ὠνόμασεν ὲν Ἀριθμοῖς ὁ νόμος, τοῖς μὴ θανατηφόροις ὅπερ δόξαι ἂν ὠμότερον τυγχάνειν · ού γὰρ οἶμαι τε χέως εὑρεθήσεσθαί τινα τὸν μὴ τρὶς ἐπὶ τῷ αύτι εἴδει τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐλεγχθέντα, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, λοιδορίᾳ καθʼ ἢν οἱ λοιδοροῦντες δυσφημοῦσι τοὺς πέλας, ι τε θυμούμενοι, ἢ πολυποσίᾳ, ἢ λόγῳ ψευδεῖ ἢ ἀργῷ, ἢ τινι τῶν ὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς. Ζητήσεις οὖν μή· ποτε λανθάνει τις κατά τὸν τόπον τήρησις καὶ τοὺς φαντασίᾳ τῆς τοῦ Λόγου χρηστότητος καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τὰ μέγιστα ἡμαρτηκότας τὸ συγγνωμονικὸν διδόντας, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις διδάσκοντας λογίζεσθαι ὡς ὲθνικὸν καὶ τελώνην, τὸν μετά τρὶς τὰ Βραχύτερα ἡμαρτηκότα ἀλλότριον ποιοῦντας τῆς Ἐκκλησίας · τὸ δὲ λανθάνον ἑκατέρους τοιοῦτόν μοι φαίνεται · τό ο ι Ἐκὲρδησας τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, ι ἐπὶ τοῦ μόνου ἀκούσαντος τάξας ό Λόγος, οὐκέτι αὐτὸ rem ἐπὶ τοῦ δεύτερον ἥ τρίτον πταίσαντος, καὶ ὲλεγχθένο, τος, ἀλλʼ ὡσπερεὶ μετέωρον εἴασε τὸ ἀνάλογον uir ι Ἐκέρδησας τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, ι λεχθησόμενον περὶ τοῦ δεύτερον ἢ τρίτον ἐλεγχθέντος. Ού πάντως οὖν κερδαίνεται οὐδὲ πάντως ἀπολεῖται, ἦ πληγὰς λήψεται. Καὶ πρόσχες ἐπιμελῶς τῷ πρώτῳ μὲν λέγοντιο ι Ἐάν σου ἀκούσῃ, ἐκέρδησας τὸν ἀδελφόν σουο ι τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ κατά τὴν λέξιν τόπῳ φάσκοντι· (Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο, ἴνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα. ι Τί οὖν μετὰ τὸ σταθῆναι πᾶν ῥῆμα ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων ἔσται τῷ δεύτερον νουθετηθέντι, ἡμῖν ἐννοεῖν καταλέλοιπε · καὶ πάλινο ι Ἐὰν παρακούσῃ αὐτῶν, ι δῆλον δʼ ὅτι τῶν παραληφθέντων μαρτύρων, ι εἶπον, φησὶ, τῇ Ἐκκλησία· ι καὶ οὐκ εἷπε τί πείσεται, ὲάν μὴ ἀκούσῃ τῆς Ἑκκλησίας, ἀλλʼ ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι ἐὰν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ, δεῖ αὑτὸν εἶναι τῷ τρὶς νουθετήσαντι, καὶ μὴ ἀκουσθέντι πρὸς τὺ λοιπὸν ὡς τὸν ἐθνικὸν καὶ τελώνην· οὐ πάντως οὖν κερδαίνεται, οὐδὲ πάντως ἀπολεῖται· ἀλλʼ ὃ τι ποτὲ πείσεται ό τὸ πρότερον μὲν μὴ ἀκούσας, μαρτύρων δὲ δεηθεὶς, ἢ καὶ τούτων παρακούσας, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν δὲ ἀχθεὶς, ὁ Θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη · ἡμεῖς γὰρ οὐκ ἀποφαινόμεθα κατὰ τό· ι Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Κύριος, ὃς καὶ φωτίσει τὰ κρυπτά τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν. ι Πρὸς δὲ τὸ δοκοῦν σκληρὸν πρὸς τοὺς τά ὲλάττονα ἡμαρτηκότας εἴποι τις ἂν, ὃτι οὐκ ἔξεστι, δὶς ἑξῆς μὴ ἀκούσαντα, ch τρίτον ἀκοῦσαι, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο μηκέτι εἶναι ὡς ὲθνιυ κδν καὶ τελώνην, ἢ μηκέτι δεηθῆναι τοῦ ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐλέγχου· χρὴ γὰρ μεμνῆσθαι τοῦθ ι Οὕτως οὐκ ἔστι θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἵνα ἀπόληται εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· ι καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ ι δεῖ τοὺς πάντας ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ. ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον, ι χρὴ ὅση δύναμις τὰ παρʼ αὑτὸν ποιεῖν, ἵνα μὴ περὶ πλειόνων κομίσηται φαύλων διὰ τοῦ σώματος πεπραγμένων, κᾶν μέλλῃ περὶ πάντων ὧν εποίησε χειρόνων ἀπολαμβάνειν · φιλοτιμητέον δὲ περ) πλειόνων εὐποιιῶν μισθὸν κομίσασθαι, ἐπεὶ ι ᾧ μέτρῳ μετροῦμεν, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ἡμῖν, r καί* ι Κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν συμβήσεται ἡμῖν, ι καὶ οὐκ ἀπειροπλάσια μὲν, ἦτοι δὲ διπλάσια ἢ ἑπταπλάσια λήψονται οἱ ἡμαρτηκότες ὲκ χειρὸς Κυρίου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὅταν μὴ καὶ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν τινι ἀποδίδοται, ἀλλὰ πλείονα ὧν πεποίηκεν· ι Ἰερουσαλὴμ ι γὰρ, ὡς ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἐδίδαξεν, ι ἐδέξατο ὲκ χειρὸς Κυρίου διπλᾶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῆςο ι οε δὲ γείτονες τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, οῖτινές ποτʼ ἂν ὦσιν, ὲπταπλάσια λήψονται κατὰ τὸ ὲν Ψαλμοῖς οὕτως εἰρημένον· ι Ἀπόδος τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν ἑπταπλασίονα εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτῶν, τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτῶν, ὃν ὡνείδισάν σε, Κύριε.» Καὶ ἄλλοι ἂν εὑρεθεῖεν τρόποι τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως, οὓς ἐὰν νοήσωμεν, εἰσόμεθα, ὅτι λυσιτελεῖ μεθʼ ὁποσαοῦν ἁμαρτὴ ματα μετανοεῖν, ἵνα πρὸς τῷ μὴ ’περὶ πλειόνων κολάζεσθαι ἡμᾶς καὶ περὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐλπίς τις ἡμῖν ὕστερόν ποτε τῶν πεπραγμένων ἀπολειφθῇ, κᾶν πρὸ αὐτῶν μυρία ὅσα ἐπταισμένα τινὶ ἄτοπον γὰρ τὰ μὲν χείρονα λογισθῆναί τινι, τὰ δὲ μετὰ τὰ χείρονα κρείττονα μηδὲν ὠφελεῖν, ἆπερ,καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τοῖς ἐπιμελῶς τηροῦσι τὰ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ῥητά ὲστι μαθεῖν. ### English translation (Claude) “If your brother sins, go, reprove him between you and him alone.” One who relies on the wording, and presents the surpassing kindness of Jesus, will say that, since the words do not suggest any distinction among sins, those who understand them as applying only to lesser sins add something superfluous and contrary to the goodness of Jesus. But another, also relying on the wording and not wishing to supply these things from outside, will say that it is not said of every sin, because one who commits those great sins is not even a brother, but at most is named a brother, as the Apostle says, “But if anyone named a brother is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater,” and what follows, “with such a one do not even eat.” For no idolater is a brother, nor a sexually immoral person, nor a greedy person; for if someone who seems to bear the name of Christ has any of these, he is named a brother, but would not justly be called a brother. Just as, then, the one who says that such things are said of every sin, even if the sin is murder or sorcery or the corruption of boys or any sin of such gravity, would give occasion to imagine an excessive leniency in Christ; so, on the other side, the one who distinguishes the brother from the one named a brother would teach that, for the lesser human sins, one who did not turn after the reproof is to be reckoned as a Gentile and a tax collector, for sins “not unto death,” or, as the law named them in Numbers, not deadly. And this might seem rather harsh; for I do not think anyone will easily be found who has not been reproved three times for the same kind of sin: for example, reviling, by which revilers speak ill of their neighbours when they are angry, or heavy drinking, or false or idle speech, or one of the other sins common among the many. You will inquire, then, whether something in the passage escapes notice, both by those who, imagining the goodness of the Word, grant pardon even to those who have committed the greatest sins, and by those who teach that for the least sins a person is to be reckoned as a Gentile and a tax collector, making the one who has sinned three times in lesser matters a stranger to the church. What escapes both seems to me to be this. The Word set “You have gained your brother” for the one who listened at the first reproof only, and no longer set it for the one who fell a second or third time and was reproved, but left in suspense, as it were, the corresponding “You have gained your brother,” which might be said of one reproved a second or third time. Such a one, then, is not certainly gained, nor will he certainly perish or receive stripes. Note carefully the first step, which says, “If he listens to you, you have gained your brother,” and the second step in the wording, which says, “But if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, so that every word may be established at the mouth of two or three witnesses.” What, then, will happen to the one admonished a second time, after every word has been established at the mouth of two or three witnesses, he has left to us to consider. And again: “If he refuses to listen to them” (clearly, to the witnesses who were brought), “tell it,” he says, “to the church.” He did not say what he will suffer if he does not listen to the church; but he taught that if he refuses to listen to the church, he must from then on be, to the one who admonished him three times and was not heard, as the Gentile and the tax collector. Such a one, then, is not certainly gained, nor will he certainly perish; but whatever will befall the one who did not listen at first, and needed witnesses, or refused to listen even to them and was brought before the church, God would know. For we do not pronounce judgment, in keeping with “Judge not, that you be not judged,” “until the Lord comes, who will also bring to light the things hidden in darkness and disclose the purposes of the hearts.” As for what seems harsh toward those who have committed the lesser sins, one might say that it is not impossible for one who twice in succession did not listen to listen the third time, so that for this reason he is no longer as a Gentile and a tax collector, or no longer needs the reproof before the whole church. For one must remember, “So it is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” And indeed, if “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or bad,” one must do what lies with oneself as far as one can, so as not to receive for more bad deeds done in the body, even if one is going to receive for all the worse things one has done; and one must strive to receive the reward for more good deeds, since “with the measure we measure it will be measured back to us,” and “According to the works of our hands it will happen to us.” And those who have sinned will receive their sins from the hand of the Lord not infinitely many times over, but either double or sevenfold, when someone is repaid not according to the works of his hands but more than he has done. For Jerusalem, as Isaiah taught, “received from the hand of the Lord double for her sins”; and the neighbours of Israel, whoever they may be, will receive sevenfold, according to what is said in the Psalms: “Repay to our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom the reproach with which they reproached you, O Lord.” Other modes of repayment might also be found; if we understand them, we shall know that it is profitable to repent after however many sins, so that, besides our not being punished for more, some hope of good may also be left to us from what we have done later, even if before that someone has stumbled countless times. For it is absurd that the worse things should be reckoned to someone, but the better things done after the worse should benefit him nothing, as those who carefully observe the sayings about such things can learn from Ezekiel too. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 5:16: allusion, high confidence - Num 18:22: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 12:47: allusion, low confidence - Matt 18:16: quotation, high confidence - Deut 19:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 4:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:14: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:10: quotation, high confidence - Isa 3:11: quotation, medium confidence - Isa 40:2: quotation, high confidence - Ps 79:12 (78:12 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:21: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 18:22: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:15–17; 1 Cor 5:11; 1 John 5:16–17; Num 18:22 (“deadly sin”); Luke 12:47 (stripes); Deut 19:15; Matt 7:1–2; 1 Cor 4:5; Matt 18:14; 2 Cor 5:10; Isa 3:11; Isa 40:2; Ps 79:12 (78:12 LXX); Ezek 18:21–22. Origen's discussion of how the church should treat sinners who do not heed reproof, and of graver sins (murder, sorcery, the corruption of boys), is translated exactly; he leaves the final judgment to God. The sentence beginning “one might say that it is not impossible” is garbled in the scan and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.30 (PG 13:1173a–1177d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-30). ## Commentary on Matthew 13.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-31 - Source: PG 13:1180a–1181a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies “whatever you bind on earth” to those who admonish a sinner three times, and argues that Peter's power of the keys extends to all the heavens while theirs extends to one. ### Greek text _ Καλῶς δέ μοι δοκεῖ συνῆφθαι τῷ μετὰ τὸ τρὶς νενουθετῆσθαι κριθέντι εἶναι ὡς ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης τόο ι Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ι δηλονότι τοῖς κρίνασιν είναί τινα ὼς ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης, καὶ ι ὃ ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς* δικαίως γὰρ ἔδησεν ὁ τρὶς νουθετήσας καὶ μὴ ἀκουσθεὶς τὸν κριθέντα εἶναι ὡς ἐθνικὸν καὶ τελώνην. Διόπερ ὁ τοιοῦτος, δεδεμένος καὶ δεδικασμένος ὐπὸ τοῦ τοιουδι μένει δεδεμένος, οὐδενὸς τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ ἀναλύοντος τοῦ δεδηκότος αὐτὸν τὴν ψῆφον. Οὐτω δὲ καὶ ὁ ἅπαξ νουθετηθεὶς ἄξια ποιήσας τοῦ κερδηθῆναι, λυθεὶς διὰ τῆς νουθεσίας κερδησαντος αὐτὸν, καὶ μη. κέτι σειραῖς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἑαυτοῦ περὶ ὧν ἐνουθετήθη δεδεμένος, λελυμένος κριθήσεται ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς· πλὴν τὰ ὲν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω μόνῳ τῷ Πέτρῳ δεδομένα ἔοικε δηλοῦσθαι δεδωκέναι πᾶσι τοῖς τὰς τρεῖς νουθεσίας προσαγαγοῦσι πᾶσι τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν, ἵνʼ, ὲάν μὴ ἁκουσθῶσι, δήσωσιν ἐπὶ γῆς τὸν κριθέντα εἰναι ὡς ἐθνικὸν καὶ τελώνην ὡς δεδεμένου τοῦ τοιούτου ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ ἐχρῆν, εί καὶ κοινόν τι ἐπὶ τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ τῶν νουθετησάντων τρὶς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς λέλεκται, ἐξαίρετον ἔχειν τὸν Πέτρον παρὰ τούς τρὶς νουθετήσαντας, ἰδίᾳ τοῦτο προτέτακται ἐπὶ τοῦ Πέτρου, τό· ι Δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖς τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι τοῦ· ι Καὶ ὅσα ἐὰν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καίτοι-τε εί ἐπιμελῶς προσέχομεν τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς γράμμασι, καὶ ἐν τούτοις εὕροιμεν ἂν καὶ κατὰ ταῦτα τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι κοινὰ πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον, καὶ τοὺς τρὶς νουθετήσαντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, πολλὴν διαφορὰν καὶ ὑπεροχὴν ἐκ τῶν ὃς τὸν Πέτρον εἰρημένων παρὰ τοὺς δευτέρους· οὐ γὰρ ὀλίγη διαφορὰ τὸν Πέτρον εἰληφέναι τὰς κλεῖδας οὐχ ἐνὸς ούρανοῦ, ἀλλὰ πλειόνων, καὶ ἵνα ὅσα εὰν δήσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, δεδεμένα ούκ ὲν ἐνὶ οὐρανῷ, ἀλλʼ ὲν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς, πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς δέον· τας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ λύοντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὥστε ταῦι τοι δεδέσθαι, καὶ λελύσθαι οὐκ ὲν οὐρανοῖς, ὡς ἐπὶ Πέτρου, ἀλλʼ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἑνί· οὐ γὰρ διαβαίνουσι τᾷ δυνάμει, ὡς Πέτρος, ἵνα δήσωσιν ἢ λύσωσιν ὲν πᾶσιε οὑρανοῖς. Ὅσῳ οὖν βελτίων 6 δεσμεύων, τοσοῦτος μακαριώτερος 6 λελυμένος, ὡς καὶ πανταχοῦ τῶι οὐρανῶν εἶναι αὐτοῦ τὸ λελύσθαι. ### English translation (Claude) It seems to me that “Truly I say to you” (clearly to those who judged someone to be as the Gentile and the tax collector) “whatever you bind on earth,” and what follows, is well joined to the case of one who, after being admonished three times, was judged to be as the Gentile and the tax collector. For the one who admonished three times and was not heard justly bound the one judged to be as a Gentile and a tax collector. Therefore such a person, bound and condemned by such a one, remains bound, since none of those in heaven undoes the sentence of the one who bound him. So too the one who was admonished once and did what made him worthy of being gained, being loosed through the admonition of the one who gained him, and no longer bound by the cords of his own sins for which he was admonished, will be judged loosed by those in heaven. It seems, however, that what was given above to Peter alone is shown here to have been given to all who bring the three admonitions to all who have sinned, so that, if they are not heard, they may bind on earth the one judged to be as a Gentile and a tax collector, such a one being bound in heaven. But since it was necessary, even if something common was said of Peter and of those who admonish the brothers three times, that Peter should have something special beyond those who admonish three times, this was set out specially for Peter beforehand: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” before “And whatever you bind on earth,” and what follows. And yet, if we attend carefully to the Gospel writings, we would find in them too, even in the things that seem to be common to Peter and to those who admonish the brothers three times, a great difference and pre-eminence in what was said to Peter compared with the second group. For it is no small difference that Peter received the keys not of one heaven but of several, and that whatever he binds on earth will be bound not in one heaven but in all of them, compared with the many who bind on earth and loose on earth, so that what they bind and loose is bound and loosed not in the heavens, as in Peter's case, but in one heaven; for they do not reach as far in power as Peter, so as to bind or loose in all the heavens. By as much, then, as the one who binds is better, by so much more blessed is the one who is loosed, so that his being loosed holds everywhere in the heavens. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:19: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:17–18; Matt 16:19. Origen's argument rests on the plural “heavens” in Matt 16:19 and the singular “heaven” in Matt 18:18; it is translated as written. A repeated phrase (dittography) in the scan text is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 13.31 (PG 13:1180a–1181a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-13-31). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-1 - Source: PG 13:1181c–1188c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains “agreement” from its musical sense, gives scriptural examples of two or three who agreed, and says that prayers go unanswered because believers do not agree in doctrine or in life. ### Greek text ε Πάλιν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι, ἐὰν δύο ὑμῶν συμφωνήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γενηθήσεται αὐτοῖς. ι κυρίως τὸ τῆς συμφωνίας ὄνομα τάσσεται ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν ἐν φωναῖς ἁρμονιῶν. Καὶ είσί γε παρὰ τοῖς μουσικοῖς φθόγγοι φθόγγοις σύμφωνοι, καὶ ἄλλοι διάφωνοι· οἶδε δὲ καὶ ὴ εύαγγελικὴ Γραφὴ τὸ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν τεταγμένον ἐν τῷ· ι Ἤκουσε συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶνʼ ι ἔπρεπε γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ ὲκ μετανοίας συμφωνία πρὸς τὸν πατέρα τοῦ ἀπὸ ἀπωλείας εὑρεθέντος υίοῦ ἀκουσθῆναι συμφωνίαν ἐπὶ τῇ εύφροσύνῃ τῆς οἰκίας. Τὸ δὲ τῆς συμφωνίας ὄνομα 6 φαῦλος οὐκ οἶδε Λάβαν, ὲν οἷς φησι πρὸς τὸν Ἰακώβ· ι Καὶ εί ἀνήγγειλάς μοι, ὲξαπέστειλα ἄν σε μετʼ εὐφροσύνης, καὶ μετὰ μουσικῶν, καὶ τυμπάνων, καὶ κιθάρας.) Ἀδελφὸν δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης συμφωνίας ὲν τῇ βʼ τῶν Βασιλειῶν γεγραμμένον, ἡνίκα ι οί ἀδελφοὶ ι τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰὸ ι ἐπορεύοντο ἔμπροσθεν τῆς κιβωτοῦ, καὶ Δαυῒδ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ παίζοντες ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ὲν ὀργάνοις ἠρμοσμένοις ὲν ίσχύῑ καὶ ᾠδαῖςο ι τὰ γὰρ ἡρμοσμένα δργανα ὲν ίσχύῖ καὶ ᾠδαῖς εἶχεν ὲν αὐτοῖς τὴν μουσικὴν συμφωνίαν, ἥτις τοσοῦτον δύναται, ὡς δύο μόνων μετὰ τῆς πρὸς τὴν θείαν μουσικὴν καὶ πνευματικὴν συμφωνίας αἴτησιν προσαγόντων τῷ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρὶ περὶ ὁτουοῦν, τὸν Πατέρα διδόναι τὰ αἰτήματα τοῖς μετὰ τοῦ συμφωνεῖν ἐπὶ γῆς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ παραδοξότατον, αἰτήσασιν, ἅπερ αἱτήσαιεν ἂν οἱ τὴν εἰρημένην συμφωνίαν συμφωνήσαντες. Οὕτως ἐγὼ ἀκούω καὶ τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ ῥητοῦο ι Μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, εἰ μή τι ἃν ὲν συμφώνου πρὸς καιρὸν, ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸ τῆς ἁρμονίας ὄνομα ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ θεὸν γαμούντων τέτακται ἂν τῷ οὕτως ἐκ Παροιμιῶν τεταγμένῳ ῥητῷ· ι οἷκον καὶ ὕπαρξιν μεριοῦνται πατέρες παισὶ, παρὰ δὲ Θεοῦ ἁρμόζεται γυνὴ ἀνδρὶ,ι ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι τῇ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἁρμονίᾳ τὸ ὄνομα καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἀπολαύειν τῆς συμφωνίας εἰς εὐχὴν, ὅπερ δηλοῦται ἐν τῴ· ι Εἰ μήτι ἂν ἐκ συμφώνου. ι Εἶτʼ ἐπιδιηγούμενος ὀ Λόγος τὸ ι συμφωνεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς δύο,› ὅτι ταυτόν ἐστι τοῦτο τῷ συμφωνεῖν τῷ Χριστῷ, ἐπιφέρει τό· ι Οὗ γάρ εἰσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα.» Οὐκοῦν οἱ συνηγμένοι είς τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα δύο ἢ τρεῖς, οἱ συμφωνοῦντές εἰσιν ἐπὶ γῆς ού μόνον βʼ, ἀλλʼ ἔσθʼ ὅτε καὶ ἦ τρεῖς. Ἐπιστήσει δὲ ὁ δυνάμενος εί ή συμφωνία αῦτη, καὶ ή τοιαύτη συναγωγὴ, ἦς ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν μέσῳ ἐστὶ, δύναται εὑρεθῆναι ἐν, πλείοσιν, ἐπεὶ στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν,καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὑτήν. ι Τάχα δὲ καὶ τὴν συμφωνίαν οὐδὲ ὀλίγοι, ἀλλὰ δύο ἢ τρεῖς συμφωνοῦσιν, ὡς Πέτρος, καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἷς συμφωνοῦσιν ἔδειξεν αὑτοῦ τὴν δόξαν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Συνεφὼνησαν δὲ δύο μὲν, Παῦλος καὶ Σωσθένης, γράφοντες τὴν προτέραν Κορινθίοις Ἐπιστολήν· μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος, ἐπιστέλλοντες τὴν δευτέραν τοῖς αὐτοῖς· καὶ τρεῖς δὲ συνεφώνησαν, ὅτε Παῦλος, καὶ Σιλουανὸς, καὶ Τιμόθεος ἐπαίδευον διʼ Ἐπιστολῆς θεσσαλονικεῖς. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πα· λαιῶν Γραμμάτων δεήσει παραστῆσαι τοὺς συμφωνήσαντας ἐπὶ γῆςʼ τρεῖς, ὼς εἶναι τὸν Λόγον ὲν μέσῳ αὐτῶν ὲνοῦντα αὐτοὺς, ἐπίστησον τῇ ἐπιγραφῇ τῶν ιΨαλμῶν, ὡς τῇ τοῦ μαʼ, οὕτως ἐχούσῃ· ι Εἰς τὸ τέλος εἰς σύνεσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορέ. ι Τριῶν γὰρ ὄντων υἱῶν Κορὲ, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ὲν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ εὕρομεν, τοῦ Ἀσὴρ, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται παιδιὰ, καὶ τοῦ δευτέρου τοῦ Ἑλκανᾶ, ὃς μεταλαμβάνεται εἰς τὸ, Χριστοῦ κτῆσις, καὶ τρίτου τοῦ Ἀβιασέιφ, ὃς Ἐλλάδι φωνῇ λέγητʼ ἂν πατρὸς συναγωγὴ, αί προφητεῖαι οὐ διῃρέθησαν, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐνὸς πνεύματος καὶ μιᾶς φωνῆς ὲν μιᾷ ψυχῇ ἀληθῶς συμφώνως ἐνεργοῦντος, καὶ εἴρηνται, καὶ ἐγράφησαν, καὶ λαλοῦντες οἱ τρεῖς ὡς εἷς· ι Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεί ή ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ ὁ Θεὸς. ι Φασὶ δὲ καὶ πληθυντικῶς ἐν τῷ μγ· ι Ὀ Θεὸς, ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν ἡμῶν ἠκούσαμεν.» El δὲ θέλεις ἔτι μᾶλλον ίδεῖν τοὺς συμφωνοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἱδε τοὺς ἀκούσαντας ι Ἵνα ἦτε κατηρτισμένοι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ, ι καὶ ζηλώσαντας τό · ι Ἦν ὴ ψυχὴ καὶ ἡ καρδία πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων μία,» γενομένους, (εἴγε δυνατὸν ἐν πλείοσι τοιοῦτον εὑρεθῆναι,) ῶστε μηδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν διαφωνίαν εἶναι αὐτοῖς, ὼς οὐκ ἔστι διαφωνία τῶν τοῦ δεκαχόρδου ψαλτηρίου χορδῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλας. Οὐ συνεφώνουν δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς oi λέγοντες· ι ι Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἐγὼ δὲ ’Λπολλὼ, ἐγὼ δὲ Κηφᾶ, ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ,ι ἀλλὰ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς σχίσματα, ὧν καταλυομένων συνήγοντο μετὰ τοῦ ὲν Παύλῳ πνεύματος σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα μηκέτι ἀλλήλους δάκνωσι καὶ κατεσθίωσιν, ὑπὸ ἀλλήλων αὐτοὺς ἀναλίσκεσθαι· ἀναλίσκει γὰρ ἡ διαφωνία, ὥσπερ συνάγει ἡ συμφωνία, καὶ χωρεί τὸν ἐνʼμέσῳ τῶν συμφωνούντων γινόμενον Υίὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ κυρίως γε ὲν δύο γενικοῖς γίνεται ἡ συμφωνία, τῷ, ὡς ὠνόμασεν ὁ ’Λπόστολος, καταρτισμῷ τοῦ αὑτοῦ νοὸς, κατὰ τὸ αὐτὰ δόγματα ἔχειν νενοημένα, καὶ τῷ τῆς αὐτῆς γνώμης, κατὰ τὸ ὁμοίως βιοῦν. Εἰ δὲ, ι ἐὰν δύο ἡμῶν συμφωνήσωσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οἲ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, γίνεται αὐτοῖς παρα τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς,› περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οῦ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, ἐκεῖ οὐδὲ δύο συνεφώνησαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆςʼ καὶ τοῦτο αἴτιον ἡμῖν ἐστι τοῦ μὴ ὲπακούεσθαι εὐχομένους, τὸ μὴ συμφωνεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις ὲπί τῆς γῆς μήτε δόγμασι μήτε βίῳ· ἔτι δὲ καὶ είπερ σῶμά ἐσμεν Χριστοῦ, καὶ ι ἔθετο ὁ Θεὸς τὰ μέλη ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ σώματι,› ἵνα ι τὸ αὐτὸ μεριμνῶσιν ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων τὰ μέλη,ι καὶ συμφωνῶσιν ἀλλήλοις, ι καὶ πάσχοντος ἑνὸς μὲν μέλους συμπάσχῃ πάντα, δοξαζομένου δὲ συγχαίρῃ, ι ὀφείλομεν ἀσκεῖν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς θείας μουσικῆς συμφωνίαν, ἵνα, συναγομένων ἡμῶν είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, Χριστὸς ὲν μέσῳ ἡμῶν 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφία, κα) ἡ δύναμις ### English translation (Claude) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them.” The word “agreement” (symphonia) is properly used of the harmonies of voices in music. Among musicians some notes are concordant with others, and others discordant; and the Gospel Scripture also knows the word as used of music, in “He heard music and dancing”; for it was fitting that, at the agreement through repentance with the father of the son who was found again after being lost, music should be heard at the rejoicing of the house. The wicked Laban does not know the word “music” in what he says to Jacob: “And if you had told me, I would have sent you away with rejoicing, with musicians and drums and harp.” Kindred to such agreement is what is written in the second book of Kings, when “the brothers” of Aminadab “went before the ark, and David and the sons were playing before the Lord on tuned instruments, with might and with songs.” For the instruments tuned with might and with songs had in them musical concord, which is so powerful that, when only two bring their request, with the concord of divine and spiritual music, to the Father in heaven about anything whatever, the Father grants the requests to those who ask while agreeing on earth (which is most wonderful): whatever those who have agreed in the concord described might ask. In this way I understand also the apostolic saying, “Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a season, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.” For since the word “harmony” is used of those who marry according to God, in the saying from Proverbs, “Fathers divide house and property among their children, but a wife is joined in harmony to a husband by God,” it follows from the harmony that comes from God that both the name and the work should enjoy agreement for prayer, which is shown in “except perhaps by agreement.” Then the Word, explaining further the “agreeing of two on earth,” shows that this is the same as agreeing with Christ, and adds, “For where two or three are gathered in my name.” Those who are gathered in the name of Christ, two or three, are therefore those who agree on earth, not only two but sometimes also three. One who is able will consider whether this agreement, and such a gathering in whose midst Christ is, can be found among many, since “narrow and hard is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” And perhaps not even a few but two or three agree in this way, like Peter and James and John, to whom, as they agreed, the Word of God showed his glory. Two agreed, Paul and Sosthenes, when they wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians; and after that, Paul and Timothy, when they sent the second to the same people; and three agreed when Paul and Silvanus and Timothy instructed the Thessalonians by letter. And if we must also show from the old writings three who agreed on earth, so that the Word was in their midst uniting them, consider the titles of the Psalms, such as that of the forty-first, which reads, “For the end; for understanding; for the sons of Korah.” For there were three sons of Korah, whose names we found in Exodus: Assir, which is interpreted “instruction”; the second, Elkanah, which is translated “possession of Christ”; and the third, Abiasaph, which in Greek would be called “gathering of the father.” Their prophecies were not divided, but by one spirit and one voice working truly in concord in one soul they were spoken and written, the three speaking as one: “As the deer longs for the springs of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.” And in the forty-third they speak in the plural: “O God, we have heard with our ears.” And if you wish to see still more clearly those who agree on earth, look at those who heard “that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment,” and who emulated “the soul and heart of all who believed was one,” becoming such (if indeed such a thing can be found among many) that there was not even the slightest discord among them, just as there is no discord between the strings of the ten-stringed psaltery. But those did not agree on earth who said, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ”; there were divisions among them, and when these were removed they were gathered together with the spirit that was in Paul, with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that they might no longer bite and devour one another and be consumed by one another. For discord consumes, as agreement gathers together and makes room for the Son of God, who comes to be in the midst of those who agree. Agreement, properly speaking, comes about in two general things: in what the Apostle called being joined together in the same mind, by holding the same doctrines with understanding, and in the same judgment, by living alike. But if, when “two of us agree on earth about anything they ask, it is done for them by the Father in heaven,” then where this does not happen, not even two have agreed on earth; and the cause of our not being heard when we pray is this: that we do not agree with one another on earth either in doctrines or in life. Further, if we are the body of Christ, and “God has set the members, each one of them, in the body,” so that “the members may have the same care for one another” and agree with one another, “and if one member suffers, all suffer with it, and if one is honoured, all rejoice with it,” we must practise the agreement that comes from divine music, so that, when we are gathered in the name of Christ, Christ may be in our midst, the Word of God and the wisdom of God and the power … ### Scripture references - Matt 18:19: quotation, high confidence - Luke 15:25: quotation, high confidence - Gen 31:27: quotation, high confidence - 2 Sam 6:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Sam 6:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:5: quotation, high confidence - Prov 19:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 17:1: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 1:1: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 1:1: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 1:1: allusion, high confidence - Ps 42:1 (41:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 6:24: allusion, high confidence - Ps 44:1 (43:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:10: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:32: quotation, high confidence - Ps 33:2 (32:2 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 1:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:4: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:15: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:18: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:19–20; Luke 15:25; Gen 31:27; 2 Sam 6:3–5 (2 Kgdms 6:3–5 LXX); 1 Cor 7:5; Prov 19:14 (LXX); Matt 7:14; Matt 17:1–2; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; Ps 42 title and 42:1 (41:1–2 LXX); Exod 6:24; Ps 44:1 (43:2 LXX); 1 Cor 1:10, 12; Acts 4:32; Ps 33:2 (32:2 LXX); 1 Cor 5:4; Gal 5:15; 1 Cor 12:18, 25–26; 1 Cor 1:24. Origen numbers the Psalms as in the Septuagint. In 2 Kgdms 6:5 the Septuagint has “the sons of Israel”; the scan has only “the sons”. ANF 9 renders Elkanah's name “possession of God”; the scan reads “possession of Christ”, translated as printed. His interpretations of the names of the sons of Korah follow the name lists used in his time and are translated as printed (the first, “instruction”, is uncertain in the scan). The words “where this does not happen” are supplied to make sense of a sentence that appears defective. The section breaks off at the end in the scan, marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.1 (PG 13:1181c–1188c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-2 - Source: PG 13:1188c–1189a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reports an earlier interpreter's reading of the “two who agree” as husband and wife abstaining from intercourse by agreement for prayer, and notes that it encourages agreement rather than dissolving marriage. ### Greek text Ταῦτα μὲν οῦν, ὡς τῶν δύο καὶ τριῶν, οὓς προσκαλεῖται συμφωνεῖν 6 Λόγος, κοινότερον νοουμένων· ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἄλλης διηγήσεως ἁψώμεθα, ἢν ἔλεγέ τις τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν, προτρέπων ἐπὶ ἁγνείαν καὶ καθαρότητα τοὺς γεγαμηκότας· δύο γὰρ οὓς βούλεται, φησὶν 6 Λόγος, συμφωνεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἄνδρα καὶ γυναῖκα νοητέον, ὲκ συμφωνίας ἀποστεροῦντας ἀλλήλους σωματικῆς ὁμιλίας, ἵνα σχολάσωσι τῇ προσευχῇ. ὅτε, προσευχόμενοι ι περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται,› λήψονται, γιγνομένου αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀπὸ τοιαύτης συμφωνίας αἱτήματος παρὰ τοῦ ὲν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ἔοικεν ἡμῖν ἡ διήγησις αῦτη οὐ διάλυσιν ποιεῖν γάμου, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ συμφωνίαν προτροπὴν· ὡς εί ὁ ἕτερος μὲν βούλοιτο καθαρεύειν, 6 δὲ ἔτερος μὴ θέλοι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο συγκαταβαίνοι τῷ ἢ μὴ Θέλοντι ἢ μὴ δυναμένῳ ό καὶ βουλόμενος καὶ δυνάμενος τὸ κρεῖττον, οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν ἀμφότεροι τὸ περὶ παντὸς πράγματος, οὗ ἐὰν αίτήσωνται, γίνεσθαι αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) So much, then, taking the two and three whom the Word calls to agree in a more general sense. Now let us take up another interpretation, which one of those before us used to give when exhorting married people to purity and chastity. The two whom the Word wishes to agree on earth, he says, must be understood as husband and wife, who by agreement deprive one another of bodily intercourse so that they may devote themselves to prayer; then, when they pray “about anything they ask,” they will receive it, the request that comes from such an agreement being granted them by the Father of Jesus Christ in heaven. This interpretation seems to us not to bring about the dissolution of a marriage but to be an exhortation to agreement. So if one of the two wished to remain pure and the other did not, and for this reason the one who both wished and was able to do the better thing gave way to the one who either did not wish or was not able, the two of them would not have what is promised, that “about anything they ask,” it will be done for them by the Father of Jesus Christ in heaven. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:19: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:5: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:19; 1 Cor 7:5. The earlier interpreter (“one of those before us”) is not named. Origen states that this reading does not dissolve marriage; abstinence is by mutual agreement (1 Cor 7:5). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.2 (PG 13:1188c–1189a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-3 - Source: PG 13:1189a–1189d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Another interpretation takes the two who agree as body and spirit in the perfected, and the three as spirit, soul, and body gathered in Christ's name. ### Greek text Οἶδα δὲ καὶ ἄλλην διήγησιν μετὰ τοὺς γεγαμηκότας περὶ τῆς τῶν δύο συμφωνίας τοιαύτην* ὲν μὲν τοῖς φαύλοις βασιλεύει ἡ ἁμαρτία τῆς ψυχῆς, ἱδρυμένη ὼς ἐν οἰκείῳ θρόνῳ τῷ θνητῷ τούτῳ σώματι, εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν τὴν ψυχὴν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦʼ ὲν δὲ τοῖς ὲγείρασιν ὡς ἀπὸ θρόνου τοῦ σώματος τὴν προβασιλεύσασαν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἀγωνιζομένοις πρὸς αὐτὴν, ι ἡ μὲν σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκόςʼ·› ὲν δὲ τοῖς ἤδη τελειωθεῖσι κεκράτηκε τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ τὰς πράξεις ἐθανάτωσε τοῦ σώματος, καὶ μεταδίδωσι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς τῷ σώματι, ὡς ἤδη γίνεσθαι καὶ τό· ι Ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ θνητὰ ἡμῶν σώματα διὰ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν αὑτοῦ πνεῦμα έν ἡμῖν, ι καὶ γίνεται συμφωνία τῶν δύο, σώματος καὶ πνεύματος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἧστινος κατορθωθείσης, σύμφωνος καὶ ἠ εὐχὴ ἀναπέμπεται ι τοῦ καρδίᾳ μὲν πιστεύοντος εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογοῦντος εἰς σωτηρίαν,ι ὥστε μηκέτι τὴν καρδίαν πόρρω εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μετὰ ταύτης ἐγγίζειν αὑτοῦ καὶ τοῖς χείλεσι, καὶ τῷ στόματι τὸν δίκαιον τῷ Θεῷ. Ἔτι δὲ μακαριώτερον εί οί τρεῖς συναχθεῖεν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἴνα πληρωθῇ τό· ι '0 Θεὸς ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη.» Ζητήσει δέ τις τὴν εἰρημένην συμφωνίαν πνεύματος καὶ σώματος εί δυνατὸν ταῦτα μὲν συμφωνεῖν, μὴ καὶ τὸ τρίτον δὲ, λέγω δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν, μήποτε οὐκ ἀκολουθῇ τῇ τούτων συμφωνίᾳ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μετὰ τὸ τοὺς δύο συνῆχθαι είς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς ἤδη συνάγεσθαι εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὧν έν μέσῳ ἔρχεται ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς πάντων αὐτῷ ἀνακειμένων, λέγω δὲ τῶν τριῶν καὶ μηδενὸς ὄντος αὑτῷ ἐναντίου, οὐ μόνον τοῦ πνεύματος οὐκ ἐναντιουμένου, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἔτι οὐδὲ τοῦ σώματος. ### English translation (Claude) I know also another interpretation, besides the one about married people, concerning the agreement of the two, as follows. In the wicked, sin reigns over the soul, seated as on its own throne in this mortal body, so that the soul obeys its desires. In those who have roused themselves and driven the sin that reigned before from the throne of the body, as it were, and are contending against it, “the flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.” But in those already perfected the spirit has prevailed and has put to death the deeds of the body, and imparts of its own life to the body, so that now there comes to pass also “He will give life to our mortal bodies too, through his Spirit who dwells in us”; and there comes about an agreement of the two, body and spirit, on earth. When this has been achieved, the prayer too is sent up in concord, the prayer of the one who “believes with the heart unto righteousness and confesses with the mouth unto salvation,” so that the heart is no longer far from God, and with it the righteous man draws near to God with his lips and his mouth as well. Still more blessed is it if the three are gathered together in the name of Jesus, so that this may be fulfilled: “May God sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Someone will inquire, concerning the agreement of spirit and body just described, whether it is possible for these two to agree while the third, I mean the soul, does not; and whether perhaps it does not follow from the agreement of these two on earth, after the two have been gathered in the name of Christ, that the three are now also gathered in his name, in whose midst the Son of God comes, as though all three were dedicated to him and none of them were opposed to him: not only the spirit not opposing him, but neither the soul, nor yet the body. ### Scripture references - Rom 6:12: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:17: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:13: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:11: quotation, high confidence - Rom 10:10: quotation, high confidence - Isa 29:13: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Thess 5:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:20: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Rom 6:12; Gal 5:17; Rom 8:13; Rom 8:11; Rom 10:10; Isa 29:13 (Matt 15:8); 1 Thess 5:23; Matt 18:19–20. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.3 (PG 13:1189a–1189d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-4 - Source: PG 13:1189d–1192b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies the agreement of two to the harmony of the Old and New Testaments, with the Holy Spirit as the third, and notes that Christ says “there I am,” not “I will be.” ### Greek text Χαρίεν δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς συμφωνίας ἀσκῆσαι νοῆσαι καὶ παραστῆσαι τῶν δύο διαθηκῶν, τῆς δὲ πρὸ τῆς σωματικῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας, καὶ τῆς καινῆς · ὲν οἷς γὰρ συμφωνοῦσιν αί δύο διαθῆκαι, ὡς μηδὲν εἶναι διάφωνον ὲν αὐταῖς τῆς ἑτέρας πρὸς τὴν ἑτέραν, ὲν τούτοις εὑρεθεῖεν ἂν εὐχαὶ ὥστε ι περὶ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ἐὰν αἰτήσωνται, ι γενέσθαι αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν συναγωγέα τῶν δύο τρίτον ποθεῖς, μὴ ὄκνει λέγειν αὐτὸ εἶναι τὸ ἆγιον Πνεῦμα, ἐπεὶ ι λόγοι σοφῶν εἴτε τῶν πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας, εἴτε τῶν κατʼ αὐτὴν, καὶ μετʼ αὐτήν εἰσιν ι ὡς τὰ βούκεντρα καὶ ὡς ἧλοι πεφυτευμένοι, οἳ παρὰ τῶν συνθεμάτων ἐδόθησαν ὲκ ποιμένος ἑνός. › Μηδὲ τοῦτο δὲ ἀπαρατήρητον ἐάσῃς, ὅτι οὐκ εἴρηται· ι Οὗ δύο εἰσὶν ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι, ἐκεῖ ι ἔσομαι ι ὲν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, ι ἀλλʼ ι ἐκεῖ εἰμι, ι οὐ μέλλων, οὐδὲ βραδύνων, ἀλλʼ ἅμα τῇ συμφωνίᾳ καὶ αὐτὸς εὑρισκόμενος, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ γινόμενος αὐτῶν. ### English translation (Claude) It is also a graceful exercise to understand and set forth the agreement of the two Testaments, the one before the Saviour's bodily coming and the new one. For in the things in which the two Testaments agree, so that there is nothing in them in which one is discordant with the other, prayers would be found such that “about anything they ask,” it is done for them by the Father in heaven. And if you long for a third, who gathers the two together, do not hesitate to say that it is the Holy Spirit himself, since the words of the wise, whether of those before the coming, or of those at the time of it, or after it, are “like goads, and like nails firmly fixed, which were given from the collections by one shepherd.” Do not leave this unobserved either: he does not say, “Where two or three are gathered, there I will be in their midst,” but “there I am”; not about to be, nor delaying, but found there himself at once with the agreement, and coming to be in their midst. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:19: quotation, high confidence - Eccl 12:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:20: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:19–20; Eccl 12:11. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.4 (PG 13:1189d–1192b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-5 - Source: PG 13:1192c–1193d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen rejects a literal counting of forgivable offences and interprets Peter's seven and Jesus' seventy-seven by the symbolism of numbers, distinguishing sins in worldly matters from graver sins. ### Greek text ι Τότε προσελθὼν 6 Πέτρος, εἶπεν αὐτῷʼ Κύριε, ποσάκις ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ 6 ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ι Τὸ νομίζειν ἁπλούστερον εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα ὑπὸ μὲν Πέτρου, ὡς ἐρομένου ἑπτὰ μὲν ἁμαρτίας τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτάνοντι είς αὑτὸν, ὀγδόῳ δὲ μηκέτι· ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὡς διδάσκοντος καθεζόμενόν τινα ἀριθμεῖν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τοῦ πέλας είς αὑτὸν, ἵνα τὰ μὲν ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ συγχωρῇ, ἀπὸ δὲ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ ὀγδόου μὴ ἀφιῇ τῷ ἠδικηκότι αὐτὸν, πάνυ μοι δοκεί εὔηθες εἶναι καὶ ἀνάξιον καὶ τῆς Πέτρου παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ παρρησίας, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ θείας μεγαλονοίας. Μήποτ' οὖν καὶ ταῦτα ἔχεται συγγενοῦς ἀσαφείας τῷ ι Ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ. ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸν μὲν οὖν ἀληθῆ, καὶ ὡς αὐτὸς ἂν ἐνενόησεν 6 Ἰησοῦς εἰς ταῦτα λόγον, εἴ τις ἢδη φίλος γέγονε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς μαθητεύεσθαι τῷ πνεύματι αὐτοῦ φωτίζοντι τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν τοῦ ἐπὶ τοσόνδε προεληλυθότος κατʼ ἀξίαν, εἰδείη ἄν ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ τοῦ φιλικοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν μεγέθους ἀπολειπόμενοι, ἀγαπητὸν, εἰ κᾶν προσλαλῆσαι ὲπὶ βραχὺ δυνάμεθα τά κατά τὸν τόπον. Ἔοικεν οὖν ὁ μὲν ἓξ ἀριθμὸς ὲργαστικός τις εἶναι καὶ ἐπίπονος, ὁ δὲ ἑπτὰ περιέχειν ἀνάπαυσιν· καὶ πρόσχες εἰ δύνασαι τὸν μὲν ἀγαπῶντα τὸν κόσμον, καὶ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐργαζόμενον, καὶ ὑλικά πράττοντα, λέγειν ἁμαρτάνειν ἒξ, καὶ τὸ τέλος αὐτῶν εἶναι τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν ὲπτά ἀριθμὸν, ὼς τοιοῦτόν τι τὸν Πέτρον νενοηκότα, ἐπτά συγχωρεῖν ἐθέλειν ἁμαρτίας τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἡμαρτημένων τῷ ἀδελφῷ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ αἱ κατά τὰς μονάδας δεκάδες, καὶ ἑκατοντάδες λόγον μέν τινα κοινὸν ἀναλογίας ἔχουσι πρὸς τὸν ὲν μονάσιν ἀριθμὸν, ᾔδει δὲ ἐπιτεινόμενόν τινα καὶ πλείονα · διὰ τοῦτʼ οἶμαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν προσπαραλαμβἀνειν τῷ ἑπτὰ ἀριθμῷ καὶ τὸν ἐβδομήκοντα, καὶ λέγειν ἄφεσιν μὲν δεῖν γενέσθαι ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐνταῦθα, καὶ εἰς τὰ τῇδε πράγματα ἁμαρτήσασιν · εί δέ τις, ὑπερβὰς τά κατὰ τὸν κόσμον καὶ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦτον, ἁμαρτήσαι, ἐὰν καὶ τοῦτο μικρὸν εἴη, οὐκέτι ἂν ἔχοι εὔλογον ἁμαρτιῶν ἄφεσινο ἡ γὰρ ἄφεσις ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε φθάνει πράγματα, καὶ ὲν τοῖς τῇδε ἡμαρτημένοις, εἴτε βράδιον γένοιτʼ ἂν ἡ ἄφεσις, εἴτε τάχιον. Οὐκ ἐστι δὲ ἄφεσις οὐδὲ ἀδελφῷ τῷ ὑπὲρ τά ἐβδομήκοντα καὶ ἑπτά ἡμαρτηκότι. Εἴποις δʼ ἂν τὸν τοιόνδε ἁμαρτάνοντα ἥ ὡς εἰς Πέτρον ἀδελφὸν, ἢ ὡς είς Πέτρον, οὗ μὴ κατισχύουσιν ᾅδου πύλαι, κατά μὲν τά τοιάδε ἁμαρτήματα ὲν τῷ ὲλάττονι εἶναι αὑτὸν ἀριθμῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας · κατὰ δὲ τά ἔτι χείρονα ὲν τῷ ἀριθμῷ τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων. ### English translation (Claude) “Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?” To think that these words were said in a more simple sense, by Peter as asking whether he should forgive a brother who sins against him seven sins but no longer the eighth, and by the Saviour as teaching that one should sit and count up the sins of one's neighbour against oneself, so as to pardon “seventy times seven,” but from the seventy-eighth not to forgive the one who has wronged him, seems to me altogether simple-minded and unworthy both of Peter's standing with Jesus and of Jesus' divine greatness of mind. Perhaps, then, these words too contain an obscurity akin to “Hear my voice, wives of Lamech,” and what follows. The true account, the one that Jesus himself would have had in mind in saying these things, would be known by anyone who has already become a friend of Jesus, so as to be taught by his Spirit, which illuminates the ruling faculty of one who has advanced so far as he deserves. But we, who fall short of the greatness of friendship with Jesus, must be content if we can say even a little about the passage. The number six seems to be a number of work and toil, while seven contains rest. Consider, then, whether you can say that the one who loves the world, and does the works of the world, and busies himself with material things, sins six times, and that the end of their sin is the number seven; as if Peter, understanding something like this, wished to pardon his brother seven of the sins committed against him. But since the tens and hundreds corresponding to the units have a common relation of proportion to the number in units, yet he knew of a relation that is intensified and greater, for this reason, I think, Jesus added to the number seven the number seventy also, and said that forgiveness must be given to brothers here who have sinned in the things of this world; but that if anyone, having gone beyond the things of the world and this age, should sin, even if the sin is small, he would no longer have a reasonable claim to forgiveness of sins. For forgiveness reaches as far as the things here, and in sins committed here forgiveness may come either more slowly or more quickly. But there is no forgiveness even for a brother who has sinned beyond the seventy-seven. You might say that the one who sins in this way, either against Peter as a brother, or against Peter, against whom the gates of Hades do not prevail, is, as regards such sins, in the lesser number of sin, but as regards still worse sins, in the number that has no forgiveness of sins. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:22: quotation, high confidence - Gen 4:23: quotation, high confidence - Gen 4:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:21–22; Gen 4:23–24 (Lamech's seventy-sevenfold); Matt 16:18. Origen takes Jesus' answer as seventy-seven times (speaking of the “seventy-eighth” and of “the seventy-seven”); the Greek of Matt 18:22 can be read either as seventy-seven or as seventy times seven. His reasoning on the numbers is compressed and is translated as printed. Migne's heading for the next chapter (“On the king who settled accounts with his servants, to whom was brought a debtor of ten thousand talents”) at the end of the section is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.5 (PG 13:1192c–1193d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/13-28/#p-14-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-6 - Source: PG 13:1193d–1197b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen states the plain moral of the parable of the unforgiving servant, that God's forgiveness can be revoked if we do not forgive others, and lists the questions a higher, mystical interpretation would have to answer. ### Greek text ι Διά τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν ° Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ. ι Ἡ μὲν περίνοια τῆς παραβολῆς διδάσκειν βούλεται συγχωρητικοὺς εἶναι τῶν είς ἡμᾶς ἡμαρτημένων τοῖς ἀδικήσασιν ἡμᾶς, καὶ μάλιστα εί μετά τὸ ἀδικῆσαι δέοιτο τοῦ ἠδικημένου ό ἀδικήσας, συγχωρηθῆναι ἀξιῶν αὐτῷ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα. Καὶ ταῦτα διδάσκειν ἡμᾶς βούλεται ἡ παραβολὴ, παριστᾶσα, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἤδη συγχωρηθέντων ἡμῖν ὑπό τοῦ Θεοῦ ἁμαρτημάτων, ἐφʼ οἷς ἄφεσιν εἰλήφαμεν, ἔκπραξις γένοιτο ἃν καὶ μετά τὴν ἄφεσιν, εἰ μὴ ἀφίοιμεν τοῖς ἡμᾶς ἠδικηκόσι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν, ὡς μηδὲ τὴν τυχοῦσαν μνήμην ἔτι ὲν ἡμῖν καταλείπεσθαι τοῦ ἠδικῆσθαι, ἀλλʼ ὅλη καρδία ὑπὸ ἀμνησικακίας ὠφελημένη, οὐ τῆς τυχούσης ἀρετῆς, συγχωροῖ μὲν τῷ ’ἡμᾶς ἀδικήσαντι τὰ κακῶς εἴς τινα ἡμῶν ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ καὶ ὲπιβουλεντικῶς πεπραγμένα. Μετά δὲ τὴν περίνοιαν τῆς παραβολῆς ἔστι μὲν καὶ ἁπλούστερον κατά λέξιν πᾶσαν αὐτὴν ἐξετάσαι, ὥστʼ ὄνασθαι ἀπὸ τῆς βασάνου τῶν λελεγμένων τὸν ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τὸ ὀρθῶς ζητεῖν ἑκάστου τῶν προγεγραμμένων προκόπτοντα ο ἐστι ἃ, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ ὲπαναβεβηκυῖα διήγησις, καὶ δυστέκμαρτός τις μυστικωτέρα, καθʼ ἣν ἀνάλογον ταῖς ἑρμηνευθείσαις ὑπό τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν παραβολαῖς ζητῆσαι τις ἂν ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν ταύτῃο οἷον τίς βασιλεὺς, καὶ τίνες οἱ δοῦλοι, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ συναίρειν λόγον, καὶ τίς ὀ εἷς πολλῶν ὀφειλέτης ταλάντων, τίς τε ἡ γυνὴ αὑτοῦ, καὶ τίνα τὰ τέκνα, καὶ τίνα τὰ παρὰ ταῦτα λελεγμένα πάντα, ἅτινα ἐκέλευσεν ὀ βασιλεὺς πραθῆναι ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀποδοθῆναι τὴν ὀφειλὴν ὲκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ἐκείνου · τί τε τὸ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν συγκεχωρημένον τὰ πολλὰ τάλαντα, καὶ τίς ό εὑρεθεὶς τῶν δούλων εἷς, οὐ τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ἀλλὰ τῷ συγκεχωρημένῳ ὀφείλων· καὶ τί βούλεται ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἑκατὸν δηναρίων ’ τί δὲ τό ο ι Ἔπνιγε λέγων· Ἀπόδος εῐ τι ὀφείλεις, ι καὶ τίς ἡ φυλακὴ είς ἢν ἀπελθὼν ἔβαλε τὸν σύνδουλον ὀ συγχωρηθεὶς πάντα τὰ τάλανταʼ τίνες τε οἱ λυπηθέντες σύνδουλοι, καὶ διασαφήσαντες τῷ Κυρίῳ πάντα τὰ γενόμενα, καὶ τίνες οἱ βασανισταὶ οἷς παρεδόθη ὀ είς φυλακὴν τὸν σύνδουλον βαλών· καὶ πῶς ἀπέδωκε παραδοθεὶς τοῖς βασανισταῖς πᾶν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον, ὡς μηδὲν ὀφείλειν ἔτι. Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τινά δύνασθαι ἂν ὑπὸ τοῧ ὲξεταστικωτέρου προσαχθῆναι τῷ λόγῳ, ὧν τὴν διήγησιν καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν μείζονα ἢ κατά ἄνθρωπον εἶναι νομίζω, καὶ δεομένην Πνεύματος Χριστοῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος αὐτὰ, ἵνα ὡς εἶπεν 6 Χριστὸς νοηθῇ· ὡς γὰρ ι οὐδεὶς οἶδε ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εί μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ὲν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐδεὶς οἶδε τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εί μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὕτως οὐδεὶς οἶδε μετὰ τὸν Θεὸν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λελαλημένα ὲν παροιμίαις καὶ παραβολαῖς εί μὴ τὸ Χριστοῦ Πνεῦμα, οὐ 6 μετέχων οὐ μόνον καθὸ Χριστοῦ ἐστι Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ, καθὸ Χριστοῦ ὡς σοφίας, ὠς Λόγου, θεωρῆσαι ἂν τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον αὐτῷ ἀποκαλυπτόμενα. Ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τῆς ἀνωτάτω διηγήσεως οὐκ ἐπαγγελλόμεθα μὲν, οὐ μὴν οὐδʼ ἀπελπίζομεν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, ὃς ἐστι σοφία Θεοῦ, βοηθούμενοι καταλαβεῖν τὰ ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ δηλούμενα· πότερον δὲ, ὥστε καὶ ὑπαγορευθῆναι τὰ τοιαῦτα τῇδε τῇ γραφῇ, ἢ μή, Θεὸς ἂν ὑποβάλοι ὲν Χριστῷ, ποιῆσαι τὸ ἀρεστὸν αὐτῷ, μόνον ἐὰν δοθείη καὶ περὶ τούτων 6 διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος διδόμενος λόγος σοφίας ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ό κατὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐπιχορηγούμενος λόγος γνώσεως. ### English translation (Claude) “Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.” The general sense of the parable aims to teach us to forgive those who have wronged us the sins they have committed against us, especially if, after doing the wrong, the wrongdoer asks the one he wronged, begging that his sins be forgiven him. The parable also wishes to teach us this: that even for sins already forgiven us by God, for which we have received forgiveness, payment may be exacted even after the forgiveness, if we do not forgive those who have wronged us their sins, so that not even the slightest memory of having been wronged remains in us; rather, with the whole heart, helped by freedom from bearing grudges (no ordinary virtue), we should pardon the one who has wronged us for the things he has done to any of us maliciously and treacherously. After the general sense of the parable, one can also examine the whole of it more simply, word by word, so that one who carefully advances in rightly seeking out each of the things written beforehand may profit from testing what has been said. There is also, it is likely, a higher interpretation, more mystical and hard to attest, according to which, in the same way as the parables interpreted by the evangelists, one might inquire into each thing in this parable: for example, who the king is, and who the servants, and what is the beginning of settling accounts, and who is the one debtor of many talents, and who his wife, and what the children, and what are all the other things mentioned besides these, which the king ordered to be sold so that the debt might be paid out of his possessions; and what is the going out of the one who was forgiven the many talents, and who is the one servant who was found owing, not to the master but to the one who had been forgiven; and what the number of the hundred denarii means; and what “He took him by the throat, saying, Pay what you owe” means; and what is the prison into which the one forgiven all the talents went and threw his fellow servant; and who are the fellow servants who were grieved and explained to their lord all that had happened; and who are the torturers to whom the one who threw his fellow servant into prison was handed over; and how, when handed over to the torturers, he paid back all that was owed, so that he owed nothing more. It is likely that other questions too could be brought into the discussion by one more given to inquiry; the explanation and interpretation of these I believe to be greater than human, and to need the Spirit of Christ, who spoke them, so that they may be understood as Christ spoke them. For as “no one among men knows the things of a man except the spirit that is in him, and no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God,” so no one after God knows the things spoken by Christ in proverbs and parables except the Spirit of Christ. One who shares in it, not only as it is the Spirit of Christ, but also as it is of Christ as Wisdom and as Word, could behold what is revealed to him concerning the passage. As for the highest interpretation, we make no promise; yet neither do we despair, if helped by Christ, who is the wisdom of God, of grasping the things shown in the parable. But whether we shall be able also to dictate such things in this writing, God would suggest in Christ, that we may do what is pleasing to him, if only the word of wisdom given through the Spirit from God, and the word of knowledge supplied according to the Spirit, be given us about these things too. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:31: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:35: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:11: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:8: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:23–35; 1 Cor 2:11; 1 Cor 1:24; 1 Cor 12:8. “Dictate” refers to Origen's practice of dictating his commentaries to stenographers. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.6 (PG 13:1193d–1197b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-7 - Source: PG 13:1197c–1201b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen identifies the king of the parable with the Son of God, the kingdom itself, united with the man Jesus, and explains the settling of accounts by the different gifts entrusted to each soul. ### Greek text ι Ὡμοιώθη, φησὶν, ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. El δὲ βασιλεῖ ὡμοιώθη τοιῷδε καὶ τοιάδε πεποιηκότι, τίνα χρὴ λέγειν ἣ τὸν Υἰὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ; αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν 6 βασιλεὺς τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ ὥσπερ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ αὐτοσοφία, καὶ ἡ αὐτοδικαιοσύνη, καὶ ἡ αὐτοαλήθεια, οὕτω μήποτε καὶ ἡ αὐτοβασιλεία ; Βασιλεία δὲ οὐ τῶν κάτω τινὸς, οὐδὲ μέρους τῶν ἄνω, ἀλλὰ πάντων τῶν ἄνω, ἅτινα ὠνομάσθησαν οὐρανοί. Κᾶν ζητῇς δὲ τό ι Αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι δύνασαι λέγειν, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν 6 Χριστὸς, καθὸ αὐτοβασιλεία ἐστὶ, βασιλεύων καθʼ εκάστην ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ τοῦ μηκέτι βασιλευομένου ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, βασιλευούσης ὲν τῷ θνητῷ σώματι τῶν ἑαυτοὺς ὑποταξάντων αὐτῇ· καὶ ἐὰν λέγω, βασιλεύων καθʼ ἐκάστην ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ, τοιοῦτόν τι δηλῶ, βασιλεύων δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶ, καὶ σοφία, κα) ἀλήθεια, καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ ἀρεταὶ, τοῦ γενομένου, διὰ τὸ φορεῖν τὴν ’ εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, οὐρανοῦ, καὶ πάσης δυνάμεως, εῐτε ἀγγελικῆς εἴτε τῶν λοιπῶν ὀνομαζομένων, οὐ μόνον ὲν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἁγίων καὶ ἀξίων τῆς τοιαύτης βασιλείας. Αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἡνίκα «ἰν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας ἐγένετο, ἴνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατακρίνῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἡνίκα μὴ γνόντα αὑτὸν ἁμαρτίαν, ἐποίησεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ιτῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φορούντων σῶμα, ιὼμοιώθη ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ ι τῷ κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν νοουμένῳ, ἑνωθεῖσα αὑτῷ πλεῖον, εἰ δεῖ οὕτω τολμήσαντα εἰπεῖν, ἔχοντι πρὸς τὸ ἡνῶσθαι, καὶ πάντη ἒν γενέσθαι ι τῷ πρωτοτόκῳ πάσης κτίσεως, ι ἢ ι 6 κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμα ο πρὸς αὐτὸν γίνεται. Αὕτη δὲ ἡ ὁμοιωθεῖσα βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν τῷ κατά τὸν Σωτῆρα νοουμένῳ ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἑνωθεῖσα αὺτῷ προληπτικῶς λέγεται, ὅτι ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ· μέλλει δὲ συναίρειν λόγον μετʼ αὐτῶν, ἵνα φανῇ ὅπως ἕκαστος τοῖς τοῦ οἱκοδεσπότου δοκίμοις ἀργυρίοις καὶ νομίσμασι λογικοῖς ἐχρήσατο. Καὶ ἐλήφθη γε ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ τὸ παράδειγμα ἀπὸ τῶν συναιρὸντων δεσποτῶν λόγον μετά τῶν ἰδίων δούλων. Ἀκριβἐστερον δὲ νοήσομεν τὸ τῆς παραβολῆς ἐν τούτοις δηλούμενον ἐρείσαντες αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν τοῖς γινομένοις παρά τοῖς οίκονομήσασι δεσποτικὰ χρήματα οἰκέταις, καὶ λόγον περί αὐτῶν ἀπαιτουμένοιςʼ ἕκαστος γὰρ ἐκείνων, ἀπὸ τῶν δεσποτικῶν διαφόρως λαμβάνων χρημάτων, κέχρηται αὺτοῖς ἡτοι εἰς δέον, ὥστε αὐξάνειν τὰ δεσποτικὰ χρήματα, ἢ ἀσώτως ἀναλίσκων· εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ, καὶ ὲκχέων ἀκρίτως χωρὶς εὐλαβείας τὰ ἐγκεχειρισμένα. Εἰσί δὲ οἳ τάδε μὲν καὶ τὰ τοσάδε καλῶς ᾠκονόμησαν χρήματα, ἔτερα δὲ ἀπολωλέκασι, καὶ ἡνίκα ἂν δίδωσι τὸν λόγον συναίροντος αὑτὸν τοῦ δεσπότου μετʼ αὐτῶν, συνάγεται μὲν πόσον ἐζημιώθη ἕκαστος, ἀριθμείται δὲ καὶ πόσον κέρδος προσήγαγε, καὶ κατʼ ἀξίαν τοῦ πῶς ᾠκονόμησε ήτοι τιμᾶται, ἡ ἐκπράσσεται, ἢ ἐπὶ τινῶν μὲν συγχωρεῖται, ἐπὶ τινῶν ἀφαίρεται. Φέρε τοίνυν ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων πρῶτον ἴδωμεν τὰ λογικά νομίσματα καὶ δόκιμα τοῦ δεσπότου ἁργύρια, ἅπερ 6 μέν τις πλείονα, ἔτερος δʼ ἐλάττονα λαμβάνει· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ’ἑκάστου δύναμιν, ᾧ μὲν δίδονται πέντε τάλαντα, ὡς δυναμένῳ διοικεῖν τὰ τοσαῦτα· ἄλλῳ δὲ δύο, ὡς μή χωροῦντι τὰ τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦʼ ἄλλῳ δὲ ἓν, ὡς καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου ὑποδεεστέρῳ* πότερον αὗται μόναι αί διαφοραί εἰσιν, ἢ αὗται μὲν περί τινων ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς τοῦ Εὕαγγελίου λέγονται, είσί δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι· παρά ταύτας, καὶ ἐπʼ ἄλλαις παραβολαῖς εὑρίσκονταί τινες, τῇ μὲν ὀφειλέται δύο, ὁ μὲν πεντακοσίων, ὁ δὲ πεντήκοντα δηναρίων, ἡτοι ταῦτα πιστευθέντες καὶ κακῶς οἰκονομήσαντες, ἐλάττους τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ τὸ τάλαντον πεπιστευμένου· ὅτι μὲν εἰλήφασιν οὗτοι, οὐ μεμαθήκαμεν, ὅτι δὲ τοσοῦτον ὤφειλον, ἀπὸ τῆς παραβολῆς δεδιδάχθαι δοκοῦμεν· εὑρίσκονται καὶ ἄλλοι δέκα δοῦλοι πιστευόμενοι μνᾶς ἕκαστος ἀνὰ μίαν. Καὶ εἴτις δὲ κατανοήσαι τὸ ποικίλον τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ψυχῆς, καὶ τὰς πολλῷ διαφερούσας ἀλλήλων εὐφυΐας καὶ ἀφυΐας είς πλείονας ἀρετῶν, ἢ ἐλάττονας, καὶ τάσδε τὰς ἀρετὰς, ἢ τάσδε, τάχα ἂν ὲννοήσαι πῶς ἑκάστη ψυχὴ ἐλήλυθε μετά τινων τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου νομισμάτων, ὰναφαινομένων μετὰ τῆς τοῦ λόγου συμπληρὼσεως, καὶ τῆς ἑξῆς τῇ συμπληρώσει τοῦ λόγου ἐπιμελείας, καὶ ἀσκήσεως τῆς πρὸς τὰ δέοντα, ἢ ἐπιμελείας μὲν καὶ ἀσκήσεως τῆς πρὸς ἄλλα δὲ, ἦτοι χρήσιμα, ὁποῖά ἐστι τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, ἢ πὴ μὲν χρήσιμα, πὴ δὲ οὐ χρήσιμα, ὁποῖά ἐστι τὰ μηδὲ πάντη ἀληθῆ δόγματα, μήτε διʼ ὅλων ψευδῆ. ### English translation (Claude) “The kingdom of heaven,” he says, “is like,” and what follows. If it is likened to a king who did such and such things, whom should we say he is if not the Son of God? For he is the king of the heavens; and just as he is wisdom itself, and righteousness itself, and truth itself, so perhaps he is also the kingdom itself: a kingdom not of anything below, nor of a part of the things above, but of all the things above, which have been named heavens. And if you inquire into “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” you can say that Christ is theirs, in so far as he is the kingdom itself, reigning in every aspect of himself over the one who is no longer ruled by sin, which reigns in the mortal body of those who have subjected themselves to it. When I say “reigning in every aspect of himself,” I mean something like this: he is righteousness reigning, and wisdom, and truth, and the other virtues, over the one who, through bearing the image of the heavenly, has become heaven; and over every power, whether angelic or of the others that are named, not only in this age but also in the age to come, of saints worthy of such a kingdom. This kingdom of heaven, then, when it came to be “in the likeness of sinful flesh, so as to condemn sin in the flesh,” when God made “him who knew no sin to be sin” for us who bear the body of our sin, “was likened to a man, a king,” the man understood in Jesus. It was united to him (if one may dare to say so) more closely, so as to be united and wholly become one with “the firstborn of all creation,” than “he who is joined to the Lord” becomes “one spirit” with him. This kingdom of heaven, likened to the man, the king, understood in the Saviour, and united to him, is said by anticipation to have wished to settle accounts with his servants. He is going to settle accounts with them so that it may appear how each one has used the householder's approved silver and coins of reason. The example in the parable is taken from masters who settle accounts with their own servants. We shall understand more precisely what the parable shows here if we fix our minds on what happens with household servants who have managed their masters' money and have an account of it demanded from them. For each of them, receiving different amounts of their master's money, uses it either as he should, so as to increase the master's money, or spends it prodigally on things he should not, pouring out what was entrusted to him without discernment and without caution. And there are some who managed such and such sums well but lost others; and when he gives the account, as the master settles accounts with them, it is reckoned how much loss each has caused, and counted how much profit he has brought; and according to how he has managed, he is either honoured, or has payment exacted from him, or is pardoned in some things and deprived in others. Come, then, let us first see from what has been said the coins of reason and the approved silver of the master, of which one receives more and another less. For according to the ability of each, to one are given five talents, as able to manage so much; to another two, as not capable of what the one before him has; to another one, as inferior to the second also. Are these the only differences? Or are these said of certain people in later parts of the Gospel, while there are also others besides these, found in other parables? In one there are two debtors, one of five hundred denarii and the other of fifty, either entrusted with these sums and having managed them badly, being lesser in ability than the one entrusted with the talent; that they received these sums we have not learned, but that they owed so much we seem to be taught by the parable. Others too are found: ten servants, each entrusted with one mina. And if anyone were to consider the variety of the human soul, and the natural aptitudes and lack of aptitude, differing greatly from one another, for more or fewer virtues, and for these virtues or those, he might perhaps understand how each soul has come with certain coins of the householder, which come to light with the completion of reason and with the care that follows the completion of reason, and with training toward what is fitting; or with care and training toward other things, either useful, such as the arts and pursuits, or useful in some ways and not in others, such as doctrines that are neither wholly true nor wholly false. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 6:12: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:49: allusion, high confidence - Eph 1:21: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:21: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:15: allusion, high confidence - Luke 7:41: allusion, high confidence - Luke 19:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:23; Matt 5:3; Rom 6:12; 1 Cor 15:49; Eph 1:21; Rom 8:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Col 1:15; 1 Cor 6:17; Matt 25:14–30; Luke 7:41; Luke 19:13. Origen calls Christ “kingdom itself” (autobasileia), as he is wisdom, righteousness, and truth itself. The sentence on the union of the kingdom (the Word) with the man Jesus is translated as printed; its construction is compressed. On 2 Cor 5:21 Origen adds “us who bear the body of our sin.” ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.7 (PG 13:1197c–1201b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-8 - Source: PG 13:1201c–1204c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks who the king's servants are, likens good and bad deeds to profit and loss weighed by God alone, and places the settling of accounts at the judgment seat of Christ. ### Greek text Ζητήσεις δὲ ὲν τούτοις πότερον πάντες δύνανται ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τούτου λέγεσθαι τοῦ βασιλέως · ἢ τινὲς μὲν δοῦλοι, οὒς προέγνω καὶ προώρισεν, ἕτεροι δὲ οί τοῖς δούλοις συμπραγματευόμενοι τραπεζῖται λεγόμενοι· καὶ οὕτω δὲ ζητήσεις εί εξω τῶν δούλων είσὶν ἀφʼ ὧν μετὰ τόκων ἐκπράττειν ἐπαγγέλλεται ό οἰκοδεσπότης, οὐ μόνον ἀλλότριοι τῆς θεοσεβείας, ἀλλὰ καί τινες τῶν πιστευόντων. Δοῦλοι δὲ μόνοι οἱ τοῦ λόγου οἰκονόμοι· συναίρων δὲ λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων ό βασιλεὺς, ἀπαιτεῖ κα) τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν δούλων δεδανεισμένους, εἴτε ἑκατὸν κόρους σίτου, εἴτε ἑκατὸν βάδους ἐλαίου, εἴτε ὅ τι δήποτε … σύνδουλος ι τοῦ οἰκονόμου τῆς ἀδικίας ι εὑρίσκεται κατᾶ τὴν παραβολὴν ό τοὺς ἐκατὸν ὀφείλων τοῦ σίτου κόρους, καὶ τοὺς ἑκατὸν τοῦ ἐλαίου βάδους, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ · ι Πόσον ὀφείλεις τῷ κυρίῳ μου ; ι Νόει μοι ἑκάστην πρᾶξιν ἐοικέναι ἀγαθὴν μὲν ἢ καθήκουσαν κέρδει καὶ ἐπιγεννήματι, μοχθηρὰν δὲ ζημίᾳο καὶ ὥσπερ ἐστί τι κέρδος πλειόνων ἀργυρίων, καὶ ἄλλο ἐλαττόνων, καὶ διαφόρως πλειόνων καὶ ἐλαττονων, οὕτως κατά τὰς καλὰς πράξεις οίονεὶ συντίμησίς ἐστι κερδῶν πλειόνων ἢ ἐλαττόνων. Τοῦ μόνου ἐπισταμένου τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξετάζειν, ὁρῶντος ἀπὸ τῆς διαθέσεως, καὶ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ τῆς πράξεως, καὶ τῶν συνεργούντων τοῖς ἐφʼ ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν οὐκ ἐφʼ ἡμῖν, λογίσασθαι ποῖον μὲν ἔργον μέγα κέρδος ἐστὶ, ποῖον δὲ ἔλαττον, ποῖον δέ ἐλάχιστον· οὔτω δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐναντίων, ποῖον μὲν ἁμάρτημα ἐν τῷ συναίρεσθαι λόγον τοῖς δούλοις εὑρίσκεται μεγάλη ζημία, ποῖον δὲ ἐλάττων, καὶ ποῖον, εί δεῖ οὕτως ὀνομάσαι, ζημία τοῦ ἐσχάτου λεπτοῦ, ἢ τοῦ ἐσχάτου κοδράντου. Ὄλου τοίνυν καὶ παντὸς τοῦ βίου συναίρεσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς εἰρημένης βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, όμοιωθείσης ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, λόγος, ὅτε ι τοὺς πάντας ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι δεῖ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, είτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε φαῦλον· ι καὶ τότε, συναιρομένου λόγου, ἀχθήσεται είς τὸν συναιρόμενον λόγον καί ι πᾶν ῥῆμα ἀργὸν ὃ ἂν λαλήσωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ι καὶ εἴ ποτέ τις ι ἐπότισε ποτήριον ὕδατος ψυχροῦ μόνον είς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ. ι ### English translation (Claude) You will inquire here whether all human beings can be called servants of this king; or whether some are servants, those whom he foreknew and predestined, and others are those who do business along with the servants, called bankers. You will also inquire whether, outside the servants, there are those from whom the householder declares he will exact payment with interest: not only those who are strangers to godliness, but also some of the believers. Only the stewards of the word are servants; but the king, settling accounts with the servants, demands payment also from those who have borrowed from the servants, whether a hundred measures of wheat, or a hundred baths of oil, or anything whatever … According to the parable, the one who owes the hundred measures of wheat or the hundred baths of oil is [not] found to be a fellow servant of “the unjust steward,” as is clear from “How much do you owe my master?” Understand that every action that is good or fitting resembles profit and yield, and a wicked one resembles loss; and just as there is a profit of more silver and another of less, and in varying degrees more and less, so in good actions there is, as it were, an assessment of greater or lesser profits. It belongs to him alone who knows how to examine such things, who sees from the disposition, the reasoning, and the action, and from the things not in our power that work together with those in our power, to reckon what kind of work is a great profit, what a lesser one, and what the least; and so too with the opposites, what sin is found, when he settles accounts with the servants, to be a great loss, what a lesser one, and what, if it must be so named, a loss of the last lepton or the last quadrans. The account of the whole and entire life, then, is settled by the kingdom of heaven described, which was likened to a man, a king, when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or bad.” And then, when the account is settled, there will be brought into it both “every idle word that people speak,” and whether anyone ever “gave a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple.” ### Scripture references - Rom 8:29: allusion, high confidence - Matt 25:27: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:6: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:7: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:8: allusion, high confidence - Luke 16:5: quotation, high confidence - Luke 12:59: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:26: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:42: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - The scan text appears defective after “anything whatever”: some words are lost (marked “…”), and the negative, which the argument requires (the debtors are outside the household), is missing; it is supplied in brackets, as in the text translated in ANF 9. Quotations and allusions: Rom 8:29; Matt 25:27; Luke 16:5–7; Luke 12:59 (lepton); Matt 5:26 (quadrans); 2 Cor 5:10; Matt 12:36; Matt 10:42. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.8 (PG 13:1201c–1204c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-9 - Source: PG 13:1204d–1205d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains that at the judgment God will bring to each person's memory all his deeds at once, so that the judgment, like the resurrection, takes place in a moment. ### Greek text Καὶ ταῦτα ἔσται, ἡνίκα ἂν τὸ παρά τῷ Δανιὴλ γεγραμμένον τό· ι Βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν, καὶ κριτήριον ἐκάθισεν ο ι οἱονεὶ γὰρ πάντων τῶν λελαλημένων καὶ πεπραγμένων, καὶ τῶν νενοημένων ἀναγραφή τις γίνεται, καὶ θείᾳ δυνάμει πᾶν κρυπτὸν ἡμῶν φανερωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν κεκαλυμμένον ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, ἵν' ἐπὰν μὴ εὑρεθῇ τις δεδωκὼς ἐργασίαν ἀπηλλάχθαι τοῦ ἀντιδίκου, ὁδεύσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἄρχοντος, καὶ τοῦ κριτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ὑπηρέτου ἐπὶ τὴν φυλακὴν, ἔως τὸν ἔσχατον λεπτὸν ἀποδῷ· ἐπὰν δὲ δοὺς ἐργασίαν ἀπηλλάχθαι ἐκείνου, καὶ μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλων, καὶ ἤδη τὴν μνᾶν δεκαπλασιάσας, ἢ πενταπλασιάσας, ἦ τὰ πέντε τάλαντα διπλασιάσας, ἢ τὰ δύο τέσσαρα ποιήσας, τύχῃ τῆς δεούσης ἀμοιβῆς, εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ Κυρίου αὑτοῦ, ἢ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὑτοῦ καθιστάμενος, ἦ ἁκούων· ι Ἵσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων,› ἤ· ι Ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω πέντε πόλεων. ι Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμεῖς μὲν, ὡς χρόνου πολλοῦ δεόμενα, ἵνα συναρθῇ ἡμῖν περὶ τῶν ὅλων χρόνων τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς λόγος, νομίζομεν λέγεσθαι, ὥστʼ ἂν ὑπολαβεῖν, τοῦ βασιλέως συναίροντος ἐνὶ ἑκάστῳ τοσούτων δούλων λόγον, τοσούτου χρόνου δεῖσθαι τὰ πράγματα ἕως ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ κόσμου ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, οὑχ ἑνὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλειόνων αίὼνων. Τὸ δὲ ἀληθὲς οὑχ οὕτως ἔχει· ἀθρόως γὰρ βουληθεὶς ό Θεὸς ἀναῤῥιπίσαι ὲν ταῖς πάντων μνήμαις, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἕκαστον τῶν ἰδίων συναισθηθῆναι κρεῖττον ἢ χεῖρον πεπραγμένων, πάντα τά παρʼ ὅλον τὸν χρόνον γεγενημένα ἑκάστῳ, ποιήσαι ἂν δυνάμει ἀφάτῳο οὑ γὰρ, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς, βουλόμενοι ὑπόμνησίν τινων ποιῆσαι, δεόμεθα χρόνου διαρκοῦς πρὸς τὴν διέξοδον τῶν ὑφʼ ἡμῶν λεγομένων, καὶ φερόντων είς ἀνάμνησιν ὧν βουλόμεθα ἀναμνῆσαι, οὕτως ό Θεὸς βουληθεὶς ἡμᾶς ὑπομνῆσαι τῶν ὲν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ πεπραγμένων, ἵνα, συναισθηθέντες ὧν πεποιήκαμεν, καταλάβωμεν διʼ ά κολαζόμεθά ἢ τιμώμεθα, ποιήσαι ἄν. Εἰ δέ τις τῷ τάχει τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ταῦτα δυνάμεως ἀπιστεῖ, οὗτος οὐδέπω νενόηκε τὸν ποιήσαντα τὰ ὅλα Θεὸν, οὑ δεηθέντα χρόνων είς τὸ ποιῆσαι τηλικαύτην οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν αὑτοῖς κτίσιν· κἂν γάρ δοκῇ ὲν ἒξ ἡμέραις ταῦτα πεποιηκέναι, συνἐσεως χρεία πρὸς τὸ νοῆσαι πῶς λέγεται τὸ, ἐν ἐξ ἡμέραις, διὰ τοῦτο· ι Αὕτη ἡ βίβλος γενέσεως οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς. Τολμητέον οὖν, καὶ λεκτέον, ὅτι ὁ τῆς προσδοκωμένης κρίσεως καιρὸς οὑ δεῖται χρόνων, ἁλλʼ ὡς ἡ ἀνάστασις λέγεται γίνεσθαι ι ὲν ἀτόμῳ, ὲν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμῶν, ι οὑτως, οἶμαι, καὶ ἡ κρίσις. ### English translation (Claude) And this will be when what is written in Daniel comes to pass: “Books were opened, and the court sat.” For there comes to be, as it were, a record of all that has been spoken and done and thought, and by divine power everything of ours that is hidden will be made manifest and everything covered will be revealed. So when someone is not found to have made an effort to be released from his adversary, he will go by way of the ruler and the judge and the officer to the prison, until he pays the last lepton; but when one has made an effort to be released from him, and owes nothing to anyone, and has already made the mina tenfold or fivefold, or doubled the five talents, or made the two into four, he obtains the due reward, entering into the joy of his Lord, or being set over all his possessions, or hearing, “Have authority over ten cities,” or, “Have authority over five cities.” We might think that these things are said as needing a long time, so that the account of the whole time of life here may be settled with us; so that one might suppose that, as the king settles accounts with each of so many servants, the matter needs as long a time as it takes for what has happened from the beginning of the world to the consummation of the age to come to its end; and not of one age only, but of many. But the truth is not so. For God, wishing all at once to rekindle in the memories of all, so that each may become aware of what he has done better or worse, all that has happened to each throughout the whole of time, could do it by ineffable power. When we wish to remind someone of certain things, we need enough time to go through what we say and what brings to remembrance the things we wish to recall; it is not so with God when he wishes to remind us of what we have done in this life, so that, becoming aware of what we have done, we may understand why we are punished or honoured; he could do it at once. If anyone disbelieves that the power of God can act so quickly in these matters, he has not yet understood the God who made the universe, who did not need periods of time to make so great a creation of heaven and earth and the things in them. For even if he seems to have made these in six days, understanding is needed to grasp how “in six days” is meant, because of the words “This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth,” and what follows. We must dare, then, to say that the time of the expected judgment needs no periods of time; but as the resurrection is said to happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” so too, I think, will the judgment. ### Scripture references - Dan 7:10: quotation, high confidence - Luke 12:2: allusion, high confidence - Luke 12:58: allusion, high confidence - Luke 12:59: allusion, high confidence - Rom 13:8: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 24:47: allusion, high confidence - Gen 2:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:52: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Dan 7:10; Luke 12:2 (Matt 10:26); Luke 12:58–59; Rom 13:8; Luke 19:16–19; Matt 25:20–23; Matt 24:47; Gen 1:31–2:4; Gen 2:4; 1 Cor 15:52. Origen does not take the six days of creation as periods of time. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.9 (PG 13:1204d–1205d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-10 - Source: PG 13:1205d–1209a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains why the debtor of many talents comes first at the start of the reckoning, links the debt to grave sins, and suggests he may be the man of sin or the devil. ### Greek text Μετὰ ταῦτα λεκτέον είς τό ι Ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὑτοῦ συναίρειν λόγον, προσήχθη αὖτῷ εἷς ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων, ι ὅπερ τοιοῦτόν μοι δοκεῖ ἔχειν νοῦν· '0 μὲν καιρὸς τοῦ ἄρξασθαι τὸ κρῖμα ἐστὶν ἀρχόμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰπόντος, ὡς καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ γέγραπται, τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν κολάσεων τεταγμένοις· ι Ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μου ἄρξασθε, ι καὶ ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ ἐοικώς ἐστιν· 6 δὲ τοῦ συναίρειν λόγον τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει ἐπινοίᾳ λαμβανομένην· οὐ γὰρ ἐπιλελήσμεθα τῶν προειρημένων ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφειλόντων πλείονα· διόπερ οὐ γέγραπται μέν· ι Συναίροντος αὐτοῦ λόγον, ι εἴρηται δέ· ι Ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ συναίρειν, προσηνέχθη, ι ὲν τῇ ἀρχῇ τοῦ συναίρειν αὐτὸν λόγον, ι εἷς ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων, ὡς μυρία ὅσα ζημιωθεὶς, καὶ μεγάλα μὲν ἐγκεχειρισμένος, καὶ πιστευθεὶς πολλὰ, μηδὲν δὲ κέρδος προσαγαγὼν τῷ δεσπότῃ, ἀλλὰ μυρία ὅσα ζημιωθεὶς, ὥστε αὑτὸν ὀφείλειν πολλὰ τάλαντα· καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτο πολλὰ ὤφειλε τάλαντα, ἐπείπερ ἠκολούθησε πολλάκις τῇ ἐπὶ τὸ τάλαντον τοῦ μολίβδου καθημένῃ γυναικὶ, ὄνομα Ἀνομία. Νόει δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἕκαστον μέγιστον ἁμάρτημα ταλάντων εἶναι ζημίαν οῖκοδεσποτικῶν, καὶ τοιαῦτα ἁμαρτάνουσι πόρνοι, μοιχοὶ, ἀρσενοκοῖται, μαλακοὶ, εἰδωλολάτραι. φονεῖς. Οὐδὲν οὖν τάχα μικρὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα μεγάλα καὶ χαλεπὰ ἥμαρτεν 6 προσαχθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ εἷς ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων, ὅντινα εῖ μὲν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ζητήσεις, ἴσως ἂν αὐτὸν εὕροις ὄντα τὸν ι ἇνθρωπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τὸν υίδν τῆς ἀπωλείας, τδν ἀντικείμενον, καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα· ι εί δὲ ἔξω ἀνθρώπων, τίς ἂν εἴη οὗτος ἢ 6 διάβολος τοσούτους ἀπολωλεκὼς, δεξαμένους αὐτὸν ἐνεργοῦντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν; ι Μέγα γὰρ ἄνθρωπος καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων, ι τίμιον ὡς ταλάντου εἶναι ἄξιον ἤτοι χρυσοῦ, ὁποία ἡ λυχνία ἡ ταλαντιαία ἦν ἢ χρυσοῦ, ἢ ἀργύρου, ἢ ὁποίας δήποτε νοητῶς παραλαμβανομένης ὕλης· ὧν σύμβολα ἐν τοῖς Λόγοις τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναγέγραπται, Δαυῖδ πλουτήσαντος πολλοῖς ταλάντοις ὧν και 6 ἀριθμὸς λέλεκται, ταλάντοις χρυσοῦ τοσοῖσδε, καὶ ἀργύρου τοσοῖσδε, καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς ὀνομαζομένης ἐκεῖ ὕλης, ἐξ ἧς κατεσκεύασται ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νεώς. ### English translation (Claude) After this we must speak on “When he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed many talents,” which seems to me to have this meaning. The time of beginning is when the judgment begins from the house of God, as it is written also in Ezekiel, when he says to those appointed over the punishments, “Begin from my holy places”; and it is like the twinkling of an eye. The time of settling accounts is the same, distinguished only in thought; for we have not forgotten what was said before about those who owe more. That is why it is not written, “As he was settling accounts,” but “When he began to settle, there was brought,” at the beginning of his settling accounts, “one who owed many talents,” as one who had caused countless losses: he had been entrusted with great things and believed with much, but had brought his master no profit, and instead had caused countless losses, so that he owed many talents. Perhaps he owed many talents because he often followed the woman named Lawlessness, who sits on the talent of lead. Understand in this passage that each very great sin is a loss of the householder's talents; and such sins are committed by the sexually immoral, adulterers, men who lie with males, the effeminate, idolaters, murderers. Perhaps, then, the one debtor of many talents who was brought to the king had sinned in nothing small, but in all things great and grievous. If you look for him among human beings, you might perhaps find him to be “the man of sin, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship”; and if outside human beings, who would he be but the devil, who has destroyed so many who received him as he worked sin in them? “For a man is a great thing, and a merciful man is precious”: precious as worth a talent, either of gold, as the lampstand of a talent was of gold, or of silver, or of whatever material is understood in a figurative sense. Symbols of these are recorded in Chronicles, where David became rich in many talents, whose number is also given: so many talents of gold, so many of silver, and of the other materials named there, from which the temple of God was built. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:24: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 4:17: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 9:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:52: allusion, medium confidence - Zech 5:7: allusion, high confidence - Zech 5:8: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:9: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:10: allusion, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Prov 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Exod 25:39: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Chr 22:14: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Chr 29:4: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:24; 1 Pet 4:17; Ezek 9:6; 1 Cor 15:52; Zech 5:7–8 (the woman Lawlessness on the talent of lead); 1 Cor 6:9–10; 2 Thess 2:3–4; Prov 20:6 (LXX); Exod 25:39; 1 Chr 22:14; 29:4. The list of grave sins follows 1 Cor 6:9–10: πόρνοι “the sexually immoral,” μοιχοί “adulterers,” ἀρσενοκοῖται “men who lie with males,” μαλακοί “the effeminate”; translated as written. A running head of the printed volume and some stray characters at the start of the section are removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.10 (PG 13:1205d–1209a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-11 - Source: PG 13:1209a–1212c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen follows the parable of the unforgiving servant, notes that the king forgave more than was asked, and confesses that only Jesus can fully explain who the debtor and his fellow servant are. ### Greek text Πλὴν μὴ έχων ἀποδοῦναι τὰ τάλαντα, ἀπολωλέκει γὰρ ταῦτα, ἔχει γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα, καὶ ἄλλα περὶ ὧν γέγραπται· ι Πάντα ὅσα ἔχει· ι καὶ ἦν δυνατὸν, πιπρασκόμενον αὐτὸν μετὰ τῶν ίδίων, εὐπορῆσαι τοῦ ὠνησαμένου αὐτὸν, καὶ πληρώσαντος διὰ τῆς τιμῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ πᾶν τὸ ὄφλημα· καὶ οἷόν τε ἦν αὑτὸν μηκέτι μὲν εἶναι δοῦλον τοῦ βασιλέως, γενέσθαι δὲ τοῦ ὠνησαμένου· καὶ έπιδικάζεταί γε τοῦ μὴ πραθεὶς ἅμα τοῖς ἰδίοις μένειν ὲν τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως οἰκία· διὸ ι πεσὼν προσκυνεῖ αὐτῷ, ι Θεὸν ἐπιστάμενος τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ λέγει· ι Μακροθύμησον ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ, καὶ πάντα ἀποδώσω σοι· ι ἦν γὰρ, ώς είκός, δραστήριος, ὀρῶν, ὃτι δύναται ὲκ δευτέρων πράξεων ἀναπληρῶσαι πᾶν τὸ ἐνδεὲς ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας ζημίας τῶν πολλῶν ταλάντων· καὶ ό ἀγαθός γε βασιλεὺς οῦτος ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ὀφειλέτην τῶν πολλῶν ταλάντων, καὶ τότε μὲν ἀπέλυσεν αὑτὸν πλεῖόν τι χαρισάμενος αύτῷ ἦς ἠξιώθη ἀξιώσεως· ὀ μὲν γὰρ ὀφειλέτης ἐπηγγείλατο μακροθυμήσαντι τῷ δεσπότῃ ἀποδοῦναι ἅπαντα τὰ ὀφειλήματα· ὀ δὲ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπʼ αὐτῷ κύριος οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀπολαβεῖν ὲκ τοῦ μακροθυμεῖν, τότε ἀφῆκεν αὑτὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντελῶς ἀπέλυσε, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ. ’0 δὲ πονηρὸς δοῦλος οὗτος καὶ μακροθυμίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου αἰτήσας ἐπὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ταλάντοις ἀνηλεῶς πεποίηκεν. ι Εύρὼν γὰρ ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὐτοῦ, ὃς ὤφειλεν αὑτῷ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, κρατήσας αὑτὸν ἐπνιγε λέγων· Ἀπόδος εἴ τι ὀφείλεις. ι Πῶς δὲ οὐχ ὑπερβολὴν πονηρίας ἐπεδείξατο, διʼ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια κρατήσας τόν σύνδουλον, καὶ πνίγων, καὶ ἀποστερῶν αὐτὸν ἐλευθέρας ἀναπνοῆς, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς ταλάντοις μήτε κρατηθεὶς, μήτε πνιγεὶς, ἀλλὰ πρότερον μὲν κελευσθεὶς πραθῆναι ἅμα γυναικὶ, καὶ τέκνοις, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ, ὕστερον δὲ μετὰ τὸ προσκυνῆσαι, σπλαγχνισθέντος ἐπʼ αὐτῷ τοῦ κυρίου, ἁπολυθεῖς, καὶ περὶ πάσης ἀφεθεὶς τῆς ὀφειλῆς; καὶ ἔργον γε εἰπεῖν κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τίς ἐστιν ὀ εὑρεθεὶς σύνδουλος εἷς ὀφείλων, ού τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῷ πολλὰ ὀφείλοντι τάλαντα, ἑκατὸν δηνάρια. καὶ τίνες οἱ ἰδόντες τὸν μὲν πνίγοντα, τὸν δὲ πνιγόμενον σύνδουλοι, καὶ λυπηθέντες σφόδρα, καὶ σαφῶς παραστήσαντες τῷ κυρίῳ ἑαυτῶν πάντα τὰ γενόμενα. Ὠς μὲν οῦν ἂληθείας ἔχει τὰ πράγματα, ἀποφαίνομαι μηδένα διηγήσασθαι, εί μὴ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς κατʼ ίδίαν λύσαντος πάντα, ἐπιδημήσαντος αὐτοῦ τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ, καὶ ἀνοίγοντος τοὺς ὲν τῇ παραβολῇ θησαυροὺς πάντας, σκοτεινοὺς, ἀποκρύφους, ἀοράτους, καὶ πληροφοροῦντος διʼ ἐναργῶν ἀποδείξεων δν βούλεται φωτίσαι τῷ φωτὶ τῆς γνώσεως τῶν κατά τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, ἵνʼ ἅμα τε παραστήσῃ τίς ὀ εἷς προσαχθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀνθρώπῳ ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων, καὶ τά ἑξῆς, καὶ ὀ ὀφείλων τούτῳ τὰ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια ἄλλος εἷς, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ, εῖτε δύναται εἶναι ὀ προαποδεδομένος ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, εἴτε καὶ ὀ διάβολος, εἴτε μηδʼ ἕτερος μὲν τούτων, ἄλλος δέ τις, ἦτοι άνθρωπος, ἢ τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν διάβολόν τιςʼ ἐστι γάρ τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργον, καὶ τά περὶ τῶν ἰδίως ποιῶν, ἦτοι πεποιωμένων κατά τάς τοιάσδε ποιότητας, εἴτε ἑν ἀοράτοις δυνάμεσιν, εῖτε καὶ ἐν τισιν ἀνθρώποις ἀποδοῦναι προφητευόμενα, ὀπωσποτοῦν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος ἀναγεγραμμένα· ὡς δὲ μηδέπω διαρκῆ νοῦν ἀναλαβόντες ἡμεῖς τὸν δυνάμενον ἀνακραθῆναι τῷ Χριστοῦ νῷ, ἕως τῶν τοσούτων χωροῦντα φθάνειν, καὶ μετά τοῦ πνεύματος πάντα ὲρευνᾷν καὶ τά βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἰόμεθα, ἔτι ἀορίστως περὶ τῶν κατά τὸν τόπον λαμβάνοντες φαντασίαν, ἐπί τινα ἕνα ἀναφέρεσθαι πονηρὸν δοῦλον διὰ τῆς παραβολῆς δηλούμενον τὸν ἐνταῦθα παριστάμενον περὶ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ταλάντων ὀφειλῆς. ### English translation (Claude) But not having the means to repay the talents, for he had lost them, he has a wife and children and other things, of which it is written, “all that he has.” It was possible, if he were sold with his own, for him to find a buyer who would make up the whole debt with the price of him and his; and it was possible for him to be no longer the king's servant but to become the buyer's. And he pleads that he may not be sold along with his own, but may remain in the king's house. That is why “falling down he worships him,” knowing the king to be God, and says, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” For he was, it seems, an active man, who saw that by later actions he could make up all that was lacking from the earlier loss of the many talents. And this good king had compassion even on the debtor of the many talents, and then released him, granting him something more than he had asked. For the debtor promised to repay all the debts to his master if he were patient; but the lord, having compassion on him, did not merely let him go for the time, so as to recover the debt by being patient, but released him completely and forgave him all the debt. But this wicked servant, though he had asked his master for patience over the many talents, acted without mercy. “For finding one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, he seized him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay what you owe.” How did he not display an excess of wickedness, seizing his fellow servant over a hundred denarii, choking him and depriving him of free breath, when he himself, over the many talents, was neither seized nor choked, but was first ordered to be sold with his wife and children and possessions, and later, after he had worshipped, when his lord had compassion on him, was released and forgiven all the debt? It is a hard task to say, in keeping with Jesus' intention, who is the one fellow servant found owing a hundred denarii, not to his own lord but to the one who owed many talents; and who are the fellow servants who saw the one choking and the other being choked, and were greatly grieved, and clearly reported to their lord all that had happened. As to how the matters stand in truth, I declare that no one can explain them except Jesus, who explained all things privately to his own disciples. He does so by coming to dwell in their ruling faculty, opening all the treasures in the parable, dark, hidden, and invisible, and fully convincing, by clear demonstrations, whomever he wishes to enlighten with the light of the knowledge of the things in this parable; so as to show at once who is the one debtor of many talents brought to the king, the man, and what follows, and who is the other one who owed him the hundred denarii, and the rest: whether he can be the man of sin explained above, or the devil, or neither of these but someone else, either a human being or one of those under the devil. For it is the work of the wisdom of God to explain also the prophecies about those of a particular quality, or who have been qualified with such and such qualities, whether among invisible powers or among certain human beings, recorded in whatever way by the divine Spirit. But since we have not yet acquired a sufficient mind, one that can be blended with the mind of Christ, reaching far enough to contain so much, and to search all things with the Spirit, even the depths of God, we think, while still forming only an indefinite impression of the passage, that what is set forth here concerning the debt of many talents refers to some one wicked servant shown through the parable. ### Scripture references - Matt 18:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:26: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:31: allusion, high confidence - Mark 4:34: allusion, high confidence - Col 2:3: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 4:6: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Thess 2:3: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:10: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:16: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:25–31; Mark 4:34; 2 Cor 4:6; Col 2:3; 2 Thess 2:3; 1 Cor 2:10, 16. A running head (“ORIGENIS”) printed in the middle of a word in the scan is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.11 (PG 13:1209a–1212c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-12 - Source: PG 13:1212c–1216c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains why the evangelists left the parables unexplained and places the king's reckoning at the final judgment, comparing the parables of the talents and of the minas. ### Greek text Πότε δὲ ὀ κατά τὴν παραβολὴν βασιλεὺς ἄνθρωπος ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετά τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ, ἀξιον ἐπισκέψασθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τίνα καιρὸν χρὴ ἀναφέρειν τά λεγόμενα. Ei μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τὴν συντέλειαν, ἢ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, κατά τὸν τῆς προσδοκωμένης κρίσεως καιρὸν, πῶς σώσαι τὰ περὶ τοῦ ὀφείλοντος ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, καὶ πνιγομένου ὑπὸ τοῦ συγχωρηθέντος τὰ πολλὰ τάλαντα; εί δὲ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως, πῶς ἂν δύναιτό τις παραστῆσαι πρὸ ἐκείνης συναιρόμενον λόγον ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀνθρώπου μετά τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ; ἁπαξαπλῶς δὲ χρὴ φρονεῖν περὶ πάσης παραβολῆς, ἧς μὴ ἀναγέγραπται ἡ διήγησις ὑπὸ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν, εί καὶ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς κατʼ ἰδίαν ὲπέλυε πάντα, καὶ διά τοῦτο ἀπέκρυψαν οἱ τὰ Εύαγγέλια γράφοντες τὴν σαφήνειαν τῶν παραβολῶν, ἐπεὶ μείζονα ἦν τὰ κατ” αὐτὰς δηλούμενα τῆς τῶν γραμμάτων φύσεως, καὶ ἦν τε ἑκάστη λύσις καὶ ἡ σαφήνεια τῶν τοιούτων παραβολῶν τοιαύτη, ὡς μηδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον χωρεῖν τὰ γραφόμενα εἰς τὰς τοιαύτας παραβολὰς βιβλία. Γένοιτο δʼ ἂν εὑρεθῆναι καρδίαν ἐπιτηδείαν, καὶ διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα χωροῦσαν τὰ γράμματα τῆς σαφηνείας τῶν παραβολῶν, ὣστε ἐν αὐτῇ γραφῆναι Πνεῦματι Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις, ὅτι μήποτε ἁσεβοῦμεν οί θέλοντες διὰ τὸ ἀπόρρητόν τινων καὶ μυστικὸν τῶν ὑπεράνω γραμμάτων εἶναι δηλωτικὰ ταῦτα. πειρώμενοι ταῦτα σαφηνίσαι, κἂν δοκῇ καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν, ὅτι ἔγνωμεν ἐπιμελῶς αὐτῶν τὸ βούλημα. Λεκτέον καὶ τοῦτο,ὅτι, εί μὲν, ἀκριβῶς εἰληφότες αὐτὰ νοεῖν, οῐδασι τὸ πρακτέον αὐτοῖς, ἡμεῖς δὲ oi ὁμολογοῦντες ἀπολείπεσθαι τοῦ δυνηθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸ βάθος τῶν δηλουμένων ὲν τούτοις, εί καί τινα παχυτέραν περίνοιαν ἐπὶ ποσὸν λαμβάνομεν τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον, φήσομεν, ὅτι τινὰ μὲν ἐκ πολλῆς βασάνου καὶ ζητήσεως εὑρίσκειν δοκοῦμεν, εἴτε χάριτι Θεοῦ εἴτε δυνάμει τοῦ ὲν ἡμῖν νοῦ, οὐ τολμῶμεν ὲμπιστεῦσαι γράμμασι· τινὰ δὲ γυμνασίας ἡμετέρας, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐντευξομένων χάριν, ἐπὶ ποσὸν ἐκτιθέμεθα. Ἀλλά ταῦτα μὲν ἀπολελογήσθω διὰ τὸ τῆς παραβολῆς βάθος ο πρὸς δὲ τὸ πότε ἠθέλησεν ὁ τῆς παραβολῆς βασιλεὺς ἄνθρωπος συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ, φήσομεν, ὅτι ἔοικε περὶ τὸν κεκηρυγμένον τῆς κρίσεως καιρὸν τὸ τοιοῦτο γίνεσθαι. Παριστᾶσι δὲ τοῦτο μία μὲν πρὸς τοῖς τελευταίοις τοῦ προκειμένου Εὐαγγελίου παραβολὴ, μία δὲ καὶ ἐκ κατὰ Λουκᾶν. Καὶ ἴνα μὴ αὐτὴν ἐκτιθέμενοι τὴν λέξιν μηκύνωμεν τὸν λόγον, δυναμένου τοῦ βουλομένου ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς Γραφῆς λαβεῖν, φήσομεν, ὅτι ἡ μὲν κατά Ματθαῖον παραβολή ἐστι δηλοῦσα, ὅτι, ι Ὣς ἄνθρωπος ἀποδημῶν ἐκάλεσε τοὺς ἰδίους δούλους, καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τά ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τινὶ μὲν πέντε, τινὶ δὲ δύο, τινὶ δὲ ἓν τάλαντον· ι εἶτʼ ἐκεῖνοι πεποιήκασι περὶ τὰ ἐγκεχειρισμένα ο ι Καὶ μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον ἔρχεται ὁ κύριος τῶν δούλων ἐκείνωνο ι καὶ αὐταῖς λέξεσι γέγραπται, ι ὅτι καὶ συναίρει μετʼ αὐτῶν λόγον ο ι καὶ σύγκρινον τῷ ” ι Καὶ ἀρξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ συναίρειν· ί καὶ ὅρα, ὅτι ἀποδημίαν μὲν ἐκάλεσε τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου τὸν χρόνον καθ ὃν ι ἐνδημοῦντες ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἐκδημοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, ι ἐπιδημίαν δὲ αὐτοῦ, ὅτε ι μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον ἔρχεται ὁ κύριος τῶν δούλων ἐκείνων, ι τὸν ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ ὲν τῇ κρίσει καιρόν ° ε μετὰ γὰρ χρόνον πολὺν ἔρχεται ὁ κύριος τῶν δούλων ἐκείνων, ι» καὶ συναίρει μετʼ αὐτῶν λόγον, ἑξῆς γίνεται. Ἡ δὲ κατὰ Λουκᾶν σαφέστερον παρίστησιν, ὅτι ι εὐγενὴς ἄνθρωπος, πορευθεὶς είς χώραν μακράν λαβεῖν ἐαυτῷ βασιλείαν, καὶ ὑποστρέψαι, › πορευόμενος ἐκάλεσε δέκα δούλους, καὶ ἑδωκεν αὐτοῖς δέκα μνᾶς, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ο ι Πραγματεύσασθε ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι. ι Οὗτος· δέ ό εὐγενὴς άνθρωπος, μισούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πολιτῶν ἀποστειλάντων πρεσβείαν ὀπίσω αὑτοῦ, οὐ θελόντων αὑτὸν βασιλεῦσαι ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, ἐπανῆλθε λαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ εἰπὼν φωνηθῆναι αὑτῷ δούλους οἷς ἐδεδώκει τὸ ἀργύριον, ι ῐνα γνῷ τί διεπραγματεύσαντο. ι Ἰδὼν δὲ ἃ πεποιήκασι, τῷ μὲν τὴν μνᾶν δέκα μνᾶς ποιήσαντι ἔπαινον ἀποδοὺς διὰ τοῦ· ι Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε, ὅτι ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ πιστὸς ἐγένου, ι δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν δέκα πόλεων, τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ άλλῳ τὴν μνᾶν πενταπλασιάσαντι, τὸν μὲν ἐπαινον δν ἐπὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἔταξεν οὐκ ἀποδέδωκεν, οὐδέ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς ἐξουσίας, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου ὡρίσατο, εἷπε δὲ αὐτῷ ο ι Καὶ σὺ γίνου ἐπάνω πέντε πόλεων· ι _ τῷ δὲ τὴν μνᾶν ἀποδήσαντι ἐν σουδαρίῳ εἶπεν ο ι Ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρίνω σε, πονηρέ δοῦλε, καὶ τοῖς παρεστῶσιν εἶπεν· Ἄρατε ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ τὴν ’μνᾶν, καὶ δότε τῷ τὰς δέκα μνᾶς ἔχοντι. ι Τίς οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης παραβολῆς οὐ φήσει, ὅτι ό μὲν εὐγενὴς ἅνθρωπος, πορευθεὶς είς χώραν μακράν λαβεῖν ἐαυτῷ βασιλείαν, καὶ ὑποστρέψαι, ό Χριστός ἐστὶν οἱονεὶ ἀποδημῶν ἐπὶ τῷ λαβεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τῶν έν αὐτῷ; οἱ δὲ τὰς δέκα λαβόντες μνᾶς οἱ ἐγκεχειρισμένοι εἰσὶ διοικεῖν λόγον ὃν ἐπιστεύθησαν· οἱ δὲ πολῖται αὐτοῦ ἐμπολιτευσαμένου τῷ κόσμῳ κατὰ τὸ ἐνηνθρωπηκέναι, οἱ μὴ θελήσαντες αὐτὸν βασιλεῦσαι, τάχα μὲν ό ἀπιστήσας αὐτῷ Ἰσραήλ ἐστι ’ τάχα δέ καὶ τὰ ἀπιστήσαντα αὐτῷ ἔθνη. ### English translation (Claude) It is worth considering when the king, the man in the parable, wished to settle accounts with his servants, and to what time we should refer what is said. For if it is after the consummation, or at it, at the time of the expected judgment, how will one make sense of what is said about the one who owed a hundred denarii and was choked by the one who had been forgiven the many talents? But if it is before the judgment, how could one show an account settled before it by the king, the man, with his servants? We must think in general, about every parable whose explanation has not been recorded by the evangelists (even though Jesus explained everything privately to his own disciples), that those who wrote the Gospels concealed the clear meaning of the parables for this reason: that the things signified by them were greater than the nature of written letters, and each solution and clear explanation of such parables was such that not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written on such parables. But it may be that a suitable heart is found, which because of its purity can contain the letters of the clear explanation of the parables, so that they may be written in it by the Spirit of the living God. Someone will say, however, that perhaps we act impiously, we who wish, because of the secret and mystical character of certain heavenly writings, that these should be signs of them, and who try to make them clear, even if it seems, for the sake of argument, that we have carefully grasped their meaning. To this too it must be said: if there are any who have received the gift of understanding these things accurately, they know what they must do. But we, who confess that we fall short of being able to reach the depth of what is signified in these things, even if we grasp to some extent a somewhat coarser general sense of the passage, shall say this: some things which we seem to find after much testing and inquiry, whether by the grace of God or by the power of our own mind, we do not dare to entrust to writing; but some things, for the sake of our own exercise and that of those who will read them, we set out to some extent. Let this be said in our defence, because of the depth of the parable. As to when the king of the parable, the man, wished to settle accounts with his servants, we shall say that it seems to take place around the proclaimed time of the judgment. This is shown by one parable towards the end of the present Gospel, and one in the Gospel according to Luke. So as not to lengthen the discussion by setting out the very wording, since anyone who wishes can take it from the Scripture itself, we shall say that the parable according to Matthew shows that “a man going abroad called his own servants and delivered to them his possessions, and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one”; then they did their business with what had been entrusted to them; “And after a long time the lord of those servants comes,” and it is written in these very words that he also settles accounts with them. Compare this with “And when he began to settle accounts,” and see that he called the time of the householder's absence abroad the time in which, “while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord,” and called his coming, when “after a long time the lord of those servants comes,” the time at the consummation, at the judgment; for “after a long time the lord of those servants comes and settles accounts with them,” and what follows takes place. The parable according to Luke shows more clearly that “a nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself and to return”; as he was going, he called ten servants and gave them ten minas, and said to them, “Trade until I come.” This nobleman, hated by his own citizens, who sent an embassy after him because they did not want him to reign over them, returned having received the kingdom, and said that the servants to whom he had given the money should be called to him, “so that he might know what they had gained by trading.” Seeing what they had done, he gave praise to the one who had made the mina into ten minas, saying, “Well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a very little,” and gives him authority over ten cities, those under his kingdom; but to another, who had made the mina fivefold, he did not give the praise he had assigned to the first, nor did he use the word “authority” as he had specified for the first, but said to him, “And you, be over five cities”; and to the one who had tied up the mina in a cloth he said, “Out of your own mouth I judge you, wicked servant,” and to those standing by he said, “Take the mina from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.” Who, then, will not say of this parable too that the nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself and to return is Christ, going abroad, as it were, to receive the kingdom of the world and of the things in it; that those who received the ten minas are those entrusted with managing the word with which they were entrusted; and that his citizens, when he lived as a citizen in the world by becoming man, those who did not want him to reign, are perhaps Israel which disbelieved him, and perhaps also the nations that disbelieved him? ### Scripture references - Matt 18:23: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:28: allusion, high confidence - Mark 4:34: allusion, high confidence - John 21:25: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 25:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:24: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:6: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:12: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:13: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:14: allusion, high confidence - Luke 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:19: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:20: allusion, high confidence - Luke 19:22: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:24: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 18:23–24, 28; Mark 4:34; John 21:25; 2 Cor 3:3; Matt 25:14–19; 2 Cor 5:6; Luke 19:12–27. Origen says that some things he seems to have found he does not dare to put in writing. His reference to Israel and the nations who did not want Christ to reign is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.12 (PG 13:1212c–1216c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-6/#p-14-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-13 - Source: PG 13:1216d–1221a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen interprets the debtor as a ruling power with “wife and children” among the nations, notes details of the parable, and turns it against heretics who reject a God who punishes. ### Greek text Πλὴν ταῦτά μοι εἴρηται διὰ τδ τὴν ἐπάνοδον αὑτοῦ ἀναφέρειν ἐλθόντος μετὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπὶ τὴν συντέλειαν, ὅτε ι εἷπε φωνηθῆναι αὐτῷ τοὺς δούλους, οἷς ἐδεδώκει τὸ ἀργύριον, ἵνα γνῷ τί διεπραγματεύσαντο, ι καὶ διὰ τδ ἐκ τούτου βούλεσθαι ἀποδεικνύναι καὶ τῆς περὶ τῶν ταλάντων παραβολῆς, δτι καὶ, ι Ὅστις ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ, ι ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τὴν συντέλειαν, ὅτε ἤδη βασιλεύς ἐστιν ἀπολαμβάνων τὴν βασιλείαν, διʼ ἦν, καθʼ ἑτέραν παραβολὴν, ἐπορεύθη είς χώραν μακρὰν λαβεῖν ἐαυτῷ βασιλείαν, καὶ ὑποστρέψαι. Ὑποστρέψας οὗν καὶ λαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν, ι Ἦθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετά τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀρξαμένου αύτοῦ συναίρειν, προσηνέχθη εἷς ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων ι προσηνέχθη δὲ, ὡς βασιλεῖ, ὑπὸ τῶν αὑτοῦ τεταγμένων λειτουργῶν οἶμαι ἀγγέλων. Καὶ τάχα εἷς τίς ἐστι τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν βασιλείαν ὲγχειρισθείς τινα οἰκονομίαν μεγάλην, καὶ μὴ καλῶς αὐτὴν διοικήσας, ἀλλά διασκορπίσας τά ἐγχειρισθέντα, ὡς ὀφειλέτην αὐτὸν γενέσθαι πολλῶν ταλάντων ὧν ἀπολώλεκεν, οὗτος δὴ τάχα μὴ ἔχων ἀποδοῦναι, κελεύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως πραθῆναι ἅμα τῇ γυναικὶ, ἀφʼ ἧς γέγονε κοινωνὸς αὐτῇ πατήρ τινων τέκνων. Ἔργον δὲ ού τὸ τυχόν ἐστιν ἰδεῖν έν νοητοῖς πατέρα, καὶ μητέρα, καὶ τέκνα. Ὠς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὸ ἀληθὲς, Θεὸς ἂν δείξῃ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον ὃ βούλεται ο καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ εἴτε αὐτὸς δέδωκεν, εἴτε μὴ, ὁ δυνάμενος κρινέτω. Πλὴν τοιαῦτα κατὰ τὸν τόπον ὑπολαμβάνομεν, δτι, ὥσπερ ι Ἰερουσαλὴμ μήτηρ ἐστὶ Παύλου, καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων αὐτῷ ἡ ἄνω, οὕτως εἴη ἂν ἐτέρων μήτηρ, ἀνάλογον Ἰερουσαλὴμ μητρὶ, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν Σοήνη τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἢ καὶ Σιδὼν, ἢ ὅσαι ὠνομάσθησαν ὲν ταῖς Γραφαίς πόλεις. Εἶθʼ ῶσπερ Ἰερουσαλὴμ νύμφη ἐστὶ κεκοσμημένη τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς Χριστῷ, οὕτως εἷεν ἂν ὲκεῖναι αἱ μητέρες δυνάμεων τινων, τῶν κεκληρωμένων αὺτάς, οἱονεὶ γυναῖκες ἢ νύμφαι. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἔστί τινα τέκνα τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὡς μητρὸς, καὶ Χριστοῦ ὡς πατρὸς, οὕτως εἴη ἄν τινα τέκνα Σοήνης, καὶ Μέμφεως, ῆ Τύρου, ἢ Σιδῶνος, καὶ τῶν ἐπιτεταγμένων αύταῖς ἀρχόντων. Τάχα οὖν καὶ οὗτος ὁ εἷς προσαχθεὶς τῷ βασιλεῖ ὀφειλέτης πολλῶν ταλάντων ἔχει, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα, ἀτινα πρότερον μὲν ἐκέλευσε πραθῆναι ὁ βασιλεὺς, πραθῆναι δὲ καί πάντα ἀ εἶχεν, ὕστερον δὲ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἀπέλυσεν αὑτὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἁφῆκεν αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν τὸ μέλλον, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ἡμεῖς μάθωμεν τὸ γεγενημένον, οὓτως ἀναγέγραπται πεποιηκέναι. Ἕκαστος οὖν τῶν ἑχόντων, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα, λόγον ἀποδώσει, ἡνίκα ἂν ἔλθῃ ὸ βασιλεὺς συνᾶραι λόγον, λαβὼν τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ ὑποστρέψας ’ καὶ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἔχει, ὼς ἄρχων τινὸς Σοήνης, ἢ Μέμφεως, ἢ Τύρου, ἢ Σιδῶνος, ἤ τινος παραπλησίου, καὶ τοὺς ὀφειλέτας. Οὗτος ἀπολυθεὶς, καὶ συγχωρηθεὶς πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν, ἐξελθὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, ι εὗρεν ἕνα τῶν συνδούλων αὐτοῦ, ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆςο καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἔπνιγεν, ἐπείπερ ἦν ἐξελθὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως · οὐκ ἂν γὰρ μὴ ἐξελθὼν ἔπνιγε τὸν σύνδουλον αὐτοῦ. Εἶτα παρατήρει τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς Γραφῆς, ὅπως 6 μὲν πεσὼν προσεκύνει· 6 δὲ πεσὼν ού προσεκύνει, ἀλλὰ παρεκάλει · καὶ 6 μὲν βασιλεὺς σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀφῆκεν αὐτῷ· 6 δὲ δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεῆσαι ἠθέλησε τὸν σύνδουλον αὑτοῦ · ἐκεῖνος μὲν πρὸ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν πραθῆναι, καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ ο 6 δὲ συγχωρηθεὶς ἔβαλεν αὑτὸν εἰς τὴν φυλακήν. Καὶ πρόσχες, ὅτι οἱ σύνδουλοι οὐ διέβαλον, ἢ εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλὰ διεσάφησαν, καὶ ὅτι τὺ, ι πονηρὲ ι οὐκ εἶπε κατʼ ἀρχὰς περ) τῶν χρημάτων, ἀλλʼ ἐτήρησεν ὕστερον περὶ τοῦ συνδούλου. Ἴδε δὲ καὶ τὸ μέτριον τοῦ βασιλέωςο οὐκ εἷπε · ι Προσεκύνησάς μοι, ι ἀλλὰʼ ε Παρεκάλεσάς με, ι καὶ οὐκέτι αὑτὸν πραθῆναι, καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ι παρέδωκε τοῖς βασανισταῖς ι τὸ χεῖρον διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν. Τίνες δʼ ἂν εἷεν οῦτοι ἢ οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν κολάσεσι τεταγμένοι; Ἅμα δὲ πρόσχες διὰ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων χρωμένους τῇ παραβολῇ, ὅτι, εἴπερ κατηγοροῦσι τοῦ δημιουργοῦ, ὡς ὀργίλου, διὰ τὰ ἐμφαίνοντα ὀργὴν Θεοῦ ῥήματα ἐχρῆν αὐτοὺς καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως τούτου κατηγορεῖν, ἐπείπερ ὀργισθεὶς παρέδωκε τὸν ὀφειλέτην τοῖς βασανισταῖς. Ἔτι δὲ λεκτέον τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις παραδίδοσθαί τινα ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς βασανισταῖς, ὅτι, Διηγήσασθε ἡμῖν, ὦ οὗτοι, τίς 6 βασιλεὺς 6 παραδιδοὺς τὸν πονηρὸν δοῦλον τοῖς βασανισταῖς. Προσεχέτωσαν δὲ καὶ τῷ · ι Οὕτως οὖν ποιήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ Πατήρ μου 6 οὐράνιος ο ι τοῖς αὐτοῖς δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον λεχθείη ἂν τὰ ὲν τῇ τῶν δέκα μνῶν παραβολῇ, ὅτι 6 ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἷπε* ι Πλὴν τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐκείνους τοὺς μὴ θελήσαντάς με, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸ συμπέρασμα μέντοι τῆς παραβολῆς καὶ τοῖς ἁπλουστέροις ἁρμόζει· πάντες γὰρ ἅμα διδασκόμεθα πείσεσθαι οι ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων εἰληφότες, καὶ μὴ συγχωροῦντες τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. τὰ τοῦ συγχωρηθέντος, καὶ μὴ συγχωρήσαντος δούλῳ. ### English translation (Claude) I have said these things, however, because I refer his return, when he comes with the kingdom, to the consummation, when “he said that the servants to whom he had given the money should be called to him, so that he might know what they had gained by trading”; and because from this I wish to show from the parable of the talents too that “who wished to settle accounts with his servants” also refers to the consummation, when he is already king, having received the kingdom, for which, according to the other parable, he went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself and to return. Having returned, then, and received the kingdom, “he wished to settle accounts with his servants, and when he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed many talents.” He was brought, as to a king, by the ministers appointed by him, I think angels. And perhaps he is one of those under the kingdom who was entrusted with some great stewardship and did not manage it well, but squandered what was entrusted to him, so that he became a debtor of the many talents he had lost. This one, perhaps having nothing with which to repay, is ordered by the king to be sold together with his wife, through partnership with whom he became the father of certain children. It is no ordinary task to see a father and a mother and children among the things perceived by the mind. As for the truth, God would show this task to whom he wishes; and whether he has given it to us or not, let the one who is able judge. We understand, however, something like this about the passage. Just as “the Jerusalem above” is “the mother” of Paul and of those like him, so there may be a mother of others, analogous to Jerusalem the mother: say, Syene of Egypt, or Sidon, or whatever cities are named in the Scriptures. Then, just as Jerusalem is a bride adorned for her husband Christ, so those mothers may be, as it were, wives or brides of certain powers which have them as their allotted portion. And just as there are certain children of Jerusalem as mother and of Christ as father, so there may be certain children of Syene and Memphis, or Tyre or Sidon, and of the rulers set over them. Perhaps, then, this one debtor of many talents who was brought to the king has, in the sense we have explained, a wife and children; and the king first ordered them to be sold, and all that he had to be sold, but later, having compassion, released him and forgave him all the debt. He was not ignorant of what would happen, but it is recorded that he did so in order that we might learn what took place. Each, then, of those who have, in the sense we have explained, a wife and children will give an account when the king comes to settle accounts, having received the kingdom and returned; and each of them, as ruler of some Syene or Memphis or Tyre or Sidon or some similar place, also has debtors. This one, released and forgiven all the debt, going out from the king, “found one of his fellow servants,” and what follows. And it was for this reason, I think, that he choked him: because he had gone out from the king; for had he not gone out, he would not have choked his fellow servant. Then observe the precision of Scripture: the one fell down and worshipped; the other fell down and did not worship, but entreated. The king had compassion, released him, and forgave him all the debt; but the servant would not even have mercy on his fellow servant. The king, before the forgiveness, ordered him to be sold, with his possessions; but the one who had been forgiven threw his fellow servant into prison. Note too that the fellow servants did not slander him or merely talk, but explained clearly; and that the king did not say “wicked” at the beginning, about the money, but kept it for later, about the fellow servant. See also the restraint of the king: he did not say, “You worshipped me,” but “You entreated me”; and he no longer ordered him to be sold with his possessions, but “delivered him to the torturers,” the worse fate, because of his wickedness. Who might these be but those appointed over the punishments? At the same time note this, because of those from the heresies who make use of the parable: if they accuse the Creator of being wrathful because of the words that show the anger of God, they ought to accuse this king too, since in anger he delivered the debtor to the torturers. Further, it must be said to those who do not want anyone to be delivered by Jesus to torturers: “Explain to us, you people, who is the king who delivers the wicked servant to the torturers?” And let them attend to “So also my heavenly Father will do to you.” To the same people one might also say, still more, what is in the parable of the ten minas: that the Son of the good God said, “But those enemies of mine who did not want me,” and what follows. The conclusion of the parable, however, fits the simpler too; for we are all taught together that those who have received forgiveness of sins and do not pardon their brothers will suffer what the servant suffered who was forgiven and did not forgive. ### Scripture references - Luke 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:24: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:26: quotation, high confidence - Rev 21:2: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 29:10: allusion, low confidence - Matt 18:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:29: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:31: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:34: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:35: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:27: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 19:12, 15; Matt 18:23–35; Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2; Ezek 29:10 (Syene); Luke 19:27. Origen's argument against “those from the heresies” who accuse the Creator of wrath and speak of “the good God” is aimed at Marcionite teaching; it is translated as written. His suggestion that cities such as Syene, Memphis, Tyre, and Sidon are “mothers” and “brides” of the powers set over them is offered tentatively. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.13 (PG 13:1216d–1221a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-14 - Source: PG 13:1221a–1224a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reflects on the phrase “when Jesus had finished these words,” asking whether it is used of anyone but Jesus and connecting “finished” (etelesen) with initiation into divine mysteries. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν 6 Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους. ι '0 ἕκαστον τῶν προκειμένων προβλημάτων ἐντελῶς διεξιὼν, ὡς μηδὲν αὐτῶν ἐνδεὲς καταλιπεῖν, οὗτος τελεῖ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ λόγους. Θαρσαλεώτερον δʼ ἄν τις ἀποφανεῖται περὶ τούτου προσέχων ἐπιμελέστερον πάσῃ ἀναγνώσει Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς Διαθήκης· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπὶ μηδενὸς τεταγμένον τὸ, ι Ἐτέλεσε τοὺς λόγους τούτους,ι ἢ Μωϋσέως, ἦ τινος τῶν προφητῶν, ἀλλʼ ἢ μόνου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τότε τολμήσας ἄν τις εἴποι, ὅτι μόνους ἐτέλεσε τοὺς λόγους ό Ἰησοῦς, 6 ἐλθὼν τέλος ἐπιθεῖναι τοῖς πράγμασι, καὶ πληρῶσαι τὸ ἐνδεὲς τοῦ νόμου, διὰ τοῦ t Ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις,› καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ πάλιν· t Ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὰ εἰρημένα διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.) Ei δέ που γέγραπται καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις, τότε ἂν ἐξετάζοι καὶ τελεσθέντας ὑπʼ ἐκείνων λόγους τελεσθεῖσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἴνα εὕρῃ τὴν διαφορὰν αὐτῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους. Καίτοιγε κἀκεῖ ζητηθείη ἂν, εἰ ἐπὶ τῶν κατὰ χρηματισμὸν λεγομένων κεῖται τὸ, ί ὲτέλεσεν,› ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν Μωῦσέως ἡ τινος τῶν προφητῶν εἰρημένων, ἦ ἐπὶ συναμφοτέρων· ἡ γὰρ ἐπιμελὴς τήρησις μέγιστα ἂν ὑποβάλλοι νοήματα τοῖς ἐπισταμένοις 4 πνευματικὰ πνευματικοῖς συγκρίνειν,ι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ι λαλοῦσιν οὐκ ὲν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλʼ ὲν διδακτοῖς πνεύματος. ι Ἀλλος δʼ ἄν τις περιεργότερον τοῦ, t ἐτέλεσεν, ι ἀκούων, τεταγμένου ἐπὶ τῶν μυστικωτέρων, καθὸ ὁ μέν τις παρέδωκε τοῖς ὑποχειρίοις μυστήρια καὶ τελετὰς οὐκ ὲπαινετῶς· 6 δέ τις μυστήρια Θεοῦ τοῖς ἀξίοις, καὶ ἀνάλογον τοῖς τοιούτοις μυστηρίοις τελετὰς, εἴποι, ὅτι τελετὴν ἐποίησε μυήσας αὐτοὺς, διʼ ἦν τελετὴν ἀνεφάνησαν οἱ λόγοι δυνατοὶ, ὡς κηρυχθῆναι τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον Ἰησοῦ ὲν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ κρατῆσαι διὰ τὴν Θείαν τελετὴν πάσης ψυχῆς, ἢν ἕλκει 6 ’Πατὴρ πρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· ε Οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς μὲ, ἐὰν μὴ 6 Πατὴρ 6 πέμψας με ἐλκύσῃ αὐτόν.) Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ 6 λόγος τῶν χάριτι Θεοῦ πρεσβευόντων τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτῶν, ι οὐκ ὲν πειθοῖ σοφίας γέγονε λόγων, ἀλλʼ ὲν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως, ι οἷς ἐτελέσθησαν οἱ λόγοι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τῆς διδασκαλίας. Καὶ σὺ μὲν οὖν τηρήσεις ὁσάκις εἴρηται τὸ, ι ἐτέλεσε,› καὶ ἐπὶ τίσι· λήψῃ δὲ παράδειγμα τὸ ἐπὶ τοῖς μακαρισμοῖς, καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ λελεγμένοις, οἷς ἐπιφέρεται· «Καὶ ἐγένετο ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν 6 Ἰησούς τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐξεπλήσσοντο πάντες οι ὄχλοι ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦʼ» ἀναφέρεται δὲ καὶ νῦν τόʼ ι Ἐτέλεσεν 6 Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους.» προσεχῶς μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν μυστικωτάτην παραβολὴν, καθʼ ἣν ‹ ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ἠθέλησε συνᾶραι λόγον μετὰ τῶν δούλων αὑτοῦ, › ἔτι δὲ ταύτης ἀνωτέρω, εἰς τὰ πρὸ αὐτῆς ἀναγεγραμμένα. ### English translation (Claude) “And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these words.” The one who goes through each of the problems set before him completely, so as to leave none of them lacking, finishes his own words. One could speak more confidently about this after attending more carefully to the whole reading of the Old and New Testaments. For if “he finished these words” is used of no one, neither of Moses nor of any of the prophets, but only of Jesus, then one might dare to say that Jesus alone finished words, he who came to bring things to their end and to fill up what the law lacked, through “It was said to those of old,” and what follows; and again, “so that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled.” But if it is written somewhere of them too, then one would examine the words finished by them alongside those finished by the Saviour, so as to find the difference between them. And there too it might be asked whether “he finished” is used of words spoken by divine oracle, or of those spoken by Moses or one of the prophets, or of both. For careful observation might suggest the greatest thoughts to those who know how to “compare spiritual things with spiritual,” and who for this reason “speak not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit.” Another, taking “he finished” (etelesen) more curiously, as used of more mystical things (for just as one person handed on to those under him mysteries and initiations that are not praiseworthy, so another hands on mysteries of God to the worthy, and initiations corresponding to such mysteries), might say that he performed an initiation, initiating them, and that through this initiation the words appeared powerful, so that the Gospel of Jesus was preached in the whole world and, through the divine initiation, prevailed over every soul that the Father draws to the Son, according to what the Saviour said: “No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” That is why the word of those who by God's grace are ambassadors of the Gospel, and their preaching, “was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”: those in whom the words of Jesus' teaching were brought to completion. You, then, will observe how often “he finished” is said, and of what. You will take as an example what was said after the beatitudes and the whole teaching that follows them, which ends: “And it came to pass when Jesus finished these words, all the crowds were astonished at his teaching.” And now too “Jesus finished these words” refers immediately to the most mystical parable, in which “the kingdom of heaven was likened to a man, a king, who wished to settle accounts with his servants,” and further, beyond it, to what is recorded before it. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:23: quotation, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:14: allusion, high confidence - John 6:44: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:20: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:1; Matt 5:21; Matt 2:23; 1 Cor 2:13; Matt 24:14; John 6:44; 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Cor 2:4; Matt 7:28; Matt 18:23. The Greek verb τελέω, “finish,” is related to τελετή, “initiation” (into mysteries); the second interpretation plays on this, and Origen contrasts initiations “not praiseworthy” (pagan mysteries) with the mysteries of God. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.14 (PG 13:1221a–1224a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-15 - Source: PG 13:1224b–1224d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen notes that Jesus went to the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan, and distinguishes crowds who merely follow from disciples who rise, leave all, and follow. ### Greek text Πλὴν ι ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν 6 Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τούτους.» λαλήσας αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ περὶ τὴν Καφαρναοὺμ, τότε μετῆρεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ὅρια, ἕτερα τυγχάνοντα παρὰ τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. τΗλθε δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὰ μέσα, ἀλλʼ οἱονεὶ τὰ ἄκρα· ἔνθα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, οὓς ἐθεράπευσε παρὰ τοῖς ὁρίοις τῆς Ἰουδαίας, πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ἔνθα τὸ βά· πτισμα ἐδίδοτο. Τηρήσεις δὲ διαφορὰν ὄχλων ἁπλῶς ἀκολουθησάντων, καὶ Πέτρου. καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀφέντων πάντα καὶ ἀκολουθησάντων, καὶ Ματθαίου, ὂς ι ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷʼ ι οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἠκολούθησεν, ἀλλʼ ἀναστάς. Μεγάλη ὴ προσθήκη τὸ, ἀναστάς. Εἰσὶν οὖν ἀεὶ οἱ μὲν ὡς ὄχλοι πολλοὶ ἀκολουθοῦντες, μήτε ἀναστάντες, ἵνα ἀκολουθήσωσι, μήτε ἀφέντες πάντα τὰ πρότερα· ὀλίγοι δὲ οἱ ἀναστάντες καὶ oi ἀκολουθήσαντες, οἳ καὶ καθεδοῦνται οἱ ἐν τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ ἐπὶ ιβʼ θρόνους. Πλὴν εἰ βούλεταί τις θεραπευθῆναι, ἁκολουθησάτω τῷ Ἰησοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) But “when Jesus had finished these words,” having spoken them in Galilee around Capernaum, he then departed from there and came to the region of Judea, which is distinct from Galilee. He came to the borders of Judea, not to the middle but, as it were, to the outer parts; there great crowds followed him, and he healed them at the borders of Judea, beyond the Jordan, where baptism was given. You will observe the difference between the crowds who simply followed, and Peter and the others who left everything and followed, and Matthew, who “rose and followed him”: he did not simply follow, but rose. The addition “rose” is a great one. There are always, then, some who follow like the great crowds, neither having risen in order to follow nor having left all their former things; but few are those who have risen and followed, who will also sit in the regeneration on twelve thrones. However, if anyone wishes to be healed, let him follow Jesus. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:2: allusion, high confidence - John 1:28: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 4:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 9:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:1–2; John 1:28 (10:40); Matt 4:20; Matt 19:27; Matt 9:9; Matt 19:28. Migne's heading for the next chapter (on those who tested Jesus about divorcing a wife for any cause) at the end of the section is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.15 (PG 13:1224b–1224d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-16 - Source: PG 13:1224d–1229c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains the Pharisees' trap about divorce, Jesus' answer from Genesis that not every cause dissolves a marriage, marriage as God's joining and a gift of grace, and condemns those who forbid marriage. ### Greek text Μετὰ τοῦτο γέγραπται, ὅτι προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι πειράζοντες αὑτὸν καὶ λέγοντες·‹Εί ἔξεστιν ἄνθρωπον ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν; › Τὸ ἰσοδυναμοῦν ἀνέγραψε καὶ 6 Μάρκος· Οὐκοῦν τῶν προσιόντων καὶ πυνθανομένων τῷ ἰησοῦ ἦσάν τινες οἳ πειράζοντες ἐπηρώτων αὐτόνʼ πειραζομένου δὲ τοῦ τηλικούτου Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, τίς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἀγανακτοίη τεταγμένος εἰς διδασκαλίαν ἐπὶ τῷ πειράζεσθαι ὑπό τινων καὶ πυνθανομένων οὐκ ὲκ φιλομαθείας, ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ πειράξειν ὲθέλειν; Πολλά δʼ ἂν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναγαγὼν εὕροις, ὲν οἷς ἐπείρασαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἡμῶν oi Φαρισαῖοι, καὶ ἄλλοι παρὰ τούτους, ὡς νομικός τις, τάχα δὲ καὶ γραμματεὺς, ἵνʼ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τὰ περὶ τῶν πειραζόντων αὑτὸν συναγαγὼν, εὕροις τι τὰ περὶ τῶν πειραζόντων αὐτὸν ὲκ τῆς ἐξετάσεως χρήσιμον είς τὸ εἶδος τῶν λόγων τούτων. Πλὴν ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ τοῖς πειράζουσιν ἀποκρίνεται δόγματα· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ελεγον· ι El ἔξεστιν ἀνθρώπῳ ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ κατά πᾶσαν αἰτίαν. Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν Ούκ ἀνέγνωτε, ὃτι ό κτίσας ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς ἄρσεν καὶ Θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούςς ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς. Καὶ οἶμαι, ὅτι κατά τοῦτο προέτεινον τὸν λόγον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τοῦτον, ὡς ἐπιληψόμενοι αὐτοῦ, ὃ τι ποτʼ ἂν εἴπῃ· οἷον εί μὲν εἶπεν, Ἔξεστιν, ἐνεκάλεσαν αὐτῷ, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσι διαλύοντι τοὺς γάμουςο εἰ δὲ, Οὐκ ἔξεστιν, ὡς καὶ μετά ἁμαρτημάτων ὲπιτρέποντι συνοικεῖν ἄνδρα γυναικί· ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ κήνσου εἰ μὲν γάρ εἷπε διδόναι, ἐνεκάλεσαν ὡς ύποτάσσοντι τὸν λαὸν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις, καὶ οὐ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ* εὶ δὲ μὴ διδόναι, ὡς πόλεμον ἐμποιοῦντι καὶ στάσιν, καὶ διεγείροντι τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους στῆναι πρὸς τηλικαύτην στρατιάν. Οὐχ ἑώρων τε τίνα τρόπον ἀνεπιλήπτως καὶ σοφῶς αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνεται, πρότερον μὲν άποφάσκων τὸ ἀπολύειν τὴν γυναῖκα κατά πᾶσαν αἰτίαν, δεύτερον δὲ ἀποκρινόμενος πρὸς τὰ περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ κατά τὸ ἀποστάσιον· ἑώρα γὰρ, ὅτι οὐ πᾶσα αἰτία εὐλόγως λύει γάμον, καὶ ὅτι δεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα ι συνοικεῖν ι τῇ γυναικὶ, ι ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σκεύει. ἀπονέμοντα τιμὴν, ι καὶ βαστάζοντα αὐτῆς τὰ ἐν ἀμαρτήμασι βάρη, καὶ δυσωπεῖ ὲκ τῶν ὲν τῃ Γενέσει ἐγγεγραμμένων τοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς Μωῦσέως γράμμασιν αὐχοῦντας Φαρισαίους, λέγων τό· ι Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε, ὅτι ὁ κτίσας ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς; ι καί τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ἐπιφέρων αὐτοῖς διὰ τό· ι Καὶ ἔσονται οἰ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν,› ἀκόλουθον τῷ, «εἰς σάρκα μίαν,» διδασκαλίαν, τήν· ι Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία.» Δυσωπητικδν δὲ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν, τό· ι Ὃ ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.» ‘ Παρατηρητέον μέντοιγε ὲν τῇ ἐκθέσει τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Γενέσεως ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ῥητῶν, ὅτι οὐ τὰ ἐφεξῆς ἀλλήλοις γεγραμμένα εἴρηται· ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι, ὅτι οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν λέγεται, τῶν κατʼ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενομένων, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ χοὸς τῆς γῆς καὶ μιᾶς τῶν πλευρῶν τοῦ Ἀδάμ· ὅπου μὲν γὰρ λέλεκται· ι Τὸ ἀρρεν καὶ τδ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς, ι περὶ τῶν κατʼ εἰκόνα ἐστίνʼ ὅπου δὲ καὶ εἶπεν ι Ἕνεκα τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ,ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, οὐκ ἐστι περι τῶν κατʼ εἰκόναʼ ὕστερον γάρ ποτε ἐκείνων ἔπλασε Κύριος ό Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὑτοῦ τὴν βοηθόν. Ἅμα δὲ πρόσχες, δτι ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν κατʼ εἰκόνα οὐκ ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ ἄρρεν καὶ θῆλυ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ τετηρήκαμεν· ἀνὴρ μὲν γὰρ δηλοῦται τῇ, ἴς, φωνῇ, ἄρρεν δὲ τῇ … πάλιν γυνὴ μὲν τῇ, ἐσσᾶ, φωνῇ, θῆλυ δὲ τῇ …· οὐδέποτε γὰρ γυνὴ κατʼ εἰκόνα, οὐδὲ ἀνὴρ, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν διαφέροντες ἄρρεν, οἰ δὲ δεύτεροι θῆλυ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἂν καταλίπῃ ἄνθρωπος τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὸν πατέρα, κολλᾶται οὐ τῷ θήλει, ἀλλὰ τῇ γυναικί αὐτοῦ. καί γίνονται, ἐπεὶ ἓν σαρκὶ ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ, εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Εἶτα διαγράφων δ δεῖ εἶναι ὲν τοῖς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συνεζευγμένοις ἀξίως τοῦ συνεζεῦχθαι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. ἐπιφέρει ὁ Σωτὴρ τό· ι Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο· καὶ ὅπου γε ὁμόνοια καὶ συμφωνία καὶ ἁρμονία ἀνδρός ἐστι πρὸς γυναῖκα, τοῦ μὲν ὼς ἄρχοντος, τῆς δὲ πειθομένης τῷʼ ι Αὐτός σου κυριεύσει, ἀληθῶς ἐστιν εἰπεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων τόο ι Οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο. Εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ ἔδει τηρεῖσθαι τῷ κολλωμένῳ Θεῷʼ τῷ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἓν πνεῦμα, λέλεκται ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συνεζευγμένων μετὰ τό· ι Ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶ δύο,» τό· ι Ἀλλά σὰρξ μία.» Καὶ 6 Θεός ἐστιν 6 συζεύξας τά δύο είς ἒν, ἴνα μηκέτι ὦσι δύο παρʼ οὗ ἁρμόζεται ἀνδρὶ γυνήʼ καί ἐπεὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξε, διὰ τοῦτο χάρισμα ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συνεζευγμένοις, ὅπερ 6 Παῦλος ἐπιστάμενος, ἐπίσης τῷ εἶναι τὴν ἁγνὴν ἀγαμίαν χάρισμά φησι καὶ τὸν κατὰ Λόγον Θεοῦ γάμον εἶναι χάρισμα, φάσκων ' ι Θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς ἐμαυτὸν, ἀλλʼ ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ὲκ Θεοῦ, ὃς μὲν οὕτως, ὃς δὲ οὕτως. ι Οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συνεζευγμένοι καὶ φρονοῦσι καὶ ποιοῦσι τό· ι Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, ὡς καὶ 6 Χριστὸς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν.» Ὀ μὲν οὖν Σωτὴρ ἐνετείλατο, ἵν' ὅπερ 6 Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωρίζῃ · ἄνθρωπος δὲ χωρίζειν βούλεται ὃ ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ὅτε ι ἀποστὰς τῆς ὑγιοῦς πίστεως, προσέχων πνεύμασι πλάνης καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων ὲν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυτηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, κωλυόντων »οὐ πορνεύειν μόνον, ἀλλά καὶ ι γαμεῖν, ι διαλύει καὶ τοὺς φθάσαντας τῇ προνοίᾳ συνεζεῦχθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὗν τηρουμένων τῶν ῥητῶν είς τὰ περὶ ἄρρενος, καὶ θήλεος, καὶ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ γυναικὸς, ὡς ἐδίδαξεν 6 Σωτὴρ ὲν τῇ πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἀποκρίσει, λελέχθω. ### English translation (Claude) After this it is written that “the Pharisees came to him, testing him and saying, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” Mark too recorded the equivalent. So among those who came to Jesus and questioned him there were some who asked him in order to test him. When our Saviour, great as he is, was tested, which of his disciples who has been appointed to teach would be indignant at being tested by some who question him not from a love of learning but from the wish to test him? If you gathered them together you would find many occasions on which the Pharisees tested our Jesus, and others besides them, such as a lawyer, and perhaps also a scribe; so that, gathering together what concerns those who tested him, you might find from the examination something useful for this kind of discourse. But the Saviour answers with teachings even those who test him. For they said, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” And he answered and said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” and what follows. I think the Pharisees put forward this question so as to lay hold of him whatever he might say. If he said, “It is lawful,” they would accuse him of dissolving marriages for trivial reasons; if, “It is not lawful,” of allowing a husband to live with a wife even when there are sins; as in the case of the tribute: if he said to pay it, they would accuse him of subjecting the people to the Romans and not to the law of God; and if not to pay it, of causing war and sedition and stirring up those who could not stand against so great an army. They did not see in what way he answers them blamelessly and wisely: first denying that a man may divorce his wife for any cause, and secondly answering what concerns the bill of divorce. For he saw that not every cause reasonably dissolves a marriage, and that the husband must “live with the wife as with a weaker vessel, giving her honour,” and bear her burdens when she sins. And he puts to shame, from what is written in Genesis, the Pharisees who boasted in the writings of Moses, saying, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” and what follows; and, from “And the two shall become one flesh,” he adds for them the teaching that follows from “one flesh”: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” And as a rebuke against divorcing a wife for any cause he adds: “What God has joined together, let not man separate.” One must observe, however, in the citing of the passages from Genesis in the Gospel, that they are not quoted in the order in which they stand one after another; and I think they are not even said of the same beings: those made in the image of God, and those made from the dust of the earth and from one of the ribs of Adam. For where it is said, “Male and female he made them,” it is about those made in the image; but where he said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother,” and what follows, it is not about those in the image; for at a later time than those, the Lord God formed man, taking dust from the earth, and from his side formed the helper. Note too that of those in the image it is not said “man and woman,” but “male and female.” We have observed this in the Hebrew as well: “man” is expressed by the word is, “male” by another word …; again “woman” by the word essa, “female” by another word … For never is “woman” said to be in the image, nor “man,” but the superior are called “male” and the secondary “female.” But when a man leaves mother and father, he is joined not to the female but to his wife; and they become one flesh, since man and wife are in the flesh. Then, describing what must be found in those whom God has joined, in a manner worthy of being joined by God, the Saviour adds, “So they are no longer two.” And where there is concord and agreement and harmony of husband with wife, he as ruling and she obeying “He shall rule over you,” one can truly say of such people, “They are no longer two.” Then, since it was fitting to keep for the one who is joined to God that he becomes one spirit with him, of those whom God has joined it is said, after “So they are no longer two,” “but one flesh.” And it is God who has joined the two into one, so that they are no longer two, since it is by him that a wife is joined in harmony to a husband. And since God has joined them, there is for this reason a gift of grace in those whom God has joined. Knowing this, Paul says that, just as holy celibacy is a gift of grace, so too marriage according to the Word of God is a gift of grace, saying, “I wish all people to be as I myself am; but each has his own gift from God, one of this kind and another of that.” And those whom God has joined both think and do this: “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church.” The Saviour, then, commanded that what God has joined man should not separate. But man wishes to separate what God has joined when, “having departed from the sound faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose own conscience is seared, who forbid” not only sexual immorality but also “to marry,” he dissolves even those who have already been joined by the providence of God. Let this much be said, keeping to the sayings about male and female, and man and woman, as the Saviour taught in his answer to the Pharisees. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:3: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:17: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:35: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 19:4: quotation, high confidence - Gen 1:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 3:7: quotation, high confidence - Gal 6:2: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 19:5: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:6: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Gen 2:21: allusion, high confidence - Gen 2:22: allusion, high confidence - Gen 3:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:17: allusion, high confidence - Prov 19:14: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 7:7: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:3: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:3–6; Mark 10:2–9; Matt 22:15–22, 35; 1 Pet 3:7; Gal 6:2; Gen 1:27; Gen 2:24; Gen 2:7, 21–22; Gen 3:16; 1 Cor 6:17; Prov 19:14 (LXX); 1 Cor 7:7; Eph 5:25; 1 Tim 4:1–3. Origen's distinction between “male and female” (beings made in the image, Gen 1:27) and “man and wife” (Gen 2) belongs to his interpretation of the two creation accounts; it is translated as written. The Hebrew words he contrasts are ish / ishshah (“man” / “woman”) and, for “male” and “female,” words garbled in the scan (presumably zakar and neqebah), marked “…”. “Those who forbid marriage” (1 Tim 4:3) are ascetic groups of his time; the reference is not specified. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.16 (PG 13:1224d–1229c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-17 - Source: PG 13:1229d–1232d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies “one flesh” to Christ and the church, saying that the synagogue separated herself from Christ by unfaithfulness, and that nothing can separate the church from Christ. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ 6 ’Δπόστολος εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκλαμβάνει καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τό· ι Καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν, ι λεκτέον, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπέλυσεν 6 Χριστὸς τὴν προτέραν, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, τὴν προτέραν συναγωγὴν κατʼ ἀλλην αἰτίαν, τηρῶν τό· ι Ὃ ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω, »ἢ ὅτε ὲπόρνευσεν εκείνη ἡ γυνὴ μοιχευθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, καὶ μετʼ ἐκείνου ἐπιβουλεύσασα τῷ ἀνδρὶ, καὶ ἀποκτείνασα αὐτὸν ὲν τῷ λέγειν· ι Αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον, σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτόν. ι Ἐκείνη οὖν ἑαυτὴν ἀπέστησε μᾶλλον ἢ 6 ἀνὴρ αὐτὴν ἀπέστειλεν ἀπολύσας· διόπερ ὀνειδίζων αὐτῇ ἀποστάσῃ αὐτοῦ ὲν Ἡσαΐᾳ φησί ι Ποῖον τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἀποστασίου τῆς μητρὸς ὑμῶν, ᾧ ἀπέστειλα αὐτήν; ι Καὶ ὁ κτίσας γε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς τὸν κατʼ εἰκόνα, ὃς ὲν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων ἅῤῥεν αὑτὸν ἐποίησε, καὶ θῆλυ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἒν τὸ κατʼ εἰκόνα ἀμφοτέροις χαρισάμενος. Καὶ καταλέλοιπέ γε διὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν Κύριος 6 ἀνὴρ Πατέρα ὃν ἑώρα, ι ὅτε ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπῆρχε· ι καταλέλοιπε δὲ καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς υίὸς ὢν τῆς ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐκολλήθη τῇ ὲνταῦθα καταπεσούσῃ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ γεγόνασιν ἐνθάδε οἱ δύο είς σάρκα μίαν · διὰ γὰρ αὐτὴν γέγονε καὶ αὐτὸς σὰρξ, ὅτε ι 6 Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, ι καὶ ί οὐκέτι γέ είσι δύο, ἀλλὰ νῦν μία γέ ἐστι σὰρξ, ι ἐπεὶ τῇ γυναικὶ λέγεται τό· ι Ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους· ι ού γάρ ἐστί τι ἰδίᾳ Χριστοῦ σῶμα ἕτερον παρὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν οὖσαν σῶμα αὑτοῦ, καὶ μέλη ὲκ μέρους καὶ ὁ Θεός γε τούτους τοὺς μὴ δύο, ἀλλὰ γενομένους σάρκα μίαν συνέζευξεν, ἐντελλόμενος ἵνα ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωρίζῃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ 6 προσέχων γε ἑαυτῷ ὡς μὴ χωρισθῆναι, θαρῥεῖ ὡς μὴ χωρισθησόμενος, καί φησι· ι Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ ; ι Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν γέγραπται πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους λεγόμενον τόʼ ι "0 6 Θεὸς συνέζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω · ι λέγοιτο δʼ ἂν πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίων κρείττονας · Ὃ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς συνέζευξε, μηδὲν χωριζέτω, μήτε ἀρχὴ, μήτε ὲξουσία ο ἰσχυρότερος γὰρ 6 συζεύξας Θεὸς πάντων, ὧν ἂν ὀνομάσαι τις νοήσας αὐτὰ δυνηθῇ. ### English translation (Claude) Since the Apostle takes “And the two shall become one flesh” of Christ and the church, it must be said that Christ did not divorce his former wife, if I may call her so, the former synagogue, for any other cause (keeping “What God has joined together, let not man separate”) than when that wife committed sexual immorality, having been seduced into adultery by the evil one, and with him plotted against her husband and killed him, saying, “Away from the earth with such a one; crucify, crucify him.” She, then, removed herself rather than being sent away by her husband in divorce. That is why, reproaching her for having departed from him, he says in Isaiah, “What is the bill of divorce of your mother, with which I sent her away?” And he who from the beginning created the one in the image, who exists in the form of God, made him male and the church female, granting to both the one state of being in the image. And the Lord, the husband, for the church's sake left the Father whom he saw when he was in the form of God; and he left also the mother, being himself a son of the Jerusalem above; and he was joined to his wife who had fallen down here, and here the two have become one flesh. For because of her he too became flesh, when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”; and “they are no longer two, but now are one flesh,” since it is said to the wife, “You are the body of Christ, and members each in part.” For there is not some body of Christ by itself, other than the church, which is his body, and members each in part. And God has joined these, who are no longer two but have become one flesh, commanding that man should not separate the church from the Lord. And the one who takes heed to himself so as not to be separated is confident that he will not be separated, and says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Here, then, it is written as said to the Pharisees, “What God has joined together, let not man separate”; but to those better than the Pharisees it might be said, “What God has joined together, let nothing separate, neither principality nor power”; for God who joined them is stronger than all the things that anyone could conceive and name. ### Scripture references - Eph 5:31: allusion, high confidence - Eph 5:32: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:9: echo, medium confidence - John 19:15: quotation, high confidence - John 19:6: quotation, medium confidence - Isa 50:1: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: allusion, high confidence - Gen 1:27: allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:26: allusion, high confidence - John 1:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:27: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:35: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:38: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Eph 5:31–32; Matt 19:6, 9; John 19:6, 15; Isa 50:1; Phil 2:6; Gen 1:27; Gal 4:26; John 1:14; Matt 19:5–6; 1 Cor 12:27; Rom 8:35, 38–39. Origen's figure of the synagogue as Christ's former wife, “divorced” for unfaithfulness, and his charge that she killed her husband, reflect his view of Judaism; they are translated as written. The words “for no other cause … than when she committed sexual immorality” echo the exception in Matt 19:9; πορνεύω is rendered “commit sexual immorality” and μοιχεύω “seduce into adultery,” kept distinct. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.17 (PG 13:1229d–1232d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-18 - Source: PG 13:1232d–1233c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen takes up Deuteronomy's law of the bill of divorce, asks whether a law Moses gave because of hardness of heart has a spiritual sense, and compares Paul's counsel to widows given “in my judgment.” ### Greek text Μετὰ ταῦτα διαληψόμεθα τὸν τῶν Φαρισαίων λόγον ὃν εἷπον τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὲν τῷ ο ι Τί οὖν Μωῡσῆς ἐνετείλατο δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, καὶ ἀπολῦσαι; ι Εύλόγως δʼ είς τοῦτο παραληψόμεθα τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Δευτερονομίου λέξιν περὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀποστασίας βιβλίου, ἔχουσαν οὕτως· ι Ἐάν δὲ λάβῃ τις γυναῖκα, καὶ συνοικήσῃ αὐτῇ, καὶ ἔσται ὲάν μὴ εὕρῃ χάριν ἐναντίον αὑτοῦ, ὃτι εῦρεν έν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, ι καί τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ· t Καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὴν γῆν, ἦν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν δίδωσιν ὑμῖν έν κλήρῳ. ι Ζητῶ δὲ ἐν τοῖς κατά τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, πότερον οὐδὲν πέρα τῆς λέξεως χρὴ ζητεῖν ὲν αὐτῷ, ἐπεὶ μὴ 6 Θεὸς ἔδωκεν αὐτόν ἢ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἀναγκαίως εἴρηται, χρησαμένους τῷ· ι Μωῦσῆς ἐνετείλατο δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, καὶ ἀπολῦσαι, ι τό· ι ’Ὁτι Μωῦσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶνʼ ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως. ι Ἐὰν δέ τις ἐπὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον ἀναβῇ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, διδάσκον, ὅτι 6 νόμος πνευματικός ἐστι, καὶ τούτου ζητήσει τοῦ νόμου πνευματικὸν νοῦν. Φήσει δὲ καὶ ταῦτα 6 θέλων τροπολογεῖν, ὅτι ὥσπερ τῷ Παύλῳ θαρροῦντι ἐφʼ ᾗ εἶχε χάριτι λέλεκται τό· ι Γυνὴ δέδεται ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ 6 ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς* ὲάν δὲ κοιμηθῇ 6 ἀνὴρ, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ὲν Κυρίῳ. Μακαριωτέρα δέ ἐστιν, ἐὰν οὕτως μείνῃ, κατά τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην δοκῶ δὲ κάγὼ πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχεινʼ ι ἐν τούτοις γάρ τόο ι Κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν γνώμην, ι ἵνα μὴ καταφρονηθῇ ὡς κενὴ πνεύματος Θεοῦ, καλῶς ἐπήγαγε τό· ι Δοκῶ κάγὼ πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχεινʼ οὕτως καὶ Μωῦσεί διὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν νομοθετεῖν, ὥστε αὑτὸν καὶ πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπιτρέψαι τινὰ, ὲν οἷς ἦν καὶ τὸ ἀπολύειν τὰς γυναῖκας, ἦν ἂν πείθεσθαι ἐφʼ οἷς κατά τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην ἐνομοθέτει, ὼς καὶ ὲν τούτοις μετὰ πνεύματος Θεοῦ τῆς νομοθεσίας γενομένηςο καὶ ἐρεῖ, ὅτι, εἰ οὐχί τις μὲν νόμος πνευματικός ἐστι, τις δὲ οὐκ ἔστι τοιοῦτος, νόμος δέ ἐστι καὶ οὗτος, πνευματικός ἐστι καὶ οὗτος, καὶ ζητητέον αὑτοῦ τὸ πνευμα- ### English translation (Claude) After this we shall discuss what the Pharisees said to Jesus: “Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce and to send her away?” For this we shall reasonably take up the passage from Deuteronomy about the bill of divorce, which reads: “If anyone takes a wife and lives with her, and it happens that she does not find favour before him, because he has found in her some shameful thing,” and what follows, as far as “And you shall not defile the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.” I ask, concerning what is in this law, whether one must seek nothing in it beyond the letter, since it was not God who gave it; or whether it was said of necessity to the Pharisees, who appealed to “Moses commanded to give a bill of divorce and to send her away,” that “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.” But if someone goes up to the Gospel of Christ Jesus, which teaches that the law is spiritual, he will seek a spiritual meaning of this law too. The one who wishes to interpret figuratively will also say this. Paul, confident in the grace he had, said, “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband falls asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is more blessed if she remains as she is, in my judgment; and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.” In these words, so that “in my judgment” might not be despised as empty of the Spirit of God, he rightly added, “And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.” So too in the case of Moses, because of the authority given him to legislate, so that he even permitted certain things because of the hardness of heart of the people, among which was the divorcing of wives, one could be persuaded, concerning what he legislated according to his own judgment, that in these matters too the legislation was made with the Spirit of God. And he will say that, if it is not the case that one law is spiritual and another is not, but this too is law, then this too is spiritual, and its spiritual meaning must be sought … ### Scripture references - Matt 19:7: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:1: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:8: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:39: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:40: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:7–8; Deut 24:1–4; Rom 7:14; 1 Cor 7:39–40. The section breaks off in the scan in the middle of a word (“spiritual …”); the sense is completed in the next section. Origen's statement that the law of divorce “was not given by God” but by Moses because of hardness of heart is translated as written; he goes on to argue that it is nevertheless to be read spiritually. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.18 (PG 13:1232d–1233c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-19 - Source: PG 13:1233c–1237b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads Deuteronomy's law of divorce allegorically of the synagogue, divorced by Christ for unfaithfulness, with the fall of Jerusalem and the end of the temple worship as the bill of divorce. ### Greek text Μεμνημένοι δὲ τῶν ἀνωτέρω ἡμῖν λελεγμένων είς τὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς ἀποστασίας ῥητὸν, φήσομεν, ὃτι ἑαυτὴν ἀπέστησεν ἀνδρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ή μήτηρ τοῦ λαοῦ, μὴ λαβοῦσα τὸ τῆς ἀποστασίας βιβλίον· ὕστερον δὲ, ὅτε εὑρέθη ὲν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, καὶ οὐχ εὗρε χάριν ἐναντίον αύτοῦ, ἐγράφη αὐτῇ βιβλίον ἀποστασίου ο δυνάμει γὰρ ἡ καινὴ Διαθήκη, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν καλοῦσα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ τὴν προτέραν γυναῖκα ἀποβεβληκότος, τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἀποστασίου δέδωκε τῇ πρότερον ἀποστάσῃ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς νόμου καὶ Λόγου· διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτῆς ἀποστὰς ἔγημεν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ἑτέραν, δοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῆς προτέρας τὸ τοῦ ἀποστασίου βιβλίονʼ διὸ μηκέτι δύνανται πράσσειν τά κατὰ τὸν νόμον αὐτοῖς προστεταγμένα διὰ τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἀποστασίου. Καὶ σημεῖον τοῦ εἰληφέναι αὐτὴν βιβλίον ἀποστασίου τὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ μὲν καθῃρῆσθαι μετά τοῦ κληθέντος ὑπʼ ἐκείνων ἀγιάσματος ὲν αὐτῷ πεπιστευμένων γεγονέναι σεμνῶν, κα) τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων, καὶ πάσης τῆς παρʼ αὐτῷ λατρείας. Σημεῖόν δὲ τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ τὸ μήτε ἑορτάζειν αὐτοὺς δύνασθαι, κᾶν, κατὰ τὸ γράμμα, τοῦ βουλήματος τοῦ νόμου προστάξαντος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ᾧ ἂν ἐκλέξηται Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἑορτάξειν αὐτοὺς, ἀλλά καὶ τὸ πᾶσαν τὴν συναγωγὴν λιθοβολεῖν τοὺς τάδε ἡμαρτηκότας γενέσθαι μὴ δυνάμενον, καὶ ἄλλα δὲ μυρία τῶν προστεταγμένων σημεῖόν ἐστι τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ ὅτι ι οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι προφήτης, ι κα) ὅτι λέγουσι· ι Σημεῖα οὐκ εἴδομεν ἔτι· Ἀφεῖλε γὰρ, ι φησι Κύριος, ι ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ, ι κατά τὸν τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λόγον, ι ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν, γίγαντα κατισχύοντα, ι καὶ τὰ λοιπά ’ μέχρι, ‹ συνετοῦ ἀκροατοῦ. ι Δύναται δὲ ό μὲν εἰληφέναι γυναῖκα τὴν συναγωγὴν καὶ συνῳκηκέναι αὑτῇ ὁ Χριστὸς, ὕστερον δὲ ἐκείνην μὴ εὑρηκέναι χάριν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦʼ ἡ δὲ αἰτία τοῦ μὴ εὑρηκέναι τὴν χάριν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ τὸ εὑρεθῆναι ὲν αὐτῇ ἀσχημον πρᾶγμα* τί γὰρ ἀσχημονέστερον τοῦ, προκειμένου ἀπολῦσαι ὲν τῇ ἑορτῇ ἕνα, ἀπολῦσαι μὲν αὐτοὺς εἰρηκέναι Βαραββᾶν τὸν λῃστὴν, καταδικάσαι δὲ Ἰησοῦν; Τί ἀσχημονέστερον τοῦ πάντας εἰρηκέναι ἐπʼ αὐτῷ· ι Σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτὸν, καὶ αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς figi-cat..βάξις ιʼᾗέτᾷἕ δὲ Elige; ama. καὶ τό· ι Τὸ, αἷμα αὑτοῦ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν; ιΔιὸ ὲκδικουμένου αὐτοῦ ὲκυκλὼθη ὑπὸ στρατοπέδων Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐπέστη ἡ ἐρήμωσις αὖ· τῆς, καὶ ι ἀφείθη ι”αιῦτῆς ι ὁ οἶκος ἰ αὐτῶν,έ καὶ ὲγκαταλείφθη ή θυγάτηρ Σιὼν, ὠςσκηνὴ ὲννάμπε· λῶνι, καὶ ὡς-ὀπωροφυλάκιον ἐν σικυηλάτίρ, καὶ πτόλις πολιορκουμένη· ι κατά τὸν αθτδνόέ, citat. καιρὸν μὲν-προτέρᾳ. γυναικὶ ἔγραφεν ὁάνὴρ. fit; ὁλίον ἀποστασίου, καὶ-ἔδωκεν είς ’χεῖρας atatis. ἀπὸ των ὲθνῶν ἀπαληλιπταιντὸ χειρόγραφον, περὶ δησιν δ Ἀπόστολος τό· ε Ἐξαλέίψάςιζὸχειρόγρᾶῗ ι φονίὲίθ) τοῖς δόγμασιν, ὃ ἦν ἀπεναντίον Zizaim-iul ᾆιτᾶ ἦιρεν εκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας τῷ ιρῷο ι καῖ Παῦλος γὰρ είς τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἕτεροι προσήλυτοιοι ἐγίνοντο τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Ἐξῆλθε τοίνυν ἡ προτέρα γυνὴ ἡ μή εὑροῦσα χάριν ἐναντίον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τῷ εὑρῆσθαι ἐν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκίας τοῦ ἀνδρός· καὶ ἀπελθοῦσα γεγένηται ἀνδρὶ ἐτέρῳ, ᾧ ἑαυτὴν ὑπέταξεν, εἴτε Βαραββᾶν τὸν λῃστὴν χρὴ λέγειν τὸν ἄνδρα, ὄντα τροπικῶς τὸν διάβολον, εἴτε τινὰ δύναμιν πονηράν. Καὶ ἐπί τινων μὲν τῆς συναγωγῆς ἐκείνης συμβέβηκε τὸ πρότερον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γεγραμμένον, ἐφʼ ἐτέρων δὲ τὸ δεύτερον· 6 γάρ ἔσχατος ἀνὴρ ἐμίσησε τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ γράφει αὐτῇ ποτε ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν πραγμάτων βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, τοῦτο οῑκονομοῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δώσει εἱς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς, καὶ ὲξαποστελεῖ αὐτὴν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ· ὡς γὰρ ι ἔχθραν ι ’ὁ ἀγαθὸς Θεὸς ι θήσει άνά μέσον τοῦ ὄφεως καὶ τῆς γυναικός, καὶ άνά μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ άνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς, ι οὕτως οἰκονομήσει, ῖνα μισήσῃ αὐτὴν 6 ἀνὴρ 6 ἔσχατος. ### English translation (Claude) Remembering what we said above on the saying of Isaiah about the bill of divorce, we shall say that the mother of the people removed herself from her husband, Christ, without receiving the bill of divorce; but later, when a shameful thing was found in her, and she did not find favour before him, a bill of divorce was written for her. For in effect the New Covenant, calling those from the nations into the house of him who had cast off his former wife, gave the bill of divorce to the one who had earlier departed from her husband, the Law and the Word. That is why he too, having departed from her, married, if I may say so, another, having given the bill of divorce into the hands of the former wife. And that is why they can no longer do the things commanded them in the law, because of the bill of divorce. A sign that she has received the bill of divorce is that Jerusalem has been pulled down, together with what they called the sanctuary, in which were the things believed to be holy, and the altar of burnt offerings, and all the worship connected with it. Another sign of the bill of divorce is that they cannot even keep the feasts, although, according to the letter, the intention of the law commanded them to keep the feasts in the place which the Lord God would choose; and that it is not possible for the whole congregation to stone those who have committed such and such sins. Countless other commandments too are a sign of the bill of divorce, and so is the fact that “there is no longer a prophet,” and that they say, “We no longer see signs.” For the Lord, he says, “has taken away from Judea and from Jerusalem,” according to the word of Isaiah, “the strong man and the strong woman, the mighty giant,” and the rest, as far as “the intelligent hearer.” It is possible that Christ took the synagogue as wife and lived with her, but that later she did not find favour before him; and the cause of her not finding favour before him was that a shameful thing was found in her. For what is more shameful than, when it was proposed to release one at the feast, to have said to release Barabbas the robber, and to condemn Jesus? What is more shameful than that they all said of him, “Crucify, crucify him, and away from the earth with such a one,” and “His blood be on us and on our children”? Therefore, when he was avenged, Jerusalem was surrounded by armies, and her desolation came upon her, and “their house was left” to them, and the daughter of Zion was left “like a booth in a vineyard, and like a lodge in a cucumber field, and like a besieged city.” At the same time the husband wrote for his former wife a bill of divorce and gave it into her hands, while for those from the nations the record of debt was wiped out, of which the Apostle says, “having wiped out the record of debt that stood against us in its decrees, he took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” For Paul too, and others, became proselytes of Israel for the bride from the nations. The former wife, then, who did not find favour before her husband because a shameful thing was found in her, went out from her husband's house, and having gone away she has become another man's, to whom she has subjected herself: whether one should say that this husband is Barabbas the robber, who is figuratively the devil, or some evil power. And in the case of some of that synagogue what is written first in the law has happened, in the case of others the second; for the last husband hated the wife, and at some time, at the end of things, he writes her a bill of divorce (God arranging this) and will give it into her hands and send her out of his house. For just as “the good God will put enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between his seed and her seed,” so he will arrange that the last husband hate her. ### Scripture references - Isa 50:1: allusion, high confidence - Deut 24:1: allusion, high confidence - Deut 24:3: allusion, high confidence - Deut 16:16: allusion, medium confidence - Lev 24:14: allusion, low confidence - Ps 74:9 (73:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 3:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:15: allusion, high confidence - Mark 15:11: allusion, high confidence - John 19:6: quotation, high confidence - John 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:25: quotation, high confidence - Luke 21:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 23:38: quotation, high confidence - Isa 1:8: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:14: quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:9: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 3:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Isa 50:1; Deut 24:1–4; Deut 16:16; Lev 24:14; Ps 74:9 (73:9 LXX); Isa 3:1–3; Mark 15:6–15 (Matt 27:15–26); John 19:6, 15; Matt 27:25; Luke 21:20; Matt 23:38; Isa 1:8; Col 2:14; Gal 2:7–9; Gen 3:15. Origen's allegory of the synagogue as Christ's divorced wife, his reading of the destruction of Jerusalem as her “bill of divorce,” and his statement about Matt 27:25 reflect his view of Judaism and are translated as written. The sentence on Paul and the proselytes is obscure in the scan and is translated by sense. Where the scan is garbled (after “away from the earth with such a one” and in the sentence on the record of debt, Col 2:14), the text is translated by sense. “The good God” is an allusion to Marcionite language: Origen insists that the same good God who sets enmity (Gen 3:15) also arranges the divorce. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.19 (PG 13:1233c–1237b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-20 - Source: PG 13:1237b–1240a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Continuing his allegory of the bill of divorce, Origen asks how the divorced synagogue can be saved, since Deuteronomy forbids the first husband to take her back, and explains the lawgiver's freedom to change the law. ### Greek text Εἰσὶ δὲ οἷς συμβέβηκε συνοικεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα μὴ μισήσαντα αὐτοὺς, τῷ παραμεῖναι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ἀνδρὸς, καὶ λαβόντος αὐτῶν τὴν συναγωγὴν ἐαυτῷ γυναῖκα · ἀλλά καὶ ἐπὶ τούτων ἀποθνήσκει 6 ἔσχατος ἀνὴρ, τάχα ἡνίκα ἂν ι 6 ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς Χριστοῦ καταργῇ θάνατος. ι Ὁπότερον δὲ τούτων ἂν γένηται, εἴτε τὸ πρότερον εἴτε τὸ τελευταῖον τῇ γυναικὶ, ι οὐ δυνήσεται, φησὶν, 6 ἀνὴρ 6 πρότερος ι 6 ἐξαποστείλας αὐτὴν, ἐπαναστρέψας ι λαβεῖν αὐτὴν τῷ εἶναι ἐαυτῷ γυναῖκα, μετὰ τὸ μιανθῆναι αὐτὴν, ὅτε βδέλυγμα, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ἐναντίον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου. ι Ἀλλά ταῦτα δόξει μὴ κατάλληλα εἶναι τῷ · ι Ἐάν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται · ι ὅρα δὲ εί δύναται καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο λέγεσθαι, ὅτι πάντως, εί σωθήσεται, τῷ τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς τὸν πρότερον ἐπαναστρέψαντα λαβεῖν αὐτὴν τῷ εἶναι αὐτῷ γυναῖκα μετὰ τὸ μιανθῆναι αὐτὴν σωθήσεται. Ἱερεὺς μὲν οὖν πόρνην καὶ ἐκβεβλημένην οὺ λήψεται ἐαυτῷ, γυναῖκα δέ τις οὐ κωλύεται, ὡς ὑποβεβηκὼς τὸν. ἱερέα, ποιῆσαι τὸ τοιοῦτον. Ἀλλʼ ἐὰν περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως τὴν πόρνην ζητῇς, χρήσῃ τῷο ι Λάβε σεαυτῷ γυναῖκα πορνείας, καὶ τέκνα πορνείας, › καὶ τοῖς ἑξῆς · ὡς γάρ οί ἱερεῖς ἐν τῷ ίερῷ τὸ σάββατον βεβηλοῦντες ἀναίτιοί εἰσιν ο οὕτως ἐν καιρῷ λαμβάνων γυναῖκα πορνείας 6 ἐκβάλλων τὴν προτέραν γυναῖκα καὶ άναίτιός ἐστι, ποιήσας αὐτὸ κατὰ τὴν πρόσταξιν τοῦ, ὅτε δεῖ, εἰπόντος, καὶ ἕως ἐχρῆν τό · Γυναῖκα πόρνην οὗ λήψεται καὶ ὅτε εὔλογον ἦν, φησι τό · ‹ Λάβε σεαυτῷ γυναῖκα πορνείας · t ὡς γὰρ Κύριός ἐστι τοῦ σαββάτου 6 Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ οὐ δοῦλος τοῦ σαββάτου, ὡς 6 λαὸς, οὕτως Κύριός ἐστιν 6 τδν νόμον διδοὺς, διδόναι μὲν ι ἄχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως, ι καὶ ἀλλάσσειν νόμον* ἐπιστάντος δὲ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς διορθώσεως, καὶ διδόναι μετὰ τὴν προτέραν ὁδὸν καὶ μετὰ τὴν προτέραν καρδίαν ὁδὸν ἑτέραν καὶ καρδίαν ἑτέραν ι καιρῷ δεκτῷ καὶ ὲν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας. ι Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν κατὰ μίαν διήγησιν λελέχθω είς τὸν περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς άποστασίας νόμον. ### English translation (Claude) There are some with whom it has happened that the husband lives with them without having hated them, because they remained in the house of the last husband, who took their synagogue as his wife; but in their case too the last husband dies, perhaps when “the last enemy” of Christ, “death, is destroyed.” Whichever of these happens to the wife, the first or the last, “the former husband,” it says, “who sent her away, will not be able to return and take her to be his wife after she has been defiled, since it is an abomination,” it says, “before the Lord your God.” But this will seem not to agree with “When the fullness of the nations has come in, all Israel will be saved.” Consider whether this too can be said in reply: that if she is saved, she will certainly be saved by her former husband returning and taking her to be his wife after she has been defiled. A priest, it is true, will not take for himself a prostitute or a woman who has been cast out; but someone else, as being lower than the priest, is not prevented from doing such a thing. And if you look for the prostitute in connection with the calling of the nations, you will use “Take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of prostitution,” and what follows. For as “the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless,” so the one who casts out his former wife and in due season takes a wife of prostitution is also guiltless, having done it at the command of the one who said, when it was necessary and for as long as it was needed, “He shall not take a prostitute as wife,” and, when it was reasonable, says, “Take for yourself a wife of prostitution.” For as the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath, and not a slave of the Sabbath as the people are, so the one who gives the law is lord to give it “until the time of reformation,” and to change the law; and when the time of reformation has come, to give, after the former way and after the former heart, another way and another heart, “in an acceptable time and in a day of salvation.” Let this be said, according to one interpretation, on the law about the bill of divorce. ### Scripture references - Deut 24:3: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:26: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:26: quotation, high confidence - Lev 21:7: quotation, high confidence - Lev 21:14: allusion, high confidence - Hos 1:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:8: allusion, high confidence - Heb 9:10: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 11:19: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 6:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 24:3–4; 1 Cor 15:26; Rom 11:25–26; Lev 21:7, 14; Hos 1:2; Matt 12:5, 8; Heb 9:10; Ezek 11:19 (Jer 32:39); 2 Cor 6:2. Origen's allegory of the synagogue as the divorced and defiled wife is translated as written; he leaves open how “all Israel will be saved.” A footnote of Migne's edition (a note of Huet on the reading “Barabbas”) printed into the text in the scan is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.20 (PG 13:1237b–1240a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-13/#p-14-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-21 - Source: PG 13:1240a–1241a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen applies the law of divorce to the soul and its guardian angel, citing the Shepherd of Hermas on souls that fall from Michael to the angels of luxury, punishment, and repentance. ### Greek text Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις εί δύναται ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη ψυχὴ τροπικῶς λέγεσθαι γυνὴ, καὶ 6 προϊστάμενος αὐτῆς ἄγγελος καὶ ἄρχων αὐτῆς, πρὸς ὃν ή ἀναστροφὴ γίνεται αὐτῆς κατακυριεύοντα αὐτῆς, ἀνὴρ, ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο ἕκαστον νομίμως συνοικεῖν τῇ ψυχῇ τῇ ἀξίᾳ προστασίας θείου ἀγγέλουο γένοιτο δʼ άν ποτε μετὰ τὴν ἐπὶ πλεῖον διατριβὴν καὶ συνοίκησιν αἰτία ὲν ψυχῇ τοῦ μὴ εὑρίσκειν χάριν ἐναντίον τοῦ κυριεύοντος καὶ ἄρχοντος αὐτῆς ἀγγέλου, τὸ εὑρίσκεσθαι έν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, καὶ γράφοιτο ἂν, ὡς γράφεται, χειρόγραφα, γράφοιτο δὲ βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, διδόμενον είς τὰς χεῖρας τῆς ἐκβαλλομένης, ἵνα μηκέτι οἰκεία τοῦ προτέρου προστάτου ἡ ἐξαποστελλομένη ὲκ τῆς οἰκίας αὑτοῦ · καὶ γένοιτο δʼ ἂν ἡ ἀπελθοῦσα άπὸ τῆς προτέρας οἰκίας ἑτέρῳ ἀνδρὶ, καὶ ἀτυχήσῃ ἂν παρʼ αὐτῷ, οὐ μόνον ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου μὴ εὑρίσκουσα χάριν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ εὖρὶσκεσθαι ὲν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισουμένη ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ν καὶ γράφοιτο δʼ ἂν κα) ἀπὸ τοῦ δευτέρου αὐτῇ βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, καὶ διδῷτο ἂν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ἀνδρὸς ἐξαποστέλλοντος αὐτὴν ὲκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ. El δὲ δύναται γενέσθαι μετάστασις ζωῆς τῆς σὺν ἀνθρώποις ἀγγέλων, ὡς τοιοῦτον εἶναι καὶ τὸν αὐτῶν, ὅσον πρὸς τὴν καθʼ ήμᾶς σχέσιν, θάνατον, τολμηρῶς μὲν, πλὴν ὅμως ζητήσαι τις ἄνʼ ὅπως δʼ ἂν γένηται, ἡ ἅπαξ ἀποπεσοῦσα προτέρου ἀνδρὸς οὐκ ὲπανελεύσεται πρὸς αὐτόν· ι Οὐ γάρ δυνήσεται 6 ἀνὴρ 6 πρότερος 6 ἐξαποστείλας αὒτὴν, ὲπαναστρέψας λαβεῖν αὐτὴν τοῦ εἶναι αὐτῷ γυναῖκα μετὰ τὸ μιανθῆναι αὐτήν. ι Ei δὲ χρὴ τολμήσαντα καὶ ἀπό τινος φερομένης μὲν ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία γραφῆς, οὐ παρὰ πᾶσι δὲ ὁμολογουμένης εἶναι θείας, τὸ τοιοῦτον παραμυθήσασθαι. ληφθείη ἂν τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ποιμένος περί τινων ἅμα μὲν τῷ πιστεύειν ὑπὸ τῷ Μιχαὴλ γινομένων, διὰ δὲ φιληδονίαν ἁποπιπτόντων ἐκείνου, καὶ γινομένων ὑπὸ τὸν τῆς τρυφῆς, εἶτα ὑπὸ τὸν τῆς τιμωρίας, μεθʼ ὃν ὑπὸ τὸν τῆς μετανοίας θ ὁρᾷς γὰρ, ὅτι οὐκέτι μὲν ἐπανέρχεται ἐπὶ τὸν πρῶτον ἄρχοντα ἠ ἅπαξ τρυφήσασα γυνὴ, ἦτοι ψυχὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τιμωρίας ὑπό τινα ὑποδεέστερον γίνεται παρὰ τὸν Μιχαήλο ὑποδεέστερος γάρ ἐκείνου 6 τῆς μετανοίας. Προσεκτέον οὖν ἡμῖν μήποτε εὑρεθῇ ὲν ἡμῖν ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, καὶ μὴ εὕρωμεν χάριν ἐνώπιον ἀνδρὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ἦ τοῦ τεταγμένου ἐφʼ ἡμῖν ἀγγέλου ’ ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ προσέχωμεν, τάχα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ βιβλίον τοῦ ἀποστασίου ληψόμεθα, καὶ ἢ χηρεύσομεν προστάτου, ἢ ἐπὶ ἄνδρα ἕτερον ἐλευσόμεθα. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἡγοῦμαι, ὅτι οὐκ αἶσιον τοῦτο, ἵνʼ οὓτως ὀνομάσω, ληψόμενοι ἀγγέλους πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ψυχὴν γάμον. ### English translation (Claude) One might ask whether the human soul can be called figuratively a wife, and the angel set over her as her ruler, toward whom her conduct is directed as one who has lordship over her, a husband; so that in this sense each angel lawfully lives with the soul that is worthy of the protection of a divine angel. And at some time, after a long period of living together, there might arise in the soul a cause for her not finding favour before the angel who is lord and ruler over her, namely that a shameful thing is found in her; and, as records of debt are written, a bill of divorce might be written and given into the hands of the one who is cast out, so that the one who is sent out of his house no longer belongs to her former guardian. And the one who has gone out from the former house might become another man's, and might fare badly with him, not only, as with the former husband, not finding favour before him because a shameful thing is found in her, but also being hated by him; and a bill of divorce might be written for her by the second husband as well, and given into her hands by the last husband as he sends her out of his house. Whether there can be a change in the life of the angels who live with human beings, such that this is, as far as concerns our relation to them, their “death,” one might inquire, boldly indeed, but still inquire. However it may happen, the one who has once fallen away from her former husband will not return to him: “For the former husband who sent her away will not be able to return and take her to be his wife after she has been defiled.” And if one must dare to support such a view from a writing that is used in the church but not acknowledged by all to be divine, one might take the passage from the Shepherd about certain people who, when they believe, come under Michael, but through love of pleasure fall away from him and come under the angel of luxury, then under the angel of punishment, and after him under the angel of repentance. For you see that the wife, that is, the soul, that has once lived in luxury does not return to the first ruler, but, even after punishment, comes under one inferior to Michael; for the angel of repentance is inferior to him. We must take heed, then, lest a shameful thing be found in us and we do not find favour before our husband, Christ, or before the angel set over us. For if we do not take heed, perhaps we too shall receive the bill of divorce, and shall either be widowed of a guardian or come to another husband. And I think that it is not, if I may put it so, an auspicious thing for us to receive angels in marriage with our soul. ### Scripture references - Deut 24:1: allusion, high confidence - Deut 24:3: allusion, high confidence - Deut 24:4: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:14: allusion, low confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Herm. Sim. 6.2 (Shepherd of Hermas: Similitudes): allusion, high confidence - Herm. Sim. 8.3.3 (Shepherd of Hermas: Similitudes): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 24:1–4; Col 2:14 (records of debt); Hermas, Shepherd, Similitude 6.2–3 (the angels of luxury and punishment) and 8.3.3 (Michael); the angel of repentance is the Shepherd himself. Origen introduces the Shepherd as “a writing used in the church but not acknowledged by all to be divine.” The suggestion that angels might undergo a kind of “death” is offered tentatively. The last sentence is compressed in the scan and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.21 (PG 13:1240a–1241a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-22 - Source: PG 13:1241a–1244c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks why Paul excludes twice-married men from church office, even when they may be more chaste than the once-married, and suggests that the rule is symbolic of the soul that has not been divorced from Christ. ### Greek text Γενόμενος δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, εἴποιμʼ ἂν, ὅτι ζητούμενόν τι κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ’Δποστόλου περὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν πραγμάτων νομοθεσίαν τάχα ἤδη νοῆσαι καὶ δυσθεώρητον τυγχάνον δυνησόμεθα· οὐδένα γάρ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἑκκλησίας ὑπεροχήν τινα παρὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ὼς ἐν συμβόλοις ἀνειληφότα βούλεται 6 Παῦλος δευτέρου πεπειρᾶσθαι γάμου ο περ) μὲν γὰρ ἐπισκόπων νομοθετῶν ἐν τῇ πρὸς Τιμόθεον προτέρᾳ φησιν* ι Εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ. Δεῖ οὖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα, νηφάλιον, σώφρονα, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς· περὶ δὲ διακόνων, ι Διάκονοι, ι φησὶν, ι ἔστωσαν μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες, τέκνων καλῶς προϊστάμενοι, καὶ τῶν ἰδίων οἴκων, ι καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Καὶ Χήρας δὲ καθιστὰς, ί Χήρα, φησὶν, ἔστω μὴ ἔλαττον ἐτῶν ἐξήκοντα, γεγονυῖα ἐνὸς ἀνδρὸς γυνή · ι καὶ μετὰ ταῦτά φησι τά ἐπιφερόμενα, ὼς τούτου δεύτερα καὶ τρίτα. Ἐν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Τίτον, ι Τούτου, φησὶ, χάριν ἀπέλιπόν σε ἐν Κρήτῃ, ἵνα τὰ λείποντα ἐπιδιορθώσῃ, καὶ καταστήσῃς κατὰ πόλιν πρεσβυτέρους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην. Εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνὴρ, τέκνα ἔχων πιστά, ι δηλαδὴ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐπηποροῦμεν δὴ ὁρῶντες δυνατὸν εῖναι βελτίους πολλῷ τυγχάνειν τινάς διγάμους μονογάμων, τί δήποτε οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει 6 Παῦλος διγάμους εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησιαστικάς καθίστασθαι ἀρχάς· καὶ γάρ ἐδόκει μοι ζητήσεως ἄξιον εἶναι τὸ τοιοῦτον, τῷ ἐνδέχεσθαι άτυχήσαντά τινα περὶ δύο γάμους ἔτι νέον ὄντα ἀποβαλόντα τὴν δευτέραν, ἐγκρατέστατα καὶ καθαρώτατα βεβιωκέναι παρὰ τὸν λοιπὸν μέχρι γήρως χρόνον. Τίς οὖν οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως ἐπαπορῇ ’ τί δήποτε, ζητουμένου τοῦ ἄρξοντος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὸν μὲν τοιόνδε δίγαμον οὐ καθίσταμεν διὰ τὰς τοῦ γάμου λέξεις· τὸν δὲ μονόγαμον, καὶ εἰ τύχοι μέχρι γήρως συμβιῶσαι τῇ γυναικὶ, κρατοῦμεν ἄρχοντα, ἐσθʼ ὅτε μηδὲ γυμνασάμενον είς ἁγνείαν καὶ σωφροσύνην; Ἐκ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων είς τὸν περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς ἀποστασίας νόμον ὲφίστημι, μήποτε, ἐπεὶ σύμβολόν ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, καὶ ὁ πρεσβύτερος, καὶ ὁ διάκονος ἀληθινῶν κατὰ τὰ ὀνόματα ταῦτα πραγμάτων, ἐβουλήθη αὐτοὺς συμβολικῶς μονογάμους καταστῆσαι, ἵνʼ ὁ δυνάμενος ἐπιστῆσαι τοῖς ’πράγμασιν εὕρῃ ὲκ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νόμου ἀνάξιον ὄντα ἀρχῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐκεῖνον, οὗ ἡ ψυχὴ οὐχ εὗρε χάριν ἐναντίον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, τῷ εὑρῆσθαι ὲν αὐτῇ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἀξίαν αὐτὴν γεγονέναι τοῦ τῆς ἀποστάσεως βιβλίου ι δευτέρῳ γὰρ συνοικήσασα ἡ τοιαύτη ψυχὴ, καὶ παρὰ τῷ τοιούτῳ μισησθεῖσα, οὐκέτι δύναται μετά τὸ δεύτερον βιβλίον τοῦ ἀποστασίου ἐπανελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν πρότερον ἄνδρα. Εἷκος μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλους παρά τοῖς πολλῷ ἡμῶν σοφωτέροις, καὶ μᾶλλον βλέπειν τὰ τηλικαῦτα δυναμένοις εὑρεθήσεσθαι λόγους, εἴτε είς τὸν περὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀποστασίας βιβλίου νόμον, εἴτε είς τὰ ἀποστολικά κωλύοντα διγάμους ἄρχειν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἢ προκαθέζεσθαι προτετιμημένους ἐν αὐτῇ· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἕως εὑρεθῇ τὰ κρείττονα, καὶ δυνάμενα τῇ τοῦ τῆς γνώσεως φωτὸς πολλῇ ὑπεροχῇ ἀμαυρῶσαι τὰ ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰρημένα, εἴπομεν τά ὑποπεσόντα είς τοὺς τόπους ἡμῖν. ### English translation (Claude) Having come to this passage, I would say that we shall perhaps now be able to understand something that is asked about the Apostle's legislation on church matters and that is hard to see. For Paul wishes that none of those in the church who have received some pre-eminence over the many, as if in symbols, should have experienced a second marriage. For, legislating about bishops in the first Epistle to Timothy, he says, “If anyone aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober, self-controlled,” and what follows; and about deacons, “Let deacons,” he says, “be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households well,” and the rest. And in appointing widows, he says, “Let a widow be enrolled who is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one husband”; and after this he gives what follows, as secondary and tertiary to this. And in the Epistle to Titus he says, “For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you might set right what remains and appoint presbyters in every city, as I directed you: if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children,” and what follows. We were puzzled, seeing that some who have been married twice can be much better than those married once, why Paul does not permit the twice-married to be appointed to the offices of the church. For such a question seemed to me worth inquiring into, since it is possible that someone who was unfortunate in two marriages, having lost the second wife while he was still young, has lived the rest of his life until old age with the greatest self-control and purity. Who, then, would not reasonably be puzzled as to why, when a ruler of the church is sought, we do not appoint such a twice-married man because of the words about marriage, but take the once-married man as ruler, even if he happens to have lived with his wife until old age, and sometimes has not even been trained in chastity and self-control? From what has been said on the law about the bill of divorce I consider whether perhaps, since the bishop, the presbyter, and the deacon are symbols of the true realities that correspond to these names, he wished to appoint them as once-married symbolically, so that one who is able to attend to the realities may find from the spiritual law that he is unworthy of church office whose soul did not find favour before her husband, because a shameful thing was found in her, and became worthy of the bill of divorce. For such a soul, having lived with a second husband and been hated by him, can no longer, after the second bill of divorce, return to her former husband. It is likely, then, that other reasons will be found by those much wiser than we, and better able to see such great matters, whether on the law about the bill of divorce or on the apostolic texts that prevent the twice-married from ruling the church or from presiding in it as men held in honour. But we, until better things are found which can, by the great superiority of the light of knowledge, eclipse what we have said, have said what occurred to us on these passages. ### Scripture references - 1 Tim 3:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 3:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 5:9: quotation, high confidence - Titus 1:5: quotation, high confidence - Titus 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:4: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 1 Tim 3:1–2, 12; 1 Tim 5:9; Titus 1:5–6; Deut 24:1–4. “Twice-married” (δίγαμος) here refers to a man who has married again after his wife's death, as Origen's own example shows. Origen does not question the rule but seeks its reason, offering a symbolic explanation tentatively. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.22 (PG 13:1241a–1244c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-23 - Source: PG 13:1244c–1245c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen says some laws, in the Old and New Testaments alike, are concessions to weakness, and reports that some church leaders have let a wife remarry while her husband is alive, against Scripture but not wholly without reason. ### Greek text Εἰ καὶ ἐδόξαμεν δὲ βαθυτέρων ἢ κατά δύναμιν ἧφθαι εἰς τοὺς τόπους πραγμάτων, οὐδὲν ἦττον ἔτι διὰ τὴν λέξιν καὶ ταῦτα λεκτέον, ὃτι τινὲς τῶν νόμων ἐγράφησαν οὐχ ὡς διαφέροντες, ἀλλʼ ὼς συμπεριφερόμενοι τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τῶν νομοθετουμένων· τοιοῦτον γάρ τι δηλοῦται ὲν τῷ ο ι Μωῦσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν· ι τὸ δὲ προηγούμενον καὶ διαφέρον νόμου τοῦ διὰ τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν γεγραμμένου δηλοῦται ὲν τῷ · ‹ Ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς δὲ ού γέγονεν οὕτως. ι Καὶ ὲν τῇ καινῇ δὲ Διαθήκῃ ἐστί τινα νενομοθετημένα ἀνάλογον τῷ· ι Ὅτι Μωῦσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τάς γυναῖκας ὑμῶνʼ ι οἱονεὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν γέγραπται διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τό· ε Διά δὲ τὰς πορνείας ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω, καὶ ἑκάστη τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα ἐχέτω, ι καὶ τόδ ι Τῇ γυναικὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδότω, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ἀνδρί. ι Ἐπιφέρεται γοῦν αὐτοῖς· ι Τοῦτο δὲ λέγω κατὰ συγγνώμην, οὐ κατʼ ἐπιταγήν · ι ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· ι Γυνὴ δέδεται ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ζῇ· ἐὰν δὲ κοιμηθῇ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ᾧ θέλει γαμηθῆναι, μόνον ὲν Κυρίῳ, ι πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ἢ ἀσθένειαν ἡμῖν παρὰ Παύλῳ είρηται τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις ζηλοῦν τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα, καὶ μακαριωτέροις γενέσθαι. Ἤδη δὲ παρὰ τὰ γεγραμμένα καί τινες τῶν ἡγουμένων τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὲπέτρεψάν τινα, ὥστε ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, γαμεῖσθαι γυναῖκα, παρὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον μὲν ποιοῦντες ὲν ᾧ λέλεκται ι Γυνὴ δὲ ἐφʼ ὅσον χρόνον ζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ι καί τό ο ι Ἀρα οὖν μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει ἡ γυνὴ γενομένη ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ ζῶντος τοῦ άνδρὸς, ι οὑ μὴν πάντη ἀλόγως ’ εἰκὸς γὰρ τὴν συμπεριφορὰν ταύτην συγκρίσει χειρόνων ἐπιτρέπεσθαι παρὰ τά ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς νενομοθετημένα καὶ γεγραμμένα. ### English translation (Claude) Even if we seem to have touched on matters deeper than our ability in these passages, nonetheless these things too must still be said, because of the letter: that some of the laws were written not as excellent in themselves, but as accommodating the weakness of those for whom they were made. Something like this is shown in “Moses, because of your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives”; while what is primary and excellent, beyond the law written because of hardness of heart, is shown in “But from the beginning it was not so.” In the New Covenant too some things have been legislated analogous to “Moses, because of your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives.” For it is as it were because of our hardness of heart, because of weakness, that it is written: “But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and each woman her own husband,” and “Let the husband give to his wife what is due, and likewise the wife to her husband.” At any rate, there is added to these words: “This I say by way of concession, not of command.” And also “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband falls asleep, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” is said by Paul because of our hardness of heart or weakness, to those who do not wish to strive for the greater gifts and to become more blessed. But now, contrary to what is written, some of the leaders of the church have even permitted certain things, so that a woman is married while her husband is living. They act contrary to what is written, where it is said, “A wife is bound as long as her husband lives,” and “So then she will be called an adulteress if she becomes another man's while her husband is living”; yet not altogether without reason, for it is likely that this concession was permitted in comparison with worse things, contrary to what was legislated and written from the beginning. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:8: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:39: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:40: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:31: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 7:2: allusion, high confidence - Rom 7:3: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:8; 1 Cor 7:2–3, 6; 1 Cor 7:39–40; 1 Cor 12:31; Rom 7:2–3. Origen reports that “some of the leaders of the church” had permitted a woman to marry while her (first) husband was living; he says this is contrary to Scripture (Rom 7:3; 1 Cor 7:39), yet “not altogether without reason,” as a concession made to avoid worse things. This is translated exactly; Origen does not say on what grounds the first marriage had ended. πορνεία is rendered “sexual immorality” and μοιχαλίς “adulteress”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.23 (PG 13:1244c–1245c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 14.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-24 - Source: PG 13:1245c–1253a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen discusses Jesus' exception for sexual immorality, asks whether a man may divorce a wife guilty of poisoning, murder, or theft, notes other ways a husband can make his wife commit adultery, and teaches that celibacy is a gift God gives to those who ask. ### Greek text Τάχα δὲ τῶν τολμώντων τις Ἰουδαϊκὸς ἀνὴρ ἐναντιοῦσθαι τῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ήμῶν διδασκαλίᾳ, φήσει, ὄτι καὶ ό Ἰησοῦς, είπών· ι Ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι, ι ἐπέτρεψεν ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα ὁμοίως Μωῦσεῖ, ὃν εἷπε πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν τοῦ λαοῦ νενομοθετηκέναι, καὶ ταύτόν γε φήσει εἶναι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς πορνείας, διʼ ὃν εὐλόγως ἂν γυνὴ ἐκβληθείη ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς, τό ’ ι Ὅτι εὗρεν ὲν αὐτῇ άσχημον πρᾶγμα. ι λεκτέον πρὸς αὐτόν, ὅτι, εἴπερ ἡ κατά τὸν νόμον μοιχωμένη λιθοβοληθήσεται, δηλονότι οὐ κατὰ τοῦτο νοεῖται τὸ ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ μοιχείᾳ δεῖ γράφειν βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, καὶ διδόναι είς τὰς χεῖρας τῆς γυναικὸς, ἡ τινι τηλικαύτῃ ἀσχημοσύνῃ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τάχα Μωϋσῆς πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ἄσχημον εἶπε πρᾶγμα, ὅπερ ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὲν γυναικὶ μὴ εὑρισκούσῃ χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, γράφεται τδ τοῦ ἀποστασίου βιβλίον, καὶ ὲξαποστέλλεται ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ γυνή· ι Ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως. ι Μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, μηδαμῶς ἐπιτρέπων ἐπʼ ἄλλῳ ἁμαρτήματι διαλύειν γάμους ἢ μόνῃ πορνείᾳ εὐρισκομένῃ ὲν τῇ γυναικὶ, τό · ι Ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι. ι Ζητηθείη δʼ ἆν εί διὰ τοῦτο κωλύει τὴν γυναῖκα ἀπολῦσαι, ὲάν μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ μὲν ἀλῷ, φέρε δʼ εἰπεῖν, ἐπὶ φαρμακείᾳ ἢ ἀναιρέσει παρὰ τὴν ἀποδημίαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τοῦ γενηθέντος αύτοῑς παιδίου, ἦ ἐφʼ οἴῳ δήποτε φόνῳ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑφαιρουμένη καὶ συλῶσα τὴν οἰκίαν εὑρεθείη τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, μὴ πορνεύουσα δὲ, ζητήσαι τις ἃν εί εὐλόγως τὴν τοιαύτην ἀποβαλεῖ, ὼς τοῦ Σωτῆρος κωλύοντος παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας ἀπολῦσαί τινα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκαʼ ἑκατέρως γάρ ἐμφαίνεται τι ἀτοπον, οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εἰ ἀληθῶς ἄτοπον ο τηλικούτων γὰρ ἀνέχεσθαι ἁμαρτημάτων, ἀ ἔοικεν εἶναι χείρονα μοιχείας καὶ πορνείας, ἄλογον εἶναι δόξει ο πάλιν τʼ ἂν ποιῆσαι παρὰ τὸ βούλημα τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ Σωτῆρος, πᾶς ἂν ὁμολογήσαι ἀσεβὲς τυγχάνειν. Ἐφίστημι τοίνυν διὰ τί μὲν οὐκ εἶπε · ι Μηδεὶς ἀπολυέτω τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, ι φησὶ δέ ο t Ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ παρεκτὸς λόγου πορνείας, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι· ι ποιεῖ μὲν γάρ ὁμολογουμένως τὸ ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ μοιχευθῆναι τὴν γυναῖκα ὁ ἀπολύων αὐτὴν ού πορνεύσασανο εί γάρ ι ζῶντος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει, ἐὰν γένηται ἀνδρὶ ἑτέρῳ, ι ἀπολύσας δὲ αὐτὴν, πρόφασιν αὐτῇ δίδωσι δευτέρου γάμου, δηλονότι παρά τοῦτο ποιεῖ αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι· τὴν δὲ ἀλοῦσαν φαρμακίδα, ἦ φόνον δράσασαν, ἀπολογίαν ἔχειν ἢ μὴ, καὶ σὺ ζητήσαις ἀν δύναται γὰρ καὶ παρʼ ἄλλας αἰτίας, παρὰ τὴν ἀπόλυσιν, ποιεῖν ὁ ἀνὴρ μοιχευθῆναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα, οἷον πέρα τοῦ δέοντος ἐπιτρέπων αὐτῇ πράττειν ἀ βούλεται, καὶ είς φιλίαν συγκαταβαίνειν ἀνδράσιν οἷς βούλεται· πολλάκις γάρ ἐξ ἁπλότητος τῶν ἀνδρῶν τοιαῦτα πταίσματα συμβαίνειν γυναιξίν· ἀλλʼ εἰ ἔστιν ἀπολογίας τόπος, ἢ μὴ, τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀνδράσιν ὲπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις συμπτώμασιν, ἐπιμελῶς ζητήσας ἀποφανεῖς καὶ εἰς τὰ ἐπηπορημένα ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸν τόπον. Καὶ ἀποστερῶν δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἑαυτὸν, ποιεῖ αὐτὴν πολλάκις μοιχευθῆναι, μὴ ἐκπληρῶν αὐτῆς τὰς ὀρέξεις, κᾶν φαντασίᾳ πλείονος σεμνότητος καὶ σωφροσύνης τδ τοιοῦτο ποιῇ ’ καὶ τάχα μᾶλλον οὗτος ἐπίληπτος ὀ τό ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτῷ ποιῶν αὐτὴν μοιχευθῆναι μὴ ἐκπληρῶν αὐτῆς τὰς ὀρέξεις, ἢ ὁ ἀπολύσας-αὐτὴν παρεκτὸς λόγου μὲν πορνείας, ἐπὶ φαρμακείᾳ δὲ, ἦ φόνῳ, ῆ τινι τῶν βαρυτάτων ἁμαρτημάτων. ’Ὥσπερ δὲ μοιχαλίς ἐστι γυνὴ, κᾶν δοκῇ γαμεῖσθαι ἀνδρὶ, ἔτι ζῶντος τοῦ προτέρουο οὕτως καὶ ἀνὴρ δοκῶν γαμεῖν ἀπολελυμένην οὐ γαμεῖ, κατά τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀπόφασιν, ὅσον μοιχεύει. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα κατανοήσαντες οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ ὅσα δύναται γενέσθαι συμπτώματα ὲν γάμοις, ὧν ἀνέχεσθαι δεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ κατά τοῦτο ἀπαλλάσσειν σκληρότατα, ἢ μὴ ἀνεχόμενον παρανομεῖν εἰς τοὺς Χριστοῦ λόγους, φασὶν αὐτῷ, ἐπὶ εὐχερέστερον τὴν ἀγαμίαν καταφεύγοντες, καὶ μᾶλλον συμφέρον ἢ ὡς δοκεῖ συμφέρειν γάμος· ι El οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μετά τῆς γυναικὸς, οὐ συμφέρει γαμῆσαι. ι -Πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὀ Σωτὴρ, διδάσκων ἡμᾶς δῶρον εἶναι τὸ διδόμενον ἀπὸ Θεοῦ παντελῆ καθάρευσιν, καὶ -ού μόνον ἀσκήσει παραγινόμενον, ἀλλά μετʼ εὐχῶν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ διδόμενον, τό ο ι Οὐ πάντες χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλʼ οἷς δέδοται. ι Εἶτʼ ἐπεί τινες συκοφαντοῦσι τόʼ ι Οἷς δέδοται, ι ὡς ἑχόντων ἀπολογίαν τῶν βουληθέντων μὲν καθαρεῦσαι ἐν ἀγαμίᾳ, νικηθέντων δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ὀρέξεων, λεκτέον, ὅτι, εἴπερ πιστεύομεν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, τί δήποτε ὲπιλαμβανόμεθα μὲν τοῦδ ι Ἀλλʼ οἷς δέδοται, ι οὐκέτι δὲ προσέχομεν τῷ· ι Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ι καὶ τῷ ἐπιφερομένῳ αύτῷ· ι Πᾶς γὰρ ὀ αίτῶν λαμβάνει ° ι εἰ γὰρ ι χωροῦσι τὸν ι περὶ τοῦ παντελῶς καθαρεύειν ι λόγον ι οἷς δέδοται, δ βουλόμενος αἰτείτω, πειθόμενος καὶ πιστεύων τῷ λέγοντι· ι Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, ι καὶ μὴ ἁμφιβάλλων περὶ τοῦ ο ι Πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει. ι Ἔνθα δὲ γενόμενος ζητήσεις τις ό αἰτῶν ο οὐδεὶς γὰρ τῶν μὴ λαμβανόντων, εἰ καὶ εδοξεν ῂτηκέναι, ᾔτησεν ο ἐπεὶ οὐ θεμιτὸν φάσκειν ψεῦδος εἶναι τό · ι Πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει. ι Τίς οὖν ὁ αἰτῶν ἢ ὁ πεισθεὶς τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντι ο ι Ἐὰν στήκητε προσευχόμενοι, πιστεύετε ὅτι λαμβάνετε, καὶ λήψεσθε ; ι Χρὴ δὲ τὸν αἰτοῦντα ποιεῖν πάντα τὰ παρʼ αὐτὸν, ἵνα προσεύχηται πνεύματι, προσεύχηται δὲ καὶ τῷ νοΐ, καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθαι, μεμνημένον καὶ τοῦ · ι Ἔλεγε δὲ παραβολὴν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ δεῖν πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ μὴ ἑκκακεῖν, λέγων · Κριτής τις ἦν ἐν τινι πόλει, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Χρήσιμον δὲ εἰς τὸ γινώσκειν τί τὸ αἰτεῖν, καὶ τὸ λαβεῖν ἐστι, καὶ τί τό · ι Πᾶς ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει, ι καὶ τό · ι Λέγω ὑμῖν ’ εἰ καὶ ού δώσει αύτῷ ἀναστὰς. διὰ τὸ εἶναι φίλον αὐτοῦ · διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν αύτοῦ ἐγερθεὶς, δώσει ὅσον χρῄζει ο ι ἐπιφέρεται γοῦν· ι Κάγὼ ὑμῖν λέγωʼ Αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, ι καί. τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἔτι προτρεπτικὸν διὰ τό · ι Οὐ πάντες χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλʼ οἷς δέδοται, ι εἰς τὸ αἰτεῖν ἀξίως τοῦ λαβεῖν καὶ, τό· ι Τίς δὲ ἐξ ὑμῶν τὸν πατέρα υἱὸς αἰτήσει ἰχθὺν, μὴ ἀντὶ ἰχθύος ὅφιν ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ; › καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Δώσει οὖν τὸ ἀγαθὸν δόμα τὴν παντελῆ καθάρευσιν ὲν ἀγαμίᾳ. καὶ ἁγνείᾳ ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς, καὶ μετὰ πίστεως, καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως ὲν προσευχαῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν. ### English translation (Claude) Perhaps one of the Jews, of those who dare to oppose the teaching of our Saviour, will say that Jesus too, in saying, “Whoever divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery,” permitted divorcing a wife just as Moses did, who, he said, legislated because of the hardness of heart of the people; and he will say that “because he found in her a shameful thing” is the same as the ground of sexual immorality, for which a wife might reasonably be cast out by her husband. It must be said to him that, if a woman who commits adultery is to be stoned according to the law, clearly the “shameful thing” is not understood in this sense. For in the case of adultery, or of any shameful act of such gravity, one must not write a bill of divorce and give it into the hands of the wife. But perhaps Moses called every sin a “shameful thing”; if it is found by the husband in a wife who does not find favour before him, the bill of divorce is written, and the wife is sent out of her husband's house. “But from the beginning it was not so.” After this our Saviour, in no way permitting marriages to be dissolved for any other sin than sexual immorality alone, when it is found in the wife, says, “Whoever divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery.” It might be asked whether he therefore forbids a man to divorce his wife if she is convicted not of sexual immorality but, say, of poisoning, or of killing the child born to them while the husband was away from home, or of any murder whatever. And if she is found pilfering and robbing her husband's house, but not committing sexual immorality, one might ask whether he would reasonably cast out such a woman, since the Saviour forbids anyone to divorce his own wife except on the ground of sexual immorality. For either way something seems absurd, though I do not know whether it is truly absurd. To bear with such great sins, which seem to be worse than adultery and sexual immorality, will seem unreasonable; and again, to act contrary to the intention of the Saviour's teaching everyone would admit to be impious. I consider, then, why he did not say, “Let no one divorce his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality,” but says, “Whoever divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery.” For the one who divorces his wife when she has not committed sexual immorality admittedly makes her, as far as lies with him, commit adultery. For if “while her husband lives she will be called an adulteress if she becomes another man's,” and by divorcing her he gives her a pretext for a second marriage, clearly by this he makes her commit adultery. But whether there is a defence for dismissing a woman convicted of poisoning, or one who has committed murder, you too might inquire. For a husband can also make his own wife commit adultery through causes other than divorce: for example, by allowing her, beyond what is fitting, to do what she wishes and to enter into friendship with whatever men she wishes; for such falls often happen to wives through the simplicity of their husbands. But whether there is room for a defence or not for such husbands in such cases, you will declare after careful inquiry, as also on the questions we have raised on this passage. And the one who deprives his wife of himself often makes her commit adultery by not satisfying her desires, even if he does this under the appearance of greater dignity and self-control. And perhaps this man is more blameworthy, who, as far as lies with him, makes her commit adultery by not satisfying her desires, than the one who divorced her not on the ground of sexual immorality but for poisoning or murder or one of the gravest sins. And just as a woman is an adulteress, even if she seems to be married to a man, while the former husband is still living, so also a man who seems to marry a divorced woman does not, according to our Saviour's pronouncement, so much marry her as commit adultery. After this, the disciples of Christ, considering how many misfortunes can occur in marriages which the husband must bear (and so fare very harshly in this respect), or else, not bearing them, transgress the words of Christ, say to him, taking refuge in celibacy as easier, and more profitable than marriage seems to be: “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not profitable to marry.” To this the Saviour said to them, teaching us that complete purity is a gift given by God, not only attained by discipline but given by God in answer to prayers: “Not all receive this word, but those to whom it is given.” Then, since some misrepresent “to whom it is given,” as though those who wished to remain pure in celibacy but were overcome by their desires had an excuse, it must be said: if we believe what is written, why do we seize on “but those to whom it is given,” and no longer attend to “Ask, and it will be given you,” and to what follows it, “For everyone who asks receives”? For if those to whom it is given receive the word about complete purity, let the one who wishes ask, persuaded by and believing him who says, “Ask, and it will be given you,” and not doubting “Everyone who asks receives.” At this point you will inquire who is the one who asks; for none of those who do not receive has asked, even if he seemed to have asked, since it is not permitted to say that “Everyone who asks receives” is false. Who, then, is the one who asks, if not the one who is persuaded by Jesus when he says, “Whenever you stand praying, believe that you receive, and you will receive”? The one who asks must do everything in his power, so that he prays with the spirit and prays also with the mind, and prays without ceasing, remembering also “He told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart, saying, There was a judge in a certain city,” and what follows. For knowing what asking is and what receiving is, and what “Everyone who asks receives” means, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as much as he needs” is also useful; at any rate there follows, “And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you,” and what follows. Further, because of “Not all receive this word, but those to whom it is given,” “Which of you, if his son asks his father for a fish, will give him a serpent instead of a fish?” and what follows, is also an encouragement to ask in a way worthy of receiving. God, then, will give the good gift, complete purity in celibacy and chastity, to those who ask him with their whole soul, and with faith, and without ceasing, in their prayers. ### Scripture references - Matt 5:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:9: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:8: quotation, high confidence - Deut 24:1: quotation, high confidence - Deut 22:22: allusion, medium confidence - Lev 20:10: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 7:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:8: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:24: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 14:15: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:17: allusion, high confidence - Luke 18:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 11:8: quotation, high confidence - Luke 11:9: quotation, high confidence - Luke 11:11: quotation, high confidence - Jas 1:17: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 5:32 (the wording “except on the ground of sexual immorality … makes her commit adultery” is that of Matt 5:32, here cited in the discussion of Matt 19); Matt 19:7–12; Deut 24:1; Deut 22:22–24 and Lev 20:10 (death for adultery); Rom 7:3; 1 Cor 7:5; Matt 7:7–8 (Luke 11:9–10); Mark 11:24; 1 Cor 14:15; 1 Thess 5:17; Luke 18:1–2; Luke 11:8–9, 11; Jas 1:17. Origen's discussion of the exception clause and of whether a wife may be divorced for sins other than sexual immorality (poisoning, murder, theft) is translated exactly; he raises the question whether such a dismissal can be defended but leaves it to the reader (“you will declare after careful inquiry”). He holds that a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Renderings: πορνεία “sexual immorality,” μοιχεία / μοιχεύω “adultery / commit adultery” (kept distinct); ἀπολύω is rendered “divorce” here, and ἐκβάλλω “cast out.” “One of the Jews” translates Ἰουδαϊκὸς ἀνήρ. Migne's heading for the next chapter (“On the difference of eunuchs”) at the end of the section is removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 14.24 (PG 13:1245c–1253a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-14-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-1 - Source: PG 13:1253a–1256c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen sets out two mistaken readings of the three kinds of eunuch in Matt 19:12: that all three are bodily (which led some to castrate themselves), and that only the third is figurative. ### Greek text ι Εἰσὶ γὰρ εὐνοῦχοι οἵτινες ὲκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἐγεννήθησαν οὕτως ο ι ἕως τοῦ ’ ι '0 δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω. ι Δύο ἐσομένας περὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦ· τον παρεκδοχὰς πρὸ τῆς φαινομένης ἡμῖν ἀληθοῦς εις τὸν τόπον διηγήσεως ὲκθέμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὡς δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἀνατρέψαντες αὐτὰς, ἶνʼ, ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς λεχθησομένοις πᾶν σφάλμα φυλαξάμενοι, τὸ άληθὲς βούλημα τῶν κατά τόπον ἐὰν χωρῶμεν, τὸ κρεῖττον βιώσωμεν, οὕτως ἥκωμεν ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον · τινὲς μὲν γὰρ, ὡς ἀκόλουθον τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ τῶν κατά τὺ σωματικὸν ὁρωμένων δύο εὐνουχισμῶν, καὶ τὸν τρίτον σωματικὸν νομίσαντες, ἐτόλμησαν ἑαυτοὺς παρασχεῖν ἀπὸ φόβου μὲν τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν, ἀνεπιστημόνως δὲ, εὐνουχισμῷ ὁμογενεί τοῖς δύο προτέροις · καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ύποβεβλήκασιν ὀνειδισμῷ, τάχα δὲγ καὶ alσ-χύνῃ, οὗ παρὰ μόνοις τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πᾶσι μᾶλλον τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμασι συγγινώσκουσι, παρὸ ἢ τῷ φαντασίᾳ φόβῳ Θεοῦ, καὶ σωφροσύνης ἀμέτρῳ ἔρωτι, γεννήσαντι πόνους καὶ σώματος ἀκρωτηριασμὸν, καὶ εί τι ἕτερον πάθοι ἂν ό τηλικούτῳ ἑαυτὸν παρασχὼν πράγματι· ἕτεροι δὲ καὶ οὐ πολλοὶ οὕτω νενοήκασι, μὴ βασανίσαντες τρόπον ἀκολουθίας λόγων, τοὺς μὲν προτέρους δύο αὐτόθεν καὶ σωματικῶς ὲξειλήφασιν εἰρῆσθαι τῷ Σωτῆρι, ὡς οὐδὲν πλέον τῶν αίσθητῶν ἐμφαίνοντι· τὸν δὲ τρίτον οὐκέτι κατὰ τὴν λέξιν λελέχθαι νενομίκασιν, ἀλλʼ εὐνουχισμὸν ἡγή- ’σαντο τὸν άπὸ λόγου ὲν τῷ τρίτῳ σημαίνεσθαι, ὅτε προθέσει τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, τῷ τμητικω- ’ Ιτιέιιτῳ λόγῳ ’ἐκτεμόντες τὸ των τοιούτων έπίθυμητικον, καταπεφρονήκασι τῶν ὕβρεων τοῦ σώματος, μὴ δυναμένων νικῆσαι ψυχὴν λόγῳ ἐκτετμηκυίαν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Χρῆ δὲ ἐίξέναιξ orto! μὲν πρότεροι οοηθυβίεεθηίίδξη ξʼθδθῆυθιξδι ui “eqqaqua'flamplius τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ γενόμενοι φίλοι γράμματος, καὶ ἐπιστήσαντες, βτί καί. ταῦτα ὲν ’παραβολαῖς ἐλάληί οεν ὁ -Ἰησοῦς, κα) πνεύματι εἴρηται, ἀκολουθότερον μὲν νενοήκασι τὰ κατά τὸν τόπον, τοῖς ὁμολογοῦσι τοὺς προτέρους δύο εύνουχισμοὺς σωματικῶς λελέο χθαι · ἐξωμάλισαν γάρ ἀκολούθως τοῖς προτέροις δύο τὸν τρίτον, ού πταίοντες μὲν ὼς πρὸς τὸ ἀκόλουθον τοῖς τρισὶν, ἀναγκαίως δὲ πταίσαντες τῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον παρεωρακέναι τῷ γὰρ ccupat:κῶς λελέχθαι τοὺς δύοέπεται καὶ τὸν τρίτον εἶναι ωματικὸν · οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι τῷ μὲν τρίτῳ ὑγιῶς ἐπιβεὅλήκασι, τὴν ἀπὸ λόγου νομίσαντες δηλοῦσθαι ἐκτομὴν τοῦ παθητικοῦ ἀπὺ τῆς ψυχῆς οὐκέτι δὲ τεθεωρήκασιν, ὅτι ἁρμόζον ἦν τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὲκδοχῇ, καὶ τοὺς προτέρους δύο·εύνουχισμοὺς ὁμοίως τῷ τρίτῳ ἄλλη. γορῆσαι, ἢ ὲξομαλίσαι παραπλησίως τοῖς προτέροις δυσὶ καὶ τὸν τριτον. Εἴπερ οὖν ἐπʼ ἄλλων τινῶν οὔ μόνον τῆς Διαθήκης τῆς παλαιᾶς ῥητῶν, ἀλλά καὶ τῆς καινῆς ἁρμόζει λέγειν ι Τὸ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ, ι τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ κατά τὸν προκείμενον τρόπον ὁμολογητέον · τηρηθὲν γὰρ τὺ γράμμα τῶν δύο εύνουχισμῶν εῐποι τις ἂν, ὅτι ἀπέκτεινε τοὺς ἀκολούθως τοῖς προτέροις τὸν τρίτον νοήσαντας, καὶ τολμήσαντας εἰπεῖν, ὡς κατά τὸν ὶύο γον τοῦ Κυρίου χωροῦντας αὐτὸ ποιεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ° ι Διά τὴν βασιλειαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι ὁμοίως τοῖς προτέροις, εὐνουχισθεῖσιν, εύνουχίσθαι ἑαυτούς. ### English translation (Claude) “For there are eunuchs who were born so from their mother’s womb,” and so on, up to “Let the one who is able to receive it receive it.” Before the account of the passage that appears to us to be true, we will set out two misinterpretations that arise about this passage and then overturn them as far as we can, so that, guarding against every error so far as what is to be said is concerned, we may, if we can grasp the true intent of the passage, live the better life; and so we shall come to the matter before us. Some, thinking that the third eunuchism too was bodily, as following from the working of the two eunuchisms that are seen in the bodily realm, dared to submit themselves, out of fear of God but without understanding, to a eunuchism of the same kind as the first two; and they have exposed themselves to reproach, and perhaps also to shame, not only among those who are strangers to the faith but also among all who are rather indulgent toward human failings, because of what was only the appearance of fear of God and an immoderate love of chastity, which brought forth pains and mutilation of the body and whatever else one might suffer who gave himself over to so great an act. Others, and not many, have understood it thus, without testing the sequence of the words: the first two they took to have been said by the Saviour plainly and bodily, as indicating nothing beyond the things perceived by the senses; but the third they no longer thought was spoken according to the letter; rather they considered that in the third a eunuchism by reason is signified, when, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, having cut out with the cutting reason the desiring faculty for such things, people have despised the assaults of the body, which cannot overcome a soul that has cut out desire by reason. One must know that the former … having become friends of the letter of the gospel rather …, and having observed that Jesus spoke these things too in parables and that they were said in the Spirit, understood the passage more consistently, inasmuch as they agree that the first two eunuchisms are spoken bodily; for they made the third conform to the first two, not erring as regards consistency among the three, but necessarily erring in having overlooked the starting point of the passage; for if the two are spoken bodily, it follows that the third also is bodily. The latter rightly applied themselves to the third, thinking that it shows the cutting out of the passionate part from the soul by reason; but they did not see that it was fitting, with such an interpretation, to allegorize the first two eunuchisms in the same way as the third, or else to make the third conform likewise to the first two. If, then, in the case of certain other sayings, not only of the Old Testament but also of the New, it is fitting to say, “The letter kills, but the spirit gives life,” this must be acknowledged also in the present case; for one might say that the letter of the two eunuchisms, when kept, killed those who understood the third consistently with the first two and dared to say that, according to the word of the Lord, those who can receive it do this “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven,” castrating themselves just as those castrated earlier were. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:12: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 19:12 (Origen quotes the opening and closing words of the verse); 2 Cor 3:6. A few lines in the middle of the passage (“One must know that the former …”) are garbled beyond reading in the scan OCR and are marked “…”; how the clause about parables connects to what precedes is therefore uncertain. The phrase rendered “because of what was only the appearance of fear of God” is damaged in the scan and translated by sense. Origen’s discussion of self-castration is translated exactly as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.1 (PG 13:1253a–1256c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-2 - Source: PG 13:1256c–1257c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Other sayings of Jesus taken literally (buying a sword, greeting no one on the road, cutting off a hand or eye) show that the letter of the New Testament too can kill. ### Greek text Et δὲ βούλεταί τις καὶ ἀλλα παραδείγματα λαβεῖν τῆς καινῆς Διαθήκης ἐχούσης γράμμα ἁποκτεϊνον, ἀκουέτω παραδείγματος χάριν τίνα τρόπον ὀ Σωτὴρ πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστύλους εἶπεν · ι Ὅτε-ἀάστειλα ὑμᾶς ἄτερ βαλαντίου, καὶ πήρας, καὶ ὑποδημάτων, μή τινος ὑστερήσατες ι οἷς ὲπιφέρεταιτό“ ι Οἱ δὲ εἶπον · υύδενός. ι Εἶπεν οὖν ἀὐτοῖς ὁ ‘11;σοῦς· ι Ἀλλά νῦν ὁ ἔχων βαλάντιον ἀράτω, ὁμοίως καὶ πήραν· καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων πωλησάτω τὺ ἱμάτιον αύτοῦ, καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν ο {et τις γὰρ, διὰ τὸ ταῦτα εἰρηκέναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, μὴ ἐνιδὼν βουλήματι τῶν λελεγμένων, πωλήσει τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἱμάς τιον, καὶ ἀγοράσει μάχαιραν ἀνδροφόνον, ὡς infida μάχαιραν τοιαύτην, καὶ παρά τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ποιήσας, παρεκδεξάμενος αύτοῦ τὸν λόγον ἀπολεΐται μέν ο τάχα δὲ καὶ ὲν μαχαίρᾳ. ἀπολεῖται ’ ποδαπὴ δὲ ή μάχαιρα, οὐ τοῦ παρόντος ἐστὶ καιροῦ διῃγήσασθαι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τόʼ ι Μηδένα κατὰ τὴν ῶὸν ἀσπάζησθεκι εἴ τις, μὴ ἐξετάσας τί βουλόμενοςέ Ἰησοῦς τοῦτο προσέταξεν, ώς ζηλῶν ἀποστολικδι βίον μηδένα κατά τὴν ὁδὸν ἀσπάσοιτο, ἀπάνθρωπος ἂν εἶναι δὸξαι τοῖς θεωροῦσιν αὐτὸν τοιοῦτον ’ οἵτινες τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ οὕτως νοήσαντος ἐπὰν άναφέρωσιν ἐπῚ ’τον λόγον, διʼ ὃν ἐκεῖνος ἔδοξε τοῦτο πράττειν, ἐν· αχθεῖεν ἂν πρὸς τὸ μισεῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς ἀγρίους καὶ ἀπανθρώπως κατασκευάζοντα τοὺς ἐκ αὐτῷʼ καὶ τούτου τὴν αἰτίαν λαβὼν ὁ μηδένα κατέ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀσπαζόμενος, πάθοι ἂν προφάσει τοῦ γράμς ματος θάνατον, τοῦ γράμματος αὐτὸν ἀποκτείνοντος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸν δεξιὸν ὀφθαλμόν τις ὲκκόπτοι, ὡς αιʼτιον τοῦ κακῶς βλέπειν, ἢ τὴν δεξιὰν τοῦ σώματος χεῖρα, ἦ τὸν δεξιὸν κατὰ σάρκα πόδα, πάθοι ἂν μετὰ τῶν ἀποκτιννυμένων διὰ τὸ γράμμα, ὼς καὶ αὐτὸς μείνας ἐπὶ τοῦ γράμματος, δέον ἀναβαίνειν αὑτὸν δῖ”Ἷ”δ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ λεγομένου. ’Ἀλλοι μὲν οῦν τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν οὐκ ὤκνησαν ἰδίοις συγγράμμασιν ἀφορμὰς παρασχεῖν τοῦ τὸν τρίτον εῦνουχισμὺν τολμῆσαί τ.νας παθεῖν προφάσει βασιλείας οὐρανῶν, παραπλήσιον ὂντα τοῖς προτέροις δυσίν. ### English translation (Claude) If anyone wishes to take other examples too of the New Testament having a letter that kills, let him hear, by way of example, how the Saviour said to the apostles: “When I sent you out without purse and bag and sandals, did you lack anything?” To which is added: “They said, Nothing. Then Jesus said to them, But now let the one who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag; and let the one who has none sell his cloak and buy a sword.” For if someone, because Jesus said this, not perceiving the intent of what was said, sells his perceptible cloak and buys a murderous sword, as though … a sword of that kind, and, acting against the intent of Jesus because he misunderstood his word, he will perish; and perhaps he will even perish by the sword. But what kind of sword it is, this is not the occasion to explain. And again, the saying “Greet no one on the road”: if anyone, without examining what Jesus intended in giving this command, were to greet no one on the road, as one emulating the apostolic life, he would seem inhuman to those who see him behave so; and when they trace the cause of his so understanding it back to the word on account of which he seemed to act so, they might be led to hate the word of God, as making those who believe it savage and inhuman; and the one who greets no one on the road, having taken his reason for it from that word, might suffer death on account of the letter, the letter killing him. And if someone should cut out his right eye as the cause of seeing wrongly, or the right hand of his body, or the right foot of his flesh, he would suffer with those who are killed through the letter, since he too stayed with the letter when he ought to have risen to the spirit of what is said. Now others before us did not shrink from giving occasion in their own writings for some to dare to undergo the third eunuchism on the pretext of the kingdom of heaven, as being like the first two. ### Scripture references - Luke 22:35: quotation, high confidence - Luke 22:36: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:29: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:8: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 26:52: echo, medium confidence - 2 Cor 3:6: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 22:35–36; Luke 10:4; Matt 5:29–30 and 18:8 (eye, hand, foot); Matt 26:52 (perishing by the sword); 2 Cor 3:6. A word after “as though” is unreadable in the scan and is marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.2 (PG 13:1256c–1257c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-3 - Source: PG 13:1257c–1261b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen rejects literal self-castration, answering Sextus and Philo with the Law and with Paul, warning of its bodily harms, and arguing that Marcion’s refusal of allegory leaves him no consistent position. ### Greek text Ἡμεῖς δὲ Χριστὸν Θεοῦ, τδν Λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ νάρκα καὶ κατὰ ei γράμμα ποτε νοήσαντες, νῦν οὐκ· ἐτι γινώσκοντες, οὐκ εὐδοκοῦμεν ὡς καλῶς ἐξειληφὸσι τοῖς καὶ τὸν τρίτον εὐνουχισμὸν ἑαυτοῖς προσάσει τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπάγουσι · καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐπὶ πλεῖον προσδιετρὶψαμεν τῇ ἀνατροπῇ τοῦ τὸν τρίτον παραπλησίως τοῖς προτέροις δυσὶ σωματικῶς ἐκλαβεῖν θέλοντος, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἑωράκειμεν τοὺς τολμήσαντας, καὶ ἐντετεύχοιμεν τοῖς δυναμένοις θερμοτέραν κινῆσαι ψυχὴν, καὶ πιστὴν μὲν, οὐ λογικὴν δὲ, πρὸς τὸ τοιοῦτον τόλμημα. Φησὶ δὲ Σέξτος ἐν ταῖς Γνώμαις, βιβλίῳ φερομένῳ παρὰ nullong δοκίμῳ· ι Πᾶν μέρος τοῦ σώματος τὸ ἀναπείθόν σε μὴ σωφρονεῖν, ῥίψον ο ἄμεινον γὰρ χωρὶς τού μέρους ζῇν σωφρόνωςῆ μετὰ τοῦ μέρους ὀλεθρίως. ι Kal πάλιν προβὰς ὲν τῷ αὐτῷ βιβλίῳ, ἀφορμὴν διδοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ παραπλήσιον, λέγειʼ ι ’Λνορὼπους ἴδοις ἂν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ σώματος ἔχειν ἐρρωμένον ἀποκόπτοντας αὐτῶν καὶ ῥίπτοντας μέρη ο πόσῳ βέλτιον ὑπὲρ τοῦ σωφρονεῖν; ι Καὶ Φίλων δὲ, ὲν πολλοῖς τῶν εἰς τὸν Μωσέως νόμον συντάξεων αύτοῦ ab. δοκιμῶν κα) παρὰ συνετοῖς ἀνδράσι, φησὶν ὲν male ᾧ οὕτως ἐπέγραψεν ο Ἐπί τοῦ τὸ χεᾷον τῷ κρείττονι φιλεῖν ἐπιτίθεσθαι, ὅτι ἐξευνουχιτβἦναι μὲν ἄμεινον ἢ πρὸς συνουσίας ὲκνόμους λυπᾷν· ἀλλʼ οὐ πιστευτέον αὐτοῖς μὴ τὸ βούλημα τῶν ίεριῖη γραμμάτων περὶ τούτων ὲξειληφόσιν · εί γὰρ ὲν τοῖς καρποῖς τοῦ πνεύματος κατείλεκται μετὰ ἀγάπης, καὶ χαρᾶς, καὶ μακροθυμίας, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, καὶῄ ἐγκράτεια, καρποφορητέον μᾶλλον τὴν ἐγκράτειαν, καὶ τὸ δεδομένον ἀπὸ Θεοῦ σῶμα ἄρῤεν τηρητέον, ἥπερ ἄλλο τι τολμητέον, ἵνα καὶ παραβαίνῃ τις τὸ καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν χρησίμως λέγον ' ι υύ φθερεῖς τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ πώγωνός σου. ο Χρήσιμον εἰς ἀποτροπὴν Θερμῶν μὲν τῇ πίστει νεωτέρων, οἷς ὁμολογεῖν χρὴ, ὃτι ἔρωτα σωφροσύνης ἔχουσιν, ι ἀλλʼ οὐ κατʼ ἐπίγνωσιν· ι καὶ τό ’ ι Ἐὰν δὲ μάχωνται ἄν· θρωποι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, ἄνθρωπος μετὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοὸ ἑαυτοῦ, ι καί τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ· ι Οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπʼ αὐτῇ· ι εί γὰρ ἀποκόπτεται χεὶρ ἐπιλαβομένη διδύμων ἀνδρὸς, πῶς οὐχ). καὶο ἑαυτὸν διʼ ἄγνοιαν ὁδοῦ φερούσης ἐπὶ σωφροσύνην τοιαύτῃ περιστάσει ὲπιδεδωκώς; Ἐπιλογισάσθω οὖν ὁ μέλλων τὸ τοιοῦτον τολμᾷν, ἃ πείσεται ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων, καὶ συγχρωμένων τῷ ι Ούκ εἰσελεύσεται θλαδίας, καὶ ἀποκεκομμένος, είς Ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου, ι συναριθμούντων αὑτὸν τοῖς ἀποκεκομμένοις τὸν ἄνδρα. Οὔπω λέγω καὶ ἃ πάθοι ἄν τις παρὰ καιρὸν ἐμποδισθέντων τῶν, ὡς ίατρῶν παῖδές φασιν, ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς καταβαινόντων (εει ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρρενας τόπους σπερμάτων, καὶ ἐν τῷ κατα· ΰαίνειν διά τινων περὶ τὰς παρειὰς φλεβῶν, τῇ φυσικῇ τῶν καταβαινόντων Θερμότητι τρίχας ποιούντων φύειν τοὺς ἄνδρας περὶ τὰ γένεια· ὧν τριχῶν στέρονται καὶ οἱ νομίζοντες ἑαυτοὺς δεῖν σωματικῶς ιύνουχίζειν διὰ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν. Τίνα δʼ ἂν πάθοιεν, ἢ καρηβαρίας καὶ σκοτώσεις ἔσθʼ ὅτε φθανούσας καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν, καὶ ταραττούσας τὸ φανταστικὸν ἀλλόκοτα φαντασιούμενον ἀπὸ τῆς τοιᾶσδε ὒλης; Πρὶν δὲ ἔλθω ἐπὶ τὴν διήγησιν τῶν κατά τὸν τόπον, λεκτέον, ὃτι, εἴπερ τι ἀκόλουθον ἑαυτῷ ὁ Μαρκίων πεποίηκε, φάσκων μὴ δεῖν ἀλληγορεῖν τὴν Γραφὴν, καὶ τοὺς τόπους τούτους ἠθέλησεν ὡς οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένους, νομίσας δεῖν ἦτοι παραδέξασθαι, μετά τοῦ φάσκειν τὸν Σωτῆρα ταῦτα εἰρηκέναι, τὸ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμᾷν ἑαυτὸν παραδιδόναι πεισόμενον τὸν πεπιστευκότα, ἢ μὴ ἂν εὐλόγως τολμήσαντα τὰ τηλικαῦτα, ἐσόμενα είς δυσφημίαν τὴν κατά τοῦ λόγου, μηδὲ πιστεύειν εἶναι τοῦ Σωτῆρος τοὺς λόγους, εἴ γε μὴ ἀλληγορουνται. ### English translation (Claude) But we, who once knew Christ of God, the Word of God, according to the flesh and according to the letter, but now know him so no longer, do not approve of those who, as though they had understood rightly, inflict the third eunuchism on themselves on the pretext of the kingdom of heaven. And we would not have spent longer in refuting the one who wishes to take the third bodily, like the first two, if we had not both seen those who dared it and come upon writings able to move a rather warm soul, faithful but not reasoning, to such a daring act. Sextus says in his Sentences, a book current among many as approved: “Every part of the body that persuades you not to be chaste, throw away; for it is better to live chastely without the part than ruinously with it.” And again, further on in the same book, giving occasion for something similar, he says: “You may see men cutting off and throwing away parts of themselves so that the rest of the body may be strong; how much better for the sake of chastity?” And Philo too, among his many treatises on the law of Moses, which are esteemed also among men of understanding, says in the one he entitled That the Worse Is Wont to Attack the Better that it is better to be made a eunuch than to rage after unlawful intercourse. But they must not be trusted, since they have not grasped the intent of the sacred writings about these things. For if among the fruits of the Spirit, together with love and joy and patience and the rest, self-control is also listed, one must rather bear the fruit of self-control and keep the male body given by God than dare anything else, so as even to transgress the saying that is useful even in its literal sense: “You shall not mar the appearance of your beard”—useful for turning away young men who are warm in faith, of whom one must acknowledge that they have a love of chastity, “but not according to knowledge”; and the saying: “If men fight together, a man with his brother,” and what follows, up to “Your eye shall not spare her.” For if the hand that seized a man’s private parts is cut off, how much more one who, through ignorance of the road that leads to chastity, has given himself over to such a plight? Let the one, then, who is about to dare such a thing reckon what he will suffer from those who reproach him and use against him the words, “One who is crushed or cut off shall not enter the assembly of the Lord,” counting him among those who have cut off their manhood. I do not yet speak of what one may suffer when there is untimely hindrance to the seeds which, as the sons of physicians say, descend from the head to the male parts, and which, descending through certain veins about the cheeks, by the natural warmth of what descends make men grow hair about the chin; of this hair are deprived also those who think they must make themselves eunuchs bodily for the kingdom of heaven. And what might they suffer—heaviness of the head and dizziness, at times reaching even the ruling faculty and disturbing the imagination, so that it forms strange images from such matter? But before I come to the explanation of the passage, it must be said that if Marcion had done anything consistent with himself in saying that Scripture must not be allegorized, he would have wished these passages also to be regarded as not spoken by the Saviour, since he would have had to choose either to accept, along with saying that the Saviour said these things, that the believer will be persuaded to dare to give himself over to such things, or, since no one would reasonably dare acts so great, which would bring the word into ill repute, not to believe that the words are the Saviour’s, unless they are allegorized. ### Scripture references - 2 Cor 5:16: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:22: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:23: allusion, high confidence - Lev 19:27: quotation, high confidence - Rom 10:2: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:11: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:12: quotation, high confidence - Deut 23:1 (23:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sent. Sextus 13 (Sentences of Sextus): quotation, high confidence - Sent. Sextus 273 (Sentences of Sextus): quotation, high confidence - Philo, Det. 176 (Philo of Alexandria (works)): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 2 Cor 5:16; Sentences of Sextus 13 and 273; Philo, That the Worse Attacks the Better 176; Gal 5:22–23; Lev 19:27; Rom 10:2; Deut 25:11–12; Deut 23:1 (23:2 LXX). Origen’s polemic against Marcion is translated as written. “A book current among many as approved” translates a phrase damaged in the scan, rendered by sense; “writings” after “come upon” is implied by the Greek verb. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.3 (PG 13:1257c–1261b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-4 - Source: PG 13:1261b–1264b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen reads all three kinds of eunuch figuratively: those continent by nature, those continent because of human teaching (philosophers or heretics), and those who cut out passion by the Word of God for the kingdom. ### Greek text Ἡμεῖς δὲ oi βουλόμενοι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν σώζειν τῶν τριῶν εὐνουχισμῶν, καὶ εὐδοκοῦντες τῇ τροπολογίᾳ τοῦ τρίτου, τοιαῦτα φήσομεν καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων δόθʼ εὐνοῦχοι τροπικῶς νῦν οί ἀργοὶ (l) πρὸς ἀφροδίσια λέγοιντʼ,ἃν, καὶ μὴ ἐπιδιδόντες ἑαυτοὺς ταῖς κατά ταῦτα ἀσελγείαις καὶ ἀκαθαρσίαις, ἢ τὰ παραπλήσια αὐτοῖς. Εἰσὶ δὲ τῶν πρὸς ταῦτα ἀργούντων διαφοραὶ, οἶμαι, τρεῖςδ οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὲκ κατασκευῆς εισι τοιοῦτοι, περὶ ὧν λέγοιτʼ ἂν τό · ῃΕίσὶν εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες ὲκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἐγεννήθησαν οὕτωςʼ ι οἱ δὲ ἐκ λόγων μὲν ἀσκοῦσι προτραπέντες τὴν τῶν ἀφροδισίων ἀποχὴν, καὶ πάσης τῆς περὶ τὸν τόπον ἁκοὶασίας· ὀὐ μὴν τδ γεννῆσαν αὐτοῖς τὴν τοιαύτην πρόθεσιν, καὶ ἄσκησιν, καὶ τὴν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, κατόρθωσιν, λόγος γέγονε Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπινοι λόγοι, εἴτε τῶν φιλοσοφησάντων παρʼ Ἕλλησιν, εἴτε ι τῶν κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, ι ἐν ταῖς οῐιισπΝιε ἱρέσεσιν. Οὗτοι δή μοι δοκοῦσι δηλοῦσθαι ἐν τῷ· η.. ι.. ι -. ι Εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες εὐνουχίσθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ι Τὸ δʼ ἀποχῆς ἄξιον, εἰ τὸν λόγον τις ἀναλεὼν τὸν ξῷντα, καὶ ὲνεργῆ, καὶ τομώτερον ὑπὲρ ι αν \ ὶ Ι,- ι,1.--Δ-, 4' πᾶσαν μάχαιραν δίστομον, καὶ τὴν, ὡς ὠνόμασεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὲκτέμνοι τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς παθητικὸν, μὴ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ σώματος. καὶ τοῦτο ποιοῖ καὶ νοήσας βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ μέγιστόν συμβαλλόμενον πρὸς τὸ κληρονομῆσαι βασιο λείαν οὐρανῶν τὸ ἐκτεμεῖν λόγῳ τὸ παθητικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς αὑτοῦ. Τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις -ἁρμόζοι ἂν, καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἴονται οἰ σωματικῶς τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐξειληφότες, τό υ ι Εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες εὐνούχισαν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ ’τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ι ### English translation (Claude) But we, who wish to keep the consistency of the three eunuchisms and approve of the figurative reading of the third, will say something like this about the first two as well. Those who are inactive toward sexual pleasures, and do not give themselves over to the licentiousness and impurities belonging to them or the like, might now be called eunuchs figuratively. There are, I think, three kinds among those who are inactive in these things. Some are such by constitution, of whom it may be said: “There are eunuchs who were born so from their mother’s womb.” Others, urged on by words, practise abstinence from sexual pleasures and from all intemperance in this area; yet what produced in them this purpose and discipline and, if I may call it so, achievement was not the word of God but human words, whether of those who have philosophized among the Greeks or of those in the heresies who “forbid marriage and abstinence from foods.” These, it seems to me, are indicated in the words: “There are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men.” But it is worthy of acceptance if someone, taking up the Word that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and what the Apostle named the sword of the Spirit, should cut out the passionate part of the soul without touching the body; and should do this having understood the kingdom of heaven, and that cutting out by reason the passionate part of one’s own soul contributes very greatly to inheriting the kingdom of heaven. To such persons—and not in the way those think who have taken the passage bodily—the saying would fit: “There are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” ### Scripture references - Matt 19:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:3: quotation, high confidence - Heb 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Eph 6:17: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:12; 1 Tim 4:3; Heb 4:12; Eph 6:17. “Worthy of acceptance” renders the scan’s ἀποχῆς (“of abstinence”), probably a slip for ἀποδοχῆς; translated by sense. The word for “heresies” is garbled in the scan. Origen’s remark on heretics is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.4 (PG 13:1261b–1264b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/14-21/#p-15-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-5 - Source: PG 13:1264b–1268a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Taking the three kinds of eunuch spiritually, Origen contrasts Pharaoh’s eunuchs with Nehemiah, the eunuch who rebuilt Jerusalem, and Daniel and his companions, barren toward Babylon but fruitful in the Spirit. ### Greek text Μεγάλη δὲ δύναμις τὸ χωρῆσαι τὸν ἀπὸ λόγου τῆς ψυχῆς εὐνουχισμὸν, ὃν οὐ πάντες χωροῦσιν, ἀλλʼ οἷς υ δέδοται· δίδοται δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς αἰτήσασιν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ τὴν λογικὴν μάχαιραν, καὶ δεόντως αὐτῇ χρησαμένοις, ἵνʼ εὐνουχίσωσιν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν. Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ ἱστοριῶν ἐφάψασθαι τῶν κατὰ τὰ, Γραφὰς μετὰ τῆςαὺποφαινομένης ἡμῖν εἰς αὑτὰς ἀναγωγῆς, φήσωμεν, ὅτι εἰσί τινες εὐνοῦχοι. τοῦ Φαραὼ, ἄγονοι παντὸς καλοῦ, ἵνʼ οἰνοχοῶσιν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀρτοποιῶσιν εὐνουχισθέντες εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι διὰ τοῦτο εὐνοῦχοι, ἵνʼ οἰκοδομήσωσι πεσοῦσαν τῂν Ἰερουσαλήμ. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τῶν προτέρων ἐν τῇ Γελνέσει γέγραπταιο τῶν δὲ δευτέρων παράδειγμα ὁ έν τῇ δευτέρᾳ- Ἐσδρα γεγραμμένος, ὃς φησισ ι Καὶνέγὼ ἤμην εὐνοῦχος τῷ βασιλεῖ (ιι). Καὶ ἐγένετο ὲν μηνὶ Νισὰν, ἔτους εἰκοστοῦ Ἀρσαθερθᾷ βασιλεί,ι καί τὰ ὲξῆς, ἕως τοῦ · ι Καὶ inclitiqu ἐνώπιον τοῦ έασιλέωξ,1ιια“ι ἀπέστειλέ με, ί Καὶ σὺ δὲ, ἐντυγχά νων τῷ δευτέρῳ Ἔσδρα, εὑρήσεις ὅλα τὰ κατὰ σὺν τόπον, καί ἐπιστήσεις διὰ τί ἅγιός ἐστιν εὐνοῦχος γενόμενος ἀρχηγὸς τοῦ ἁνοικοδομηθῆναι τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, Φασί. δὲ Ἐβραίων παῖδες τὸν Δανιὴλ καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς σὺν αὑτῷ Ἀνανίαν, Ἀζαρίαν, Μισαὴλ, ὲν Βαβυλῶνι εὐνουχίσθαι, πληρουμένης τῆς πρὸς τὸν Ἐζεκίαν εἰρημένης προφητείας ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου ὲν τῷ ’ ι Ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματός σου λήψονται, καὶ ποιήσουσι σπάδοντας ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος. ι Φασὶ δὲ, ὅτι περὶ τούτων καὶ Ἠσαῖας προεφήτευσε φάσκωνε ι Μὴ λεγέτω 6 ἀλλογενὴς 6 προσκείμενος Κυρίῳ · Ἀφοριεῖ με ἄρα Κῦριος ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ · ι Κρείττονα υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων. ι Καλὸν οὖν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν μυστικὸν τόπον, τὸ μὴ γεννᾷν ὲν Βαβυλῶνι, ἀλλὰ ἄγονον εἶναι πρὸς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα, ως 6 Δανιὴλ, ἵνα γεννήσωμεν, συλλαβόντες ἀπὸ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος, ὡς ἐκεῖνος καὶ οἱ συν αὐτῷ, ὁράματα καὶ προφητείας. Δεῖ δὲ εἰδέναι, ὅτι οὐκ ὀλίγας εὖροι ἂν πιθανότητας είς κα- ' τασκευὴν τοῦ τοὺς τρεῖς σωματικοὺς εἶναι εὐνουχισμοὺς 6 βουλόμενος παραστῆναι τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ συναγορεῦσαι κα). τοῖς προειρημένοις, καὶ διὰ τῶν συγγραμμάτων τοῦτο διδάξασιν ο οὐκ ἐβουλήθημεν δὲ ὲκθέσθαι αὐτὲις, μὴ, γυμνασίας εἵνεκεν τιθέντες τοὺς λόγους, καὶ τὴν λύσιν ἑκάστου ἑκθέμενοι, πρόφασις γενώμεθα τοῖς μὴ ὠς βούλεται 6 Ἰησοῦς χωροῦσι τὸν περὶ εὐνουχίας λόγον, πρὸς τὸ ὲν ἑτέρῳ δεῖ νοεῖν τὸ, ι χωρεῖν, ι καὶ σωματικῶς αὐτὸ ὑπολαμβάνειν· δέον πνεύματι ζῶντα, καὶ πνεύματι στοιχοῦντα, καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς εὐνουχισμοὺς πνευματικῶς πεπεῖσθαι λε- ’λέχθαιη επις ιω Περί τῶγιπροσεῂςχθέντωζ παιδίων τῷ Ἰησοῦ lira ἐπιθῇ τὰς χεῷας αὐτοῖς ### English translation (Claude) It is a great power to receive the eunuchism of the soul by reason, which not all receive, but those to whom it has been given; and it is given to all who ask God for the sword of reason and use it as they ought, so that they may make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. If we must also touch on the narratives in the Scriptures, together with the higher sense of them that appears to us, let us say that there are certain eunuchs of Pharaoh, barren of all good, made eunuchs so that they may pour wine for him and bake his bread; but there are also men of God who are eunuchs for this reason, that they may build up Jerusalem that has fallen. Of the former it is written in Genesis; of the latter an example is the one written of in Second Esdras, who says: “And I was a eunuch to the king. And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,” and so on, up to “And it pleased the king, and he sent me.” And you too, reading Second Esdras, will find all that concerns the passage, and will notice why a holy man who had become a eunuch was the leader in rebuilding the temple of God. The sons of the Hebrews say that Daniel and the three with him, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, were made eunuchs in Babylon, in fulfilment of the prophecy spoken to Hezekiah by Isaiah: “From your seed they shall take, and they shall make eunuchs in the house of the king of Babylon.” And they say that Isaiah also prophesied about them, saying: “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, Surely the Lord will separate me from his people,” and so on, up to “better than sons and daughters.” It is good, then, as regards the mystical sense, not to beget in Babylon but to be barren toward Babylon, like Daniel, so that we may beget, having conceived from the divine Spirit, as he and those with him did, visions and prophecies. One must know that whoever wished to support the view that the three eunuchisms are bodily, and to plead the cause of those mentioned before who taught this also in their writings, could find not a few plausible arguments for it. But we did not wish to set them out, lest, by stating the arguments as an exercise and giving the solution of each, we should become an occasion for those who do not receive the word about being a eunuch as Jesus intends to understand “receive” in another way and to take it bodily; whereas one who lives by the Spirit and walks by the Spirit ought to be persuaded that the three eunuchisms are spoken spiritually. [On the children brought to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them.] ### Scripture references - Matt 19:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:12: allusion, high confidence - Gen 40:1: allusion, medium confidence - Neh 1:11: quotation, high confidence - Neh 2:1: quotation, high confidence - Neh 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Isa 39:7: quotation, high confidence - Isa 56:3: quotation, high confidence - Isa 56:5: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:25: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:11–12; Gen 40 (Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker); Neh 1:11–2:6 (= 2 Esdras 11:11–12:6 LXX), where Origen’s text calls Nehemiah the king’s “eunuch” rather than “cupbearer”, a reading found in some Greek manuscripts; Isa 39:7; Isa 56:3–5; Gal 5:25. The Jewish tradition that Daniel and his companions were made eunuchs is reported as Origen gives it. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition before the next passage. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.5 (PG 13:1264b–1268a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-6 - Source: PG 13:1268a–1269c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The children brought to Jesus are also the spiritually immature in the church; the evangelists’ silence about who brought them may point to angels, and Jesus’ touch and prayer protect those he touches. ### Greek text ( Τότε προσηνέχθησαν αὒτῷ παιδία, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ ν ι Καὶ ἐπιθεὶς τάς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς, ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν. › Τότε μὲν ἡ ἀναγεγραμμένη ἱστορία γέγονε, τῷ καὶ προσενέχθαι παιδία τῷ Ἰησοῦ, βουλομένων τῶν προσφερόντων ἐπιθεῖναι αὐτοῦ τάς χεῖρας αὑτοξ, καὶ προσεύξασθαι. ’ἰστέον δὲ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτεεού προσφέρεται παιδία τὴνψυχὴν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἐφʼ οἷς λέγοι ἂν, ὡς παρακαταθήκην αὒτά ἀπο Θεοῦ λαβὼν, τό· ι Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἆ μοι ἔδωκεν ό θεὸς, ο καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παιδίων γε τούτων τινὰ μὲν χρηματιζέτω νήπια, ἀλλα δὲ λεγέσθω θηλάζοντα, ὼς τῶν νηπίων ὑποδεέστερα, καὶ ό Κύριος ἡμῶν ἐκ πόματος ἀμφοτέρων καταρτιζέτω αἶνον, ἶνα, ᾐσθημένοι τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτοῦ είς τὰ παιδία εὐεργεσίας, λέγωμεν τό· ι Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον. ι Παιδία δὲ λεκτέον τοὺς έν Χριστῷ σαρκίνους, καὶ νηπίους, ὁποίους Κορινθίους ἑπιστάμενος ό ἀπόστολος Παῦλος έλεγε ν ι Κάγὼ οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς. ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὡς νηπίοις ὲν Χριστῷ. ι Τὰ τοιαῦτα δὴ παιδία προσηνέχθη τότε, καὶ ἀεὶ προσάγεται τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Σημεῖον δὲ τῆς τῶν νηπίων προσαγωγῆς οἱ πολλοὶ τῆς Ἑκκλησὶας ὲν Χριστῷ νήπιοι καὶ θηλάζοντες, χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος, οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς, πρὸς οὒς λέγοι ἂν, ὡς ἂν τροφὸς θάλπουσα τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα θάλπων αὐτοὺς, τό· ι Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα· οὔπω γὰρηδιῦνασθε, ι Εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ oi μνησθέντες εὐαγγελισταὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ὅτι μὲν, ό Ματθαῖός φησι, ι προσηνέχθη παιδία τῷ Ἰησοῦ,›ἢ, ὡς ό Μάρκος, ι προσέφερον αὐτῷ καὶ βρέφη (“in ἀνέγραψαν, ὑπὸ τίνος δὲ προσηνέχθη,νῆ τινες προσέφερον, ἅμα παραλελοίπασιν, ημῖν καταλιπόντες ἐξετάζειν τὸ παραλελειμμένον, ἀξιον ἰδεῖν πότερον κατὰ συντυχίαν ὑπὸ τῶν τριῶν τὸ τοιοῦτον παραλέλειπται, δυναμένων ἀναγράψαι, Πῳσηνέχθη αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τῶν γονέων, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν μητέρων, ἢ, Προσἔφερον αὐτῷ βρέφηῆ παιδία αἱ μητέρες αὐτῶν· ἢ γνώσεως λογισμῷ καὶ σοφίᾳ τὸ τοιοῦτον πεποιήκασιν εἰς παράστασιν τοῦ, ὅτι προσελθόντες ἄγγελοι τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ διακονοῦντες αὐτῷ, αὐτοὶ νῷ θειοτέρῳ τὰς τῶν παιδίων ὁρῶντες διαφορὰς ἦ βρεφῶν, οἴδασι τινας προσφέρειν δεῖ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἴνα προσενεχθέντες αὐτῷ χειρπονηθῶσιν ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ, καὶ πότε· οῐδασι δὲ καὶ τινας οὐ χρὴ, ἢ ὅτι ἐπὶ τινα χρόνον οὐ χρή. Οὐ γὰρ - ἄτερ ἡγοῦμαι ἀγγελικῆς οἰκονομίας τὰ τοσαῦτα παιδία προσέρχεσθαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τὸ δὲ βούλημα τῶν προσφερόντων τὰ παιδία ἐστὶ, κατὰ μὲν τὸν Ματθαῖον, r Ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὑτοῖςό Ἰησοῦς καὶ προσεύξηταιοι κατά δὲ τὸν Μάρκον, ι Ἵνα ἅψηται αὐτῶνοι usus τὸν εἰπόντα βρέφη αὐτὰ εἶναι Λουxiv, ‹ Ἵνα αὐτῶν ἀπτηταινι τῇ γὰρ προσευχῇ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τῇ ἀφῇ αὐτοῦ, τὰ παιδία καὶ τὰ βρέφη, οὐ δυνάμενα ἀκούειν, ἅπερ ἀκούουσιν οἱ ἤδη πνευματικοὶ, ἀρκεῖται εἱς βοήθειαν, καὶ ἦν χωρεῖ ὠφέλειαν· ἅπτεται γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ δύναμις Ἰησοῦ, μόνον χεῖρας ἐπιθέντος τὰς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐκέτι αὐτῶν ἀπτεταὶ τι τῶν χειρόνων. Τάχα δὲ καὶ, ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν, τὸ βούλημα τῶν προσφερόντων αὐτῷ βρέφη καὶ παιδία τοιοῦτον ἦν, διαλαβόντων, ὅτι οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν ἁψαμένου Ἰησοῦ βρεφῶν ἥ παιδίων, καὶ δύναμιν διὰ τῆς ἁφῆς ὲναφιέντος αὐτοῖς, σύμπτωμα, ἢ δαιμόνιον, ἦ τι ἅψασθαι οὗ φθάσας ό Ἰησοῦς ἥψατο. ### English translation (Claude) “Then children were brought to him,” and so on, up to “And having laid his hands on them, he went away from there.” At that time the recorded event took place: children were brought to Jesus, those who brought them wishing him to lay his hands on them and pray. But one must know that there is no time when children in soul are not brought to Jesus; of these he might say, having received them from God as a trust: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me.” And of these children let some be called infants, and let others be said to be nursing, as being below the infants; and let our Lord perfect praise from the mouth of both, so that, perceiving such kindness of his toward the children, we may say: “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise.” By children we must understand those in Christ who are fleshly and infants, such as the apostle Paul knew the Corinthians to be when he said: “And I could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ.” Such children were brought then, and are always brought, to Jesus. A sign of the bringing of infants is the many in the church who are infants in Christ and nursing, needing milk, not solid food; to them he might say, cherishing them as a nurse cherishes her own children: “I gave you milk to drink, not food; for you were not yet able.” Next: the evangelists who recorded this passage wrote that, as Matthew says, “children were brought to Jesus,” or, as Mark says, “they were bringing even babes to him”; but they have all passed over by whom they were brought, or who brought them, leaving us to examine what was omitted. It is worth seeing whether the three omitted this by chance, though they could have written, “they were brought to him by their parents,” or “by their mothers,” or “their mothers were bringing babes or children to him”; or whether they did this by a reasoning of knowledge and wisdom, to show that angels who came to Jesus and ministered to him, seeing with a more divine mind the differences between the children or babes, know which ought to be brought to Jesus, so that, being brought to him, they may have his hands laid on them, and when; and they know also which ought not, or that for some time they ought not. For I do not think that so many children come to Jesus without the ordering of angels. The intention of those who brought the children is, according to Matthew, “that Jesus might lay his hands on them and pray”; according to Mark, “that he might touch them”; and according to Luke, who said that they were babes, “that he might touch them.” For by the prayer of Jesus and by his touch, the children and babes, who cannot hear what those already spiritual hear, have enough for their help and for the benefit they can receive; for the power of Jesus touches them, when he simply lays on them the hands of his oversight, and none of the worse powers touches them any longer. And perhaps, as regards the literal sense too, the intention of those who brought babes and children to him was of this kind: they understood that, when Jesus had touched babes or children and through his touch instilled power into them, no misfortune or demon or anything else could touch those whom Jesus had touched first. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:13: quotation, high confidence - Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:16: quotation, medium confidence - 1 Cor 3:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Heb 5:12: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Mark 10:13: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:11: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:13–15; Heb 2:13 (Isa 8:18); Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX) as cited in Matt 21:16; 1 Cor 3:1–2; Heb 5:12; 1 Thess 2:7; Mark 10:13; Luke 18:15; Matt 4:11. The words “they were bringing even babes to him,” attributed here to Mark, are Luke’s (Luke 18:15); the passage then cites Mark and Luke correctly. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.6 (PG 13:1268a–1269c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-7 - Source: PG 13:1269d–1276a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The disciples who rebuke those bringing children may stand for those who despise simple teachers of simple believers; Christ himself became a child, and Paul became like a nurse. ### Greek text Οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι καὶ ἐπεὶ πολλαὶ πονηραῖ δυνάμεις περὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ψυχὴν ἀρχῆθεν ἀσχολοῦνται ποικίλως αὐτῇ ἐπιβουλεύουσαν διὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἤδη ὲκ τῶν προτέρων τὴν δύναμιν αὑτοῦ μαθόντες οἱ προσφέροντες τῷ Σωτῆρι τὰ βρέφη, τοῦτʼ ἐποίουν, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν αὑτοῦ, καὶτῆς περὶ παιδίων καὶτῶν βρεφῶν εὐχῆς, διὰ τῆς ἁφῆς ἀπελαύνηται μὲν τὰ χείρονα, δύναμις δὲ ἐγγινομένη διαφέρουσα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἑξῆς διαρκῇ, ὡς κωλυτικὴ Tunde νουσα ἐπαφῆς τῶν ἐναντίων. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ οὖν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τι καὶ ἀκέραιον ἐπιστάμενος τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ σωτήριον τοῖς ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ χειροθετουμένοις ἔπει ἥπτετο, φησὶ τοῖς ἐπιτιμῶσι μαθηταῖς, καὶ διὰτώ ἐπιτιμᾷν κωλύουσιν προσφέρεσθαι τὰ παιδία, τό* ι ’Ἅφετε τά παιδία, καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν τρίς μέ.» Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔχει λόγον τὰ ἀποδεδομένα περὶ τοῦ, ὑπὸ τίνων προσηνέχθη, ἢ τίνες προσέφερον, ἀκολούθως ἂν ἐκείνοις μαθηταί τινες ἐξαίρετοι νοοῐντο (Η) τοῦ Ἰησοῦ δυνάμεις ἆγιαι μεμαθητευμέναι τῷ Υἱίρ τοῦ θεοῦ· φθάνειν γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοιαύτας τὸ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰησοῦ ὄνομα εὔλογον, ἵνα μὴ μόνον οἱ ἀνθρωποι αὐτῷ μαθητεύωνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ oi ἄγγελοι si; ὤφθη, καὶ εἴτις αὐτῷ πιστεύειν βούλεται, ἀπὺ ι παντὸς ὀνόματος ὀνομαζομένου ού μόνον ὲν τῶ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. ι Εἰ μέντοι τὸ τοιοῦτόν τις βίαιον νομίζοι, θέλων μὴ ἐπʼἄλλων τάσσεσθαι ἢ ἀνθρώπων τὸ τῶν μαθητῶν ὄνομα, ἐπτιμὼντων τοῖς προσφέρουσι τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ βρέφη καὶ τὰ παιδία, εἷεν ἂν ol τῶν διδάσκειν τὸν λόγον ἐπιχειρούντων ἁπλούστεροι, καὶ μέχρι παιδίων, λόγον ἔχοντες γάλακτι ἐοικότα, ποτίζοντες τοὺς γάλακτος χρῄζοντας. προσφέροντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ βρέφη καὶ παι. δία· ού γὰρ δύνανται λογικώτεροι τῆς τούτων utaστάσεως πείθειν, ὡς ό δυνάμενος λέγεινʼ ί ιι Ἕλλησί τε ’καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης aluta Τούτων δὲ προσφερόντων τῷ Ἰησοῦ βρέφη καὶ παιδία λογικώτεροι νομίζοντες εἶναι τῶν διδασκόντων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μαθηταὶ χρηματίζοντες ’ἰησοῦ, πρὶν μάθωσι τὰ περὶ τῶν βρεφῶν καὶ τῶν παιδίων, ἐπιτιμῶσι τοῖς ἁπλούστερον· διδάσκουσι καὶ ταιιδία προσφέρουσι. Σαφῶς δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον νοήσεις, ἐπιστήσας τῷο «Βλέπετε γὰρ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ’ ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοὶ, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς· ἀλλά τὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ. ι, Βλεπέτω τις οὖν τινα τῶν ἑπαγγελλομένων κατήχησιν ὲκκλησιαστικὴν καὶ διδασκαλίαν, προσφέροντα τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τὰ λ ἐξουδενωμένα, καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λεχθη· σύμενα ἂν καὶ παιδία, ικαὶ βλέπων ὲπιτιμάτω, ὡς ἀκρίτως ποιοῦντι, τῷ προσφέροντι τηλικούτῳ Σωτῆρι καὶ διδασκάλῳ βρέφη καὶ παιδία· καὶ πρόσχες εί μὴ ἁρμόζει ἀναφέρειν τὰ νῦν ἐξεταζόμενα ἐπὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, τῶν μὲν προσφερόντων παιδία, ἵνα τὰς χεῖ.ρας αὐτοῖς ἐπιθῇ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ προσεύξηται, τῶν δὲ μαθητῶν ἐπιτιμώντων αὐτοῖς· εἴποι δʼ ἂν πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτιμῶντας ἐπὶ παιδίοις προσαγομένοις τῷ Ἰησοῦ διδάσκαλος, καὶ Σωτὴρ, καὶ Κύριοςο ι Ἅφετε τὰ παιδία, καὶ ιμὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς μέ.» Εἶτα προτρέπων τοὺς μαθητὰς ὄντας ἄνδρας συγκαταβαίνειν τῇ ὠφελείᾳ τῶν παιδίων, ὅπως γένωνται τοῖς παιδίοις παιδία. ἵνα τὰ παιδία κερδήσωσι, λεγέτω ὁ Σωτὴρ τό· ι Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶνοο καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ι ὲν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγησάμενος τὸ εἷναι τσα Θεῷ,ι γέγονε παιδίον, ὥστε λελέχθαι τοῖς Μάγοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡρώδου περὶ αὐτοῦʼ ι Πορευθέντες ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσατε περὶ τοῦ παιδίου,ι καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ματθαίου· ὅτι, ι ’0 ἀστὴρ δν εἶδον ὲν τῇ Ἀνατολῇ, προῆγεν αὐτοὺς, ἕως οὗ ἐλθὼν ἐστάθη οὖ ἦν τὸ παιδίον·› καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα, ι Ἐλθὸντες,ι φησὶν, ι είς τὴν οὶκίαν, εἶδον τὸ παιδίον μετὰ Μαρίας τῆς μητρὸς αὑτοῦ.» Καὶ ὁ φανεὶς δὲ τῷ, Ἰωσὴφ ἄγγελος παιδίον ἐκάλεσε τὸν τηλικοῦτον ἡμῶν Σωτῆρα εἰ· πῶν· ι Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον. ι Πάλιν τε αὖ τελευτήσαντος τοῦ Ἡρώδου ἄγγελος Κυρίου κατʼ ᾶναρ φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ὲν Αἰγύπτῳ. λέγωνʼ t Ἐγερά Η θεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ. ι Καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὖν οὑ μόνον κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν ὡς παιδίον, ὥστʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν ὼς τόʼ ι Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ,ι οὕτως καὶ τό· Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦγενομὲνου ὼς παιδίον, πῶς λέγω τόο ι Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ὴ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν,ι τοιούτων ὁποῖά ἐστι τὰ παιδία, περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐπιτιμᾷν τοῖς προσφέρουσιν αὑτά. Καὶ Παῦλος δέ ὡς ἐπιστάμενος τό· ι Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ο δυνάμενος ἐν βάρει εἶναι, ὡς Χριστοῦ ’Δπόοτολος, ἐγένετο νήπιος, καὶ παραπλήσιος τροφῷ θαλπούσῃ τὸ ἑαυτῆς παιδίον, καὶ λαλούσῃ λόγους ὡς παιδίον διὰ τὸ παιδίον. ### English translation (Claude) I think also that, since many evil powers have from the beginning busied themselves about the human soul, plotting against it in various ways, those who brought the babes to the Saviour, having already learned his power from earlier events, did this so that, through the laying on of his hands and his prayer for the children and babes, the worse powers might be driven away by the touch, and an excellent power, instilled in them, might last for what followed, as a hindrance to the touch of the opposing powers. And so the Saviour, knowing that such a thing was not something simple and of no account, but saving for those on whom he laid hands, since he touched them, says to the disciples who rebuked them, and by rebuking hindered the children from being brought: “Let the children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me.” If, then, what was said about by whom they were brought, or who brought them, is reasonable, consistently with it certain chosen disciples of Jesus might be understood, holy powers that have become disciples of the Son of God. For it is reasonable that the name of Jesus’ disciples should reach even to such, so that not only human beings are his disciples, but also the angels to whom he appeared, and whoever wishes to believe in him from “every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” But if anyone thinks this forced, wishing the name of disciples—those who rebuked the ones bringing babes and children to Jesus—to be applied to none but human beings, then those who bring babes and children to Jesus would be the simpler among those who undertake to teach the word, whose word reaches only to children, being like milk, and who give drink to those who need milk; for they cannot persuade those more rational than their own level, as the one could who was able to say: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” And while these bring babes and children to Jesus, those who think themselves more rational than these teachers, and are therefore called disciples of Jesus, before they have learned what concerns babes and children, rebuke those who teach more simply and bring the children. You will understand this clearly if you consider: “For consider your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many of noble birth; but God chose the things of the world, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.” Let someone, then, see one of those who profess the church’s catechesis and teaching bringing the foolish things of the world, the despised and the low-born, which for that reason might also be called children; and seeing it, let him rebuke, as acting without judgment, the one who brings babes and children to so great a Saviour and teacher. And consider whether it is not fitting to refer what is now being examined to such things: some bringing children that Jesus may lay his hands on them and pray, and the disciples rebuking them. And to those who rebuke over the children brought to Jesus, the Teacher and Saviour and Lord might say: “Let the children be, and do not hinder them from coming to me.” Then, urging the disciples, who are men, to stoop to the benefit of the children, so that they may become children to the children in order to gain the children, let the Saviour say: “For of such is the kingdom of heaven.” For he himself too, “being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,” and became a child, so that Herod said of him to the Magi: “Go and search diligently for the child,” and Matthew: “The star which they had seen in the East went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was”; and a little later: “Coming into the house,” he says, “they saw the child with Mary his mother.” And the angel who appeared to Joseph called our so great Saviour a child, saying: “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt.” And again, when Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying: “Rise, take the child and his mother.” Jesus, then, not only according to the narrative but also according to the higher sense, humbled himself like a child, so that, just as he might say, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,” so also: Learn from me, who became like a child, how I say, “For of such is the kingdom of heaven”—of such as the children are, about whom he does not permit the disciples to rebuke those who bring them. And Paul too, as one who understood “For of such is the kingdom of heaven,” though he could have been a burden as an apostle of Christ, became gentle, like a nurse cherishing her own child and speaking words like a child for the child’s sake. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:14: quotation, high confidence - Eph 1:21: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:22: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 2:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:4: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Thess 2:6: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:7: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:13–14; Eph 1:21; Rom 1:14; 1 Cor 1:26–28; 1 Cor 9:22; Phil 2:6–7; Matt 2:8, 9, 11, 13, 20; Matt 11:29; Matt 18:4; 1 Thess 2:6–7. Paul’s word in 1 Thess 2:7 is read by Origen as νήπιοι (“infants”), here rendered “gentle” to keep the sense of the sentence. A word in the first sentence (“a hindrance”) is damaged in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.7 (PG 13:1269d–1276a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-8 - Source: PG 13:1276a–1277a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Mature believers must not despise the simple but become children with them; and Matthew’s wording raises the question why Jesus is said to lay on hands but not to pray. ### Greek text Τούτων δέ ἐπιμελῶς ἀκουστέον, ῐνα μὴ φαντασία σοφίας, καὶ τοῦ διαδεόηκέναι, καταφρονῶμεν ὡς μεγάλοι τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησία μικρῶν καὶ παιδίων, ἀλλʼ είδότες πῶς εἴρηται τό· ι Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἠ βασιλεία τῶν ούρανῶν,ι τοιοῦτοι γενώμεθα, ἵνα καὶ διʼ ήμῶν σώζηται τὰ παιδία. Οὐ μόνον δέ οὐκ ἀφιέντες τὰ παιδία προσφέρεσθαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, οὐδὲ μόνον μὴ κωλύοντες αὐτὰ προσφέρεσθαι αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ μετὰ τῶν παιδίων γενόμενοι παιδία, τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ποιήσωμεν, ἵνα σωζομένων καὶ διʼ ἡμᾶς τοιούτους γενομένους τῶν παιδίων, ὡς ταπεινώσαντες ἑαυτοὺς. ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑψωθῶμενι καὶ τοιοῦτον γάρ τι δύνασθαι νοεῖσθαι είς τό· ι Πᾶς ὁ ταπεινῶν ἐαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται,» μάλιστα ἐπεὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω γέγραπται τόο ε Ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἐαυτὸν, ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν 5 μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶνόύρανῶν. ι Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἔστω χρήσιμα πρὸς τοὺς ἐπιτιμῶντας μαθητὰς παιδίον προσφερομένων τῷ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς προσφέρουσιν. Ἴστω δέ τὶ παιδία, κᾶν μὴ πᾶσιν, ὡς παιδία, παρακολουθεῖν δύνηται τοῖς λεγομένοις, ὅτι ἐπέθηκε μὲν τοῖς παιδίοις ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς χεῖρας, ἐπιθεὶς δέ ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ δύναμιν ἐναφεὶς τοῖς παιδίοις διὰ τῆς ἁφῆς, ἐπορεύθη ἀπὸ τῶν παιδίων, μὴ δυνηθέντων ὁμοίως τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἀκολουθεῖν. τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Εἴπερ δὲ ι λόγια Κυρίου ι ἐστὶ καὶ τὰ εύαγγελικὰ, καὶ ε λόγια ἁγνὰ, ι καὶ ι ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον, δοκίμιον, ἀπεσταλμένον τῇ γῇ,› καὶ ι ἄκρως κεκαθαρμένον, καὶ ἐπταπλασίως,› ὀφείλει τις εἶναι εὔλογος αἰτία, διʼ ἢν ἐκτιθέμενος τὰ κατᾲ τὸν τόπον ὁ Ματθαῖος, δύο μὲν εἶπε τὰ βουλήματα τοῦ προσενηνέχθαι τῷ ’1ησοῦ τὰ παιδία, οὐκέτι δὲ πρὸς τὰ δύο τὰ ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει; Προσενηνέχθη μὲν γὰρ τὰ παιδία, οὐκέτ ἴνα μόνον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς ἐπιθῇ 6 Ἰησοῦς, ἀλλὰ · πρὸς τούτῳ ἴνα καὶ προσεύξηται. ### English translation (Claude) These things must be heard carefully, so that we may not, through an appearance of wisdom and of having advanced, despise as great persons the little ones and children in the church; but, knowing how it was said, “For of such is the kingdom of heaven,” let us become such, so that through us too the children may be saved. And not only letting the children be brought to Jesus, nor only not hindering them from being brought to him, but ourselves becoming children with the children, let us do the will of the Saviour, so that, as the children are saved also through us who have become such, we, as having humbled ourselves, may be exalted by God. For something of this kind can be understood in the saying, “Everyone who humbles himself will be exalted,” especially since it is written above: “Whoever, then, humbles himself like this child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.” Let these things be useful against the disciples who rebuke those who bring children to Jesus. And let the children know—even if, being children, they cannot follow all that is said—that Jesus laid his hands on the children, and having laid them on, went away from there; and having instilled power into the children through his touch, he went away from the children, since they could not follow Jesus as the disciples could. If the sayings of the gospel too are “words of the Lord,” and “pure words,” and “silver tried by fire, proved, sent to the earth,” and “purified to the utmost, sevenfold,” there ought to be a reasonable cause why Matthew, in setting out the passage, stated two purposes for which the children were brought to Jesus, but then does not add what follows to match both. For the children were brought, not only that Jesus might lay his hands on them, but besides this that he might also pray. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:14: quotation, high confidence - Luke 14:11: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 18:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:15: allusion, high confidence - Ps 12:6 (11:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:14; Luke 14:11 and 18:14; Matt 18:4; Matt 19:13, 15; Ps 12:6 (11:7 LXX), quoted in Origen’s text with “sent to the earth.” ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.8 (PG 13:1276a–1277a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-9 - Source: PG 13:1277a–1277d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus’ prayer may be reserved for those beyond childhood, while his touch suffices for children; Luke’s saying about receiving the kingdom as a child teaches the mature to become children to the simple. ### Greek text Γέγραπται δὲ, ὅτι, ι καὶ ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῖς, ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθενο › οὐ γὰρ προσέθηκε, ι καὶ προσευξάμενος ο ι ἠδύνατο γὰρ λελέχθαιʼ Καὶ ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ προσευξάμενος αὐτοῖς, ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν. Ὅρα οὖν εί δύνασαι μείζοσι μὲν τῶν παιδίων τηρεῖν τὴν προσευχὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, δυναμένοις χωρῆσαι καὶ τὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα εὐχήν τοῖς δὲ παιδίοις ἀρκεῖν λέγεινιτὴν ἐπίθεσιν τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τὰ ἀποδεδομένα περὶ τοῦ · ι Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶνὴ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι προτρεπόμενα καὶ τὸν σοφώτατον μὴ ὑπερηφανεϊν τοὺς ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία μικροὺς, μηδὲ καταφρονεῖν τῶν παιδίων καὶ νηπίων ὲν Χριστῷ, χρήσιμον παραλα- 6εἰν ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν τό· ι Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὃς ἐὰν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς παι·- 691w, ι 6 οὐ παιδίον μὲν ὢν, ἀλλὰ ἀνὴρ τὰ τοῦ νηπίου καταργήσας, γινόμενος δὲ τοῖς παιδίοις παιδίον, καὶ λέγων αὐτοῖς ιὐὑκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκίνοις, ὼς νηπίοις ὲν Χριστῷ, γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα. ι Ὅλη γοῦν ὴ σύμφρασις (ἓῦ) τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν τοιαύτη ἐστίνʼ ι Προσέφερον δὲ αὑτῷ καὶ βρέφη, ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῢο ι Ὃς ἐὰν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὠς παιδίον,οὑ μὴ είσέλθῃ είς αὑτήν. ι Σχεδὸν δὲ ταῖς αὑταῖς λέξεσι καὶ 6 Μάρκος μάλιστα c τὰ τελευταῖα ὡσαύτως ἐξέθετο. Περὶ τοῦ ἐπερωτήσαντα πλουσίου τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εἰπόντος· ι Διδάσκαλε ἀγαθὲ, › καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ### English translation (Claude) It is written: “And having laid his hands on them, he went away from there”; for he did not add, “and having prayed,” though it could have been said: “And having laid his hands on them and prayed for them, he went away from there.” Consider, then, whether you can reserve the prayer of Jesus for those greater than children, who are able to receive both the laying on of his hands upon them and his prayer to the Father for them; while for the children, I would say, the laying on of his hands suffices. And if what has been said about the words “For of such is the kingdom of heaven” urges even the wisest not to be arrogant toward the little ones in the church, nor to despise the children and infants in Christ, it is useful to take this from the Gospel according to Luke: “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child”; this is done by one who is not a child, but a man who has put away the things of an infant, yet becomes a child to children and says to them: “I could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ; I gave you milk to drink, not food.” The whole context in Luke is this: “And they were bringing even babes to him, that he might touch them,” and so on, up to “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child shall not enter it.” And Mark set out almost the same words, especially the last ones, in the same way. [On the rich man who asked Jesus and said, “Good Teacher,” and so on.] ### Scripture references - Matt 19:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:14: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:15: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:17: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:16: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:15; Matt 19:14; Luke 18:15–17; 1 Cor 13:11; 1 Cor 3:1–2; Mark 10:13–15. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition before the next passage (Matt 19:16). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.9 (PG 13:1277a–1277d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-10 - Source: PG 13:1277d–1284a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Only God is good in the proper sense; others are called good by extension, and Origen compares the Saviour, the image of God’s goodness, with the Father and with lesser goods. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἷς προσελθὼν εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Διδάσκαλε, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω ἵνα σχῶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον; ι καὶτὰ ιξῆς, ἕως τοῦ ο ι Πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι. ι Ἐν μὲν Ψαλμοῖς γέγραπται, ὡς δυναμένου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν, ὅτι, ι '0 θέλων ζωὴν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθὰς, παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ χεῖλη ” σου τοῦ μὴ λαλῆσαι δόλον · ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν · »ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὁ Σωτὴρ πρὸς τὸν εἰσ πόντα· t Τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω, ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον κλῇε ρονομήσω; ι εἶπεν, ὡς τοῦ κυρίως ἀγαθοῦ ἐπὶ μηδένα ἀναφερομένου ἢ τὸν Θεὸν, τό· ι Τί με ἐρωτᾷς mp‘: τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ; εἶςὲστιν ὁάγαθός. ι Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα μὲν κυρίως τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ l τέτακται μόνου· ὲν ἄλλοις δὲ καταχρήστικῶς, ut ἐπὶ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπου ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ δένδρου ἀγαθοῦ· καὶ σὺ δʼ ἂν εὕροις καὶ ἐπὶ ι ἄλλων πλειόνων τασσόμενον τὸ ἀγαθόν. Οὐ νομιστέον οῦν μάχεσθαι τό· t Ποίησον ἀγαθὸν ι πρὸς τό · 1 Τί με ἐρωτᾷς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ, εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθὸς, i λελεγμένον πρὸς τὸν πειθόμενον καὶ εἰπόντα · ι Διδάσκαλε, τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω; ι ’0 μὲν οὖν Mat-01%;, ὡς περὶ ἀγαθοῦ ἔργου ἐρωτηθέντος τοῦ Σωτῆροςέν έ τῷ · t Τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω; ι ἀνέγραψεν· ὁ δὲ Μάρκος η καὶ Λουκᾶς φασι τὸν Σωτῆρα εἰρηκέναι· ι Tt με λέγεις ἀγαθόν;οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς, εἰμὴ εἷς, ὁ Θεὸςσι ὡς, τὸ τεταγμένον, ‹ ἀγαθὸς, ι ὄνομα ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ ἂν ταχθῆναι καὶ ἔφʼ ἑτέρου τινός· οὐ γὰρ ὰγαθὺςὸ χ Θεὸς, ταύτῃ λέγοιτʼ ἂν t ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος, ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ προφέρων τὰ ἀγαθά. ι ΚαὶὸΣωτὴρ δὲ, ὡς ἔστιν είκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, οὕτως, ἱὲΒΙ καὶ ι τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ εἰκών· ι καὶ παντὸς δὲ Α τοῦ ὑποδεεστέρου ὲφαρμόζεται ἡ ι ἀγαθὸν, ι φωνὴ, ἄλλο σημαινόμενον ἔχει τὸ ἐφʼ αὐτοῦ λεγόμενον· εἴπερ ὡς μὲν. πρὸς. τὸν Πατέρα εἰκών ἐστιν ἀγαθότητος, ὡς si πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ, ὅπερ η τοῦ [ἰατρὸς ἀγαθότης εἰς αὐτόν” ἢ καὶ μᾶλλόν ἐστί τινα ἀναλογίαν προσεχῆ ἰδεῖν ἐπὶ ἀγαθότητος τοῦ Θεοῗι πρὸς τὸν Σωτῆρα ὄντα εἰκόνα τῆς αγαθότητος αὐτοῦ, ἢπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος πρὸς ἀγαθὸν αλιθρωπον, καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἔργον, καὶ ἀγαθὸν δένδρονʼ πλεῖον is? ἡ ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὰ ὑποδεέστερα ἀγαθὰ ὲντῷ Σωτῆρι, καθό ἐστιν εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαῖθότηὲος αὐτ-οὖντοῦ Θεοῦ, ἥπερ ἡ ὑπεροχῆ τοῦ Geo?» δντοξ ἀγαθοῦ πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα Σωτῆρα· ι ’0 Πατὴρ ὁ πέμνξιας με μείζων μου ἐστὶν, ι ὅντα πρὸς ὲτνέροος καὶ-εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τάχα δὲ τῖῦ ξβουλήματος ἔχεταιτῶν λέλεχμὲνων πρὸς si. τι ἀγὲιθδν segem, ι λελέχθαι δὲ πρὸς αὑτόο ι Τί μεμὲρωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἁγαθὺς, τό Ι· ι ζὈττιιν ποιήσητε πάντα τὰ διαταχθέντα ὑμξίν, ῥφείλετε λέγειν, ὅτι δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοι ἐσμεν· δʼὀφεὶλομεν ποιῆσαι, πεποιήκαμεν ’ ι ἐὰν γὰρ ποιήσωίιεν πάντα τὰ διαταχθέντα, οὐδ”οὖτως, ὼς πρὸς τὰς ἐνθάδε λέξεις, ἀγαθόν τι πεποιήκαμεν· οὐκ ἂν γὰρ, ἀγαθῶν ὄντων ὧν ποιοῦμεν, ἐλέλεκτο δεῖν λέvetata-1 τῷ γεγονέναι τὰ διαταχθέντα τό· ι Δοῦλοι ἀχρεῖοί ἐσμεν. ι Ἔστι δὲ καταχρηστικῶς αὐτὰ εἰπεῖν sitat. ἀγαθὰ, ὁμοίως τίὲν ι Ἐκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν. ι Οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι ὁ ποιῶν τὸ προστετατίιένον έν τῷ· ι Ἐκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποιησον.ἀγαθδν, rd); μὲν πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνὰληθῶς ἀγαθὸν, ὥσπερ ι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιον τοῖς Θεοῦ ’πᾶς ζῶν, ι πάσης ἀνθρωπίνης δικαιοσύνης ἐλεγχομένηξ οὐ δικαιοσύνης, ἐπὰν θεωρηθῇ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη· οὖτως οὐδὲ ἀγαθὸς χρηματίσειεν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ πᾶς ὸς πρὸς τὰ. ὑποδεέστερα συγκρίσει ἐκείνων ἀγαθὸς ἂν λεχθείη. ### English translation (Claude) “And behold, one came up and said to him, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” and so on, up to “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” In the Psalms it is written, as though man were able to do good: “Whoever desires life, loving to see good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit; turn away from evil and do good.” But here the Saviour, to the one who said, “What good thing shall I do, that I may inherit eternal life?”, said—since the good in the proper sense is referred to none but God—“Why do you ask me about the good? One there is who is good.” One must know that here “good” is applied in the proper sense to God alone, but elsewhere in an extended sense, as to good works, to a good man, and to a good tree; and you too might find “good” applied to many other things. So one must not think that “Do good” conflicts with “Why do you ask me about the good? One is good,” which was said to the one inquiring, who said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do?” Matthew, then, recorded it as though the Saviour were asked about a good work in “What good thing shall I do?”; but Mark and Luke say that the Saviour said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, God,” as though the name “good,” as applied to God, could not be applied also to anyone else; for not in the sense in which God is good would “a good man, who out of the good treasure brings forth good things,” be so called. And the Saviour too, as he is the image of the invisible God, so is he also “the image of his goodness”; and whereas the word “good” is applied to everything inferior, what is said of him has another meaning, if in relation to the Father he is an image of goodness, but in relation to the rest … Or rather, one may see a closer correspondence in the goodness of God in relation to the Saviour, who is the image of his goodness, than in the Saviour in relation to a good man, a good work, and a good tree; for the superiority in the Saviour, insofar as he is the image of God’s goodness, over lesser goods is greater than the superiority of God, who is good, over the Saviour who said, “The Father who sent me is greater than I,” who is, in relation to others, also an image of the goodness of God. And perhaps connected with the intent of what was said to the one who asked, “What good thing shall I do?”, and of the answer given him, “Why do you ask me about the good? One is good,” is this: “When you have done all that was commanded you, you ought to say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we ought to have done.” For if we do all that was commanded, not even so, as far as the words here go, have we done anything good; for if what we do were good, it would not have been said that, when what was commanded has been done, one must say, “We are unprofitable servants.” But one may call these things good in an extended sense, as in “Turn away from evil and do good.” I think that the one who does what is commanded in “Turn away from evil and do good” does what is good in comparison with what others do, not what is truly good. Just as “no one living will be justified before God,” all human righteousness being shown not to be righteousness when the righteousness of God is beheld, so no one who might be called good by comparison with lesser things will be called good before the good God. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:30: quotation, high confidence - Ps 34:12 (33:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 34:14 (33:15 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:18: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:35: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:17: allusion, medium confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - John 14:28: quotation, high confidence - Luke 17:10: quotation, high confidence - Ps 143:2 (142:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 7:26 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:16–30; Ps 34:12–14 (33:13–15 LXX); Matt 19:17; Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19; Matt 12:35; Matt 7:17; Col 1:15; Wis 7:26 (“image of his goodness”); John 14:28; Luke 17:10; Ps 143:2 (142:2 LXX). Several words in the middle of the passage (after “in relation to the rest”) are garbled in the scan and marked “…”; the following comparison is translated by sense. Origen’s comparison of the Father, the Son, and lesser goods is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.10 (PG 13:1277d–1284a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-11 - Source: PG 13:1284a–1285a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Against those who slander the God of the Law, Origen argues that God’s striking, wounding, and wrath are works of his goodness, like a physician’s or a father’s discipline. ### Greek text Λέγοιτο δʼ ἂν ύπό τινος, ὼς ἄρα γινώσκων 6 Σωτὴρ τὴν τοῦ πυνθανομένου ἕξιν καὶ προαίρεσιν, πάνυ ἀποδέουσαν τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ ἐφικτὸν ἅνθρωπος ἀγαθὸν, εἶπεν αὐτῷ πυνθανομένῳ· ι Τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσω; ι τόδ ι Τί με ὲπερωτᾷς περὶ τοῦ ἁγαθοῦςι ὡσεὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ παρεσκευασμένος ὢν πρὸς τὰ λεχθησόμενα ἂν περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ, πυνθάνῃ τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσας, ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσεις. Εἶτα διδάσκει, ὅτι ἀληθῶς ἀγαθὸς εἷς ἐστι, περὶ οὗ καὶ 6 νόμος λέγει τό· ι Ἀκουε, Ἰσραὴλʼ Κύριος 6 Θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριός ὲστι ο ι κυρίως γὰρ 6 Σωτὴρ, καὶ κυρίως Κύριος, καὶ κυρίως ἀγαθὸς οὗτός ἐστιν, ὃν πείθομαι πάντα ὼς ἀγαθὸν ποιεῖν. Ζητήσεις δὲ πῶς τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὑτοῦ πνεῖ καὶ τὰ μὴ νοούμενα ὑπὸ τῶν ὅσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς συκοφαντούντων τὸν τοῦ νόμον Θεὸν, καὶ κατηγορούντων αὑτοῦ ἃ οὐδὲ περὶ ἀνθρώπου ταχέως λέγειν εὔκολόν ἐστι · πείθομαι γὰρ Θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος πνεῖν καὶ τό· ‹ Ἐγὼ ἁποκτενῶ, ι οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ· ι Καὶ ζῇν ποιήσω ι ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τό* c Πατάξω, ι ούχ ἦττον τοῦ · ι Κάγὼ ξάσομαι. ι Ei δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ, ἰστέον im πολλάκις καὶ ἰατρὸς ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ· ποιήσας δὲ ἀλγεῖν ὁ Θεὸς, πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησιψ οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ ἁγαο θότητος, οὓς ἔπαισεν, ἐπαισεψ ι Ὠς γὰρ υἱοῖς τοῖς παιδευομένοις προσφέρεται 6 Θεὸς ’ τίς γὰρ υίὸς ὃν οὐ παιδεύει πατήρ; ι Ἀλλὰ καὶ ι πᾶσα παιδεία πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ού δοκεῖ χαρᾶς εἶναι, ἀλλὰ λύπης· ὕστερον Βὲ καρπὸ) εἰρηνικὸν τοῖς διʼ αὐτῆς γεγυμνασμένοις ἀποδίδωσι δικαιοσύνης. ι Διόπερ ὡς ἔπαισεν 6 Θεὸς, οὕτως καὶ ίάσατοʼ ἀληθὲς γὰρ τό· ι Ἐπαισε, καὶ αί χεῖρες αὑτοῦ ίάσαντο. ι Et καὶ παράδοξον δὲ τὸ λεχθησόμενον, ὅμως λεχθήσεται. ’Δγαθοῦ Θεοῦ ὀνομαξάμενος θυμὸς ἔργον σωτήριον ποιεῖ ἐλέγχων, καὶ η λεγομένη ὀργὴ αὑτοῦ, ἐπεί ἐστιν ἀγαθοῦ Θεοῦ, παιδεύει. Πολλὰ δʼ ἂν λέγοιτο πρὸς τοὺς δυναμένους μῆ βλάπτεσθαι περὶ ἀγαθότητος Θεοῦ, καὶ ι τοῦ πλήθους τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ, ι ἥν εὐλόγως ι ἔκρυψε τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν, ἵνα μὴ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὑτοῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς, και τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονήσαντες, κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σκληρότητα, καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς ὀργὴν πλείονα, ι ἢν οὐκ ἂν ἐθησαύριζον κρυπτομένου τοῦ πλήθους τῆς χρηστότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῖς. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ · ι Τίς 6 ἀγαθὸς, ι καὶ πρὸς τό· ι Τί ἀγαθὸν ποιήσως ι λελέχθω ἃ δεδυνήμεθα είς τὸν τόπον ἰδεῖν. ### English translation (Claude) Someone might say that the Saviour, knowing the disposition and choice of the inquirer, which fell far short of doing the good attainable by a human being, said to him when he asked, “What good thing shall I do?”, the words, “Why do you ask me about the good?”—as if he said: Not being prepared for what might be said about the good, you ask by doing what good thing you will inherit eternal life. Then he teaches that one is truly good, of whom the law too says: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.” For he in the proper sense is Saviour, and in the proper sense Lord, and in the proper sense good, who, I am persuaded, does all things as good. You will inquire how his goodness breathes even in the things not understood by those who, so far as in them lies, slander the God of the law and accuse him of things that it is not easy to say lightly even about a man. For I am persuaded that “I will kill” breathes of the goodness of God no less than “and I will make alive”; and likewise “I will strike” no less than “and I will heal.” If he himself causes pain, one must know that a physician too often causes pain; and God, having caused pain, restores again; and so also it was out of goodness that he struck those whom he struck. “For God deals with those being disciplined as with sons; for what son is there whom the father does not discipline?” But also “all discipline for the present seems to be not of joy but of grief; but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Therefore as God struck, so also he healed; for this is true: “He struck, and his hands healed.” Even if what is about to be said is paradoxical, it will nevertheless be said: what is called the wrath of the good God does a saving work by reproving, and his so-called anger, since it is the anger of a good God, disciplines. Much might be said, to those able to hear it without harm, about the goodness of God and “the multitude of his kindness,” which he reasonably “hid for those who fear him,” lest, despising the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, they should, according to their hardness and impenitent heart, store up for themselves more wrath—which they would not store up while the multitude of God’s kindness was hidden from them. Concerning “Who is the good one?” and “What good thing shall I do?”, let what we have been able to see in the passage suffice. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Deut 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:39: quotation, high confidence - Job 5:18: quotation, high confidence - Heb 12:7: quotation, high confidence - Heb 12:11: quotation, high confidence - Ps 31:19 (30:20 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:5: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:16–17; Deut 6:4; Deut 32:39; Job 5:18; Heb 12:7, 11; Ps 31:19 (30:20 LXX); Rom 2:4–5. Those who “slander the God of the law” are heretics who separated the God of the Old Testament from the good God (such as the Marcionites); Origen does not name them here, and his reply is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.11 (PG 13:1284a–1285a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-12 - Source: PG 13:1285b–1288b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: To be “outside life” is to be estranged from Christ, who is the life, or, for the righteous on earth, to live still in its shadow; we enter life in proportion as we keep the commandments. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς δέ ἐστι θεωρῆσαι πῶς εἴρηται τό· ι El δὲ θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν είσελθεῖν,τήρησον τὰς ὲντολὰς,› ἐν ᾧ πρόσχες, ὅτι ὡς ἔξω τῆς ζωῆς ἔτι τυγχάνοντι τῷ πυνθανομένῳ περὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ φησι τό · ι Εἰ θέλεις είς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν. ι Ἔνθα δὴ apes-sxa); ἐστι νοῆσαι τὸ, ἔξω τῆς ζωῆς εἶναι, καὶ τὸ, εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωήν. Μήποτε οῦν καθʼ ’ἐνα μὲν τρόπον ἔξω ,τῆς ζωῆς ἐστιν ὁ ἔξω τυγχάνων τοῦ εἰπόντος · ι Ἐγώ είμι ἡ, ι καὶ ἀλλότριος ὣν αὐτοῦ· καθʼ ἕτερον δὲ πᾶς 6 ἐπὶ γῆς, κᾶν δικαιότατος ᾖ, δύναται μὲν - εἶναι ὲν σκιᾷ τῆς ζωῆς, λέγων· ι Πνεῦμα προσώπου ήμῶν Χριστος Κύριος, οὗ εῖπομενʼ Ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ αὑτοῦ ζησόμεθα ὲν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ι οὺ μὴν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ζωῇ, ἅτε σῶμα θανάτου περικείμενος, καὶ λέγωνʼ ι Τίς με ῥύσεται ὲκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτους ι καί· ι Καθήμενος ὲν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, ι καὶ μηδέπω ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ζώντων γῆν · καὶ γάρ ὴ ζωὴ ού μόνον τῶν φαύλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς Παύλου, καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων, κεκρυμμένη ἦν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ. Φησὶ γοῦν · ι Ἥ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ὲν τῷ Θεῷ · ὅταν ό Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ φανερωθήσεσθε ὲν δόξῃ. ι Tr, ρήσεις δὲ πάντα τά πε ρὶ τοῦ ι Fato, ι καὶ τοῦ ι ἔξω, ι ἵνα άναλέξῃ τά κατάλληλα τῷ ·,ι ΕΞ Θέλεις είς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, ι οἷον · ι Δεήθητε οῦν τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ, ἴνα ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας είς τὸν θερισμὸν αὑτοῦ· ι ζητήσειςγάρ, ἐκβάλῃ πόθεν ; καὶ εἴπερ ἐνθάδε εἰσὶν οἱ ἐργάται ὲκσεδλημένοι είς τὸν θερισμὸν τοῦ Κυρίου, ἔξω εἰσὶν οῦ ἐξεβλήθησαν χωρίου ' καὶ τὰ τοῦ θερισμοῦ καλῶς ποιήσαντες ἔργα εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν ζωὴν καθαρισθέντες μὲν ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, τὰ δέ ἐναντία ἐκείνοις πράττοντες ἔργα ζῶντα · καὶ, μηκέτι μὲν νεκρὰ λαλοῦντες, λέγοντες δέ κατὰ τὸν ζῶντα λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργῆ. Οὕτω δέ ἐστιν ἀνάλογον ῥήμασι ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἐναντία λογισμοῖς τοῖς κατηγοροῦσιν, ἅτε, ι τῶν λογισμῶν κατηγορούντων, ἢ καὶ ἀπολογουμένων ι ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, σωθήσεται μὲγέκεῖνος οἷ. οἱ λογισμοί ἀπολογοῦνται ’ ἀπολεῖται δέ οὗ οἱ λογισμοὶ γίνονται κατήγοροι. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς θέλομεν εἰς ’ὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ λέγοντος Ἰησοιῗι·’ ι Εἰ Θέλεις εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, τήρησον τὰς ὲντολὰς, ι καί κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν γε τῆςτῶν ἐντολῶν τηρήσεως εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελευσώμεθα, γινόμεvor αὐτῆς ιήτοι εἰς τὰ ἐνδότατα καὶ μακαριώτατα, ἦ omum-8" ήμᾶς ιρέρει τῆς ζωῆς, ἐλαττόνων ### English translation (Claude) Next we must consider how it was said: “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Notice in this that he says “If you wish to enter into life” to the one inquiring about the good as to one who is still outside life. Here, then, we must understand what it is to be outside life and what it is to enter into life. Perhaps, in one way, the one who is outside him who said “I am the life,” and is a stranger to him, is outside life; in another way, everyone on earth, even if most righteous, can be in the shadow of life, saying, “The breath of our face, Christ the Lord, of whom we said: In his shadow we shall live among the nations,” but not in life itself, since he is clothed with a body of death and says, “Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” and is “sitting in the region and shadow of death,” and has not yet come to the land of the living. For the life not only of the wicked but also of Paul on earth, and of the apostles, was hidden in God. He says at least: “Your life is hidden with Christ in God; when Christ, our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” You will observe all that is said about “within” and “without,” to gather what corresponds to “If you wish to enter into life”; for example: “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” For you will ask: send them out from where? And if the workers here are sent out into the harvest of the Lord, they are outside the place from which they were sent out; and having done the works of the harvest well, they will enter into life, cleansed from dead works and doing living works, the opposite of those; no longer speaking dead things, but speaking according to the living and active word of God. In the same way there is a correspondence between words of eternal life and the thoughts that stand against accusing thoughts: since “the thoughts accuse or else excuse” on the day of judgment, the one whose thoughts excuse him will be saved, and the one whose thoughts become his accusers will perish. If, then, we too wish to enter into life, let us hear Jesus saying, “If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments,” and in proportion to our keeping of the commandments we shall enter into life, coming either into its innermost and most blessed parts, or into those which bring us … of life, of lesser … ### Scripture references - Matt 19:17: quotation, high confidence - John 14:6: quotation, high confidence - Lam 4:20: quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 27:13 (26:13 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Col 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 9:38: quotation, high confidence - Heb 9:14: allusion, high confidence - Heb 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Rom 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:16: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:17; John 14:6; Lam 4:20; Rom 7:24; Matt 4:16 (Isa 9:2); Ps 27:13 (26:13 LXX); Col 3:3–4; Matt 9:38; Heb 9:14; Heb 4:12; Rom 2:15–16. The sentence on the correspondence between “words of eternal life” and the thoughts is obscure in the Greek and translated by sense. The passage breaks off mid-sentence in the scan (“of lesser …”); the rest of the sentence appears to be lost. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.12 (PG 13:1285b–1288b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-13 - Source: PG 13:1288b–1289c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The commandments Jesus lists are the minimum for entering the beginning of life; even partners of thieves and adulterers are excluded, and love of neighbour, which sums up the commandments, leads to perfection. ### Greek text Ὀ δὲ ἀκούσας · ι Τήρησον τὰς ἐντολὰς, ι λέγει· ι Ποίαςς ι ἵνα μάθωμεν ποίας μάλιστα τηρεῖν ἡμᾶς ἐντολὰς ὁ Ἰησοῦς βούλεται· εἶπε γὰρ πρὸς τόε ι Ποίας; ι τό - ι Οὐ μοιχεύσειςο Οὐ φονεύσεις ο Οὐ κλέψειςο Ού ψευδομαρτυρήσεις Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα· ι καί· ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. ι Καὶ τάχα ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τὸ, ἵνʼ οὗ· τως ὀνομάσω, εἰσελθεῖν, οὐκ ἀρκοῦντα πρὸς τελειὸτητα, ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τούτοις εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν ζωῆς παραπλήσια, ὼς τὸν ἔνοχον παραπλήσια μιᾶς τούτων τῶν ἐντολῶν μηδέ εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ζωῆς εἰσελθεῖν δύνασθαι. Καθαρευτέον οὖν τῷ κᾶν ἐλθεῖν βουλομένῳ si; τὴν ζωὴν ἀπὸ μοιχείας, καὶ φόνου, καὶ πάσης κλοπῆς ο ὠς γὰρ μοιχὸς καὶ φονεὺς, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴνξωὴν. οὕτως ούδέ ὁ κλέπτων. Τῇ τοιαύτῃδὲ ἁμαρτίᾳ πολλοί τῶν λεγομένων πιστεύειν τῷ Χριστῷ ἔνοχοί εἰσιν ἐλεγχόμενοι ἐν ταῖς πραγματείαις τοῦ βίου, καὶ οἷς πιστεύονται χρηματικοῖς, καὶ ταῖς μέσαις τέχναις ἃς ἐργάζονται, ὡς ού καθαροὶ κλοπῆς. Ού μόνος δέ ὁ κλέπτης οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται είς τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ό κοινωνὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ συντρέχων αὐτῷʼ ἐν μὲνγὰρ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ γέγραπται · ι Κοινωνοὶ κλεπτῶν ἀγαπῶντες δῶρα· ι ὲν δὲ μθ ψαλμῷ κω λύεται ι διηγεῖσθαι τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνειν ἐπὶ χειλέων ἑαυτοῦ τὴν Διαθήκην αὐτοῦ, ι 6 ἐλεγχόμενος ὲν τῷ ο ι Εἰ ὲθεώρεις κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, ι καὶ ὥσπερ πρῶτον εἴρηται τό · ι Μετὰ μοιχῶν τὴν μερίδα σου ὲτίθεις· ι καὶ οὔτι κλέπτην, οὔτε μοιχὸν εἷπε τὸν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ συν τρέχοντα μὲν κλέπτῃ, μετὰ μοιχῶν δὲ τιθέντα ἑαυτοῦ τὴν μερίδα. Τὸν δὲ ἐλευσόμενον είς τὴν ζωὴν οὐδὲ ψευδομαρτυρεῖν δεῖ· ἐκβάλλεται δὲ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ 6 μὴ πληρῶν τὴν λέγουσαν ἐντολήν ι Τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα. ι Ἀλλά τούτων μὲν ἴσως κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐντολῶν οὐ πάνυ χαλεπόν· ἔργον δέ ἐστιν ὡς μεῖζον, καὶ χρήσιμον τοῖς διὰ τῶν προτέρων εἱσαχθέντων εἰς αὐτὴν, τὸ, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτὸν, ι πληρῶσαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν ’Δπόστολον τό ι Οὐ φονεύσειςο Οὐ μοιχεύσειςʼ Οὐ κλέψεις · καὶ et τις ἑτέρα ἐντολὴ, ὲν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται, ὲν τῷ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόνο ι τέλειος δὲ 6 πᾶσαν πληρώσας ὲντολὴν, δηλονότι τέλειος ἂν εἴη 6 πληρώσας τὴν, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι ἐντολήν. ### English translation (Claude) And having heard “Keep the commandments,” he says, “Which?”—so that we may learn which commandments in particular Jesus wishes us to keep. For in answer to “Which?” he said: “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honour your father and mother”; and: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” And perhaps these, and things like them, suffice for entering, if I may so name it, into the beginning of life, though they do not suffice for perfection; so that one guilty of anything like a breach of one of these commandments cannot enter even into the beginning of life. One who wishes even to come into life must therefore be clean of adultery and murder and every theft; for as an adulterer and a murderer will not enter into life, so neither will one who steals. Of such a sin many of those said to believe in Christ are guilty, being shown, in the business affairs of life, in the money matters entrusted to them, and in the ordinary trades they practise, not to be clean of theft. And not only will the thief not enter into life, but also his partner and the one who runs with him; for in Isaiah it is written: “Partners of thieves, loving gifts”; and in the forty-ninth Psalm the one convicted by the words “If you saw a thief, you ran with him” is forbidden “to declare the ordinances of God and to take his covenant upon his lips”; and so it is said first: “You set your portion with adulterers.” He did not call such a person a thief or an adulterer, but one who runs with a thief and sets his portion with adulterers. The one who is to come into life must not bear false witness either; and the one who does not fulfil the commandment that says, “Honour your father and mother,” is cast out of life. But to keep these commandments is perhaps not very hard; the greater work, and one useful to those brought into life by the former commandments, is to fulfil “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” And since, according to the Apostle, “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, and any other commandment, is summed up in this word, in: You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” and he is perfect who has fulfilled every commandment, clearly he would be perfect who has fulfilled the commandment, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ### Scripture references - Matt 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:19: quotation, high confidence - Exod 20:12: allusion, high confidence - Lev 19:18: allusion, high confidence - Isa 1:23: quotation, high confidence - Ps 50:16 (49:16 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 50:18 (49:18 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Rom 13:9: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:17–19 (Exod 20:12–16; Lev 19:18); Isa 1:23; Ps 50:16–18 (49:16–18 LXX; Origen’s “forty-ninth Psalm” follows the Greek numbering); Rom 13:9. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.13 (PG 13:1288b–1289c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-5/#p-15-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-14 - Source: PG 13:1289c–1296a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks whether “love your neighbour” in Matt 19:19 is a scribal addition, since Mark and Luke lack it, describes the many differences among Gospel copies and his own obelus-and-asterisk method for the Septuagint, and offers an alternative explanation. ### Greek text Εἰ δὲ τέλειος οὗτος, ζητήσαι τις ἂν πῶς, τοῦ νεανίσκου εἰπόντος ο ι Ταῦτα πάντα ἐφυλαξάμην ὲκ νεότητός μου · τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ; ι ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὡς μὴ τελείου ὄντος τοῦ ταῦτα πάντα πεποιηκότος, καὶ ὡς συγκατατιθέμενος τῷ · Ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησα, τό · ι ΕΞ Θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἔξεις θησαυρὸν ὲν οὐρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι. ι Πρόσχες οὖν εί δυνάμεθα πρὸς τὴν προκειμένην ζήτησιν καθʼ ἕνα μὲν τρόπον οὕτως ἀπαντῆσαι, ὅτι μήποτε τό ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτὸν, ι ὑπονοεῖσθαι Ξύναται, ὡς οὐχ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐνταῦθα παρε ιλῆ· φθαι, ἀλλʼ ὑπό τινος τὴν ἀκρίβειαν μὴ νοήσαντος τῶν λεγομένων προστεθεῖσθαι. Συναγορεύσει δὲ τῇ ὑπονοήσει τοῦ προστεθεῖσθαι ἐνταῦθα τό ο ι ’Δγαπήο σεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι ἡ τῶν ὁμοίων παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ καὶ τῷ Λουκᾷ ἐκθεσις, ὧν οὐδέτερκ προστέθεικε ταῖς κατὰ τὸν τόπον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παραληφθείσαις ἐντολαῖς τό · ι ’Δγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. ι Καὶ φήσει γε 6 κρατύνων:6 περὶτοῦ προσερρίφθαι ἀκαίρως τόο ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὼς σεαυτὸν, ι ’ἐντολὴν, ὅτι, εξ τὰ ' αὐτὰ διαφόροις λέξεσι παρὰ τοῖς τρισὶν ἀναγέγραπται, οὑκ ἂν τό· ι Ἕν σοι ὑστερεῖ, ι ἡ · ι Ἔτι ἓν σοι λείπει, ι εἰρήκει 6 Ἰησοῦς τῷ ἐπαγγειλαμένῳ π· πλη ρωκέναι τὴν, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου Co; σεο αυτόν. ι Ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον, ὲμβλέξας τῷ πλουσίῳ τούτῳ είπόντι · ι Πάντα ταῦτα ἐφύλαξα ὲκ νεότητός μου, ι ἠγάπησεν αὑτὸν, ἔοικε συγκατατεθεῖσθαι τῷ πεποιηκέναι ἃ ἐπηγγείλατο πεπληρωκέναι. [Ἐντολήν · μάλιστα εί κατὰ τὺν Ἀπόστολον τό · (οὑ φονεύσεις, ι καὶ τό ο «Εἴ τις ἑτέρα ἐντολὴ, ὲν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ ἀνακεφαλαιοῦται, ι τῷ ι ’Δγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου σεαυτόν. ι] Ἐνατενίσας γάρ αὐτοῦ τῇ διανοίᾳ, εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον εὐσυνειδήτως ἐπαγγειλάμενον πεπληρωκέναι τὰς προκειμένας ἐντολάς. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ εἰρημένου πρὸς ταῖς ἑτέραις ἐντολαῖς καὶ τοῦ· ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι τὴν κεφαλαιωδεστέραν καὶ διαφέρουσαν παρέλιπον ἐντολὴν 6 Μάρκος καὶ, ὁ Λουκᾶς. Ἐὰν μὴ ἆρα τις ὃμοια μὲν φήσαι εἶναι τὰγεγραμμένα, οὺ περὶτοῦ αὐτοῦ λελέχθαιʼ πῶς δὲ καὶ ὡς οὐδέπω τελείῳ τῷ πρὸς ἑτέροις ὲπαγγειλαμένῳ καὶ τὴν, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι ἐντολὴν πεπληρωκότι ἔφη 6 Ἰησοῦς τόο ι Ei θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς,ικαὶ τὰ ὲξῆς; Καὶ εἰ μὲν μὴ καῖ περὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν διαφωνία ἧν πρὸς ἄλληλα τῶν ἀντιγράφων, ὥστε πάντα τά κατὰ Ματοαῖον μὴ συνᾴδειν ἀλλήλοις, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶτὰ λοιπὰ Εὑαγγέλια, κᾶν ἀσεβής τις ἔδοξεν εἶναι ὁ ὑπονοῶν ἐνταῦθα προσερῤίφθαι, οὐκ εἰρημένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον τήν· ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι ἐντολήν νυνὶ δὲ δηλονότι πολλὴ γέγονεν ή τῶν ἀντιγράφων διαφορὰ, εἴτε ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας τινῶν γραφέων, εἴτε ἀπὸ τόλμης τινῶν μοχθηρᾶς τῆς διορθώσεως τῶν γραφομένων, εἴτε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τά ἑαυτοῖς δοκοῦντα ὲν τῇ διορθώσει προστιθέντων ἢ άψαιρούντων. Τὴν μὲν οὖν ὲν τοῖς ἀντιγράφοις τῆς Παλαῖας Διαοὴκης διαφωνίαν, Θεοῦ διδόντος, εὕρομεν ἰάσασθαι, κριτηρίῳ χρησάμενοι ταῖς λοιπαῖς ὲκδόσεσιν· τῶν ’γὰρ ἀιῖφιέαλλομένων παρὰ τοῖς Ἐβδομήκοντα διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀντιγράφων διαφωνίαν, τὴν κρίσιν ποιησάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ὲκὸόσεων, τὸ συνᾆδον ἐκείναις ὲφυλάξαμεν, καί τινα μὲν ὼβελίσαμεν ὲν τῷ Ἐβραῖκῷ μὴ κείμενα, οὐ τολμήσαντες αὐτά πᾶντη περιελεῖν τινὰ δὲ μετʼ ἀστερίσκων προσεθήκάμεν, ἵνα δῆλον ᾗ, ὅτι μὴ κείμενα παρά τοῖς Ἐβδομήκοντα ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐκδόσεων συμφώνως τῷ Ἐὅραῖκῷ προσεθήκαμεν· καὶ ὁ μὲν βουλόμενος πρόηται αὐτά· ᾧ δὲ προσκόπτει τὸ τοιοῦτον, ὃ βούλεται περὶτῆς παραδοχῆς αὐτῶν, ἢ μὴ, ποιήσῃ. ’0 τοίνυν θέλων μὴ παρερῤίφθαι ἐνταῦθα τὴν, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὠς σεαυτὸν, › ἐντολὴν, ἀλλʼ ἀληθῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μετά τὰς προτέρας είρῆσοαι τότε, ipsi, ὅτιὴρέμα καὶ ἀμέσως ἐλέγξαι βουλόμενβ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν τὸν πλούσιον ἐκεῖνον, ὡς οὐκ ἀληθεύοντα ὲν τῷ εἰρηκέναι καὶ τὴν, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν, ι ἐντολὴν τετηρηκέναι, ἔφη αὐτῷ τό· ι El θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς· ι οὕτως γὰρ φανήσῃ ἀληθεύων περὶ τοῦ, ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν › ἐντολὴν τετηρηκέναι. ### English translation (Claude) If this man is perfect, someone might ask how it is that, when the young man said, “All these I have kept from my youth; what do I still lack?”, the Saviour answered—as though the one who had done all these were not perfect, and yet as though agreeing with “All these I have done”—“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Consider, then, whether we can meet the question before us in one way thus: perhaps it may be suspected that “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” was not taken up by the Saviour here, but was added by someone who did not understand the precision of what was said. The suspicion that “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” was added here will be supported by the account of the same events in Mark and Luke, neither of whom added “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” to the commandments taken up by Jesus in the passage. And the one who maintains that the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” was thrown in out of place will say that, if the same things are recorded by the three in different words, Jesus would not have said, “You lack one thing,” or “One thing you still lack,” to one who professed to have fulfilled “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But since, according to Mark too, looking at this rich man who said, “All these I have kept from my youth,” he loved him, he seems to have agreed that he had done what he professed to have fulfilled. [The commandment; especially if, according to the Apostle, “You shall not murder,” and “any other commandment, is summed up in this word, in: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”] For having looked intently into his mind, he saw a man who in good conscience professed to have fulfilled the commandments set before him. And if, besides the other commandments, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” had also been spoken, Mark and Luke would not have left out the more comprehensive and excellent commandment—unless someone should say that what is written is similar but was not said about the same person. And how, too, would Jesus have said to one who professed to have fulfilled, besides the others, the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” as to one not yet perfect, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor,” and what follows? Now if there were not disagreement among the copies about many other things as well, so that not all the copies of Matthew agree with one another, and likewise those of the other Gospels, anyone who suspected that the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” had been thrown in here, not having been spoken by the Saviour to the rich man, might have seemed impious. But as it is, plainly the difference among the copies has become great, whether from the carelessness of some scribes, or from the wicked daring of some in correcting what is written, or from those who in correcting add or remove what seems good to them. The disagreement in the copies of the Old Testament, God granting, we found a way to heal, using the other editions as a criterion. For in the passages of the Seventy that are in doubt because of the disagreement of the copies, we made the judgment from the other editions and kept what agreed with them; and some things we marked with an obelus as not found in the Hebrew, not daring to remove them altogether, while some we added with asterisks, so that it might be clear that we added them, not being found in the Seventy, from the other editions in agreement with the Hebrew. And whoever wishes may accept them; and the one who is offended by such a thing may do as he wishes about accepting them or not. The one, then, who wishes that the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” was not thrown in here, but was truly spoken then by the Lord after the former ones, will say that our Saviour, wishing gently and indirectly to show that rich man to be not speaking the truth when he said he had kept the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” as well, said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor”; for in this way you will be shown to be speaking the truth about having kept the commandment “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” ### Scripture references - Matt 19:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:21: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:20: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:21: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:22: quotation, high confidence - Rom 13:9: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:19–21; Mark 10:20–21; Luke 18:22; Rom 13:9. This is Origen’s description of his critical work on the Septuagint (the Hexapla), marking with an obelus what the Hebrew lacks and with an asterisk what was supplied from the other Greek versions. The sentence in square brackets is printed in brackets in the edition, probably as a gloss; it is translated and kept in brackets. “Whoever wishes may accept them” renders a word the scan prints as πρόηται (“may reject”), probably for προσῆται; the reading is uncertain. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.14 (PG 13:1289c–1296a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-15 - Source: PG 13:1296b–1300a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Selling everything is possible: the Cynic Crates did it for philosophy, and the first believers in Acts did it; Ananias and Sapphira died under the force of Peter’s rebuke, and bishops should encourage such renunciation. ### Greek text Ἐὰν δέ τις, τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἐνορῶν ἀσθενείᾳ, καὶ τῷ δυσκόλως ἄν τινα τὸ τοιοῦτον ὑπὲρ τῆς ὲν Θεῷ τελειότητος ποιῆσαι, καταφρονῇ μὲν τῆς λέξεως, τράπηται δὲ ἐπʼ ἀλληγορίας, δυσωπηθήσεται ἐκ τινων καὶ Ἑλληνικῶν ἱστοριῶν, ὲν οἷς διὰ τὴν παρʼ Ἕλλησι σοφίαν- ἱστοροῦνται τινες τὸ ἐνταῦθα τῷ πλουσίῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένον πεποιηκέναι. Κράτητα γὰρ τὸν θηὸαῖον ἑλόμενον διʼ ἐλευθερίαν καὶ παράδειγμα εὐτελοῦς βίον, καὶ, ὡς ᾤετο, μακὰριον ἑαυτὸν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενον τοῖς Ἕλλησι, μη· η δενὸς χρῄζοντα, φασὶν ἀποδόμενον πᾶσαν τὴν οὐσίαν τῷ Θηβαίων δήμῳ δεδωρῆσθαι, μετά τοῦ εἰρηκέναι, ὃτι, ι Σήμερον ὁ Κράτης Κράτητα ἐλευθεροῖ. ι Εἴπερ δὲ διʼ Ἑλληνικὴν σοφίαν, καὶ δόγματα ἑλόντα τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνθρώπου τὸ τοιοῦτόν τις πεποίηκε, πῶς οὐχὶ μᾶλλον δυνατὸν τὸ τοιοῦτον πρᾶξαί τινα μνώμενον ἑαυτῷ τὴν τελειότητα; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς πεισθῆναί τις βούλεται περὶ τοῦ σπέρμα δυ· νατὸν εῖναι τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀκουσάτω τῶν ἱστορουμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ Λονκᾶ ὲν ταῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων Πρό ξεσι περ) τῶν προτραπέντων ὑπὸ τῆς ὲν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις δυνάμεως πιστεύειν, καὶ βιοῦν τελείως κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦ λόγονʼ οὕτως δʼ ἔχειτὰ ῥητά· ι Πάντες δὲ at πιστεύσαντες ἑπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινὰ,ἰ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦʼ ι Αίνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔχοντες χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόνο ι καὶ μετʼ ὀλίγα πάλιν ὲν τῇ αὐτῇ γέγραπται βίβλῳ, ὅτι ι τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πιστευόντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦο ι Ἤγαγε τὸ χρῆμα, καὶ ἔθηκε παρά τοὺς ἀποστόλους. ι Εἶτα ἐπιφέρεται τούτοις τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἀνανίου κα) τῆς Σαπφείρας, ἀποδομένων μὲν κτῆμα ἑαυτῶν, νοσφισαμένων δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς, καὶ οὐχ ὅλον, ἀλλὰ μέρος ἀποθεμένων παρὰ τοῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων ποσὶ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίᾳ παθόντων τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα· ἄξιοι γὰρ ἦσαν τοῦ ὲκ θείας ἐπισκοπῆς ἀπολαβεῖν ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἡμαρτημένον διὰ νοσφισμὸν, ἴνα καθαρώτεροι ἀπαλλαγῶσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ βίου, τιμωρηθέντες τῇ ἀπαντησάσῃ αὐτοῖς παιδεύσει ἐν κοινῷ θανάτῳ, διὰ τὸ κα) πεπιστευκέναι, καὶ μέρος τι παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων τεθεικέναι. Δοκεῖ δέ μοι, ὅτι ἀκούων Ἀνανίας τοὺς λόγους τούτους.. διὰ τοῦτο πεσὼν exesus“, ἐπεὶ ούκ ἧνεγκε τὸν ἔλεγχον, ἀλλὰ βασανιζόμενος τοσοῦτον ἐκολάσθη, καὶ ὡς ἑκψύξαι, καθικομένων τῶν λόγων Πέτρου τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ού Πέτρον γε νομιστέον ἐνταῦθα ἀνηρηκέναι τὸν Ἁνανίαν, ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνον μὴ ὑπομεμενηκέναι τὴν σφοδρότητα τοῦ εἰπόντος πρὸς αὑτὸν Πέτρου· ι Διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὀ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου; ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦο ι Καὶ ἐγένετο φόβος μέγας ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας. ι Εἰκὸς δὲ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Ἀνανίου ἀπόδοσιν, ἑν περὶ τοῦ Πέτρου ἀπελογησάμεοα, ἑνστήσασθαί τινα διὰ Σάπφειραν, ἐπεὶ αὕτη, ι. eid-uia τὸ γεγονὸς, εἰσῆλθε. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη c πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ Πέτρος λέγων· El τοσούτου τὸ χωρίον ἀπέδοσθε; Είπούσης αὐτῆς, Τοσούτου· ὁ Πέτρος πρὸς αὐτὴν φησι· Τί ὅτι συνεφωνήθη ὑμῖν πειράσαι τὸ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου; Ἰδοὺ οἱ πόδες τῶν θαψάντων τὸν ἀνδρα σου ἑπί τῇ θύρᾳ, καὶ ἐξοίσουσι σεʼ ἔπεσε γὰρ παραχρῆμα καὶ αὐτὴ πρὸςθτοὺς πόδας αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐξέψυξεν. ι Ἀλλὰ λεχθείη ἂν, ὅτι κάκείνη, ἑπιπλησσομένη καὶ βαρηθειῖσα τὴν ψυχὴν, πὴ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐλέγχου, πὴ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς συμφορᾷ, καὶ λύπῃ τῇ περὶ αὑτοῦ, πὴ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ τὸν Θεὸν λύπῃ, aestues, προεωρακότος τοῦ Πέτρου τῷ πνεύματι τὸ ἀπαντησόμενον αὐτῇ. Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν ὅλα εἴρηται, βουλομένοις κατασκευάσαι τὸ δυνατὸν εἶναι βουληθέντα τινά τέλειον γενέσθαι, πεισθῆναι τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντι· ι Ὕπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς. ι Γενναίων δʼ οἶμαι, καὶ ἑχόντων τὰ χαρακτηρίζοντα τὸν ἐπίσκοπον πάντα, ἔργον ἦν προτρέψασθαι τοὺς καὶ δυχαμένους, καὶ πειθομὲνους τῇ προτροπῇ, καὶ διὰ τοῦ παρέχεινῗὲκ τοῦ κοινοῦ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐφόδια καὶ ἄλλους ἐπὶ τοῦτο παρακαλεῖν· ἐγένετο γὰρ ἂν εἰκών τις τοῦ τοὺς ἀποστόλους τῆς συμφωνίας τῶν πιστευόντων βίον. ### English translation (Claude) But if someone, looking at human weakness and at how hard it would be for anyone to do such a thing for the sake of perfection in God, despises the literal text and turns to allegory, he will be put to shame by certain Greek histories too, in which some are recorded to have done, for the sake of the wisdom of the Greeks, what the Saviour said here to the rich man. For they say that Crates the Theban, having chosen this for the sake of freedom and as an example of a frugal life, and wishing to present himself to the Greeks as, so he thought, blessed and in need of nothing, sold all his property and gave it to the people of Thebes, saying: “Today Crates frees Crates.” If someone did such a thing because of Greek wisdom and doctrines that had taken hold of a man’s soul, how much more is it possible for someone seeking perfection for himself to do such a thing? And if anyone wishes to be persuaded from divine Scripture as well that such a thing is possible, let him hear what Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles about those who were moved by the power in the apostles to believe and to live perfectly according to the word of Jesus. The words are these: “And all who believed were together and had all things in common,” and so on, up to “praising God and having favour with all the people”; and a little later it is written again in the same book that “the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul,” and so on, up to “he brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Then is added the account of Ananias and Sapphira, who sold a property of theirs but kept back part of the price, and laid not the whole but a part at the feet of the apostles, and for this suffered for their sin what is recorded. For they were worthy, by divine oversight, to receive here the penalty of their sin of keeping back, so that they might depart from life purer, punished by the discipline that met them in a common death, because they had both believed and laid some part at the feet of the apostles. It seems to me that Ananias, hearing those words, fell and expired because he could not bear the reproof; tormented, he was so punished that he even expired, the words of Peter striking home to his soul. And it is not to be thought that Peter killed Ananias here, but that Ananias could not endure the vehemence of Peter, who said to him, “Why has Satan filled your heart?” and so on, up to “And great fear came upon all who heard.” It is likely that someone will object, on account of Sapphira, to the explanation about Ananias by which we defended Peter, since she came in not knowing what had happened. “And Peter answered her, saying, Did you sell the land for so much? And when she said, For so much, Peter says to her, Why is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. For she too fell immediately at his feet and expired.” But it might be said that she too, rebuked and weighed down in soul, partly by the reproof of her sin, partly by her husband’s misfortune and her grief over him, and partly by godly grief, …, Peter having foreseen in the spirit what would befall her. All this we have said, wishing to establish that it is possible for one who wishes to become perfect to obey Jesus when he says, “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor.” And it would be the work, I think, of noble men, who have all the marks that characterize the bishop, to urge those who are able and are persuaded by the exhortation, and, by providing them with what they need from the common fund, to invite others also to do this; for there would then be an image of the life of concord of the believers in the time of the apostles. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:21: quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:44: quotation, high confidence - Acts 2:47: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:32: quotation, high confidence - Acts 4:37: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:1: allusion, high confidence - Acts 5:3: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:8: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:9: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:10: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 7:10: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Tim 3:2: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:21; Acts 2:44–47; Acts 4:32–37; Acts 5:1–11; 2 Cor 7:10; 1 Tim 3:2–7 (the marks of a bishop). The saying of Crates the Cynic is also reported by Diogenes Laertius 6.87 (no entry in the site’s list of extrabiblical texts). The verb describing Sapphira’s death is garbled in the scan and marked “…”; the sense is that she expired. Origen’s defence of Peter is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.15 (PG 13:1296b–1300a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-16 - Source: PG 13:1300b–1301b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen raises the difficulty that selling one’s goods cannot by itself free a person at once from anger, grief, fear, desire, and pleasure, or make him wise, and so cannot by itself make him perfect. ### Greek text Ζητήσαι δʼ ἄν τις, ὅτι, εἴπερ τέλειός ἐστιν ὁ πάι σας ἔχων τὰς ἀρετὰς, καὶ μηκέτι ἀπὸ κακίας apirτων, ηπῶς τέλειος γένοιτʼ ἂν ὁ πωλήσας ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δοὺς τοῖς πτωχοῖς. Ἔστω γάρ τινα τοῦτο πεποιηκέναι, πῶς ἂν καὶ ὰόργητος τένοιτ ἂν ἀθρόως, εἰ τύχοι εὑέμπτωτος ὢν είς ὀργήνς πῶς δὲ καὶ ἄλυπος, καὶ κρείττων παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν συμβῆναι δυναμένου, τὴν λύπην προκαλουμένους πῶς δὲ καὶ ἔξω φόβου πάντη ἔσται, τοῦ περὶ τεόνων, ἢ Θανάτου, ἢ τῶν ὅσα δύναται τὴν ἔτι ἀτελεστέραν ψυχὴν φοβῆσαις τίνα δὲ τρόπον ό ἀποδόμενος τά ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ διαδοὺς πτωχοῖς, ἐκτὸς ἔσται πάσης ἐπιθυμίας ; Λέγοι γὰρ ἄν τις, ὅτι δυνατὸν παρʼ αὐτὸ τὸ ἀποδίδοσθαι πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, παθόντα τι ἀνθρώπινον ὑπὸ τῆς πενίας, μετανοῆσαι μὲν ἐπὶ τῷ τετολμημένῳ, ἐπιθυμῆσαι δὲ τῆς παραπλησίου κτήσεως. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡ λεγομένη ἡδονὴ, ἄλογος οὖσα ἔπαρσις τῆς ψυχῆς, πάθος ἐστι, πῶς άν τις ἅμα τε ἁποδῷτο πάντα τά ὑπάρο χοντα, καὶ διδῴη πτωχοῖς, ἅμα δὲ ἀπαλλαγείη τοῦ άλόγως ἐπαίρεσθαι ; Προσθείη δʼ άν τις τῇ ὲπαπορήσει, ὅτι πῶς δύναται παρὰ τὸ ἀποδεδόσθαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ πτωχοῖς τις διαδεδωκέναι, σοφὸς γενέσθαι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν, ὥστε λόγον διδόναι παντὶ τῷ ἐρωτῶντι αὑτὸν περὶτῆς ὲν αὐτῷ πίστεως, περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν πεπιστευμένων, καὶ περὶ τῶν ὲν ταῖς ἱεραῖς Γραφαῖς κεκρυμμένως εἰρημένων. Ὅρα δὲ, ὅτι τενική ἐστιν ἡ ὲπαπόρησις, ἦτοι γενναία καὶ οὐκ εὖλυτος· εἴτε γὰρ παρʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον φήσομέν τινα τέλειον γεγονέναι, κᾶν μὴ ἀναλαβὼνᾶ ὲξεθέμεθα, ἀτόπῳ περιπεσούμεθα λέγοντες εἷναί τινα καὶ τέλειον ἅμα καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸν· ἁμαρτωλὸς γὰρ ὀ ὀργίλος, καὶ ὁ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου λύπην λυπούμενος, καὶ ὁ τὰ ἐπίπονα καὶ θάνατον φοβούμενος, καὶ ἑπιθυμῶν τῶν ἀπόντων, καὶ ἀλόγως ἐπαιρόμενος τὴν ψυχὴν, ὡς ἐπʼ ἀγαθοῖς, τοῖς οὐκ ἀγαθοῖς · εῖτε ἅμα τῷ ἀποδόσθαι τινὰ τὴν οὐσίαν, καὶ διαδοῦναι πτωχοῖς, φήσομεν αὑτὸν ὡσπερεὶ θεόληπτον γενόμενον πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀνειληφέναι, καὶ πᾶσαν κακίαν ἀποτεθεῖσθαι, πιστῶς μὲν, ἵνα κοινότερον ὀνομάσω, ὲ ροῦμεν, οὐκ οῖδα δὲ εί ἀληθῶς· καὶ τάγα καταγελάσονται ἡμῶν, ὡς ού φρόνιμα λεγόντων, οί ἀκούσαντες τοιαύτης λύσεως προσαγομένης τῷ ἐπηπόρημένῳ- ### English translation (Claude) Someone might ask: if the one who has all the virtues and no longer acts from wickedness is perfect, how could the one who has sold his possessions and given to the poor become perfect? For suppose someone has done this: how could he become free of anger all at once, if he happened to be prone to anger? How could he become free of grief, and superior to anything whatever that may happen to provoke grief? How will he be entirely free of fear—of pains, or of death, or of whatever can frighten a still imperfect soul? In what way will the one who has sold his possessions and distributed them to the poor be outside all desire? For someone might say that it is possible, just because he sold all his possessions, that, suffering something human from poverty, he should repent of what he dared and desire a similar possession. And if so-called pleasure, being an irrational elation of the soul, is a passion, how could someone at one and the same time sell all his possessions and give to the poor, and be freed from irrational elation? Someone might add to the difficulty: how can a person, by having sold his possessions and distributed them to the poor, become wise with the wisdom of God, so as to give an account to everyone who asks him about the faith that is in him, about each of the things believed, and about the things said in hidden ways in the sacred Scriptures? See that the difficulty is far-reaching, or rather weighty and not easily solved. For if we say that someone has become perfect merely by this, even without having taken up the things we set out, we shall fall into absurdity, saying that someone is at once perfect and a sinner; for the angry man is a sinner, and so is the one who grieves with the grief of the world, the one who fears hardships and death, the one who desires what is absent, and the one irrationally elated in soul at things not good as though they were good. Or if we say that, at the same moment as someone sells his property and distributes it to the poor, he becomes as it were possessed by God and takes up all the virtues and lays aside all wickedness, we shall speak faithfully, to use a common expression, but I do not know whether truly; and perhaps those who hear such a solution offered to the difficulty will laugh at us as speaking without sense. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:21: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 3:15: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 7:10: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:21; 1 Pet 3:15; 2 Cor 7:10. The four passions named (grief, fear, desire, pleasure) are the Stoic classification. “Far-reaching” renders a word printed in the scan as τενική, probably for γενική (“general”); translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.16 (PG 13:1300b–1301b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-17 - Source: PG 13:1301c–1304b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: A literal answer: the prayers of the poor whom the renouncer helps bring him divine help, so that from that day he begins to grow, like Isaac, toward virtue and freedom from passion. ### Greek text Φρονιμώτερον οὖν τις δόξαι ἂν τηρῶν τὰ τῆς λέξεως, κα) μηδαμῶς τροπολογῶν τά κατʼ αὐτὴν, οὓτως ἀπαντῶν, ὡς πιστὸς μὲν, εί δὲ καὶ ἀξίως τῶν κατά τὸν τόπον νοῶ τά λεγόμενα, ἢ μὴ, καὶ αὐτὸς κρινεῖς. Φήσει οῦν, ὅτι, είπερ βοηθεῖται ὁ τοῖς πένησι μεταδιδοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκείνων εὐχῆς, πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν λαμβάνων τὸ ὲν τοῖς δεομένοις τῶν χρη ματικῶν ὲν πνευματικοῖς περίσσευμα είς τὸ ἐαυτοῦ ὑστέρημα, ὡς ὑπέςρηνεν όωᾏπόστολος ὲνᾹτῇ πρὸς c Κορινθίους δευτέρᾳ, τίς ἂν ἄλλος τοῦτο πάθοι, καὶ μεγάλην βοήθειαν βοηθηθείη, ὲπακούοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῖς τῶν τοσούτων πενήτων ἀναπεπαυμένων εὐχαῖς, ὲν οἷς τάχα ἂν εἶέν τινες παραπλησίως τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, ἦ ὀλίγῳ ὑποδεεστέροις αὐτῶν, πένητες μὲν ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι, πλουτοῦντες δὲ ὲν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ; Οὗτος δὴ ὁ ἀνθυπαλλασσόμενος ἀντὶ . πλούτου πενίαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ τέλειος γενέσθαι, πεισθεὶς τοῖς Ἰησοῦ λόγοις, ἀθρόως ἂν βοηθηθείη, ὡς καὶ οί ἀπόστολοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι σοφὺς ὲν Χριστῷ, καὶ ἀνδρεῖος, καὶ δίκαιος, καὶ σώφρων, κα) ἐκτὸς παντὸς πάθους. θήσει δὲ ό οὕτως ἀπολογούμενος, ὃτι οὐκ ἀνάγκη τοῦτο νοηθῆναι αὑτῆς ἡμέρας ἀπαντῆσαι τῷ ἀποδεδομένῳ τὰ sua? χοντα, καὶ διδόντι πτωχοῖς. ἀλλʼ ἴσως ἀπʼ ἐκείνης μὲν τῆς ἡμέρας ἄρξεται ἡ θεία ὲπισκοπὴ ἐπὶ τὰ τοι. αῦτα αὐτόν ἄγειν ο λέγω δὲ τὴν ἐπαινετὴν ἀπάθειαν καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀρετήν · προὸαίνων δὲ ὡς ὁ Ἰσαὰκ διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ είς αὑτὸν ὲν Χριστῷ βοήθειαν, μείζων ἔσται, ἓως οὗ αὐξάνων μέγας γενηται σφόδρα σφόδρα ὲν πάσῃ ἀρετῇ, πάσης ὲξαφανισθείςης τῆς κακίας ἀπὺ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκασθήσεταί γε ὁ ταύτην ἀποδεδωκὼς τὴν διήγησιν slπεῖν τέλειον παρʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο γενέσθαι ἄνθρωπον τὰ ἄλλα ἁμαρτάνοντα. ### English translation (Claude) One might, then, seem more sensible who keeps to the letter and in no way takes the passage figuratively, and answers in this way—as a believer; but whether I understand what is said in the passage worthily or not, you yourself will judge. He will say that, if the one who shares with the poor is helped by their prayer, receiving, for his own salvation, the abundance in spiritual things of those who lack material things to supply his own lack, as the Apostle hinted in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, who else would experience this, and be helped with great help, so much as he, since God hears the prayers of so many poor who have been refreshed, among whom there might perhaps be some like the apostles, or a little below them, poor in bodily things as they were, but rich in spiritual things? This man, who in exchange for wealth takes poverty in order to become perfect, persuaded by the words of Jesus, would be helped all at once, as the apostles of Christ were too, to become wise in Christ, and courageous, and just, and temperate, and outside every passion. And the one who defends the passage in this way will say that it is not necessary to understand that this befalls on that very day the one who has sold his possessions and gives to the poor; but perhaps from that day divine oversight will begin to lead him to such things—I mean the praiseworthy freedom from passion and all virtue; and advancing, like Isaac, through the help given him by God in Christ, he will become greater, until, growing, he becomes very great indeed in every virtue, all wickedness having vanished from his soul. And the one who has given this explanation will not be compelled to say that a man who sins in other respects became perfect merely by this. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:21: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 8:14: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 6:10: echo, low confidence - Gen 26:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:21; 2 Cor 8:14; 2 Cor 6:10 (poor yet rich); Gen 26:13 (Isaac “advancing … became very great”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.17 (PG 13:1301c–1304b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-18 - Source: PG 13:1304b–1308a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: A figurative reading: the rich man’s possessions are the vices and evil spirits he has acquired, which he must “sell” back to the evil powers, the true “poor,” in order to become perfect and have treasure in heaven. ### Greek text ’Έτερος δὲ, οὐκ οἶδα μὲν εί σκάζων τῇ πίστει, φαντασίᾳ τοῦ διαβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὴν φρόνησιν, οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εί καὶ μέγεθός τι ζητήσας καὶ εὑρὼν slew); τό· πους νοημάτων ἀξίων τοῦ Θεοῦ, καταλιπὼν τὴν λέξιν ἐπὶ τροπολογίαν ἀναβήσεται, καὶ ἐρεῖ ὑπάρχοντα ἑκάστῳ εἶναι τὰ ἑπόμενα αὐτῷ μετά τὴν ἔξοδον, ὡς εἶναι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων δικαίοις μὲν ἀγαθὴν ὓπαρξιν, φαύλοις δὲ τὴν ἐναντίαν. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν φησι τὸν πολλά ἔχοντα κτήματα πλούσιον σύμβολον εἶναι τοῦ πολλά κεκτημένου φαῦλα, ὲν οἷς εἶναι δύναται καὶ ἡ φιλοπλουτία, καὶ ἡ φιλοδοξία, καὶ ἀλλα γήῖνα πρό γματα πεπληρωκότα αὑτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ψεκτοῦ πλού του. Ἐπεὶ οὖν δύναταί ποτε ὁ οὕτως πλούσιος ἀπέο χεσθαι μέν τινων φαύλων, ὼς μοιχείας, καὶ φόνου. καὶ κλοπῆς, καί ψευδομαρτυρίας, καὶ καθήκοντα δι ἀποδιδόναι πρὸς γονεῖς μετά τινος τιμῆς, εἷναι δέ τις καὶ φιλάνθρωπος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον, ού μὴν καὶ τέλειος, συμβολικῶς τῷ τοιούτῳ προστάσσει ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀποδόσθαι τά μοχθηρὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ πα· ραδοῦναι αὑτά ταῖς ὲνεργηκυίαις αὑτά δυνάμεσι, πτωχευούσαις παντὸς καλοῦ, καὶ διά τοῦτο μὴ ὑφισταμέναις τὴν ἀπειλὴν, κατά τὸ γεγραμμένον ’ ι Πτωχὸς δὲ οὐχ ὑφίσταται ἀπειλήν. ι Ἀλλʼ εῦοῖδ ὅτι σφόδρα βίαιος εἶναι δόξει ἠ τοιαύτη ἀπόδοσις, λύουσςί μὲν ούκ ἀγεννῶς τά περὶ τελειότητος ηὐπορημένα” ού πάνυ δὲ πείθουσά πως τὸ ἀποθέσθαι τὴν κακίαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ κακίας ἀποδόσθαι ὓπαρξινι καὶ δοὸναι πτωχοῖς. Ἐν τοιούτῳ προσ-κατειλημμένος τόπῳ 6 ταύτῃ παριστάμενος τῇ δόξῃ, φήσει πεπληρῶσθαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν πνευμάτων κατά τήν ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἀμαρτημάτωψ οἷον εἰ πόρνος εῖη, τοῦ λεγομένου ὲν τοῖς προφήταις πνεύματος πορνείας· εἰ δὲ θυμικὸς, πνεύματος Θυμοῦ ’ οὕτω δὲ καὶ εἰ κατάλαλος, πνεύματος καταλαλιᾶς. Ταῦτα οὖν τις ἐκτήσατο τά ὑπάρχοντα φαῦλος ὢν, καὶ γενόμενος τῇ μετοχῇ τῶν χειρόνων πνευμάτων Τυφῶνος πολυπλοκώτερος. Ὥσπερ δʼ ἐκτήσατο αὐτὰ, ὠνησάμενος προαιρέσει εἰκούσῃ τοῖς φαύλοις, οὕτως ἀποδοῖτο ἂν οἷς θέλει 6 λόγος οὗτος πτωχοῖς διά τοῦ πείθεσθαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ · ὡς γάρ ἡ εἰρήνη τῶν ἀποστόλων πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀνακάμπτει, ἐὰν μὴ υἱὸς εἰρήνης τύχοι εἶναι 6 ἀκούων τόδ t Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν· ι οὕτως ή πορνεία, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀμαρτή ματα, πάντα ἀνακάμψαι ἂν πρὸς τοὺς αἰτίους τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πτωχούς. Καὶ ἔστι μὴ διστάσαι περὶ τοῦ τέλειον γίνεσθαι τὸν οὕτω πωλήσαντα πάντα τὰ ἀποδεδομένα ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ δόντα πτωχοῖς. Εἰ δὲ χρόνῳ πολλῷ ἀποδίδοται τά ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ πολλοῦ δεῖται χρόνου πρὸς τὸ δοῦναι αὐτά οἷς εἴπομεν _ πτωχοῖς, οὐδὲν ἂν κωλύοιτο 6 λόγος χρόνῳ διδοὺς, κατʼ ἀναλογίαν ὧν ἀποδέδοται τοῖς πτωχοῖς, τέλειον γίνεσθαι τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα σαφῶς δὲ 6 ταῦτα πράξας ἔξει Θησαυρὸν ὲν οὐρανῷ, καὶ αὐτὸς γινόμενος ὲπουράνιοςʼ οἷος μὲν γὰρ 6 χοῖκδς, 6 πονηρὸς δηλαδὴ, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οί χοϊκοί · καὶ οἷος 6 ἐπουράνιος, τουτέστιν 6 Χριστὸς, τοιοῦτοι καὶ οἱ ἐπουράνιοι. Ἐν τῷοῦν αὐτοῦ μέρει οὐρανῷ ἕξει Θησαυρὸν 6 βουλη- Θεὶς τέλειος γενέσθαι, καὶ πωλήσας πάντα τὰ ὐπάρχοντα, καὶ δοὺς τοῖς πτωχοῖς.”Αλλά μὴ ὐπολάβής τὸν τηλικοῦτον δύνασθαι ὲν τοῖς κατά τά βιωτικά πλουσίοις εὐ ρεθῆναι ο τίς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἀπέδοτο τὴν φιλοπλουτίαν, καὶ τὴν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, φιλοκοσμίαν; Τίς δὲ πάντη ἀπέδοτο τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς κενοδοξίας, ἵνα χωρήσῃ ὲν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ οὐρανῷ θησαυρὸν δό- Ξης Θεοῦ, καὶ πλούτου τοῦ ὲν παντὶ λόγῳ καὶ πὰση σοφία Θεοῦ; Τίς δὲ ἀπέθετο τὸ πνεῦμα τῆςθεπιθυμίας, καὶ τοῦ φόβου, καὶ τῆς ἡδονῆς,.καὶ τῇς ὀργῇςς Ἃγαπητὸν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ τοιοῦτον (ptiaληθῶς ἐξετάζοντα τά πράγματα ἀποφήνασθαι. δὲ καὶ δύναται ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ό ὡς ἀποδεδὼκαμεν πάντα ἀποδόμενος, καὶ ἔχων θησαυρὸν ἐν ούρανῷʼ ού γὰρ περιέλκεται ύπό τινος μοχθηροῦ κτήματος, ἵνα μὴ ἀκολουθῇ τῷ Ἰησοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) Another—whether limping in faith through an appearance of advancing to understanding, I do not know, or whether he has sought and found a certain greatness and passages of thoughts worthy of God, I do not know—will leave the letter and go up to a figurative reading, and will say that each person’s possessions are the things that follow him after his departure, so that among possessions there is a good possession for the righteous and the opposite for the wicked. Here, then, he says, the rich man with many possessions is a symbol of one who has acquired many wicked things, among which may be the love of wealth, the love of glory, and other earthly things that have filled his soul with blameworthy wealth. Since, then, one who is rich in this way can sometimes abstain from certain wicked things, such as adultery, murder, theft, and false witness, and can render to his parents their due with some honour, and be also kind to his neighbour, and yet not be perfect, the Saviour symbolically commands such a one to sell his wicked possessions and, as it were, to hand them over to the powers that produced them, which are poor in every good and therefore do not withstand a threat, according to what is written: “But the poor man does not withstand a threat.” But I know well that such an explanation will seem very forced: it solves not ignobly the difficulties about perfection, but it is not at all convincing how putting off wickedness is selling the possession that comes from wickedness and giving to the poor. Caught in such a position, the one who supports this view will say that the sinner is filled with spirits in proportion to his sins: for example, if he is sexually immoral, with what is called in the prophets “a spirit of sexual immorality”; if he is wrathful, with a spirit of wrath; and likewise, if a slanderer, with a spirit of slander. These, then, are the possessions someone acquired while wicked, becoming, by sharing in the worse spirits, more complex than Typhon. And just as he acquired them, buying them with a will that yielded to wicked things, so he may sell them, by obeying Jesus, to those whom this account means by “the poor.” For just as the peace of the apostles returns to them if the one who hears “Peace to you” happens not to be a son of peace, so sexual immorality and all the sins would all return to the poor who caused the sins. And one need not doubt that the one who has thus sold all the possessions to be sold and given to the poor becomes perfect. And if the possessions are sold over a long time, and much time is needed to give them to the poor we spoke of, nothing would prevent this account, granting time, from making the one who does this perfect in proportion to what has been sold to the poor. Clearly the one who has done this will have treasure in heaven, becoming himself heavenly; for “as is the earthly one”—the evil one, that is—“so are those who are earthly; and as is the heavenly one”—that is, Christ—“so are those who are heavenly.” In his own heaven, then, the one who wished to become perfect, and sold all his possessions and gave to the poor, will have treasure. But do not suppose that such a one can be found among those who are rich in the things of this life. For which of them has sold the love of wealth and, if I may so name it, the love of the world? Who has entirely sold the spirit of vainglory, so as to hold in his own heaven a treasure of the glory of God and of the riches that are in all the word and all the wisdom of God? Who has put off the spirit of desire, and of fear, and of pleasure, and of anger? For it would be much if, examining things truly, one could declare this even of the apostles. And the one who has sold everything, as we have explained, and has treasure in heaven, is also able to follow Jesus; for he is not dragged about by any wicked possession so as not to follow Jesus. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:18: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 13:8: quotation, high confidence - Hos 4:12: allusion, high confidence - Hos 5:4: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 10:5: allusion, high confidence - Luke 10:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 10:13: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 15:48: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:5: allusion, medium confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Plato, Phaedr. 230a (Plato (works)): echo, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:18–21; Prov 13:8; Hos 4:12 and 5:4 (“spirit of sexual immorality”); Luke 10:5–6; Matt 10:13; 1 Cor 15:48 (Origen applies “the earthly one” to the evil one); 1 Cor 1:5. “More complex than Typhon” echoes Plato, Phaedrus 230a. The opening words (“passages of thoughts”) are partly garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.18 (PG 13:1304b–1308a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-19 - Source: PG 13:1308b–1309a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The young man’s going away grieving shows how hard it is to stop thinking wealth and glory good; read literally, he is half praiseworthy for keeping the commandments and half blameworthy for preferring his possessions. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις λέγεται, ὅτι ι Ἀκούσας τὸν λόγονὸ νεανίσκος, ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος ο ἦν γὰρ ἔχων κτήματα πολλά. ι Καὶ όψει γε, ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἀναγωγὴν τίνα, τρόπον δυσαποσπάστως ἔχομεν τοῦ φρονεῖν τὸν πλοῦτον ἀγαθὸν εἷναι,ἢ τὴν κάτω δόξανο ἀλλά καὶ μᾶλλον 09.0μεν, ἐπεὶ ἀγαπῶμεν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, τυχεῖν τῶν φαύλως ὲπιθυμουμένων, ἢ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας καὶ μᾶλλον περιπεσεῖν οἷς φανταζόμεθα φοβεροῖς, ἤπερ ἀποθέσθαι τὸν ἐχθρὸν τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον. Ἀλλʼ ούδὲ πρεσβύτερός τις εἰσῆκται καθεστηκὼς, οὐδὲ ἀνὴρ καταργήσας τὰ τοῦ νηπίου, ἀλλά νεανίσκος ὁτὸν λόγον ἀκούσας, καὶ ἀπελθὼν λυπούμενος. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἦν τὴν ψυχὴν, διὸ καὶ καταλιπὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπῆλθεν· ἐπὶ ψόγῳ γὰρ εἴρηται τό ’ ι Ἀπῆλθε, ι καὶ ί ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος, λύπην ι τὴν τοῦ κόσμου, ι τὴν θάνατον κατεργαζομένην. ι Τίς γὰρ ἁγαπῶν τὸ όργίζεσθαι, καλ τὸ λυπεῖσθαι, ἔχων κτήματα πολλὰ ἅπερ ἠγάπα, διὸ ἀπῆλθε λυπούμενος, καὶ ὅσα ἀπὸ κακίας ἦν κεκρατηκότα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦς Εἰ μέντοι ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας μένοις κατά τινα τῶν προαποδεδομένων διήγησιν, ’ἐξ ἡμισείας εὕροις ἂν ἐπαινετὸν. καὶ ἐξ ἡμισείας ψεκτὸν τὸν νεανίσκον τοῦτον · μὲν γὰρ ούκ ἐμοίχευσεν, οὐδὲ ἐφόνευσεν, οὐδὲ ἔκλεψεν. οὐδὲ ὲψευδομαρτύρησεν, ἀλλά καὶ ἤδη νεανίσκος ὢν ἐτίμησε τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καὶ ἐλυπήθη ἐπὶ τοῖς τὴν τελειότητα ὑποτιθεμένοις λόγοις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐπαγγελλομένοις αὐτὴν, εί ἀποδοῖτο τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, ἀστεῖόν τι ἦν ὲν αύτῷ· ᾗδὲ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λυπούμενος διὰ τὰ κτήματα, δέον αὐ τεὸν χαίρειν, ὄτι ἀντʼ ἐκείνων ἔμελλεν ἔχειν θησαυρδε ὲν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἀκολουθῶν τῷ Ἰησοῦ κατʼ ἴχνη βαί νειν υίού Θεοῦ, ψεκτὸς ἦν. ### English translation (Claude) Next after this it is said: “When the young man heard the word, he went away grieving; for he had many possessions.” And you will see, as regards the higher sense, how hard it is for us to be torn away from thinking that wealth, or glory here below, is a good; rather we prefer, since we love desire, to obtain what is wickedly desired than to be freed from desire, and rather to fall into the things we imagine to be fearful than to put off the fear that is hostile to the fear of God. And it is not an elder of settled years who is brought in, nor a man who has put away the things of a child, but a young man who heard the word and went away grieving. For such was he in soul; therefore he left Jesus and went away. For “he went away” is said in blame, and “he went away grieving,” with “the grief of the world that works death.” For who … that loves being angry and grieving, having many possessions which he loved—and for this reason he went away grieving—and all the things that came from wickedness and had mastered his soul? If, however, you remain with the narrative according to one of the explanations given before, you would find this young man half praiseworthy and half blameworthy. Insofar as he did not commit adultery, nor murder, nor steal, nor bear false witness, but even as a young man had already honoured his father and mother, and was grieved at the words of Jesus that set out perfection and promised it if he sold his possessions, there was something fine in him; but insofar as he went away from Jesus grieving because of his possessions, when he ought to have rejoiced that instead of them he would have treasure in heaven and, following Jesus, would walk in the footsteps of the Son of God, he was blameworthy. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:22: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 7:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:21: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:21: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:22; 1 Cor 13:11; 2 Cor 7:10; Matt 19:18–21; 1 Pet 2:21. The verb rendered “we prefer” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense; the sentence beginning “For who …” is incomplete in the scan. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.19 (PG 13:1308b–1309a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-20 - Source: PG 13:1309a–1313a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus says a rich man enters the kingdom with difficulty, not that he cannot; the camel and the needle’s eye show the narrowness of the entry, which God alone can make passable. ### Greek text Ἀπελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, ι εἶπενὸ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦʼ Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι δυσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται είς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ο ι ἐφʼ ᾧ παρατηρητέον ὡς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀκριβῆ λόγον τὸν ἀναγεγραμμένον · οὐκ εἷπε μὲν γὰρ, ὅτιπλούσιος οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐπείπερ εί τὸ τοιοῦτον εἰρήκει, ἀποκεκλείκει ἂν τὸε ’πλούσιον ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ο φησὶ δὲ ὅτι α Πλούσιος δυσκόλως εἰσελεύσεται ι τὸ χαλεπὸε πρὸς σωτηρίαν τοῦ πλουσίου παριστὰς, οὐ μὴη αδύνατον, ὅπερ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ῥητοῦ αὐτόθεν λόγοι ἔχειν φαίνεται δυναμένων πλουσίων μετὰ δυσκολίας ἀντιστῆναι τοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις, καὶ μί πάντη ὑπʼ αὐτῶν (Ξιλῶναι εί δὲ τροπολογούμενος πλούσιος παραλαμβάνοιτο, ζητήσεις πῶς κᾶν δυσκόλτυς εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Τὴν δὲ δυσκολίαν είσόδου τοῦ πλουσίου ἑκατέρως νοουμένου ἐμφαίνει ἡ παραβολὴ τοῦ ι Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ τρύπης ῥαφίδος διελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιοκ εἰσελθεῖν είς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· ι ἐν παρα· βολῇ ὁ μὲν πλούσιος παραβάλλεται καμήλῳ, οὐ διὰ τὸ ἀκάθαρτον τοῦ ζώου μόνον, ὡς ὁ νόμος ἐδίδαξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὃλην αὐτοῦ σκολιότητα· ἠ δε τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεία τρυμαλιᾷ ῥαφίδος, εἰς παράστασιν τοῦ πάνυ στενὴν εἶναι, καὶ εἰς ὑπερβολὴ) τεθλιμμένην τὴν εἰς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν εἴσοδον τῷ ἐκατέρῳ πλουσίῳ. Δηλοῖ δʼ ὅτι αὐτόθεν μὲν (Ἠ) ἀδύνατον τὴν κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος sicalθεῖν τῷ δὲ δυνατᾶ εἶναι τῷ Θεῷ πάντα, καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτον αὐτῷ δυνατόν ἐστιν, ἀφάτῳ δυνάμει τὴν παχύτητα τοῦ φαύλου λεπτύνοντος, ἢ στενότητα τῆς, εἰσόδου χωρητὴν αὐτῷ ποιοῦντος. Ὅτι γὰρ τοῦ δυσκόλως εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν τὸν πλούσιον παράδειγμα ἔλαβε τὴν τρυμαλιάν, καί τὴν κάμηλον, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦ ἀδυνάτου, δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ arb; τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰρῆσθαι φήσαντας ο ‹ Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι; ι τοι· ι Παρὰ ἀνθρώποις τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι* παρά δὲ Θεῷ πάντα-δυνατά. ι Οὐκοῦν δυνατὸν καὶτῷ κάμηλον εἰσελθεῖν διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος, ἀλλʼ οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δυνατόν ’ οὓτως δὲ καὶ τὸν πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὰς δὲ ἐφόδους τοῦ, πιᾶ ἂν τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιήσαι ὁ Θεὸς δυνατὰ, αὐτὸς ἂν εξδείη, καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὑτοῦ, καὶ ᾧ μὲν ἀποκαλύψῃ ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. '0 μὲν οὖν διαβεβηκὼς ὲν σοφίᾳ καὶ λόγῳ ὲπιτολμήσαι ἂν ἐπὶ πλεῖον κα) τῇ περὶ τῆς p1φίδος, καὶτῆς τρυμαλιᾶς αὐτῆς διηγήσει· πῶς δὲ τοσοῦτον παραθησόμεθα; ὅτι ἐστί τινα ὲν τῷ νόμῳ γινόμενα τέχνῃ ῥαφιδευτοῦ χρῄζοντος ῥαφίδος, ἵνα κατὰ σοφίαν Θεοῦ ποιήσῃ τὰ ἔργα ἧς ἀνείληφε τέχνης· ὼς οὖν νοηθείη τὰ τοῦ ραφιδευτοῦ ἔργα, κάκείνηὴ ραφὶς, νοηθήσεται καὶ τὰ τῇδε λελεγμένα, ειπερ νῦν λέγειν, καὶ σαφηνίζειν, τάχα μὲν καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ἐστιʼ τάχα δὲ καὶ τῷείδότι, πολλῆς ἂν καὶ ἀκαίρου ἔχοιτο παρεκβάσεως. Δύοδὲ προκειμένων, τοῦ κάμηλον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδοςή εἰσελθεῖν, καὶ τοῦ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, εὐκοπώτερον εἷναί φησι τὺπρὸτερον. Καὶ ζητήσεις γε ὲν τοῖξ ἀνθρώποις) ἄλλον μὲν τὸν κάμηλον εἰσερχόμενον διὰ τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος. ἄλλον δὲ τὸν πλούσιον ἀδυνάτως ἀνθρώποις, δυνατῶς δὲ τῷ Θεῷ εἰσερχόμενον εἰς τὴν βασιλειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ο οὕτως δὲ καὶ ὲπὶ τῆς τρυμαλιᾶς ῥαφίδος, ὄτι ’ἀδύνατον μὲν ἀνθρώποις. ὅστις ποτοῦν ὲάν εὑρεθῇ κάμηλος. καὶ ετ τις οὖν ὲάν εὐρεθῇ κάμηλος, τρυμα. λιὰ ῥαφίδος, ἢ εἰσελεύσεται διʼ ἐκείνης· παρά δὲ Θεῷ καὶτοῦτο δυνατόν. ΕΖ δὲ ἐμφαίνει ταῦτα καὶ παρίστησι τελικά τινα μυστήρια, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλος ἄγοντα διά τινων ὁδῶν Θεῷ μόνῳ δυνατῶν, ἢ μὴ, 6 δυνάμενος ἐξεταζέτω. ### English translation (Claude) When he had gone away, “Jesus said to his disciples, Truly I say to you, a rich man will enter the kingdom of heaven with difficulty.” Here we must observe that the recorded saying of the Saviour is precise. For he did not say, “A rich man will not enter the kingdom of heaven”; for had he said this, he would have shut the rich man out of the kingdom of heaven. But he says, “A rich man will enter with difficulty,” presenting the difficulty, not the impossibility, of the rich man’s salvation. In the literal sense this plainly appears reasonable, since rich men can with difficulty resist passions and sins and not be wholly overcome by them; but if the rich man is taken figuratively, you will inquire how he will enter the kingdom of heaven even with difficulty. The difficulty of entry for the rich man, understood either way, is shown by the parable: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” In the parable the rich man is compared to a camel, not only because of the uncleanness of the animal, as the law taught, but also because of its whole crookedness; and the kingdom of heaven to the eye of a needle, to show that the entry into the kingdom of heaven is very narrow and exceedingly hard for the rich man in either sense. He makes plain that in itself it is impossible for the camel to go through the eye of a needle; but since all things are possible to God, this too is possible to him, when by his unspeakable power he makes the grossness of the wicked fine, or makes the narrowness of the entrance passable for him. That he took the eye and the camel as an example of the difficulty, not of the impossibility, of the rich man’s entering the kingdom of heaven is clear from what was said to the disciples when they said, “Who then can be saved?”: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” So it is possible for the camel to enter through the eye of a needle, though not possible with men; and so also for the rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The ways by which God would make such things possible he himself would know, and his Christ, and the one to whom the Son reveals it. One who has advanced in wisdom and word might venture further, on the explanation of the needle and its eye. But how much shall we set out? That there are certain things in the law that are made by the art of the embroiderer, who needs a needle, so that he may make, according to the wisdom of God, the works of the art he has taken up. As, then, the works of the embroiderer and that needle are understood, so will what is said here be understood; to say and make this clear now is perhaps beyond us, and perhaps, even for one who knows it, it would involve a long and untimely digression. Of the two things proposed, a camel entering through the eye of a needle and a rich man entering the kingdom of God, he says the former is easier. And you will seek, among men, one who is the camel entering through the eye of a needle, and another who is the rich man entering the kingdom of God—impossibly for men, but possibly for God. So also with the eye of a needle: it is impossible for men that whoever is found to be a camel, whoever he may be, should enter through the eye of a needle; but with God this too is possible. Whether these things indicate and present certain mysteries concerning the end, leading to the end by certain ways possible to God alone, or not, let the one who is able examine. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:26: quotation, high confidence - Lev 11:4: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 11:27: allusion, high confidence - Exod 27:16: allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:23–26; Lev 11:4 (the camel unclean); Matt 11:27; Exod 27:16 (the “embroiderer” of the tabernacle, LXX ῥαφιδευτής, literally “needle-worker”). The comparison “with God this too is possible” is partly damaged in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.20 (PG 13:1309a–1313a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-21 - Source: PG 13:1313b–1317a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Read literally, Peter’s claim to have left everything is valued by God for its intention, not for the size of what he left—his nets, and probably his house, wife, and family—and Jesus answers with a great promise. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς ἐστιν ἰδεῖν τὰ περὶ τοῦ · ι Τότε ἀποκριθεὶς 6 Πέτρος εἶπεν αὐτῷ ο Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα, καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι· τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν; ι Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ μέν τις τηρήσει κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ' 6 δέ τις ἀνασκευάσας τὸ τῆς λέξεως, ὡς οὐ μεγαλοφυὲς, τροπολογήσει· 6 μὲν οὖν τῇ λέξει παριστάμενος τοιαῦτα ἐρεῖ-ι Ὠσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς δόσεως οὐ ’τὸ διδόμενον, ἀλλά τήν προαίρεσιν.ἀποδεχόμενος 6 Θεὸς, δικαιοῖ καὶ ἀποδέχεται τὸν τὸ ἔλαττον προαιρέσει τελειοτέρᾳ δεδωκότα, παρὰ τον τὸυπλεῖον ὲκ πλειόνων, καὶ δια·θέσει ὑποδεεστέρα, ὡς δῆλόν ἐστιν ὲκ τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων περὶ τῆς δόσεως τῶν πλουσίων, καὶ τῶν δύο λεπτῶν, ἃτιναή χήρα εἰς λόγον πενήτων ἔβαλεν εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον ’ οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὺ Θεῖον ἀγάπην καταλιπόντων ἃ. κέκτηνται, ἵνα ἀπερισπάστως ἀκολουθῶσι τῷ Χριστῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάντα πράττοντες κατά τὸν λόγον αὑτοῦ ο οὐ πάντως μᾶλλον ἀπόδεκτος 6 τὰ πλείονα καταλιπὼν τοῦ τὰ ἐλάττονα. καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε τύχοι ὅλῃ ψυχῇ τις καταο λιπιέιν τὰ ἐλάττονα, παρά τὸν δοκοῦντα καταπεφρονηκέναι τῶν πλειόνων. Εἰ καὶ μικρά οὖν καὶ εὑτελῆ 6 Πέτρος καταλέλοιπεν ἆμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ Ἀνδρέᾳ, ἡνίκα ἀκούσαντες ἀμφότεροι τό· «Δεῦτε ἀκολουθεῖτέ μοι, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων, εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ, ι ἀλλʼ οὐ μικρά λελόγισται παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, κατανοήσαντι, ὅτι ἀπὸ ἕξεως αὐτὸ τοιαύτης πεποιήκασιν, ὡς εἰ καὶ ἐκέκτηντο πολλά κτήματα, καὶ πλεῖστα ὑπάρχοντα, μὴ ἂν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν κατασχεθῆναι, μηδὲ ὲμποδισθῆναι τὴν ὁρμὴν βουλομένην ἀκολουθῆσαι τῷ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ οαρῤῶν, οἶμαι, ἐπὶ τῇ προαιρέσει μάλ λον ἢ τῇ ὕλῃ ὧν καταλέλοιπεν ὁ Πέτρος παρρησιασάμενος, εἷπε τῷ Ἰησοῦ τό· ι Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα, καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι· τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖνς ι Εἰκὸς δὲ καὶ μὴ δίκτυα μόνον αὑτὸν καταλελοιπέναι, ἀλλά καὶ οἶκον, καὶ γυναῖκα, ἧς ή μήτηρ ἑπιστάντος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀπήλλακται τοῦ πυρετοῦʼ στοχάσαιτο δʼ ἀν τις, ὅτι δυνατὸν καί τέκνα αὑτὸν καταλελοιπέναι, οὐκ ἀδύνατον δὲ καὶ κτῆσίν τινα βραχεῖαν. Μέγα οὖν δηλοῦται περὶ τοῦ Πέτρου καὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, ἐπείπερ ἀκούσαντες 1:6- ι Δεῦτε ἀκολουθεῖτέ μοι, καλ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων, ι μηδὲν ἀναβαλλόμενοι, ι εύθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἡκολούθησαν αὐτῷ, ι ού μιμησάμενοι τὸν εἰπόντα· ι Ἀλλά πρῶτον ἐπίτρεψόν μοι εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ ἀποτάξασθαι τοῖς εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ι οὐδὲ παραπλήσιόν τι ποιήσαντες τῷ λέγοντιʼ ι Ἐπίτρεψόν μοι πρῶτον ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ θάψαι τὸν πατέρα μου. ι Καὶ πρόσχες ἐπιμελῶς, ὅτι ἀξιολόγως πληγέντες ύπὺ τῆς προστάξεως τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶτῆς ἔπαγε γελίας αὑτοῦ, καὶ πιστεύσαντες, ὅτι, ὀλίγην ἁλιευτικὴν καταλιπόντες τὴν ἰχθύων, ἀνθρώπους ἔμελλον ἀγρεύειν πρὸς σωτηρίαν, καὶ οἱονεὶ τρωθέντες ὑπό τε εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἧς ἐπηγγείλατο αὐτοῖς διακονίας φιλανθρώπου, μέλλουσιν ἀνθρώπους θηρεύειν, ι εὐθέως ἀψέντες τὰ δίκτυα, ι καὶ ὡσπερεὶ ἐπιλαθόμενοι τῶν οἴκοι, ι ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ, ι ὼς ἄξιον γεγονέναι ἐπʼ ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὁρμῇ τὸν Πέτρον σεμνύναισθαι, καὶ εἰρηκέναι τὸ προειρημένον. ’Δ μα δὲ παρατηρητέον, ὄτι τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ Πέτρος κατανοήσας μὲν τὴν, ι Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ι εἰρημένην ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ φωνὴν, ι ὖπαγε, πώλησόν σου τά exepχοντα, καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ὲν οὑρανῷ, καὶ δεῦρο, ἀκολούθει μοι· ι θεασάμενος δὲ καὶ τὸν ἀκούσαντα νεανίσκον καὶ μετὰ λύπης ἀει-τ εληλυθότα, ἐπείπερ προκεκρίκει τὰ πολλὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κτήματα τοῦ τέλειος ὲν τῷ Θεῷ γενέσθαι νοήσας δὲ καὶ τὸ δύσκολον περὶ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς ei: τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν τοῦ πλουσίου, ὡσπερεὶ κε αὐτὸς ούκ εὐχερὲς πρᾶγμα ποιῶν ὲν τῷ πάντα κατα λελοιπέναι, καί ἠκολουθηκέναι τῷ Σωτῆρι, εἰπε τ προκείμεναο διὸ καὶ παρῤησιασαμένῳ τῷ Πέτρ‹ ἀποκρίνεται τὰ τῆς ἐπιφερομένης μεγάλης ὲπαγγε λίας ό Σωτὴρ περὶ τοῦ μέλλειν ἕνα τῶν κριτῶν το Ἰσραήλ ἔσεσθαι τὸν Πέτρονί ### English translation (Claude) Next we must look at the words: “Then Peter answered and said to him, Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what then shall we have?” One person will keep this according to the letter; another, setting aside the literal sense as not lofty, will take it figuratively. The one who stands by the letter will say something like this: As with giving, God, accepting not what is given but the intention, justifies and accepts the one who gave less with a more perfect intention above the one who gave more out of greater means and with an inferior disposition—as is clear from what is recorded about the giving of the rich and the two mites which the widow, as one of the poor, cast into the treasury—so also with those who, for love of the divine, leave what they possess in order to follow the Christ of God without distraction, doing all things according to his word: the one who has left more is not in every case more acceptable than the one who has left less, especially when someone happens to have left lesser things with his whole soul, compared with one who seems to have despised greater things. Even if, then, Peter, together with his brother Andrew, left small and cheap things when both, hearing, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, immediately left their nets and followed him,” yet it has not been reckoned small by God, who perceived that they did it from such a disposition that, even if they had possessed many possessions and very great property, they would not have been held back by them, nor would their impulse to follow Jesus have been hindered. And taking courage, I think, from the intention rather than from the material of what he had left, Peter spoke boldly and said to Jesus: “Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what then shall we have?” It is likely that he left not only nets but also a house and a wife, whose mother was freed from fever when Jesus stood over her; and one might conjecture that he possibly left children too, and not impossibly a small property. Something great, then, is shown about Peter and his brother, since, hearing “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” without any delay “they immediately left their nets and followed him,” not imitating the one who said, “But first permit me to go to my house and bid farewell to those at my house,” nor doing anything like the one who said, “Permit me first to go and bury my father.” And notice carefully that, struck as they deserved by the command of Jesus and his promise, and believing that, leaving a little fishing for fish, they would catch men for salvation, and as if wounded by … for Jesus and for the humane ministry he had promised them, since they were to hunt men, “they immediately left their nets,” and, as if forgetting those at home, “followed him”; so that it was fitting for Peter to take pride in that impulse and to say what was said above. At the same time we must observe that Peter said this having understood the saying spoken by Jesus, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me”; and having seen the young man who heard it and went away with grief, because he had preferred his many possessions on earth to becoming perfect in God; and having understood also the difficulty of the rich man’s entering the kingdom of heaven, he said what is before us, as though he himself had done no easy thing in leaving everything and following the Saviour. Therefore to Peter, who spoke boldly, the Saviour answers with the great promise that follows, that Peter would be one of the judges of Israel. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: allusion, high confidence - Mark 12:42: allusion, high confidence - Luke 21:2: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 4:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 8:14: allusion, high confidence - Matt 8:15: allusion, high confidence - Luke 9:61: quotation, high confidence - Luke 9:59: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:22: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:23: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:27–28; Mark 12:41–44 and Luke 21:1–4 (the widow’s mites); Matt 4:19–20; Matt 8:14–15; Luke 9:61; Luke 9:59; Matt 19:21–23. A word after “wounded by” (probably “love”) is lost in the scan and marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.21 (PG 13:1313b–1317a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-14/#p-15-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-22 - Source: PG 13:1317a–1320d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Taken figuratively, Peter left everything in which he had been a sinner and followed Christ as righteousness, wisdom, and truth; the twelve thrones belong to the regeneration at the resurrection. ### Greek text '0 δὲ τῆς λέξεως οὐχ ἱκανῆς πεῖσαι μεγαλοφυῆ ἀκροατὴν καταφρονήσας, ὡς καί ἄλλων λέξεων τῆ Γραφῆς τὸ σεμνὸν ὲν τῇ ἀναγωγῇ ἐχουσῶν, τοιαῦτι φήσει, ὅτι αὐτὸ τόν ι Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. ι δικτυδίου καταλειφθέντος καὶ πενιχρᾶς οἰκίας, καὶ ἐπιπόνου ὲν πενίᾳ βίου, ο πάνυ τι ἀξίως λέλεκταιτοῦ τηλικούτου μαθητοῦ, ε σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς εἴη ὁ Χρι στὸς ὸ rte; τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, ἀλλʼ ὁ ὲν τοῖς οὐρα νοῖς Πατήρ αὐτοῦ, καί ᾧ λέλεκται τό· ι Σὺ εἷ ό lli τρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴ Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου ού κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς. 1 Ἀλλά μήποτε τὰ ἀποδεδομένα εἰς τὴν διήγησιπ τό* ι ’Ύπαγε, πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, χρήσιμα εἰς τὰ προκείμενά ἐστι· Πέ τρος γάρ ἀφῆκε πάντα, ἐφʼ οἷς ἁμαρτωλὸς ἦν, κα διʼ ἀ εἶπεν· ι Ἔξελθε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀνῖι ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐγώ εἰμιʼ ι καὶ μέγας αὑτοῦ ἔπαινος ἧ τεθαρρηκότος ἐπὶ τῷ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν λέγειν ι ’Δφήκαμεν πάντα, ι καί ού μόνον τὰ χείρονα καταλελοίπαμεν, ἀλλά καὶ ι ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. ι Τ δέʼ ι Σοὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν, ι ἴσον δύναται εἶναι τῷ ’Δποκαλύψαντος ήμῖν Πατρὸς ὅστις εἷ, καὶ ὅτι δικαιοσύν-η εἴ, ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι, καθὸ δικαιοσύνη τυγ χάνεις ’ οὕτω δὲ καὶ καθὸ ἁγιασμὸς, καί καθὸ σο φία, καὶ καθὸ εἰρήνη, καὶ καθὸ ἀλήθεια, καί καθ ὁδὸς ή φέρουσα πρὸς Θεὸν, καὶ καθὸ ζωὴ ἀληθινή διόπερ ὼς ἀθλητὴς μετά τὸν ἀγῶνα πυνθανόμενο τοῦ ἀγωνοθέτου, εί τύχοι μὴ ἐπιστάμενος τὰ inter; ἀγῶνι ἆθλα, πυνθάνεται τοῦ Σωτῆρος λέγων μετὰ η τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασι παρρησίαν τόο ι Τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν; ο Καὶ εἴπερ βουλόμεθα τὰ πρὸς Πέτρον εἰρημένα καὶ τὴν πεῦσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτοὶ λαβεῖν, ἀφῶμεν οὕτως πάντα, μηκέτι περιεχόμενοι τῆς κακίας, καὶτῆς κατʼ αὐτὴν ἐνεργείας, καὶ ἀκολουθήο σωμεν τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγῳ, ἵνα ἡμῖν εἴπῃ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀκολουθήσασιν αὐτῷ τά ἐπιφερόμενα οὕτως ἔχοντα· ι '0 δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντές μοι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἆπερ καὶ αὐτὰ καὶ ἁπλούστερον ἔχει τινὰ προτρεπτικδν ἐπὶ τὸ καταλιπεῖν τὰ ὑπάρχοντα νοῦν, καὶ ἕτερον παρά τοῦτον βαθύτερον. '0 μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ἑρμηνεύων τὸν τόπον τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου τοι· αὔτα ἐρεῖ· Πάντας εἶπεν ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ό λόη γος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν τότε ἀποστόλους, καὶ ὁμοίους.1 ἐκείνοις ὲπιμόνως αὐτῷ ἀκολουθήσαντας ὠνόμασεν· οὓς δὲ μεταγενεστέρους ἐδήλωσεο α Καὶ πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν ἀδελφοὺς, ἦ ἀδελφὰς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ὡς βιαίως διηγησάμενον τὸ, ι ἀκολουθεῖν. ι ἀητρὲςει τις λέγων περὶ πάντων εἰρῆσθαι τὸ, ι ἀκολουθεῖν, ι ὲν τῷο ι Ὃς ἂν μὴ ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθήσῃ ρπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος εἶναι μαθητής. ι Οἱ τοίνυν ἀκολουθήσαντες τῷ Σωτῆρι καθεδοῦνται ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους, κρίνοντες τὰς ιδʼ φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ταύτην λήψονται τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὲν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν ο αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ παο λιγγενεσία καινή τις γένεσις οὖσα. ὅτε οὐρανὸς καινὸς, καὶ ἡ γῆ καινὴ τοῖς ἑαυτοὺς ἀνακαινώσασι κτίζεται, καὶ Καινὴ Διαθήκη παραδίδοται, καὶ τὸ ποτήριον αὐτῆς. ### English translation (Claude) But the one who despises the letter as unable to persuade a hearer of lofty mind—since other words of Scripture also have their dignity in the higher sense—will say something like this: that this very saying, “Behold, we have left everything and followed you,” when what was left was a little net, a poor house, and a toilsome life in poverty, is not at all spoken worthily of so great a disciple, to whom flesh and blood did not reveal that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, but his Father in heaven, and to whom it was said: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” But perhaps what was given in the explanation of “Go, sell your possessions,” and what follows, is useful for the matters before us. For Peter left everything in which he was a sinner, and on account of which he said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man”; and it is great praise of him that, having taken courage in no longer sinning, he says, “We have left everything”; and not only have we left the worse things, but also “we have followed you.” And “we have followed you” can be equivalent to: Since the Father revealed to us who you are, and that you are righteousness, we have followed you insofar as you are righteousness; and so also insofar as you are sanctification, and wisdom, and peace, and truth, and the way that leads to God, and true life. Therefore, as an athlete after the contest asks the president of the games, if he happens not to know the prizes of the contest, so Peter asks the Saviour, saying, after his bold speech about his brave deeds, “What then shall we have?” And if we too wish to receive what was said to Peter in answer to his question, let us leave everything in this way, no longer held fast by wickedness and the activity that goes with it, and let us follow the Word of God, so that he may say to us and to all who have followed him the words that follow: “And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me,” and so on. These words too have both a simpler sense, urging us to leave our possessions, and another, deeper than this. The one who interprets the Gospel passage according to the letter will say something like this: The word told all to follow Jesus; but it named those who were then apostles, and those like them who followed him constantly; and it indicated those who came later by the words, “And everyone who has left brothers or sisters,” and so on. Someone will refute him as having interpreted “following” in a forced way, saying that “following” is said of all in the words, “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me cannot be my disciple.” Those, then, who have followed the Saviour will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and they will receive this authority in the resurrection of the dead. For this is the regeneration, which is a kind of new genesis, when a new heaven and a new earth are created for those who have renewed themselves, and a new covenant is delivered, and its cup. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:27: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 16:18: quotation, high confidence - Luke 5:8: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:30: allusion, high confidence - John 14:6: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 14:27: quotation, high confidence - Isa 65:17: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 22:20: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:21, 27–29; Matt 16:16–18; Luke 5:8; 1 Cor 1:30; John 14:6; Luke 14:27 (Matt 10:38); Isa 65:17; Luke 22:20. The verb rendered “will refute” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.22 (PG 13:1317a–1320d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-23 - Source: PG 13:1320d–1324b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Baptism, the washing of regeneration, is the prelude to the final regeneration, the baptism of Spirit and fire, when the Son of Man sits on his throne, death is abolished, and the saints share his glory. ### Greek text Ἐκείνης δὲ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας προοίμιόν ἐστι τὸ καλούμενον παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ λουτρὸν παλιγγενεοη σίας, καὶ ἐκείνης τῆς καινότητος τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον τῷ λουτρῷ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας ὲν τῷ ἀνακαινώσεως πνεύματος. Τάχα δὲ καὶ κατά μὲν τὴν.γένισιν ι οὐδείς ἐστι καθαρὸς άπὸ ῥύπου, οὐδʼ εί μία ἡμέρα εἴη ἠ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, ι διὰ τὸ περὶ τῆς γ;νέσεως μυστήριον, ἐφʼ ᾖ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Δαυῒδ ὲν πεντηκοστῷ ψαλμῷ λελεγμένον ἕκαστος πάντων είς γένεσιν ὲλη λυθότων λέγοι, ἔχον οὕτωςʼ ι Ὀτι ὲν ἁνομίαις συνεο λήφθην, καὶ ὲν ἁμαρτίαις ὲκίσσησέ με ἡ μήτηρ μουο ι κατὰ δὲ τὴν ὲκ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίαν πᾶς μὲν καθαρὸς ἀπὸ ῥύπου, 6 γεννηθεὶς ἄνωθεν ἐξ ὓδατος καὶ πνεύματος, ἵνα τολμήσας εἴπω, καθαρὸς ι διʼ ἐσόπτρου, καὶ ὲν αἰνίγματι· ι κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἄλλην παλιγγενεσίαν, ι ὅταν καθίσῃ ό Tib; τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, ι πᾶς ό είς τὴν ὲν Χριστῷ παλιγγενεσίαν ἐκείνην φθάσας καθαρώτατος ἐστιν ἀπὸ ῥύπου ι πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, t nati. αὐτὸς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας φθάνων ἐπʼ ἐκείνην τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν. Εἰ δὲ βούλει τὸ λουτρὸν ἐκεῖνο νοῆσαι, σύνες πῶς Ἰωάννης, ι ό ὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζων είς μετάνοιαν, ι λέγει περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τό· ι Αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ὲν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί. ι Ἐν μὲν οῦν τῇ διά λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσία συνετάφημεν τῷ Χ ριστῷ. ι Συνετάςρημεν γὰρ αὐτῷ, ι κατά τὸν Ἀπόστο- . λον, ι διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματοςο t ἐν δὲ τῇ τοῦ διά πυρδς καὶ πνεύματος λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσία, σύμμορφοι γινόμεθα τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθεζομένῳ ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτοὶ καθεζόμενοι ὲπὶ ιδʼ θρόνους· εί καὶ ἀφέντες πάντα ὁποτερωσοῦν, μᾶλλον δὲ κατὰ τὸ λουτρὸν, ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι. Τότε δὲ ὅταν καθίσῃ ό Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὲπί θρόνου δόξης αὑτοῦ, πληροῦται ή λέγουσα προφητεία· ι Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου Κάθου ὲκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου· ι καὶ τόʼ ι Δεῖ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν, ἄχρις οῦ ἂν θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, ι ἕως οὗ ι ό ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς θάνατος καταργηθῇ, ι οὒ καταργηθέντος, οὐκέτι ἔσται πρὸ προσώπου τῶν σωζομένων θάνατος, ἀλλὰ μόνη ζωὴ ἡ πιστευομένη· θανάτου μὲν γὰρ hnc; πρὸ προσώπου. διʼ ἐκεῖνον ἀπιστεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν κρατουμένων ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ ζωή· καηργηθὲντος δὲ θανάτου, πιστεύεται ὑπὸ ιδξι πάντων ἠ ζωή. Ἐν δὲ τῷ νόμῳ εὑρήσεις καὶ τό· ι Τέθεικα τὴν ζωὴν καὶ τὸν θάνατον πρὸ προσώπω σου, ι καὶ τό· ε Ἔσταιή ζωή σου κρεμαμένη ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν, ι καῖʼ ι Οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε τῇ ζωῇ ὑμῶν · ι Καθέζεται δὲ ό Υἱδςτοῦ ἁνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, οὐδενὸς ἀτίμα) καὶ ἀδόξου ὲν Θεῷ βασιλευομένου ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ· πάντες γὰρ τότε οἱ μὴ δόξαν παρᾶ ἀνθρώπιον λαμβάνοντες, μηδὲ ποιοῦντες πρὸς τὸ δοξασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ μόνου ζητοῦντες, βασιλευθήσονται ὑπὸ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὑτοῦ· τότε δὲ καὶ ἀποδίδοται τὰ τῆς εὐχῆς τῷ Σωτῆρι εὐξαμένῳ καὶ εἰπόντιο ι Πάτερ, δόξασόν με τῇ δόξῃ εἶχον παρὰ σοὶ πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι. ι ### English translation (Claude) The prelude to that regeneration is what Paul calls “the washing of regeneration”; and the prelude to that newness is what is added to the washing of regeneration in the words, “of renewal of the Spirit.” And perhaps according to birth “no one is clean from filth, not even if his life be but one day,” because of the mystery concerning birth, at which each of all who have come into birth might say what was said by David in the fiftieth Psalm: “For I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins my mother conceived me.” But according to the regeneration from the washing, everyone who has been born from above of water and Spirit is clean from filth—clean, if I may dare to say it, “through a mirror and in a riddle”; while according to the other regeneration, “when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory,” everyone who has reached that regeneration in Christ is most clean from filth, “face to face” …, himself reaching that regeneration through the washing of regeneration. And if you wish to understand that washing, understand how John, “who baptizes in water for repentance,” says of the Saviour: “He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” In the regeneration through the washing, then, we were buried with Christ: “For we were buried with him,” according to the Apostle, “through baptism.” But in the regeneration of the washing through fire and Spirit, we become conformed to the body of the glory of Christ, who sits on the throne of his glory, and we ourselves sit on twelve thrones—if indeed, having left everything in either sense, but especially according to the washing, we have followed you. And then, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, the prophecy is fulfilled that says: “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet”; and: “He must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet,” until “the last enemy, death, is abolished.” When it is abolished, there will no longer be death before the face of those who are saved, but only life, which is then believed. For while death is before the face, life is disbelieved, because of death, by those held fast by it; but when death has been abolished, life is believed by all. In the law you will find: “I have set life and death before your face,” and: “Your life will be hanging before your eyes,” and: “You will not believe your life.” The Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory when no one dishonoured and inglorious in God is ruled by him; for then all who do not receive glory from men, nor act so as to be glorified by men, but seek the glory that comes from the only God, will be ruled by the one who sits on the throne of his glory. And then is granted what the Saviour asked in his prayer, when he said: “Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” ### Scripture references - Titus 3:5: quotation, high confidence - Job 14:4: quotation, high confidence - Job 14:5: quotation, high confidence - Ps 51:5 (50:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 3:3: allusion, high confidence - John 3:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: quotation, high confidence - Mark 1:4: allusion, high confidence - Matt 3:11: quotation, high confidence - Rom 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:21: allusion, high confidence - Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:25: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:26: quotation, high confidence - Deut 30:15: quotation, high confidence - Deut 28:66: quotation, high confidence - John 5:44: allusion, high confidence - John 17:5: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Titus 3:5; Job 14:4–5; Ps 51:5 (50:7 LXX; Origen’s “fiftieth Psalm” follows the Greek numbering); John 3:3, 5; 1 Cor 13:12; Matt 19:28; Mark 1:4; Matt 3:11; Rom 6:4; Phil 3:21; Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX); 1 Cor 15:25–26; Deut 30:15; Deut 28:66; John 5:44; John 17:5. A few letters after “face to face” are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. Origen’s teaching on baptism and the two regenerations is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.23 (PG 13:1320d–1324b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-24 - Source: PG 13:1324b–1325b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: In the final restoration the Word returns to his glory with the Father, the man Jesus being one with him; the apostles and those who live like them will judge an Israel noble by birth but unbelieving. ### Greek text Ei δὲ δύνασαι νοῆσαι τὸν Λόγον ἀποκαταστάνια μὲν μετὰ τὸ γεγονέναι αὐτὸν σάρκα, καὶ ὃσα γέγονε τοῖς γεννητοῖς, γινόμενος αὐτοῖς ὅπερ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ἔχρῃζε γενέσθαι, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας κερδήσῃ, καὶ ἀποκαταστάντα, ἴνα γένηται ὁποῖος ι ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ι Θεὸς καὶ Λόγος ὢν ὲν τῇ ἰδία δόξῃ, ὡς Λόγου τοιούτου δόξῃʼ ὄψει αὑτὸν καθεζόμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὑτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ ἕτερον αὐτοῦ τὸν Υίδν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τὸν κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἄνθρωπον νευόμενον · ἓν γὰρ οὕτως τῷ Λόγῳ γίνεται, πάντως μᾶλλον τῶν, διὰ τὸ κολλᾶσθαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, γινομένων ἓν πνεῦμα πρὸς αὐτόν. Τότε δὲ, ἡνίκα ἂν τιῦτα ὲν τῇ ἁποκαταστάσει τοῦ Σωτῆρος γίνεται, καὶ oi ἀφέντες πάντα καὶ ἀκολουθήσαντες αὐτῷ καθεδοῦνται, ὼς ι σύμμορφοι γενόμενοι τῷ σώματι, ι καὶ τῷ θρόνῳ ι τῆς δόξης τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπὶ θρόνους δώδεκα, κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. ι '0 γὰρ ὅλος βίος τῶν δικαίων κρινεί τὰς μὴ mutati-:9qu“ δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ κρινοῦσι γε οἱ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ οἱ τὸν ἀποστολικδν ἐζηλωκότες βίον, καὶ κατωρθωκότες τοὺς εὐγενεῖς μὲν, διὰ τὸ εἷναι αὐτοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας, οὐ τὰ ἄξια δὲ τῆς εὐγενείας πεποιηκὸτας. Τάχα δὲ τὸ μένʼ ί Ἐν ὑμῖν κρίνεται mm» πρὸς Κορινθίους λελεγμένον, λέγεται πρὸς τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν* τὸ δέ· ι Καθίσεσθε καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπὶ δώ· fiexa θρόνους, κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλνο πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ τοὺς τὸν ἀποστολικὸν βίο· ἐζηλωκότας, κρίνοντας τοὺς εὐγενεστέρους τοῦ ὅλου κόσμου ὄντας τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἀλλὰ νόησον ἐν τούτοις ἀξίως τῆς μεγαλονοίας τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου τὸν Ἰσραὴλ εὐγενῆ μὲν καὶ πεφυκότα κρειττόνως, ού πεπιστευκότα δέ. Ἀνάγειν δὲ μετὰ τὸν περὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν λόγον, ὥστε δώδεκα τάγματα εἰπεῖν γενικά ψυχῶν, καὶ εύγ ενεστέρων, ὧν αἱ μὲν διαφέρουσαι ἐν ὑπεροχῇ εἰσιν, αἱ δὲ καθʼ ἕνδεκα μοίρας τεταγμέναι λοιπαὶ τάξει δευτέρᾳ, ὑπὲρ ἡ μᾶς ἐστι, μὴ τηλικαύτην θεωροῦντας, ὡςδυνηθῆναι παραστῆσαι πῶς δώδεκά εἰσιν ἀστέρες οἱ πατέρες τῶν δώδεκα φυλῶν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὥσπερ ἐδήλου τὸ προφητικὸν, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ὄναρ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ · οίονεὶ δὲ καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν κρινομένων Ἰσραηλιτῶν ύπὸ τινος ii συνωνύμου ἄστρου, fl ἄστρῳ παραπλησίου ἀποστόί λου, καὶ τοῦ τὸν ἀποστολικὺν βίον βιώσαντος κριθησεται. ### English translation (Claude) If you are able to understand the Word as restored—after he became flesh, and became for those who are born what each of them needed him to become, so that he might gain all—restored so as to become such as he “was in the beginning with God,” being God and Word in his own glory, in the glory proper to such a Word, you will see him sitting on the throne of his glory, and the Son of Man, the man understood in Jesus, not other than he. For in this way he becomes one with the Word, far more than those who, by being joined to the Lord, become one spirit with him. And then, when these things take place in the restoration of the Saviour, those who left everything and followed him will also sit, as “conformed to the body” and to the throne “of the glory of Christ,” on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. For the whole life of the righteous will judge the twelve tribes of Israel that have not … And the apostles will judge, and those who have emulated and achieved the apostolic life, those who are well-born because they are Israelites, but have not done what is worthy of their good birth. And perhaps the words “by you the world is judged,” spoken to the Corinthians, are said to those from the Gentiles; and the words “You yourselves also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel,” to the apostles and to those who have emulated the apostolic life, who judge Israel, the most well-born of the whole world. But understand in these words, worthily of the greatness of mind of the Gospel, an Israel that is well-born and of a better nature, but has not believed. But to raise to a higher sense, after the word about Israel, the word about the twelve tribes as well, so as to speak of twelve general orders of souls, and more well-born ones, of which some, excelling, are in preeminence, while the rest, arranged in eleven portions, are in the second rank—this is beyond us, who do not see so far as to be able to show how the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel are twelve stars, as the prophetic dream, if I may so name it, of Joseph indicated; and how each of the Israelites who are judged will be judged, as it were, by some apostle bearing the name of a star, or like a star, and by one who has lived the apostolic life. ### Scripture references - John 1:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:22: allusion, high confidence - John 1:1: allusion, high confidence - John 1:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:17: allusion, high confidence - Phil 3:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:2: quotation, high confidence - Gen 37:9: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 1:14; 1 Cor 9:22; John 1:1–2; 1 Cor 6:17; Phil 3:21; Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:2; Gen 37:9. A word after “that have not” is garbled in the scan and marked “…” (probably “believed”, as later in the passage). Origen’s statements about the “restoration” of the Word and the union of the man Jesus with the Word are translated as written; his remarks on Israel are translated as written, without comment. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.24 (PG 13:1324b–1325b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-25 - Source: PG 13:1325c–1329a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Those who leave family and property for Christ’s name receive many times as much: brothers and sisters in faith, bishops and presbyters as parents, and, in the higher sense, heavenly kin and the dwellings of God’s city. ### Greek text El μὲν οὖν τις πάντα ἀφῆκε, καὶ ἠκολούθησε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, τῶν εἰρημένων πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὴν πεΞσιν αὐτοῦ τεύξεται ο εί δὲού πάντα μὲν, τὰ ιπιφερόμενα, ὁ τοιοῦτος πολλαπλασίονα λήψεται, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Τίνα δὲ ού πάντα, ἀλλʼ ῐόικῶς λελεγμένα, κατανοητέον ὲκ τοῦ ο ι Καὶ πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν ἀδελφοὺς, ἢ ἀδελφάς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ὅτι μὲν ἔχει οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον λόγον, καὶ κατᾶ τὸ άπλοῦν τῆς ὲκδοχῆς, καὶ προτρεπτικὸν ἐπὶ τὸ πάσης σαρκικῆς συγγενείας καταφρονείν. καὶ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ὁμολογήσει. El δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιδέχεται ἀναγωγὴν, ὁ μέν τις διστάσει, ὁ δὲ καὶ ἀποφαίνεται, ὅτι ἔχει. Καὶ σαφές γε, κατὰ τὸ ρητὸν, ὅτι πολλοὶ τῶν πιστευσάντων είς τὸν Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν, ἐμισήθησαν ὑπὸ συγγενῶν, καὶ εἵλοντο τούτους καὶ πᾶσαν κτῆσιν καταλιπεῖν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ κληρονομῆσαι τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν, πεισθέντες, ὃτι πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκε τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ τὰς συγγενεῖς μόνῳ τῷ σώματι ἀδελφὰς, καὶ γονεῖς τῶν σωμάτων, καὶ τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ τοὺς ὲν τῇ ὲπικαταράτῳ γῇ ἀγροὺς, καὶ τὰς ὲν αὐτῇ οἰκίας, καὶ ἀφῆκεν ού διʼ ἄλλο τι, ἀλλʼ ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ, πολλαπλασίονα λήψεται· πολλαπλασίονα γὰρ, καὶ, εἰ δεῖ οὕτως ὀνομάσαι, άπειροπλασίονα τὰ πνευματικά παρὰ τὰ σωματικὰ, καὶ πρὸς τὺ λαβεῖν πολλαπλασίονα, οὐκ ἐν προσκαίρῳ ζωῇ, ἀλλʼ ἐν αἰωνίῳ γενόμενος, κληρονομήσει αὐτήν- πολλαπλασίονας μὲν γὰρ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφὰς ὧν τις ἀφῆκε διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον, εὐχερὲς διηγήσασθαι· καὶ γὰρ ὲν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ πολλαπλασίους οἱ κατά τὴν πίστιν ἀδελφοὶ τῶν διὰ πίστιν καταλελειμμένων ὑπὸ τῶν πιστευσάντων. Οὕτω δὲ καί γονεῖς πάντας τοὺς ἀνεπιλήπτους ἐπισκόπους, καὶτοὺς ἀνεγκλήτους πρεσβυτέρους λαμβάνει τις, ἀνθʼ ὧν καταλέλοιπε δύο· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τέκνα, πάντας τοὺς ἡλικίαν ἔχοντας τέκνων. Πῶς δὲ πολλαπλασίονας ἀγροὺς ἦ οἰκίας ὧν τις καταλέλοιπε κληρονομεῖ, οὐκέτι ὁμοίως ἀποδοῦναι δύναται, ἂν μὴ ἄρα τις βιασάμενος ἐπʼ ὀλίγων τὸ τοιοῦτον παραστήσῃ, ὅπερ οὐκ εὔκολονʼ ἆπαξ δὲ ἀλληγορῶν τοὺς ἀγροὺς καὶ τὰς οἰκίας, ἀναγκασθήσεται κατά τὸ ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὰ ἀνωτέρω τούτων ἀποδοῦναι. Εἰσὶν οὖν, οἶμαι, ὲν ταῖς ἁγίαις καὶ μακαρίαις δυνάμεσιν ἀδελφοὶ οἰ ι εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον ι κατηντηκὸτες τῶν ι τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἡλικίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ ι κεχωρηκότων, καὶ ἀδελφαὶ πάντες οἰ παρθένος ἁγνὴ παραστησάμενοι Χριστῷ οὐκ ἀπʼ ἀνθρώπων, οἶμαι, μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν δυνάμεων · γονεῖς δὲ τοιοῦτοι εἷεν ἄν τινες, ἢ περὶ ὧν εἴρηται πρὸς τὸν ’Δβραάμο ι Σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου μετʼ εἰρήνης, τραφεὶς ὲν γήρᾳ καλῷ ; ι Εἰ δὲ γίνονταί ποτε οὗτοι ἀνάλογον ἐκείνοις τοῖς πατράσιν ἑτέρων πατέρες, πολλαπλάσιον καὶ τέκνα λήψονται ὁμοίως τῷ Ἀβραάμ* καὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς δὲ καὶ τὰς οἰκίας πολλαπλασίονας τῶν καταλειπομένων νόει μοι ὲν τῇ ἀναπαύσει τοῦ θείου παραδείσου, καὶ τῇ πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ, περί ἧς δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη, ι ἧς ὁΘεὸς ὲν ταῖς βάρεσι γινώσκεται, ὅταν ἀντιλαμβάνηται αὐτῆς· ι ὥστʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν πρὸς τοὺς τὰς ἐκεῖ οἰκίας κληρονομοῦνταςο ι Καθάπερ ἠκούσαμεν, οὕτως εἴδομεν ἐν πόλει Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων, ὲν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶνο ι περὶ ἦς λέγεται καὶ τόʼ ι Διέλεσθε τὰς βάρεις αὖα ἧς. ι Ἐπὶ τοιούτοις δὴ κληρονομεῖν τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν μακάριον, τοσούτους ἔχοντας κληρονόμους καὶ τοσαῦτα δένδρα ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γεωργούμενα, καὶ (οἰκίας ὲκ λίθων ζώντων, ὲν αἷς ἀναπαύσεται πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν ἀδελφοὺς, ἢ ἀδελφὰς, καὶ τὰ λοιπά. ### English translation (Claude) If, then, someone has left everything and followed Jesus, he will obtain what was said to Peter in answer to his question; but if he has left not everything, but the things mentioned next, such a one will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life. What these are—not everything, but particular things that are named—must be understood from the words: “And everyone who has left brothers or sisters,” and so on. That this saying has a meaning not to be despised, even according to the simple interpretation, and urges us to despise all fleshly kinship and all possession, everyone whatever will agree. Whether it also admits a higher sense, one person will hesitate, while another declares that it does. And according to the letter it is clear that many who believed in our Saviour were hated by their relatives, and chose to leave them and every possession in order to inherit eternal life, persuaded that everyone who has left his brothers according to the flesh, and sisters related only by the body, and the parents of his body, and the children of the flesh, and fields in the cursed earth, and houses in it, and has left them for no other reason than for the sake of the name of Jesus, will receive many times as much. For spiritual things are many times—and, if one must so name it, infinitely—greater than bodily things; and having come to receive many times as much, not in a temporary life but in eternal life, he will inherit it. It is easy to explain how one receives many times as many brothers and sisters as he left for the sake of the word of God; for even in this world the brothers in faith are many times more numerous than those whom believers have left because of their faith. So also one receives as parents all the irreproachable bishops and blameless presbyters, in place of the two he has left; and likewise as children all who are of the age of children. But how one inherits many times as many fields or houses as he has left can no longer be explained in the same way, unless by forcing someone shows it in a few cases, which is not easy. But once one allegorizes the fields and houses, he will be compelled, by consistency, to explain what comes before them in the same way. There are, then, I think, among the holy and blessed powers, brothers—those who have attained “to a perfect man,” of those who have reached “the measure of the stature of Christ”; and sisters—all who have been presented as a pure virgin to Christ, not only, I think, from among men but also from the other powers. And parents would be such as those of whom it was said to Abraham: “But you shall go to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age.” And if these ever become fathers of others, in a way corresponding to those fathers, they too will receive many times as many children, like Abraham. And understand for me the fields and houses, many times as many as those left behind, in the rest of the divine paradise, and in the city of God, of which glorious things were spoken, “whose God is known in her towers, when he helps her,” so that those who inherit the houses there might say: “As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God”; of which it is also said: “Distribute her towers.” On such terms, then, it is blessed to inherit eternal life, having so many heirs, and so many trees cultivated by God, and houses of living stones, in which everyone will rest who has left brothers or sisters, and the rest. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:29: quotation, high confidence - Gen 3:17: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Tim 3:2: allusion, medium confidence - Titus 1:6: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 4:13: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:2: allusion, high confidence - Gen 15:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 87:3 (86:3 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 48:3 (47:4 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 48:8 (47:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 48:13 (47:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 2:5: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:29; Gen 3:17 (the cursed earth); 1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:6 (irreproachable, blameless); Eph 4:13; 2 Cor 11:2; Gen 15:15; Ps 87:3 (86:3 LXX); Ps 48:3, 8, 13 (47:4, 9, 14 LXX); 1 Pet 2:5. A stray column number in the scan has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.25 (PG 13:1325c–1329a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-26 - Source: PG 13:1329a–1332c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: “The first will be last” warns those proud of long Christian ancestry or clerical forebears, and applies to unbelieving Israel and to the believing nations, though not every Israelite is last nor every Gentile believer first. ### Greek text Μετὰ τοῦτό ἐστι τό ο ι Πολ).οὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι. › Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔχει μέν τινα κατὰ τὸ ἁπλούστερον νοῦν, προτρέψασθαι δυνάμενον τοὺς ἄρτι προσερχομένους τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ ἐπὶ τὸ σπεύδειν διὰ τῶν προστεταγμένων ἀναῦῆναι, παρὰ πολλοὺς τῶν νομιζομένων ὲγγεγηρακέναι τῇ πίστει, ἐπὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς βίον καὶ λόγον· ὡς οὐκ ἐμποδίζοντος οὔτε χρόνου τοῖς ὕστερον πιστεύουσιν, οὔτε γονέων μοχθηρῶν τοῖς αὐτοὺς ἀνεγκλήτως ἀγωνιζομένους παραστήσασιν· ἀγὼν δέ ἐστι καὶ καθελεῖν οἴημα διὰ τὸ ἐκ πατέρων ἀνατετράφθαι ἐν Χριστιανισμῷ μεγαφρονοῦντας· καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὰν· τύχῃ πατράσιν ἐπαυχεῖν καὶ προγόνοις προεδρίας ἠξιωμένοις ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία έπυσκοπικοῦ θρόνου, ἣ πρεσβυτερίου τιμῆς, ἢ διακονίας είς τὸν λαὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ο ἀμφότεροι γὰρ διδαχθέντες τό ο ι Πολλοὶ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι, ι ὑπομνήσθητε μήτε ἐπὶ τῷ νομίζειν εἷνάι πρῶτοι μὴ με· γαρρονεῖν, μήτε συστέλλεσθαι καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, ὡς ἔλαττον ἔχοντες τῶν προτέρων, διὰ τὸ ἔσχατοι ὲκείνων τὰ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ παρειληφέναι δόγματα. Ἔχει δʼ, οἶμαι, τὸ ῥητὸν λόγον ἀθρόως ἡμᾶς ἐπιστῆσαι δυνάμενον τοῖς πολλοῖς πρὸ ήμῶν πρώτοις χρηματίσασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, γενομένοις διὰ τὴν είς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπιστίαν καὶ προδοσίαν ἐσχάτοις, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τὰ πρωτεῖα δυναμένοις λαβεῖν, ἐὰν ἐπιμένωμεν τῇ πίστει, ι μὴ ὑψηλοφρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενοι.) Τί δὲ, ἐὰν, κοινωνήσαντες τῇ ῥίζῃ τῶν πατριαρχῶν καὶ τῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου τῶν πατέρων πιότητι, συμφυεῖς γενώμεθα τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν ἀνάλογον αὐτῷ νοουμένων προφητῶν; ἡμεῖς οἱ ἔσχατοι ἐσόμεθα πρῶτοι, κάκεῖνοι διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν οἱ πρῶτοι, ὲκκοπέντες ἀπο τῆς καλλιελαίου γεγόνασιν ἐσχατοιʼ καὶ γὰρῌ) διὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν ι είς ι κρῖμα τῷ κόσμῳ ἐπιδημήσαντος,ι ἵνα τὰ ἔθνη ‹ οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέψωσι, καὶ ροὶ βλέποντες ι Ἰσραὴλ ι τυφλοὶ γένωνται» διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν, ὁ μὲν προσήλυτος ἡμεῖς λαὸς γεγόναμεν ἄνω ἄνω καὶ πρῶτοιοὸ δὲ πρὸ ἡμῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὁ πρῶτος γέγονεν ἔσχατος, aut κάτω κάτω. Οὕτω δὲ δύναται νοεῖσθαι καὶ τόο ι ΕΞ τις θέλει πρῶτος εἶναι, ἔσται πάντων ἐσχατοςί ὡς si ἔλεγενο Ἐπεὶ νῦν τὰ πρωτεῖα λαμβάνουσιν eihi τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς ἐμὲ πιστεύοντες, ἔσχατοι νομιζὴιενει ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλδ ἔσχατοι δέ κρίνονται παρὰ τῷ Θεῴ ὅλος ὁ λαὸς τῶν ἀπιστησάντων ἐν Ἰσραὴλ, κᾶν νομί· ζωνται διὰ τὸν χρόνον ἐἶναι πρῶτοι· ετ τις βούλεται τὸ ἀληθινὸν πρῶτον ἀναλαβεῖν, γενέσθω ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ νῦν Ἰσραὴλ ἐσχάτοις εἶναι νενομισμένοις ὅσον γὰρ μένει ἐν τοῖς οἰομένοις εἶναι πρώτοις, τῶν μὲν ἶ πρωτείων ἐπὶ τά ἔθνη μεταβεβηκότων ἀποπεσεῖται, ’ἐν δὲ ἐσχάτοις ἁριθμηθήσεται· καὶ γὰρ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κεφαλὴ (Ξ) διὰ τὴν πίστιν γίνονται” (οδέ ἄπιστος Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν οὐρά. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον πολλοὶ μὲν, οὑ πάντες δέ, ἔσονται ἐκ των ἔσχατον καὶ πάλιν πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν ἐσχάτων ἔσονται πρῶτοι. Οὐ μὴν εἴ τις ἔσχατος προσελήλυθε. τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πιστεύουσι συναριθμεῖσθαι Mκῶν, οὕτως ἐν πρώτοις λογισθήσεται εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ πρῶτοι πρῶτοι,ὡς οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι, Ὶσραη· λῖταιτυγχάνοντες, καὶ ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ· καὶ εἰσὶν ἔσχατοι ἔσχατοι, οἱ πολλῶν ὑποδεέστερον βιοῦντες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας χρηματιζάνο ### English translation (Claude) After this comes: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” This too has a meaning according to the simpler sense, which can urge those who are just coming to the divine word to hasten to rise, through what is commanded, above many of those thought to have grown old in the faith, to the life and teaching that is above them; since neither time hinders those who believe later, nor wicked parents those who have shown themselves contending blamelessly. And it is a contest also to put down the conceit of those who are proud because they were brought up in Christianity from their fathers’ time, especially when one happens to boast of fathers and ancestors who were thought worthy of presiding in the church on the bishop’s throne, or of the honour of the presbyterate, or of the diaconate for the people of God. For both of you, having been taught, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first,” be reminded neither to be proud in thinking yourselves first, nor to be dejected and humbled as having less than those before you, because you received the doctrines of Christianity later than they. But the saying has, I think, a meaning that can make us attend all at once to the many before us who were called first from Israel and who became last through their unbelief in Jesus and their betrayal, and to us, the last, who can take the first places if we remain in the faith, “not being high-minded, but associating with the lowly.” What then, if, sharing in the root of the patriarchs and in the fatness that comes from the word of the fathers, we grow together with the intent of the spiritual law and of the prophets understood in a manner corresponding to it? We, the last, shall be first; and they, the first, cut off from the good olive tree through unbelief, have become last. For through the coming of Christ, who came “for judgment into the world, that those who do not see might see”—the nations—“and those who see might become blind”—Israel, through unbelief—we, the proselyte people, have come to be higher and higher, and first; while Israel, which was before us and first, has become last, lower and lower. So also the saying can be understood: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all”; as if he said: Since now those from the nations who believe in me, who are thought last in Israel’s eyes, take the first places, while the whole people of those in Israel who did not believe are judged last before God, even if they are thought first because of time, if anyone wishes to take up the true first place, let him be among those thought by present Israel to be last. For so long as he remains among those who think themselves first, he will fall away from the first places, which have passed to the nations, and will be numbered among the last; for those from the nations become the head through faith, and unbelieving Israel, through unbelief, the tail. According to this account, many, though not all, of the first will be last; and again many of the last will be first. Yet if someone has come last, wishing to be numbered among the believers from the nations, he will not for that reason be reckoned among the first; for there are some first of the first, like the apostles of Christ, who were Israelites and of the seed of Abraham; and there are some last of the last, those who live worse than many of those who bear the name of the church. ### Scripture references - Matt 19:30: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:20: quotation, high confidence - Rom 12:16: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:17: allusion, high confidence - Rom 11:24: allusion, high confidence - John 9:39: quotation, high confidence - Deut 28:43: allusion, high confidence - Mark 9:35: quotation, high confidence - Deut 28:13: allusion, high confidence - Deut 28:44: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 19:30; Rom 11:20; Rom 12:16; Rom 11:17–24; John 9:39; Deut 28:43 (“higher and higher … lower and lower”); Mark 9:35; Deut 28:13, 44 (head and tail). Origen’s statements about Israel are translated as written, without comment. One phrase (“many … of the first will be last”) is partly garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.26 (PG 13:1329a–1332c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-26). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-27 - Source: PG 13:1332d–1337a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The first and last may be angels and men: fallen angels, including the devil, become last, while believers renewed in baptism become first; the parable of the labourers that follows shows that both first and last are saved. ### Greek text Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπίστησον εἰ δύνασαι τὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων γένος πρῶτον, ὡς τίμιον, λέγων εἶναι τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γενομένων ἐσχάτων· καὶ γὰρ, ὼς ἐντῷ Ἰὼβ γέγραπται· ί Ὅτε ἐγεννήθησαν ἄστρα, ᾔνεσαν τὸν Θεὸν πάντες ἄγγελοι uiatori,» ὡς πρεσβύτεροι καὶ τιμιώτεροι. οὺ μόνον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης μετʼ αὖτοὺς κοσμοποιέας, τόλμησαι ἁποφήνο σθαι, ὅτι πολλοὶ μὲν ἀγγέλων, οἳ πρῶτοι ἦσαν du. ορώπων μδ, γίνονται τινων ἀνθρώπων ἔσχατοι· πολ λοὶ δὲ καὶ τῶν ἁνΟρ‹Ῑ›πων,οἳ·ἕσχατοι τῇ φύσει τυγχά νουσι τῶν ἀγγέλων, γίνονται διὰ τὸν βίον καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον τινῶν ἀγγέλων ὲν πρώτοις μὲν τε ταγμένων, γενομένων δὲ ἐκ τινων αἰτιῶν ἐσχάτων πρῶτοι. Παραλαβὼν δὲ εἰς τοῦτο ἀπό τε τῆς πρώτη Ἐπιστολῆς, καὶτῆς Παύλου πρὸς Κορινθίους προ ’τέρας ῥητὰ, προαχθήσῃ ὡς ὑγιῶς εἰρημένων τῷ λά γῳ λέγει γὰρ ὁ μὲν Πέτρος· ι Εἰς ὃν ἄρτι μὲ ὁρῶντες,ι δηλονότι Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, «πιστεύοντε δὲ ἀγαλλιᾶτε, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυ μοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι-ι ὁ δέ Παῦλοςσ ι Ἢ οὺς οἴδατε, ὅτι ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν. μήτι γε βιω τικάς ι Ὅρα οὖν ει μὴ οὗτοι μὲν, ὅσον c ἐτήρουε τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέλιπον τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον,› πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων διέφερον, καὶ ἦσαν αὐτῶν πρῶτοι, ὧν ἀνθρώπων ἐταπεινώθη εἰς χοῦν ἠ ψυχὴ, γενομένων ἐν τῷ τῆς ταπεινώσεως σώματι, xui. μόγις ποτέ λεγόντων τόʼ ι Ἰἀλαῐπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος, τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; ι Οἱ δὲ ἅνθρωποι, ὅσον εἰς σύγκρισιν ἀγγέλων ἔσχατοι τυγχάνοντες, γίνονται ἀγγέλων πρῶτοι, τῶν μὴ ι τη ρησάντων τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν,ι ἀλλὰ ιάπολιπόντων τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον,› λαμβάνοντες ἢ ἐν ἀρχῇ κατὰ τό· α Ἴσοι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων,ο,ι Ἰσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω πέντε πόλεων.» Γενόμενοι δὲ ἐν οἰκητηρίῳ ἀγγέλων τινὲς ἀπολελοίπασιν, ἐπὰν ποιήσωσι, κηρυχθείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, τά ἀνάγοντα αὐτοὺς ἐπʼ αὐτηνν καὶ γὰρ oi μὲν ἐν γῇ τῶν οὐρανίων ἔσχατοι, ot δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ τῶν ἐν γῇ πρῶτον καὶ γίγνονται πολλοὶ μὲν τῶν οὐρανίων καὶ πρώτων ἔσχατοιι, ι εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὲν ζόφῳ τηρούμενοι-ι πολλοὶ δέ τῶν ἐσχάτων, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς γένεσιν ἀνειληφότων ἀνασαίνοντες, ὥστε τεθαρρηκότες λέγεινʼ ι Ἡμῶν δέ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει.» Καὶ αὐτός γε ὁ ὡς ἀστραπὴ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πεσὼν πρῶτος ἦν, ἡνίκα περιεπάτει ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ ἄμωμος, ἔως εὑρέθη ἀνομία ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ γέγονεν ἔσχατος εἰς ᾅδου καταβὰς, ὡς τούς ἰδόντας αὐτὸν θαυμάζειν ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, καὶ λέγεινʼ ι Καὶ σὺ ἐάλως ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς· ἐν ἡμῖν δὲ κατελογίσθηςδ Κατέση εἰς ᾅδου ἡ δόξα σου, ἡ πολλὴ εὐφροσύνη σου. ι Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἔσχατος ἦν πᾶς καὶ ι ἀνόητος κα) ἀπειθὴς, δουλεύων ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις, ὲν κακίᾳ καὶ φθόνῳ διάγων, στυγητὸς καὶ μισῶνοι ἀλλὰ γέγονε πρῶτος, ι ὅτε ἡ χρηστότης, καὶ ήφιλανυ. θρωπία ἐπεφάνη τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ, διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, καὶ ἀνακαινώσεως ΙΙνεύματος aviae,» καὶ ἐδέξατο τὸν εἰπόντω ι Ὁ δεχόμενος ἐμὲ δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. ι ’Δλλά κατὰ μὲν ταῦτα πρώτους ἀποδεδώκαμεν τοὺς σωθησομένους ἐσχάο τους δέ τοὺς μὴ ἀξίους τῆς τοιαύτης τῶν σωθησομένων τάξεως, καὶ κολάσεως, καὶ τοῦ ἐγκαταλειφθῆναι, ήτοι, ι ἔως τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ,› ἢ ἔως ἐκπληρώσωσι τὰ περὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἀμαρτημάτ των. Ἡ μέντοι ἐπιφερομένη τῷ· ι Πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι, καὶ ἔσχατοι πρῶτοι,ι παραδολὴ σώιρ ζεσθαι μὲν ἐπαγγέλλεται καί τοὺς τῆς παραβολῆς, πρώτους μὲν ἐργασαμένους, ἐσχάτους δὲ λαμβάνοντας τὸν μισθὸν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρώτους ὄντας, καὶ είς ἐσχάτους λελογισμένους· διαφέρειν δέ αὐτῶν λέγει τοὺς ἐσχάτους μὲν ἐπὶ τά ἔργα βεδλημένουςι ἀπολαβόντας δὲ τὸν μισθὸν οὐ μόνον πρώτους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἴσον τοῖς γογγύσασι κατὰ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, καὶ εἰρηκόσιν· ι Οὗτοι oi ἔσχατοι μίαν ὥραν ἐποίησαν, καὶ τσους αὐτοὺς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν τοῖς βαστάσασιτδ βάρος τῆς ἡμέρας καὶτὸν καύσωνα.» Καὶ πρῶτοί γι oi ἔσχατοι κληθέντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον λέγονται παρὰ τὸ πρώτους αὐτοὺς εἰληφέναι τὸν μισθόν. Θεῷ δὲ είδξάμενοι, καὶ ἐπικαλεσάμενοι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐκθώμεθα τὴν παραβολὴν, καὶ ἴδωμεν τίνα ἡμῖν ἐξετάσαι καὶ εἰπεῖν είς αὐτὴν, ἦ καὶ ὑπαγορεῦσαι δοθήσεται· ἔχει δὲ οὕτω. Περὶ τῶν μισθουμένων ἐργατῶν. ### English translation (Claude) After this, consider whether you can say that the race of angels is first, as being honoured above that of men, who came into being last—for, as it is written in Job, “When the stars were made, all my angels praised God,” as being older and more honoured, not only than man but also than all the making of the world after them—and dare to declare that many of the angels, who were first compared with men, become last behind some men; and many men, who are by nature last compared with the angels, become, through their life and the word of God, first above some angels who were ranked among the first but for certain causes became last. And taking sayings for this from the First Letter of Peter and from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, you will be led on as though this were soundly said. For Peter says: “In whom, though now you do not see him”—clearly Jesus Christ—“yet believing, you rejoice,” and so on, up to “into which angels long to look”; and Paul: “Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things of this life?” Consider, then, whether these angels, so long as they “kept their own principality and did not leave their own dwelling,” did not excel many men and were first compared with them—men whose soul had been humbled to the dust, who were in the body of humiliation, and who barely at some point said, “Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from the body of this death?” And men, though last in comparison with angels, become first above the angels who did not “keep their own principality” but “left their own dwelling,” receiving a principality according to the words, “Have authority over ten cities,” “Have authority over five cities.” And some come into the dwelling that angels have left, when, the kingdom of heaven having been preached to them, they do the things that lead them up to it. For those on earth are last of the heavenly beings, and those in heaven first above those on earth; and many of the heavenly and first become last, “kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,” while many of the last, who had taken birth on earth, go up, so as to say with confidence, “But our citizenship is in heaven.” And he himself who fell like lightning from heaven was first when he walked blameless in all his ways, until iniquity was found in him; and he became last, going down to Hades, so that those who saw him wondered at him and said: “You too have been taken, as we were; you have been counted among us; your glory has gone down to Hades, your great gladness.” So also everyone was last who was “foolish and disobedient, serving desires and various pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another”; but he became first “when the kindness and love for man of God our Saviour appeared, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,” and received the one who said, “Whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” According to these things, we have explained the first as those who will be saved, and the last as those not worthy of such a rank among the saved, but worthy of punishment and of being abandoned, either “until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in,” or until they have fulfilled what is due for their own sins. However, the parable that follows the words, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first,” declares that those in the parable are also saved who worked first but received their wage last, and who are therefore reckoned among the last though they were first. And it says that those who were sent to the work last differ from them, receiving their wage not only first but also equal to those who grumbled against the householder and said, “These last worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” And the last called to the work are said to be first, because they received their wage first. Having prayed to God, and called on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us set out the parable, and see what will be given us to examine and say about it, or to dictate. It runs thus. [On the hired labourers.] ### Scripture references - Job 38:7: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:8: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:3: quotation, high confidence - Jude 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Ps 44:25 (43:26 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Phil 3:21: allusion, high confidence - Rom 7:24: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:19: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:20: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:18: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 28:15: allusion, high confidence - Isa 14:10: quotation, high confidence - Isa 14:11: quotation, high confidence - Titus 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Titus 3:4: quotation, high confidence - Titus 3:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:40: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Job 38:7 (Origen’s text reads “praised God”; the LXX has “praised me”); 1 Pet 1:8, 12; 1 Cor 6:3; Jude 6; Ps 44:25 (43:26 LXX); Phil 3:21; Rom 7:24; Luke 19:17, 19; Phil 3:20; Luke 10:18; Ezek 28:15; Isa 14:10–11; Titus 3:3–5; Matt 10:40; Rom 11:25; Matt 19:30; Matt 20:12. Origen’s speculation about angels and the last things is translated as written. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition before the next passage. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.27 (PG 13:1332d–1337a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-27). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-28 - Source: PG 13:1337a–1340d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The parable of the labourers hides deep doctrines: the day, the hours, the five groups of workers, the different terms of hire, and the marketplace and idleness all call for explanation. ### Greek text ι Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ὅστις ἐξῆλθεν ἃμα πρωῒ μισθώσασθαι spring,» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Πολλοὶ γάρ είσι κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. ι Δύναται μὲν οὖν ἡ πᾶσα παραβολὴ διὰ τοῦτο παρειλῆφθαι, εἰς τὸ μαθεῖν ἡμᾶς πῶς οί ἔσχατοι ἐλθόντες είς τδ ἔργον. ώς οἱ πρῶτοι κληθέντες, τὸν μισθὸν ἔλαβον πρῶτοι· καὶ τίνα τρόπον οἱ πρῶτοι κληθέντες ἑν ἐσχάτῃ χώρᾳ παρὰ τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ ἐτάχθησαν, διὸ καὶ τελευταῖοι τον μισθὸν ἀπειλὴτασι. Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι, ὃτι, ώς Ἰησοῦ παραβολὴ, ι ἑν ᾧ οί θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ γνώσεώς εἰσιν ἁπόκρυφοι,ι ἐξεταζομένη, τοσαῦτα δόγματα τῆς ἐν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένης σοφίας εὑρεθήσεται τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα εὑρίσκειν δυναμένοις αἰνισσομένη, ὥστε εὐλόγως ἂν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ μάλισταέξπείν τῇ παραβολῇ τὸν Σωτῆρα τόο ι Ἀνοίξω ἑν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου, φθέγξομαι προβλή- . ματα ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς,› καίο ι Ἔρεύξομαι κεκρυμμένα ἀπὸ καταβολῆς. ι Ἀναγκαῖον γὰρ ἰδεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα νοήσε ιν τὴν παραβολὴν, τὴν ἑν αὐτῇ δηλουμένην ἡμέραν, καὶ τὰς ἑν αὐτῇ ὥρας, καὶ ὅτι οὐ κατὰ ἀποκλήρωσιν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης (Η) πέντε τάγμασιν ἐργατῶν παρα·δίδωσι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος. Ἐξετάσει δὲ ό δυνάμενος τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ πρωῒ μισθώσασθαι τινας ἑργόιτας είς τὶν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο οὐ περὶ δευτέραν μὲν, περὶ τρίτην δὲ ὥραν ἄλλους, κα) ἑξῆς ταύτῃ οὐ περὶ τετάρτηνῆ πέμπτην, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἑκτην· εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτηνο ὀφείλει γάρ τις λόγος εἶναι ἄξιος Ἰησοῦ είς τὸν μετὰ τὸν ἑωθινὸν καιρὸν τρία ῖσα διαστήματα τρίτης καὶ ’ἐκτης καὶ ἑννόιτης ὧρας, καὶ μετʼ αὐτὸν ἔλαττον διάστημα τῦν πε ρῖ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ἑστώτων, ὁπόσον ἦν διάστημα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅμα πρωῒ ἐπὶ τὴν τρίτην. Οὐ παρέργως δὲ προσεκτέον καὶ τῷ συμπεφωνηκέναι μὲν τδν οἰκοδεσπότην τοῖς ἅμα τῇ ’έῳ παραληφθεῖσι τὸ ἀνά δηνάριον, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦʼ τοῖς δὲ περὶ τὴν τρίτην κληθεῖσιν οὐ τεταγμένως τὸν μισοὸν ὠνομακέναι, ἀλλά τό ο ι '0 ἂν δίκαιον, δώσω ὑμῖν ° ι προσεκτέον δὲ, ὅτι ὡσαύτως ἐποίησε τοῖς περὶ τὴν ἕκτην ὥραν καὶ ἑννάτην κληθεῖσι· καὶ ὅτι τοῖς περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην εἶπεν ἀπολογησαμένοις περὶ τῆς διʼ ὅλης ἡμέρας ἀργίας τό· ι Txiγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα · ι ἀλλά καὶ ὼς ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος γενόμενος, καὶ εὑρὼν ἐκεῖ τώς ἐργάτας, τοὺς μὲν πρώτους ἀποστέλλει εὶς τὸν ἁμπελῶνα, τοῖς δὲ δευτέροις φησιν* ι Ὑπάγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα· ι ὁμοίως δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν λέξιν καὶτοῖς πε pl. τὴν ἑνδεκάτην κεκλημένοις Ἰ Ὑπάγετε καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. ι Ὀ δὲ δυνάμενος κατανοησάτω τίς ἡ ἀγορὰ, ἑν ἑστῶτας τοὺς ἀργοὺς εὗρε τοὺς δευτέρους ἑξελοὼν ὁ οἱκοδεσπότηςʼ οὕτω δὲ κατ ἑξετασθὴτω τίνες οἱ εὑρεθέντες ἑστῶτες περὶ τῂν ἑνδεκάτην, οἷς λέγει ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης τό· ι Τί ὦδε ἑστήκατε,ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοι; ι Ἑπιστησάτω 1t; καὶ τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ τῶν ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἑστώτων ἁργῶν, κοιλ τὸν πόνον τοῦ έστηκέναι διʼ ὅλης ἡμέρας ὑπομεινάντων, μετά παρρησίας εἰπόντων, ὅτι πρόθυμοι μὲν ἦσαν τοῦ ἐργάσασθαι, οὐδεὶς δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐμισθώσατο, ὡς πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν μισθωσαμένων ### English translation (Claude) “The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers,” and so on, up to “For many are called, but few are chosen.” The whole parable may have been given so that we may learn how the last who came to the work received their wage first, as though they had been called first; and in what way those called first were placed by the householder in the last rank, which is why they also received their wage last. But one must know that, as a parable of Jesus, “in whom the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden,” it will be found, when examined, to hint at so many doctrines of the wisdom hidden in a mystery, for those able to find such things, that the Saviour might reasonably have said, especially of this parable: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter riddles from the beginning,” and: “I will utter things hidden from the foundation.” For the one who is to understand the parable must see the day indicated in it, and the hours in it, and that it is not by lot that the householder hands over the works of the vineyard to five orders of workers. The one who is able will examine the reason why he hired some workers into the vineyard early in the morning, and after that others, not about the second hour but about the third, and next to this not about the fourth or fifth but about the sixth, then after that about the eleventh. For there ought to be some explanation worthy of Jesus for the three equal intervals after the morning time—of the third, sixth, and ninth hours—and after it the smaller interval for those standing about the eleventh hour, smaller than the interval from early morning to the third hour. One must also attend, and not carelessly, to the fact that the householder agreed on a denarius each with those taken on at dawn, whom he sent into his vineyard; but to those called about the third hour he did not name a definite wage, but said, “Whatever is right I will give you”; and one must attend to the fact that he did likewise with those called about the sixth and ninth hours; and that to those about the eleventh hour, who excused their idleness through the whole day, he said, “You too go into the vineyard.” Further, as one who was outside the vineyard and found the workers there, he sends the first into the vineyard, while to the second he says, “You too go into the vineyard”; and likewise the same words to those called about the eleventh hour: “You too go into the vineyard.” Let the one who is able consider what the marketplace is in which the householder, going out, found the second group standing idle; and so let it be examined who those are who were found standing about the eleventh hour, to whom the householder says, “Why do you stand here all day idle?” Let him consider also the defence of those who stood idle all day and endured the toil of standing through the whole day, who said boldly that they had been eager to work but that no one had hired them, as though many were hiring. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:16: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Ps 78:2 (77:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:35: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:7: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:1–16; Col 2:3; 1 Cor 2:7; Ps 78:2 (77:2 LXX), as cited in Matt 13:35. A stray column number in the scan has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.28 (PG 13:1337a–1340d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-28). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-29 - Source: PG 13:1340d–1341c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks why the wages are paid from the last to the first, who the steward is, and notes that only those hired at dawn bore the whole burden of the day. ### Greek text Μὴ παρέργως δὲ ἐπιστησάτω τις καὶ τῷ ι ὀψίας λέγειν τὸν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος κύριον τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ αὖ· τοῦ · Κάλεσον τοὺς ἐργάτας, καὶ ἀπόδος τὸν paen, ’ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἕως τῶν πρώτων. ι Ti γάρ κεκίνηκε τὸν κύριον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ῶστε κελεῦσαι τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ καλέσαι τοὺς ἐργάτας, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι τὸν μισθὸν, ἀρξάμενον ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων, καὶ οὕτως ἀναβαίνειν ἕως τῶν πρώτων, ἴνα πρῶτοι μὲν ἀπολάβωσιν οί τὴν ἑνδεκάτην, δεύτεροι δέ οἱ τὴν ἐννάτην, καὶ τρίτοι οἱ τὴν ἐκτην, ml. μετά τούτους οί τὴν τρίτην, καὶ τελευταῖοι οἱ πρωῖς τοῦτο γάρ σαφῶς δηλοῦται ἀπὸ τοῦδ ι ’Δπόδος τὸν μισθὸν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐως τῶν πρώτων. ι Τίς δὲ, παρά τὸν κύριον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ὁ τοῦ κυρίου ἐπίτροπος, διδοὺς τὸν μισθὸν κατά τὸ κυρίου πρόσταγμας ’Δλλά εἴπερ οἱ ἐν τῇ ἐννάτῃ κληθέντες ῶρᾳ οὐκ ἐβάστασαν τὸ βάρος τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τὸν καύσωνα, δηλονότι οὐχ οὗτοι ἐγόγγυζον κατά τοῦ οίκοδεσπότου λέγοντες ὅτι, ι Οὗτοι ol ἔσχατοι μίαν ῶραν ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἴσους ἡμῖν αὐτοὺς ἐποίησας τοῐς βαστάσασι τὸ βάρος τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τὸν καύσωναο ι ἀλλʼ οὖδέ cl τὴν ἕκτην κληθέντες τδ βάρος ἐβάστασαν τῆς ἡμέρας, ἀλλʼ εί ἄρα τοῦ ἡμίσους τῆς ἡμέρων καὶ el τῇ τρίτῃ δὲ κληθέντες οὐ τῆς ὅλης ἐβάστασαν ἡμέρας τὸ βάρος, ἀλλʼ εί δεῖ ἀκριβῶς ὀνομάσαι, τοῦ ἡμίσους καὶ τοῦ τετάρτου τῆς ἡμέρας · μόνοι δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἒω μεμισθωμένοι τὸ βάρος ἐβάστασαν τῆς ἡμέρας καὶτὸν καύσωνα · ὅλον μὲν oi ἀπὸ τῆς ἔω μεμισθωμένοι· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ παρὰ τοὺς τελευταίους ἀνάλογον τῷ καιρῷ ᾧ ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι πεποιήκασιν. ### English translation (Claude) Let one also consider, and not carelessly, that “when evening came, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the labourers and pay them the wage, beginning from the last up to the first.” For what moved the lord of the vineyard to order his steward to call the labourers and pay the wage beginning from the last, and so to go up to the first, so that those of the eleventh hour receive first, those of the ninth second, those of the sixth third, after them those of the third, and last those of early morning? For this is clearly shown by the words, “Pay the wage, beginning from the last up to the first.” And who, besides the lord of the vineyard, is the lord’s steward, who gives the wage according to the lord’s command? But if those called at the ninth hour did not bear the burden of the day and the scorching heat, clearly it was not these who grumbled against the householder, saying, “These last worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” Nor did those called at the sixth hour bear the burden of the day, but at most of half the day; and those called at the third hour did not bear the burden of the whole day, but, to name it precisely, of a half and a quarter of the day. Only those hired from dawn bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat: the whole of it, those hired from dawn; and the rest, compared with the last, in proportion to the time they worked in the vineyard. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 20:8, 12. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.29 (PG 13:1340d–1341c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-22/#p-15-29). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-30 - Source: PG 13:1341c–1344c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Only one who has “the mind of Christ” and is taught by the Paraclete can explain this parable; Matthew knew its mysteries but deliberately did not write down its explanation. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ διάφοροί είσι παραβολαὶ όνομάζουσαι ἀμπελῶνα, ζητηθείη ἂν πότερον κατά διαφόρων πραγμάτων καθʼ ἕκαστον ό ἀμπελὼν παραλαμβάνεται, ἢ κατὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος. Ἐγὼ νομίζω δεῖν ἐξειιιὶσιιιι διά τί οὐ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ἐλθόντας πρώτους, καὶ νομίζοντας, ὅτι πλέον λήψονται, καὶ γογγύσαντας κατά τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης, ἀλλʼ ἐνὶ μόνῳ εἶπεν αὐτῶν τό· ι Ἑταῖρε, οὐκ ἀδικῶ σε · οὐχὶ δηναρίου συνεφώνησάς μοι ; καὶ θέλω τούτῳ τῷ ἐσχάτῳ δοῦναι ὡς καὶ σοί. ι Ὀτι μὲν οῦν ταῦτα καὶ τά τούτοις παραπλήσια ἐπιδέχεται ἡ ἐκκειμένη παραβολὴ ἀ ζητήσαι τις ἂν είς αὐτὴν, διαβεβαιωσαίμην ἀνʼ ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν είς τὴν κατʼ ἀξίανʼπαραβολὴν ἀλλον ἢ τὸν φήσαντα ἂν μετά τοῦ ἀληθεύειν τό · ι Ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν, ι καὶ τοῦτο θαρρῶν ἀποφανοῦμαι. Τίς οῦν apd ἔγνω τὸν ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ ταύτῃ νοῦν Χριστοῦ, ἢ ό ἐμπαρασχὼν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Παρακλήτῳ, περὶ οῦ φησιν ό Σωτὴρ, ὅτι, ι Ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα, καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα-ὅσα εἷπον ὑμῖνς ι Μὴ διδάσκοντος γάρ τοῦ Παρακλήτου πάντα ἀ εἶπεν ό Ἰησοῦς, καί ταύτην τὴν παραβολὴν, οὐκ ἂν λέγοιτό τι ἀξιον Ἰησοῦ είς αὑτήν. Καὶ εί τοιαῦτά γε tanta κατά τὴν Ἰησοῦ,φωνὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Παρακλητου πάιτες οί τὸ κατά Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγὲλιον ἀναγινώσκοντες, οὐκ ἂν προσέσχον τινὲς, ὡς Hispanum, ι πνεύμασι πλάνης,“ καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων.ὲι ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυτηριασμὲνων τὴν ἰδίει συνείδησιν, ι ὥστε τά τῆς πλάνης πνεύματα καὶ a μόνια ἀναγορεῦσαι τῷ μεγάλῳ τοῦ Παρακλήτςιι 1 ὀνόματι, ὅπερ ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, καὶ εί τις τοῖς ἀποστόλοις παραπλήσιός ἐστιν, ἐπηγγείλατο. Καὶ πείθομαί γε, ὅτι ὁ Ματθαῖος ᾔδει μὲν nam παραβολὴν ταύτην μυστήρια, ὼς καὶ τά κατὰ ripae} σπόρου, xui. τῶν ἑπεσπαρμένων τῷ σίτῳ {tier νίων· οὐκ ἔκρινε δὲ εὔλογονλεῐναι ὁμοίως ταῖς περὶ ἐκείνων διηγήσεσι καὶ τὴν περὶ ταύτης ἀναγράψαι. μὴ πιστεύσας γράμμασι κᾶν τὴν ἐπὶ ποσὺν visaaραβολῆς ταύτης-σαιρήνειαν, ὥσπερ ἐκείνοιν ἐξ ὅλων τὴν διήγησιν ἀνέγραψαν. Ei δὲ εὐλόγως ό Ματθαῖος τὴν περὶ τῆς παραβολῆς διήγησιν ἀπεσιώπησε, δηλονότι κάν ἐκ μέρους τις αὐτὴν νοῆσαι δυνηθῇ, τάχα μὲν εὐλόγως ἂν αἰνίξεται τὸ τῆς φαινομένης αὐτῷ διηγήσεως, οὐ μὴν πάντα τά amasiuπτόμενα αὐτῷ σαφηνίζων, καὶ γραφῇ πιστεύων, ἔξω κινδύνου τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἐκθέσεως τῶν μυστηρίων ### English translation (Claude) Since there are various parables that name a vineyard, it might be asked whether in each of them the vineyard is taken of different things or of the same thing. I think one must examine … why the householder did not answer all who came first, and thought that they would receive more, and grumbled against the householder, but said to one of them only: “Friend, I do you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? And I wish to give to this last one as I give to you.” That the parable set before us admits these and similar questions that one might ask about it, I would affirm; and that no one can speak about the parable worthily except one who could say truly, “But we have the mind of Christ,” this too I will confidently declare. Who, then, has known the mind of Christ in this parable, except the one who has given himself over to the Paraclete, of whom the Saviour says, “He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have said to you”? For unless the Paraclete teaches all that Jesus said, including this parable, nothing worthy of Jesus would be said about it. And if all who read the Gospel according to John had understood such things about the Paraclete according to the voice of Jesus, some would not have given heed, as …, “to spirits of error and teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose own conscience is seared,” so as to proclaim the spirits of error and the demons by the great name of the Paraclete, which the Saviour promised to the apostles and to anyone who is like the apostles. And I am persuaded that Matthew knew mysteries about this parable, just as he knew those about the sower and the tares sown among the wheat; but he did not judge it reasonable to record the explanation of this one as he did the explanations of those, not trusting to writing even a partial clarification of this parable, whereas for those parables they recorded the explanation in full. And if Matthew reasonably kept silent about the explanation of the parable, clearly, even if someone should be able to understand it in part, he would perhaps reasonably hint at the explanation that appears to him, without making clear all that he has grasped, and without entrusting it to writing, keeping clear of the danger that attends the setting out of mysteries ### Scripture references - Matt 20:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:16: quotation, high confidence - John 14:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 4:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 4:6: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 13:18: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 13:36: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:13–14; 1 Cor 2:16; John 14:26; 1 Tim 4:1–2; 1 John 4:6; Matt 13:18–23, 36–43. The remark about those who gave the name “Paraclete” to spirits of error probably refers to the Montanists; Origen does not name them. Several words after “I think one must examine” are garbled in the scan and marked “…”; the opening question about the vineyard parables seems to break off there. A word before the quotation from 1 Timothy (probably naming the Apostle) is also garbled. The passage ends without a full stop in the scan. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.30 (PG 13:1341c–1344c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-30). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-31 - Source: PG 13:1344d–1348b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The “day” of the parable may be the whole present age, short compared with the life of God; Origen hints at a sequence of ages, of which the feasts and sabbatical years of the Law may be figures. ### Greek text Φέρε οὖν ἡμεῖς οἱ σφόδρα ἀπολειπόμενοι τοῦ κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν βάθους τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ σφόδρα γα εἰς αὐτὴν φανταζόμενοι, πὴ μὲν μετʼ εὐχῆς τινα ὲκ μέρους ἀποδῶμεν, τινὰ δὲ ἐπʼ ὀλίγον καὶτῶν ινομένων δείξαντες, οὕτω παρέλθωμεν, μετά ὀδ. ιεῖν καθηκόντως εἰς τὴν παραβολὴν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὲ η ἑξῆς αὐτῆς. Πρῶτον τοίνυν ἴδωμεν τὰ περὶ τῆςὲντῇ ι ζητουμένη παραβολῇ ἡμέρας* καὶ δρα εί δυνάμεθα ελον (ιτ) ἐνεστῶτα αἰῶνα ἡμέραν τινὰ εἰπεῖν, μεγάὶην μὲν ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς, μικρὰν δέ τινα καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιον ὡς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καί τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ὰγίου Πνεῦματος ζωήν ο τάχα γὰρ καί τισι τῶν μακαρίων δυνάμεων, καὶ ὲπαναβεβηκυιῶν, συγκρίσει τῶν πολλῶν γενητῶν, τὰ κάτω τῆς ἀρχικῆς Τ ριάδος, λόγον ἔχει ὅλος ὁ ἐνεστὼς αἰὼν ὡς πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν, δν λόγον ἔχειὴ παρʼ ἀνθρώποις ἡμέρα πρὸς ὅλον τὸν δυνατὸν ἀνθρώπῳ ζῇν χρόνον. Εἰ δὲ τοιοῦτόν τι μυστήριον ὲν Δευτερονομίῳ δηλοῦται κατά τὴν ᾠδὴν ὲν γέγραπται· ι Μνήσθητε ἠμέρας αἰῶνος, ι ἢ μὴ, ζητήσει 6 δυνάμενοςο εἶτα εἰ τοιαῦται αἱ ἡμέραι αἰῶνος, ὼς ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη τὴν παραπλήσιον ἐκδοχὴν ἐννοεῖν εἰς τό” ι Ἔτη αἰώνια ἐμνήσθην, καὶ ὲμελὲτησα νυκτὸς μετά τῆς καρδίας μουο ἡδολέσχουν, καὶ ἔσκαλλε τὸ πνεῦμά μου, καί εἰπαο Μὴ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀπώσεται Κύριοςς ι Καὶ τάχα, ῖνα τολμηρότερον εἴπω, εἰς μὲν τοὺς αἰῶνας οὐκ ἀπώσεται Κύριος, πολὺ γὰρ καί εἰς ἕνα αἰῶνα ἀπώσασθαι Κύριον · ἀπώσεται δὲ τάχα καὶ εἰς δεύτερον αἰῶνα, ὅτε οὐκ ἀφίεται ἡτοιάὸε ἀμαρτῖα οὗτε ὲν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι. οὔτε ὲν τῷ μέλλοντι. Τίς οὖν ἄρα ἱκανὸς τὰς ἒξ ἡμέρας, καὶ τὴν ἀναστάσεως ἑβδόμην ἐπὶ τοιαύτας ἀναγαγεῖν ἡμέρας, καὶ μετὰ τά σάββατα τὰς νουμηνίας, καὶτὰς ὲν τῷ πρώτῳ μηνί ἑορτὰς, καί τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς ἡμέρᾳ Πάσχα, καὶ ταῖς ἑξῆς τῶν ἀζύμων; Οὕτω δὲ ἀνάλογον εἰς ἀβυσσόν τις ἐμπεσεῖται νοημάτων, καὶτὰς λοιπὰς ἑορτὰς ὲν τοιαύταις φανταζόμενος ἡμέραις, καί ὅλον τὸν ἑβδοματικὸν ἐνιαυτὸν, ὲν ᾧ πτωχοῖς καὶ προσηλύτοις, καὶ τοῖς Θηρίοις τῆς γῆς χαρίζεται ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς ὲκ προτέρας γεωργίας ἀνατέλλοντας καρποὺς, ὲν καιρῷ μὴ γεωργουμένην Τίς δὲ δύναται ἀναβῆναι ἐπὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν τῆς ἀβύσσου ὲν τῇ πεντηκονταετηρίδι ἡμερῶν (ἀβύσσου δὲ λέγω διὰ τὸ βάθος τῶν δογμάτων), ἵνα τις ἀναβῇ καί ἰίδῃ τὸν πεντηκοστὸν ἐνιαυτὸν, καὶ τά ἑν αὐτῷ νενομοθετημένα πληρούμενα; Ἀλλά γὰρ ζητοῦντες τὴν μίαν τῆς ὲκκειμένης παραβολῆς ἡμέραν, καὶ νομίσαντες αὐτὴν ὅλον τὸν ἐνεστῶτα αἰῶνα, ἐλάθομεν ἐμβάντες εἰς βάθη Θεοῦ, δεόμενοι ι πνεύματος τοῦ πάντα ἐρευνῶντος, καὶτὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι, ὅτι, ῶσπερ ἐπʼ ἐξόδῳ συντελείας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ εἴρηται τινα δεῖν γίνεσθαι, οὕτως οἰονεί ἐπὶ πλειόνων αἰώνων συντελείᾳ, εἴτε ἐνιαυτόν τινα συμπληρούντων, εἴτε ὅ τι δήποτε, ι εἰς ἀθέτησιν ἀμαρτίας ἐφανερώθη ι 6 Ἰησοῦς ἡμῶν, ἵνα pera-rqu ἐνιαυτοῦ ἡμερῶν συντέλειαν τῶν αἰώνων, πάλιν ἄλλη am διαδέξηται, ηιιὲνδιιξιιταιὰΘε-δςὲνωῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸν ὑπερβάλλοντα ubi. τῆς χρηστότητος αὑτοῦ, ι εἰς οὓς αὐτὸς οἷὰ δεῖν ἑνδείξασθαι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν διὰ τὴν ἑν τῇ παραὸοὶῇ λελέχθω ἡμέραν, ἅτινα δύνασαι κατασκευάσαι καὶ tu τῆς Ἰωάννου Ἐπιστολῆς φάσκοντος· ι Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίʼ καὶ καθὼς ὴκούσατε,6τι ’Δντίχριστος ἑρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἀντιχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασι, ὅθεν γινώσκομεν, ὃτι ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίνʼ ι ἐσχάτη γὰρ ὥρα μετὰ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην τῆς προκειμένης παραβοε λῆς, ἐπεὶ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην 6 κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν οἰκοδεσπότης ἄνθρωπος ι ἐξελθὼν εἷρρεν ἄλλως ἑστῶτας, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν amni; ι ### English translation (Claude) Come, then: let us, who fall very far short of the depth of the matters in the parable, and whose notions of it are very faint, give some things in part, with prayer, and show a little of others that are under inquiry, and so pass on, after dealing fittingly with the parable, to what follows it. First, then, let us look at what concerns the day in the parable under inquiry; and see whether we can call the whole present age a kind of day—great as regards us, but small and of short duration as regards the life of God, and of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. For perhaps for some of the blessed powers too, who are exalted in comparison with the many created beings below the ruling Trinity, the whole present age bears the same ratio to their life as a day among men bears to the whole time a man can live. Whether some such mystery is shown in Deuteronomy, in the song in which it is written, “Remember the days of the age,” or not, the one who is able will inquire. Then, if the days of the age are of this kind, it would follow to understand in a similar way the words: “I remembered eternal years, and I meditated by night with my heart; I mused, and my spirit searched, and I said, Will the Lord cast off for the ages?” And perhaps, to speak more boldly, the Lord will not cast off for the ages—for it is much that the Lord should cast off even for one age—but perhaps he will cast off also for a second age, when such a sin is forgiven neither in this age nor in the age to come. Who, then, is sufficient to refer to such days the six days and the seventh day of resurrection, and, after the sabbaths, the new moons, and the feasts in the first month, and the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month, and the days of unleavened bread that follow? In the same way one will fall into an abyss of thoughts if he imagines the other feasts in such days, and the whole seventh year, in which God grants to the poor and to proselytes and to the beasts of the earth the fruits that spring up from earlier cultivation, the land not being cultivated at that time. And who can go up to the number of the days of the abyss in the period of fifty years—I say “abyss” because of the depth of the doctrines—so that one may go up and see the fiftieth year and what is legislated for it fulfilled? But in seeking the one day of the parable set before us, and taking it to be the whole present age, we have entered unawares into the depths of God, needing “the Spirit who searches all things, even the depths of God.” I think that, just as it is said that certain things must take place at the going out, at the completion, of the year, so, as it were at the completion of many ages—whether they complete a kind of year or whatever it may be—our Jesus “was manifested for the putting away of sin,” so that after the completion of the ages, like the days of a year, another may follow again, in which “God may show, in the ages to come, the surpassing riches of his kindness,” into which he himself knows what he must show. Let these things be said about the day in the parable. You can establish them also from the Letter of John, which says: “Children, it is the last hour; and as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.” For the last hour comes after the eleventh of the parable before us, since about the eleventh hour the householder in the parable, “going out, found others standing, and says to them, Why do you stand here all day idle?” ### Scripture references - Deut 32:7: quotation, high confidence - Ps 77:5 (76:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 77:6 (76:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 77:7 (76:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:32: allusion, high confidence - Lev 23:5: allusion, high confidence - Lev 23:6: allusion, high confidence - Num 28:11: allusion, medium confidence - Lev 25:4: allusion, high confidence - Lev 25:10: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Exod 23:16: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 9:26: quotation, high confidence - Eph 2:7: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 2:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 32:7; Ps 77:5–7 (76:6–8 LXX); Matt 12:32; Lev 23:5–6; Num 28:11; Lev 25:4–7 (the seventh year); Lev 25:10 (the fiftieth year); 1 Cor 2:10; Exod 23:16; Heb 9:26; Eph 2:7; 1 John 2:18; Matt 20:6. “The seventh day of resurrection” is as the scan prints it (perhaps a slip for “of rest”). A few words in the first sentence and near the end are damaged in the scan and translated by sense. Origen’s speculation about ages to come and “the ruling Trinity” is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.31 (PG 13:1344d–1348b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-31). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.32 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-32 - Source: PG 13:1348b–1349a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The five callings of workers may be the ages of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Christ’s coming at the eleventh hour, the one Christ having called workers in every age. ### Greek text Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο ζητοῦμεν, πῶς οὐ κατὰ ἀποκλήριιιτ σιν 6 οἰκοδεσπότης πέντε τάγμασιν ἐργατῶν παραδίδωσιτὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος πρώτῳ μὲνότε (ιι) ι ἐξῆλθεν ἅμα πρωϊ μισθώσασθαι ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶναίδευτέρῳ δὲ, ὅτε ι ἐξελθὼν περὶ τρίτηιι,γ ὥραν εἶδεν ἄλλους ἑστῶτας ἑν τῇ ἀγορᾷ ἀργούς» τρίτῳ δὲ καί τετάρτῳ, ὅτε ι πάλιν ἐξελθὼν περί ixτην καὶ ἑννάτην ὥραν ἐποίησεν ὡσαύτως· ι πέμπτη)δέ τῷ περὶ ἑνδεκάτην, ἡνίκα ι ἐξελθὼν εὗρεν ἄλλως ἑστῶτας, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τοῖς ἡμέραν ἁργοίς ι Καὶ ὅρα εἱ δύνασαι πρῶτον μὲν τάγμα εἰπεῖν τὸ κατὰ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἅμα τῇ nostra ποιίᾳʼ ἐξῆλθε γὰρ ἃμα πρωῒ 6 Οἰκοδεσπότης, καὶ, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, τὸν ’Δδὰμ καὶ τὴν Εὕαν ἐμισθώσατο, ἵνʼ ἐργάσωνται τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τῆς θεοσεόείαςε δεύτερον δὲ τάγμα τὸ κατὰ τὸν Νῶε καὶ τὴν spe; at’nbv διαθήκηνο καὶ τρίτον τὸ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμιὲ συνεξακούεται τὰ κατὰ τοὺς πατέρας μέχρι Μωσέως συμπαρειλῆφθαιο τέταρτον δὲ, τὸ κατὰ τὸν Μωσέίι καί πᾶσαν τὴν Αἰγύπτου οἰκονομίαν, καί τὴν ἒν τί) ἐρήμῳ νομοθεσίαν· τελευταῖον δὲ τάγμα τὸ κατὰ τὴν παρουσίαν ἑστί Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὸ περί τὴν Mentiτην. Πλὴν ἅνθρωπος εἷς οἰκοδεσπότης, ὃεῐυνέπἱ τῇ προκειμένῃ παραβολῇ, πεντάκις ἑξελήλυθε, καὶ ἑπί τὰ τῇδε ἐλήλυθε πράγματα, ἵνʼ ι ἐργάτας ἀνεῖξ αισγύντους, ὁρθοτομοῦντας τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας ι ἑξαποστείλῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, τοὺς ἐργαζομένους αὑτοῦ τὰ ἔργα· εἷς γὰρ Χριστὸς 6 ἀνθρώποις συγκαταῦὰς πλεονάκις τὰ τῆς κλήσεως τῶν ὲργατῶν ἀεὶ ᾤκονὸμησεν. ### English translation (Claude) After this we inquire how it is not by lot that the householder hands over the works of the vineyard to five orders of workers: to the first, when “he went out early in the morning to hire workers into the vineyard”; to the second, when, “going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace”; to the third and fourth, when, “going out again about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did likewise”; and to the fifth, about the eleventh hour, when, “going out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why do you stand here all day idle?” And see whether you can call the first order that of Adam, at the very making of the world; for the Householder went out early in the morning and, if I may so name it, hired Adam and Eve to work the vineyard of godliness. The second order is that of Noah and the covenant made with him; the third, that of Abraham, with whom are understood to be included the fathers down to Moses; the fourth, that of Moses and the whole dispensation of Egypt and the giving of the law in the desert; and the last order is that of the coming of Christ Jesus, the one about the eleventh hour. Yet one man, the householder, … in the parable before us, went out five times and came to the affairs here below, so as to send out to the vineyard “workers who need not be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth,” who do his works. For one Christ, coming down to men, has always, many times over, ordered the calling of the workers. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:15: allusion, low confidence - Gen 9:9: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Tim 2:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:1–6; Gen 2:15; Gen 9:9; 2 Tim 2:15. A few words after “the householder” are garbled in the scan and marked “…”; “the very making of the world” renders a word that is garbled but evidently means this. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.32 (PG 13:1348b–1349a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-32). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-33 - Source: PG 13:1349a–1349c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: As an exercise, the five callings may correspond to the five senses: touch for Adam, smell for Noah, taste for Abraham, hearing for Moses, and sight for the coming of Christ. ### Greek text Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ κόσμου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπὸ αἰσθήσεως ἀρξαμένων τὰ ἔργα ποιεῖν σύμβολόν τι ἔχουσιν αἱ πέντε τῶν ἔργων παραλήψεις, 6 δυνάμενος ἐπιστησάτω. Γεγυμνάσθω δὲ, κᾶν μὴ βούλεταί τις εἰς δόγματα παραδέξασθαι καὶ ’τὰ λεχθησόμεναο ἐρεῖ γάρ τις, ὅτι ἁφὴ μὲν ἔστι κατὰ τὴν πρώτην κλῆσιν, διὸ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ὕφει, ὃ εἶπεν 6 Θεός· ι υὺ φάγητε ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ, οὐδὲ οὐ μὴ ἂψησθε αὐτοῦʼ ι ὄσφρησις δὲ κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν, ὃθεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε, ι καὶ ῶσφράνθη Κύριος ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας* ι γεῦσις δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραάμ* διὸ καὶ ἑστιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους παρατίθησιν αὐτοῖς ἐγκρυφίας ἀπὸ σεμιδάλεως, καὶ τὸν ἁπαλὸν μόσχον ἀκοὴ δὲ ἐπὶ Μωσέως, ὅτε ὲκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀκουστὴ γέγονεν ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὅρασις δὲ, ηʼπασῶν τῶν αἰσθήσεων ν τιμιωτέρα, κατὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν, ὅτε ἑωράκασι τὸν Χριστὸν τοῖς μακαρίοις ὀφθαλμοῖς. Λελέχθω δὲ καὶ ταῦτα, εἴτε γυμνασίας χάριν λογικῆς, εἴτε βούλεταί τις καὶί δογματικῆς, διὰ τὰς πέντε κλήσεις. ### English translation (Claude) Whether the five times of taking on workers also have some symbolic meaning drawn from the world of the senses, and from those who began to do the works by way of sense-perception, let the one who is able consider. Let it serve as an exercise, even if someone does not wish to accept as doctrine what is about to be said. For someone will say that touch belongs to the first calling; and so the woman said to the serpent what God had said: “You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it.” Smell belongs to the second; and so in Noah’s time “the Lord smelled a fragrant odour.” Taste belongs to Abraham; and so, entertaining the angels, he sets before them cakes of fine flour and the tender calf. Hearing belongs to the time of Moses, when the voice of God was heard from heaven. And sight, the most honoured of all the senses, belongs to the coming of Christ, when they saw Christ with blessed eyes. Let these things too be said about the five callings, whether for the sake of rational exercise or, if one wishes, also as doctrine. ### Scripture references - Gen 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Gen 8:21: quotation, high confidence - Gen 18:6: allusion, high confidence - Gen 18:7: allusion, high confidence - Exod 20:22: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 13:16: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Gen 3:3; Gen 8:21; Gen 18:6–7; Exod 20:22; Matt 13:16. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.33 (PG 13:1349a–1349c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-33). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.34 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-34 - Source: PG 13:1349c–1353a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The hours correspond to the works needed in each age, the new covenant being the last; the denarius is salvation; and the idleness of the eleventh-hour workers hints at a secret doctrine about the soul. ### Greek text οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι καὶ ἔργα τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ἦν δεόμενα καθʼ ὥραν ἐργατῶνο ἔδει γὰρ ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ ἔργα γίνεσθαι ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, καὶ εἶδεν 6 καλῶν οἰκοδεσπότης τοὺς ἐργάτας, τίνες ἦσαν ἐπιτήδειοι πρὸς τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ’ἐω ἔργα. Ἀλλο δὲ ἔργον περὶ τὴν τρίτην ὤραν ἦν τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε, ὅτε ἔστησεν αὐτῷ 6 Θεὸς διαθήκην. Εἶτα αἱ δέκα ἀπὸ τοῦ Νῶε ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ γενεαὶ καταλήγουσαι ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἀρlxhv—filhqgvt'nrfizlov κλησεωςο καὶ ἦν ἐργάτης τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τότε ἀρξάμενος 6 Ἀβραάμ· καὶ μετʼ αὐ·τὸν Μωῦσῆς μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ παρελήφθη είς τὸν ιμπελῶνα. Ἐλειπε δέ τι τελευταῖον ἔργον ἄμπελῶνι, ὅπερ ἔχρῃζε νεαρᾶς κλήσεως καὶ καινῆς. ἀγμαίως καὶ ἁθρόως ἐν βραχεῖ τὸ λεῖπον ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ἐργαζομένης· τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τὸ τῆς Καινῆς suos? κης. Ἴσα μὲν οὖν διαστήματα τῶν περὶ τρίτην, καὶ ἕκτην, καὶ ἐννάτην κληθέντων· ἀνάλογον δὲ τῷ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπὶ τὴν τρίτην ὥραν, τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Σεννάτης Μωῡσέιιις ὧρας ἐπὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην τῆς Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν σαρκὶ ἐπιδημίας. Συμπεφώνηκε δὲ ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης τοῖς ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ παραληφοεῖσι δηνάριον· τοῦτο δʼ, οἶ·ima ἔστι τδ τῆς σωτηρίας νόμισμα, οὐ συνεξει ταξαμένων αὐτῇ τῶν κατὰ τὴν δόξαν· σωτηρίας γὰρ ὄνομα, οἶμαι, τὸ δηνάριον δόξειο ὅ δὲ τὸ ὑπὲρ τὸ δηνάριον, εἴ που ὁνομασθῇ, νομίσματα τοῦ πενταπλαο σιάσαντος τὴν δεδομένην μνᾶν, ἦ δεκαπλασιά- '0 δὲ λέγω) τοῖς περὶ τὴν τρίτην παραληφθεῖσινο t Ὃ ἐὰν δίκαιον, δώσω ὑμῖν, ι προετρέψατο μὲν τοὺς τῆς τρίτης ὥρας ἐργάτας ἐπὶ τὸ πᾶν δ τί ποτε δύνανται ἐργάσασθαι· ἑαυτῷ δὲ τετήρηκε τὺ κρῖναι τὸν δίκαιον πρὸς τὸ γενόμενον ἔργον μισθόν ἐπεὶ δὲ ὡσαύτως ἐποίησε τοῖς περὶ τὴν ἕκτην καὶ ὲννάτην ὥραν, δηλονότι καὶ αὐτοῖς εἶπεν· ι0 saw ᾖ δίκαιον, δώσω ὑμῖν. ι Καὶ δύνανταί γε ἔργον ἐν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι (Si) πεποιηκέναι τοῖς ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ ἐργασαμένοις οἱ ὲν ὀλιγωτέρῳ χρόνῳ ἐπιτείνειν βουλόμενοι τὴν εἰς τὸ ἔργον δύναμιν καὶ ἐνέργειαν, οὐ προκαμοῦσιν, ὅπερ συμβέβηκε τοῖς ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ κεκλημένοις. Ἀλλὰ ζητήσαι τις πῶς οὐ μόνον ἀργοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲστηκόσιν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, τουτέστι παρὰ πάντα τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἑνδεκάτης ὥρας καιρὸν, φησιν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ἐξελθὼν περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥρανο t Ti ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοίζ Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑπονοῶ τὶν περὶ ψυχῆς ἀπόρρητον καὶ ἐν τούτοις κεκρύφθαι λόγον, ὅτε ἤργουν ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν μέχρι τῆς ἑνδεκάτης ὥραςʼ θέλοντες μὲν (ὗὸὶο ἀμπελῶνα oi τεθαρρηκότως ἀπολογούμενοι, καὶ λέ‹ γοντεςο ι οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο. ι Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἐτολμήσαμεν τοιαῦτά τινα καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν φαντασθέντες Γραφῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς προκειμένης δὲ παραβολῆς εἰπεῖν, εἰς τὸ καταστῆσαι πῶς ὅλην τὴν ὴμέραν ἑστήκασιν ἀργοὶ παρά τὸ μηδένα αὐτοὺς μεμιο σθῶσθαι οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν κεκλημένοι. ### English translation (Claude) I think also that there were works of the vineyard that needed workers at each hour. For works had to be done in the vineyard at dawn, and the householder who calls saw which workers were suited to the works from dawn. Another work, about the third hour, was that in the time of Noah, when God established a covenant with him. Then the ten generations from Noah to Abraham, ending with Abraham, … of the calling; and Abraham was a worker of the vineyard, beginning then; and after him Moses, with those who were with him, was taken into the vineyard. But there remained a last work in the vineyard, which needed a fresh and new calling, one that would work vigorously and all at once, in a short time, what was lacking in the vineyard; and this was the work of the new covenant. Equal, then, are the intervals between those called about the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours; and corresponding to the interval from the beginning to the third hour is that from the ninth hour, the hour of Moses, to the eleventh, that of the coming of Christ Jesus in the flesh. The householder agreed with those taken on at dawn for a denarius. This, I think, is the coin of salvation, the things that belong to glory not being reckoned along with it; for the denarius, I think, will be seen to be a name for salvation, while what is beyond the denarius, wherever it is named, is the coins of the one who made the mina he was given fivefold or tenfold. And in saying to those taken on about the third hour, “Whatever is right I will give you,” he urged the workers of the third hour to work as much as ever they could, but kept for himself the judging of the wage that would be right for the work done. And since he did likewise with those of the sixth and ninth hours, clearly he said to them too, “Whatever is right I will give you.” And those who wish, in a shorter time, to intensify their strength and energy for the work can have done work in the vineyard equal to that of those who worked from dawn, since they have not grown tired beforehand, as happened to those called at dawn. But someone might ask how the householder, going out about the eleventh hour, says to those who were not only idle but standing all day—that is, through all the time before the eleventh hour—“Why do you stand here all day idle?” I suspect that the secret doctrine about the soul is hidden in these words too, since they were idle all day until the eleventh hour, though they wished to work in the vineyard—they who boldly defended themselves, saying, “No one hired us.” We, then, have dared to say some such things, drawing our notions both from many Scriptures and from the parable before us, to show how those called about the eleventh hour stood idle all day because no one had hired them. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:7: quotation, high confidence - Gen 9:9: allusion, high confidence - Gen 11:10: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 19:16: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 19:18: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:1–7, 13; Gen 9:9; Gen 11:10–26 (the ten generations from Noah to Abraham); Luke 19:16–19 (the minas). A few words about Abraham’s calling are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. The “secret doctrine about the soul” is Origen’s view that souls exist before the body (developed in the next passage); it is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.34 (PG 13:1349c–1353a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-34). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.35 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-35 - Source: PG 13:1353a–1357c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen suggests that the place outside the vineyard is the state of souls before the body, that the vineyard extends beyond this life, that the eleventh-hour workers are Christ’s own, and that the vineyard is the kingdom of God. ### Greek text οἱ δὲ μὴ ἀρεσκόμενοι τοῖς τοιούτοις δόγμασι λε·γέτωσαν ἡμῖν τὴν ὅλην ἡμέραν, καὶ τοὺς ἑστῶτας ὃλην ἡμέραν ἀργοὺς, θέλοντας ἐργάσασθαι, μὴ κεκλη μένους εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ παρρησιαζομένους ἐν τῷο ι Οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατοο ι εὶ γὰρ συνεσπάρη ἡ ψυχὴ τῷ σώματι, πῶς ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν εἱστήκεισαν ἀργοι; ἢ λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν τίς η ὅλη ἡμέρα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ διάφοροι, κατά τὰς διαφόρους ὥρας, κλήσεις τῶνκὲργατῶν · πότερον δὲ μακάριοι μὲν οἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ κατά τὴν παραβολὴν οἰκοδεσπότου μεμισθωμένοι, ἦσαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι μεμισθωμένοι ἐργάται ἢτοι ὑπὸ ἐτέρων οἰκοδεσποτῶν, ἢ τοῦ αὐτοῦ · καὶ ἦτοι οὺ μακάριοι ἢ οὐχ οὕτως μακάριοι, ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ἐστι κατʼ ἀξίαν τὸ τοιοῦτον νοῆσαι, ἢ καὶ ὡς νοοῦμεν, γραφῇ τά νοούμενα πιστεῦσαι. Ἐγὼ ζητῶ καὶ τά ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ὅπου εὑρίσκονται οἱ ἐργάται ύπὺ τοῦ ἐξελθόντος αὐτοὺς μισθώσασθαι, καὶ ἐπισκοπῶ μήποτε ἡ χώρα τῶν πρὸ τοῦ σώματος ψυχῶν ἐστὶν, ό ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τόπος ο ἅμπελὼν δὲ ού μόνον τά τῇδε, ἀλλά καὶ τά ἔξω τοῦ σώματος, ἔνθα, οἶμαι, ἐργάζονται οἱ ἐργάταιο ού γὰρ ἐν ἀργίᾳ εἰσιν αἱ ἀπαλλαγεῖσαι τοῦ σώματος ἐργατῶν παραληφθέντων εἰς τὸ χωρίον τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου ψυχαί. Καὶ Σαμουὴλ γοῦν ἔξω σώματος εἰργάσατο προφητεύων, καὶ ἰεο ρεμίας εὐχόμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ. Φιλοτιμούμεθα οὖν καὶ ἐργαζώμεθα τὸν ἀμπελῶνα εἴτε ἐνδημοῦντες, εἴτε ἐκδημοῦντες, ληψόμενοι ὃ ὲάν δίκαιον ° καὶ οὑὂείς γε, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ παραβολῇ, μὴ ἐργασόμενος τὰ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ἔργα ἐξαποστέλλεται εἰς αὐτόν · οὐδένα γὰρ ὡς ἐκλιπέστερον τὸ ἔργον πεποιηκότα ὁ oiκοδεσπότης ἐμέμψατο, εἰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πλείονα καὶ μεί- ν ζονα ἐλπίσαι μισθὸν ἐμέμψατο. Καὶ τάχα ὁ ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τόπος ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγορά, ἔνθα ἦσαν οἱ ἐστῶτες ἀργοί. Μεγάλη δʼ ἡ ἀπολογία πρὸς τὸ ἀξίους αύ- ι τοὺς γενέσθαι τοῦ τῆς ὅλης ἡμέρας μισθοῦ τοῖς είποῦσι λέλεκται, ὃτι, ι Οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατοο ι διόπερ αὐτοὺς ἐμισθώσατο, καὶ, ἵνʼ οὕτως εἴπω, ἀποδέδωκεν αὐτοῖς μισθὸν τοῦ μακροθύμως ἐστηκέναι ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ περιμένειν μέχρι ἑσπέρας τὸν μισθωσόμενον. Μετὰ ταῦτα ὀψίας γενομένης, τουτέστι τῆς συντελείας τῆς τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν ἡμέρας, λέγει τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ ἐαυτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, εἴτε τινι ἀγγέλων τῷ ἐπὶ τῶν μισθῶν, εἴτε καὶ ἐνὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ἐπιτροπευσάντων ἐπιτρόπων · καθὸ λέλεκται ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους καὶ οἰκονόμους εἶναι τὸν κληρονόμον παρά τὸν χρόνον ὃν νήπιός ἐστι. Κατὰ τὺ πρόσταγμα τοίνυν τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου καλοῦνται οἱ ἐργάται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπιτρόπου, ἵνα ό μισθὸς τοῖς ἐσχάτοις πρώτοις δοθῇ · oi γὰρ πρότεροι ἐργάται ι μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου t τῶν ἐν τῇ ἑνδεκάτῃ ῶρᾳ κεκλημένων, ι ἴνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι. ι Καὶ ἐλεήθημέν γε ἐπὶ τῷ ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν στῆναι, καὶ βεβουλῆσθαι ἥκειν ἡμῖν τὸν μισθωσόμενον, ὴργηκέναι δὲ, καὶ μετά ἀπολογίας ἠξιῶσθαι τοῦ ἔργου, καὶ ἐλεηθέντες πρῶτοι τὸν μισθὸν ἀπολήψεσθαι προσδοκῶμεν oi Xptστοῦ γνώριμοι· εἶτʼ ἐπαναβαίνων δώσει τὸν μισθὸν τοῖς πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐργασαμένοις, εἷτα τοῖς πρὸ ἐκείνων, καὶ οὕτως μέχρι τῶν πρώτων. Ἰδὼν δέ τις τὸν τόπον ἔνθα διέτριβε Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἀκολούθως σκοπήσας περὶ τῶν τῆς ἑνδεκάτης κληθέντων ἐργατῶν, ὄψεται τίνα τρόπον ἐβάστασαν τὸ βάρος καὶ τὸν καύσωνα τῆς ἡμέρας πρότεροι ’ oi δὲ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην κληθέντες ὡς ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ούκ ἐβάστασαν τὸ βάρος τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ τὸν καύσωνα, ἐβάστασαν δὲ τὸ βάρος τοῦ ἐο-ιηκέναι ἀργοί. Πρὸ τῆς ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς οὖν παρουσίας τοῦ δεσπότου, ὃς εἶπεν ἡμῖνʼ ι Δεῦτε πρὸς μὲ, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κάγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶςʼ ι (φορτίον γάρ ἦν ἡ ἀργία, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀξίους πω κριθῆναι τῶν ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ἔργων. Καὶ καύσωνά γε ἐβάστασαν οἱ πρὸ τῆς ἑνδεκάτης, ἕκαστος κατʼ ἀναλογίαν τῆς κλήσεωςο) μὴ εἰδότες τὸ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου ἀξίωμα oi πρῶτοι, καί ὅτι οὐ χρὴ γογγύζειν κατά τούτου, πλεῖόν τι σωτηρίας ἦς λαμσάνουσιν οἱ τελευταῖοι, ᾠήθησαν λήψεσθαι, καὶ ἐγόγγυζον κατά τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, φθονοῦντες ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις, μίαν ὥραν τὴν μέχρι τῆς συντελείας πεποιηκόσι, καὶ ἴσοις γεγονόσι τοῖς ἀρχῆθεν κεκλημένοις ὲπὶ τὸν θεῖον ἀμπελῶνα. Ἀλλʼ ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ἑνὶ αὐτῶν εἶπε, τάχα τῷ Ἀδάμ ο ι Ἑταῖρε, οὐκ ἀδικῶ σε. Οὐχὶ δηνάριον συνεφώνησά σοι ; ’Ἃρον τδ σὺν, καὶ ὕπαγε ο ι σὺν γάρ ἡ σωτηρία τὸ δηνάριον. t Θέλω γάρ καὶ τούτῳ, φησι, δοῦναι ὡς καὶσοί· ι καὶ οὐκ εἷπε, t τούτοις, ι ἀλλʼ ἔδειξε τινα κατʼ ἐξοχὴν ἕνα (δὴ ὃν τολμίηρότερον μὲν- εἰπεῖν ὅστις ἐστίν · οὐκ ἀπιθάνως δʼ ἄν τις στοχάσαιτο Παῦλον μὲν εἶναι τὸν ἀπόστολον, μίαν ὤραν ἐργασάμενον τάχα ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τι εἰπεῖν, λαβόντα ἀφορμὴν ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ τοῦ ἑρμηνεύσαντος ὲν τοῖς περὶ ἄλλης παραβολῆς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, φήσομεν, ὅτι ἀμπελών ἐστιν ή βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὕτως γάρ αὐτὸς εἶπεν ἐν τῷ · t Ἀρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ή βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ. ι Πάντες οὖν οἱ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ἐργαζόμενοι, τὰ ἔργα τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀξίως σωτηρίας ὲπιτελοῦντες, τὸ δηνάριον λήψονται. ’ ### English translation (Claude) Let those who are not pleased with such doctrines tell us what the whole day is, and who are those who stood idle the whole day, wishing to work but not called into the vineyard, and speaking boldly in the words, “No one hired us.” For if the soul was sown together with the body, how had they stood idle the whole day? Or let them tell us what the whole day is, and the different callings of the workers in it, according to the different hours. But whether those hired by the householder in the parable are blessed, while there were also other hired workers, hired either by other householders or by the same one, who are either not blessed or not so blessed, is beyond us to understand worthily, or, as we understand it, to entrust to writing. I inquire also into what lies outside the vineyard, where the workers are found by the one who went out to hire them, and I consider whether the place outside the vineyard is the region of souls before the body; and whether the vineyard is not only the things here but also the things outside the body, where, I think, the workers work. For the souls of workers taken into the householder’s estate that have been freed from the body are not idle. Samuel, at any rate, worked outside the body by prophesying, and Jeremiah by praying for the people. Let us therefore make it our aim to work the vineyard, whether at home or away, so as to receive whatever is right. And no one, so far as the parable goes, is sent into it who will not do the works of the vineyard; for the householder blamed no one as having done the work too deficiently, though he did blame one for hoping for a greater and larger wage. And perhaps the place outside the vineyard is the marketplace, where those standing idle were. Great is the defence, toward their becoming worthy of the whole day’s wage, spoken by those who said, “No one hired us”; therefore he hired them and, so to speak, gave them a wage for standing patiently the whole day and waiting until evening for the one who would hire them. After this, when evening came—that is, the completion of the age, and of the day in the parable—the Lord says to his steward, whether to one of the angels who is set over the wages, or to one of many stewards who have held that office; just as it is said that the heir is under stewards and managers for the time that he is a child. According to the householder’s command, then, the workers are called by the steward, so that the wage may be given to the last first. For the earlier workers, “though attested through their faith, did not receive the promise, since God had foreseen something better concerning us”—those called at the eleventh hour—“that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” And we have received mercy for having stood the whole day, wishing that the one who would hire us might come, and having been idle, yet having been thought worthy of the work along with our defence; and having received mercy, we who are known to Christ expect to receive the wage first. Then, going upward, he will give the wage to those who worked before us, then to those before them, and so up to the first. One who has seen the place where Samuel dwelt, and has considered consistently with it the workers called at the eleventh hour, will see in what way those before bore the burden and the scorching heat of the day; while those called at the eleventh hour did not, like them, bear the burden of the day and the scorching heat, but bore the burden of having stood idle—before the coming to us of the Master, who said to us, “Come to me, all who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” (For idleness was a burden, as was not yet being judged worthy of the works in the vineyard; and those before the eleventh hour bore the scorching heat, each in proportion to his calling.) The first, not knowing the dignity of the householder, and that one must not grumble against him, thought they would receive something more than the salvation which the last receive, and they grumbled against the householder, envying us, the last, who worked one hour, the hour up to the completion, and became equal to those called from the beginning to the divine vineyard. But the householder said to one of them, perhaps to Adam: “Friend, I do you no wrong. Did I not agree with you for a denarius? Take what is yours and go”; for the denarius, salvation, is yours. “For I wish,” he says, “to give to this one too as I give to you.” And he did not say “to these,” but indicated one in particular; to say who he is is rather bold, but one might not implausibly conjecture that he is Paul the apostle, who worked one hour, perhaps more than all those before him. And if we must also say something about the vineyard, taking our starting point from the one who himself interpreted the vineyard in another parable, we shall say that the vineyard is the kingdom of God. For so he himself said in the words, “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation producing its fruits.” All, then, who do the works of the vineyard, accomplishing the works of the kingdom of God in a manner worthy of salvation, will receive the denarius. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Sam 28:15: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:9: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:2: allusion, high confidence - Heb 11:39: quotation, high confidence - Heb 11:40: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:28: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:10: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - 2 Macc 15:14 (2 Maccabees): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:6–15; 1 Sam 28:15–19 (Samuel prophesying after death); 2 Macc 15:14 (Jeremiah praying for the people); 2 Cor 5:9; Gal 4:2; Heb 11:39–40; Matt 11:28; 1 Cor 15:10; Matt 21:43. Origen’s view that souls exist before the body and are active after death is translated as written. A running head of the edition, left in the scan, has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.35 (PG 13:1353a–1357c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-35). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.36 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-36 - Source: PG 13:1357d–1360c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: A simpler reading takes the day as a human life: the hours are childhood, youth, manhood, age, and the brink of death; salvation is given equally because God weighs the choice, not the length of service. ### Greek text Μετὰ τὸ ὑπαγορεῦσαι ταῦτα είς τὴν ἐκκειμένην παραβολὴν, καὶ ταῦτα ὑπέπεσεν ήμῖν είς αὐτὴν, χρὴᾱ σιμα εἶναι δυνάμενα τοῖς προσκόπτουσι τῇ βαθυτέρα καὶ ἀπορῤητοτέρα διηγήσει. Φήσει γοῦν τις τὸν πάντα τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον εἶναι τὴν κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν ἠ μέ ραν· δηλοῦσθαι οὖν, τοὺς μὲν ἐκξπαίδων καὶ πρώτης ἡλικίας κληθέντας ἐπὶ τὸ ἐργὰζεσθαι τά τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργα, εἶναιτοὺς ἅμα τῇ ἕῳ μισθωθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου.ο τοὺς δὲ μετά τὸ μειράκιον ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὴν θεοσέβειαν. τοὺς ἀπὸ τρίτης ὧρας παραγενομένους ο τοὺς δὲ ἤδη ἄνδρας, τοὺς περὶ τὴν ἕκτην ἐξαποστελλομένους ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ο τοὺς δὲ πρεσβύτας ἐπὶ τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἀγομένους, εἶναι τὴν ἐνάτην ὤραν, μετά τὸν ἐν νεότητι καύσωνα καὶ τό βάρος τῶν μέχρι τῆς πρεσβυτικῆς ἡλικίας πράξεων, παραληφθέντας ἐπὶ τὸν Λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ · τοὺς δὲ πρὸς αὐτῇ τῇ ἐξόδῳ γέροντας δη-. λοῦσθαι τοὺς τὴν ἑνδεκάτην ὥραν κεκλημένους είς τὰ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ἔργα. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν προαίρεσις, καὶ οὐ χρόνος ἐξετάζεται, ὃν ἐν πίστει πεποίηκέ τις, διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς ἐξ οὗ κέκληνται τά ἐπιβάλλοντα πεποιηκόσι, πᾶσι δίδοται ό τσος τῆς σωτηρίας μισθὸς, ἐφʼ ᾧ ἀγανακτοῦσιν οἱ ἐκπαίδων πιστοὶ, καὶ καμόντες, καὶ βιασάμενοι τὴν νεότητα, εἰ μέλλουσιν ἔχειν ίσην σωτηρίαν τοῖς ἀργοῖς ἀπὸ θεοσεβείας μέχρι γήρως γεγενημένοις, καὶ ὀλίγον καιρὸν ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ ### English translation (Claude) After dictating these things on the parable set before us, the following also occurred to us about it, which can be useful to those who stumble at the deeper and more secret explanation. Someone will say that the whole life of human beings is the day of the parable. It is shown, then, that those called from childhood and the first stage of life to work the works of the kingdom of God are those hired by the householder at dawn; those who come to godliness after boyhood are those who came from the third hour; those who are already men are those sent into the vineyard about the sixth hour; those brought to godliness as elders are the ninth hour, taken to the Word of God after the scorching heat of youth and the burden of the deeds up to the age of elders; and those who are very old, at the very point of departure, are indicated by those called at the eleventh hour to the works of the vineyard. Since, then, it is the choice, and not the time someone has spent in faith, that is examined, the equal wage of salvation is given to all who have done what fell to them from the time they were called. At this those who have been believers from childhood, who have toiled and kept their youth under constraint, are indignant, if they are to have equal salvation with those who were idle as to godliness until old age, and … a short time to faith and … ### Scripture references - Matt 20:1: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:12: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:1–12. The passage breaks off mid-sentence in the scan; the rest of the sentence appears to be lost. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.36 (PG 13:1357d–1360c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-36). ## Commentary on Matthew 15.37 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-37 - Source: PG 13:1360c–1361d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: On the simpler reading the vineyard is the church; those who fall away after being called cannot plead “no one hired us,” though they may still repent and return; Origen ends by asking his readers’ pardon. ### Greek text ’Δμπελὼν δὲ κατά ταύτην τὴν διήγησιν εἴη ἂν ὴ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Θεοῦο ἀγορά δὲ καὶτὰ ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τὰ ἔξω τῆς Ἐκκλησίαςο ὅθεν ό Λόγος παραλαμβάνει τοὺς καλουμένους, καὶ πέμπει ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Οὐκ ἀριθμηθεῖεν δὲ κατά τὴν διήγησιν ταύτην είς τοὺς ἐργάτας τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ὅσοι ἐκλήθησαν μὲν είς τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἓτερον, μὴ τηρήσαντες δὲ τά τῆς πίστεως, νικηθέντες ὑπὸ παθῶν ἐξῆλθονο κᾶν γὰρ μετά τδ ὲμο φορηθῆναι τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἡδονῶν θέλωσιν ὡς με· το.νοοῦντες ἐργάσασθαι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, οὐ δύναντο λέγειν τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ · ‹ Οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο ° ἑμισθώθησαν γάρ καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν πρότερον ἐπὶ τ πιστεὺειν ἐκλήθησαν, ἀλλʼ οὺδέ λελέξεται αὐτοῖς· ι Ἰ ὦδε ἑστήκατε ὃλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί; ι μάλιστα εἰ ι ἀρξάμενοι πνεύματι, ι καὶ ὕστερον ‹ σαρκὶ ἐπιτε λούμενοι, ι πάλιν ἐπανέρχεσθαι βούλοιντο ἐπὶ τὸ ἐ ὑπαρχῆς πνεύματι θέλειν ζῇν. Καὶ οῦ φαμεν ταῦτα ’ἀποτρεπόμενοι ἀνίστασθαι τοὺς πεπτωκότας, ἢ ἐπαε ναστρέφειν τοὺς πεπλανημένους, ἦ παλινδρομεῖι ἐττί τὸν πατρῷον οἷκον τοὺς κατασωτευσαμένους τηε τῆς εὐαγγελικῖκ διδασκαλίας οὐσίαν· ἐχέτωσαν μέε γὰρ, διὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν καὶ τὸ καταλαμβάνεσθαι ἐι ἐπε στραμμένῳ βίῳ, κρείττονα τῶν καταλαμβανομένωε ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαιςο οὺ μὴν χρὴ ὑπολαμβάνειν περί αὑ· τοῦ, ὅτι ὅμοιοί εἰσιυτοέξπαρά τοῦτο ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἐν τῇ νεότητι, παρὰ τὸ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὰ τῆς πιστέως μεμαθηκέναι. Θέλει οὖν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις δοῦναι, ὡς καὶ τοῖς πρώτοις, τὸ δηνάριον, τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἐπεὶ ἔξεστι ποιεῖν ὃ θέλει ἐν τοίς αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐλέγχειν τὸν ἔχοντα πονηρὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπὶ τῷ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην εἶναι ἀγαθόν ἔσονται οὖν πολλοὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων πρῶτοι, καί τινες τῶν πρώτων κληθέντων ἔσχατοι· ι καὶ γάρ οἰ κλητοί μὲν πολλοὶ, οἰ δὲ ἐκλεκτοί εἰσιν ὀλίγοι. ι Εἰκὸς μὲν οὗν, τὸν ἡμῶν σοερώτερον, καὶ κριθέντα παρὰ Θεῷ ἄξιον τρανοτέρου τοῦ ἐν λόγῳ σοφίας διὰ Πνεύματος Θεοῦ χαρίσματος καὶ πλουσιωτέρου, καὶ δωρεᾶς τῆς ἐν λόγῳ γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα, ὑψηλότερα, καί μείζονα, καὶ μετὰ πάσης καταλήψεως εὑρήσειν εἰς τὴν παραβολὴν, καὶ ὰπώείξεων εὐπορήσειν παραλαμβάνοντα εἰς αὑτάς ῥητὰ μεγαλοφυέστερον. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὡς ἐχωρήσαμεν ἐκθέ μενοι τὸν νοῦν τῆς παραβολῆς, αἰτοῦμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων συγγνώμην, εἰ καὶ μὴ κατʼ ἀξίαν καθικέσθαι τοῦ βουλήματος τῶν ἐνταῦθα γεγραμμένων δεδυνήμεθαο τάχα γὰρ τῆς προθυμίας καὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀπωκνηκέναι χάριν δόξομεν ἔχειν ἀποδοχῆς τι ἄξιον. ### English translation (Claude) According to this explanation, the vineyard would be the church of God, and the marketplace and the things outside the vineyard would be the things outside the church, from which the Word takes those who are called and sends them into the vineyard, the church. According to this explanation, those would not be counted among the workers of the vineyard who were called to godliness earlier but did not keep the things of the faith, and went out, overcome by passions. For even if, after having had their fill of the pleasures of sin, they wish, as penitents, to work the vineyard, they cannot say to the householder, “No one hired us”; for they were hired at the time when they were first called to believe. Nor will it be said to them, “Why do you stand here all day idle?”—especially if, “having begun in the Spirit” and afterwards “ending in the flesh,” they should wish to return once more to the desire to live by the Spirit as at the beginning. And we do not say this to deter those who have fallen from rising again, or those who have strayed from turning back, or those who have squandered the substance of the gospel teaching from running back to their father’s house. For let them have, because of their repentance and because they are found in a converted life, something better than those who are found in their sins; yet one must not suppose of them that they are like those who sinned in their youth only because they had never learned the things of the faith at all. The householder, then, wishes to give the last, as well as the first, the denarius, which is salvation, since he may do what he wishes with what is his own, and may rebuke the one whose eye is evil because the householder is good. Many of the last, then, will be first, and some of those called first will be last; “for many are called, but few are chosen.” It is likely, then, that one wiser than we, and judged by God worthy of a clearer and richer gift of the word of wisdom through the Spirit of God, and of the gift of the word of knowledge according to the Spirit, will find loftier and greater things, with full comprehension, concerning the parable, and will have an abundance of proofs, taking texts for them in a more lofty way. And we, having set out the meaning of the parable as far as we could, ask pardon of our readers if we have not been able to reach worthily the intent of what is written here; for perhaps, for our eagerness and for not having shrunk from the task, we shall be thought to have something worthy of acceptance. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:6: quotation, high confidence - Gal 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Luke 15:13: allusion, high confidence - Luke 15:20: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 20:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:8: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:6–7, 15–16; Gal 3:3; Luke 15:13, 17–20 (the prodigal son); Matt 22:14; 1 Cor 12:8. The word rendered “earlier” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 15.37 (PG 13:1360c–1361d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-15-37). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-16-1 - Source: PG 13:1364a–1365b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ went up to Jerusalem knowing what awaited him, and Paul imitated him despite Agabus’s warning; yet wisdom in Christ must discern when to face danger and when to withdraw. ### Greek text r Μέλλων δὲ 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀναβαίνειν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, παρέλαβε τοὺς δώδεκα κατʼ ίδίαν ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ εἶπεν ιύτοῖς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἓως τοῦο ι Ka‘t τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. ὶναστὴσεται. › Τὰ δὲ ἰσοδυναμοῦντα τούτοις καὶ παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ ἀναγέγραπται τοῦτον τὸν τρόπονʼ ι Ἦσαν ’ st ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ ἀναβαίνοντες είς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ἦν προάγων αὐτοὺς 6 Ἰησοῦς, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται. ι Καὶ 6 Δουᾲ Βὲ δόξειητούτοις συνᾴδειν γράψαςο ι Παραλαόὼν. δὲ τοὺς δεκαδύο, εἷπε πρὸς αὐτούς θ ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦο ι Καὶ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον τὰ λεγόμενα. ι Ὀ προῖ τρεπόμενος ἡμᾶς Παῦλος μιμεῖσθαι aii-36v, ὡς, καὶ αῦτδς Χριστὸν ἐμιμήσατο, καὶ εἰπών ο ς Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κάγὼ Χριστοῦ, ι ἰδὼν Χριστὸν ὁμόσε τοῖς προφανέσι κινδύνοις χωροῦντα, καί ἀναβαίνοντα εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, μετά τοῦ προεγνωκέναι, ὅτι παριδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι καὶ γραμματεῦσι, καί κατακριθήσεταιθανάτῳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, τὸ παραπλήσιον πεποίηκενο ὀ μὲν γὰρ Ἀγαὸος λαβὼν αὐτοῦ ι τὴν ζώνην, δήσας ἑαυτὸν χειρῶν καὶ ποδῶν, ἔλεγε· Τάδε λέγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἀγιοψ Τὸν ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ήζώνη αὕτη, οὕτω δήσουσιν ἀπελθόντα είς Ἱεροσόλυμα.,ι Μαθων δὲ ταῦτα 6 Παῦλος, ὡς τὸν διδάσκαλον μιμούμενος, ἀνέβαινε προθύμως εἰς τὰ Ἰεροσόλυμα· ’παι θὼν δέ τι ἀνθρώπινον ὑπὸ τῶν διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὑτὸν ἀγάπην κλαιόντων, καὶ κωλυόντων αὑτὸν ἀναβαίνειν εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα, εἴπεο ι Τί ποιεῖτε κλαίοντες, καὶ συνθρύπτοντές μου τὴν καρδίαν; ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ δεθῆναι εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα γενόμενος ἑτοίμως ἔχω, ἀλλᾶ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου μου Ἰησοῦ. ι Ταῦτʼ οῦν κατανοοῦντες, ἐστιν δτε καὶ γινώσκοντες ἐπικειμένους ἐπιπόνους πειρασμοὺς, ὁμόσε ιῖῦὸ αὐτοῖς atati τὸ εὔλογον χωρήσωμεν, λαβόντες παράδειγμα τῶν τοιούτων προηγουμένως μέν τὸν Σωτῆρα, μετά δέ τοῦτον καὶ τὸν Ἀπόστολον αὑτοῦ. Μὴ νομίσῃς δέ ἐναντιοῦσθαι ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰρημένα τῷ ο ι Ἐὰν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, φεύγετε είς τὴν ἄλλην, ι καὶ τοῖς ἑξῆς, val. τῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀκούσαντα, ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη είς φυλακὴν, ἀνακεχωρηκέναι ο φαμὲν γὰρ, ὅτι οὔτε πάντοτε καθήκει ἐκκλίνειν τοὺς κινδύνους, οὔτε ἀεὶ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν πρὸς αὐτούς ' σοφοῦ δέ τινος ἐν Χριστῷ χρεία είς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ποῖος μὲν ἀπαιτεῖ καιρὸς ἀναχώρησιν, ποῖος δὲ τὴν είς τὸν ἀγῶνα προθυμίαν χωρὶς ἀναχωρήσεως, καὶ πολλῷ πλέον χωρὶς φυγῆς. Καλ ταῦτα μὲν κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τῆς ἐκκειμένης Γραφῆς λελέχθω, είς· προτροπὴν τὴν περὶ τού Θανάτου καὶ κινδύνων καταφρονεῖν. ### English translation (Claude) “And as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately on the way and said to them,” and so on, up to “and on the third day he will rise.” Things equivalent to these are recorded by Mark too, in this way: “They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going ahead of them,” and so on, up to “and on the third day he will rise.” And Luke too will be seen to agree with these, writing: “And taking the twelve, he said to them,” and so on, up to “and they did not know what was said.” Paul, who urges us to imitate him as he himself imitated Christ, and who said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ,” seeing Christ going to meet manifest dangers and going up to Jerusalem, though he knew beforehand that he would be handed over to the chief priests and scribes and condemned to death, and the rest, did something similar. For Agabus, taking his belt, bound his own hands and feet and said: “Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose belt this is they will bind in this way when he goes to Jerusalem.” Learning this, Paul, as one imitating the Teacher, went up eagerly to Jerusalem; and when he felt something human because of those who wept out of love for him and tried to prevent him from going up to Jerusalem, he said: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound when I come to Jerusalem, but also to die for the name of my Lord Jesus.” Considering these things, then, let us sometimes, even when we know that toilsome trials lie ahead, go to meet them for a good reason, taking as our examples in such things first of all the Saviour, and after him his Apostle as well. But do not think that these things, and what we have said about them, conflict with the words, “If they persecute you in this city, flee to the next,” and what follows, or with the fact that Jesus withdrew when he heard that John had been handed over to prison. For we say that it is fitting neither always to avoid dangers nor always to go to meet them; and there is need of someone wise in Christ to discern which occasion calls for withdrawal, and which calls for eagerness for the contest without withdrawal, and much more without flight. Let this be said according to the intent of the Scripture set before us, to urge us to despise death and dangers. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:19: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:32: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:34: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:31: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:34: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 11:1: quotation, high confidence - Acts 21:11: quotation, high confidence - Acts 21:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 4:12: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:17–19; Mark 10:32–34; Luke 18:31–34; 1 Cor 11:1; Acts 21:11, 13; Matt 10:23; Matt 4:12. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.1 (PG 13:1364a–1365b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-16-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-16-2 - Source: PG 13:1365b–1368b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Judas was still one of the twelve and was taken aside with them, not yet given up; this time the disciples kept silent, remembering Jesus’ rebuke of Peter. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς δὲ παρατηρητέον, ὅτι μέλλων 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀναβαίνειν είς Ἰεροσόλυμα, ᾗπερ παρέλαβε τοὺς δώδεκα κατʼ ίδίαν, εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἔτι 6 Ἰούδας ἦν, καὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν παρέλαβε κατʼ ίδίαν· ἔτι γὰρ, εἰκὸς, ἄξιος ἦν τοῦ μετά τῶν λοιπῶν ἕνδεκα παραλαμβάνεσθαι κατʼ ἰδίαν · καὶ ὅτε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς τό· ι Ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνομεν είς Ἰεροσόλυμα, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, δηλονότι καὶ τοῦτον ἔκρινεν ’ἐνα εἶναι τῶν ἀκουόντων ἃ πείσεται 6 Διδάσκαλος, οὐκ ἀπογινώσκων, ὅτι ἔτι Ἰούδας ἠγνόει ἀ ποιήσει, ώς ἕκαστος ἡμῶν · καὶ γὰρ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν λέλεκται· ι Μὴ καυχῶ τὰ είς αὔριον· ού γὰρ οἶδας τί τέξεται η ἐπιοῦσα· ι οὔπω δὲ, οἶμαι, βεβλήκει 6 διάβολος είς τὴν καρδίαν Ἰούδα Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου, ἱνα παραδῷ τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ κατά Ματθαίον πρόκειται νῦν ἐξετάζειν, ἐπιμελέστερον 6 δυνάμενος ἀρχῆθεν τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου ἐπιστήσας τοῖς μέχρι τῶν προκειμένων, ζητησάτω μήποτε οὐδέπω Ἰούδας κατηγόρηται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ματθαίου, ἀλλά μόνον ἰν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν δώδεκα εἷπε τόδ ι Ἰούδας Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου, ὃς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. ι Πλείονα δὲ είς κατασκευὴν τοῦ καὶ Ἰούδαν ὅμοιον τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀποστόλοις πρότερον γεγονέναι λέλεκται ἡμῖν, ἡνίκα ἐξητάζομεν τό· ι Τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἀπέστειλεν 6 Ἰησοῦς παραγγείλας αὐτοῖς, λέγων ι τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα. Συγκριτέον δὲ τὰ ἐνταῦθα λελεγμένα τοῖς ἀνωτέρω παραπλησίως ἀναγεγραμμένοις · ἐπείιτερ ἐκεῖ μὲν, ἐπὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις λόγοις προφητεύομενοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ι προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Πέο τρος, ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾷν αὐτῷ λέγων · Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, ού μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο· ι ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν ἁνεγράφησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ εἰρηκότεςῆ πεποιηκότες ἐπὶ τοῖς περὶ τῶν ἀπαντησομένων σκυθρωποτέρων ἀπηγγελμένοιςο καὶ οἶμαι, ὃτι διὰ τοῦτο ἐσιώπησαν νῦν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἐπείπερ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω, ὅτε ι προσλαβόμενος τὸν Ἰησοῦνὸ Πέτρος ἤρξατο αὐτῷ ἐπιτιμᾷν λέγων· Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, ού μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο, στραφεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἷπε τῷ Πέτρῳ. ’Υπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλόν μου εἴ, ὅτι ού φρονεῖς τὰτοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ι Εἰκὸς οῦν αὐτοὺς, μεμνημένους τῶν πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον λελεγμένων, πε φυλάχθαι ταῦτα, ἢ καί χείρονα ἀκοῦσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Διδασκάλου. ### English translation (Claude) Next we must observe that when Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem and took the twelve aside privately, Judas was still one of the twelve, and he took Judas aside privately too. For, it is likely, he was still worthy to be taken aside privately with the other eleven. And when on the way he said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem,” and what follows, clearly he judged this man too to be one of those who should hear what the Teacher would suffer, not despairing of him, since Judas did not yet know what he would do, just as none of us does. For it has been said to all of us: “Do not boast about tomorrow; for you do not know what the coming day will bring forth.” And the devil had not yet, I think, put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray Jesus. And since the Gospel according to Matthew is now before us for examination, let the one who is able attend more carefully to it from the beginning up to the present passage, and inquire whether Judas has not yet been accused by Matthew, but only, in the list of the twelve, has he said: “Judas son of Simon Iscariot, who also betrayed him.” More has been said by us to establish that Judas too was at first like the other apostles, when we were examining the words, “These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, saying,” and what is recorded there. We must compare what is said here with what is recorded in a similar way above. For there, at such words prophesied by the Saviour, “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Mercy on you, Lord; this shall never happen to you”; but here the disciples are not recorded as having said or done anything at the announcement of the gloomier things that would befall him. And I think that the disciples were silent now because above, when “Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Mercy on you, Lord; this shall never happen to you, Jesus turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling block to me, for you do not think the things of God but the things of men.” It is likely, then, that, remembering what was said to Peter, they were on their guard in these matters, lest they too should hear something worse from the Teacher. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:18: quotation, high confidence - Prov 27:1: quotation, high confidence - John 13:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 10:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 10:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:17–18; Prov 27:1; John 13:2; Matt 10:4 (Origen’s text names Judas “son of Simon Iscariot,” as in John 6:71); Matt 10:5; Matt 16:22–23. Origen refers to his earlier discussion of Matt 10, which is not among the surviving books of this commentary. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.2 (PG 13:1365b–1368b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/15-30/#p-16-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-3 - Source: PG 13:1368b–1372c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen links the Passion to the fall of Jerusalem and the end of its priesthood and temple, reads the earthly temple as a shadow replaced by the heavenly, and applies the Passion figuratively to the Jews of his own day, while the nations see Christ the great light. ### Greek text Ούδὲν δὲ λυπεῖ ἐκθέσθαι τὴν προτέραν καί παραυ πλησίαν τοῖς ὲκκειμένοις λέξιν οὕτως ἔχουσαν· ι Τότε διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι αύτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός ο ι καὶ τὰ ἐξης ἓως τοῦ· ι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθῆναιο ι ἐπὶ τούτοις γὰρ εἴρηται τό · ι Καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὑτὸν ὁ Πέτρος, ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς. Ἔτι δὲ ἀνωτέρω μὲν εἴρηται ἀποκτανθῆναι μέλλειν τδν Σωτῆραʼ ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ εἶδος τῆς ἀναιρέσεως γέγραπται, τὸ σταυρωθῆναι. Ἕως μὲν οὖν Ἰησοῦςού παρεδίδοτο ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις τοῖς ἁρχιερεῦσι καὶ γραμματεῦσιν, οὐδὲ κατεκρίνετο θανάτῳ, οὐδὲ ἐνεπαίζετο, καὶ ἐμαστιγοῦτο, καὶ ἐσταυροῦτο, Ἱεροσόλυμα συνειστήκει, καὶ τδ καλούμενον ἁγίασμα ού κατεβάλλετο· ὅτε δὲ ταῦτα τῷ Ἰησοῦ ποιῆσαι τετολμήκασι, τότε oi παραδόντες αὑτὸν ἐγκατελείφθησαν, καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τοῦ εἶναι ἀρχιερεῖς ἐπαύσαντο, ὡς μηδέ μετʼ αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἀρχιερεῖς · τότε δὲ καὶ οἱ κατακρίναντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν θανάτῳ γραμματεῖς, πωρωθέντες τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τυφλωθέντες τὸν λογισμὸν, ούκ ἔβλεπον τὸ βούλημα τῶν ἁγίων Γραμμάτων. Καὶ πάντες ἐκεῖνοι, κατακρίναντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν θανάτῳ, παρεδόθησαν τῷ ἐχθρῷ Χριστοῦ θανάτῳο καὶ ἐμπαίξαντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ, είς ὲμπαιγμδν γεγόνασι, κυκλωθείσης ὑπὸ στρατοπέδων Ἰερουσαλὴμ, ὅτε καὶ ι ἤγγισενὴ ἐρήμωσις αὐτῆς. ι Ἀλλά καὶτὸν Ἰησοῦν μαστιγώσαντες, αὐτοὶ ὲμαστιγώθησαν, καὶ μαστιγοῦνται ι ἕως τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ ο ι ό γάρ ι βάλλων λίθον είς ὕψος, ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὑτοῦ βάλλει· ι καὶ πάντα ταῦτα γεγένηται, ἶνʼ ἐκείνων μὲν ἀποστῇ ἡ ἐπισκοπὴ, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μεταστῇ σωζομένους ἅμα ι τῷ κατʼ ’ἐκλογὴν λείμματι εί γὰρ μὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν αὐτοῖς σπέρμα, ώς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθησαν, καὶ ώς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθησαν. ι Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι, ὅτι ῶσπερ ὑποδείγματι καὶ σκιᾷ λατρεία πάλαι ἐπιτελουμένη τῶν ἐπουρανίων κατελύθη διὰ τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ ἐλθόντος ἀληθινοῦ ἀρχιερέως, ὁ συμβολικδς ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπαύσατο· καὶ τῶν ἀληθινῶν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν θυσιῶν ἐπιτελουμένων, αἱ συμβολικαὶ καθῃρέθησανο οὕτως ὅτε ἡ ἀληθινὴ Ἰερν δσαλὴμ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐδέξατο ἀναβάντα ἐπὶ τὸ ὑποτ ὑγιον ἐαυτοῦ σῶμα, ἐφʼ ᾧ καὶ ι ἔχαιρε σφόδρα θυγάτηρ Σιὼν, καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν ἡ θυγάτηρ τῆς ἄνω ἔιερουσαλὴμ, ι τότε καθῃρέθη Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ σκιά, καὶ καταπέπτωκεν ὁ ναὸς ό ἐκ νεκρῶν λίθων διὰ τὸν ἐκ ζώντων λίθων ναόν· κατεσκάφη δὲ καὶ τὸ κάτω θυσιαστήριον, ἐπείπερ ἐχρημάτισε τὸ ἐπουράνιον, τὰ ἐγκαίνια αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀληθινῇ λατρεία ποιήσαντος. El δὲ κατά τι τῶν σημαινομένων οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἡ πόλις είσὶ, καὶ νῦν ἐν Ἰεροσολύμοις (οῦτω δὲ καλῶ τοὺς ἔχοντας τὰς ἐλπίδας ἐπὶ τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς τόπον) παραδίδοται δ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ oi ἐπαγγελλόμενοι τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ θεραπείαν Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ ἀρχιε ρεῖς τυγχάνοντες, καὶ οί τά θεῖα Γράμματα αὐχοῦντες διηγεῖσθαι γραμματεῖς, κατακρίνουσι θανάτῳ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, διʼ ὧν κακῶς λέγουσιν αὐτόν· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε οὐ παραδιδόασι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν Ἰησοῦν, ἐμπαίζοντες αὐτῷ, καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ αὐτοῦ παρʼ αὐτοῖςʼ καὶ ἀεὶ ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν μαστιγοῦσι τὴν διά Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ θεοσέβειαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν αὐτὸν σταυροῦσι, διʼ ὧν ἀναθεματίςουσι, καὶ ἀναιρεῖν θέλουσι τὴν διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦʼ ὁ δὲ, κρείττων αὐτῶν τυγχάνων, ὀλίγον διαλιπὼν ἐγείρεται, καὶ ζῶν τοῖς εἰληφόσι τὸ βλέπειν φαίνεται. Νῦν γάρ ι τίς τυφλὸς, ι ὡς Ἡσαΐας ὲκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ φησιν, ι ἢ οἱ παῖδές μου; καὶ τίνες κωφοὶ, ἀλλʼ ἢ οἱ κυριεύοντες canini; ἰ Φησὶ γὰρ μετά μεγάλου καὶ προφητικοῦ ἤθους καὶ πνεύματοςο ι Οί κωφοὶ, ἀκούσατε, καὶ oi τυφλοὶ, ἀναβλέῲατέ ἰδεῖν. Καὶ τίς τυφλὸς, ἀλλʼἢ οί παῖδές μου ; καὶ τίνες κωφοὶ, ἀλλʼ ἢ οἱ κυριεύοντες αὐτῶν ; καὶ ἐτυφλώθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῧο ι Ἦλθε γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ι είς κρῖμα είς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες (είσὶ δʼ οὗτοι τὰ ἔθνη) filiπωσι, καὶ οἱ βλέποντες (ὁ Ἰσραὴλ), ἐκεῖνοι τυφλοὶ γένωνται. ι Τηλικούτου γοῦν φωτὸς ἀληθινοῦ ἀνατείλαντος, καὶ δεικνύντος τοῦ Λόγου αὑτὸν, καὶ φάσκοντος· ι Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ, ’Δνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ι οὐκ εἶδον τὸ φῶς, ἐπεὶ ι ἐτύφλωσεν αύτοὺςή κακία αὖ· τῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν μυστήρια Θεοῦ, ι καὶ παράδοξον γεγένηται τῷ λαῷ ἐκείνῳ καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι· λύχνον μὲν ἕκαστον τῶν προφητῶν τυγχάνοντι ἑώρα ὀ λαὸς, ἀνατείλαντα δὲ τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης Ἥλιον οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· διὸ καὶ εἰ τινα ἐδόκουν ἔχειν λύχνον, ἀφῃρέθη ἀπʼ αὐτῶν λαὸς δὲ ὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὁ καθήμενος ὲν σκότει εἶδε φῶς, οὐχ ὁποῖονὸ Ἰσραὴλ μικρόνο μικρὸν γὰρ φῶς ἕκαστος ἦν τῶν προφητῶν, ἀλλὰ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ὲν σκότει εἶδε φῶς μέγα, τὸν Κύριον καὶ Σωτῆρα ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦί Χριστὸνʼ οὗ τὸ μέγεθος φαίνεται ι διατείνοντος ἀπὸ πέρατος γῆς είς τὸ πέρας αὐτῆς εὐρώστως, καὶ διοιη κοῦντος ι τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ι χρηστῶς ι ὅτε τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ πεπλήρωκε τὴν οἰκουμένην, πληρωθείσης τῆς λεγούσης προφητείας, ι ὲν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐμφανὲς ἔσεσθαι τὸ ὅρος τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι καὶ νῦν ι πορεύονται ἐπʼ αὐτὸ πάντα τὰεέθνψ ι καὶ έστιτοῦτο Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς. Περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου. ### English translation (Claude) It does no harm to set out the earlier passage that is similar to the one before us, which runs thus: “Then he charged his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ,” and so on, up to “and on the third day be raised”; for after this it is said, “And Peter took him aside,” and what follows. Moreover, above it is said that the Saviour was to be killed; but here the manner of the killing is written: being crucified. As long, then, as Jesus was not handed over in Jerusalem to the chief priests and scribes, nor condemned to death, nor mocked, scourged, and crucified, Jerusalem stood, and the so-called sanctuary was not thrown down. But when they dared to do these things to Jesus, then those who handed him over were abandoned, and the chief priests ceased to be chief priests, so that after them there were no more chief priests; and then also the scribes who condemned Jesus to death, hardened in mind and blinded in reason, did not see the intent of the holy writings. And all those who condemned Jesus to death were handed over to death, the enemy of Christ; and having mocked Jesus, they became a mockery when Jerusalem was surrounded by armies, when also “its desolation drew near.” And having scourged Jesus, they themselves were scourged, and are scourged “until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in”; for “he who throws a stone on high throws it on his own head.” And all these things have happened so that the divine oversight might depart from them and pass over to those from the Gentiles who are being saved, together with “the remnant chosen by grace”; for “unless the Lord of hosts had left us offspring, we would have become like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.” I think that, just as the worship long performed as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things was dissolved because of the heavenly things, and when the true high priest came the symbolic high priest ceased, and when the true sacrifices for sins were offered the symbolic ones were abolished; so, when the true Jerusalem received Jesus, who went up mounted on his own body as on a beast of burden—at which “the daughter of Zion rejoiced greatly,” and the daughter of the Jerusalem above made proclamation—then Jerusalem, the shadow, was destroyed, and the temple of dead stones fell because of the temple of living stones; and the altar below was demolished, since the heavenly altar came into use, Jesus having performed its dedication in the true worship. And if, in one of its meanings, the city is the people, then even now in Jerusalem (by which I mean those who have their hopes set on the earthly place) Jesus is handed over; and the Jews who profess the service of God, being as it were chief priests, and the scribes who boast that they explain the divine writings, condemn Jesus to death by the evil they speak of him. And there is no time when they do not hand Jesus over to the Gentiles, mocking him and his teaching among themselves; and they always scourge with their tongues the godliness that comes through Jesus Christ, and they themselves crucify him by their anathemas and by wishing to destroy his teaching. But he, being stronger than they, rises after a short interval and appears living to those who have received their sight. For now, “who is blind,” as Isaiah says in the person of God, “but my servants? And who are deaf, but those who rule them?” For he says, with great prophetic character and spirit: “You deaf, hear; and you blind, look up and see. And who is blind but my servants? And who are deaf but those who rule them? And the servants of God were blinded.” For Jesus came “for judgment into this world, that those who do not see”—these are the nations—“may see, and that those who see”—Israel—“may become blind.” At any rate, when so great a true light had risen, and the Word showed himself and said, “Behold a man whose name is the Dawn,” they did not see the light, since “their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the mysteries of God.” And something paradoxical has happened to that people and to the nations. The people saw each of the prophets, who was a lamp, but did not know the Sun of righteousness when he rose; therefore whatever lamp they seemed to have was taken from them. But the people of the nations, sitting in darkness, saw a light—not a small one, such as Israel saw, for each of the prophets was a small light—but “the people sitting in darkness saw a great light,” our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose greatness appears as he “reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other and orders” the churches “well,” now that his Spirit has filled the world and the prophecy has been fulfilled which says, “In the last days the mountain of God shall be manifest”; and now “all the nations go to it,” and this is Christ Jesus. [On the sons of Zebedee.] ### Scripture references - Matt 16:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 16:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:19: allusion, high confidence - Luke 21:20: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:5: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:29: quotation, high confidence - Isa 1:9: quotation, high confidence - Heb 8:5: allusion, high confidence - Zech 9:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:5: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Pet 2:5: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 42:18: quotation, high confidence - Isa 42:19: quotation, high confidence - John 9:39: quotation, high confidence - Zech 6:12: quotation, high confidence - John 5:35: allusion, medium confidence - Mal 4:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 4:16: quotation, high confidence - Isa 9:2: quotation, medium confidence - Isa 2:2: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 27:25 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence - Wis 2:21 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence - Wis 8:1 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 16:20–22; Matt 20:18–19; Luke 21:20; Rom 11:25; Sir 27:25; Rom 11:5; Rom 9:29 (Isa 1:9); Heb 8:5; Zech 9:9 and Matt 21:5; 1 Pet 2:5; Isa 42:18–19; John 9:39; Zech 6:12; Wis 2:21–22; John 5:35; Mal 4:2; Matt 4:16 (Isa 9:2); Wis 8:1; Isa 2:2. Origen’s statements about Jerusalem, the Jews, and Israel are translated as written, without comment. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition before the next passage. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.3 (PG 13:1368b–1372c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-4 - Source: PG 13:1372c–1377b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The request of the sons of Zebedee, taken literally, seems slight; gathering the biblical texts on God’s and Christ’s sitting and enthronement, Origen argues that such sitting, right and left, is spiritual, not bodily. ### Greek text ι Τότε προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου μετὰ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τού ° ‹ Ἀκούσαντες δὲ οἱ δέκα ἠγανάκτησαν περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν. ι Τὸ ὅμοιον αύτῷ καὶ ὁ Μάρκος ἀνέγραψε τοῦτον τὸν τρόπονʼ ι Καὶ προσπορεύονται αὐτῷ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου· καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ · ι Ἤρξαντο ἀγανακτεῖν περὶ Ἰακώβου καλ Ἰωάννου. ι Ἀξιον ὲν τοῖς προκειμένοις ζητῆσαι νῦν οὐκ εὐκαταφρόνητον καὶ ἀληθῶς Εὑαγγελίῳ πρέπον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦο ἐπεὶ τὸ ῥητὸν τοῖς μὲν ἁπλουστέροις, καὶ πάντη ἀκεραίοις, καὶ βάθη Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν Γραφῶν αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπισταμένοις ζητεῖν, ἐμφαίνει ἁπλότητα ἀξιώσεως, καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀποκρίσεως· τοῖς δὲ κᾶν ἐπὶ ποσὸν δυναμένοις βασανίζειν προβλήματα 6 αὐτόθεν ὲμφαινόμενος νοῦς βραχύς ἐστι, καὶ εὐτελὴς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔχων, μάλιστα ὅτε Ἰησοῦς ἀποκρίνεται, ἁρμόζον αὐτοῦ τῇ μεγαλονοίᾳ · ῶσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ κοσμικῆς βασιλείας ὲν προαγωγῇ δοκοῦσιν εἶναι οἱ συγκαθεζόμενοι τῷ βασιλεῖ ὲν τῇ βασιλικῇ ἐσθῆτι καθεο ζομένῳ, καὶ 6 τιποτοῦν τῶν τῆς βασιλικῆς πραγμάτων διέποντυ οὕτω δόξῃ, κατά τήν λέξιν, φανταζομένή ἡ μήτηρ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου, ἢ, ὡς ό Μάρκος ἀνέγραψεν, Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, ἀξιοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὸ καθεσθῆναι τὸν μὲν ἕτερον ὲκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ ὲν *τῇ βασιλείᾳ τυγχάνοντος, τὸν δὲ λοιπὸν ἐξ ἀριστερῶν· καὶ οὐδὲν ἦν παράδοξον, γυναῖκα άπδάπλότητος καὶ ἰδιωτείας τοιαῦτα νομίζειν ἀξιοῦνʼ δεδόσθω δὲ, ὅτι καὶ oi δύο ἀπόστολοι, ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἔτι ἀτελεῖς, καὶ μηδὲν νοοῦντες βαθύτερον περὶ τῆς βασιλείας Χριστοῦ, τοιαῦτα ὑπελάμβανον περ) τῶν συγκαθεζομένων τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ὲπάν δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὡς συγκατατιθέμενος τῷ μέγα εἶναι τὸ καθεσθῆναι τινα ἐκ δεξιῶν ἢ ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ, ὲπαίρῃ τὴν ἀξίωσιν, καὶ λέγῃʼ ι Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε, ι καῖʼ ι Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλʼ οἷς ἡτοίμασται ὐπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μου,ιζητήσαι τις ἂν συνετὸς δοκῶν εἶναι ἀκροατὴς τῆς Γραφῆς, τί βούλεται τὸ καθέζεσθαι ἐκ δεξιῶν ἢ ἐξ εὐωνύμων Ἰησοῦ ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπολαμβάνοντας γε περιεργότερον ἡμᾶς ταῦτα ζητεῖν, συνακτέον τά περὶ καθίο βασάνῳ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συναγομένων, καὶ παραθέσει αὐτῶν πρὸς ἄλληλα, ἀνατεῖλαι δυνηθῇ μέγεθός τι δόγματις ἀπὸ ἁπλουστέρου παραδείγματος λήφθέντος* οἷον ὲν μὲν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν γέγραπται, ὅτι εἶπε Μιχαίας* ι Εἶδον Θεὸν Ἰσραὴλ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ στρατιά τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περὶ αὐτὸν ὲκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ, ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆςο ὲν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων ὁ αὐτὸς Μιχαίας φησὶ παραπλήσια τούτοις ὲν τῷθ ι ’Δκούσατε λόγον Κυρίου. Εἶδον Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ Θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶσα δύναμις τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἱστήκει ὲκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν αὑτοῦ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ἐν Ἦσατᾳδέ γέγραπταιο t Καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦδ ἐνιαυτοῦ οὗ ersten. Ὀζίας ὁ βασιλεὺς, εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρδνου ὑφηλοῦ ἐπηρμένου, ι ’καὶ τὰ ἐέῆς* ἔτιᾶ καὶ ἐν τῷ Δανιὴλ τοιαῦτα γέγραπταιʼ ι ’Ἐθεώρουν ἕως οὗ θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκάθητο, ι καὶτὰ ἐξῆς. Παραπλήσια τούτοις-ἐστιν εὑρεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ ἰεζεκιὴλ κατὰ ἀρχὴν τῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτε φησίνδ t ’Υπεράνω στερεώματος τοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς αὐτῶν, ι (δῆλον δʼ ὅτι τῶν χερουὸὶμ,) t ὡς ὅρασις λίθου σαπςρείρου, ὁμοίωμα θρόνου ἐπʼ αὐτοῦς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὁμοιώματος τοῦ Optiνου ὁμοίωμα ὡς εἶδος ἀνθρώπου ἄνωθεν· ι ἐνψᾶ τῷ ρθʼ ψαλμῷ τόʼ t Εἶπεν Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ι ἐμφαίνει κάθισιντοῦ Ilaτρὸς, καὶ ἄλλην τοῦ καθεζομένω ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ ψαλμῷ εὐχόμενοςὸ προφήτης φησίν ’ ‹ '0 καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουσίμ, ἐμφάνηθιίί καὶ πάλιν* «Π '0 Θεὸς κάθηται omwueytou αὐτοῦ. ι Et δὲ και ἀπὸ τῶν nam. λίων παράδειγμα βούλει λαβεῖν, ἄκουε Ματθαίου ἀναγράφοντας τίνα τρόπον ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἷπε τοῖς μαθηταίςί( Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, δτί ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀκολουθήσαντες μοι, ’ὲρ τῇ. παλιγῇενεσίᾳξ ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦΙὰνθρώτι-ουῃέπὶ θρδνου δόξης αὐτοῦ, ι καί τὰ ἑξῆς · καί· t ”Απαρτι ὄψεσθε τδννῖίίδν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιέύν τῆς, δυνάμεως, ι Καὶ ὁ Ματθαῖις ταῦτα φησινʼ ι ’Ὅταν ἐλθῃ δʼ Tib; ἀνθρώπου ὲν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ, καὶ πάντες οί ἄγγελοι μετʼ ἀύτοῦ, τότε καθίσει ἐπίι θρόνου δόξης αὑτοῦ,ι καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς· καί· ι Ἀπάρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν fibri τοῦ ανθρώπου καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιιῖλν τῆς δυνάμεως.» Τὸ δὲ ἰσοδυναμοῦνᾌῦηῇ καὶ ὁνΜάρκος defiat“ ἐν τῷ· ί Καὶ δψεσθε τὸν Υίὸν τοῦ ανθρώπουηέκδεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ ἐρέόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελᾶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.. kat Λουκᾶς τὸ ὅμοιόν φησιν ’ἐν τῷν ι ’Ᾰπὺ γὰρ τοῦ νῦν ἔσται ὁ Υἱὸς. τοῦ ἀνθʼρώπου καθήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως-τοῦ Θεοέ. › Καὶ τίημε δεῖ ἐπὶ στλεῖον τὰ τοιαῦτα, συνάγειν, βουλόμενον τὴν εὐτελῆ καὶ ἁπλουστέραν καὶ ταττεινωτέραν ἐκδοχὴν· περὶ τῆξ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾷ καθίσεως τοῦ Ἰέριστοῦ, ’καὶ stin! ἐκ δεξιῶν ἦ ἐξ είδωνύμων αὐτοῦ καθεδουμένων παραστῆ σαι μυστικ-ωτέρανξ ἵνʼ εὐλόγως δυνηθῇ ὑπὸ τίῖιν ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα νοήματα ἀναβαινεινοῖων τε ὄντων ἐξετασθῆναι, καὶ εὑρεθῆναί τι ἄξιον, ι τοῦ ἀνακρίναντος πάντα πνευματικοῦ. καὶ ὑπʼ οὐδενὸς άνακρινομένου,› ἀνάλογον ταῖς τοῦ Παύλου περὶ πνευματικῶν φωνῶν τῶν εύαγγελικῶν ἐροῦντος· ὡς γὰρ Παῦλος, κατά τὸν πνευματικὸν ἐκλαβὼν νόμον τὰ περὶ τοῦ μάννα, καὶ τῆς πέτρας, καὶ τοῦ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς ὓδατος, φησίʼ ι Καὶ πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ βρῶμα πνευματικὸν ἔφαγον, καὶ πάντες τὸ αὐτὸ πόμα πνευματικὸν ἔπιον (ἔπινον γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέρ τρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός)· ι οὕτως εἴποι ἂν ὁ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν ταύτην ἑστὼς πνευματικὸς, καί ἐπὶ τούτῳ εύχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ λέγων καὶ περὶ ίὲαυτοῦο ε Ἔστησεν ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου, καὶ κατεύθυνε τὰ διαὸή ματά μου, ιὸτι πνευματική ἐστινὴ κάθισις Θεοῦ ἐπὶ πνευματικοῦ θρόνουο καὶ ἡ Χριστοῦ ὁμοίως, καὶτὸ ὲκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως καθέζεσθαι τὸν Χριστὸν, πνευματικόν ἐστιν· οὐδὲν γὰρ κατὰ ταῦτα δηλοῦται περὶ σωματικῆς καθίσεως, ἢν ὠρίσαντο ὲδρασμδν εἶναι ἐπὶτῶν ἰσχίων ἑδραζομένων ὲπί τινος ἔδραςʼ καὶ γὰρ γελοῖον, διὰ τὸ σωματικῶς ταῦτα ὠνομάσθαι, νομίζειν θρόνους τινὰς εἶναι δεδημιουργημένους, οὐκ οἶδα ἐκ ποίας ὕλης, δεκτικοὺς τῆς καθίσεως τοῦ Θεοῦῆ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ῆ τῶν καθεζομένων ὲκ δεξιῶν,ἢ ἐξ εὐωνύμων Χριστοῦ, οἷς ἡτοίμασε τὸ τοιοῦτον ό Πατήρ· οὐκ οἴδα εί εὐαγές ἐστι σωματικὸν νομίζειν εἶναι τὸ ὲκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστηκέναι τὴν στρατιὰν τοῦ ού· ρανοῦ σωματικῶς, ἢ πάλιν οἴεσθαι τοῦς σωζομένους καὶ ἐπαινουμένους ὲν τοῖς σωματικοῖς εἶναι δεξιοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοὺς δὲ ψεκτοίις καὶ ἀπολουμένους ὲν τοῖς ἀνάλογον τούτοις σωματικοῖς εὐωνύμοις. ### English translation (Claude) “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons,” and so on, up to “And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.” Mark too recorded the like, in this way: “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him and say to him,” and so on, up to “they began to be indignant at James and John.” In the passage before us it is worth inquiring now into something not to be despised and truly befitting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For to the simpler and wholly guileless, who do not know how to search the depths of God and of his Scriptures, the letter shows a simplicity in the request and in Jesus’ answer to it; but to those able to test problems even a little, the sense that appears at once is slight and cheap, and has nothing befitting his greatness of mind, especially when Jesus answers. For as in an earthly kingdom those who sit with the king when he is seated in his royal robes are thought to be advanced in honour, as is anyone who administers any of the affairs of the kingdom, so, according to the letter, the mother of the sons of Zebedee—or, as Mark recorded it, James and John—imagining such glory, asked of the Saviour that one of them might sit at his right when he was in his kingdom, and the other at his left. And there was nothing strange in a woman, out of simplicity and lack of learning, thinking to ask for such things; and let it be granted that the two apostles too, as men still imperfect and understanding nothing deeper about the kingdom of Christ, supposed such things about those who would sit with Jesus. But when Jesus too, as though agreeing that it is a great thing for someone to sit at his right or his left, exalts the request and says, “You do not know what you are asking,” and, “It is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father,” someone who seems to be an intelligent hearer of Scripture might ask what it means to sit at the right or the left of Jesus in his kingdom. And against those who suppose that we inquire into these things too curiously, we must gather what is said about sitting, so that by testing what is gathered for this and comparing the texts with one another, some greatness of doctrine may be able to dawn from a simpler example. For example, in the third book of Kingdoms it is written that Micaiah said: “I saw the God of Israel sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven around him on his right and on his left,” and so on. And in the second book of Chronicles the same Micaiah says something similar in the words: “Hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on the throne of his glory, and all the power of heaven was standing on his right and on his left,” and so on. And in Isaiah it is written: “And it came to pass in the year in which King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up,” and so on. Further, in Daniel such things are written: “I watched until thrones were set, and the Ancient of Days sat,” and so on. Similar things can be found also in Ezekiel at the beginning of his prophecy, when he says: “Above the firmament over their heads”—clearly the cherubim’s—“as the appearance of sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne upon it; and upon the likeness of the throne a likeness as the form of a man above.” Also in the hundred and ninth Psalm the words, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,” show a sitting of the Father, and another of the one who sits at his right. And again in another Psalm the prophet prays and says: “You who sit upon the cherubim, appear”; and again: “God sits upon his holy throne.” And if you wish to take an example from the Gospels as well, hear Matthew recording how Jesus said to the disciples: “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory,” and so on; and: “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power.” And Matthew says this: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory,” and so on; and: “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power.” Mark says the equivalent in the words: “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with the clouds of heaven”; and Luke says the like in the words: “From now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And why must one gather more such texts, wishing to present, in place of the cheap, simpler, and lower interpretation of Christ’s sitting in his kingdom and of those who will sit at his right or his left, a more mystical one, so that it may reasonably be examined by those able to rise to divine thoughts, and something may be found worthy of “the spiritual man who judges all things and is himself judged by no one,” who will speak about the words of the Gospel in a way corresponding to Paul’s words about spiritual things? For as Paul, taking what concerns the manna, the rock, and the water from it according to the spiritual law, says, “And all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink (for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ),” so the spiritual man who stands on this rock, giving thanks to God for it and saying of himself, “He set my feet upon a rock and directed my steps,” would say that God’s sitting on a spiritual throne is spiritual, and Christ’s likewise, and that Christ’s sitting at the right hand of the power is spiritual. For nothing is shown in these texts about a bodily sitting, which they defined as the settling of the haunches upon a seat. For it is laughable, because these things are named in bodily terms, to think that certain thrones have been fashioned, of I know not what material, able to receive the sitting of God, or of Christ, or of those who sit at the right or the left of Christ, for whom the Father has prepared this. I do not know whether it is pious to think it bodily that the host of heaven stands, in a bodily way, at the right and the left of God; or again to suppose that those who are saved and praised are on the bodily right of our King Jesus Christ, and those who are blamed and perish on a corresponding bodily left. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:24: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:35: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:41: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:23: quotation, high confidence - 1 Kgs 22:19: quotation, high confidence - 2 Chr 18:18: quotation, high confidence - Isa 6:1: quotation, high confidence - Dan 7:9: quotation, high confidence - Ezek 1:26: quotation, high confidence - Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 80:1 (79:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 47:8 (46:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 19:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 26:64: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:31: quotation, high confidence - Mark 14:62: quotation, high confidence - Luke 22:69: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:4: quotation, high confidence - Ps 40:2 (39:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:33: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:20–24; Mark 10:35–41; Matt 20:22–23; 1 Kgs 22:19 (3 Kgdms 22:19 LXX); 2 Chr 18:18; Isa 6:1; Dan 7:9; Ezek 1:26; Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX); Ps 80:1 (79:2 LXX); Ps 47:8 (46:9 LXX); Matt 19:28; Matt 26:64; Matt 25:31; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69; 1 Cor 2:15; 1 Cor 10:3–4; Ps 40:2 (39:3 LXX); Matt 25:33. Origen quotes Matt 26:64 twice in the scan. A running head of the edition, left in the scan, has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.4 (PG 13:1372c–1377b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-5 - Source: PG 13:1377b–1381a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ’s sitting on his throne is his restoration to his kingdom when sin and every hostile power are abolished; the right and left may be the invisible and visible creation; the places are the Father’s to give. ### Greek text Ἀλλά μήποτε τὸ μὲν ἀποκαταστῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπολαῦόντα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀρχὴν Χριστὸν, καταργηθείσης τῆς βασιλευούσης ἐν τοῖς θνητοῖς σώμασι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτίας, κα) πάσης τῆς ἀρχούσης τῶν πονηρῶν ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἐξουσίας, καὶ δυνάμεως, τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸ καθεσθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦʼ τὸ δὲ καὶ δεξιὰ ποιῆσαι πάντα τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα μηκέτι σκαιόν τι πρὸς αὐτὸν, τοῦτʼ ἔστι τὸ ἐσόμενον tv τοῖς ὲκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως ἐσομένοις, πρὸς παράδειγμα μέλλουσι βλέπειν τὸ ὲκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως, καθέζεσθαι ὲκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων αὐτοῦ ὲν τῇ βασιλείᾳ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Λόγουο οὓς. ἀποκαθίστησιν δ Θεὸς συνεργήσας αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἑτοιμάσας τὸ ἐγγίζειν τῇ Χριστοῦ ὑπεροχῇ, ἵνʼ ὁ μὲν προηγούμενος τῶν ἐγγιζόντων ὲκ δεξιῶν, χαὶ οἷον analyzνος αὐτοῦ, καὶ κολλώμενος τοῖς τοῦ Λόγου agam-5 δὲ ὑποδεέστερος ἐγγὺς τῶν ἀριστερῶν αὑτοῦ. Δεξιὰ δὲ ὅρα εἰ δύνασαι νοῆσαι Χριστοῦ τὰ ἀόρατα ὀνομαρ ζόμενα κτίσματα, ἀριστερὰ. δὲ τὰ δρατὰ καὶ σῶμα. τικάʼ ἀλλὰ Χριστὸς μὲν πάντων βασιλεύει. Ἤδηᾶ τῶν ἐγγιζόντων αὐτῷ oi μὲν κεκλήρωνταιτὰόεξιὶ καὶ νοητὰ, οἱ δὲ τὰ ἀριστερὰ καὶ αἰσθητὰ. Καὶ μή ποτε ἢ ἀληθινὴ μήτηρ τῶν υίῶν Ζεβεδαίου, οὓς λεσε Βοανεργὲς 6 Σωτὴρ, ὃ ἐστιν υἱοὶ βροντῆς,ἧ βροντὴ, μεγάλα κρίνασα περὶτῶν υἱῶν αὐτῆς Ἰακὼδω καὶ Ἰωάννου (καὶγὰρ ἦσαν μεγαλοι), καὶ dimissoita αὐτοὺς τὰ πρωτεῖα δύνασθαι ἔχειν παρὰ πᾶσαν γεννητὴν φύσιν, ὡς χωρήσαντας τὴν μεγαλοφωνίαν αὐτῆς, προσελθοῦσα ὴξίου τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα ίὸρὺςῃ τὸν μὲν ἕτερον αὐτῶν ὲκ δεξιῶν, τὸν δʼ maliti εὑωνύμωνο ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ διελέγχων καὶ τὴν mimiτην μεγαλόφωνον μητέρα τοῦ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάνα νου, ὡς ἁγνοοῦσαν τίνες οἱ ὑπερέχοντες, xxi. ὅτι ἡ τηλικαύτη δωρεὰ χάρις ἐστί τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι Θεοῦ συμπνέοντος, καὶ συνεργοῦντος, καὶ ἱδρύοντος ὲν τῇ τοι· αὐτη ὑπεροχῇ, οὓς οἶδεν ἐπιτηδείους, εἶπε τό· ι Οὔκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε,› καί· ι Τὸ καθίσαι ὲκ δεξιῶν μου ἦ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ὲμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλʼ οἷς fimiμασται ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μου.) Ἐπιστήσει δὲ 6 δυνάμενος τίνα μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος δίδοται, τίνα ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρδς, ὁρῶν, ὅτι ἐστι τινὰ ἃ. οὐ δῴη ἂν 6 Υίδςι ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς 6 Πατήρ. Εἰ δὲ τοιοῦτόν τι παρίστησι καὶ τὰ Εὐαγγὲλια, ὅπου μὲν εἰσάγοντα τὸν Σαπῆραεΰο χόμενον περί τινων δυνάμεων, ἴνα αὐτῷ ὑπαρχθῇ τὰ αἰτήματα ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρός ὅπου δὲ χωρὶς εὐχῆς πηιοὖντα, ὡς ἤδη ἔχοντα ἐκεῖνα περὶ ὧν ἠξίωτο, τολμηρὸν μὲν ζητῆσαι, ὅμως δὲ 6 δυνάμενος μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ ταῦτα ἐξεταζέτω. Παραστῆσαι δʼ, οἶμαι. βουλόμενος τῇ μητρὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου καὶ αὐτοῖς. ὅτι atati. ἔλειπεν αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὸ τελειῶσαι τὰ ὲν ἀνθρώποις ἐφικτὰ, οὐ τὰ τυχόντα, ἀποκριθεὶς εἶτα μετὰ τό· ι Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε, ι τόο «Δύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον, ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν; ι ἢ, ὡς ὁ Μάρκος ἀνέγραψεο ι Δύνασθε τὸ ποτήριον πιεῖν, δ ἐγὼ πίνω, me βάπτισμα ὂ ἐγώ βαπτίζομαι, βαπτι- ### English translation (Claude) But perhaps Christ’s being restored to the kingdom and receiving back his own rule—when the sin that reigns in the mortal bodies of human beings has been abolished, and every rule and authority and power that rules the wicked—this is his sitting on the throne of his glory; and his making all things right-hand things to God, so that nothing is any longer left-hand toward him, this is what will take place in those who will be at the right hand of the power, who are to see, as their pattern, the right hand of the power, and to sit at his right and his left in the kingdom of Christ the Word. These God restores, having worked together with them and prepared them to come near to the preeminence of Christ, so that the foremost of those who come near is at his right, being as it were … to him and cleaving to the things of the Word, while the one who is lower is near his left. And see whether you can understand as Christ’s right the creatures called invisible, and as his left the visible and bodily ones; yet Christ reigns over all. Already, of those who come near him, some have been allotted the right-hand and intelligible things, others the left-hand and perceptible things. And perhaps the true mother of the sons of Zebedee, whom the Saviour called Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder, is thunder; and she, judging great things of her sons James and John (for they were great), and thinking that they could hold the first places above all created nature, as men who had received her great voice, came and asked the Lord to seat one of them at his right and the other at his left. And the Saviour, reproving even this great-voiced mother of James and John as not knowing who are the preeminent, and that so great a gift is a grace of the God over all, who breathes with, works with, and establishes in such preeminence those whom he knows to be fit, said: “You do not know what you are asking,” and: “To sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” The one who is able will consider which things are given by the Saviour and which by the Father, seeing that there are some things which the Son would not give, but the Father himself. And if the Gospels too present something of this kind—in some places bringing in the Saviour praying about certain powers, that his requests may be granted him by the Father, and in others acting without prayer, as one who already has what he had asked for—it is bold to inquire into it; nevertheless let the one who is able examine these things too, with reverence. Wishing, I think, to show the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and them, that what they lacked for the completion of what is attainable among men was no ordinary thing, he answered, after “You do not know what you are asking,” with the words: “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” or, as Mark recorded it: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized, to be bapti- ### Scripture references - Rom 6:12: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 19:28: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:64: allusion, high confidence - Col 1:16: allusion, high confidence - Mark 3:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:23: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:38: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Rom 6:12; 1 Cor 15:24; Matt 19:28; Matt 26:64; Col 1:16; Mark 3:17; Matt 20:21–23; Mark 10:38. Origen’s statements about what the Son and the Father give are translated as written. A word after “being as it were” is garbled in the scan and marked “…”. The passage breaks off in the middle of a word (“bapti-”), and the next passage (16.6) begins a new sentence; the end of the quotation of Mark 10:38 seems to have been lost at a chapter boundary set by the importer without confirmation. The text is translated as staged. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.5 (PG 13:1377b–1381a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-6 - Source: PG 13:1381a–1385c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The cup and the baptism both signify martyrdom: a cup in the enduring of pain, a baptism in the forgiveness of sins it brings; James and John drank it, James killed by Herod and John exiled to Patmos. ### Greek text Καὶ ἐν τούτοις τε ζητήσει τις τί τὺ ποτήριον, καὶ τί τὺ βάπτισμα, ὡς ’ἐτερα ἀλλήλων, καὶ δεόμενα ού τῆς τυχούσης δυνάμεως, τῆς τοῦ πιομένου, ἢτοῦ βαπτισθησομένου, καὶ πιομένου οὐκ ἄλλο ποτήριον ἢ δ ἔμελλε πίνειν ό Ἰησοῦς, βαπτισθησομένου τε παραπλησίως βάπτισμα, δ αὐτὸς ἔμελλε βαπτίζεσθαι ό Κύριος. ὁὶ πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν τὰ ἀμφότερα ἄγουσιν είς τὴν κατὰ τὸ μαρτύριον οίκονομίαν, ού παριστάντες οὔτε εί δύο ἐπινοίας ἔχει δηλουμένας διὰ τῶν δύο ὀνομάτων ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει τυγχανόντων, οὔτʼ εἰ δύναται καὶ δύο δηλοῦσθαι ἐν τούτοις πράγματα. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἀποδοκιμάζομεν μὲν καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐκδοχὴν, ἐφίσταμεν δέ εί δύναται καὶ ἄλλο ’τι δηλοῦν παρὰ ταῦτα τὰ δύο ὀνόματα. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πολύ ἐστι τὸ νῦν ἀκριβῶς διαλαβεῖν περὶ αὐτῶν, ὀλίγα είς τὸ στῆναι τὰ ἐμφαινόμενα ἡμῖν παραστήσομεν είς τὸν τόπον· καὶ είς μὲν τὸ δηλοῦσθαι ἐν τούτοις τὸ μαρτύριον, οὐ μόνῳ χρήσεταί τις τῷο ι Πάτερ, εί δυνατὸν, παρένεγκε τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἀπʼ,ἐμοῦ,› ὡς ἐπιπόνως πινόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀναδεχομένου τοὺς ἐν τῷ μαρτνρίῳ ἀγῶνας, ἕως τις ἐκπίῃ ὑπομείνας τὰ κατὰ τὸν c ἐν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ,πειρασμὸν πάντα τὰ προσαγόμενα αὐτῷ· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐν ριε ψαλμῷ εἰρημένῳ· ι Τί ἀνταποδώσω τῷ Κυρίῳ περὶ πάντων ὧν ἀνταπέδωκέ μοι; Ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι καὶ, τὺ δνομα Κυρίου ἐπικαλέσομαι. Τὰς εὐχάς μου τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀποδώσω ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τίμιος ἐναν· τίον Κυρίου ὁ Θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ· ι οὐδὲν γὰρ δυνάμεθα πλεῖον ἀποδοῦναι τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐφʼ οἷς εύεργετήθημεν, ἢ τὺ τοῦ σωτηρίου ποτήριον προθύμως λα- 6εῖν, καὶ ἐπικαλέσασθαι τὸ τοῦ Κυρίου ὄνομα εἰς τὸ πιεῖν αὑτό· ἐν ᾦ ἐκπινομένῳ ἀποδίδωσί τις τὰς εύχὰς αὑτοῦ πάσας τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐναντίον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Σαφῶς δὲ ἐδίδαξεν ὲν τούτοις, ὅτι τὸ ποτήριόν ἐστιν 6 ἐπαγαγὼν τοῖς κατὰ τὸ mf: ριον τό· ‹ Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ. ι Τῇ δὲ ἐπινοίᾳ. τὸ μαρτύριον δύο ἐστὶν. ὧν τὸ μὲν ἓν καλεῖται ποτήριον σωτηρίου, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν βάπτισμα· καὶ καθὸ μὲν ὑπομένει τις τοὺς πὸς νους, ποτήριόν ἐστιν ὲκπινόμενον ὐπὸ τοῦ φέροντος πάντα τὰ προσαγόμενα είς ἑαυτὸν, ἁναλαμὸάνοντος, καὶ οἱονεὶ πίνοντος τὰς ἀλγηδόνας, καὶ μὴ ἀπωθουμένου αὐτάς, μηδὲ ἁποὸάλλοντος, καὶ ἐμοῦντος· καΰὸ δὲ ἄφεσιν λαμβάνει ἁμαρτημάτων 6 ὑπομείνας, βάπτισμά ἐστιν· εί γὰρ τὸ βάπτισμα ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπαγγέλλεται, καίὼς παρειλήφει μεν περὶ τοῦ ὲν ὐδατι καὶ πνεύματι βαπτίσματος, ἄφεσιν δὲ λαμβάνει ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ ὁ τὸ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ὑπομείνας βάπτισμαο βάπτισμα τὸ μαρτύριον εὐλόγως λέγοιτʼ άν · ὅτι δὲ ἄφεσις ἁμαρτημάτων γίνεται τῷ τὸ μαρτύριον ὑπομείναντι, δῆλον ὲκ τοῦ · ι Πᾶς ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κάγὼ ὲν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. › Ὁμολογεί δὲ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατρὺς ὁ Σωτὴρ πάντα τὸν ὁμολογήσαντα, κᾶν τύχῃ πρὸ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὁτιποτοῦν ἁμαρτών ο εί γὰρ τοὺς ὁτιποτοὖν ἁμαρτήσαντας οὐχ ὁμολογήσει, οὐκ ἔσται ἁληθὲς τό· ι Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ὲν ἐμοὶ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐκ οἶμαι δʼ ὃτι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατρός ὁμολογήσει 6 Σωτὴρ τὸν ὁποιῳποτοῦν ἔνοχον ἁμαρτήματι· παρρησιαζομένου γὰρ ἐνώπιον Πατῴς ἐστιν ἡ ὁμολογία ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμολογουμένῳ, ὼς ἀξίῳ τῆς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ila-:96; ὁμολογίας. Μὴ σαινέτω δὲ ἡμᾶς εί ὁ Σωτὴρ παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ καί τὸ ποτήριον πίνει, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα βαπτίζεται καὶ γάρ ήνίκα ὁ Ἰωάννης ι ἦλθεν εἷς πᾶσαν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, ι καὶ Ἰησοῦς παραγίνεται πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, τοῦ βαρ πτιώῆναιρὑ αὐτοῦ, οίονεὶ ἀπολουόμενος τὰ ἡμέτερα ἁμαρτήματα, ἶνʼ ἡμεῖς καὶ τῷ λουτρῷ αὑτοῦ καθαρισθῶμεν· μᾶλλον δὲ ἐμφαίνεται τὸ καθαρίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τῷ μαρτυρίῳ αὐτῷ, καθὸ ὲὸαπτίζετο ἀναἠμῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ίνα αὐτὰς ’λύσῃ καὶ ἀφʼ ἡμῶν, και ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ· διόπερ ‹ δ ἀπέθανε, τῇ ἁμαρτεᾳ ήμῶν, ι ἐπεὶ αὐτὸς ἀπέθανε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾴή οὗ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ · sf γε ἔχειν λόγον τὸ τοιοῦτον δόξαι τισὶ, πεπώκασι δὲ ποτήριον καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐβαπτίσθησαν οἱ τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου υίοὶ, ἐπείπερ Ἡρώδης μὲν ἀπέκτεινεν Ἰάκωβον τὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳʼὁ es Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς, ὡς ὴ παράδοσις (δι) διδάσκει, κατεδίκασε τὸν Ἰωάννην μαρτυροῦντα διὰ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγον είς Πάτμον τὴν νῆσον. Διδάσκει δὲ τὰ περὶ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἑαυτοῦ Ἰωάννης, μὴ λέγων τίς αὐτὸν κατεδίκασε, φάσκων ὲν τῇ Ἀποκαλὺψει ταῦτα ’ ι Ἐγὼ Ἰωάννης ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν, καὶ συγκοινωνδς ἐν τῇ θλίψει, καὶ βασιλείᾳ, καὶ ὑπομονῇ ὲν Ίησοῦ, ἐγενόμην ὲν τῇ νήσῳ τῇ καλουμένῃ Πάτμῳ διὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι καὶτὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ἔοικε τὴν Ἀποκάλυψ-ιν ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τεθεωρηκέναι. ### English translation (Claude) In these words one will also ask what the cup is and what the baptism is, as being different from one another, and as requiring no ordinary power in the one who is to drink and to be baptized—who is to drink no other cup than the one Jesus was about to drink, and likewise to be baptized with the baptism with which the Lord himself was about to be baptized. Most people, then, refer both to the ordering of martyrdom, without showing whether it has two aspects indicated by the two names while being one in reality, or whether two things too can be indicated by them. We do not reject this interpretation, but we consider whether these two names can indicate something else besides. And since it is a great task to treat them precisely now, we shall set out a few things to establish what appears to us in the passage. To show that martyrdom is indicated by them, one will use not only the words, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me”—as a cup that is drunk with toil by the one who takes up the contests of martyrdom, until he drinks it to the end, having endured in the trial of martyrdom all that is brought upon him—but also what is said in the hundred and fifteenth Psalm: “What shall I render to the Lord for all that he has rendered to me? I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord before all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones.” For we can render nothing more to the Lord for the benefits we have received than to take the cup of salvation eagerly, and to call upon the name of the Lord in order to drink it; and in drinking it to the end one pays all his vows to the Lord before all his people. And he taught clearly here what the cup is, by adding to the words about the cup: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his holy ones.” In concept, martyrdom is two things, one of which is called the cup of salvation and the other baptism. Insofar as one endures the pains, it is a cup, drunk to the end by the one who bears all that is brought upon him, taking up and as it were drinking the pains, and not thrusting them away nor casting them out and vomiting them. And insofar as the one who has endured receives forgiveness of sins, it is baptism. For if baptism promises forgiveness of sins, as we have received concerning the baptism in water and Spirit, and the one who has endured the baptism of martyrdom also receives forgiveness of sins, martyrdom might reasonably be called baptism. And that forgiveness of sins comes to the one who has endured martyrdom is clear from the words: “Everyone who confesses me before men, I too will confess him before my Father in heaven.” The Saviour confesses before the Father in heaven everyone who has confessed, even if before the confession he happened to have sinned in any way whatever; for if he will not confess those who have sinned in any way whatever, the words “Everyone, then, who will confess me,” and what follows, will not be true. But I do not think that the Saviour will confess before the Father in heaven one who remains guilty of any sin whatever; for confession before the Father belongs to one who speaks boldly about the one confessed, as worthy of confession before the Father. And let it not unsettle us that in Mark the Saviour both drinks the cup and is baptized with the baptism. For when John “came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus too comes to John to be baptized by him, as though washing away our sins, so that we too may be cleansed by his washing; or rather, our being cleansed is shown by his martyrdom, inasmuch as he was baptized taking up our sins, in order to loose them both from us and from himself. Therefore “the death he died, he died to our sin,” since he died to sin—not his own, but ours—if indeed such a thing seems reasonable to some. And the sons of Zebedee drank the cup and were baptized with the baptism, since Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword, and the king of the Romans, as tradition teaches, condemned John, who bore witness for the word of truth, to the island of Patmos. John teaches about his own martyrdom without saying who condemned him, speaking thus in the Apocalypse: “I John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God,” and what follows; and he seems to have seen the Apocalypse on the island. ### Scripture references - Mark 10:38: allusion, high confidence - Mark 10:39: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:39: quotation, high confidence - Ps 116:12 (115:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 116:13 (115:4 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 116:14 (115:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 116:15 (115:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 3:5: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 10:32: quotation, high confidence - Luke 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:13: allusion, high confidence - Rom 6:10: quotation, high confidence - Acts 12:2: allusion, high confidence - Rev 1:9: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Mark 10:38–39; Matt 26:39; Ps 116:12–15 (115:3–6 LXX; Origen’s “hundred and fifteenth Psalm” follows the Greek numbering); John 3:5; Matt 10:32; Luke 3:3; Matt 3:13; Rom 6:10 (Origen’s text reads “our sin”); Acts 12:2; Rev 1:9. This passage begins a new sentence although the preceding one (16.5) breaks off mid-word; see the note there. Origen’s teaching that martyrdom is a baptism bringing forgiveness of sins is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.6 (PG 13:1381a–1385c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-7 - Source: PG 13:1385c–1388d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Another view: as Christ’s food is doing the Father’s will, his cup is contemplation; so at the Last Supper the bread, given first, signifies action and the cup knowledge. ### Greek text ’0 δὲ προστιθεὶς μετὰ τὴν άποδεδομένην διήγησιν είς τὸ ποτήριον καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα τοιαῦτά φησιν· Ὥσπερ ἔστι τι βρῶμα τοῦ Σωτῆρος, περὶ οὗ λέγει· ι Ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν, ἴνα ποιήσω τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με, καὶ τελειώσω αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον, ι οῦτως ἀνάλογόν ἐστι ποτήριον ἐκείνῳ τῷ βρώματι, ὃ τολμηρὸν μὲν διορίσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ βρώματος, καὶ παραστῆσαι πραγματικῶςσ ὅμως δὲ ὁ δυνάμενος ἐπιστησάτω μήποτε τὸ μὲν πρακτικόν ἐστι τὸ βρῶμα, τὸ δὲ θεωρητικὸν τὸ πδμα· κατὰ γάρ τὸν ἐσθίοντά 1 ἐστιν ὲν τῷ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντος αὐτὸν, καὶ τελειοῦν ἐκείνου τὺ ἔργον, τὸ καὶ πίνειν τὸ θέλημα (βἓ) τοῦ πέμψαντος αὐτὸν, καὶ τελειῶσαι αὑτοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν. Εί δὲ δύναται,ἢ μὴ,είς ταύτην τὴν διαφορὰν ἀναφέρει σθαι τόʼ ι Ἦ σάρξ μου ἀληθῶς ἐστι βρῶσις, καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἀληθῶς ἐστι πόσις, ι καὶσὺ κρινεῖς· λέγοι γὰρ ἄν τις, ὃτι ἀληθῶς μὲν βρῶσις ἡ πρᾶξις, ἀληθῶς eam ἡ θεωρία, καὶ ὁ τοῦτο φάσκων ἐρεῖ, ὅτιδιά τοῦτο πρῶτον δίδωσι τὸν ἄρτον εὐλογήσας καὶ κλάσας τοῖς μαθηταῖς, έπεὶ πρώτη ἐστὶν ἡπρᾶξιςο καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο, λαμ 6ὼν ποτήριον, εὐχαριστήσας ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς λέγωνʼ ι Πίετε ἐξ αὑτοῦ πάντες ι ἐπεὶ δὲ τὰ τῶν πράξεων ῥυθμίσαντα, καὶ τὸ πραγμάτων καὶ ὲπὶ θεωρίαν αὐτῶν καὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν προφήτην λέγεται τό · ι Σπείρατε ἑαυτοῖς είς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγήσατε εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς, ι ἵνα πρῶτον πράξωμεν τὸ δέον · καὶ μετὰ τοῦτό φησι· ι Φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεωςο ι ὁδῷ γάρ τις μετά τὸ τὰ ἤθη καθᾶραι ὁδεύοι ἂν ἐπὶ τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ φωτίζοιτο ὲν αὐτῇ. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ παρεκβατικῶς λέο λεκται διά τὴν περὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου βαθυτέραν ἐξέτασιν. Καὶ ὲν εἰκοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ λέλεκται πρῶτον μὲν τό ι Ἠτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν, ἐξ ἐναντίας τῶν θλιβόντων με ο ι ἑξῆς δὲ καὶ τό ο ι lloτήριόν σου μεθύσκον με ὡσεὶ κράτιστον. ι Μὴ ὑπολαμβανέτω δʼ ἡμᾶς ὀ ἐντυγχάνων τῇδε τῇ γραφῇ κρατεῖν, ὅτι ἐχρῆν πως διηγήσασθαι τά περὶ τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων καθίσεων τοῦ Θεοῦ ἢ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· dm. λογούμεθα γὰρ, ὅτι δυσωπῆσαι μόνον ἀπὸ τῶν ῥητῶν προέκειτο τά περὶ καθίσεως, καὶ ἀποστῆσαι τὸν ὲντυγχάνοντα ἀπὸ τῆς ταπεινοτέρας ὲκδοχῆς· ἄλλῳ γὰρ καιρῷ ἐχρῆν προηγουμένην τινὰ σκέψιν ποιήσασθαι περὶ καθίσεως καὶ στάσεως, καὶ περιπάτου eam τοθ Χριστοῦ, ὅπερ οὐκ ἀπαιτεῖ ἡ παροῦσα διήγησιςζ μεγίστη γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἄκαιρος ἐγένετο ἡ παρέκβασις. ### English translation (Claude) But the one who adds to the explanation given of the cup and the baptism says something like this: Just as there is a food of the Saviour, about which he says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,” so there is a cup corresponding to that food. It is bold to distinguish it from the food and to set it out in concrete terms; nevertheless let the one who is able consider whether the food is the practical life and the drink the contemplative. For corresponding to the eating, which consists in doing the will of the one who sent him and accomplishing his work, is the drinking of the will of the one who sent him and the perfecting of the knowledge of it. Whether the words, “My flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink,” can or cannot be referred to this distinction, you too will judge. For someone might say that action is truly food, and contemplation truly drink; and the one who says this will say that it is for this reason that he first gives the bread to the disciples, having blessed and broken it, since action comes first; and after this, “taking a cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you,” since, when the matters of action have been set in order, one goes on to the contemplation of them. For according to the prophet it is said: “Sow for yourselves unto righteousness, gather the vintage unto the fruit of life,” so that first we may do what is needful; and after this he says: “Light for yourselves the light of knowledge.” For it is by a road, after purifying one’s character, that one would travel to knowledge and be enlightened in it. These things too have been said by way of digression, for the deeper examination of the cup. And in the twenty-second Psalm there is said first, “You have prepared a table before me, over against those who afflict me”; and next, “Your cup, intoxicating me, as the very best.” Let the reader of this writing not reproach us on the ground that we ought somehow to have explained the recorded sittings of God or of Christ; for we answer that our purpose was only to put to shame, by the texts about sitting, the lower interpretation, and to draw the reader away from it. For one would need at another time to make a special inquiry about the sitting, standing, and walking of Christ, which the present explanation does not require; for the digression would have become very great and untimely. ### Scripture references - John 4:34: quotation, high confidence - John 6:55: quotation, high confidence - Matt 26:26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 26:27: quotation, high confidence - Hos 10:12: quotation, high confidence - Ps 23:5 (22:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 4:34; John 6:55; Matt 26:26–27; Hos 10:12 (LXX); Ps 23:5 (22:5 LXX; Origen’s “twenty-second Psalm” follows the Greek numbering). The verb rendered “reproach” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.7 (PG 13:1385c–1388d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-3/#p-16-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-8 - Source: PG 13:1388d–1400c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus forbids church leaders to lord it over others as Gentile rulers do, a fault Origen sees among bishops of his day; Christ came to serve and gave his soul as a ransom to the evil one, who could not hold it, his divinity not being the ransom. ### Greek text Πλὴν τούτων λεχθέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος πρὸς τὴν ἀξίωσιν τῆς μητρὸς Ἰωάννου καὶ Ἰακώὸου,ἢ αὐτῶν τῶν ulth Ζεβεδαίου, ι Ἀκούσαντες, φησὶν, οἱ δέκα ὴγανάκτησαν περὶ τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν, ι ὡς ἀξιωσάντων προτιμηθῆναι τῶν λοιπῶν. Παρατήρει δʼ ὅτι καὶ Ἰούδας έν τοῖς ἀγανακτοῦσιν ἦν. Καὶ ἀνέγραψε τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Μάρκος. Ei δὲ ὲν τοῖς ἀγανακτοῦσιν ἦν μετά τῶν λοιπῶν ἐννέα, μήποτε ἔτι οὐδέπω βεβλήκει ὁ διάὸολος είς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, ἴνα αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν πιραδῷ,εάλλʼ ἐτι καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει εἷς τῶν ἀποστόλων ὁ Ἰούδας ἦν. Πολλὰ δὲ περὶ αὐτοῦ ὲν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων είπὸντες, νῦν οὐκ ὲπαναλαμὸάνομεν περὶ τοῦ κατασκευάσαι, ὃτι Ἰούδας προαιρέσεως ὢν ὁποίας καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πέπτωκε καὶ ἐνέπεσεν είς τὴν παγίδα τοῦ πονηροῦ, καὶὶφιλαργυρήσας, καὶ προδοὺς τὸν Σωτῆρα. ι Ὀ δὲ Ἰησοῦς, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτοὺς, aiter Οἴδατε, ὅτι oi ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ θ ι Καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. ι Τούτοις τὰ ἰσοδυναμοῦντα καὶ ὁ Μάρκος ἀνέγραψε. Ἐτηρήσαμεν δὲ, ὥσπερ ἐπʼ ἀλλων πλειόνων, καὶ τὴν τάξιν τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων τηροῦντας Ματθαῖον καὶ Μάρκον, εῐτε θεραπειῶν εἴτε λόγων, οὕτως καὶ ἐνταῦθα · ἑξῆς γὰρ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ· ι Μέλλων δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀναβαίνειν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ παρέλαβε τοὺς δώδεκα κατʼ ἰδίαν, ι μέχρι τοῦ ο ι Εὐθέως δὲ ἀποστελεῖ αὐτοὺς, ι πάντα τῇ τάξει τετήρηκε καὶ ὁ Μάρκος ἀπὸ τοῦ· ι Ἦσαν δὲ ὲν τῇ ὀδῷ ἀναβαίνοντες εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα, ι μέχρι τοῦ· ι Εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἀποστελεῖ πάλιν ὦδε. ι Σὺ δὲ, παραθεὶς τὰ Εὑαγγέλια ἀλλήλοις κατά τοὺς τόπους τούτους, καὶ συγκρίνων αὐτοὺς, εὑρήσεις τὸ λεγόμενον. Καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς μέντοι ἐκ μέρους τὸ ὅμοιον ἀνέγραψε, προτάξας αὐτῶν τό ο ι Ἐγένετο δὲ φιλονεικία αὐτῶν, τὸ, τίς αὐτῶν μείζων ι ὲν τούτοις γάρ ἐπιφέρει · ‹ '0 δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Oi βασιλεῖς τῶν ὲθνιῖιν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὑτῶν εὐεργέται καλοῦνται. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οῦτως, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν λελέχθω, ἵνʼ ἡμᾶς μὴ λανθάνῃ τὰ περὶ τῆς ίσοδυναμίας τῶν κατά τὸν τόπον τετηρημένης Ματθαίῳκαὶ Μάρκῳ, καὶ. ὲκ μέρους τῷ Λουκᾷ. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν λεγομένων ἡμῖν ἐξεταστέον, Προείρηται, ὅτι τῶν παρά τῷ ’1ησοῦ πρωτεέων ἐπεδικάζοντο Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, καὶ ἠξίουν λαβεῖν τὸ καθίσαι ὲκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εύωνύμων αὐτοῦ ἑν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῧ,ἢ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτῶν τοῦτο ᾔτει περὶ αὐτῶνθ καὶ λέλεκται, ὅτι ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ τῶν παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ πρωτείων ὲπιδικαζόο μενοι, οἱ λοιποὶ ἠγανάκτησαν δέκα, εί ὑφαρπάζειν βούλονται Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, ὡς ὑπὲρ τοὺς λοιποὺς δέκα ὄντες, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν κατὰ τὴν δόξαν ἐγγύτητα. Τούτων δὲ προειρημένων κατά τὸ εὖ· λογον, ὁἸησοῦς προσκαλεῖται ἤτοι τοὺς ἀγανακτήσαντας δέκα, ἢ καὶ μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν δύο, καὶ διδάσκει τὴν ὁδὸν καθʼ ἣν μέγας καὶ πρῶτός τις ἔσται παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Τὸ δὲ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον ἦν ' ὅτι οἱ μὲν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἄρα χοντες,ἣ δοκοῦντες αὐτῶν ἄρχειν, οὐκ ἀρκούμενοι τῷ κυριεύειν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων, βιαιότερον αὐτῶν κρατεῖν θέλοντες, καὶ κατακυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἵως κατὰ τὴν ὲν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ ἀξίαν ὲν rei; ἔθνεσι μεγάλοι οὐχ ἵστανται ἐπὶ τοῦ ὲξουσιὰζειν τῶν ὑπηκόων, ἀλλὰ κατεξανιστάμενοι αὐτῶν κατεξουσιάζουσιν αὐτῶν* ὲν ὑμῖν δὲ τοῖς ὲμοῖς γνωρίμοις μὴ ἔστω ταῦτα, μηδὲ oi ἀρχήν τινα ὲγκεχειρισμένοι silv εἰς ἐμὲ πιστευόντων, ἢ ἐξουσίαν ὲν Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Πατρός μου καὶ Θεοῦ ἔχειν νενομισμένων κατακυριευέτωσαν τῶν ἰδίων ἀδελφῶν, ἢ κατεξουσιαξέτωσαν τῶν ἐπὶ τὴν διʼ ἐμοῦ Θεοσέβειαν καταπεφευγότων ἀλλʼ είπερ βούλεταί τις παρὰ τῷ Πατρί μου κριθῆναι μέγας, καὶ συγκρίσει τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῶν ὑπερέχων, πᾶσι διακονείτω ὧν βούλεται εῖναι μείζων. El δὲ καὶ τῶν παρʼ ἐμοὶ πρωτείων τις ὀρέγεται, ῐστω μηδενὸς ἔσεσθαι πρῶτος, ᾧ παρὸν δουλεύειν μὴηὲδούλενσε δουλείαν τὴν καὶ ἐν μετριότητι καὶ τῇ ὲπαινετῇ ταπεινότητι, τόν τε δουλεύοντα ὠφελῆσαι δυναμένην, ὀνῆσαι δὲ ἢ ἀναπαῦσαι καὶ τοὺς δουλευομὲνους. '0 ιι Λουκᾶς βασιλεῖς καὶ ὲξουσιάζοντας ὲθνῶν παραλαμι ςάνει εἰς τὸν λόγον, ἀποτρέπων τὸν βουλόμενον εἶναι ὲν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μείζονα μιμεῖσθαι τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἢ τὴν τῶν ὲξουσιαζόντων τῆς κολακείας ἐπιθυμίαν · διδάσκω) ἡμᾶς ἵνʼ 6 μὲν ἀληθῶς ὲν ἡμῖν μείζων γένηται ὠς ό νεώτερος, τουτέστιν ῶς παιδίον, ἀτελὸτητος καὶ ἰσότητος χάριν ο 6 δὲ ἡγούμενος (οὕτω δὲ οἶμαι ὀνομάζειν τὸν καλούμενον-έν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἐπίσκοπον), ὡς 6 τοῖς ὑπηρετουμένοις διακόνούμενος. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ διδάσκει (λόγοςʼ,ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἦτοι μὴ νοοῦντες τὸ βούλημα τῆς διδασκαλίας ὲν τούτοις Ἰησοῦ, ἢ καταφρονοῦν-τες τῶν τηλικούτων ὑποθηκῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος,— τοιοῦτοί ἐσμεν ὡς ἐνίοτε καὶ τὸν τῶν κακῶς ἀργόντων ὲν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑπερβάλλειν τύφον, καὶ μονονουχὶ ζητεῖν ὡς :i βασιλεῖς δορυφόρους · καὶ φοβεροὺς-έαυτοὺς καί δυσπροσίτους μάλιστα τοῖς πένησι κατασκευάζοντες, τοιοῦτοί ἐσμεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ἡμῖν, καὶ περί τινων ἀξιοῦντας. ὡς οὑδὲ οἱ τύραννοι, καὶ ῶμότεροι τῶν ἀρχόντων πρὸς τοὺς ἱκέτας. Καὶ ἔστιν γε ἰδεῖν ὲν πολλαῖς νομιζομέναις Ἐκκλησίαις, καὶ μάλιστα ταῖς τῶν μειζόνων πόλεων, τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηδεμίαν ίσολογίαν ἐπιτρέποντας, ἔσθʼ ὅτε καὶ τοῖς καλλίστοις τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν, εἶναι πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶᾲό μὲν ’Δπόστολος τοῖς κυρίοις περὶ , οἰκετῶν ἐντολὴν δίδωσι λέγων · ι Ol κύριοι, τὸ δίκαιον καὶ τὴν ἰσότητα τοῖς δούλοις παρέχεσθε, εἰδότες, ὅτι καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔχετε Κύριον ὲν οὐρανῷ ο ι διδάσκει δὲ καὶ ἀνιέναι τὴν ἀπειλὴν τοὺς δεσπότας κατά τῶν οἰκετῶν. ἿΞστι 6:5 stva'; ἰδεῖν diem; ἀπειλοῦντας, ὁτὲ μὲν προφάσει άμαρτίας, ότὲ δὲ τῷ καταφρονεῖν τῶν πτωχῶν, παρά τὸν ἀποστολικὸν λόγον ἐν ᾧ λέλεκται· ι έδωκαν ἐμοὶ καὶ Βαρνάβᾳ κοινωνίας. ἵνα ἡμεῖς είς τά ἔθνη, αὐτοὶ δὲ είς τὴν περιτομὴν, μόνον τῶν πτωγῶν ἵνα μνημονεύωμεν i καὶ πάλιν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ὑποχειρίους ἰσότητα μηδὲ φανταζομένους, ὅτι καθήκει ἀτυφίαν καὶ ἰσότητα μάλιστα Χριστιανοῖς ἐμπολιτεύεσθαι, καὶ ἐξαιρέτως ἐν τοῖς ὑπεροχήν τινα όνόματος ἐκκλησιαστικοῦ φοροῦσι· γέγραπται γάρ· ι "(iam μέγας εἷ, τοσούτῳ ταπείνου σεαυτὸν, καὶ ἔναντι Κυρίου εὑρήσεις χάριν. ι Ἐχρῆν δʼ ἡμᾶς εἰδέναι καὶτὸ ἐν ζΙαροιμίαις οὕτως εἰρημένονο ι Πρὸ συντριδῆς ’ ὑψοῦται καρδία ἀνδρὸς, κα) πρὸ δόξης ταπεινοῦται ἐκκλίνειν δὲ καὶ τὸ περιπεσεῖν τῷ φρονῆσαι,ἢ εἰπεῖν λόγον, ὃν εἶπεν 6 θέλων ἑαυτὸν δικαιῶσαι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν διδάξαντα τόδ ι Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτὸν, ι ὃς οὐκ ᾐδέσθη τῷ Σωτῆρι εἰπεῖν· ι Καὶ τίς ἐστί μου πλησίον; ι Ἔδει δὲ καὶ circo Παύλου ἀνεγνωκέναι τό· ι Δυνάμενοι ἐν βάρει εἶναι ὡς Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι, ἐγενήθημεν ἤπιοι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα. ι Ἐχρῆν μιμῇσασθαι καὶ τό· ι Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα, ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν, ϊνα ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτες ι Οἱ ἄρχοντες οὖν τῶν μὲν ἐθνῶν κατακυριευέτωσαν αὐτῶν· τῆς δὲ Ἐκκλησίας δουλευέτωσαν αὐτῇ · ἀλλὰ καὶ οε μεγάλοι μὲν τῶν ἐθνῶν κατεξουσιαζέτωσαν αὐτῶν · τῶν δὲ πιστῶν ἀκουέτωσαν τοῦ · ι Μάθετε ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ui; ψυχαϊςὺμῶν.» Παιδευὼμεθα δὲ καὶπρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀποδέχεσθαι κολακείας, μηδὲ ἡδέως καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐφʼ οἷς ἂν δόξωμεν εὖ τινας πεποιηκέναι, εὐεργέται. Οὐ ταῦτα δέ φαμεν ἀνεπιστημόνως ι ταπεινοῦν ι ἑαυτοὺς θέλοντες ι ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι καὶ κατὰ τὸν λόγον αὑτοῦ, ὑπὸ τὴν ἐκ· κλησιαστικὴν διακονίαν · ἔστι δʼ ὅτε χρὴ, κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν φωνὴν, ι τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐνιὶιπιον πάντων ἐλέγχειν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον ἔχωσιν· ι ἐστι δʼ ὅτε δεῖ, χρησάμενον τῇ ἐξουσία, ι παραδοῦναί τινα τῷ Σατανᾷ είς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἴνα τὺ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου· ι σπανίως δὲ τὸτοιοῦτο ποιητέον· ι νουθετητέον »γὰρ ‹ τοὺς citium; mi παραμυθητέον τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, καὶ ἀνθεκτέον τῶν ἀσθενῶν, καὶ πρὸς πάντας δὲ μακροθυμητέον, καὶ οὐδενὶ κακον ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδοτέον. ι Καὶ οὗ χρὴ ἡγεῖσθαι ἐχθρὸν εἶναι τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα, ἀλλʼ ἀκουστέον τοῦ Ἀποστὸλου λέγοντος· ι Μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὼς ἀδελφόν. ι Καὶ ταῦτα arrives: μοι λέλεκται βουλομένῳ κατά τὸν λόγον παραστῆσαι, ὅτι οὐ μιμητέον τῷ ἄρχοντι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν ἐθνῶν, οῦδὲζηλωττέονντοὺς κατακυριεύοντας, καὶ κατεξουσιάζοντας, καὶ βασιλεῖς· ἀλλʼ llo-r1 δύναμις καὶ ἐν τούτοις Χριστὸν μιμητέον τὸν sbs'vzsumdm'cov, καὶ γυναιξὶν ὁμιλοῦντα, καί παιδίςις ἐπιτιθέντα χεῖρας. Ei καὶ μείζονα δʼ ἔχει λόγον τὸν Ἰησοῦν βεβληκέναι ὕδωρ εἰς νιπτῆρα, καὶ τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν κεκαθαρκέναι, οὐδὲν ἦττον καὶ κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ἀκουστέον αὑτοῦ περὶ τούτων λέγοντος · ι Ὑμεῖς φωνεῖτέ με, ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ὁ Κύριος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε· εἰμὶ γὰρ. ι καὶτὰ ἑξῆς· διὰ τούτων γὰρ δι-. δάσκει μιμητὰς αὐτοῦ τῆς ὲπαινετῆς ταπεινότητος γίνεσθαι τοὺς μαθητάς. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐπεὶ Κύριος ὢν ἐδούλευσεν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας τῷ γένει milia. κατὰ τοῦτο λέγεται μορφὴν δούλου ἀνειληφέναι, καὶ τεταπεινωκέναι ἐαυτὸν γινόμενον ὑπήκοον μέχρι θανάτου · καὶ εἴπερ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς αὑτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν, ὁ βουλόμενος ὑψοῦσθαι τὰ παραπλήσια ποιησάτω τῷ διὰ τάδε τινὰ ὑπερυψοῦσθαι · καὶ γὰρ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνι θρώπου εἰ καὶ διηωνήθη, ἡνίκα ι ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον, καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ, › καὶ πάλιν διηκονήθη ὑπὸ τῆς Μάρθας, ἀλλʼ ού διὰ τοῦτο ἐλήλυθε τὸ διακονηθῆναιο ἐπεδήμησε γὰρ τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἵνα διακονήσῃ. καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὁδεύσῃ διακονῶν ἡμῶν τῇ σωτηρίᾳ, ὼς δοῦναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν τῶν πιστευσάντων είς αὐτόν · καὶεί καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν πάντες ἐπίστευον εἰς αὐτὸν, δεδώκει ἂν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πάντων. Τίνι δὲ ἔδωκε τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πυλλῶνς ού γὰρ δὴ τῷ Θεῷ · μήτι οὖν τῷ πονηρῴ ; οὗτος γὰρ ἐκράτει ἡμῶν, ἓως δοθῇ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αύτῷ λύτρον ή τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ψυχὴ, ἀπατηθέντι, ὡς δυναμένῳ αὐτῆς κυριεῦσαι, καὶ οὐχ ὁρῶντι, ὅτι ού φέρει τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ κατέχειν αὐτὴν βάσανον · διὸ καὶ θάνατος αὐτοῦ δόξας κεκυριευκέναι, οὐκέτι κυριεύει, γενομένου ι ὲν νεκροῖς ὲλευθέρου, ι καὶ ἰσχυροτέρου τῆς τοῦ Θανάτου ἐξουσίας· καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἰσχυροτέρου, ὥστε καλ πάντας τοὺς βουλομένους αὐτῷ ἀκολουθεῖν τῶν κρατουμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου δύνασθαι ἀκολουθεῖν, οὐδὲν ἰσχύοντος κατʼ αὐτῶν ἔτι τοῦ θανάτου· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετά τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἀνεπίληπτός ἐστιτῷ θανάτῳ. Ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς ἒξεταζομένοις τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου ῥητοῖς γέγραπται ὁ Σωτὴρ ήμῶν ‹ δεδωκέναι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν · ι παρά δὲ τῷ Πέτρῳ εἴρηται, ὅτι ς οὐ φθαρτοῖς ἀργυρίῳ καὶ χρυσίῳ ὲλυτρώθημεν ὲκ τῆς ματαίας ή μῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου, ἀλλά τιμίῳ αἵματι ο ι καὶὸ Ἀπόστολος δέ φησι· ι Τιμῆς ἠγοράσθητε · μὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. ι Οὐκοῦν ἡγοράσθημεν μὲν τῷ τιμίῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ αἵματι, δέδοται δὲ λύτρον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὔτε τὸ πνεῦμα αὑτοῦ, πρότερον γὰρ αὐτὸ παρ-η έθετο τῷ Πατρὶ λέγων· ι Πάτερ, είς χεῖράς σου παρατίθεμαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου ο ι οὔτε τὸ σῶμα, οὐδὲν γὰρ εῦρομέν πω τοιοῦτον περ) αὑτοῦ γεγραμμένον. Καὶ ἐπεὶ δέδοταιή ψυχὴ αὑτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν, οὐκ ἔμενε δὲ παρʼ ἐκείνῳ ᾧ ἐδέδοτο λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὲν ιεʼ ψαλμῷ τόʼ ι Οὐκ ὲγκατα- η λείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εῖς ᾅδην. ι Γενόμενος δὲ ἅπαξ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ὐπομνήσαιμ* ἄν τοὺς ςιντασίᾳ δοξολογίας τῆς περί τοῦ Χριστοῦ συγχέαντας τὰ περὶ τοῦ Πρωτοτόκου πάσης κτίσεως τοῖς περὶ ψυχῆς καί τοῦ σώματος Ἰησοῦ, τάχαδὲ καὶ nam ματος αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἒν πάντη ἀσύνθετον οἰομένους εἷναι τὸ όφθὲν καὶ ὲπιδημῆσαν τῷ βίῳ, ὅτι μὴ ὑγιῶς λέγουσι· πυθώμεθα γὰρ αὐτῶν εί ἡ (tum; ι τῆς είκόνος τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, ι καὶ ἡ ὑπεροχὴ τοῦ ι Πρωτοτόκου πάσης κτίσεως,› εί ἐκεῖνος, ι ὲν ᾧ ἐκτισται τὰ πάντα τὰ ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι, εῖτε xu. ριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι, ι λύτρον ἐδόθη ἀντὶ πολλῶν · καὶ τίνι ἐδόθη ἐκείνη λύτρον, πολεμίῳ κατέχοντι ἡμᾶς. αἰχμαλώτους, ἕως λάβῃ τὸ λύτρον ° καὶ εί ὲχὼρει τὸ τηλικοῦτον καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνος lniτρον ἀντὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων λαβεῖν. Καὶ οὐ ταῦτα φημι ὡς καταφρονῶν τῆς ψυχῆς Ἰησοῦ, καὶ σμικρόνων αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ βουλόμενος ταύτην μὲν κατὰ τὺ η ἐνδεχόμενον λύτρον δεδόσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ὅλου Σωτῆρος ο τὴν δὲ ὑπεροχὴν καὶ τὴν θεότητα ἐκείνην μηδʼ ἂν δεδυνῆσθαι λύτρον δοθῆναιο πλὴν σήμερον οὐ λύω τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλέον οἶδα ἓν εἶναι Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τὸν ι Πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεωςο ι ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὑτοῦ, ὡς πλέον, εί δεῖ οὕτως ὀνομάσαι, αἶ·ναι ἓν ὅλον τοῦτο, ὅπερ ι ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ιι πνεῦμά ἐστιν. ο ' Περὶ τῶν δύο mpm. ### English translation (Claude) When these things had been said by the Saviour in answer to the request of the mother of John and James, or of the sons of Zebedee themselves, “when the ten heard it,” he says, “they were indignant at the two brothers,” as men who had asked to be preferred to the rest. Notice that Judas too was among those who were indignant; Mark too recorded this. And if he was among those indignant with the other nine, perhaps the devil had not yet put it into his heart to betray our Lord himself, but Judas was still one of the apostles in his choice as well. Having said much about him earlier, we do not now take up again the task of showing that Judas, though of the same choice as the rest, fell, and fell into the snare of the evil one, both loving money and betraying the Saviour. “But Jesus called them to him and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,” and so on, up to “and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark too recorded what is equivalent to these words. We have observed, as in many other cases, that Matthew and Mark keep the order of what is recorded, whether healings or sayings; and so it is here too. For next, everything from “And as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately,” up to “and he will send them at once,” Mark too has kept in order, from “And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem,” up to “and he will send it back here at once.” And you, by placing the Gospels side by side at these places and comparing them, will find that what is said is so. Luke, however, recorded the like in part, putting before it the words, “And there arose a dispute among them, which of them was the greatest”; for after these he adds: “And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you,” and so on. Let this be said so that we may not overlook the equivalence of this passage as kept by Matthew and Mark, and in part by Luke. Now we must examine also the sense of what is said. It has been said already that James and John laid claim to the first places with Jesus and asked to be granted to sit at his right and his left in his kingdom, or that their mother asked this for them; and that at this the other ten, as men who themselves also laid claim to the first places with Jesus, were indignant, if James and John wished to snatch for themselves, as being above the other ten, nearness to Jesus in glory. These things having been said beforehand, as was fitting, Jesus calls either the ten who were indignant or the other two with them as well, and teaches the way by which one will be great and first with God. What was said was this: that the rulers of the Gentiles, or those who think they rule them, not content with being lords of their subjects, but wishing to rule them more violently, lord it over them; and likewise those who are great among the Gentiles in the rank of this life are not content with having authority over their subjects, but rise up against them and exercise authority over them. But among you, my disciples, let these things not be; and let not those who have been entrusted with some rule over those who believe in me, or are thought to have authority in the church of my Father and God, lord it over their own brothers, or exercise authority over those who have taken refuge in the godliness that comes through me. But if anyone wishes to be judged great by my Father, and to excel in comparison with his brothers, let him serve all those than whom he wishes to be greater. And if anyone longs for the first places with me, let him know that he will be first of no one whom he did not serve, when he could, with a service in moderation and praiseworthy humility, able to benefit the one who serves and to profit or refresh those who are served. Luke brings kings and those who have authority over the Gentiles into the saying, turning away the one who wishes to be greater among the brothers from imitating royal authority, or the desire for flattery of those in authority; and he teaches us that the one who is truly greater among us should become as the younger, that is, as a child, for the sake of unpretentiousness and equality; and the one who leads (by which, I think, he names the one called bishop in the churches) as one who serves those who are waited upon. These things the Word of God teaches. But we, either not understanding the intent of Jesus’ teaching in these words, or despising such great counsels of the Saviour, are such that we sometimes surpass even the conceit of the wicked rulers among the Gentiles, and all but seek bodyguards like kings; and making ourselves fearsome and hard of access, especially to the poor, we behave toward those who come to us and ask us for something as not even tyrants and the harsher rulers behave toward suppliants. And one can see in many churches, as they are thought to be, and especially in those of the larger cities, the leaders of the people of God allowing no one, sometimes not even the best of Jesus’ disciples, to speak with them as equals. The Apostle gives a command to masters about their servants, saying, “Masters, grant your slaves what is just and equal, knowing that you too have a Lord in heaven”; and he teaches masters to forbear threatening their servants. But one can see some threatening, sometimes on the pretext of sin, sometimes from contempt for the poor, contrary to the apostolic word in which it is said, “They gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision; only that we should remember the poor”; and again not even imagining equality toward those under them, nor that it is fitting for Christians above all to live without conceit and in equality, and especially for those who bear some eminence of ecclesiastical name. For it is written: “The greater you are, the more humble yourself, and you will find favour before the Lord.” We ought also to know what is said in Proverbs: “Before ruin a man’s heart is exalted, and before glory it is humbled”; and to avoid falling into thinking or saying the word spoken by the one who wished to justify himself before Jesus when he taught, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” and who was not ashamed to say to the Saviour, “And who is my neighbour?” We ought also to have read in Paul: “Though we could have been a burden as apostles of Christ, we became gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her own children.” We ought to imitate also the words: “Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted?” Let the rulers of the Gentiles, then, lord it over them, but let the rulers of the church serve it; and let the great among the Gentiles exercise authority over them, but let those of the faithful hear: “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” And let us be trained not to accept flattery, nor to be glad to be called benefactors by men for whatever good we seem to have done to some. We do not say these things wishing to humble ourselves without understanding “under the mighty hand of God,” and, according to his word, under the church’s ministry. There are times when one must, according to the apostolic word, “reprove those who sin before all, so that the rest also may stand in fear”; and there are times when one must, using one’s authority, “hand someone over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” But such a thing must be done rarely; for one must “admonish the disorderly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient toward all, and render to no one evil for evil.” And one must not consider the sinner an enemy, but hear the Apostle saying, “Do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” These things have been said by me because I wish to show, according to the saying, that the ruler of the church must not imitate the ruler of the Gentiles, nor emulate those who lord it over others and exercise authority, or kings; but, as far as possible, one must imitate in these matters too Christ, who …, and who conversed with women and laid his hands on children. And even if Jesus’ pouring water into a basin and cleansing the feet of the disciples has a greater meaning, no less must we hear him, according to the letter too, when he says about these things, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am,” and what follows; for by these words he teaches the disciples to become imitators of his praiseworthy humility. And perhaps it is because, being Lord, he served the human race for the salvation of men, that he is said to have taken the form of a servant and to have humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death; and if it was for this that God highly exalted him, let the one who wishes to be exalted do things like those for which one is highly exalted. For the Son of Man, even if he was served—when “angels came and ministered to him,” and again when he was served by Martha—did not come for this, to be served; for he came to dwell among the human race in order to serve, and to go so far in serving our salvation as to give his own life as a ransom for many, those who believed in him; and if, by hypothesis, all had believed in him, he would have given his life as a ransom for all. To whom did he give his life as a ransom for many? Surely not to God. Was it, then, to the evil one? For he held us fast until the ransom for us, the soul of Jesus, should be given to him—he being deceived, as though he could master it, and not seeing that he cannot bear the torment of holding it. Therefore death too, having seemed to master him, no longer masters him, since he became “free among the dead,” and stronger than the authority of death; and so much stronger that all of those held by death who wish to follow him can follow him, death no longer having any power against them; for everyone who is with Jesus is beyond the reach of death. In the words of the Gospel under examination, then, it is written that our Saviour “gave his own life as a ransom for many”; and in Peter it is said that “we were ransomed from our futile way of life inherited from our fathers, not with perishable things, silver and gold, but with precious blood”; and the Apostle says, “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” We were bought, then, with the precious blood of Jesus, and the soul of the Son of God was given as a ransom for us—not his spirit, for he had earlier committed it to the Father, saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”; nor his body, for we have found nothing of the kind written about it. And since his soul was given as a ransom for many, but did not remain with the one to whom it was given as a ransom for many, he says in the fifteenth Psalm: “You will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Having once come to this passage, I would remind those who, under an appearance of glorifying Christ, have confused what concerns the Firstborn of all creation with what concerns the soul and the body of Jesus, and perhaps his spirit too, and who think that what was seen and came to dwell in this life is one and wholly uncompounded, that they do not speak soundly. For let us ask them whether the … “of the image of the invisible God,” and the preeminence of “the Firstborn of all creation”—whether he “in whom all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or lordships or principalities or authorities”—was given as a ransom for many; and to whom that was given as a ransom—to an enemy who held us captive until he should receive the ransom?—and whether that enemy could receive so great and so mighty a ransom for the captives. I do not say these things as despising the soul of Jesus and making it small, but because I hold that this soul was given as a ransom by the whole Saviour, as far as was possible, while that preeminence and divinity could not have been given as a ransom. Yet today I do not separate Jesus from the Christ; much rather I know that Jesus the Christ, and his soul, are one with “the Firstborn of all creation”; and his body too, so that, if one must so name it, this whole is one even more than “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” [On the two …] ### Scripture references - Matt 20:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:26: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:27: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:28: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:41: allusion, high confidence - Mark 10:45: allusion, high confidence - John 13:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:3: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:17: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:32: quotation, high confidence - Luke 22:24: quotation, high confidence - Luke 22:25: quotation, high confidence - Luke 22:26: allusion, high confidence - Col 4:1: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:9: allusion, high confidence - Gal 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Prov 18:12: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:27: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:29: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:7: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 11:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:29: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 5:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 5:20: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:15: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 3:15: quotation, high confidence - John 13:5: allusion, high confidence - John 13:13: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:7: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:8: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:9: allusion, high confidence - Matt 4:11: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:40: allusion, high confidence - Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:18: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:19: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:23: quotation, high confidence - Luke 23:46: quotation, high confidence - Ps 16:10 (15:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:17: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 3:18 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:24–28; Mark 10:41–45; John 13:2; Matt 21:3; Mark 11:3; Luke 22:24–26; Col 4:1; Eph 6:9; Gal 2:9–10; Sir 3:18; Prov 18:12; Luke 10:27, 29; 1 Thess 2:6–7; 2 Cor 11:7; Matt 11:29; 1 Pet 5:6; 1 Tim 5:20; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Thess 5:14–15; 2 Thess 3:15; John 13:5, 13; Phil 2:7–9; Matt 4:11; Luke 10:40; Ps 88:5 (87:6 LXX); 1 Pet 1:18–19; 1 Cor 7:23; Luke 23:46; Ps 16:10 (15:10 LXX; Origen’s “fifteenth Psalm” follows the Greek numbering); Col 1:15–16; 1 Cor 6:17. Origen’s criticism of church leaders, his teaching that Christ’s soul was given as a ransom to the evil one, and his distinction between Jesus’ soul and his divinity are translated as written. Several words are garbled in the scan and marked “…”: a description of Christ before “who conversed with women,” a noun (probably “divinity”) before “of the image of the invisible God,” and the end of the heading (the next passage is on the two blind men, Matt 20:29–34). The last sentence is obscure in the Greek and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.8 (PG 13:1388d–1400c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-9 - Source: PG 13:1400d–1404b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Accepting the healing of the two blind men as history, Origen seeks its meaning through faith: Jericho is the world, and the crowd that follows Jesus and his disciples out of it is led toward Jerusalem. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἐκπορευομένων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Ἱεριχὼ, ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς · καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἔστω μὲν καὶ τὰ τῆς ἱστορίας τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἀληθῆ, καὶ ἐκ· πορευομένῳ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰεριχὼ τῷ Ἰησοῦ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν ἡκολουθηκέναι αὐτῷ ὄχλον πολὺν, καὶ ruφλοὶ δύο παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καθεζόμενοι τῆς ἀπὸ Ἱεριχὼ ἐξόδου, ἀκούσαντες, δτι Ἰησοῦς παρέρχεται τὸν τόν πον ἐκεῖνον, καὶ αὐτοὶ κράξαντες είρηκέτωσαν ο ι Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, υίὸς Δαυῖδ, ι καὶ συμπεφωνηκέτωσαν ὲν τῷ κεκραγότες τὸ ἀναγεγραμμένον εἰρηκέναι · καὶ διὰ τοὺς τυφλοὺς ἀξιώσαντας ἐλεηθῆναι στὰς ὀ Ἰησοῦς πειρωνηκέτω αὐτοὺς, ἵνα μὴ παράγων καὶ παρερχόμενος αὐτοὺς καλῇ. Ἀλλά καὶ ἑστηκὼς, καὶ πυνθανόμενος εἰρηκέτω αὐτοῖςʼ ι Τί (έλετε ἴνα ποιήσω ύμῖν; ι Τήν τε ἀξίωσιν ἰδικώτερον ἥδη παριστάντες οἱ τυφλοὶ εἰρηκέτωσαν αὺτῷ θέλειν ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αύτῶν · καὶ ό φιλάνθρωπος ἡ μῶν καὶ συμπαθὴς Σωτὴ ρ, σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῖς τυφλοῖς, σπλαγχνισθεὶς δʼ, οἷμαι, τῷ προειληφέναι ὲκείνους τὸ προκαλούμενον τὸν, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ἔλεον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὅπερ ἦν τὸ κεκραγότας είρηκέναιʼ ι Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, υἱὲ Δαυῖδ, ι καὶ πεπιστευκότας ἠξιωκέναι ἴνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν, ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, δύναμιν διὰ τῆς ἁφῆς ἰατρικὴν ἐνιεὶς τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς πεποιηκέτω τοὺς τυφλοὺς ἀναβλέπειν, κάκεῖνοι εύχαρίστως ἡκολουθηκέτωσαν τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ πιστεύσας τις τούτοις, καὶ γινώσκων δὲ τό · ι Ἑάν μὴ πιστεύσητε, οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, ι ὲκ τοῦ πεπιστευκέναι κατά τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως τὸ συνιέναι εἰληφέτω, καὶ εἰληφὼς λεγέτω τὰ περὶ τούτων, μετά τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν τῆς πίστεως θεμέλιον περὶ αὐτῶν ἑρμηνεύων, κατά τόʼ ι Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα· ι καὶ ἔστω ὁ τοιοῦτος οὐ μόνον πιστεύων τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς κατά τὸν τόπον τοῦτον ἀναγεγραμμένοις, ἀλλά καὶ γινώσκων τὸν περὶ αὐτῶν νοῦν · ὀ γὰρ μένων ἐν τῇ τῆς πίστεως ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων τοῦ λόγου ἐμμένων τῷ Λόγῳ, κατὰ τὴν Ἰησοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν, γινώσκει τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς ἐλευθεροῦται. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἐπεὶ μὴ πιστεύοντες μὲν ού συνίεμεν τοῦ βουλήματος τῶν λεγομένων, συνιέντες δὲ ἐκ τοῦ πιστεύειν συνίεμεν, φέρε τά ὑποπίπτοντα ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν τόπον, εὐξάμενοι τῷ ρυομένῳ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ κεκαλύφθαι ἡμῖν τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον, καθὸ χωροῦμεν παραστήσωμεν καὶ πρῶτόν γε κατανοήσωμεν τί τὸ, ἐκπορευομένων ἀπὸ Ἱεριχὼ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μετά τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡκολουθηκέναι αὐτῷ πολὺν ὀχλον. Ὅρα τοίνυν εί δύνασαι, μεμνημένος τῶν ἡμῖν ὑπαγορευθέντων είς τὴν ὲν τῷ κατά Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγελίῳ παραβολὴν τήνο ‹ ’Ἄνθρωπός τις κατέξαινεν ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ είς Ἱεριχὼ, καὶ περιέπεσε λῃσταῖς, ι ἐπιστήσας λέγειν μήποτε κα) ἐνταῦθα Ἰεριχὼ σύμβολόν ὲστι τοῦ περιγείου τόπου συνἡθωςί καλουμένου κατὰ τὴν Γραφὴν κόσμου. ’0 μὲν ὗν καταβαίνων ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ εἰς Ἰεριχὼ Ἄδαρ, ςουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος, περιπέπτωκε λῃσταῖς· διὰ δὲ rob; ἐν Ἱεριχὼ πολλοὺς, πολὺς γὰρ δχλος ὲν Ἱεριχὼ, Ἰησοῦς ἡμῶν, ἆ μα τοῖς μαθηταῖς γενόμενος ὲν αὐτῇ, ὲμπορευέσθω πραγματευόμενος, διὰ δὲ τοῦ εἰς τὴν Ἰεριχὼ εἰσεληλυθέναι, τὸ τοὺς βουλομένους ἒπεσθαι ὁδηγεῖν · οὐ γὰρ οἴδασιν οἱ ὲν Ἰεριχὼ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ κοσμικοῦ φρονήματος, ἐὰν μὴ θεάσωνται οὐ μόνον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκπορευόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱεριχὲι, ἀλλὰ καὶτοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ · ταῦτα δὲ θεωρήσαντες, ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτῷ δχλος πολύς. Καὶ ἔστι, καεανοοῦντα τοὺς κατὰ τὸν λόγον βιοῦν θέλοντας, καὶ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν περιγείων καταφρςνεῖν βουλο· μένους, ἀκολουθοῦντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, καὶ κατʼ ῐχνη βαίνοντας αὐτοῖς ἐκπορευομέο νοις ἀπὸ Ἰεριχὼ, βλέπειν τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον. ’Διωλουθοῦσι μέντοι ὁ πολὺς δχλος τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἶνʼ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ βαδίζοντες, καὶ αὐτῷ ὁδηγῷ χρώμενοι, eum: σιν εἰς τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ. - ### English translation (Claude) “And as they went out from Jericho, a great crowd followed him; and behold, two blind men sitting by the road,” and so on. Let the narrative of the passage be true: that, as Jesus went out from Jericho with his disciples, a great crowd followed him; and that two blind men sitting by the road leading out of Jericho, hearing that Jesus was passing that place, themselves cried out and said, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David,” and agreed together in crying out to say what is recorded; and that because of the blind men who asked for mercy Jesus stopped and called them, so as not to call them while passing by and going past. And standing and inquiring, let him have said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And let the blind men, now setting out their request more particularly, have said to him that they wanted their eyes to be opened by Jesus. And let our humane and compassionate Saviour, moved with compassion for the blind men—moved, I think, because they had first offered what calls forth, if I may so name it, the mercy of Jesus, namely their crying out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David,” and their asking, in faith, that their eyes be opened—touching their eyes and instilling healing power into them through the touch, have made the blind men see; and let them have followed Jesus with thanksgiving. And let one who believes these things, and knows the words, “Unless you believe, you will not understand,” receive understanding from his having believed, in proportion to his faith; and having received it, let him speak about these things, interpreting them after laying the foundation of faith concerning them, according to the words, “I believed, therefore I spoke.” And let such a one not only believe Jesus and what is recorded in this passage, but also know its meaning; for the one who remains in the truth of faith, and abides in the Word through the works of the word, according to Jesus’ promise, knows the truth and is made free by it. And we too—since if we do not believe we do not understand the intent of what is said, but when we understand, we understand from believing—come, let us set out, as far as we can, what occurs to us on the passage, having prayed to him who delivers us from the gospel’s being veiled to us. And first let us consider what it means that, as the disciples of Jesus went out from Jericho with the Saviour, a great crowd followed him. See, then, whether you can—remembering what we dictated on the parable in the Gospel according to Luke, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers”—say, on reflection, that here too Jericho is a symbol of the earthly place commonly called in Scripture the world. The one going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, Adam—that is, man—fell among robbers; and because of the many in Jericho (for a great crowd is in Jericho), let our Jesus, having come into it together with his disciples, go out from it doing his business, and by having entered Jericho, guide those who wish to follow. For those in Jericho do not know how to go out from the worldly mind unless they see not only Jesus going out from Jericho but also his disciples; and seeing this, a great crowd follows him. And by considering those who wish to live according to the word, and to despise the world and earthly things, following Jesus and his disciples and walking in their footsteps as they go out from Jericho, one can see what the passage is about. The great crowd follows Jesus so that, walking behind him and using him as their guide, they may come to Jerusalem. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:33: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:34: allusion, high confidence - Isa 7:9: quotation, high confidence - Ps 116:10 (115:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:13: quotation, high confidence - John 8:31: allusion, high confidence - John 8:32: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:3: allusion, high confidence - Luke 10:30: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:29–34; Isa 7:9 (LXX); Ps 116:10 (115:1 LXX) and 2 Cor 4:13; John 8:31–32; 2 Cor 4:3; Luke 10:30 (Origen refers to his own earlier exposition of this parable). Two verbs (“go out” and “come”) are garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.9 (PG 13:1400d–1404b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-10 - Source: PG 13:1404b–1405c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The two blind men by the road are Israel and Judah before Christ’s coming, sitting by the law and the prophets without seeing their meaning, and knowing Jesus only as son of David according to the flesh. ### Greek text Μετʼ ὀλίγα οῦν ἐπιφέρεται, ὃτι, ι Ὅτε ἤγγισαν si; Ἰεροσόλυμα, καλ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθφαγὴν εἰς τὸ ὅρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπέστειλε τοὺς μαθητὰς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἶθʼ ἑξῆς γέγραπται, οἱονεὶ δεικνύντες τοῦ λόγου τοὺς ὅσον οὐδέπω θεραπευθησομένους.τυφλοὺς, τό· ι Καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι τὴν ὁδὸν, ἀκούσαντες, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει, ἔκραξαν λέγοντες · Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, υἱὸς Δαυῖδ. ι Καὶ πρόσχες ὲν τούτοις τῷ, ι Καὶ ἰδοῦ δύο τυφλοὶ, ι εἰ ul] δεῖξιν περιέχει τὸ, ι Ἰδού.» Εἴπερ οῦν δεικνύντι λόγῳ τοὺς δύο τυφλοὺς παρακολουθεῖν δυνάμεθα, καὶ βλέπειν αὐτοὺς, φήσομεν, ὅτι Ἰσραὴλ καλ-Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸ τῆς Ἰησοῦ ἐπιδημίας τυφλοὶ πλὴν ι καθεζόμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, ι τῷ ὲν νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις ποιῆσαι τὰς διατριβάς · τυφλοὶ μὲν τῷ μὴ βλέπεσθαι αὐτοῖς πρὸ τῆς Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰς χὰς αὐτῶν ἐπιδημίας τὸν ὲν νόμῳ καὶ τοῖς amr,ταις ἀληθῆ λόγονʼ κεκραγότες δὲ τόο ι Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, υἱὲ Δαυῒδ, ι παρὰ τὸ συναισθέσθαι ἑαυτῶν μὴ βλεπόντων τὸ βούλημα τῶν γραμμάτων, καὶ βουλομένων ἀναὸλέψαι, καὶ ἰδεῖν τὴν ὲν om δόξαν. Ὠς ἔτι δὲ τυφλοὶ καὶ μηδὲν μέγα περὶτοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανταζόμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα αὑτοῦ μόνον νοοῦντες, καλοῦσι τὸν γενόμενον ὲκ σπέρματος Δαυῒδ κατὰ σάρκα, ἐπεὶ μηδὲν τούτου πλέον συνίεσαν, υἱὸν Δαυῖδ· κα) πᾶσα αὐτῶν ἡ δοκοῦσα διὰ τὴν θεοσέβειαν μεγαλοφωνία οὐδὲν πλέον ᾔδει λέγειν περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἦ ὅτι υἱὸς ἧν τοῦ Δαυῖδ. Ἐὰν δὲ λέγω δύο τυφλοὺς, τὸν πρὸ τῆς Ἰησοῦ είς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἐπιδημίας Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδαν, ἄναγε σαυτὸν ἐπὶ τὰς Βασιλείας, καὶ κατανόησον κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ῥοβοὰμ διαιρούμενον τὸν λαὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδαν · καὶ ἑξῆς δρα τοὺς προφήτας, ὁτὲ δὲ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ὁτὲ δὲ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ προφητεύοντας, ὃπου δὲ ἅμα. ἀμφοτέροις. Ἰδίᾳ μὲν οὖν πῶς ἑκατέρῳ προφητεύουσιν εὖροις ἂν προσέχων τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῶν προφητῶν ο ἅμα δὲ Ἰσραὴλ κα) Ἰούδᾳ, ἡνίκα διὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἑπαγγὲλλεται 6 Θεὸς ι συντελέσειν ἐπὶ τὸν οἷκον Ἰούδα Διαθήκην Καινὴν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν Διαοήκην ἢν ἐποίησεν 6 Θεὸς τοῖς πατράσιν ι ἐκπορευομένοις ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. Καὶ τυφλοί γε ὅντες, 6 Ἰσραὴλ, περὶ οὗ πολλάκις ἀποδεδώκαμεν ἁντιδιαστελλόμενοι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν κατὰ σάρκα Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδα ὁμοίως, π ι ἀκούσαντες, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει, ἔκραξαν· ι ἀκούσαντες, φησὶν, ὅτι γὰρ, οἶμαι, τῶν κηρυσσόντων τὰ περὶ τῆς Ἰησοῦ ἐπιδημίας, κοιλ ὅτι παράγει τὴν παρελευσομένην Ἰεριχὼ, ἐπιδημῶν μὲν αὐτῇ, ὲξελευσὸμενος δὲ ἀπʼ αὐτῆς, εὐλαβοῦνται μὴ παρέλθῃ αὐτοὺς μὴ ὲλεηθέντας · διὸ κεκράγασι πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγοντες · ι Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, υἱὸς Δαυῗδ. ι Εὐεργετῶν δὲ 6 Σωτὴρ οὐ παράγει, ἀλλʼ ἵσταται, ἶνα στάντος αὐτοῦ μὴ παραρῤέῃ ἡ εὐεργεσία καὶ παρέρχηται, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἀπὸ πηγῆς ἑστώσης ἰγγένηται τοῖς εὐε ργετου μένοις. ### English translation (Claude) A little later, then, it is added: “When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent the disciples,” and so on. But next is written, as though the word were pointing to the blind men who were about to be healed: “And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David.” And notice in these words, “And behold, two blind men,” whether the “behold” does not contain a pointing. If, then, we can follow the word that points out the two blind men, and see them, we shall say that Israel and the Jews before the coming of Jesus were blind, yet “sitting by the road,” in that they spent their time in the law and the prophets: blind, because before the coming of Jesus into their souls the true word in the law and the prophets was not seen by them; and crying out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David,” because they were aware that they did not see the intent of the writings, and wished to recover their sight and see the glory in them. As men still blind and imagining nothing great about Jesus, but understanding only what concerned him according to the flesh, they call the one who came from the seed of David according to the flesh “son of David,” since they understood nothing more than this; and all their great voice, which seemed to come from godliness, knew nothing more to say about the Saviour than that he was the son of David. And if I say that the two blind men are Israel and Judah before the coming of Jesus into their soul, lead yourself up to the books of Kingdoms, and consider the people divided in the times of Rehoboam into Israel and Judah; and next see the prophets prophesying sometimes to Israel, sometimes to Judah, and in some places to both together. How they prophesy to each separately you would find by attending to the reading of the prophets; and to Israel and Judah together, when through Jesus God promises “to accomplish for the house of Judah a new covenant, not according to the covenant which God made with the fathers” when they went out from the land of Egypt. And being blind, Israel—which we have often explained, distinguishing it from Israel according to the flesh—and Judah likewise, “hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out.” Hearing, he says—for, I think, hearing from those who preach the coming of Jesus, and that he is passing by Jericho, which will pass away, coming into it but about to go out from it, they take care lest he pass them by without their receiving mercy; and therefore they cried out to him, saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David.” And when the Saviour does good he does not pass by but stands still, so that, as he stands, the benefaction may not flow past and pass by, but may come to those who are benefited as from a standing spring. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:30: quotation, high confidence - Rom 1:3: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 12:19: allusion, medium confidence - Jer 31:31 (38:31 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Jer 31:32 (38:32 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Heb 8:8: quotation, medium confidence - 1 Cor 7:31: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:1; Matt 20:30; Rom 1:3; 1 Kgs 12 (the division under Rehoboam); Jer 31:31–32 (38:31–32 LXX), as in Heb 8:8–9 (the scan has only “the house of Judah”; “the house of Israel” may have dropped out); 1 Cor 7:31. Origen’s figurative reading of Israel and Judah is translated as written, without comment. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.10 (PG 13:1404b–1405c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-11 - Source: PG 13:1405d–1408d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ stops and calls the blind who ask for sight; so readers blind to Scripture’s meaning should ask him to open their eyes, that they may follow him and see God with a pure heart. ### Greek text Στὰς οὖν 6 Ἰησοῦς, καὶ πληγεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς ἀξιώσεως, καλεῖ αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἤδη ποιούμενος, ὅτε ἐφώνησεν αὐτούς· οὐκ ἂν γὰρ κενῶς ὲιρώνησε, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ μηδὲν ἀνυσθῆναι ἐν τοῖς φωνηθεῖσιν. Ὠς εἴθε, καὶ ήμῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν κεκραγότων καὶ λεγόντων· ι Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, Κύριε, ι φωνήσαι ἡμᾶς ἀρχομένους ἀπὸ τοῦ, ι Υἱὸς Δαυῒδ, ι καὶ στάς γε φωνήσει ἡμᾶς ὡς προσέχων ἡμῶν τῇ ἀξιώσειε Εἶπεν οὖν ἐκείνοις · (Τί θέλετε ἵνα ποιήσω duty; ο ὅπερ τοιοῦτον εἷναι νομίζω· Τί θέλετε παραστήσατε, δηλώσατε, ἵνα πάντες οἱ ἐκπορευόμενοι ἀπὸἹεριχὼ. καὶ amco-3.. τές μοι ἀκούσωσι καὶ θεάσωνται τὸ γινόμενον. Ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνοι ἀπεκρίναντοο ι Κύριε, ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀςρ θαλμοὶ ήμῶνο ι ἥντινα ἀπόκρισιν οἱ εὐγενεῖς μὲν, εἶναι ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδα, τυφλωθέντες δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας, καὶ συνῃσθημένοι αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀκούσαντες τῶν λεγομένων περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, φασὶ προς αὐτὸν, καὶ λέγουσι θέλειν ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν. Καὶ μάλιστα τοῦτό φασιν οἱ ὲν τῷ ἐντυγχᾶο νειν τῇ ἱερᾷ Γραφῇ μὴ ἀναισθητοῦντες ἑαυτῶν τυφλωττόντων πρὸς τὸν ἐν αὐτῇ νοῦνο οὗτοι γὰρ φασι Β τό· ι Ἐλέησον ιἡ μᾶς· i καὶ 16'": Θέλομεν ἵνα οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. ι Ὣς εἴθε καὶ ἡμεῖς, αἰσθανόμενα ὲν οἷς τυφλώττομεν, καὶ οὐ βλέπομεν, παρʼ αὐτὴν καθεζόμενοι τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ὁδὸν, ἀκούσαντες, ὃτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει, διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀξιώσεως στήσαιμεν αὑτὸν, καλ εἴποιμεν, ὅτι θέλομεν ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσινοι ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶνὶ ὅπερ ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ὀρεγομένης τοῦ βλέπειν ἃ. χαρίζεται βλέπειν ἁψάμενος τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμῶν Ἰησοῦς, σπλαγχνισθῄ σεται ὀ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, καὶ ὡς Δύναμις, καὶ Λόγος. καὶ Σοφία, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἀναγέγραπται περὶ αὑτοῦ τυγχάνων, ἆψεται τῶν πρὸ αὑτοῦ μὴ βλεπόντων ὀφθαλμῶν ἡμῶν· καὶ ἁψαμένου αὑτοῦ, φεύξεται μὲν τὸ σκότος καὶ ἡ ἄγνοια, εὐθέως δὲ ού μόνον ἀναβλέψομεν, ἀλλά xal. ἀκολουθήσομεν αὐτῷ, αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀναβλέπειν ἡμᾶς παρʼ αὑτὸν συνεργοῦντος πρὸς ad μὴ ἀλλο τι πρᾶξαι. ἢ ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ ἀναβλέψαι md}— σαντι, ἴνα ἀεὶ ἑπόμενοι αὐτῷ ὀδηγηθῶμεν ὑπʼ αύτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὁρῶμεν τοῖς ἀναβλέψασι διʼ αύτδν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν τὸν Θεὸν, μετά τῶν μακαριζομένων ὲπὶ τῷ καθαρὰν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν. Ἔχομεν οὖν τοὺς έκπορευομένους ἀπὸ Ἰεριχὼ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὄντας ὀχλον πολὺν, τοὺς οὐκ Ἰσ· ραὴλ, οὐδὲ Ἰούδαν τοὺς δὲδύο τυφλοὺς ἀκούσαντας, δτι Ἰησοῦς παράγει, καὶ εἰδότας, ὅτι υἱός ἐστι Δαυῖδ, καὶ συναισθομένους τῆς ἑαυτῶν τυφλότητος, καὶ ἀξιοῦντας ἀνοιγῆναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν, Ἰσ· ραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδαν τοὺς ἀποδεδομένους, ὧν κεκλεισμένοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, καὶ συμμεμυκότες διά τῆς ἁγνῆς κ ἀναβλέπουσιν Ἰησοῦ. Ταῦτα μὲν κατά τὸν Ματθαῖον. ### English translation (Claude) Jesus, then, standing still, and struck by their cry and their request, calls them to himself, already making the beginning of the benefaction when he called them; for he would not have called in vain, with nothing accomplished in those he called. Would that, when we too cry out to him and say, “Have mercy on us, Lord,” he would call us, as we begin from “son of David,” and would stand still and call us, as one attending to our request. He said, then, to them: “What do you want me to do for you?” This, I think, means: Present what you want, make it plain, so that all who are going out from Jericho and following me may hear and see what happens. And they answered: “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” This answer is given by those who are well-born, as being from Israel and Judah, but who have been blinded by wickedness and are aware of it, and who, having heard what is said about the Saviour, speak to him and say that they wish their eyes to be opened. And this is said above all by those who, in reading the holy Scripture, are not insensible of their own blindness to the meaning in it; for these say, “Have mercy on us,” and, “We wish our eyes to be opened.” Would that we too, perceiving in what respects we are blind and do not see, sitting beside the very road of the Scriptures, and hearing that Jesus is passing by, might make him stand still by our request, and might say that we wish our eyes to be opened. If we say this from a disposition that longs to see what Jesus grants us to see when he touches the eyes of the soul, our Saviour will be moved with compassion; and, being Power and Word and Wisdom and all that is recorded of him, he will touch our eyes, which did not see before he came; and when he has touched them, darkness and ignorance will flee, and at once we shall not only recover our sight but also follow him—he himself working with our recovered sight, beside him, so that we do nothing else than follow the one who made us see again—so that, always following him, we may be guided by him to God, and may see God with our eyes that have recovered their sight through him, together with those who are blessed for having a pure heart. We have, then, those who go out from Jericho and follow Jesus, a great crowd, who are neither Israel nor Judah; and the two blind men who heard that Jesus was passing by, knew that he is the son of David, were aware of their own blindness, and asked that their eyes be opened—Israel and Judah, as explained, whose eyes were closed and shut, … recover their sight through Jesus. So much according to Matthew. ### Scripture references - Matt 20:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:32: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:34: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:8: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 20:30–34; 1 Cor 1:24; Matt 5:8. A few words near the end are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.11 (PG 13:1405d–1408d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-8/#p-16-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-12 - Source: PG 13:1408d–1416a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Literally, the blind men in Matthew, Mark, and Luke may be different healings; figuratively, Bartimaeus is the Israelite remnant, and the Ebionite who believes Jesus a son of Joseph is rebuked by Gentile believers in the virgin birth, yet is healed when he calls him Rabbouni. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ Μάρκος καὶ Λουκᾶς κατά τινας μὲν τὴν αὐτὴν ἱστορίαν ἐκτίθενται, κατὰ. δέ τινας ἑτέραν παραπλησίαν, ἄξιόν γε καὶ τὰ τούτων ἰδεῖν. Καὶ πρῶτόν γε κατανοητέον τὴν κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον, οὕτως ἀναί γράψαντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον· t Καὶ ἔρχεται είς Ἰεριχώ· καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὄχλου ἱκανοῦ, ἰδοὺ 6 υίὸς Τιμαίου, Βαρτιμαῖος τυφλὸς, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦθ ι Καὶ ἠκολούθει αύτῷ ὲν τῇ ὀδῷ. t Ὀ μὲν οὖν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ ψιλῇ παριστάμενος, καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος διαφωνεῖν τοὺς εὐαγγελιστάς, ἐρεῖ οὐχ ἃμα γεγονέναι τὸ κατὰ τὸν Ματθαίον, καὶ τὸν Μάρκον, ἀλλά τινι μὲν ἐπιδημίᾳ τῇ ὲν Ἰεριχὼ γεγονέναι τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀναβλέψαντας δύο τυφλούς· ἑτέρᾳ δὲ τά κατὰ τὸν ἕνα τοῦτον υἱὸν Τιμαίου, Βαρτιμαίονʼ καὶ ἄλλῃ τὰ κατὰ τῦν Λουκᾶν. Εἴπερ γὰρ ἀκριβῶς πιστεύομεν ἀναγεγράφθαι, συνεργοῦντος καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, τὰ Εὑαγγέλια, καὶ μὴ ἐσφάλησαν ὲν τῷ ἀπομνημονεύειν οἱ γράψαντες αὐτὰ δηλονότι, ἐπεὶ μὴ δυνατὸν ὲν μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ ἐπιδημίᾳ ἀληθὲς εἶναι δύο τυφλοὺς τεθεραπεῦσθαι ἦ ἕνα, ἑτέρα μὲν ἐπιδημία δεδήλωται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ματθαίου, ἑτέρα δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ Μάρκου, ήδη δὲ καὶ · άλλη ὑπὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ ὡς τῷ ὲπιστήσαντιʼ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς λοιποὺς διαφορᾶς ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο τεθαρρηκότως ἀποφήνασθαι. Καὶ οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ὲπιτηρήσαντά τινα τῶν ὲν Ἱεριχὼ τὴν προτέραν θεραπείαν, διὰ τῆς λέξεως, καὶ τῆς ὁμοίως ἀξιώσεως, καὶ ὲν τῷ αὐτῷ τόπῳ βεβουλῆσθαι θεραπευθῆναι. Εἴποι δʼ ἄν τις οὕτω, καὶ ἄλλος ἐστὶν 6 κατὰ Λουκᾶν τυφλὸς θεραπευθείς. '0 μέντοιγε ὅλων τούτων ζητῶν βαθυτέ ραν διήγησιν φήσει, ὅτι ἓν καὶτὸ αὐτὸ πρᾶγμα διαφόροις C λέξεσι παρίσταται· δύο μὲν γὰρ τυφλοί εἰσιν, ὡς ἀποδέδοται Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδας· εἷς δὲ 6 ὅλων τούτων λαὸς, ὅτε εἷς δηλοῦται θεραπευόμενος τυφλός. Ὀχλου οὖν ἱκανοῦ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὲθνῶν συνεκπορευομένου άπὸ τῶν κοσμικῶν τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, Ἶσραηλιτικόν τιΓ λεῖμμα παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καθεζόμενον, καὶ πενόμενον τοῖς νοήμασι, καὶ ὲπαιτοῦν τὰ είς τὴν χρείαν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἀκοῦσαν, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν, ἔρχεται μέγα βοῶν, ἀξιοῦν τὸν Σωτῆρα, ὡς υἱὸν Δαυῖδ, ἔλεον αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν καὶ ἐπὰν ἴδῃς τῶν ἀπὸ οιιιοεΝιε Ἰουδαίων πιστευόντων εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὴν περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος πίστιν, ὁτὲ μὲν ἐκ Μαρίας καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ οἰομένων αὐτὸν εἶναι, ὁτὲ δὲ ὲκ Μαρίας μὲν μόνης καὶ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος, οὑ μὴν καὶ μετὰ τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ θεολογίας, ὄψει πῶς οὗτος ὁ τυφλὸς λέγει τό· ι Υἱὸς Δαυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με, ι ἐπιτιμῶσιν ei πολλοίο πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰεριχὼ ἐκπορευόμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν ὲθνῶν, ἐπιτιμῶντες τῇ πτωχείᾳ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πιστεύειν δοκούντωνο καὶ ἀνάγων δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν εὐγενῆ ψυχὴν τὰ τοιαῦτα πτωχεόσασαν, καὶ μέχρι ὲπαιτήσεως φθάσασαν, οὐ πάνυ τι διαμαρτήσῃ τοῦ λόγου. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδοξε τῷ Μάρκῳ καὶ τὸ τοῦ ςα τρὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ ὄνομα ἀναγράψαι, ὅτι Τίμαιος ἦν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ τυφλοῦ, ὅτι Βαρτιμαῖος ἐκαλεῖτο, ζητοῦμεν μήπη ἐνενόησε τι ὁ Μάρκος βαθύτερον τὸν τόπονί καὶ ἀνανκαίως τάχα ἀπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας λαβὼν προσέθηκε τὸ ὄνομα, εἴποι δʼ ἄν τις, καὶ ποιὴσας αὐτὸ ὡς χρήσιμον. Καὶ εἰ μὴ δόξομεν 339195-35σθαι μέχρι τῶν τοιούτων ἐξετάσεως φθάνοντες, ζητοῦμεν τὸν τῆς τιμῆς ἐπώνυμον Τίμαιον, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Βαρτιμαῖον, ὅπερ ἐστὶν υἱὸν Τιμαξου. Μήποτε δὲ διὰ τὸ τίμιον τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἰακὼὸ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τροπικῶς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ Τίμαιος οἱ δὲ τὴν εὐγένειαν ἀπʼ ἐκείνου κεκτημένοι, ὁΒαρτιμαίος τυφλδς διὰ τὰ προειρημένα, ὁμοίιος δὲ καὶ καθεζόμενος παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ ἐπαιτῶν. Εἶτα ἐπείπερ λέγοντι αὐτῷ· ι Υἱὸς Δαυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με, ι ἐπετίμων οἱ πολλοὶ ἴνα σιωπήσῃ,,ζητῶ εἰ δύνασαι πολλοὺς μὲν εἰπεῖν ἐπιτιμῶντας ἴνα σιωπήσῃ, τῷ Ἐὅιωναίῳ καὶ mwχεύοντι περὶ τὴν εἰς Ἰησοῦν πίστιν, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οἵτινες παρʼ ὀλίγους ἅπαντες πεπιστεύκασιν αὑτὸν ἐκ παρθένου γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ ἐπιτιμῶσιν ἵνα σιωπήσῃ, τῷ οἰομένῳ αὐτὸν ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνο δρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς εἶναι κατάγοντος τὸ γένος ἀπὸ τοῦ Δαυῐδ. Ἀλλὰ, καίτοιγε τῶν πολλῶν ἐπιτιμώντων, πολλῷ μᾶλλον κέκραγε, πιστεύων μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀνθρωπικώτερον δὲ πιστεύων· καὶ κεκραγὼς λέγει· ι Υἱὸς Δαυϊδ, ἐλέησόν με. r Ἀλλʼ 6 φιλάνθρωπος Σωτὴρ στάς οὐκέτι κατά τὸν Ματθαῖον αὐτὸς αύτὸν φωνεῖ, ἀλλʼ εἶπεν αὐτὸν φωνηθῆναι· οἱ δὲ προσταχθέντες εἷπον αύτῷ· ι Θάρσει, ἐγειραι· ι καθεζομένῳ γὰρ αὐτῷ, καλ ἀναπεπτωκότι φασίν· ι Ἔγειραν ι καὶ λέγουσι· ι Φωνεῖ σε. r Μετά ταῦτά φησιν ὁ Μάρκος, ὅτι, ἀποβαλὼν τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἀναπηδήσας ἧλθε πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. 'Ap’ οῦν οὐδὲν ἐννοήσας ἀνέγραψε περὶ τοῦ ἀποβαλόντα αὐτὸν τὸ ίμάτιον ἀνατεεπηδηκότα ἐληλυθέναι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ τολμήσομεν φῆσαι μάτην ταῦτα προσερρίφθαι τῷ Εὑαγγελίῳς Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μίαν κεραίαν οὐ πιστεύω κενὴν εἷναι θείων μαθημάτων· τὸ δέ ἐπιτυγχάνειν ἐρμηνεύοντα ἡγοῦμαι πολλοῦ δεῖσθαι λόγου διὰ τὸ δυσερμήνευτον τῶν πραγμάτων. Μήποτ οὖν τά ὡς τυφλοῦ καὶ ἐπαίτου ἐπικαλύμματα, οἷς περιεβέβλητο 6 Βαρτιμαῖος, δηλοῦται· ἀτινα ἀπέβαλεν 6 τυφλὸς ἀκούσας· ι Θάρσει, ἔγειραι, φωνεῖ σε. ι Καὶ ἀποβαλὼν τὰ τῆς ἐπαιτήσεως καλύμματα καὶ περιβόλαια, ἀνεπήδησε, καὶ ἀνέστη, ἵνα ἔλθῃ πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν· καὶ τυχὼν τῆς παρʼ αὐτοῦ ἀποκρίσεως εἰρημένης πρὸς τὴν ἀξίωσιν, τῆς· ι Τί θέλεις ποιησω; ι καὶ αὐτὸς εἷπε μείζονα φωνὴν τῆς· ι Υἱὲ Δαυἳδ, ἐλέησόν με· r μεῖζον γὰρ ἐπινενόηται τοῦ, ι Υἱέ Δαυῖδ, ι τῷ λέγοντι, ι Ῥαὒβουνὶ ο καὶ τὸ εἶδος τοῦ ἐλέους παραστήσαντι διὰ τοῦ· ι Ἵνα ἀναβλέψω. ι Καὶ 6 Σωτήρ γε διά μέν τοῦ· ο Υίὲ Δαυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με, ι οὐ δίδωσι τὴν εύργεσίαν, οὐδʼ ὅτε τὸ ἱμάτιον τῆς ὲπαιτήσεως περιέκειτο, οὐδʼ ὅτε ἐκαθέζετο παρά τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπαιτῶν· διὰ δὲ τό· ι Ραββουνὶ, ἴνα ἀναβλέψω, ι εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ‹ ’Υπαγε,ή πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε· ι καὶ 6 μὲν Σωτὴρ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ι Ὕπαγε· ι 6 δὲ τοῦ προστάγματος τούτου κρεῖττον πεποίηκεν· οὐ γὰρ ἀπελήλυθεν, ἀλλὰ ἠκολούθει τῷ Ἰησοῦ ὲν τι ὁδῷ, ἐπεὶ εὐθέως ἀνέβλεψεν. ### English translation (Claude) Since Mark and Luke, according to some, set out the same narrative, but according to others another, similar one, it is worth looking at theirs too. And first we must consider the account in Mark, who recorded the passage thus: “And he comes to Jericho; and as he was going out from there with his disciples and a considerable crowd, behold, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind man,” and so on, up to “and he followed him on the road.” The one who stands by the bare narrative, and does not wish the evangelists to disagree, will say that what is in Matthew and what is in Mark did not happen at the same time, but that the events concerning the two blind men who recovered their sight happened at one visit to Jericho, those concerning this one man, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, at another, and those in Luke at another. For if we believe that the Gospels were recorded accurately, with the Holy Spirit working together with the writers, and that those who wrote them did not err in their recollections, then clearly—since it cannot be true at one and the same visit that two blind men were healed and that one was—one visit is indicated by Matthew, another by Mark, and yet another by Luke, as one who has considered it can confidently declare from the difference between it and the others. And it is nothing surprising that one of those in Jericho, having observed the earlier healing, should have wished to be healed by the same words and a like request, and in the same place. Someone might speak in this way; and he might say also that the blind man healed in Luke is another. But one who seeks a deeper explanation of all these will say that one and the same matter is presented in different words. For there are two blind men, as was explained, Israel and Judah; but the people made up of all these is one, when one blind man is shown being healed. While a considerable crowd from the nations goes out with Jesus and his disciples from worldly things, a certain Israelite remnant, sitting by the road, poor in thoughts and begging for what the soul needs, having heard that it is Jesus the Nazarene, comes crying out loudly, asking the Saviour, as son of David, to grant it mercy. And when you see the faith about the Saviour of those from the Jews who believe in Jesus—sometimes thinking him to be the son of Mary and Joseph, sometimes of Mary alone and the divine Spirit, yet without the theology concerning him—you will see how this blind man says, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” and many rebuke him. For many are those from the nations who go out from Jericho, rebuking the poverty of those from the Jews who seem to believe. And if you refer such things to the noble soul that has become poor and come even to begging, you will not altogether miss the meaning. And since Mark saw fit to record also the name of the blind man’s father, that it was Timaeus, and that of the blind man, that he was called Bartimaeus, we ask whether Mark perceived something deeper in the passage, and perhaps of necessity took the name from the narrative and added it—or, someone might say, made use of it as something useful. And if we shall not seem to be over-subtle in going so far as to examine such things, we inquire into Timaeus, named from honour, and his son Bartimaeus, which means son of Timaeus. Perhaps, because of the honour of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, he, figuratively, is Timaeus; and those who have obtained their good birth from him are Bartimaeus, blind for the reasons stated before, and likewise sitting by the road and begging. Then, since, when he said, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” many rebuked him to be silent, I ask whether you can say that the many who rebuke the Ebionite—who is poor as regards faith in Jesus—to be silent are those from the nations, who, all but a few, have believed that he was born of a virgin, and who rebuke, to silence him, the one who thinks that he is from the seed of a man and a woman tracing their descent from David. But though many rebuked him, he cried out much more, believing in Jesus, but believing in a more human way; and crying out he says, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” But the humane Saviour stopped, and no longer calls him himself, as in Matthew, but said that he should be called; and those who were bidden said to him, “Take heart, rise”; for they say to him, as he sits and has sunk down, “Rise,” and they say, “He is calling you.” After this Mark says that, throwing off his cloak, he leapt up and came to Jesus. Did he, then, record without any thought that he threw off his cloak and leapt up and came to Jesus, and shall we dare to say that these things were thrown into the Gospel in vain? I, for my part, do not believe that one iota or one stroke is empty of divine teachings; but I think that to succeed in interpreting them needs much reasoning, because the matters are hard to interpret. Perhaps, then, the coverings of a blind man and a beggar, in which Bartimaeus was wrapped, are indicated; these the blind man threw off when he heard, “Take heart, rise, he is calling you.” And throwing off the coverings and wraps of begging, he leapt up and rose to come to Jesus; and obtaining from him the answer to his request, “What do you want me to do?”, he too spoke a greater word than “Son of David, have mercy on me.” For something greater is conceived by the one who says “Rabbouni” than “son of David,” and who sets out the kind of mercy he seeks by saying “that I may recover my sight.” And the Saviour does not give the benefaction for “Son of David, have mercy on me,” neither while the cloak of begging was around him, nor while he sat by the road begging; but for “Rabbouni, that I may recover my sight,” he said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” And the Saviour said to him, “Go”; but he did something better than this command; for he did not go away, but followed Jesus on the road, since he immediately recovered his sight. ### Scripture references - Mark 10:46: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:47: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:48: allusion, high confidence - Mark 10:49: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:50: allusion, high confidence - Mark 10:51: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:52: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:35: allusion, high confidence - Rom 11:5: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 5:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 20:30: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:35–43; Rom 11:5 (the remnant); Matt 5:18; Matt 20:30–32. Origen’s remarks on Jewish believers and on the Ebionites, who held that Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary, are translated as written, without comment. The verb rendered “be over-subtle” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.12 (PG 13:1408d–1416a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-13 - Source: PG 13:1416a–1417b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Luke places the healing as Jesus approaches Jericho, Mark as he enters and leaves, Matthew as he leaves; mystically these are stages, and Luke’s blind man, who must be brought to Jesus, is the least advanced. ### Greek text Ίδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ οὕτως ἔχιδνʼ ι ἐγένετο δὲ ἐγγίζειν αὑτὸν εἰς Ἱεριχὼ, καὶ mide τις ἐκάθητο παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐπαιτῶν, 3 καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ πᾶς 6 λαὸς ἰδὼν ἔδωκεν αἶνον τῷ θεῷ. ι Καὶ τούτου δὲ τὰ μέν κοινὰ πρὸς τοὺς lamna; ἢδη τῆς κατὰ τὸ φανὲν ἡμῖν διηγήσεως τετευχότα οὐκ ἐπαναληψόμεθω τὰ δὲ καίρια καὶ ἴδια κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν παραστήσομεν. Καὶ πρῶτόν γε παρατήρει, ὅτι Ματθαῖος μὲν καὶ Μάρκος, ἐκπορευομένου μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῢ Ἰησοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰεριχὼ, ἀνέγραςνιν γεγονέναι τὰ περὶ τοὺς τυφλοὺς ἢ τὸν τυφλόν· δὲ Λουκᾶς φησινʼ t Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἰεριχώ. 3 Οὐκοῦν κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν εἰσερχόμενος ei; τὴν Ἱεριχὼ, κοιλ ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς γενόμενος ἑπιτελεῖ τὴν κατὰ τὸν τυφλὸν οἰκονομίαν. Καὶ εἴποι τις ἂν κατὰ τὸν μυστικὸν λόγον, ὅτι πρῶτόν ἐστι τὸ τοῦ Λουκᾶ, δεύτερον δὲ τὸ τοῦ Μάρκου, καὶ τρίτον τὸ to} Ματθαιου ο πρῶτον γὰρ δεῖ ἐγγίσαι τῇ Ἱεριχὼ, εἶτα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐκπορευθῆναι ἀπʼ αὐτῆς. ’Δνέγραψε τοίνυν 6 μὲν Λουκᾶς τό· ι Ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν αὐτὸν εἰς Ὶεριχώο 3 6 δὲ Μάρκεςσ ι Kx‘. ἔρχεται εἰς ’Ῑεριχὼ, καὶ ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ· θεν 3 6 δέ Ματθαῖος οὔτε τὸ ἐγγίζειν τῇ Ἱεριχὼ ἀνέγραψεν, οὔτε ὅτι ἔρχεται εἰς Ἰεριχὼ, ἀλλὰ MV?“ ὃτι, t ἐκπορευομένων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Ἱεριχὼ, ἠκολούθησεν αὑτῷ ὄχλος πολύς. 3 Δύναται οὖν τὸ μὲν κατὰ Aouκᾶν ἐγγίσας τῇ Ὶεριχὼ πεποιηκέναι· τὸ δὲ κατε Μάρκον, ἐλθὼν εἰς Ἰεριχώο τὸ δὲ κατὰ Ματθαῖον. ἐκπορευθεὶς ἀπʼ αὐτῆς. Ὁρᾷς δὲ, ὅτι καὶ 6 κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν τυφλὸς, ι ἀκούσας ὄχλου διαπορευομένου, 3 καὶ οὐ δήπου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ,‹ ἐπυνθάνετο τί ἂν εἴη· 3 6 δέ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον, ι ἀκούσας, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς 6 Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν. ἤρξατο κράζειν ο 3 οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν Ματθαῖον δύο τυφλοὶ καθήμενοι παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, ἀκούσαντες, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς περ· άγει, ἔκραξαν. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν 6 κατὰ τὸν Musonio” παρὰ τοῖς τυφλοῖς Ἰησοῦς Ναζαρηνὸς,’ἀλλʼ 6 παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς, ὧνὸ μὲν κατὰ τὴν Μάρκον ἀκούει,ὃτιὸ Ἰηωῦς 6 Ναζαρηνός ἐστιν · 6 δὲ κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν, ὅτε ἐπυνθάνετο παρὰ τοῦ ὄχλου τί ἂν εἴη τοῦτο, ἔμαθεν ἀπαγγειλάντων αὐτῴ, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς 6 Ναζαρηνὸς παρέρο χεται· ἑξῆς δέ τούτοις παρατήρει, δτι τῷ βοήσαντι τυφῖιῦ λέγοντι· t re Δαυῖδ, ἐλέησόν με, ι οἱ προἀξοντες ἐπετίμων, ἵνα σιωπήσῃ· ὡσεὶ ἕλεγεψ οἱ πρῶτοι πιστεύσαντες ἐπετίμων τῷ λέγοντι· ι Υἱὲ Δαυῒδ, ι ἵνα σιγήσῃ, καί μὴ ἁναγορεύσῃ αὐτὸν τῷ ἐλάττονι ὀνόματι, ἀλλʼ οἱονεὶ λέγῃ· Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ἐλέησόν με· ἀλλʼ ἐκεῖνος πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔκραξεψ ι Ϋὶὲ Δαυῖδ, ἐλέησόν με. ι Εἶτα, φησι, ι σταθεὶςὸ Ἰησοῦς ἐκέλευσεν αέτδν ἀχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. ι Καὶ δρα εἰ μὴ, ὼς παρατετηρήκαμεν, ὑποδεέστερός ὲστιν οὗτος 6 τυφλόςʼ οὔτε γὰρ 6 Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸν ἐφώνησεν, οὔτε εἶπεν αὺτὸν φωνηθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ὡς μὴ χωροῦντα ταῦτα ἐκέλευσεν ἀὐτὸν μὴ δυνάμενον καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὑτὸν, ἀχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτόν. Εἶτα, φησὶν, t ἐγγίσαντος αὑτοῦ, ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν, εἰπών· Τί σοι θέλεις ἴνα fiatfiat»; ι καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν, ### English translation (Claude) Let us look also at Luke’s account, which runs thus: “And it came to pass, as he drew near to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting by the road begging,” and so on, up to “And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” What this has in common with the other accounts, which have already received the explanation that appeared to us, we shall not take up again; but what is timely and peculiar to it we shall set out as well as we can. And first observe that Matthew and Mark recorded that the events concerning the blind men, or the blind man, took place as Jesus was going out from Jericho with the disciples; but Luke says, “And it came to pass, as he drew near to Jericho.” According to Luke, then, he carries out the ordering concerning the blind man as he is entering Jericho and has come near it. And someone might say, according to the mystical sense, that Luke’s account is first, Mark’s second, and Matthew’s third; for one must first draw near to Jericho, then enter it, and then go out from it. Luke, then, recorded, “It came to pass, as he drew near to Jericho”; Mark, “And he comes to Jericho; and as he was going out from there”; while Matthew recorded neither the drawing near to Jericho nor that he comes to Jericho, but only that “as they went out from Jericho, a great crowd followed him.” He can therefore have done what is in Luke as he drew near to Jericho, what is in Mark as he came into Jericho, and what is in Matthew as he went out from it. You see also that the blind man in Luke, “hearing a crowd passing through”—and not, mark you, Jesus—“inquired what this might be”; the one in Mark, “hearing that it is Jesus the Nazarene, began to cry out”; and the two blind men in Matthew, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out. And for the blind men in Matthew he is not “Jesus the Nazarene,” but he is for the others: the one in Mark hears that it is Jesus the Nazarene, and the one in Luke, when he inquired of the crowd what this might be, learned from those who told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. Next to this, observe that when the blind man cried out, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” those who went in front rebuked him, that he should be silent; as if it said: those who believed first rebuked the one who said “son of David,” that he should be silent and not proclaim him by the lesser name, but say, as it were, “Son of God, have mercy on me.” But he cried out much more, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” Then, it says, “Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to him.” And see whether, as we have observed, this blind man is not lower than the others; for Jesus neither called him nor said that he should be called, but, since he could not receive these things, commanded that he, who could not come to him by himself, be brought to him. Then, it says, “when he had come near, he asked him, saying, What do you want me to do for you?” And he did not ask him before, ### Scripture references - Luke 18:35: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:36: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:37: allusion, high confidence - Luke 18:39: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:40: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:41: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:43: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:46: quotation, high confidence - Mark 10:47: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:30: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 18:35–43; Mark 10:46–47; Matt 20:29–30. The passage breaks off mid-sentence; the sentence apparently continues in the next passage (16.14), at a chapter boundary set by the importer without confirmation. The text is translated as staged. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.13 (PG 13:1416a–1417b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-14 - Source: PG 13:1417b–1421d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The blind man in Luke follows Jesus glorifying God; then Origen turns to the entry into Jerusalem, asking why the evangelists record the ass and the colt, quoting Zech 9:9–12, and noting how Matthew and John alter the prophecy’s wording. ### Greek text ῆ 6 ἐρωτώμενος ἤγγισεν-αὑτῷ ο καί,επεὶνῆγγισῇ διὰ τοῦτο ἐρωτηθεὶς, εἷπε τό · ι Ἵνα ἀναβλέψω, Κόριε. ι Εἶτα, φησιν, ι ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῷ ’1ης σοῦς · Ἀνάβλεψον, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. ι Ῑιλεῖον δὲ ἔχουσιν οἱ κατὰ τὸν Ματθαῖον τυφλοὶ, ἐφʼ ὧν γέγραπται, ὅτι σπλαγχνισθεὶς 6 Ἰησοῦς ἥψατο τιίν ὀμμάτων αὐτῶνο οὐχ ἥψατο δὲ οὔτε τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον οὔτε τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν. Ἔχει δὲ πάλιν πλεονέκτημά τι 6 κατὰ τὸν Δουκᾶν, ἐπείπερ ἡνίκα παραχρῆμα ἀνέβλεψεν, οὐ μόνον ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ πλεῖόν τι εἶχε παρὰ τοὺς λοιπούς ι Ἠκολούθει ι γὰρ, φησὶν, ι αὑτῷ δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν ’ ι καὶ ἦν τὸ τέλος τούτου ὲν τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι καὶ δοξάζοντι τὸν Θεὸν πάντα τὸν ὄχλον ἰδόντα δοῦναι αἶνον τῷ Θεῷ. Ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἡμεῖς εἰς τοὺς τό· πους, εἴτε γνόντες, εἴτε λαβόντες, εἴδομεν· Θεὸς δὲ δῴη ᾧ βούλεται λόγον σοφίας πλουσιώτερον καὶ λόγον ὲν φωτὶ γνώσεως τρανότερον, ἵνα ταῦτα, τοῖς ἀπὸ τοιούτων χαρισμάτων συγκρινόμενα, εὐμθῇ, ὠς λύχνος παρʼ ῆλιονί Περὶ τῆς ὄνου καὶ τοῦ πώλου. ι Καὶ ὅτε ἦγγισαν εἰς Ἰεροσόλυμα, καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βηθφαγὴν πρὸς τὸ ὅρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, εως τοῦο ‹ Ἐπὶ όνον καὶ πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου. ι Καὶ 6 Μάρκοςδὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον οὕτως ἀνέγραψε· ι Καὶ ὅτε ἐγγίζουσιν είς Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ είς Βηθανίαν πρὸς τδ ὅρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ειυς τοῦ. t Καὶ εὐθέως αὑτὸν ἀποστελεῖ· θ ό δὲ Λουκᾶς τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον καὶταῦτα εἰπών· ι Ἐπορεύετο ἐμπροσθεν ἀναβαίνων είς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦο ι Οὕτως ἐρεῖτε, ὃτι ό Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει. ι Ἀξιόν ἐστι μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων τοῦ Εύαγγελίου ῥητῶν ἐπιστῆσαι τῷ βουλήματι τῶν ἀναγραφόντων καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει αὐτῶν, τί σκοποῦντες ἀνέγραψαν πρὸς τοῖς τεραστίοις καὶ παραδόξοις τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος γεγενημένων καὶ τὰ μηδὲν ἐμφαίνοντα τοιοῦτον. Ἔστω γὰρ περὶ τυφλῶν ἀναδλέψεως, καὶ παρέτων ἰάσεως. καὶ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως. καὶ λεπρῶν καθαρίσεως πεπραγματεῦσθαι τοὺς έύαγγελιστάς, είς οἰκοδομὴν τὴν περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις αὐτῶν τῇ γραφῇ· τί βούλεται αὐτοῖς τὺ προκείμενον ῥητὸν. καθὸ ἡνίκα τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἤγγισεν ό Ἰησσῇ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν. καὶ ἐλήλυθεν εἰς Βηθφαγὴ πλησίον τοῦ ὅρους τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, ἀπέστειλε δύο μαθητὰς, ἐντελλόμενος αὐτοῖς περὶ δνου καὶ πώλου, ἵνα λύσαντες ἀγάγωσιν αὐτῷ, τῷ ἐσθʼ ὅτε μὴ ὀκνήσαντι πλείονα ὁδὸν πεζεῦσαι, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ποσὶ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ἐκτελέσαι, ὡς ὅτε ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων διήρχετο διὰ τῆς Σαμαρείας, φθάσας ἐπὶ τὸ ςρὲαρ, κοπιάσας ὲκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ὲκαθέσβη παρʼ ater; Τί δὲ καὶ αύτῷ τῷ Ἰησοῦ πρόκειται όνον δεδεμένην μετὰ πώλου λύεσθαι κελεύοντι, προστάσσοντι λέγειν τῷ ότιποτοῦν ἐπὶ τούτῳ φάσκοντι, ὃτι ὁ Κύριος αὐτῶν χρείαν ἔχει, εὐθέως δὲ ἀποστελεῖ αὑτούςς '0 γὰρ τηλικοῦτος Κύριος. χρείαν ἔχων ὄνου καὶ πώλου τῶν πάλαι δεδεμένων, ὲμφαινέτω τι ἄξιον αὑτοῦ τῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας. Ἐπιτείνει δὲ τὴν κατά τὸν τόπον ζήτησιν προφήτης Ζαχαρίας ὁ τοῦ Βαραχίου, προφητεύσας περὶ τούτων προφητείαν ἀξίαν ἐπιστάσεως, ὲν αὐταῖς λέξεσι γέγραπται ταῦτα· t Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, κήρυσσε. θύγατερ Ἱερουεαλήμ ’ ἰδοὺ ὁ Βασιλεύς σου ιρχεταί σοι δίκαιος, καὶ σώζων, αὐτὸς πραῢς, καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον νέον. ι Εἰ δὲ βούλει άπὸ τοῦ Προφήτου μαθεῖν πῶς ἐστι, ι Χαῖρε σφόδρα, ι χαρᾶς ἄξια τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιὼν τὰ προφητευόμενα, ἄκουε τοῦ · ι Καὶ ὲξολοθρεύσει άρματα ἐξ Ἐφρατμ, καὶ ἵππον ἐξ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ὲξολοθρευθήσεται τόξον πολεμικὸν, καὶ πλῆθος, καὶ εἰρήνη ἐξ ἐθνῶν, καὶ κατάρξει ὑδάτων ἕως Θαλάσσης, καὶ ποταμῶν διʼ ἐκβολὰς γῆς. Καὶ σὺ ὲν αἵματι διαθήκης ἐξαπέστειλας δεσμίους σου ὲκ λάκκου οὐκ ἔχοντος ὕδωρ. Καθήσεσθε ὲν ὀχυρώματι δέσμιοι τῆς συναγωγῆς, καὶ ἀντὶ μιᾶζ ἡμέρας παροικίας σου διπλᾶ ἀνταποδώσω σοι· ι καὶ ἵνα μὴ μηκύνωμεν τὸν λόγον έπιπλεῖον, καταλίπωμεν τῷ βουλομένῳ συγκρίaut τὴν προφητείαν τῇ κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιω ἱστορίᾳ ὅλα τὰ κατὰ τοὺς τόπους ἐξετάσαι παρακειμένης τῆς λέξεως. Ἐσημειωσάμεθα δὲ, ῶσπερ ἐπʼ ἄλλων, ὅτι μὴ αὐταῖς λέξεσιν ὁ Ματθαῖος καὶ ὀ Ἰωάννης ἐξ· ἐθιντο τὸ προφητικόν · οὐ γάρ ταυτὸν τόέ ι Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, ι τῷ· ι Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών. ι ’Δλλὰ μετὰ τόʼ ι Ἰδοὺ ὁ Βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι, ι προτεταγμένα τοῦ, ι πραΰς, ι οὐκ ὶξέθετο ὁ Ματθαῖος, οὕτως ἔχοντα· ι Δίκαιος καὶ σώζων αὑτός· ι ἔτι δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦδ ι Kal. ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὕνονβη), καί πῶλον υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου, ι-ι καὶ πῶλον νόον, ι ἢ ὡς ἐν τισι, ι πῶλον ὑποζυγίου. ι 'D δὲ Ἰωάννης ἀντὶ τοῦ · ι Ἐπιὸεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον, ι πεποίηκε· ι Καθήμενος ἔρχεται ἐπὶ πῶλον ὄνου · ι ὅστις ἐμφαίνων, ὅτι γνώσεως δεῖται τὺ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ἐπιφέρει τό· ι Ταῦτα δὲ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οἱ μαθηul. αὑτοῦ τὸ πρότερον. ι ### English translation (Claude) … until the one who was asked had come near to him; and since he had come near, being asked for this reason, he said: “That I may recover my sight, Lord.” Then, it says, “Jesus answered and said to him, Recover your sight; your faith has saved you.” The blind men in Matthew have more, for of them it is written that Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; but he touched neither the one in Mark nor the one in Luke. Yet again the one in Luke has a certain advantage, since when he immediately recovered his sight he not only followed him but had something more than the others: “he followed him,” it says, “glorifying God”; and the outcome of this, in the man who followed and glorified God, was that all the crowd, when they saw it, gave praise to God. These are the things we have seen for the present on these passages, whether by our own knowledge or by receiving them; but may God give to whom he wills a richer word of wisdom and a clearer word in the light of knowledge, so that these things, compared with what comes from such gifts, may be found to be like a lamp beside the sun. [On the ass and the colt.] “And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives,” and so on, up to “upon an ass and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” And Mark recorded the passage thus: “And when they draw near to Jerusalem and to Bethany, to the Mount of Olives,” and so on, up to “and he will send it at once”; and Luke, saying these things in this way: “He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem,” and so on, up to “Thus you shall say: The Lord has need of it.” It is worthwhile, especially with such sayings of the Gospel, to attend to the intent and purpose of those who recorded them: with what aim they recorded, besides the wonderful and extraordinary things done by the Saviour, things that show nothing of that kind. For granted that the evangelists treated of the recovery of sight by the blind, the healing of the paralysed, the raising of the dead, and the cleansing of lepers, to build up faith in Jesus in those who would read their writing, what do they mean by the saying before us: that when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem with his disciples and came to Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples, commanding them about an ass and a colt, that they should untie them and bring them to him—he who sometimes did not shrink from going a longer way on foot and finishing the journey on his own feet, as when, passing from Jerusalem through Samaria, he reached the well and, wearied from the journey, sat down beside it? And what was Jesus’ own purpose in ordering an ass that was tied with a colt to be untied, and in commanding them to say to anyone who said anything about it that the Lord has need of them, and that he will send them at once? For let so great a Lord, having need of an ass and a colt that had long been tied, show something worthy of his magnificence. The prophet Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, heightens the inquiry on this passage, having prophesied about these things a prophecy worth attention. It is written in these very words: “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; proclaim, daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you, just and saving; he is meek, and mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt.” And if you wish to learn from the Prophet how the things prophesied are worthy of joy for the daughter of Zion, so that “Rejoice greatly” is said, hear: “And he will destroy chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war will be destroyed, and a multitude, and peace from the nations; and he will rule the waters as far as the sea, and the rivers to the ends of the earth. And you, by the blood of the covenant, have sent out your prisoners from a pit that has no water. You shall dwell in a stronghold, prisoners of the synagogue, and for one day of your sojourning I will repay you double.” And so as not to lengthen the discourse further, let us leave it to anyone who wishes to compare the prophecy with the narrative of the Gospel, and to examine everything in these passages, the text lying at hand. We have noted, as in other cases, that Matthew and John did not set out the prophecy in its very words. For “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion” is not the same as “Say to the daughter of Zion.” And after “Behold, your King comes to you,” Matthew did not set out the words that precede “meek,” which run, “just and saving is he”; and further, in place of “and a young colt”—or, as in some copies, “a colt of a beast of burden”—he has “and mounted on an ass, and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” And John, in place of “mounted on a beast of burden,” has made it, “sitting on an ass’s colt he comes”; and he, showing that the passage needs knowledge, adds: “These things his disciples did not understand at first.” ### Scripture references - Luke 18:41: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:42: quotation, high confidence - Luke 18:43: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:34: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 12:8: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 21:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:5: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:1: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:3: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:28: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:5: allusion, medium confidence - John 4:6: allusion, high confidence - Zech 9:9: quotation, high confidence - Zech 9:10: quotation, high confidence - Zech 9:11: quotation, high confidence - Zech 9:12: quotation, high confidence - John 12:14: allusion, high confidence - John 12:15: quotation, high confidence - John 12:16: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Luke 18:40–43; Matt 20:34; 1 Cor 12:8; Matt 21:1–5; Mark 11:1–3; Luke 19:28–31; Matt 11:5; John 4:6; Zech 9:9–12; John 12:14–16. The passage opens mid-sentence, continuing the last sentence of 16.13 across a chapter boundary set by the importer without confirmation; the opening words are translated as staged. The bracketed words are a heading printed in the edition. The sentence comparing Matthew’s wording with Zechariah’s is disordered in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.14 (PG 13:1417b–1421d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-15 - Source: PG 13:1421d–1424d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Zion and Jerusalem, bidden to rejoice, are the heavenly city; the tied ass and colt are the synagogue and the Gentile people, loosed from sin through the apostles’ teaching so that Christ may ride on them and give them rest. ### Greek text ἐξιξῆξτξπιῖδίτᾶξῗειέ πῶς εὐλόγως προστάσσεται c κατὰ τὸν Προφήτην χαίρειν σφόδρα θυγάτηρ Σιὼν, καὶ κηρύσσειν θυγάτηρ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, διὰ τὸν ἐπιβεδηκὸτα ἐπὶ ύτεδζύγιον καὶ πῶλον νέον, ὅτε μετὰ βραχὺ ἰδὼν τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔκλαυσεν, ὴ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Πρόσχες οῦν είδύνασαι Σιὼν νῦν δὴ λεγομένην θυγατέρα τοῦ προστάσσοντος αὐτῇ χαίρειν, καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ πάλιν θυγατέρα τοῦ κηρύσσειν αὐτῇ κελευόντος, εἰπεῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, περὶ ὧν ὲν μὲν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους γέγραμmat τό· ι Ἀλλὰ προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόα λει Θεοῖκ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ, καὶ μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων πανηγύρειʼ ι ὲν δὲ τῇ πρὸς Γαλάταςο ι Ἦ δὲ ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ ἡμῶν. ι Μήποτε γὰρ σύμβολά ἐστι ταῦτα τοῦ Σωτῆρος λύσαντος τῶν δεσμῶν διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν τὰ ἴδια ὁχή ματα, τοὺς δὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ πιστεύσαντας ἐκείνου τότε καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν· δεδεμένη γὰρ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἦν ἢ ποτε Συναγωγή, δεδεμένος δὲ καὶ ὁ πῶλος μετʼ ἐκείνης, ὀ ὕστερον γενόμενος νέος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν λαὸς, καὶ τούτους ἀμφοτέρους ὲγγίζων τῇ είς τὴν ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀνόδῳ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐκέλευσεν ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν διδασκόντων λυθῆναι, δοὺς αὐτοῖς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, καὶ είπὼν · ί Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἆγιον ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται αὐτοῖς· ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται. ι Καὶ ἀεί γε οἱ μαθηταὶ, ι οὓς ίκάνωσε διακόνους Καινῆς Διαθήκης, οὐ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πνεύματος, ι λύοντες τὴν δεδεμένην ὄνον, καὶ τὸν πῶλον, ᾶγουσι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν βουλόμενον ὀχήματι χρήσασθαι τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν γνησίων αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν λελυμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν πάλαι δεσμῶν. Καὶ πρέπει γε τῷ Υίῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὕτω χρείαν ἔχειν, φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ ἐστι, τῆς δεδεμένης ὄνου καὶ τοῦ μετʼ αὐτῆς δεδεμένου πώλου· χρείαν δʼ αὐτῶν ἔχει, ἵνα αὐτοῖς ὲπικαθίσας ἀναπαύσῃ μᾶλλον, ἥπερ ἁναπαύσηται, τοὺς οἷς ὲπικαθέζεται. ### English translation (Claude) … how reasonably, according to the Prophet, the daughter of Zion is commanded to rejoice greatly, and the daughter of Jerusalem to proclaim, because of the one mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt, when a little later, seeing Jerusalem, he wept: “You who kill the prophets,” and so on. Consider, then, whether you can say that Zion, now called the daughter of the one who commands her to rejoice, and Jerusalem, called in turn the daughter of the one who bids her proclaim, are the heavenly things, about which it is written in the Letter to the Hebrews: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering”; and in the Letter to the Galatians: “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother.” For perhaps these things are symbols of the Saviour’s having loosed from their bonds, through his disciples, his own mounts—those who then believed from that people and those from the nations. For the Synagogue of old was bound by sins; and bound with her was the colt, the people from the nations who later became new. And as the Saviour drew near to the ascent to the Jerusalem above, he commanded both of these to be loosed by the disciples through their teaching, giving them the Holy Spirit and saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” And the disciples, “whom he made sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit,” always loose the tied ass and the colt and lead them to Jesus, who wishes to use as his mount those who have been loosed from their ancient bonds by his true disciples. And it befits the Son of God so to have need—for he loves humankind—of the tied ass and of the colt tied with her; and he has need of them so that, sitting upon them, he may give rest to those on whom he sits rather than take rest himself. ### Scripture references - Zech 9:9: allusion, high confidence - Matt 23:37: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:41: allusion, high confidence - Heb 12:22: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:26: quotation, high confidence - John 20:22: quotation, high confidence - John 20:23: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:3: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Zech 9:9; Matt 23:37 and Luke 19:41; Heb 12:22; Gal 4:26; John 20:22–23; 2 Cor 3:6; Matt 21:2–3. The opening words of the passage are garbled beyond reading in the scan and marked “…”. Origen’s figurative reading of the synagogue and the nations is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.15 (PG 13:1421d–1424d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-16 - Source: PG 13:1424d–1429d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The ass and colt, once ridden by Christ into Jerusalem, are sent back transformed to a higher work; Zechariah’s prophecy of peace explains Zion’s joy; and Origen compares five Greek versions of Zech 9:9 (meek, hearkening, poor). ### Greek text Ἀλλά ζητήσει τις, πῶς ὁ λόγος τῶν ἑξῆς ἀκόλουθος ἔσται τοῖς ἀποδεδομένοις, οὕτως ἐχόντωνʼ ι Εὐ·- Θέως δέ ἀποστελεῖ αὐτοὺς, i ι Καὶ εὐθέως αὑτὸν ἀποστελεῖ πάλιν ὦδε· i λύσεις δὲ τὸ ἐπηπορημένον, ν ξηεήσας τὴν ἀποστολὴν ἢ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Ματθαῖον δύο, ἢ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον πώλου. Ὀτι δὲ Κύριος οὐδεὶς ἄλλος ἦν τῶν δεδεμένων, ἀλλʼ ἢ 6 ἡμῶν ι εἷς ’Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, διʼ οὗ τὰ πάντα, ι ᾧ μηδα- . μῶς αντιλέγειν ἔμελλε τῶν λεγόντων τιςʼ ι Εἰς τι λύετε τὸν πῶλον; ι ἢ ὁτιποτοῦν φασκόντων δῆλον· ὡς γὰρ μὴ ἀντερούντων αὐτῷ εἶπεν 6 Σωτὴρ τό· ι Καὶ ἐὰν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ τι, ἐρεῖτε, ὅτι 6 Κύριος αὐτῶν χρείαν ἔχει, ι ηδ ι Ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εῖπῃο Τί λύετε τδν πῶλον; εἴπατε, ὅτι 6 Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔ χει· ι καὶ κατὰ τὸν Δουκᾶν δέ · ι Ἐάν τις, ι φησιν, ι ὑμᾶς ἐρωτᾷ· Διὰ τί λύετε; οὕτω ἐρεῖτε Ὅτι 6 Κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει. ι Καὶ ζητήσεις εἰ μετὰ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὸ ἐπιβεβηκέναι τούτοις ἢ τούτῳ τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἀποστολὴ τις ἐπί τι ἔργον ἀναγκαῖον πρὸς τὸν τόπον γίνεσθαι ἔμελλεν, ἴνα τι ποιήσωσιν ἡ δνος καὶ 6 πῶλος ἔργον κατὰ τὸ σιωπώμενον. ἐμφαινόμενον μὲν, οὐ τρανῶς δέ δεδηλωμένον. Ἕννοιαν δέ τοῦ τοιούτου λαμβάνω ἐπιστήσας τῇ τάξει τῶν ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον μακαρισμῶν, ἐν οἷς μετὰ τό· c Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ι ἐξῆς γέγραπται τό· ι Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν ’ ι τήρει γὰρ ὲν τούτοις, ὃτι πρῶτον μὲν τῶν μακαριζομένωνή βασιλεία ἐστὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν· δεύτερον δὲ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆνο οὐχ ὥστε τὸν πάντα αἰῶνα εἶναι ἐπʼ αὐτῆς· παρακληθέντες γὰρ, καὶ διὰ τδ πεπεινηκέναι καὶ δεδιψηκὼαι δικαιοσύνης, κο- c ρεσθέντες αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐλεηθέντες, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἰδόντες, καὶ υἱοὶ αὑτοῦ κληθέντες, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀποκαθίστανται τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἐὰν δέ live; καὶ πῶλος, οἷς 6 Σωτὴρ ἐπιβαίνει, οἱ ἀποδεδομένοι τυγχάνωσι, μὴ προσκόψῃς τῷ λόγῳ παραβάλλοντι ἀλόγοις ζώοις ἀχθοφόροις τοὺς φέροντας τὸν Ἰησοῦν αὐτοῖς ὀχούμενον· τάχα γάρ τι τοιοῦτον νοήσας καὶ 6 Προφήτης εἷπε τὸ γεγονέναι κτηνώδης, οὐχ ἁπαξαπλῶς, ἀλλά παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ἢ παρὰ τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ τό · ι Κάγὼ κτηνώδης ἐγενήθην παρὰ σοι· i ὼς γὰρ ’πρὸς τὸν Αύτολόγον καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγαλειότητα κτηνώδεις ἐσμὲν οὐχ ἡμεῖς μόνοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ μῶν πολλῷ λογικώτεροι καὶ σοφώτεροι· οὕτω ἃ καὶ ὡς πρὸς τὸ λογικὸν τοῦ ποιμένος πρόβατά ἔσμεν αύτοῦ, τῷ τὸν ὲν ἀνθρώποις καλ τοῖς τελειοτάτοις λόγον παραβαλλόμενον τῷ Αὑτολὸγῳ πλεῖον ἔχειν ἀπόστημα ἀπ( ἐκείνου, ἢ ὅσον ἔχει ἀπόστημα ὖνου καὶ subito: ψυχὴ ἢ προβάτου πρὸς ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ τάχα μὲν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐποχουμένου τού Ἰησοῦ, τδ ὑποζύγιον, ἦ καὶ ό πῶλος τοιαῦτά ἐστινʼ γενόμενα δὲ ἐκεῖ, οὑ μένει ὑποζύγιον, οὐδὲ πῶλος, ἀλλὰ ἀποστέλλεται μεταβαλόντα, καὶ ὠφεληθέντα, καὶ μετασχόντα τῆς τοῦ Λόγου θειότητος καὶ ὑπεροχῆς τῆς γνώσεως, ὥστε είς δόξαν Θεοῦ ἀποστέλλεσθαι αὑτὰ, εἰς τὸν τόπον ὅθεν ἐλύθη πρότερον, τοῦ Κυρίου μεταποιήσαντος αὑτὰ, καὶ μισθὸν αὑτοῖς δεδωκότος τοῦ ἐνηνοχέναι αὑτὸν τὴν τοιαύτην μεταβολὴν, ὡς καὶ ἀποσταλῆναι αὑτὰ ἐπὶ τὸν πρότερον τόποὶι, οὑκέτι ἐπὶ τοῖςέργοις τοῖς πρότερον· οὐ γὰρ ἔμελλεν ό φιλάνθρωπος ἡμῶν Κύριος ἅπαξ αὑτὰ παραδεξάμενος τιμῆσαι, τῇ τε ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν λύσει καὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ὀχήσει, πάλιν αὑτὰ πέμπειν ent τοὺς δεσμοὺς, ἢ ἔργα ἐλάττονα οὗ πεποίηκεν ἔργον, δεξάμενα τοῖς νώτοις τὸν Υἱὺν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πρὲπον δὲ ἦν ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ μυστηρίῳ καὶ τοῖς μετʼ αὑτοῦ λεγομένοις σφόδρα χαίρειν καὶ ἐπιτείνειν χαρὰν τὸν καρπον τοῦ Πνεύνματος τὴν Θυγατέρα τοῦ Θεοῦ Σιὼν, καὶ Θυγατὲραταὺτοῦ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ κηρύσσειν ’ ἦρχετο γὰρ αὑτῇ ὁ Βασιλεὺς δίκαιος καὶ σώζων, ἀλλὰ μετὰτοῦ τηρεῖν τὸ δίκαιος εἶναι, καὶ σώζων μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, καλ εὐτρεπίζων είς σωτηρίαν τοὺς σωζομένους. A6τὸς δὲ ἤρχετο εἰς Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ πραΰς καί ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον νέον, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ὲπισκοπῶν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ὲν τῷ ἐξολοθρεύειν ἅρματα ἐξ Ἐφραῒμ, παραπλήσια τυγχάνοντα ἅρμασι Φαραὼ, ὅτε ἅρματα Φαραὼ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὑτοῦ ἔρριψεν είς θάλασσαν· ἤρχετο δὲ καὶ ἵππων ὲξολοθρεύων τὸ πολεμικὸν ζῶον ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσιυ λὴμ, ἵνα εἰρήνην ποιήσῃ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐπιστρέφων-τὲ ἀπολωλότα αὑτοῦ πρόβατα, εἰρήνην δὲ καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐπανάγων αὐτῆς ἐκπεσόντα τὰ τέκνα. ΪΙῶς δὲ οὑκ ἔμελλε μεγάλης χαρᾶς εἶναι ἄξιον τὸ οὑτως ἔρχεσθαι τὸν δίκαιον Βασιλέα, καὶ σώζοντα, καὶ πρᾶον ’.εις τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ; ὅτε ἔμελλεν ἐξολεῖ Θρεύεσθαι πᾶν τόξον πολεμικὸν, ἵνα μηκέτι ι οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐκτείνωσι τόξα, μηδὲ ἑτοιμάζωσι βέλη αις φαρέτραν τοῦ κατατοξεῦσαι ἐν σκοτομήνῃ τοὺς οὗθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ. ι Ἔμελλε δὲ τότε καὶ πλῆθος κατ εἰρήνη εῖναι ἀπὸ τῶν πιστευόντων καὶ σωζομένωι ἐθνῶν, κατάρχοντος ὑδάτων ἕως θαλάσσης τοῦ Σω τῆρος, κατάρχοντος δὲ καὶ ποταμῶν διεκβολὰς γῆς, καὶ διεξόδους ποιουμένων καὶ ποτιξόντων τὰ πολλὰ αὐτῆς. '0 δὲ θέλων ἁπλούστερον ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ οἷς ὲπ.δεδήμηκεν ό Σωτὴρ ἀκούειν τό· ι Θύγατερ Σιὼν,ι καὶ, ιΘύγατερ Ἰερουσαλὴμ» φήσει, ὅτι ό λόγος μὲν προστάσσει χαίρειν τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιὼν, καὶ κηρύσσειν τῇ θυγατρὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ · εί δέ τινες ἠπεί- Θησαν οὐ τὰ τοῦ χαίρειν ποιήσαντες ἄξια, οὐδὲ παραδεξάμενοι τὸ περί τοῦ κηρύσσειν πρόσταγμα, αύτοὶ γεγόνασιν ἑαυτῶν αἴτιοι τοῦ παθεῖν.ἆ πεπόνθασιν, ὥστε λεχθῆναι αὐτοῖς ο ι Ὑμῖν ἦν ἀναγκαῖον καταγγεῖλαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐπεὶ δέ ἀναξίους ιιρίνετε ἑαυτοὺς, ίδοὺ στρεφόμεθα είς τὰ ἔθνη. ι Χρὴ οὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰδέναι, ὅτι, πέντε περιτυχόντες ἐκδόσεσι τοῦ Ζαχαρίου, παρὰ μέν.τοϊς Ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ τῷ Ἀκύλᾳ εὕρομεν τό ι Αὐτὸς πραῢς, καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον νέον, ι ἢ, ι ἐπὶ ὄνου καὶ πώλου υίοῦ όνάδων· ι παρὰ δὲ θεοδοτίωνι · ι Αὐτὸς ἐπακούων, καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ δνον καλ πῶλον υἱὸν δνου- ι παρὰ δὲ Συμμάχῳ ο ι Αὐτὸς πτω- (bc, καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὄνον καὶ πῶλον υίδν όνάδοςσ ι ἐν δὲ τῇ πέμπτῃ ἐκδόσει· ι Αὐτὸς πτωχὸς, καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον υἱὸν δνων. ι Καὶ δύναταί γέ τις ταῦτα ἐφαρμόζειν τῇ κατὰτδν ἐξεταζόμενον τοῦ Εύαγγελίου τόπον ἱστορία, ὅτε πρᾶος, καὶ ἐπακούων, καὶ πτωχὸς ἐλήλυθεν είς τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὁ Σωτήρ · ἐπτώχευε γὰρ πλούσιος ὢν, ἵνα oi ἀκούοντες αὑτοῦ τοῦ ἐπακούοντος ήμῶν τῇ πτωχείᾳ αύτοῦ πλουτήσωσιν. ### English translation (Claude) But someone will ask how the words that follow will be consistent with what has been explained; they run: “And he will send them at once,” and, “And he will send it back here at once.” You will solve the difficulty by inquiring into the sending of either the two animals in Matthew or the colt in Mark. That the Lord of the tied animals was none other than our “one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things,” whom none of those who said, “Why are you untying the colt?”, or anything else, was going to oppose at all, is clear. For the Saviour spoke as of people who would not oppose him: “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say that the Lord has need of them”; or, “If anyone says to you, Why are you untying the colt? say that the Lord has need of it”; and according to Luke, “If anyone asks you,” he says, “Why are you untying it? you shall say thus: The Lord has need of it.” And you will inquire whether, after Jerusalem and after the Saviour had mounted these animals, or this one, there was to be some sending of them to some necessary work in the place, so that the ass and the colt might do some work according to what is left unsaid—implied, but not clearly shown. I gain a notion of such a thing by attending to the order of the beatitudes in Matthew, in which after “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” there is written next, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” For observe in these that first the kingdom of heaven belongs to the blessed, and second they shall inherit the earth—not so as to be on it for every age; for having been comforted, and having been filled with righteousness through their hunger and thirst for it, and having obtained mercy, and seen God, and been called his sons, they are restored again to the kingdom of heaven. And if the ass and colt on which the Saviour mounts are those we have explained, do not stumble at the saying that compares to irrational beasts of burden those who carry Jesus riding upon them. For perhaps the Prophet too, understanding something of this kind, spoke of having become like a beast—not absolutely, but before God or before Christ—in the words: “And I became like a beast before you.” For in comparison with the Word himself and with the majesty of God, we are beasts—not only we, but also those far more rational and wiser than we. So too, in comparison with the reason of the shepherd we are his sheep, since the reason in men, even the most perfect, compared with the Word himself, is further removed from him than the soul of an ass or a sheep is from a man. And perhaps, when Jesus rides into Jerusalem, the beast of burden, or the colt, is such; but having come there, it no longer remains a beast of burden or a colt, but is sent back changed and benefited, having shared in the divinity of the Word and the excellence of knowledge, so that they are sent, to the glory of God, to the place from which they were first loosed, the Lord having transformed them and given them such a change as their wage for having carried him; so that they are sent back to their former place, but no longer to their former works. For our humane Lord, having once received them and honoured them both by releasing them from their bonds and by riding on them, was not going to send them back to their bonds, or to works lesser than the work they had done in receiving the Son of God on their backs. It was fitting, at such a mystery and at the words spoken with it, for God’s daughter Zion to rejoice greatly and to heighten her joy, the fruit of the Spirit, and for his daughter Jerusalem to proclaim. For her King was coming to her, just and saving—but keeping his justice, and saving with righteousness, and preparing for salvation those who are being saved. He came to Zion and Jerusalem meek and mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt, as we have explained, visiting Israel, by destroying the chariots from Ephraim, which were like the chariots of Pharaoh when he cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea; and he came also destroying the horse, the animal of war, from Jerusalem, so as to make peace for Israel, turning back his lost sheep, and peace for Jerusalem too, bringing back her children who had fallen away. How should it not be worthy of great joy that the just King, saving and meek, should come thus to Jerusalem, when every bow of war was to be destroyed, so that no longer “do sinners bend the bow, and prepare arrows in the quiver, to shoot in the moonless night at the upright in heart”? And then there was to be a multitude and peace from the nations that believe and are saved, the Saviour ruling the waters as far as the sea, and ruling also the rivers through the outlets of the earth, which make passages through it and water much of it. But the one who wishes to take “daughter of Zion” and “daughter of Jerusalem” more simply, of the people among whom the Saviour dwelt, will say that the word commands the daughter of Zion to rejoice and the daughter of Jerusalem to proclaim; but if some disobeyed, not doing what was worthy of rejoicing nor accepting the command to proclaim, they themselves became the cause of their suffering what they suffered, so that it was said to them: “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you; since you judge yourselves unworthy, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” One must know this too, that, having come upon five editions of Zechariah, we found in the Seventy and in Aquila, “He is meek, and mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt,” or, “on an ass and a colt, the son of she-asses”; in Theodotion, “He is hearkening, and mounted on an ass and a colt, the son of an ass”; in Symmachus, “He is poor, and mounted on an ass and a colt, the son of a she-ass”; and in the fifth edition, “He is poor, and mounted on a beast of burden and a colt, the son of asses.” And one can fit these to the narrative of the Gospel passage under examination, since the Saviour came to Jerusalem meek, and hearkening, and poor; for though he was rich he became poor, so that those who hear him who hearkens to us might become rich through his poverty. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:3: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:3: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:31: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 8:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:9: allusion, high confidence - Ps 73:22 (72:22 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:22: allusion, medium confidence - Zech 9:9: quotation, high confidence - Zech 9:10: allusion, high confidence - Exod 15:4: allusion, high confidence - Ezek 34:16: allusion, low confidence - Ps 11:2 (10:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Acts 13:46: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 8:9: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:3; Mark 11:3; Luke 19:31; 1 Cor 8:6; Matt 5:3–9; Ps 73:22 (72:22 LXX); Gal 5:22; Zech 9:9–10; Exod 15:4; Ezek 34:16; Ps 11:2 (10:2 LXX); Acts 13:46; 2 Cor 8:9. Origen compares the Septuagint with the Greek versions of Aquila, Theodotion, Symmachus, and an anonymous “fifth edition” (the columns of his Hexapla). His remark on those who disobeyed is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.16 (PG 13:1424d–1429d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-17 - Source: PG 13:1429d–1433c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Bethphage (“house of jaws”) and Bethany (“house of obedience”) are interpreted, and the two disciples who untie the ass and colt may be Peter and Paul, ministers to the circumcision and to the nations, who loose them from sin for Christ to ride. ### Greek text ’ἰδωμεν δὲ περὶ τῆς Βηθφαγὴ μὲν κατὰ Ματοαῖον, Βηθανίας δέ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον, Βηθφαφὴ δὲ καὶ Βηθανίας κατὰ τὸν Λουκᾶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἦν πρὸς τὸ ὅρος τὸ καλούμενον Ἐλαιῶν. Ἑρμηνεύεσθαιδέ φαμεν τὴν Βηθφαγὴν μὲν ι οἷκον σιαγόνων (l),ι ἥτις τῶν ἱερέων ἦν χωρίον Βηῢανὶα δὲ ι οἶκος ὑπακοῆς.» Ἐπὶ τὺν οἷκον οὖν τῆς ὑπακοῆς ἄγεται τὰ λυόμενα ἦ τὸ λυόμενον, ἵνʼ ἐκεῖθεν ὲπιῆῇ αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἷκον τῆς σιαγόνος περὶιῆς ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, λαβόντα ἀφορμὰς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Κριτῶν, ἐν οἷς πηγή ἐστιν ἐπίκλητος σιαγόνος, ἀφʼ ἦς ἔπιεν ό Σαμψὼν διψήσας, ἢ τάχα ἐπεὶ τῷ τύπτοντι εἰς τὴν σιαγόνα δεῖ παρέχειν καὶ τὴν ἑτέραν, σύμβολον τῆς τῶν σωζομένων ἀνεξικακίας ἡ Βηθφαγὴ ἢν, ὃθεν ἑκαθέζετο ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν κατὰ τὴν πρόσταξιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λυθέντων. Καὶ τὸ ὅρος δὲ τῶν Ἐλαιῶν ἐστιν, αἵτινες λέγουσι καρποφοροῦσαι καλλιέλαιος οὖσαν ι Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡσεὶ ἐλαία κατάκαρπος ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ-ι καὶ οἱ ἀρχόμενοι δὲ καὶ εἰσαγόμενοι ὲν αὐτοῖς εἰσιν ι ὡσεὶ νεόφυτα ἐλαιῶν κύκλῳ τῆς) Χριστοῦ ιτραπέζης,› τεκνία καὶ υἱοὶ δνπς αὑτοῦ. Et δὲ δεῖ ἐπιστῆσαι καὶτοῖς δύο μαθηταῖς, οὒς ἀπέστειλεν δ Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ τὴν δεδεμένην ὄνον καὶ τὸν μετʼ αὐτῆς πῶλον, ἵνα λύσαντες ἀγάγωσιν αὐτῷ, λεκτέον μήποτε δύο μαθηταὶ Πέτρος εἰσὶ καὶ ο Παῦλος, δεξιὰς διδόντες ἀλλήλοις κοινωνίας, ῐνα Πέτρος μὲν είς τὴν περιτομὴν, πρὸς τὸ ὑποζύγιον γένηται, τὸν ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν (ιι) τοῦ νόμον γεγενημένον, Παῦλος δὲ είς τὰ ἔθνη, τὸν νέον καὶ ἀδάμαστοι, πῶλονς Καὶ ἦσαν ἀμφότεροι, λέγω δὲ τὸ ὑποζύγιον καὶ ὁ πῶλος, πρὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὲν κώμῃ, καὶ οὐ πόλει, ἔνθα ἦσαν δεδεμένοι. Ἀλλʼ οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ λύουσι καὶ ἄγουσι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀμφότερα. Ἔτι δʼ ἐπανάγων τῷ λόγῳ τοὺς δύο μαθητὰς, φήσεις ὃτι ἐστὶ μὲν ἓν τάγμα τῶν διακονουμένων τοῖς ιιι περιτομῆς, ἄλλο δὲ rei; ἀπὸ τῶν ὲονῶν. Πλὴν κοινωνία ἐστὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν, λυόντων τὰ προπιταγμένα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λύεσθαιο ῶν λυόντων, ἑά -τις λέγῃ αὐτοῖς· ι Τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον ; ι ἢ ότιποτοῦν, λέγει περὶ ἀμφοτέρων, κηρύσσομεν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος αὐτῶν τῶν πρότερον δεδεμένων χρείαν ἔχει. Χρείαν δὲ αὐτῶν ἔχει, ἐπιβαίνων (ὅ) αὐτοῖς, λελυμένοις ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ ἄφεσιν αὐτῶν εί ληφόσιʼ δεδεμένοις γὰρ ἔτι καὶ ι σειραῖς τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν σφιγγομένοις» ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπικαθέζεται. Κατὰ μέντοι τὸν Μάρκον καὶ τὸν Λουκᾶν, ι Πῶλός ἐστι δεδεμένος, ἐφʼ ὃν οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων ἐκάθι- (τεν ι οὐδὲν γὰρ λογικὸν καὶ κατὰ τρόπον γινόμενον ἐπέπρακτο, καὶ ἵδρυτο τῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πώλῳ· καὶ οὗτος ἐφίἷ» οὐδὲν λογικὸν πρότερον ὲφίδρυτο εὐτύχησε Θεὸν αὐτῷ ὲπικαθεσθῆναι, Λόγον τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα, ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ ἀγόμενος ἡνιοχοῦντος, καταντήσῃ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τοσαῦτα μὲν ἡμεῖς είς τὸν τόπον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος εἴδομεν· ό δὲ δυνάμενος καὶ χωρῶν μείζονα είς τὸν τόπον χάριν, λεγέτω μείζονα καὶ βελτίονα, κάκεῖνος μᾶλλον ἀκουέσθω ὑπὸ τῶν διψώντων εὐαγγελικῆς σαφηνείας. ### English translation (Claude) Let us look at Bethphage in Matthew, Bethany in Mark, and Bethphage and Bethany in Luke. These were near the mount called the Mount of Olives. We say that Bethphage means “house of jaws,” and it was a place belonging to the priests; and Bethany “house of obedience.” To the house of obedience, then, the loosed animals, or the loosed animal, are led, so that from there Jesus may mount them; and to the house of the jaw, about which one may speak, taking a starting point from Judges, where there is a spring called “of the jaw,” from which Samson drank when he was thirsty. Or perhaps, since to the one who strikes us on the jaw we must offer the other also, Bethphage was a symbol of the forbearance of those who are saved, the place where Jesus sat upon the animals loosed by the disciples at his command. And it is the mount of the olive trees, which, bearing fruit, say, being good olive trees, “But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God”; and those who are beginning and being brought in are among them, “like young olive shoots around” the “table” of Christ, being his little children and sons. And if we must also attend to the two disciples whom Jesus sent to the tied ass and the colt with her, so that they might untie them and bring them to him, we should say that perhaps the two disciples are Peter and Paul, who gave each other the right hand of fellowship, so that Peter might go to the circumcision, to the beast of burden that had been under the yoke of the law, and Paul to the nations, the young and untamed colt. And both of them—I mean the beast of burden and the colt—were, before Jesus came, in a village and not a city, where they were tied. But the disciples of Jesus loose them and lead both to Jesus. And further, raising the meaning of the two disciples, you will say that there is one order of those who minister to those of the circumcision and another of those who minister to those from the nations. Yet there is a fellowship in their works, as they loose what Jesus has commanded to be loosed; and while they loose them, if anyone says to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”, or anything else, he says about both: we preach that the Lord has need of these that were bound before. And he has need of them, mounting them when they have been loosed from their sins and have received forgiveness of them; for Jesus does not sit on those who are still bound and “held fast by the cords of their own sins.” According to Mark and Luke, however, “there is a colt tied, on which no one of men has ever sat”; for nothing rational and fittingly done had been done or seated on the colt from the nations; and this colt, on which nothing rational had sat before, had the good fortune that God sat on it, the Word, the Son of God, so that, led by him as he drove it, it might arrive at the Jerusalem of God. So much we have seen on the passage for the present; but let the one who is able, and who receives greater grace for the passage, say greater and better things, and let him rather be heard by those who thirst for the clear meaning of the Gospel. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:1: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:3: allusion, high confidence - Mark 11:1: allusion, high confidence - Mark 11:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:29: allusion, high confidence - Luke 19:30: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:33: quotation, medium confidence - Judg 15:19: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:39: allusion, high confidence - Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 128:3 (127:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:9: allusion, high confidence - Prov 5:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:1–3; Mark 11:1–4; Luke 19:29–33; Judg 15:19 (Samson’s spring “of the jaw”); Matt 5:39; Ps 52:8 (51:10 LXX); Ps 128:3 (127:3 LXX); Gal 2:9; Prov 5:22. The meanings given for the place names are Origen’s etymologies. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.17 (PG 13:1429d–1433c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-12/#p-16-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-18 - Source: PG 13:1433c–1437b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The disciples’ garments on the ass and colt are the teachers’ adornment on which the Word sits; the crowd, the branch-cutters, and those going before and after Jesus (the righteous before and after his coming) form orders of a single chorus of praise. ### Greek text ι Πορευθέντες δὲ οί μαθηταὶ, καὶ ποιήσαντες καθὼς προσέταξεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἧγαγον τὴν ὄνον καὶτὸν πῶλον.» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῖν ι '0 ἀπὸ Ναςαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. ι '0 δὲ Μάρκος οὕτω κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐξέθετοο ι Καὶ ἀπελθόντες εὗρον πῶλον δεδεμένον πρὸς τὴν θύραν ἔξω ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀμφόδου, καὶ λύουσιν αὐτὸν,ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως, τοῦθ ι Εὐλογημένη ἡ ὲρχομένη βασιλεία τοῦ Πατρὸς ήμῶν Δαυῖδ· εἰρήνη ὲν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.» Καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς δὲ τοιαῦτα φη· σιν* ι Ἀπελθόντες δὲ οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι εὖρον, acadd; εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, ἑστῶτα τὸν πῶλον,» καὶ τὰ έξῆςν ῑως τοῦ· ι Ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσωσιν, οί λίθοι κεκράι ξονται. ι ’Δκολούθως- τοῖς ἀποδεδομένας περὶ in ἀποσταλέντων δύο μαθητῶν, ἐπὶ μένην ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον τὸν μετʼ αὐτῆς, καὶ τοῖς εἰς τὸν τόπον εἰρημένοις, διηγησόμεθα ἐκκείμενα, ὲν οἷς λέλεκται, ὅτι πορευθέντες οἱ δύο μαθηται, καὶ ποιήσαντες τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος αςτοξς προστεταγμένα, ἤγαγον πρὸς αὑτὸν την δνον καὶ τοι πῶλον, οὒς οὐκ ἀφήκασι γυμνοὺς, ἀλλὰ κόσμον αὐτοῖς περιέθηκαν ὲν ἱματίοις εὐσχημοσύνην περιποιοῦσι, κοσμήσασι τὴν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν λελυμένην 8m καὶ τὸν μετʼ αὐτῆς πῶλοψ οἷς καὶ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν ιιικοσμημένοικαὶ ἐσκεπασμένοι, καὶ ἵνα νοις ὄνῳ καὶ τῷ πώλῳ τοῖς ἐνδύμασι τῶν διδαξῄ των μαθητῶν ὲπαναπαύσηται καὶ ὲφιδριιθῇ ό τοῦ _ Θεοῦ Λόγος γινόμενος ἐπάνω μόνος, καί ἶ λελυμένων καὶ βασταζόντων αὐτόν. Ἀλλὰ τοῖς. μὲν ὲκ τῶν διδαξάντων ἱματίοις ὲπιτεθεῖσι τῇ όνῳ καὶ τῷ πώλῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὲπικαθέζεται· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἕκαστον tm συμβαλέσθαι τι τῷ πραεῖ Βασιλεῖ ὲπιὸεὸηκότι ὑποζυγίῳ καὶ πώλῳ νέῳ, ἦν δὲ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ό perurenέρέόμενος είς ἱιεροοσαλὴμ τῷ Ἰησοῦχ καὶ οἶκοι έδέιέαν καρπὸν τῆς τοῦ Ennio); bnoooxfiglv spat ἑαυτῶν ἱμάτια ὑποστρῶσαι, καὶ ὃν εἷχονᾉκόσμον ill σκέπην, ὲπικαθεζομένῳ τῇ όνῳ καὶ τῷ τῇ τοίνυν καθʼ ἠν ἦγε ὄνον καὶ-τὸν τᾶ Ἰέροσόλυμα, ἔστρωσαν τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἱμάτια ὸ πλεξστος όγλος, ἴνα καθαροῖς γῆς καὶ πραγμξιζ των,ἐὰι μηδαμῶς έχουσι κονιορτὸν ἠίξνος τιαὶῦ πῶλος ἐπιθῇ-τῇ. Ὶεροόσαλήμ. Καὶ τρίτον δέ “sint! I τδ παρέι “iis δύο μαθητὰς κα) τὸν primusprimus ἰ πλεῖστον ὄχλον τὰ ἱμάτια ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ νῦν ἆάί ὡραιότητα erepte-troiae},ὁδῷ διʼ ὥδευεν-ἐπὶ τὰ· Ἱεροσόλυμαὸ Ἰησοῦς ὀχούμενος προειρημένοις* ὡράιότης ἦντ κοπτομῆνῗνὲᾇξ δῶν δένδρων καὶ στρωννυ μένων παρʼ τῶν ἐστρωμένων ἱματίων εί μὴ ἄρα τρῦτο τέἓρτῦῖ τάγμα ἧκα-’ἄλλοι γὰρ ol λύοντες-μαθηται, tuépém'bvo; mi. δʼ μετʼ αὐτῆς πῶλος, καὶ τριτοιδ πλεῖστος ὄχλος, καὶ τέταρτοι οί κόπτοντες τοὺς κλάδους ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρων κα) στρωννύντες ἐν τῇ ὀδῷ. Νόει δέ μοιάπὸ τούτων καὶ πέμπτον καὶ ἕκτον τάγμα κατειλεγμένον τῶν τὸν Ἰησοῦν προαγόντων, καὶ τῶν ἀκολουθούντων αύτῷ · καὶ προάγοντας μέν φήσεις ἀπὸ τῶν πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ δικαίων, τάχα καὶ προφητῶν· ἀκολουθοῦντας δὲ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν μετά τὴν παρουσίαν ἑπομένων τῷ Λόγῳ, καὶ ἀκολουθούντων αὐτῷ, εἴτε δικαίων εἴτε καὶ ἀποστόλων Χριστοῦ. Πλὴν ούκ ἄλλα μὲν ἔλεγον οἱ προάγοντες, ἄλλα δὲ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον γὰρ πάντες ἅμα ὡς χορὸς συνᾴδων καὶ σύμφωνος, καὶ ἔλεγον καὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὑμνοῦντες τοῦ Σωτῆο ρος ἐν τῷ· I Ὡσαννά τῷ υίῷ Δαυῒδ”› καὶ τὴν δευτέραν αὐτοῦ ἐπιδημίαν· ι Εὐλογημένος 6 ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου-ι καὶ τὴν εἰς τά ἅγια ἀποκατάστασιν ἐν τῷ· I Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις. ι ### English translation (Claude) “And the disciples went and did as Jesus had commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt,” and so on, up to “from Nazareth of Galilee.” Mark set out the passage thus: “And going away, they found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street, and they untie it,” and so on, up to “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; peace in the highest.” And Luke says this: “And those who were sent went away and found, as he had told them, the colt standing,” and so on, up to “If these are silent, the stones will cry out.” Consistently with what we explained about the two disciples sent to the tied ass and the colt with her, and with what was said on that passage, we shall explain the passage set before us, in which it is said that the two disciples went, did what the Saviour had commanded them, and brought him the ass and the colt. These they did not leave bare, but put adornment on them, providing seemliness with garments, adorning the ass they had loosed and the colt with her with the garments with which they themselves were adorned and covered, so that the Word of God might rest and be seated upon the ass and the colt, on the clothing of the disciples who taught, being alone above those who had been loosed and were carrying him. Jesus, then, sits on the garments of those who taught, which were placed on the ass and the colt. And since each wished to contribute something to the meek King mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt, and there was a very great crowd going up to Jerusalem with Jesus, … On the road, then, by which he led the ass and the colt to Jerusalem, the very great crowd spread their garments, so that … And third … the very great crowd … the garments on the road … the beauty of the road by which Jesus travelled, riding, to Jerusalem … of the branches cut from the trees and strewn … of the garments spread; unless this is a fourth order. For the disciples who loose are one; the ass and the colt with her another; third, the very great crowd; and fourth, those who cut branches from the trees and strew them on the road. And understand for me from these a fifth and a sixth order as well, of those who go before Jesus and of those who follow him. You will say that those who go before are from among the righteous of the people before his coming, perhaps the prophets too; and those who follow are from among those who, after his coming, follow the Word and go after him, whether the righteous or the apostles of Christ. Yet those who went before did not say one thing and those who followed another; for all cried out together, like a chorus singing in harmony and agreement, and they said, hymning both the humanity of the Saviour in the words, “Hosanna to the son of David,” and his second coming, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” and his restoration to the holy places, in the words, “Hosanna in the highest.” ### Scripture references - Matt 21:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:8: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:11: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:4: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:10: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:32: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:40: quotation, high confidence - Zech 9:9: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:6–11; Mark 11:4–10; Luke 19:32–40. The end of the quotation from Mark is printed “peace in the highest” (compare Luke 19:38). A long stretch in the middle of the passage is badly garbled in the scan; the readable words are translated and the gaps marked “…”, without supplying anything. A stray Latin word in the scan has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.18 (PG 13:1433c–1437b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-19 - Source: PG 13:1437b–1441c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ’s entry into Jerusalem figures his ascension, at which the heavenly powers ask “Who is this?”; Origen explains “Hosanna” as the Hebrew of Ps 118:25, garbled by Greek copyists, and gives Aquila’s rendering. ### Greek text Τούτων δὴ τῶν τριῶν ἐκφωνήσεων λεγομένων ὑπὸ τῆς συμφωνίας τῶν προαγόντων κα) ἀκολουθούντων τῷ Ἰησοῦ, 6 μὲν εἰσῄει είς τά ἀληθινὰ ’ῐεροσόλυμαο ξενισθεῖσαι δὲ αἱ οὐράνιαι δυνάμεις, αἵτινες λέγονται πᾶσα εἶναι ἡ πόλις, ἔφασκον· t Τίς ἐστιν οὖτοςς ι ἀνάλογον τοῖς προφητευθείσιν ἐν κγʼ ψαλμῷ περὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ τοῦ ξενισμοῦ τῶν ούρανίων δυνάμεων ξενιζομένων ἐπὶ τῷ καινῷ τοῦ σωματικοῦ αὑτοῦ ὀχήματος θεάματι. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ· t Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται 68am.λεὺς τῆς δόξης, I καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς. Καὶ ἐν Ἦσαῖα δὲ παραπλήσια προφητεύεται πε ρὶ τῆς μετά τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀνόδου τοῦ Σωτῆροςο γέγραπται γάρ· ι Τίς οὗτος 6 παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἑδὼμ, ἐρύθημα ἱματίων αὑτοῦ ἐκ Βοσὸρ, οὗτος ὡραῖος ἐν στολῆς I Τά δὲ κατά τὸν τόπον ὅλα καὶ σὺ δυνήσῃ ἀναλεξάμενος κατανοῆσαι, τί τε λέγουσιν αί ξενιζόμεναι δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ σωτηρίου σώματος ἀνόδου, καὶ τί αὑταῖς ἀποκρίνεται. Ταῦτα δή μοι παρείληπται βουλομένῳ σῶσαι τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς κατά τὴν Γραφὴν τροπολογίας, ὅτι, ι εἰσελθόντος αὑτοῦ είς Ἰεροσόλυμα, ἐσείσθη πᾶσα ἡ πόλις λέγουσα Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος I Μετά δὲ τοῦτο ἐξῆς γέγραπται, ὅτι πολλοὶ ἔλεγον· ι Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς 6 προφήτης 6 ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ι ὁμολογοῦντες τὸν προφητευθέντα, ὅτι t όΝαζωραῖος κληθήσεται, I 6 κυρίως τῷ Θεῴ ἀεὶ ἀνακείμενος. Ἀλλὰ κατά τὴν διήγησιν ταύτην περιγεγράφθω τά κατά τὸν τόπον, καὶ ἀρχή τις ἔστω ἐτέρας περικοπῆς τά ἐπιφερόμενα, ἵνα μὴ ἀναγκάζηται τις, συνάπτων καὶ τὴν περὶ ἐκείνων διήγησιν τοῖς προτέροις, ζητεῖν ὲκὸαλλομένους ἀπὸ τοῦ ίεροῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ τινας τοὶς ἐπιπληττομένους, ὡς πεποιηκότας τὸν τῆς προσευχῆς οἷκον λῃστῶν σπήλαιον. Οὐκ οἶδα δὲ εί, κᾶν βιάσηταί τις, δύναται ἀκολούθως τῷ· ι Χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιὼν, ι σῶσαι τὴν πᾶσαν καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς τοῖς ὲκκει μένοις ἀκολουθίαν. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξετάσωμεν καί τό· ι Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υίῷ Δαυῖδ ’ Εὐλογημένος ὁ Epχόμενος ὲν ὀνόματι Κυρίου ’ Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψεστοις, ι ποῖον ἔχει νοῦν. Σαφῶς μὲν οὖν τό ο ι Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ὲν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, ι αὑταῖς λέξεσι κεῖται ἐν τῷ πρὸ τοῦ μεγίστου ψαλμοῦ ψαλμῷ, λεγομένῳ ἓν τισιν ἀντιγράφοις ριξ· δοκεῖ δέ μοι τὰ ἀντὶ τοῦ* ι Ὠ Κύριε, σῷσον δή, ι προτεο ταγμὲνα τοῦ · ι Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ὲν Wagn. Κυρίου· »Ἑβραίκῶς ἑκκεισθαι ὲν τῷ· ι Ὡσαννὰ rt'p'uicj) Δαυῖδλ ι οὕτω δὲ καὶ εἶχεν ἡ Ἐσραῖκὴ λέξις· ι Ἀννὰ Ἀδωναῒ Ὠσειεννάν, Ἀννὰ Ἀδωναῒ ἀσαῖ. Ἀννὰ Βαροὺχ ἀβὁὰβ σαῖμ Ἀδωναῖ ι Εἶτα δοκεῖ μοι ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων συνεχῶς, γραφόμενα τὰ Εὑαγγέλια μὴ εἰδότων τὴν διάλεκτον, συγκεχύσθαι tv τοῖς κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἔχουσι ταῦτα (Η) ἀπὸ τοῦ προειρημένου ψαλμοῦ. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἀκριβὲς βούλει μαθεῖν τῆς λέξεως, ἄκουε Ἀκύλου ἐρμηνεύσαντος ὡδί · ι '0 δὴ Κύριε, σῶσον δή. Ὦ δὴ Κύριε, εὐόδωσον δή Εὖ·λογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. ι mm γὰρ ὲπανακεφαλαιωσὼμεθα τὰ κατὰ τδν τόπον, καὶ λέγωμεν, ὄτι ἦτοι Παῦλος καὶ Πέτρος ἦ τὰ δύο εἴδη τῶν διδασκόντων, λύσαντες ἀπὸ τῶν δεσμῶν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρόσταξιν τοὺς ἀπὸ περιτομῆς καὶ τοὺς άπὸ ἀκροβυστίας, ἐκόσμησαν αὐτοὺς, καὶ πεποιήκασιν εὐπρεπεῖς πρὸς τὸ όχήσασθαι αὐτοῖς τὸν Λόγον ἀνιόντα είς τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ· καὶ τά λοιπά κατὰ μὲν μίαν ἔσται διήγησιν· κατὰ δὲ ἑτέραν ἀεὶ ὶνέστηκε τῶν ἀποδεχομένων τὸν Ἰησοῦν στρωννύνων αὐτῷ διά τῶν ἰδίων ἐνδυμάτων τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ κοσμούντων αὐτὴν τοῖς κλάδοις, καὶ προαγόντων, καὶ ἐπακολουθούντων ο καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ἕκαστος διὰ μὲν τῶν ἧδη πεπραγμένων προάγει τὸν Ἰησοῦνο διά δέ τῶν προαχθησομένων ἐπακολουθεῖ αὐτῷ, καὶ λέγει τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα. Καὶ εἰς ταῦτα δὲ ἡμεῖς μὲν τοσαῦτα εῐδομεν· ὁ δὲ ἡμῶν διαφέρων πλείονα καὶ βλεπέτω καὶ διδασκέτω. Πλὴν ἐν τινι τῶν εἰς τὸ κατά Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγέλιον ἐπὶ ποσὸν καὶ ταῦτα ἐξητάσαμεν ὅτε προέκειτο διηγήσασθαι τό ο t Τῇ ἐπαύριον οὖν ὄχλος πολὺς ό ἐλθὼν είς τὴν ἑορτὴν, ι καὶ τὰ Περὶ τῶν ἐκβληθέντων ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ. ### English translation (Claude) When these three acclamations had been spoken by the harmony of those who went before and followed Jesus, he entered the true Jerusalem; and the heavenly powers, amazed—these are said to be the whole city—said, “Who is this?” This corresponds to what is prophesied in the twenty-third Psalm about the ascension of the Saviour and the amazement of the heavenly powers, amazed at the new sight of the bodily vehicle he bore. It runs thus in the Psalm: “Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in,” and so on. And in Isaiah similar things are prophesied about the Saviour’s ascent after the dispensation; for it is written: “Who is this who comes from Edom, with crimson garments from Bozrah, this one beautiful in his robe?” And you too, by reading the whole passage, will be able to understand what the amazed powers say at the ascent of the Saviour’s body, and what is answered them. These things I have adduced because I wish to keep the consistency of the figurative reading in Scripture of the words, “When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, Who is this?” After this it is written next that many said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee,” confessing the one of whom it was prophesied that “he shall be called a Nazarene,” the one who in the proper sense is always devoted to God. But let the passage be bounded by this explanation, and let what follows be the beginning of another section, so that no one may be compelled, by joining the explanation of what follows to what precedes, to look for certain persons who are cast out of the temple of God and rebuked for having made the house of prayer a den of robbers. And I do not know whether, even by forcing it, one can keep the whole consistency of what follows with the passage before us, in line with “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion.” After this let us also examine what meaning the words have: “Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest.” The words “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” stand clearly, in these very words, in the Psalm that comes before the greatest Psalm, which in some copies is numbered the hundred and seventeenth. And it seems to me that the words that precede “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” namely “O Lord, save now,” are set out in Hebrew in the words “Hosanna to the son of David.” And so the Hebrew text also ran: “Anna Adōnai ōseiennan, anna Adōnai asai, anna barouch abboab saim Adōnai.” Then it seems to me that, as the Gospels were constantly copied by Greeks who did not know the language, the copies that have these words at this place, taken from the Psalm mentioned, became confused. If you wish to learn the exact wording, hear Aquila, who translated it thus: “O Lord, save now; O Lord, prosper now; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Now let us sum up the passage again, and say that either Paul and Peter, or the two kinds of teachers, having loosed from their bonds, at Jesus’ command, those from the circumcision and those from the uncircumcision, adorned them and made them fit for the Word to ride on them as he went up to Jerusalem; and the rest will be according to one explanation. According to another, it is always taking place among those who receive Jesus, who spread the road for him with their own garments, adorn it with branches, and go before and follow. And in another way, each person goes before Jesus by what he has already done, and follows him by what he will go on to do, and says what is recorded. On these things we have seen so much; but let one who surpasses us both see and teach more. However, we examined these things to some extent in one of the books on the Gospel according to John, when we had to explain the words, “The next day a great crowd that had come to the feast,” and so on. [On those cast out of the temple.] ### Scripture references - Matt 21:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:11: quotation, high confidence - Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 63:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:13: allusion, high confidence - Zech 9:9: quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:25 (117:25 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:26 (117:26 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 12:12: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:9–11; Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX; Origen’s “twenty-third Psalm” follows the Greek numbering); Isa 63:1; Matt 2:23; Matt 21:12–13; Zech 9:9; Ps 118:25–26 (117:25–26 LXX; “the greatest Psalm” is Ps 119, 118 LXX); John 12:12. The Hebrew of Ps 118:25–26 is given in Greek letters and is garbled in the scan; it is reproduced in transliteration as printed. The reference to Origen’s Commentary on John concerns a book that does not survive. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.19 (PG 13:1437b–1441c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-20 - Source: PG 13:1441c–1444d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen refers to his fuller treatment of the cleansing of the temple in his Commentary on John, and explains it first literally: Jesus, a carpenter’s supposed son, boldly drove out those who turned the house of prayer into a market. ### Greek text ι Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ό Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐξέβαλε πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, ι καὶτὰ ἐξῆς. Τά δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον καὶ οι λοιποὶ τρεῖς εύαγγελισταὶ ἐξέθεντο, ὧν τὴν πρὸς άλλήλους διαφοράν οὐ τοῦ προκειμένου καιροῦ ἐστι διηγήσασθαι ’ ἀρκέσει γὰρ τὸ ἐν τῷ ἐξεταζομένῳ Εὑαγγελίῳ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν σαφηνίσαι ° τῶν τεσσάρων εὐαγγελιστῶν ἀναγραψάντων τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, πλείονα τὰ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἐξήτασται ὐπαγορεύουσιν είς τὸ κατὰ Ἰωάννην, καὶ ὡς οἷόν τε ἦν σαφηνίξουσι τό · t Kal εῦρεν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοὺς πωλοῦντας βόας καὶ πρόβατα καὶ περιστερὰς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς · ἔνθα κατασκευάζομεν οὐκ ἐλάττονα τῶν παραδόξων δυνάμεων εἶναι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τὴν προκειμένην, ὅτι, τέκτονος μὲν νομιζόμενος εἶναι υἱὸς, τοσαύτῃ παρρησίᾳ καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ ἐχρήσατο, ἐκβάλλων ἄν πανηγύρει ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τοὺς ἀναγεγραμμένους, ὁποίᾳ οὐδʼ ό τοῦ ἔθνους ἡγούμενος εὐχερῶς ἂν ῆνυσε 1:056; ὅπερ Ἰησοῦς πεποίηκει Καὶ ἐτροπολογήσαμεν ιω δὲ δουλεύσαντες τῇ λέξει, ὡς ἐχωροῦμεν, τὸ Ἰωάννου βούλημα· ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ καὶ νῦν ὁ είρμὸς ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ εἰπεῖν κατὰ τὴν Ματθαίου λέξιν περὶ τῶν ἐκκειμένων, τὸν Πατέρα τῆς σοφίας ἐπικαλεσάμενοι, φέρʼ ἴδωμεν εί ἄξιόν τι δυνάμεθα τῆς Ἰησοῦ μετὰ θάρσους πραξεως εἰπεῖν εἰς τὸν τόπον. Καὶ πρῶτον λεκτέον τί τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅπερ ὁμολογῶν ὁ Θεὸς εἶπεν ἐν τῷ Προφήτη· ι '0 οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται. ι Ἀνάλογον μὲν οὖν τῇ κατὰ σάρκα περιτομῇ καὶ ταῖς σωματικαῖς τοῦ νόμου ἑορταῖς καὶ θυσίαις, ἱερὸν ἐνομίζετο τοῦ Θεοῦ εἴναι τὺ ὲκλίθων ἀναισθήτων κατασκεύασμα οἰκοδομηθὲν ὑπὸ Σολομῶντος πρῶτον, καὶ ἀνοικοδομηθὲν ἔτι ὑπὸ Ἔσδρα, πλὴν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἰκονομίαν ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων καθʼ αιρεθέν ' καὶ οἰκος ἐκεῖνος ὑπελαμβάνετο εἶναι εὖ· χῆς οὗ καθαιρεθέντος, ἀναγκαῖον Ἰουδαίους, ὡς in}. κέτι ἔχοντας οἰκον προσευχῆς, λέγειν μηκέτι ἔχειν τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃ ἔχειν ᾤοντο. παρὰ τὺ ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς προσευχῆς εὔχεο-θαι, μετὰ τὸ τὰ τῆς νομικῆς λατρείας ἐπιτελεῖν. Καὶ 1.165611,κέτω σωματικῶς ἀπʼ ἐκείνου ὁ καὶ σύμβολα ποιήσας τῶν ἰδίων πνευματικῶν πράξεων Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας, καὶτὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν καταβεβληκέτω, καὶ τὰς καθέδρας τῶν πολούντων τὰς περιστερὰς, καὶ εἰρηκέτω τὰ ὲκκείο μενα εἰς ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ τότε λαοῦ, ἀντὶ σεμνῆς πανηγύρεως ἐπιτελουμένης ὲν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ σχολαζόντων τῷ πωλεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν, οὐκ ὲν τῇ καθηκούσῃ χώρᾳ ὲν ᾖ ἔδει πωλεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν, ἀλλʼ ὲν τῷ ίερῷ · ἔνθα ἐχρῆν μὲν συνερχομένους εὔχεσθαι ὡς ὲν οἴκῳ προσευχῆς · ὲποίουν δὲ τὰ ὲναντία τῇ εὐχῇ ἐν αὐτῷ, ὡς ὲν οἴκῳ ἐμπορικῷ πωλοῦντες καὶ ἁγοράο ζοντες, καὶ ἀργύρια κολλυσίζοντες, καὶ ἐπὶ καθεδρῶν καθεζόμενοι, ἵνα πωλῶσι περιστεράς. Καὶ τὸ ἄσεμνον τῶν γινομένων παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἡμῶν καθῃρηκέτωκὲλέγξας τοὺς, ἀντὶ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἑορτάζειν, ἐμπορευομένους, καὶ σωματικῶς τρυφῶντας. ### English translation (Claude) “And Jesus entered the temple of God and cast out all who sold and bought in the temple,” and so on. The other three evangelists also set out this passage, but it is not the present occasion to explain how they differ from one another; for it will suffice to make clear, as far as we can, what is in the Gospel under examination. Since all four evangelists recorded the passage, we examined it more fully, as far as we could, when dictating on the Gospel according to John and making clear, as well as was possible, the words, “And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves,” and so on. There we show that this act of Jesus is no less than his extraordinary miracles: that he, who was thought to be the son of a carpenter, used such boldness and authority, casting out from the temple at a festival those who are recorded, that not even the ruler of the nation could easily have achieved what Jesus did. And there, having first served the letter, we interpreted John’s meaning figuratively, as far as we could. But since now too the order of our work requires us to speak about what is set out according to Matthew’s wording, let us call on the Father of wisdom and see whether we can say, with boldness, anything on the passage worthy of Jesus’ deed. And first we must say what the temple of God is, which God acknowledged when he said in the Prophet, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” In correspondence with circumcision according to the flesh, and with the bodily feasts and sacrifices of the law, the structure of lifeless stones built first by Solomon and rebuilt again by Ezra, but destroyed by the Romans after the dispensation of the Saviour, was thought to be the temple of God, and that was supposed to be the house of prayer. Now that it has been destroyed, the Jews, as no longer having a house of prayer, must say that they no longer have the special oversight of God which they thought they had because they prayed in the house of prayer after performing the rites of the legal worship. Let our Saviour, then, who also made symbols of his own spiritual acts, have cast out bodily from that temple those who sold and bought, and have overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves, and have said the words set before us, for the conversion of the people of that time—who, instead of a solemn festival kept in the name of God, were busy with selling and buying, not in the proper place where one should sell and buy, but in the temple, where they ought to have come together to pray, as in a house of prayer. But they did in it what is contrary to prayer, selling and buying as in a house of trade, changing money, and sitting on seats to sell doves. And let our Jesus have put down the unseemliness of what was then done among the Jews, reproving those who, instead of keeping the feast according to the law, traded and lived in bodily luxury. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:13: allusion, high confidence - John 2:14: quotation, high confidence - John 2:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:55: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 56:7: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Origen, Comm. Jo. 10 (Commentary on the Gospel of John): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:12–13; John 2:14–16; Matt 13:55; Isa 56:7. Origen refers to Book 10 of his Commentary on John. His remarks on the Jews after the destruction of the temple are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.20 (PG 13:1441c–1444d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-21 - Source: PG 13:1444d–1448d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The church is now the living temple, but some in it, perhaps even its leaders, make it a den of robbers through greed and luxury; Christ weeps over it and will come to scourge and cleanse it. ### Greek text Καὶ νῦν δὲ νομίζω ἰερδν ὲκ λίθων ζώντων οἰκοδομηθὲν εἷναι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καί εἶναι ὲν αὐτῇ τινας οὐχ ὡς ὲν Ἐκκλησία ζῶντας, ἀλλʼ ὡς ι κατὰ σάρκα στρατευομένους, ι οἵτινες καὶ ποιοῦσι τὸν τῆς προσο ευχῆς ὲκ ζώντων λίθων οἷκον λῃστῶν διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν κακίαν σπήλαιον ο τίς γὰρ, κατανοήσας τὰ ἓν τισιν Ἐκκλησίαις ἁμαρτανόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν νομιζομένων πο- . ρισμὸν εἶναι τὴν ἑτέρων εὐσέβειαν, καὶ δέον ὲκ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου μόνον διαζῇν, τοῦτο μὲν μὴ ποιούντων πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πολλὴν κτῆσιν συναγόντων, οὐκ ὲρεῖ σπήλαιον λῃστῶν γεγονέναι τὸ τηλικοῦτον τῆς Ἑκκλησίας μυστήριονς Ὢστ ἂν εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις ὲν ᾧ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἱερῷ ζῶντι, τό τε ἀπὸ τῶν Ψαλμῶν οὕτως ἕχον ι Τίς ὠφέλεια ὲν τῷ αἵματί μου ἐν τῷ καταβῆναι με εις διαφθοράν; ι καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ, ὡς οἶμαι, Ὠσηὲ, ἔνθα ἡ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ψυχὴ λέγει δυσαρεστουμένη τῷ βιῳ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, καὶ ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ εἶναι δοκούντων, τό · ι Οῐμοι, ὃτι ἐγενήθην ὡς συνάγων καλάμην ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ ὡς ἐπιφυλλίδα ἐν τρυγητῷ, οὐκ ὄντος στάχυος τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰ πρωτόγονα. Οῖμοι, ψυχὴ, ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν εὐλαβὴς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ὁ κατορθῶν ὲν ἀνθρώποις οὐχ ὑπάρχει. ι Καὶ ἐὰν προσκόπτῃς γε τῷ ταῦτα λέγειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ πενθοῦντα ἡμῶν τὰ πταίσματα φάσκειν τόδ ι Οῖμοι, ψυχῆ, ι συνιξέτασον τούτοις τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἔνθα γέγραπται, ὅτι, ι ἰδὼν τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ, ἔκλαυσεν ἐπʼ αὐτῇ, καὶ εἶπε. ι Καὶ μᾶλλόν γε, εῐπερ εὐλόγως ἔκλαυσεν ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, εὐλογώτερον κλαύσεται ἐπὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οἰκοδομηθεῖσαν μὲν ἵνα οἶκος προσευχῆς ᾖ, γενομένην δὲ διὰ τὴν αἰσχροκέρδειαν καὶ τρυφήν τινων, ἀλλʼ εἴθε μὴ καὶ τῶν ἡγουμένων τοῦ λαοῦ, σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. Ἀλλά τότε μὲν εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὲκάθαρεν αὐτὸ ἑκβαλὼν πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶτὰς τραπέζας τῶν κολλυβιστῶν καταστρέψας μετὰ τῶνκαθεδρῶν ὲν αἶς ἐκαθέζοντο οἱ πωλοῦντες τὰς περιστεράς. Νῦν δὲ ὅσον μὲν οὐκ ἐπισκοτωῦνται οἱ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ γινόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὲν συναγωγαῖς, εἰσιν οἱ πωλοῦντες καὶ ἀγοράζοντες ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ τὰ λοιπά ποιοῦντες, καὶ εὐδαμοῦ Ἰησοῦς αὐτοῖς ἐπιφαίνεται, ἵνα ἐκβαλὼν δώσῃ τούς λοιποὺς, ἢ κάκείνους ἐκβληθέντας ποιήσῃ συναισθέσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν, οὐκέτι μετὰ τοῦ πωλεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν, ἢ τά λοιπὰ ΗΒ ποιεῖνʼ ἐπὰν δὲ ὲπισκέψηται ἐπὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ὡς ἀγαπῶν ἡμᾶς ὲπιδημήσῃξ ἵνα ni μαστιγώσῃ ὡς υἱοὺς, ὅπως ἡμᾶς παραδέξηται, τότε εἰσελεύσεται ἡ δύναμις Ἰησοῦ συναγομένων ἡμῶν καὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, καὶ εἰσελθοῦσα trifida! πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας καὶ ἀγοράζοντας ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ πωλοῦντας μὲν, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ·ἀπεμπολοῦντας εί καί τι χρηστὸν. εἶχον, ἀγοράζοντας δὲ ἀντʼ ἐκείνων τὰ φαῦλα, καὶ ταῦτα ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῇ Ἐκκλησία, πράττοντας. Ἀλλʼ εἴθε εἰσελθὼν είς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, τὸν οἷκον τῆς προσευχῆς, mtaβάλλοι ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς τῶν κολλυὸιστῶν καὶ φιλαρτύρων τραπέζας, καὶ εἰς πολλὰ εὐτελῆ καὶ οὐδενὸς λόγου ἄξια κατακερματιζόντων τὰ δόκιμα ἀργύρια, ἵνα βλάψωσι μὲν ἐκείνους οῖς κολλυὸίζουσιν, αὐτοὶ δὲ μὴ είς δέον χρήσονται τῷ ἀργυρίῳὲ Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ πωλοῦντες καὶ ἀγοράζοντες τὰς Χριστοῦ περιστερὰς, καὶ παραδιδόντες ι τοὶς ἀκεραίους ὡς περιστερὰς, ι τοὺς εὐξαμένους καὶ εἰ· πόντας· ι Τίς δώσει μοι πτέρυγας ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶς. καὶ πετασθήσομαι, καὶ καταπαύσω; ο καὶ ἐπακουσθέντας, ἄρχουσιν οἷς οὐ δεῖ. ### English translation (Claude) And now too I think that the temple built of living stones is the church, and that there are in it some who live not as in the church but as “waging war according to the flesh,” and who by their wickedness make the house of prayer of living stones a den of robbers. For who, considering the sins committed in some churches by those who think that the godliness of others is a means of gain—who, though they ought to live from the Gospel alone, do not do this, but gather wealth and much property—will not say that so great a mystery as the church has become a den of robbers? So that Jesus might say, about the sins committed in the living temple he built, both the words from the Psalms, “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to corruption?”, and those from, I think, Hosea, where the soul of Jesus, displeased with the life of those who sin and seem to be in the temple, says: “Alas, for I have become like one gathering straw in the harvest, and like a gleaning in the vintage, when there is no ear of grain to eat the firstfruits. Alas, my soul, for the godly man has perished from the earth, and there is none among men who does right.” And if you stumble at Jesus’ saying these things, and saying, as he mourns our failings, “Alas, my soul,” examine together with them the words from the Gospel, where it is written that “seeing Jerusalem, he wept over it and said.” And all the more: if he reasonably wept over Jerusalem, more reasonably will he weep over the church, which was built to be a house of prayer but has become a den of robbers through the shameful love of gain and the luxury of some—and would that it were not also of the leaders of the people! But then Jesus entered the temple of God and cleansed it, casting out all who sold and bought in the temple, and overturning the tables of the money-changers together with the seats on which those who sold doves sat. And now, as long as those who gather together in assemblies in the name of Jesus Christ are not visited, there are those who sell and buy in the temple and do the rest, and Jesus nowhere appears to them to cast them out and save the rest, or to make even those cast out aware of their sin and enter the temple, no longer selling and buying or doing the rest. But when he visits our sins, and, as one who loves us, comes to scourge us as sons, so that he may receive us, then the power of Jesus will enter as we are gathered together with the Holy Spirit, and, entering, will cast out all who sell and buy in the temple—selling, and as it were bartering away, whatever good they had, and buying wicked things in its place, and doing these things in the temple of God, the church. Would that Jesus, entering the temple of the Father, the church, the house of prayer, might overturn the tables of the money-changers and lovers of money, who break up genuine silver into many cheap and worthless coins, so as to harm those whose money they change, while they themselves do not use the money for what is needful. And there are others in the temple who sell and buy the doves of Christ, and hand over “those who are guileless as doves”—who prayed and said, “Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly away and be at rest?” and were heard—to rulers to whom they ought not to be handed over. ### Scripture references - 1 Pet 2:5: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 10:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Tim 6:5: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:14: allusion, high confidence - Ps 30:9 (29:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Mic 7:1: quotation, high confidence - Mic 7:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:41: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:13: allusion, high confidence - Heb 12:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 18:20: allusion, low confidence - Matt 10:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 55:6 (54:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 1 Pet 2:5; 2 Cor 10:3; 1 Tim 6:5; 1 Cor 9:14; Ps 30:9 (29:10 LXX); Mic 7:1–2 (Origen attributes it, with hesitation, to Hosea); Luke 19:41; Matt 21:12–13; Heb 12:6–7; Matt 18:20; Matt 10:16; Ps 55:6 (54:7 LXX). Origen’s criticism of greedy members and leaders of the church is translated as written. Two verbs (“visited,” “save”) are garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.21 (PG 13:1444d–1448d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-22 - Source: PG 13:1448d–1453b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The three kinds driven from the temple are worldly church members, deacons who enrich themselves from funds for the poor, and bishops and presbyters who appoint unworthy rulers over the flock; Christ will judge them at his second coming. ### Greek text Καὶ νομίζω ἁρμόζειν τὸν περὶ τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστερὰς λόγον τοῖς παραδιδοῦσι τάξ Ἐκκλησίας αἱσχροκερδέσι, καὶ τυραννικοῖς, καὶ ἀνεπιστήμοσι. καὶ ἁνευλαδέσιν ἐπισκόποις, ἢ πρεσβυτέροις, ἦ διας κόνοις ” διόπερ μόνων τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστερὰς καθέδρας ὠνόμασεν ὀ Ματοαῖος καὶ ό Μάρκος, εις φασ κατεστράφθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ὠς εῖοε τούτων ἥκουσ μετὰ τοῦ πρέποντος νοῦ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρας Μωῦσέως αὐχοῦντες καθέζεσθαι, καὶ πω·λοῦντες ὅλας ἐκκλησίας περιστερῶν, καὶ παραδιῶντες αὑτὰς τοιούτοις προεστηκόσι, περὶ ὧν λέγοιτʼ ἂν τὸ ὲν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου λεγόμενονο ι Ol ἡγούμενα τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐμὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν · υἱοὶ ἄφρονές εἰσι, καὶ οὐ συνετοί ° σοφοί είσι τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι, τὺ δὲ καλῶς ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· ι καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Μιχαίᾳ, οἶμαι, οὕτω λελεγμένον · ι Οί,ήγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐκβληθήσονται ἐξ οἴκου τρυφῆς αὐτῶν· ι εί γὰρ ἤκουον, οὐκ ἂν ὲπὼλησαν τὰς Χριστοῦ περιστερὰς, ἀλλὰ κατέστη σαν ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν φειδομένους . τῶν περιστερῶν, κα). προνοουμένους τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν, καὶ οὑ περιβλεπομένους τίνα ὡς παχεῖαν περᾼιστερὰν Θύσαντες καταθοινήσονται. Λέγει δὲ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς ὲκβαλλομένοις, ὡς πωλοῦσι καὶ ἀγοράέ ζουσι, καὶ τοῖς κολλυβισταῖς, καὶ τοῖς πωλοῦσι τὰς περιστερὰς, δυσωπῶν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ὡς ὲκ προσώπου τοῦ Πατρὸς λεγομένων προφητειῶν, ὅτιτὸ μὲν γεγραμμένον ἐστίν· ι Ὅ οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κλήόήσεταις ι οὐδὲνγὰρ ἄλλο δεῖ εἶναι ἐν Ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ἦ αὐγὴν πάσης ἁγίας πράξεως, καὶ προκαλουμένης τὴν τοῦΘεοῦ ἐπισκοπὴν, είς εὐχὴν παρὰίΘεῷ λογιζομένης, καθὸ καὶ τό· ι ’Λδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε, »ν δυναέ τόν ἐστιν· ὑμεῖς δὲ, ὦ οὗτοι, ταῖς ὑμετέραις κακίαις τὸν τῆς προσευχῆς οἶκον σπήλαιον λῃστῶν πεποιήίκατ-εʼ καὶ εὑρεῖν ἐστι πολλαχοῦ κατὰ βραχὺ οὕτως εἰς διασῖροφὴν ὁδεύσαντα τὰ τῆς νομιζομένήξ Ἐκκλη· σίας πράγματα, ὡς μηδὲν σπηλαίου λῃστῶνῄ διαφέρειν τὸ adpeto-pa συναγόμενον ἐν ὀνόματι ηΧριστοῦ,ν ὥστʼ ἂν λέγεσθαι αὐτοῖς · ι Διʼ ὑμᾶς διὰ παντὸς τδγὸνομά μου βλασφημεῖται ὲν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ι Εί δὲ δεῖ τὰ εῖδη τρία τυγχάνοντα τῶν ἐνταῦθα κατειλεγμένων προσφιλονεικήσαντα τῇ camini; τῆς Γραφῆς ἐπιμελέστερον διηγήσασθαι, μήποτε οἱ μὲν ἐν τῷ λαῷ μηδενὶ ἢ τῷ κόσμῳ σχολάζοντες, καὶ περ) τὸ πωλεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν μόνον τὰς διατριβὰς ἔχοντες, καὶ σπανίως ταῖς προσευχαῖς προσκαρτεροῦντες, κα) οἷς ἀπαιτεί ἔργοις ό θεῖος Λόγος, εἰσὶν οἱ πωλοῦντες καὶ ἀγοράζοντες ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· οἱ δὲ μὴ καλῶς διάκονοι διοικοῦντες τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας χρήματα, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ μὲν ταῦτα ψηλαφῶντες, οὗ καλῶς δὲ αὑτᾶ οἰκονομοῦντες, ἀλλὰ σωρεύοντες τὸν vortat:de πλοῦτον καὶ χρήματα, ἵνα πλουτῶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν si; λόγον πτωχῶν διδομένων, οὗτοί εἰσιν oi κολλυβιπιῖ, τραπέζας χρημάτων ἔχοντες, ἃς κατέστρεψεν 6 Tr;σοῦς οἱ δὲ τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας πεπιστευμένοι τώ λαοῦ ἐπίσκοποι καὶ πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ ὡσπερεὶ ἀποδιδόμενοι ὅλας Ἐκκλησίας οἷς οὑ χρὴζ καὶ καθιστάντες οὓς οὐ δεῖ ἄρχοντας, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ πωλοῦντες τὰς περιστερὰς, ὧν τὰς καθέδρας κατέστρεψεν 6 Ἰησοῦς. Ἕκαστος οὖν τῶν ἐπὶ καθέδρας καθεζομέ· νων ὲκκλησιαστικῆς, καὶ ι ἀγαπώντων τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς, ι προσεχέτω μήποτε οὕτω καθέζεται ἐπὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ καθέδρας, ὥστε E1— θόντα τδν Ἰησοῦν καταστρέψαι αὐτὴν, ὡς ἀξίαν καταστροφῆς. una: καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν ἀπὸ διακονίας συναγόντων χρήματα, νοήσας τὴν προκειμένην Γριφὴν, μηκέτι σωρευέτω είς τὰς τραπέζας ἁργὺρισν, ἵνα μὴ καταστρέψῃ αὑτὰς 6 Ἰησοῦς. Ἀλλά καὶ ol ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν τε καὶ φροντίδων βιωτικῶν ἀγόμενοι εἰς ἀγορασμοὺς καὶ πράσεις φροντιζέτωσαν μήποτε ἐλθὼν 6 Ἰησοῦς ἐκβάλῃ αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, ὅτε (fi) 6 ἐκβεβλημένος οὐδὲ ἐλπίδα τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν ἔχει, ὅθεν ἐξεβλήθη. Καὶ ὑποφαίνεται μοι ἐρευνῶντι τὴν ἐκκειμένην Γραφὴν, μήποτε ταῦτα 6 Ἰησοῦς ποιήσῃ καὶ κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν ἐπιδημίαν, ἣ κατὰ τὴν προσδοκωμένην θείαν κρίσιν· εἰσελθὼν γὰρ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅλον, τὴν πᾶσαν Ἐκκλησίαν, τὴν, ἐξ οῦ συνέστη Ἐκκλησία, ὲν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ συνεστηκυῖαν μέχρι τῆς συντελεϊας τοῦ αἰῶνος, οὓς ἂν εῦρῃ τῷ πωλεῖν καὶ ἀγοράζειν σχολάσαντας τῶν νομιζομένων εἷναι ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκβάλῃʼ καὶ οὓς ἂν εῦρῃ τραπέζας πήξαντας καὶ γινομένους κολλυβιστὰς, ἐλέγξει, καταστρέψας αὐτῶν τὰς τραπέζας, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ δείξας οἷα περὶ τὸ ἀργύριον ἡμαρτήκασι ο τότε δὲ καὶ τὰς, ὡς διηγησάμεθα, καθέδρας τῶν πωλούντων τὰς περιστερὰς καταστρέψει. Εἰ δέ τις οὐδὲν τῶν τριῶν τούτων εἰδῶν ἔχει, καὶ ὲν τῷ ναῷ εὑρίσκεται τοῦ Θεοῦ, θαρρείτωο οὔτε γὰρ ἐκβληθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οῦτε τι τῶν αὐτοῦ καταστραφήσεξται, οὔθʼ ὡς ποιήσας τὸνοἷκον προσευχῆς σπήλαιον λῃστῶν ὀνειδισθήσεται ὡς λῃστὴς, ὅτε κολασθήσονται οἱ ποιήσαντες τῇ ἑαυτῶν λῃστείᾳ καὶ ἀδικίᾳ τὸν οἷκον τῆς προσευχῆς σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. ### English translation (Claude) And I think that the saying about those who sell doves fits those who hand over the churches to bishops, presbyters, or deacons who are greedy for shameful gain, tyrannical, ignorant, and irreverent; and for this reason Matthew and Mark named only the seats of those who sold doves, saying that they were overturned by Jesus. Would that those who boast of sitting on the seat of Moses, and who sell whole churches of doves and hand them over to such presiding officers, would hear these things with the meaning that befits the divine Scripture! Of such officers might be said what is said by the Lord in Jeremiah: “The leaders of my people did not know me; they are foolish sons and without understanding; they are wise to do evil, but how to do good they did not know”; and what is said, I think, in Micah thus: “The leaders of my people shall be cast out of their houses of luxury.” For if they had heard, they would not have sold the doves of Christ, but would have appointed rulers over them who spare the doves and provide for their salvation, and do not look around for one to sacrifice as a fat dove and feast on. And Jesus says to those who are cast out as sellers and buyers, and to the money-changers, and to those who sell doves, putting them to shame with the prophecies spoken as from the person of the Father, that what is written is: “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” For nothing else ought to be in the church of God than the radiance of every holy action, calling forth the oversight of God and reckoned as prayer before God; in this sense the words “Pray without ceasing” too are possible. “But you, such as you are, have by your wickedness made the house of prayer a den of robbers.” And one can find in many places that the affairs of what is thought to be the church have gradually so gone to ruin that the assembly gathered in the name of Christ differs in nothing from a den of robbers, so that it may be said to them: “Because of you my name is continually blasphemed among the Gentiles.” And if one must contend more earnestly with the letter of Scripture and explain more carefully the three kinds listed here, perhaps those among the people who devote themselves to nothing but the world, spending their time only in selling and buying, and who seldom persevere in prayer and in the works the divine Word requires, are those who sell and buy in the temple of God. And the deacons who do not administer the church’s money well, but are always handling it without managing it well, heaping up … wealth and money so as to grow rich from what is given for the poor—these are the money-changers, who have the tables of money which Jesus overturned. And the bishops and presbyters who have been entrusted with the first seats among the people, and who as it were sell off whole churches to those to whom they ought not, and appoint as rulers those whom they ought not—these are the sellers of doves, whose seats Jesus overturned. Let each, then, of those who sit on an ecclesiastical seat and “love the first seats in the synagogues” take heed lest he so sit on his seat that Jesus, when he comes, overturns it as deserving to be overturned. And let each of those who gather money from a diaconate, understanding the Scripture before us, no longer heap up silver on the tables, lest Jesus overturn them. And let those who are led by the cares and anxieties of this life into buying and selling take care lest Jesus come and cast them out of the temple, when the one cast out has not even the hope of entering again the place from which he was cast out. And it appears to me, as I search the Scripture set before us, that perhaps Jesus will do these things also at his second coming, at the expected divine judgment. For, entering the whole temple of God—the whole church, constituted in the name of Christ from the time the church was constituted until the completion of the age—he will cast out those whom he finds occupied with selling and buying among those thought to be in the temple of God; and those whom he finds to have set up tables and become money-changers he will reprove, overturning their tables and showing by his word how they have sinned with regard to money; and then he will overturn also the seats, as we explained them, of those who sell doves. But if anyone has none of these three kinds of fault and is found in the temple of God, let him take courage; for he will not be cast out by Jesus, nor will anything of his be overturned, nor will he be reproached as a robber for having made the house of prayer a den of robbers, when those are punished who by their robbery and injustice have made the house of prayer a den of robbers. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:12: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:13: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 23:2: allusion, high confidence - Jer 4:22: quotation, high confidence - Mic 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Isa 56:7: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:17: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Isa 52:5: quotation, medium confidence - Rom 12:12: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 23:6: quotation, high confidence - Luke 21:34: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:12–13; Mark 11:15; Matt 23:2; Jer 4:22; Mic 2:9; Isa 56:7; 1 Thess 5:17; Rom 2:24 (Isa 52:5); Rom 12:12; Matt 23:6; Luke 21:34. Origen’s criticism of bishops, presbyters, and deacons is translated as written. A word describing the wealth heaped up is garbled in the scan and marked “…”. A running head of the edition, left in the scan, has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.22 (PG 13:1448d–1453b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-23 - Source: PG 13:1453b–1456a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Every rational soul is a temple of God, which sins fill with robber thoughts; those who chose Barabbas over Jesus are, in Origen’s reading, ruled by the robber still. ### Greek text Εἰρημένου τοίνυν εις τὸ ῥητὸν τῆς ὑποπεσούσης ἡμῖν καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν διχῶς ἀποδεδομένης διηγήσεως, φέρε μετὰ ταῦτα ἴδωμεν εἰ δύναται καὶ οῦτω τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον νοηθῆναι. Οὐκ ἔλαττον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας φύσει ἱερόν ὲστιΘεοῦ πᾶσα λογικὴ φύσις, κατεσκευασμένη ἶνα χωρήσῃ δόξαν Θεοῦ, περὶ ἦς γέγραπται ὲν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν, ὀφοεισης μετὰ τὴν οἰκον δομὴν τοῦ νεὼ ὲν αὐτῷ.,Τοῦτο δὴ τὸ φύσει ἱερὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν ψυχὴν, πεπληρώκαμεν οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες πωλούντων καὶ ἀγοραζόντων λογισμῶν, καὶ ἄλλων περὶ ἀργυρίου πάντα σκοπούντων διαλογισμῶν πεπλη ρὼκαμεν δὲ ἁμαρτάνοντες, καὶ ἄλλων πωλούντων καὶ ἁπεμπολούντων εἴ τι ἆγιον κατάλειμμα ὲν τῇ ψυχῇ ήμῶν γεγένηται, ὅπερ ἦν περιστερά. Λέγει οὖν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. καὶ πεπληρωμένοις λῃστῶν λογισμῶν τό* ι Γέγραπταιʼ '0 οἶκός μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται ’ ὑμεῖς δὲ αὑτὸν πεποιήκατε σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. ι Ὀ μὲν οῦν Ἰησοῦς τοὺς ποιήσαντας σπήλαιον λῃστῶν τὸν οἶκον τῆς προσευχῆς λῃστὰς ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ’ οἱ δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς λῃσταῖς φρονοῦντες περὶ μὲν Ἰησοῦ εἰρήκασι· ι Σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτόν· ι περὶ δὲ τοῦ λῃστοῦ Βαραββἄ· ι ’Λπόλῦσον ὑμῖν τὸν Βαραββᾶν. ι Διόπερ μέχρι σήμερον Ἰουδαῖοι Ἰησοῦν μὲν ούκ ἔχουσιν, ού γὰρ πεπιστεύκασιν εὶς τὸν Υεὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ’ ἔχουσι δὲ μεθʼ ἑαυτῶν ί ῦῗιιιι τὸν ἀτεὺ τῶν πνευματικῶν τῆς πονηρίας Βαραῦὂᾶν τὸν λῃστὴν ήδη κεκρατημένον, καὶ είς φυλακὴν καφ τακεκλεισμένον, ὃν καθʼ ἑαυτῶν ἠξίωσαν ἀπολυο θῆναι θ διὰ τοῦτο ἄρχει τῶν ἀπίστων Ἰουδαίων Βαραββᾶς ὁ λῃστής. Περί τῶν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ θεραπευθέντων τυφλῶν καὶ χωλῶν. ### English translation (Claude) Having, then, given on the literal text the explanation that occurred to us, and applied it in two ways also to the church, come, let us next see whether the passage can also be understood in this way. No less than the church, every rational nature is by nature a temple of God, made to receive the glory of God—the glory of which it is written in the second book of Chronicles and the third of Kingdoms that it appeared in the temple after the building of it. This temple of God by nature, the soul, we who sin have filled with thoughts that sell and buy, and with other reasonings that look at everything in terms of money; and we who sin have filled it with still other thoughts that sell and barter away whatever holy remnant has come to be in our soul, which was a dove. Jesus, then, says to those who sin and are filled with robber thoughts: “It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers.” Jesus, then, cast out of the temple the robbers who had made the house of prayer a den of robbers; and those who thought as the robbers did said about Jesus, “Crucify, crucify him,” and about the robber Barabbas, “Release Barabbas to us.” Therefore to this day the Jews do not have Jesus, for they have not believed in the Son of God; but they have with them … Barabbas the robber, from among the spiritual hosts of wickedness, who had already been seized and shut up in prison, and whom they asked to be released to their own hurt. Therefore Barabbas the robber rules the unbelieving Jews. [On the blind and lame healed in the temple.] ### Scripture references - 2 Chr 7:1: allusion, high confidence - 2 Chr 7:2: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 8:10: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 8:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:13: quotation, high confidence - Luke 23:21: quotation, high confidence - Luke 23:18: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:12: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 27:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 27:21: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: 2 Chr 7:1–2; 1 Kgs 8:10–11 (3 Kgdms 8:10–11 LXX); Matt 21:13; Luke 23:21; Luke 23:18; Eph 6:12; Matt 27:16–21. Origen’s statements about the Jews are translated as written, without comment. A few words before “Barabbas the robber” are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.23 (PG 13:1453b–1456a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-24 - Source: PG 13:1456a–1456b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: In the church, the house of prayer, some are blind and some lame; recognizing this and that only the Word of God can heal them, they come to him and are healed. ### Greek text ι Καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοὶ ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἓως, τοῦ · ι Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον. ι Td μὲν τῆς λέξεως δῆλω ἀκολούθωςᾶ ταῖς προαποδεδομέναις ἀναγωγαῖς λεκτέον, ὅτι ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῷ οἴκῳ τῆς προσευχῆς, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ού πᾴντες είσὶ βλέποντες, οὐδὲ, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ὀρθοποδοῦντεςσ εἰσὶ γάρ τινες καὶ τυφλοὶ, καὶ ἄλλοι χωλοὶ τῶν ἀθροιζομένων, οἵτινες ἐκ τοῦ συναισθέσθαι τῆς ἑαυτῶν τυφλότητος καὶ κοιλότητος, καὶ τοῦ γινώσκειν, ὅτι οὐδενὸς ἥ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργον ἐστὶ, καὶ τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ θεραπεῦσαι αὐτοὺς, atposελθόντες αύτῷ θεραπεύονται. ### English translation (Claude) “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them,” and so on, up to “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise.” What concerns the letter is clear. But, consistently with the higher interpretations given before, we must say that in the temple of God, the house of prayer, the church, not all are seeing, nor, if I may so name it, walking straight; for some of those gathered are blind and others lame. These, from being aware of their own blindness and lameness, and from knowing that it is the work of none but God and the Word of God to heal them, come to him and are healed. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gal 2:14: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:14–16; Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX); Gal 2:14 (“walking straight”). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.24 (PG 13:1456a–1456b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-25 - Source: PG 13:1456c–1457c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The indignant chief priests stand for bishops whose lives dishonour their office and who despise and accuse simple, fervent believers; Christ defends the children, from whose mouths God perfects praise. ### Greek text Μετά τοῦτο γέγραπται, ὅτι oi ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τι γραμματεῖς, καίτοιγε ἰδόντες τὰ θαυμάσια ἀ ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ τῶν παίδων ἀκούοντες δοξαζόντων τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ, τῇ Ἐκκλησία, ἠγανἀκτη σαν καταφρονοῦντες τῶν ὑμνούντων τὸν Ἰη- σοῦν παιδίων, καὶ ἀγανακτήσαντες φασι τῷ Σωτῆρι · ι Ἀκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν ; › ὁ δὲ, δυσωπῶν αὐτοὺς, ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι, Τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ὲν ταῖς θείαις ἀναστρεφόμενοι Γραφαῖς μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, οῦκ ἀνέγνωτε, ἵνα μὴ καταφρονήσητε τῶν ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία μικρῶν καὶ παιδίων ὑμνούντων ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα μου ὅτι, ί Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἷνον; ι Μήποτε οῦν, ὡς κατά ἱστορίαν ψεκτοί είσιν οὗτοι οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ γραμματεῖς, οὕτως καὶ κατά τὴν ἀναγωγὴν είσί τινες ψεκτοὶ ἀρχιερεῖς, τὺ ὄνομα τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς οὐ κοσμοῦντες τῷ ἑαυτῶν βίῳ, οὐδὲ ἐνδεδυμένοι τὴν δήλωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν; Οὗτοι οὖν, καίτοιγε βλέποντες τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ θαυμάσια, οὐδὲν ἦττον καταφρονοῦσι τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησία μικρῶν μὲν καὶ νηπίων, ὑμνούντων δὲ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀγανακτοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῇ τούτων προκοπῇ, καὶ κατηγοροῦσιν αὐτῶν παρὰ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς ἁμαρτανόντων τῶν μὴ ἁμαρτανόντων, καὶ ὡς ἀκουόντων πᾶσαν τάξιν τηρούντων, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ι ’Δκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσι; ι Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔτι μᾶλλον συνήσομεν, ὲπιστήσαντες τίνα τρόπον πολλάκις τοῖς ζέουσι τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ μέχρι φυλακῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀπίστους πα· ραβαλλομένοις, καὶ κινδύνου καταφρονοῦσι, καὶ μετά πάσης εὐτονίας ἀσκοῦσιν ἁγνείαν καὶ παρθενίων, ἰδιώταις τῇ λέξει, ὲπιπλήσσουσιν ὼς ἀτάκτοις οἱ ψακτοὶ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ ἐγκαλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς παρά τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς αὐτοὶ δικαιότερον πράττοντες τῶν οὕτω σπουδαίων καὶ χρηστῶν παιδίων. Ἀλλʼ ό Ἰησοῦς τοῖς παιδίοις μὲν μαρτυρεῖ, τοῖς δὲ ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἀμαθίαν ἐγκαλεῖ διὰ τοῦ λέγειν· ι Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε, ὅτι ὲκ πόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον ; ι καὶ ἐπὰν ἴδῃς ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησία τοὺς κατὰ τὸν πρότερον, ι ὡς,ἀρτιγένητα βρέφη, τὸ λογιτὼν ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθοῦντας, ι καὶ θηλάξοντας αὐτὸ γάλα ποτιζομένους, ἔτι καὶ ὑμνοῦντας τὸν Θεὸν τῇ πίστει καὶ τῷ βίῳ, θεώρει, ὅτι πληροῦται ἐπʼ αὐτῶν τό· ς Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνονο ι ἑαυτῷ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς αἶνον ὲν τοῖς τοιούτοις καταρτίζεται, ἐφʼ οἷς εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Πατρὶ δἰησοῦς λέγει· ι Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, Πάτερ, Κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἀπέκρυψας ταῦτα ἀπὸ σοφῶν καὶ συνετῶν, καὶ ἀπεκάλυψας αὑτά νηπίοις. Ναὶ, ὁ Πατὴρ, ὃτι οὕτως ἐγένετο, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Περὶ τῆς ξηρανθείσης συκῆς. ### English translation (Claude) After this it is written that the chief priests and the scribes, though they saw the wonders that Jesus did, and heard the children glorifying the Son of God in the temple, the church, were indignant, despising the children who hymned Jesus; and in their indignation they say to the Saviour, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And he, putting them to shame, answered, as it were: Though you have occupied yourselves so long with the divine Scriptures, up to this day, have you not read—so that you would not despise the little ones and children in the church who hymn me and my Father in heaven—that “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise”? Perhaps, then, as according to the narrative these chief priests and scribes are blameworthy, so also according to the higher sense there are some blameworthy chief priests, who do not adorn the name of the episcopate by their own life, nor are clothed with the “Manifestation and Truth.” These, then, though they see the wonders of God, nonetheless despise those in the church who are little ones and infants but hymn God and his Christ; and they are indignant at their progress, and accuse them before Jesus as sinning when they do not sin, and as disobedient when they keep all good order, and they say to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And we shall understand this still better if we consider how often those who are fervent in spirit, who expose themselves even to prison before the unbelievers, despise danger, and with all vigour practise purity and virginity, though they are unlearned in speech, are reproved as disorderly by the blameworthy chief priests, who accuse them before Jesus as though they themselves acted more righteously than such earnest and good children. But Jesus bears witness to the children, and charges the chief priests with ignorance by saying, “Have you never read, Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise?” And when you see in the church those who, as in the First Letter of Peter, “like newborn babes long for the pure spiritual milk,” and who nurse and are given milk to drink, yet hymn God by their faith and their life, consider that “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise” is fulfilled in them. For God perfects praise for himself in such people, for whom Jesus, giving thanks to the Father, says: “I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for so it was,” and so on. [On the withered fig tree.] ### Scripture references - Matt 21:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 28:30: allusion, high confidence - Rom 12:11: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 11:6: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Pet 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:26: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:15–16; Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX); Exod 28:30 (“Manifestation and Truth,” the LXX rendering of Urim and Thummim on the high priest’s breastpiece); Rom 12:11; 2 Cor 11:6; 1 Pet 2:2; Matt 11:25–26. Origen’s criticism of bishops is translated as written. The word rendered “disobedient” is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. The bracketed words at the end are a heading printed in the edition. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.25 (PG 13:1456c–1457c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-18/#p-16-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-26 - Source: PG 13:1457d–1461d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Leaving Jerusalem for Bethany, the church, Christ curses the fruitless fig tree, which Origen reads as the synagogue; the mountain cast into the sea is Satan, removed from believers by the faith and teaching of Christ’s disciples. ### Greek text ς Καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς, ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως ἕως εἰς Βηθανίαν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ πάντα ὃσα ἂν αἰτήσητε ὲν τῇ προσευχῇ πιστεύοντες, λήψεσθε. ι Τίνας καταλιπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐξῆλθε τῆς τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων πόλεως, ἀφʼ ἦς ἐξελθὼν ὲν Βηθανία ἦν;,Ἦ τοὺς ἰδόντας μὲν ἀρχιερεῖς καί γραμματεῖς τοῦ λαοῦ τά θαυμάσια ἀ ἐποίησε, καὶ τοὺς παῖδας κράζοντας ὲν τῷ ίερῷ καλ λέγοντας· ι ὀσαννά τῷ υίῷ Δαυῖδ, ι οὐδὲν δὲ ἦττον ἀγανακτήσαντας ἐπὶ τοῖς αίνοῦσι τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐλεγχθέντας, ιιω ὼς μὴ νενοηκότας τό· ι Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἷνον; ι Καὶ ἐπεὶ κατέλιπεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, καί ἔξω γέγονε τῆς aviam, διά τοῦτο πέπτωκε, καὶ λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον magno μὴ μένειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθαιρεῖσθαι, ἓως πάντα καταλυθῇ. Ἦλθεν είς Βηθανίαν, τὸν τῆς ὑπακοῆς οἷκον, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἔνθα καὶ ηὐλίσθη, καλ ἀνεπαύσατο· ἐπεὶ μὴ εἶχεν ὲν Ἰεροσολύμοις ποῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν κλῖναι. ἆτε τοιούτων ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων ὄντων ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὅτε δὲ ἀνεπαύσατο ὲν τῇ Βηθανίᾳ τῷ τῆς ὑπακοῆς οἴκῳ, μετά τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ συστῆναι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἀναπαύσασθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ὲν αὐτῇ, τότε ἐπανάγει είς τὴν πόλιν ἢν καταλέλοιπε, καὶ ἧς ἔξω γέγονε, καὶ ἐπανάγων εἰς αὐτὴν πεινᾷ, καὶ μίαν ἰδὼν συκῆν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, τὸ δένδρον τοῦ λαοῦ, ἦλθεν ἐπʼ αὑτήν· καὶ οὐδὲν εὗρεν ὲν αὐτῇ βρώσιμον. μόνον ζωῆς ἔμφασιν φύλλα γὰρ χωρὶς καρπῶν ἐν τῇ συκῇ· εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ ἔμψυχος ἦν αὓτη ἠ συκῆ, διὰ τοῦτο λέγει ὡς ἀκουούσῃ τὴν πρέπουσαν αὐτῇ ἀράν. Τὸ δὲ λεγόμενον τοιοῦτον ἦν· Ὅσον συνέστηκεν ὁ ἐνεστὼς αίὼν, μηκέτι γένοιτο ἐν σοι καρπός. Διὰ τοῦτο ἄκαρπός ἐστινὴ Ἰουδαίων συναγωγὴ, καὶ τοῦτο γίνεται αὐτῇ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος, ἓως τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ. Ἐξηράνθη δὲ ὴ συκῆ ἔτι ἐπιδημοῦντος τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὲνανθρωποῦντος Ἰησοῦ. ’ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ illatiμασαν λέγοντεςο ‹ Πῶς παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ἠ συκῆ ; ι τοῖς γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἶδον τὸ τῆς ξηρανθείσης συκῆς μυστήριον, καὶ ἐθαύμασαν οὐχ οὔ τως ἐπὶ τῷ ξηράνθαι eam, ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ παραχρῆμα ξηράνθαιο ἔβλεπον γὰρ ξηρὰν τὴν συκῆν, τὸν λαὸν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκεῖνον, καὶ θαυμάζουσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν τῷ ἑωρακέναι παραχρῆμα τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην, ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν ἐμπεδῶν τὸ λεγόμενον τῷ · t Ἀμὴν, ὃτι, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν, καὶ μὴ διακριθῆτε, οὐ μόνον τὸ τῆς συκῆς ποιήσετε, ἀλλά κᾶν τῷ ὄρει η τούτῳ εἴπητε· Ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι είς τὴν θάλασσαν, γενήσεται. ι Οὐκοῦν οἱ πιστεύοντες μαθηο ταὶ, καὶ μὴ διακρινόμενοι, ποιοῦσι καί τὸ τῆς συκῆς, λέγοντες αὐτῇ · ι Ὑμῖν ἧν ἀναγκαῖον λαληθῆναι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ο ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκ ἀξίους κρίνετε ἑαυτοᾱ, ἰδοὺ συστρεφόμεθα είςτά ἔθνη, ι καὶ καταλιπόντες αὐτὴν ξηραίνουσιν αὐτὴν, ἵνʼ ἡ ζωτικὴ δύναμις αὐτῆς μεταβῇ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὸ πρότερον συνέχον πνεῦμα τὸν λαὸν ἐκεῖνον μεταστῇ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ὲΘνῶνο πρὸς τῷ δὲ ποιεῖν τὸτῆς συκῆς τοὺς μαθητὰς, ἐπαγγέλλεται αὐτοῖς 6 τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ἐὰν ἔχωσι πίστιν, καὶ μὴ διακριθῶσιν, ὅτι τῷ δεικνυμένῳ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ὄρει, τῇ ἀντικειμένῃ ἐνεργείᾳ ἰπαιρομένῃ κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων λέγουσιν· ι Ἀρθητι, καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν Θάλασσαν, ι καὶ γίνεταν αἴρεται γάρ ἀφʼ ἑκάστου τῶν ὠφελουμένων ὑπὸ μα- Θητῷν Ἰησοῦ τὸ βαρὺ τῆς κακίας ὅρος, 6 Σατανᾶς, αἴροντος αὑτὸν τοῦ νικήσαντος αὑτὸν, καὶ βάλλεται εἰς τὴν Θάλασσαν, τὴν ἄβυσσον, βάλλοντος αύτδννεζς τὸν ἄξιον αὐτοῦ τόπον τῆς κολάσεως. Καὶ περὶ ταύτης τῆς Θαλάσσης ἐν Ψαλμοῖς λέγεται τό· ι Αὕτη ἠ Θάλασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος. Ἐκεῖ πλοῖα διαπορεύεται, ζῶα μικρὰ μετὰ μεγάλων, δράκων οὗτος ὃν ἔπλασας ἐμπαίζειν αύτῷ. ι Καὶ ὲν ἄλλῳ ψαλμῷ· ι Ἐκεῖ συνέΘλασας τὰς κεφαλὰς τοῦ δράκοντος, ι δῆλον δὲ, ὅτι ὲν τῇ Θαλάσσῃ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ι συνέ- Θλάσας τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ δράκοντος, ἔδωκας αὐτὸν βρῶμα λαοῖς τοῖς Αἰθίοψιν. ι Αἴρεται οὖν καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου καταρτιζομένων εἰς σωτη-· ρίαν ὅρος τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ βλεπόμενον καὶ δεικνύμενον, καὶ βάλλεται εἰς τὴν Θάλασσαν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ ὲπιτυγχάνοντος μαθητοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὲν διδασκαλίᾳ. λόγον, λέγοντος τῷ ὲν τῷ καθʼ ἕκαστον τῶν ἀκούοντων ὄρει · ι Ἀρθητι, καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν Θάλασσαν · ι λέγοντος δὲ μετᾶ τοῦ ἔχειν πίστιν καὶ μὴ διακρίνεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον γένηται, καὶ τὰ πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν 6 ἔχων πίστιν καὶ μὴ διακρινόμενος αξτήσῃ ὲν τῇ προσευχῇ, πιστεύων λήψεται. ### English translation (Claude) “And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany,” and so on, up to “And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” Whom did Jesus leave when he went out of the city of Jerusalem, from which he went out and was in Bethany? Was it not the chief priests and scribes of the people, who saw the wonders that he did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David,” but were nonetheless indignant at those who praised Christ, and were reproved for this as not having understood “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have perfected praise”? And since he left that Jerusalem and went outside it, it has fallen for this reason, and not one stone upon another was to remain, but it was to be thrown down until all was destroyed. He came to Bethany, the house of obedience, the church, where he also lodged and rested, since he had nowhere in Jerusalem to lay his head, such being the chief priests and scribes in it. And when he had rested in Bethany, the house of obedience—after the beginning of the founding of the church and of Christ’s rest in it—then he returns to the city which he had left and outside which he had gone; and as he returns to it he is hungry, and seeing a single fig tree by the road, the tree of the people, he came to it; and he found nothing edible in it, only an appearance of life, for there were leaves without fruit on the fig tree. Then, since this fig tree was living, he speaks to it, as to one that hears, the curse that befitted it. What was said was this: As long as the present age stands, may there be no more fruit in you. For this reason the synagogue of the Jews is fruitless, and this befalls it until the completion of the age, “until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.” And the fig tree withered while Jesus was still dwelling in human life and living as a man. “And the disciples, when they saw it, marvelled, saying, How did the fig tree wither at once?” For with the eyes of the soul they saw the mystery of the withered fig tree, and they marvelled not so much at its withering as at its withering at once; for they saw that the fig tree, that people Israel, was dry. And to the disciples, who marvelled at having seen the fig tree withered at once, Jesus answered, confirming what had been said: “Truly, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be lifted up and cast into the sea, it will happen.” The disciples, then, who believe and do not doubt, also do what was done to the fig tree, saying to it, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you; since you do not judge yourselves worthy, behold, we turn to the Gentiles”; and by leaving it they wither it, so that its life-giving power may pass over to those from the nations, and the spirit that formerly held that people together may pass over to those from the nations. And besides the disciples’ doing what was done to the fig tree, the Word of God promises them that, if they have faith and do not doubt, they will say to the mountain he points out—the opposing power that is lifted up against men—“Be lifted up and cast into the sea,” and it happens. For the heavy mountain of wickedness, Satan, is lifted from each of those who are helped by the disciples of Jesus, being lifted by the one who conquered him, and is cast into the sea, the abyss, as he casts him into the place of punishment he deserves. And about this sea it is said in the Psalms: “This is the sea, great and wide; there ships pass, small creatures with great; this dragon, whom you formed to mock him.” And in another Psalm: “There you crushed the heads of the dragon”—clearly in the sea—and there “you crushed the head of the dragon; you gave him as food to the peoples, the Ethiopians.” The mountain that Jesus sees and points out is lifted, then, from each of those who are being prepared for salvation by the Word, and is cast into the sea at the word of a disciple of Jesus who succeeds in teaching, saying to the mountain in each of his hearers, “Be lifted up and cast into the sea”—saying it with faith and without doubting, so that what is said may happen. And all things whatever that the one who has faith and does not doubt asks in prayer, believing, he will receive. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:19: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:22: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:9: quotation, high confidence - Ps 8:2 (8:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 8:20: allusion, high confidence - Rom 11:25: quotation, high confidence - Acts 13:46: quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:25 (103:25 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 104:26 (103:26 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 74:13 (73:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 74:14 (73:14 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:17–22; Matt 21:9, 15–16; Matt 24:2; Matt 8:20; Rom 11:25; Acts 13:46; Ps 104:25–26 (103:25–26 LXX); Ps 74:13–14 (73:13–14 LXX). Origen’s reading of the fig tree as the synagogue and Israel is translated as written, without comment. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.26 (PG 13:1457d–1461d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-26). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-27 - Source: PG 13:1461d–1468a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Every obedient soul is a Bethany where Jesus rests; each person is a fig tree from which Christ seeks the fruits of the Spirit, and those who fail him in temptation—by denial or sexual sin—wither at once. ### Greek text Αὕτη δέ ἐστι Βηθανία, ἒνΘα 6 ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς Ἰησοῦ φίλος κατῴκεν καὶ πᾶς δὲ 6 ὑπακούων τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶτὸν λόγον τῆς ὑπακοῆς ὲνιδρυμένον ἔχων ἐαυτῷ, οἶκός ἐστιν ὑπακοῆς καὶ Βηθανία, ὲν ᾖαύλίζεται 6 Ἰησοῦς καλ ἀναπαύεται. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πράγματα λαμβάνειν δεῖ ἀπὸ τῶν λεγομένων ἄξια σοφίας Θεοῦ, ἀφʼ ἧς τὰ Εὐαγγέλια γέγραπται, πρόσχες εἰ μὴ κατὰ μὲν τοὺς ἁπλούστερον νοοῦντας παρ ἑλκει τό· ι Καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω τῆς πὸλεω;·›πῶς γὰρ ἐδύνατο ἔξω τῆς πόλεως γενέσόαι, μὴ καταλιπὼν τοὺς προτέρους παρʼ οἷς ἦνς Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς συνετώτερον ἀκούοντας τῶν λεγομένων πάντως καταλείπει τοὺς προτέρους, ὅτι παρʼ ἑτέροις γίνεται μετʼ ἐκείνους, καὶ σὺν ἐκείνοιςο ἀλλά καὶ είς Βηθανίαν αὑλισθεὶς, οὐ καταλιπὼν τὴν Βηθανίαν εἰς τῆν πόλιν ἐπανάγει· ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἐν Βη- Θανίᾳ, καὶ ἐπανῆγεν είς τὴν πόλιν. Ἐπείνα δὲ ὁ Ἴησοῦς, ἀεὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ δικαίῳ βουλόμενος μεταλαβεῖν καρπῶν τοῦ πνεύματος· καὶ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, τὰ σῦκα ὧν πεινῶν ἐσθίει, η ἀγάπη τοῦ καρποφοροῦντος αὐτὴν, πρῶτος οὖσα καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶὴ χαρὰ, καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη, καὶ ἡ μακροθυμία, καὶ τὰ λοιπά· άτινα ὅσον μὲν καρπφοροῦμεν, οὐ ξηρανοησόμεθα· ἐπὰν δὲ ἐπιβάντι αὑτῷ καὶ ζητοῦντι καρπὸν ἴνα φάγῃ μὴ παρέχωμεν, λελέξεται πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ι Μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένοιτο είς τὸν αἰῶνα· ι χωρὶς γάρ τῆς προαποδεδομένης περὶ συκῆς ὡς τοῦ λαοῦ διηγήσεως, ἔστι καὶ ἐπὶ ἕκαστον ἀνάγειν τὸν λόγον συκῆν ὄντα, ἦτοι ξηραινομένην, ῆ φέρουσαν καρπδν, καὶ ζῶσαν, καὶ γεωργουμένην, ἵνα πλείονα καρπὸν φέρῃ. Τάχα δὲ ὥσπερ ἐπί τοῦ σπόρου, ι ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν, καὶ ape: ἔπεσε παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ ἦλθε τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτά· ἄλλα δὲ εἰς τὰς πέτρας, καὶ ἄλλα εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας, καὶ ἄλλα εἰς τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν γῆν ι οὕτως καὶ συκαῖ εἰσι διάφοροι. καὶ ἐὰν μὲν συκῆ ἐπὶ τῆς καλῆς καὶ ἀγαθῆς γῆς, καὶ φέρει καρπὸν, καὶ πεινῶντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ παρέχει αὐτόν· ἐπὰν δὲπαρά τὴν ὁδὸν, ὡς αὕτη περὶ ἦςʼ τέ·γραπται τό· ι Καὶ ἰδὼν συκῆν μίαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, 9 ἐλθόντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ οὐ δίδωσι καρπὸν, ι οὐδὲν γὰρ εὑρίσκει ι ἐν τῇ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν συκῇ ι εί μὴ φύλλα μόνονʼ ι διὸ λέγει αὐτῇ, ἐπεὶ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἦν, καὶ φύλλα μόνον εἶχεν ἔμφασιν τοῦ ζῇν, ἀλλʼ οὐ μετὰ καρποῦ, τόο ι Μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένοιτο εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. ι Ὅσον μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔρχεται- ἐπὶ τὴν συθ κῆν, οὐδὲ ἥδη ζητεῖ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ περιμένων εἴ πως οἴσει καρπὸν ἡ συκῆ, οὺ ξη. pains-at (ll). Ἐπὰν δὲ, ἐπιστάντος τοῦ πεινῶντος ἡμῶν τοὺς καρποὺς, εῦρεθῶμενοὐδὲ») ἔχοντες, εἰ μὴ τὴν ἑπαγγέλιαν τῆς πίστεως μόνην, οὐ συνόντων αὑτῇ καρπῶν, παραχρῆμα ξηρανθησόμεθα, καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν εἶναι πιστοὶ ἀπολωλεκότες. Καὶ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τοιούτους τινὰς ἐπὶ πολὺν φορέσαντας χρόνον τὸ τῆς πίστεως ὄνομα, καὶ ὲμφήναντας, ὅτι ζῶσι, καὶ παντελῶς εισι ξηραί· οὓς διὰ τὸ μὴ καρποφορεῖν ἐστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἀφισταμένους παντελῶς τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ ξηρανθέντας. Ὲνθάδε μὲν οῦν ξηραίνεται ἡ μὴ δεδωκυῖα πεινῶντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ καρπόνο άλλη δὲ συκῆ ὲκκόπτεσθαι κελεύεται, ἵνα μὴ τὴν γῆν ωπργῇ. Εἶθʼ οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἐπὰν ἴδωσί τινα μετὰ ζωτικὴν εμφασιν ξηρανθέντα, θαυμάζουσι λέγοντες· ι Πῶς παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ἡ συκῆς ι Ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον νοήσο· μεν τοῖς καθʼ ἕνα ἐφαρμόζοντες τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ἐπιστήσαντες τινα τρόπον ὲν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς ό μὲν Ἰησοῦς αἰτεῖ τοὺς καρποὺς, φέρʼ εἰπεῖν, ὲν διωγμῷ τὴν ὁμολογίαν καὶ τὸ μαρτύριον* καὶ ὲν τῷ γυναῖκα ἐπιμαίνεσθαι τινι, τὴν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐγκράτειαν καὶ σωφροσύνην καὶ οὕτως καθʼ ἕκαστον πειρασμὸν τὸν ἀκόλουθον αὐτῷ καρπόν. '0 δὲ μὴ παρασκευασάμενος διδόναι πεινῶντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐφισταμένῳ τὴν ὁμολογίαν, ἢ τὴν ἐγκράτειαν, παραχρῆμα ξηραίνεται· ό γάρ ἀρνησάμενος ξηραίνεται· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ό πορνεύσας, καίτοι παρά τὸν πρὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν καιρὸν ζωτικὴν ἐμφαίνων δύναμιν, καὶ οἱονεὶ τὰ φύλλα τῆς συκῆς περικείμενος. Καὶ θαυμάζουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων οἱ μαθηταὶ, πῶς ό μὲν Ἰησοῦς ἐπέστη πεινῶν καὶ ζητῶν καρπὸν, τῷ δὲ μὴ εὑρηκέναι εὐθέως εἷπε, καὶ ἐγένετο, καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη ή μὴ παρεσκευασμένη εἰς τὸ φέρειν καρπὸν συκῆ. Καὶ πολλάκις τις γενόμενος συκῆ ἔτεσι πλειοσιν, οὐ ξηραίνεταιʼ ἐπιστάντος δὲ Ἰησοῦ ὲν καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ, καὶ ἀπαιτοῦντος τὸν καρπὸν, οὐ δεδωκὼς αὐτῷ παραχρῆμα ἐξηράνθη, καὶ τὴν τῶν τοσούτων ἀπολώλεκεν ἐτῶν ζωήψ καὶτοῦτο γίνεται ἐπείπερ, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγον, ι παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δο- Ιήσεται, καὶ περισσευθήσεται· ἀπὸ δὲ τώ μὴ ἔχοντος, καὶὸ δοκεῖ ἔχειν ἀρθήσεται ἀπʼ αὑτοῦ, ο ἴνα μὴ ἀργὸν ὃ δοκεί ἔχειν. Ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν μα· θητῶν, ἐὰν ἔχῃ πίστιν, καὶ μὴ διακριθῇ, καὶ τὸ τῆς συκῆς ποιεῖ, καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς αὐτῷ ἐπιφερόμενον. ### English translation (Claude) And this is Bethany, where the friend of Jesus who rose from the dead lived. And everyone who obeys the word of God, and has the word of obedience established in himself, is a house of obedience and a Bethany, in which Jesus lodges and rests. And since we must draw from what is said matters worthy of the wisdom of God, by which the Gospels were written, consider whether, for those who understand more simply, the words “Leaving them, he went out of the city” are not superfluous; for how could he have been outside the city without leaving those with whom he was before? But for those who hear what is said with more understanding, he leaves the former entirely, because after them he comes to be with others, and not with them. Yet, having lodged in Bethany, he returns to the city without leaving Bethany; for he was both in Bethany and returning to the city. And Jesus was hungry, always wishing to partake of the fruits of the Spirit in the righteous; and his figs, if I may so name them, which he eats when hungry, are the love of the one who bears it, which is the first fruit of the Spirit, and joy, and peace, and patience, and the rest. As long as we bear these, we shall not be withered; but when we do not offer fruit to him when he comes upon us and seeks fruit to eat, it will be said to us, “May no fruit ever come from you again.” For apart from the explanation given before of the fig tree as the people, one may also refer the saying to each person as a fig tree, either withering, or bearing fruit, living, and being cultivated so as to bear more fruit. And perhaps, as in the case of the sowing—“the sower went out to sow, and some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds of the air came and devoured them; others on the rocks, others among the thorns, and others on the fine and good soil”—so there are different fig trees. If a fig tree is on the fine and good soil, it both bears fruit and offers it to Jesus when he is hungry; but when it is beside the road, like this one of which it is written, “And seeing a single fig tree by the road,” it gives no fruit to Jesus when he comes. For he finds nothing “on the fig tree beside the road but leaves only”; and so he says to it, since it was beside the road and had only leaves, an appearance of life but without fruit, “May no fruit ever come from you again.” As long, then, as he does not come to the fig tree, nor yet seek its fruit, but is patient, waiting to see whether perhaps the fig tree will bear fruit, it is not withered. But when he who hungers for our fruits stands by, and we are found to have nothing but the bare profession of faith, with no fruits accompanying it, we shall at once be withered, having lost even our seeming to be faithful. And one can find some such people who have borne the name of faith for a long time and have given the appearance of being alive, and yet are wholly dry; and because they bear no fruit, one can see them departing wholly from the Word and withering. Here, then, the fig tree that did not give fruit to the hungry Jesus is withered; another fig tree is ordered to be cut down, so that it may not waste the ground. Then the disciples, when they see someone withered after an appearance of life, marvel, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” We shall understand it still better if we apply the passage to individuals, considering how in temptations Jesus asks for fruits: for example, in persecution, confession and martyrdom; and when a woman is mad with desire for someone, the self-control and chastity of Joseph; and so in each temptation the fruit that corresponds to it. And the one who is not prepared to give confession, or self-control, to Jesus when he hungers and stands by, is at once withered: the one who denies is withered, and likewise the one who commits sexual immorality, even though, in the time before the temptations, he showed a living power and wore, as it were, the leaves of the fig tree. And the disciples marvel at such cases, how Jesus came hungering and seeking fruit, and, not finding it, at once spoke, and it happened, and the fig tree that was not prepared to bear fruit withered at once. And often someone who has been a fig tree for many years does not wither; but when Jesus stands by in the time of temptation and demands the fruit, and he has not given it to him, he is at once withered, and loses the life of so many years. And this happens because, according to the Saviour’s word, “to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken away from him,” so that what he seems to have may not lie idle. And each of the disciples, if he has faith and does not doubt, does both what was done to the fig tree and what is said next. ### Scripture references - John 11:1: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:17: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:18: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:21: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:22: allusion, high confidence - Mark 11:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:8: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:7: allusion, high confidence - Gen 39:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 25:29: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: John 11:1, 43–44 (Lazarus); Matt 21:17–21; Gal 5:22; Mark 11:14; Matt 13:3–8; Luke 13:6–9; Gen 39:7–12; Matt 25:29. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.27 (PG 13:1461d–1468a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-27). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-28 - Source: PG 13:1468a–1469a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: A disciple “withers” the fig tree when he exposes, by sound teaching, a professing believer who bears no fruit of wisdom; disciples who believe receive what they ask, asking only for great and heavenly things. ### Greek text Καὶ ἔργον ἐστι δεῖξαι πῶς ὁ Ἰησοῦ μαθητὴς ζητήσας καρπὸν ἐν συκῇ, καὶ μὴ εὑρὼν, λέγῃ αὐτῇ* ι Μηκέτι ὲκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένοιτο εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ι ἵνα παραχρῆμα καὶ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ξηρανθῇ ἡ συκῆ. Καὶ εἰς ταῦτα δὲ νόησόν τινα τὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐπαγγελλόμενον, καὶ οἰόμενον ὲν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐσθίειν, καὶ πίνειν, καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὲν ταῖς πλατέαις τῆς ᾁδχῆς αὐτοῦ δεδιδαχὲναιʼ εἶτα ἡκέτω μαθητὴς ζητῶν καρπὸν σοφίας καὶ λόγον ἐν αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὴν περὶ τοῦ διδάσκειν τὰ θεῖα ἐπαγγελίαν, καὶ ζητῶν καὶ spes— νῶν τῷλόγῳ αὐτὸν, μηδένα καρπὸν εὑρισκέτω- καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν παριστὰς τοῖς θεωροῦσι κενὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, παριστάτω τῷ λόγῳ ὅτι οὐχ οἷόν τε τεπιᾶ καρπὸν ἔτι γενέσθαι αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὑπὸ τῆς οἰήσεως βεβλαμμένη). Ὅρα οῦν εἰ μὴ ἐν τοιούτῳό ἔχων πίστιν καὶ μὴ διακριθεὶς, τὸ τῆς συκῆς παραπλησίως πως τῷ Ἰησοῦ ποιεῖ. Καὶ κρεῖττόν γέ ἐστι, τὴν άπατηλὴν συκῆν, καὶ νομιζομένην μὲν ζῇν, μὴ καρποφοροῦσαν δὲ, ἐλεγχθεῖσαν, ὅτι ἄκαρπός ἐστι, ξηρὰν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ μαθητοῦ Ἰησοῦ φανῆναι, ἦ ἀπατῶντι τῇ νομιζομένῃ ζωῇ καὶ τῇ προσποιήσει τὰς τῶν ἀκάκων καὶ εὐεξαπατήτων καρδίας. Καλὸν οὖν ὲφᾶνη καὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὑτοῦ ἔργον τὸ atati τὴν ξηραινομένην συκῆν· ὲν ἑκάστῳ δʼ, οἶμαι, ἀπίστῳ καὶ ἀνόμῳ 690.; ἐπίκειται, κατα τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς ἀπιστίας καὶ τῆς ἀνομίας, τῷ λόγῳ τῶν μαθηο τῶν Ἰησοῦ αἰρόμενον καὶ βαλλόμενον εἰς τὴν Odissσαν τῆς κολάσεως αὐτοῦ· καὶ πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν αιτῶσιν ὲν τῇ προσευχῇ πιστεύοντες οἱ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ, λήψονται ὡς μαθηταὶ οὐδὲν τῶν μὴ δεόντων αἰτήl ωε» σοντες, καὶ ὡς πειθόμενοι τῷ διδασκάλῳ, μηδὲν ἀλλο αἰτοῦντες ἢ τά μεγάλα καὶ τὰ ἐπουράνια· εἷπε γὰρ 6 Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὑτοῦ, ι Αἰτεῖτε τὰ με· γάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρά προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ αἰτεῖτε τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. ι ### English translation (Claude) And it is a task to show how a disciple of Jesus, having sought fruit on a fig tree and not found it, says to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again,” so that at his word too the fig tree withers at once. For this, think of someone who professes the things of the faith, and thinks that he eats and drinks in the name of Jesus, and that Jesus has taught in the streets of his soul. Then let a disciple come, seeking the fruit of wisdom and of the word in him, according to his profession of teaching divine things; and seeking and examining him by the word, let him find no fruit; and by this, showing him to those who look on as empty of Christ, let him show by the word that, harmed as he is by conceit, it is no longer possible for fruit ever to come from him. See, then, whether in such a case the one who has faith and does not doubt does to the fig tree something like what Jesus did. And it is better that the deceitful fig tree, thought to be alive but bearing no fruit, should be shown to be fruitless and appear dry through the words of Jesus’ disciple, than that it should deceive, by its seeming life and pretence, the hearts of the guileless and easily deceived. The withering of the fig tree, then, has appeared a good work both of Jesus and of his disciples. And on each unbelieving and lawless person, I think, a mountain lies, corresponding to his unbelief and lawlessness, which is lifted by the word of Jesus’ disciples and cast into the sea of his punishment. And all things whatever that the disciples of Jesus ask in prayer, believing, they will receive, as disciples who will ask nothing that is not fitting, and as obeying the Teacher, asking for nothing but the great and heavenly things. For Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask for the great things, and the small will be added to you; and ask for the heavenly things, and the earthly will be added to you.” ### Scripture references - Matt 21:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:21: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:22: allusion, high confidence - Luke 13:26: allusion, medium confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Agraphon Ask for the great things (Sayings of Jesus outside the Gospels (agrapha)): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:19–22; Luke 13:26 (eating and drinking in his name, teaching in the streets). The closing saying, “Ask for the great things,” is a saying of Jesus not found in the Gospels, quoted elsewhere by Clement of Alexandria and by Origen himself. Two words (“examining” and “mountain”) are garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.28 (PG 13:1468a–1469a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-28). ## Commentary on Matthew 16.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-29 - Source: PG 13:1469a–1473b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Mark’s “it was not the season for figs” teaches that Christ seeks the fruits of the Spirit even out of season—love for enemies, joy in suffering—since God calls believers to be “gods” and more than human; we must ask for great and heavenly things. ### Greek text '0 δὲ Μάρκος, ἀναγράψας τὰ κατά τὸν τόπον, ἀπεμφαῖνόν τι ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν προσέθηκε ποιήσας, ὅτι, ι ἰδὼν 6 Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ μακρόθεν συκῆν ἔχουο σαν φύλλα, ἦλθεν ὡς εὑρήσων τι ὲν αύτῇο ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, καὶ μηδὲν εὑρὼν εἰ μὴ φύλλα μόνονʼ ού γάρ ἦν 6 καιρὸς σύκων, ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Μηκέτι είς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγη.›Είποι γὰρ ἄν τιςο Εἰ μὴ 6 καιρὸς σύκων ἦν, πῶς ἦλθεν 6 Ἰησοῦς ὼς εὑρήσων τι ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ πῶς δικαίως εἶπεν αὐτῇ· t Μηκέτι εἰς τὸν atii-vat ὲκ σοῦγμηδείς καρπὸν φάγω ι Πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ λελέξεται, ὃτι οἰ κατειλεγμένα παρά τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ καρποί τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀγάπη, χάρα, εἰρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, ἀγαθωσύνη, πίστις, πραότης, ἐγκράτεια, ἔστι μὲν ὅτε ὲν οἰκείῳ ἀποδίδονται καιρῷ βέλτιον δὲ εἰ, τῶν περιεστηκότων ἐπὶ ἐναντίον τῷ καρποφορεῖν προκαλουμένων, δυνηθείη τις καὶ, διὰ τὸ πάνυ ὠφελεῖσθαι ὲκ τοῦ Λόγου, οὐδὲν ἦττον καὶ τότε διδόναι τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ πνεύματος. Ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν · Εἷς τῶν καρπῶν τοῦ πνεύματός ἐστιν ἀγάπηο ταύτης δὲ καιρὸς μὲν, ὅτε οὒ χαλεπὸν ἀποδοῦναι τὸν καρπὸν τοῦ ἀγαπᾶσθαι· καὶ ἐστιν ἀγαπᾷν τὸν ἀγαπῶντα καρπὸς μὲν τοῦ πνεύματος, οὐ μὴν ὲν ούκαιρῷ, ἶνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, σύκων. Ἐπάν δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ μισεῖν προκαλῆταί τις τὸν πιστεύοντα, τοιαῦτα πράττων, καὶ ὲπιβουλεύων, καὶ τοῖς ήθεσι βεβλαμμένος ὢν, ὥστε δοκεῖν ἀξιος εἶναι τοῦ μισεῖσθαι, 6 δὲ δίκαιος μηδὲ τὸν τοιοῦτον μισῇ, ἀλλʼ ὡς υἱὸς ι τοῦ τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλοντος ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς, ι καὶ τότε αὐτὸν ἀγαπᾷ, οἱονεὶ ὲν οὐκαιρῷ σύκου τῆς ἀγάπης διδοὺς τὸν καρπὸν, μακάριός ἐστι. Τὸ δʼ ὅμοιον νοήσεις καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς χαρᾶς φέρειν μὲν γάρ τὸν καρπὸν τοῦ πνεύματος τὴν χαρὰν, μηδενὸς ἐπὶ τὸ λυπεῖσθαι προικαλουμένου, καὶ δυσαρεστεῖσθαι, οὺ χαλεπόν· ὅταν δὲ τά μὲν περιεστηκότα ἐπὶ λύπην, καὶ ἀθυμίαν, καὶ ΝΤΞ δυσαρέστησιν προκαλῆται · άπὸ δὲ τῆς κατα τὸν λόγον ὠφελείας τις ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προκόπτῃ, ὡς ὲν καί· ροῖς τῆς δοκούσης δυσαρεστήσεως εὐαρεστεῖσθαι, καὶ ὲν καιροῖς τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι καὶ τοῦ μαστιγοῦσθαι χαίρειν, καὶ ἁπλῶς ἐν παντὶ περιστατικῷ καιρῷ μεμνῆσθαι τοῦ· ι Πάντοτε χαίρετε ι μακάριος ἆνό τοιοῦτος εἴη καρπὸν φέρων τὴν χαρὰν, καὶ ἐν οὐ καιρῷ, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, σύκων. Τὸ παραπλήσιον δὲ οὐ χαλεπὸν κού ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων καρπῶν mnam τοῦ πνεύματος ο βούλεται γάρ εἶναι κρείττονα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τὸν προσιόντα τῷ Λόγῳ αὐτοῦ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ άπαιτεί αὐτὸν παράδοξα, καὶ, ἵνʼ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, Θεοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώπου ἔργα. Διὸ καὶ πᾶσι λέγει οὓς καλεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν μακαριότητα· ι Ἐγὼ εἴπω Θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες ’ ι μεμφόμενος δὲ τοῖς μὴ βουλομένοις ἀποθεωθῆναι καὶ υἱοῖς Ὑψίστου γενέσθαι, λέγειʼ ι Ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε· ι κατὰ γὰρ ἑκάστην ἁμαρτίαν, ὅτι ι ἐσμὲν σάρκινοι, καὶκατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατοῦντες,ι οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἑνεργοῦμεν ἢ τὸ ἀποθνήσκειν, καὶ (paver ρὸν ὅτι, ι εί κατὰ σάρκα ζῶμεν, μέλλομεν ἀποθνῆ σκειν, ι ὡς ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τὸʼ ι Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὁ καιρὸς τῶν σύκων · ι ό δὲ, κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον, Πέτρος, ι ἰδὼν τὴν συκῆν ἐξηραμμένην ὲιι ῥιζῶν, ι εἶπε τῷ Σωτῆρν ι Ἰδοὺή συκῆ ἦν xamράσω, ὲξηράνθηδ ι κατάρας γὰρ τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Λόγου ἀξία ή μὴ φέρουσα τῷ Λόγῳ καρπὸν ζητοῦντι. Ἐπὶ τέλει δέ τι ἔχει ό λόγος προτρεπτικὸν τοῦ πιστεύοντας λήψεσθαι ι οιῖιχῒ ἄλλως γὰρ ληψόμεθα, ει μὴ αἰτήσω, μεν ο ἔστω οὖν καὶ ἡ διάθεσις ἀξία τοῦ τυχεῖν ὧν αἰτοῦμεν καὶ ἡ εὐχῆ μετʼ ἐπιστήμης ἀνα-πεμποο μένη ἀξία τοῦ ἐπιτευχθῆναι· καὶ τὰ αἰτήματα ἔστιν ἐπουράνια, καὶ μεγάλα, καὶ ἄξια τοῦ δίδοσθαι ὑπὸ ιὲῖδ Περὶ τῶν ἐπερωτησάντων τὸν Κύριον ἀργιερέωτ καὶ πηιπβυτόηιωρ ριηγιτνφι,ιυ.. νυ.. -.αἰ ιι-η, περὶ πρεσβυτέρωᾶ, εἰπόντων ο «ι Ἓν -2531:σίςι ταῦτα ποιεῖς; ι ### English translation (Claude) Mark, in recording this passage, added something that seems incongruous as regards the letter, writing that “Jesus, seeing from afar a fig tree in leaf, came to see whether he would find anything on it; and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves only, for it was not the season for figs; and he answered and said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” For someone might say: If it was not the season for figs, how did Jesus come to see whether he would find anything on it, and how was it just for him to say to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again”? To this it will be said that the fruits of the Spirit listed by the Apostle—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control—are sometimes rendered in their own season; but it is better if, when circumstances call one toward what is contrary to bearing fruit, a person can, because he has been greatly helped by the Word, give the fruits of the Spirit nonetheless, even then. What I mean is this. One of the fruits of the Spirit is love. Its season is when it is not hard to return the fruit of being loved; and to love the one who loves is indeed a fruit of the Spirit, but not out of the season, if I may so name it, for figs. But when someone provokes the believer to hatred, acting and plotting in such a way, and being so corrupted in his character, that he seems to deserve to be hated, and the righteous man does not hate even such a one, but, as a son “of him who makes his sun rise on the evil and the good,” loves him even then—giving the fruit of love, as it were, out of the season for figs—he is blessed. You will understand the like with joy as well. To bear the fruit of the Spirit, joy, when nothing provokes one to grief and displeasure, is not hard; but when circumstances provoke to grief, despondency, and displeasure, and someone advances so far through the help of the Word as to be content in times that seem displeasing, and to rejoice in times of dishonour and scourging, and simply, in every time of trouble, to remember “Rejoice always,” such a one would be blessed, bearing the fruit of joy even out of the season, if I may so name it, for figs. It is not hard to see the like in the other fruits of the Spirit too. For God wishes the one who comes to his Word to be better than human nature, and he demands of him extraordinary things—works, if I may so name them, of God rather than of man. Therefore he says to all whom he calls to blessedness, “I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High”; and, blaming those who do not wish to be made divine and become sons of the Most High, he says, “But you die like men.” For in each sin, because “we are fleshly and walk according to man,” we do nothing else than die; and it is clear that “if we live according to the flesh, we shall die,” as the Apostle taught. So much on the words, “For it was not the season for figs.” And according to Mark, Peter, “seeing the fig tree withered from the roots,” said to the Saviour, “Look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered”; for the tree that does not bear fruit for the Word when he seeks it is worthy of the curse that comes from the Word. At the end the saying has something that urges us to believe that we shall receive; for we shall not receive otherwise unless we ask. Let our disposition, then, be worthy of obtaining what we ask, and our prayer, sent up with knowledge, worthy of being granted; and let our requests be heavenly and great and worthy of being given by … [On the chief priests and elders who asked the Lord … saying, “By what authority do you do these things?”] ### Scripture references - Mark 11:13: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:14: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:20: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:21: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:24: allusion, high confidence - Gal 5:22: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:45: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:16: quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:7 (81:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:13: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:23: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Mark 11:13–14, 20–24; Gal 5:22–23; Matt 5:45; 1 Thess 5:16; Ps 82:6–7 (81:6–7 LXX); 1 Cor 3:3; Rom 8:13; Matt 21:23. The last words of the passage and the heading that follows (on Matt 21:23) are partly garbled in the scan and marked “…”. Book 17 begins after this passage. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 16.29 (PG 13:1469a–1473b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-16-29). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-17-1 - Source: PG 13:1473b–1476b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks what the chief priests really meant by their two questions about Jesus’ authority, and rejects the simple view that they were asking only whether it came from God or the devil. ### Greek text «Δ Καὶ ἐλθόντος αὑτοῦ είς τὸ ἱερὸν, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ διδάσκοντι ot ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ot πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, λέγοντες· Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιείς; ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ · ι Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ. ι Τριῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν ὡς ἀναγκαῖον ἀναγραψάντων τὸν προκείμενον λόγον, ἄξιον ἰδεῖν ὅ τι ποτὲ νοοῦντες ot ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνοντο τοῦ Σωτῆρος, οὐχ ἓν πύσμα, ἀλλά δύο, προσάγοντες αὐτῷ· ἒν μὲν τό · ι Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; ι ἕτερον δὲ τό· ι Καὶ τίς σοι ἔδωκε τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην; ι καὶ τί βουλόμενος ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τούτου μόνου ἀντηρώτησεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ πρὸς τὸ πύσμα ἀποκρίνασθαι ο ἑώρα γὰρ οὐκ ἀξίους ἐκείνους τῆς πρὸς τὸ πύσμα ἀποκρίσεως καὶ τῆς τοῦ προβλήματος διηγήσεως. Ὅτι δὲ οὐχ, ὡς οἴονταί τινες, ἀπλᾶ ἐστι τὰ κατά τὸν τόπον, καὶ εὐπερινόητα, ἀλλά μυστικὰ, καὶ βαθείας δεόμενα καρδίας, δῆλον ἔσται ὲκ τῆς ἐπιστάσεως. Φέρʼ οὖν, συναγορεύωμεν τῇ πιθάνοτητι τῶν ἁπλούστερον ἐκδεχομένων τὰ κατά τὸν τό· πον φήσουσι γὰρ, ὅτι δύο γενικὰς ἐπιστάμενοι, ἀμείνω μὲν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, χειρίστην δὲ τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου, ot ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπυνθάνοντο τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ τούτων τῶν δύο ποιεῖ τὰ τεράστια, καὶ ἀπὸ τίνος αὐτὴν λαβών· εἷθʼ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ αὑτολογῆσαι ἀντηρώτησεν, ἅμα καὶ ἐλέγξαι βουλόμενος τοὺς πυθομένους αὐτοῦ, ὡς παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον ποιήσαντας ὲν τῷ ἠπιστηκέναι Ἰωάννῃ τῷ Βαπτιστῇ · καὶ ἦν αὑτοῦ τὸ ἀντερώτημα δύο οἰκονομούμενον, τόν τε ἐπὶ τῇ είς τὸν Ἰωάννην ἀπιστίᾳ ἔλεγχον, καὶ τὸ περισπάσαι τοὺς πυθομένους, ἱνα δόξῃ αὐτοῖς εὐλόγως μὴ ἀποκρίνεσθαι. Ἀλλʼ εἴποι τις ἂν πρὸς ταῦτα, ὅτι γελοῖοι. ἦν τὸ πυνθάνεσθαι ὲν ποίᾳ ἐξουσία ταῦτα ἐποίει ὁ Ἰησοῦς· οὐκ ἂν γὰρ ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι ὲν τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐξουσίᾳ. · καὶ οὔ φημι, ὅτι ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν ἀπεκρίνατο, ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ι 6 ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, 6 ἀντικείμενος, καὶ ἐπαιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον Θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα ι εἴποι ἂν τοῖς πυνθανομένοις τὺ ἀληθὲς, ὃτι ὲν τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐξουσίᾳ ποιεί πᾶσαν δύναμιν, καὶ σημεῖα, καὶ τέρατα, ὲννοῖς “castifica:ται, καὶ ἀποπλανήσει, εί δυνατὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς. Εἰ δὲ οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος εἴποι ἂν ὲν τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐξουσία ποιεῖν τὰ σημεῖα, ι καὶ τὰ τέρατα τοῦ ψεύδους, τὰ ὲν πάσῃ ἀπάτῃ ἀδικίας τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις ι ἐπιτελού μενοι, πόσῳ πλέον ό Σωτὴρ οὐκ ἂν, εἰ καὶ μή ἀντηρώτησεν, ἄλλο τι ἁπεκρίνατο ἢ ὅτι ἐν τῇ Θεοῦ; Πρὸς δὲ τὴν οὕτως προφανῆ ἀπόκρισιν, καὶ ἐκείνους πυνθάνεσθαι, καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα μὴ ἀποκρίνεσθαι, εὔηθες εἷναί μοι φαίνεται. ### English translation (Claude) “And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, saying, By what authority are you doing these things?” and so on, down to: “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Since three evangelists have recorded the present passage, as was necessary, it is worth seeing what the chief priests and the elders of the people had in mind when they questioned the Saviour, putting to him not one question but two: one, “By what authority are you doing these things?” and the other, “And who gave you this authority?”; and what the Saviour intended when, on this point alone, he answered with a counter-question so as not to reply to the question. For he saw that they were not worthy of a reply to their question and of an exposition of the problem. That the contents of this passage are not, as some think, simple and easy to grasp, but mystical and in need of a deep heart, will become plain on close attention. Come then, let us first argue the case for the plausibility of those who take the passage more simply. They will say that the chief priests and the elders of the people, knowing of two general authorities, the better one, God’s, and the worst, the devil’s, asked the Saviour by which of these two authorities he was doing the wonders, and from whom he had received it; then Jesus, so as not to speak in his own defence, asked in return, wishing at the same time to refute his questioners as having acted against right reason in disbelieving John the Baptist; and his counter-question accomplished two things: it refuted their unbelief toward John, and it diverted the questioners, so that he might seem to them to have good reason for not answering. But someone might say in reply that it was ridiculous to ask by what authority Jesus was doing these things, for he would not have answered, “By the devil’s authority.” And I say not only that the Saviour would not have answered this, but that not even “the man of sin, the adversary, who exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship,” would tell his questioners the truth, that he does every power and sign and wonder by the devil’s authority, … and will lead astray, if possible, even the elect. But if not even he would say that he does by the devil’s authority “the signs and lying wonders,” those performed “with all deception of unrighteousness for those who are perishing,” how much more would the Saviour, even if he had not asked in return, have answered nothing else than “By God’s”! When the answer was so obvious, to suppose both that they asked and that the Saviour did not answer seems to me simple-minded. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:27: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:28: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 20:2: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Thess 2:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:4: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:9: quotation, high confidence - 2 Thess 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 24:24: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:23–27 (with Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8); 2 Thess 2:3–4, 9–10; Matt 24:24. A few words before “and will lead astray” are garbled in the scan and are marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.1 (PG 13:1473b–1476b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-17-1). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-17-2 - Source: PG 13:1476c–1480d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen suggests that the question concerned the many orders of good and hostile “authorities,” a hidden teaching that Jesus would have explained, with examples from the exodus onward, had his questioners been worthy. ### Greek text Μήποτʼ οὖν τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον τοιαῦτʼ ἐστίν · ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ περιεχούσῃ ἐπιστήμην θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, καὶ τῶν τούτων αἰτιῶν, εἰσὶ θησαυροὶ, ὁποίους δεῖ εἶναι τοὺς τῆς σοφίας θησαυροὺς καὶτῆς γνώσεως· καὶ εἰσιν οὗτοι ἀπόκρυφον καὶ ετ τις ἐστὶν ἀξιωθεὶς εἰδέναι τὰ ἄρρητα ῥήματα ἃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι,ι εἰδείη ἂν ι τὴν ἐν μυστηρίῳ σοφίαν τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, ἢν προώρισεν ὀ Θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων είς δόξαν ι τῶν δικαίων. Εἰσὶν οὖν ὲν τοῖς τῆς σοφίας καὶτῆς γνώσεως ὰποκρύφοις Θησαυροῖς λόγοι βαθεῖς καὶ ἀπόρρητοι περὶ διαφόρων ἐξουσιῶν, γενικῶς μὲν δύο, ίδικῶς δὲκαθʼ ἑκατέραν τῶν δύο πλείονες 741596θεώρητοι. Αἱ δὲ γενικαὶ δύο ἐξουσίαι τοιαῦταί εἰσιν ’ αἱ μέν εἰσι τοῦ κρείττονος τάγματοςʼ καὶ εἰσὶν ἄνθρωποι Θεοῦ οὐχ οἱ τυχόντες, καὶ ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ μακάριοι, καὶ προφῆται τοῦ Θεοῦ θεοφορούμενοι· οὕτως είσί τινες ἐξουσίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ ὧν 6 Ἀπόστολος Χριστὸν δοξολογῶν λέγει ὲν τῇ πρὸς Κολασσαεῖς, ὅτι· t Ἐστινό Σωτὴρ εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, Πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως. ἐν ἐκτίσθη τά πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι. εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα διʼ αὑτοῦ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔκτισται· καὶ αὑτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων. ι Ἓν οὖν εἶδος τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν Θεὸν, αἱ ἐν Χριστῷ κτισθεῖσαι ἐξουσίαι, ἕτεραι παρά τάς ἀρχάς, καὶ τοὺς θρόνους, καὶ τὰς κυριότητας · καὶ ἑκάστη ἐξουσιάζει τινῶν, τεταγμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατά τινα ἀπόρρητον ἀξίαν ἐπὶτῶν ἀξίων ἐξουσιάζεσθαι κατά τὴν διαφορὰν αὐτῶν ὑπὸ ἑκάστην τῶν ἐξουσιῶν. Καὶ πολὺς ἂν 6 λόγος καὶ δυσερμήνευτος εῐη περὶ τῶν κατά τὰς ἐξουσίας ταύτας, καὶ τῶν ἐξουσιαζομένων ὑπʼ αὐτῶν · πραγμάτων. Ὡς δὲ εἰσί τινες ἐξουσίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὕτως εἰσὶ καὶ ἐναντίαι ἀνάλογον τοῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας άνθρώποις καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις τοῦ διαβόλου ° καὶ ἔστι γε τοῖς μηκέτι πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα παλαίουσιν, ἀλλά διὰ τὸ ἐπαναβεβηκέναι τῇ δυνάμει πρὸς τά ὑπὲρ ταῦτα ἀγωνιζομένοις, ἡ πάλη πρὸς τὰς ἀνταγωνιζομένας τοῖς ἀθληταῖς τῆς θεοσεβείας ἐξουσίας. Ὡς δὲ πλείονα τάγματα ἦν ὑπὸ τὸν Θεὸν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐναντίᾳ χώρᾳ οὐ μόνον ἐξουσίαι είσὶν, ἀλλά καὶ κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου, καὶ πνευματικά τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις · τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀρχαί. Ἐγὼ δʼ οἷ μαι, ὅτι καὶ πάντα ὁμώνυμα τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι καὶ κατά τὴν ἐναντιότητα. Διειληφότες οὖν οἱ τὰ διαφέροντα ὀνόματα κεκληρωμένοι ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, τουτέστιν οξ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ oi πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, περὶ ἐξουσιῶν πλείονα, καὶ εἴτε ἐκ παραδόσεων, εἴτε καὶ ἐπιβάλλοντες, εἴτε καὶ ἐξ ἀποκρύφων (οὐκ οἶδα εὐλόγως ἢ ἀναλόγως) κινούμενοι, ἐώρων τὸν Θεὸν τά τεράστια ἐπιτελοῦντα οὐ χωρὶς τινος συνούσης αὐτῷ ἐξουσίας ο ταύτης οὖν τὸ εἶδος ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιστήμης Ἰησοῦ μαθεῖν ἐβούλοντο, ἢ τῆς δοκούσης αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἐπιστήμης ἐν αὐτῷ. Καὶ εί μὲν ἦσαν ἀρχιερεῖς τινες ἅγιοι καὶ μακάριοι, ὁποῖος 6 Ἀαρὼν,ἢ 6 Ἐλεάζαρ, ἢ 6 Φινεὲς, ἢ ὅσοι ἐπαινετῶς τὰ τῆς λειτουργίας διετέλεσαν, οἱ πυθόμενοι τοῦ Σωτῆρος τότε, καὶ πρεσβύτεροι παραπλήσιοι οἷς κατʼ ἐντολὴν Θεοῦ Μωῦσῆς ἐξελέξατο, εἰκὸς, ὅτι ὡς οὐ πειράζουσιν, ἀλλά φιλομαθοῦσι, καὶ ἀξίοις τῶν τηλικούτων μαθημάτων παρέστησεν ἂν ἀρξάμενος 6 Σωτὴρ λόγον, ὃν οὐδέ 6 κόσμος ὅλος χωρεῖν ἠδύνατο· καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἂν παρεδίδου τὴν ἐπιστήμην περὶτῶν μακαρίων ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ τῆς διαφορᾶς αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς αἰτίας τοῦ ἐληλυθέναι αὑτὰς ἐπὶ τὸ εἶναι ἐξουσίας, καὶτῶν ὑπʼ αύταῖς, εἴτε καὶ ψυχῶν, εἴτε καὶ ὁποιωνποτοῦν λογικῶν* διεξώδευσε δʼ ἂν καὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐξουσιῶν λόγον, καὶ τὰς διαφορὰς αὐτῶν παρέστησεν ἄν. Εἰκὸς δὲ ὅτι ἐδίδαξεν ἂν ἀνάλογον τῷ ’ ι Ὀ νόμος διαταγεὶς διʼ ἀγγέλων, ι καὶ τό· ι Εἰ ὁ διʼ ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος, ι ἀνάλογόν φημι τῷ λόγῳ τῷ περὶ τῶν διακονησαμένων τῷ νόμῳ ἀγγέλων, καὶτῆς κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς ἐξουσίας · οἷον ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ διακονουμένῃ τῷ Θεῷ, ἢ ποίαις ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τεραστίων γεγένηταιʼ καὶ τίς μὲν ἡ ἐξουσία διακονουμένη τῇ μεταβαλούσῃ είς ὅφιν ῥάβδῳ Μωῦσέως · τίς δέ ταύτῃ ἐναντία διακονουμένη τῇ με· ταμορφώσει τῶν Αἰγυπτιακῶν ῥάβδων είς δράκοντας· καὶ εἶπεν ἂν τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀφʼ ἧς κατέπιεν ἡ τοῦ Ἀαρὼν ῥάβδος τὰς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων εἶπε δʼ ἂν καὶ τίς ὴ ἐξουσία τῆς είς χιόνα μεταβολῆς χειρὸς Μωῡσέως, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων ποία ἦν ἐξουσία συμπνέουσα καθʼ ἕκαστον τοῖς ἐπαοιδοῖς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, ὅτε ἐδόκουν μιμεῖσθαι τὰ σημεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ οὕτως ἂν διεξώδευσε τὰς δέκα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πληγὰς, καὶ τὴν κατʼ αὐτῶν ἀποστολὴν διʼ ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν· εἶπε δʼ ἂν καὶ τίς ἐξουσία ὑπηρετήσατο τῇ διὰ τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης διόδῳ τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ καταποντώσει τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τίς τε ἐξουσία ὑπηρετήσατο τῇ διὰ ξύλου μεταβολῇ ὓδατος πικροῦ εἰς γλυκύτητα ’ εἷπε δʼ ἂν καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἢ διηκονήσατο τῷ ἀπὸ πέτρας ὕδατι ο καὶ ἢτοι τὴν αὐτὴν, ἦ ἄλλην παρέστησεν ἐξουσίαν διακονησαμένην τῷ ὑετῷ τοῦ μάννα καὶ τῇ τῶν ὀρτυγομητρῶν ἐφόδῳ · εἷπε δʼ ἂν καὶ τίς ἡ ἐξουσία ἡ τὸ αὐτὸ μάννα τῶν μὲν ἒξ ἠμερῶν τρέπουσα είς σκώληκας καὶ δυσωδίαν, τῇ δὲ τοῦ Σαββάτου ἡμέρᾳ φυλάττουσα. Καὶ τί με δεῖ ἀναλεγόμενον τὰ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τεράστια μέχρι τῆς Μωϋσέως τελευτῆς παριστάνειν, ὅτι εἶπεν ἂν ὁ Σωτὴρ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας, εί ἦσαν ἄξιοι οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς πρὸς τὸ πύσμα αὐτῶν ἅποκρίσεως; καὶ σοὶ πάρεστι τὸ ἀνάλογον, ἐπερχομένῳ τὴν ὃλην Γραφὴν, ὁρᾷν · τίς τε ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ στῆναι τὸν ἥλιον κατά Γαβαὼν, καὶ σελήνην κατὰ φάραγγα Ἐλώμ πολὺ πρότερον, τοῦ διοδευθῆναι τὸν Ἰορδάνην ποταμὸν, καὶ τοῦ παύσασθαι τὸ μάννα. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς βίβλου δέ τῶν Κριτῶν πολλὰ ἂν τοιαῦτα ζητηθείη, καὶ εὑρεθείη, οἷον περὶ τὸν Γεδεὼν, καὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν παράδοξα · ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν Βασιλειῶν τὰ περὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶτὸν Ἠλίαν, καὶ τὸν Ἐλισσαῖον, καὶτὸν Ἐζεκίαν. Καὶ οὕτως £121θὼν ἂν ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ τὸ κατὰ τὰς διαφόρους ἐξουσίας διελθὼν μυστήριον ἐδίδαξεν ἂν ἐν ποία ἐξουσία, καὶ πῶς ὑπερεχούσῃ ἐποίει ἃ ἔβλεπεν ὁ λαὸς τεράστια, δοθείσῃ αὐτῷ οὐκ ἀπό τινος ἀγγέλου καὶ λειτουργοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐδὲ διά τινος τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων τοῦ Θεοῦ. ἀλλʼ ἀπὸ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρός. ### English translation (Claude) Perhaps, then, the contents of the passage are of this kind. In the wisdom of God, which contains knowledge of things divine and human and of their causes, there are treasures, such as the treasures of wisdom and knowledge must be; and these are hidden. And if anyone has been counted worthy to know “the unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” he would know “the wisdom hidden in a mystery, which God foreordained before the ages for the glory” of the righteous. In the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge, then, there are deep and secret accounts about different authorities: in general two, but in particular several under each of the two, hard to discern. The two general authorities are of this kind. Some belong to the better order: there are men of God, no ordinary ones, and blessed angels of God, and prophets of God borne along by God; so there are certain authorities of God, of which the Apostle, glorifying Christ, speaks in the Letter to the Colossians: “The Saviour is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; in him all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him, and he is before all things.” One kind of the beings under God, then, is the authorities created in Christ, distinct from the principalities and the thrones and the dominions; and each has authority over certain beings, set by God according to some secret worth over those who deserve to be under authority, according to the difference among them, each under one of the authorities. Long and hard to explain would be the account of these authorities and of the things subject to them. And just as there are certain authorities of God, so there are also opposing ones, corresponding to the men of sin and the angels of the devil; and those who no longer wrestle against blood and flesh, but, because they have risen in strength, contend against what lies beyond these, have their wrestling against the authorities that oppose the athletes of godliness. And as there were several orders under God, so also in the opposing region there are not only authorities but also “world-rulers of this darkness” and “spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places,” and perhaps principalities as well. I think that all of them bear the same names as those of God, but in the sense of opposition. The holders of the various titles in Israel, then, that is, the chief priests and the elders of the people, having formed many opinions about authorities, and moved whether by traditions, or by their own conjecture, or by apocryphal writings (I do not know whether reasonably or unreasonably), saw him performing the wonders not without some authority present with him; they wanted, therefore, to learn the nature of this authority from Jesus’ knowledge, or from what seemed to them to be knowledge in him. And if those who questioned the Saviour then had been holy and blessed chief priests, like Aaron, or Eleazar, or Phinehas, or all who carried out their ministry in a praiseworthy way, and elders like those whom Moses chose by God’s commandment, it is likely that the Saviour, treating them as people not testing him but eager to learn, and worthy of such great teachings, would have begun and set out an account that not even the whole world could contain. Having begun, he would have handed on knowledge about the blessed authorities and the difference between them, and the cause of their having come to be authorities, and about the beings under them, whether souls or rational beings of whatever kind; and he would also have gone through the account of the opposing authorities, and set out their differences. And it is likely that he would have taught, in keeping with “The law ordained through angels” and “If the word spoken through angels proved firm” — in keeping, I mean, with the account of the angels who ministered the law — also about authority as found in the Scriptures: for example, by what authority ministering to God, or by what kinds of authority, each of the wonders in Egypt took place; what authority ministered to the staff of Moses when it was changed into a serpent, and what opposing one ministered to the transformation of the Egyptian staffs into serpents; and he would have told the power of the authority by which Aaron’s staff swallowed up those of the Egyptians. He would also have told what was the authority of the change of Moses’ hand to snow, and, on the opposing side, what authority conspired in each case with the enchanters of the Egyptians when they seemed to imitate the signs of God; and so he would have gone through the ten plagues of the Egyptians, and the “sending” against them “by evil angels.” He would also have told what authority served the people’s passage through the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians, and what authority served the change of bitter water into sweetness through the wood; he would also have told the authority that ministered to the water from the rock, and would have shown either the same or another authority ministering to the rain of manna and the coming of the quails; he would also have told what was the authority that turned that same manna into worms and stench on the six days but preserved it on the Sabbath day. And why must I collect the wonders in the wilderness up to the death of Moses to show that the Saviour would have spoken about authority, had the chief priests and the elders of the people been worthy of an answer to their question? You too can see what corresponds, by going through the whole Scripture: what the authority was by which the sun stood still at Gibeon and the moon at the valley of Elom, and, much earlier, by which the river Jordan was crossed and the manna ceased. And in the book of Judges too many such things could be sought and found, for example the marvels concerning Gideon and Samson; and from the Kingdoms the things concerning Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, and Hezekiah. And so the Saviour, after going over this and going through the mystery of the different authorities, would have taught by what authority, and by how surpassing an authority, he was doing the wonders that the people saw, an authority given him not by some angel and minister of God, nor through any of the beings lower than God, but by the Father himself. ### Scripture references - Col 2:3: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 12:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:17: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:12: quotation, high confidence - John 21:25: echo, low confidence - Gal 3:19: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Exod 7:10: allusion, high confidence - Exod 7:12: allusion, high confidence - Exod 4:6: allusion, high confidence - Ps 78:49 (77:49 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - Exod 14:22: allusion, high confidence - Exod 15:25: allusion, high confidence - Exod 17:6: allusion, high confidence - Exod 16:13: allusion, high confidence - Exod 16:20: allusion, high confidence - Josh 10:12: allusion, high confidence - Josh 3:17: allusion, high confidence - Josh 5:12: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Col 2:3; 2 Cor 12:4; 1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:15–17; Eph 6:12; John 21:25; Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2; Exod 7:10–12; Exod 4:6; Exod 7–12; Ps 78:49 (77:49 LXX); Exod 14; Exod 15:25; Exod 17:6; Exod 16; Josh 10:12; Josh 3; Josh 5:12. “Hard to discern” renders a word garbled in the scan (probably δυσθεώρητοι). The printed text says the chief priests saw “God” (τὸν Θεόν) performing the wonders; the sense requires Jesus, and it is translated “him”. “Unreasonably” renders ἀναλόγως, probably a slip for ἀλόγως. “After going over this” renders a garbled participle. A bracketed number [52] in the scan (a marker, not text) has been removed. Origen’s “Elom” (Josh 10:12, Aijalon in the English Bible) is kept. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.2 (PG 13:1476c–1480d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/16-26/#p-17-2). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-3 - Source: PG 13:1481a–1484a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus refused to answer because his questioners were unworthy; he asked about John deliberately, since John was the forerunner whose baptism from heaven bore on Jesus’ own authority. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ δὲ οί ἐνταῦθα ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ οὐδαμῶς ἄξιοι ἦσαν τοιούτων θεωρημάτων, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἀποκρίνεται, ἀλλʼ ἀντερωτᾷ, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ μὴ ἀποκρίνεσθαι ἐκείνους εἰς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου καὶ αὐτὸς πείσῃ εὐλόγως τοὺς πυθομένους, ὅτι οὐ μάτην αὐτοῖς ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· ι Οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω ὲν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ. ι Ζητῶ δὲ κατά τὸν τόπον εί ἕκαστος τῶν πεποιηκότων ἐν τινι ἐξουσίᾳ παράδοξα ὲν μιᾷ πεποίηκεν, ἧ τινες μὲν κατʼ ἀρχὰς ὲν τῇδε, προκόψαντες δὲ ἒν τινι μείζονι πλὴν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔοικε μιᾷ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα πεποιηκέναι, ᾗ ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρός ’ τὸ γάρ· ι Οὐδὲ ὲγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω ὲν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιῶ, ι διδάσκοντος ἦν, ὅτι ὲν ἐξουσίᾳ μὲν πεποίηκεν · ὲν ποίᾳ δὲ, οὐ παρέστησεν ἐκείνοις, οὐδὲ τὴν ἰδιότητα αὐτῆς ἀνέπτυξε, καίὸσα ἂν ὡρίσατο περὶ αὐτῆς παριστὰς αὐτῆς τὸ ἐξαίρετον παρά τὰς λοιπὰς ἐξουσίας ὲν αἷς οἱ πρὸ αὐτοῦ προφῆται πεποιήκεισαν. Καὶ νῦν δʼ ὲν τῷ ἱερῷ, τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ διδάσκει ὲν αὐτῷ, καί τινες παραπλήσιοι ἐκείνοις τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις τοῦ λαοῦ πυνθάνονται μὲν αὐτοῦ, οὐ τυγχάνουσι δὲ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως, ἀνάξιοι τοῦ εἰδέναι περὶ ὧν βούλονται μαθεῖν. Ζητήσει δέ τις πότερον βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς ἀποσείσασθαι ἀποκληρωτικῶς ἐπύθετο περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου. ὡς εί καὶ περὶ ἄλλου τινὸς τοιούτου πυθόμενος ἦν, ἢ ἀναγκαίως περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἐπύθετο, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπόκρισιν τὰ ἀκόλουθα περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἀποκρίνηται. Ἐμοὶ δὴ φαίνεται μὴ ἀποκληρωτικῶς εἶναι τὸ κατὰ τὸν τόπον, ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ Ἰωάννης ι φωνὴ βοῶντος ι ἦν ι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, ι καὶ οὗτος ἦν περὶ οὗ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν ι Ἰδού ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου · t δ· ἰ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, πυνθάνεται περὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν μὲν, ὅτι ὲπισκοπήσαντες ἐροῦσιν· ι Οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ι διὰ τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα ο καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν δὲ εἰπὼν ἂν πρὸς τὸ ἐξ ούρανοῦ, τὴν ἀκόλουθον τῇ ἐξ ούρανοῦ εἶναι τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου ἀποκρίσει 6800'- 11813136» ὸξύο υἱῶγᾼσταραβολὴ, τῶν εἰει-ὸν vim. λῶνα ἁποστελλομένων παρὰ τοῦ Πατρόςζ ### English translation (Claude) But since the chief priests and the elders of the people here were in no way worthy of such contemplations, he does not answer them for this reason, but asks in return, so that, through their failure to answer about John, he too might reasonably persuade the questioners that it was not idly that he answered them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.” In connection with the passage I ask whether each of those who have done marvels by some authority has done them by one, or whether some did so at first by one, but, having advanced, by some greater one. The Saviour, however, seems to have done these things by one authority, which he received from the Father. For “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things” was the saying of one who teaches that he has acted by an authority, but did not show them by what kind, nor unfold its particular character and all that he would have defined about it, setting out what distinguishes it from the other authorities by which the prophets before him had acted. And now too Christ is in the temple, the church, and teaches in it; and some people like those chief priests and elders of the people question him, but do not obtain an answer, being unworthy to know what they wish to learn. Someone will ask whether, wishing to shake them off, he asked about John at random, as though he might have asked about anyone else of the kind, or whether he necessarily asked about John, so that, in keeping with their answer about him, he might give the answer that followed about the authority. To me the passage seems not to be at random. But since John was “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord,” and this was the one of whom the prophet said, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you,” — for this reason, I think, he asks about him, not unaware that, after considering, they would say, “We do not know,” because of what is written; but, supposing they had said, “From heaven,” he would have given the answer that follows from the answer that John’s baptism was from heaven … ### Scripture references - Matt 21:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:27: quotation, high confidence - Isa 40:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Mal 3:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 11:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:25: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:24–27; Isa 40:3 (Matt 3:3); Mal 3:1 (Matt 11:10). The end of the section is garbled in the scan and is marked “…”; the legible fragments mention a parable and those sent into the vineyard by the Father, apparently leading into the next parable. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.3 (PG 13:1481a–1484a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-3). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-4 - Source: PG 13:1484a–1485b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The parable of the two sons concerns disobedient Israel and the believing Gentiles, and also those who promise little but do much, or promise much but do nothing. ### Greek text ι Τί δὲ ὑμῖν δοκεῖς Ἀνθρωπος εἶχε τέκνα δύο. Προσελθὼν τῷ πρώτῳ, εἶπε· Τέκνον, ὕπαγε, σήμερον ὲργάζου ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, i καὶ τὰ έξῆς ἕως τοῦ* ι Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες οὐ μετεμελήθητε ὓστερον, τοῦ πιστεῦσαι έν αὐτῷ. ι Μόνος 6 Ματθαῖος ἀνέγραψε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, περιέχουσαν τὸν περὶτοῦ ἀπειθήσαντος Ἰσραήλ τῷ Θεῷ λόγον, καί τὸν περί τοῦ πιστεύσαντος λαοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὲθνῶνʼ οὗτοι γάρ τὰ δύο τέκνα, ἃ. εἶχεν 6 ὼς ἄνθρωπος τροποφορῶν τὸν υἰὸν αὑτοῦ Θεός. Καὶ οὗτος, προσελθὼν τῷ πρώτῳ, ὃν ἐκτήσατο ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς. ὃν προέγνω καὶ προώρισεν, εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ι Τέκνον, ὕπαγε, σήμερον ἐργάζου ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου· ι καὶ ὑπερέθετο φεύγων τὸ χωρίον τοῦτο διὰ τὸν ὲν αύτῷ καύσωνα καὶ τοὺς καμάτους, καὶ εἷπεν· ι Ού Θέλω· ι ἀλλʼ ὕστερόν ποτε ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ μεταμεληθεὶς ἐπὶ τῷ εἰρηκέναι τῷ πατρί· ι Ού θέλω, t ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ εἰργάσατο τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός. Ἦνικα μέντοι 6 πρῶτος εἶπεν· ‹ Ού θέλω, ι προσῆλθεν 6 πατὴρ τῷ ἑτέρῳ, καὶ εἶπεν ὡσαύτως, εἶτα ἀποκριθεὶς 6 δεύτερος εἰπε μέν· ι Ἐγὼ, Κύριε· t οὐκ ἐλήλυθε δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ πατρός. Καὶ φανερὸν, ὅτι 6 εἰπώνʼ ι Ού θέλω, ο καὶ ὕστερον μεταμεληθεὶς, καὶ ἀπελθὼν, καὶ ἐργασάμενος εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ἐποίησε τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ ἔργῳο 6 γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ ἐπαγγειλάμενος, καὶ μὴ ποιήσας, τοῖς ἔργοις ἠρνήσατο ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός. Πρόσχες δὲ εἰ δύνασαι χρῆσθαι τῇ παραβολῇ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐλάττονα μὲν ἢ μηδὲν ἐπαγγελλομένους, μήτε παρθενίαν μήτε ἄλλην κατά τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον πρᾶξιν· τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις παριστάντας τὰ ἐναντία, μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπηγγείλατο κατά φωνὰς λόγων ἀγαθῶν πράξεων· ἐτι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μεγάλα, μὲν ἐπαγγελλομένους, μηδὲν δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν πράττοντας ο ὁ μὲν γάρ τις οἱονεὶ λέγει Μεῖζον ἦ κατʼ ἐμὲ παρθενίαν ταύτην οὐ θέλω· καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀξίας βέλτιον τὸ ἀποταξάμενον τῷ βίῳ σχολάζειν τῷ λόγῳ ο ό δέ φησιν ἕκαστον ἀκούων τῶν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ μεγάλων ἔργων· ι Ἐγὼ, Κύριε. ι Καὶ ἐστιν ίδείν οἱονεὶ ἐκ μεταμελείας τινὰς ἐπιδιδόντας εἰς τὸ βέλτιον, καὶ ἐπιμελουμένους ἑαυτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον παρά τὴν ἀρχῆθεν προσδοκίαν· ἄλλους δὲ προπετέστερον μὲν πολλὰ ἐπαγγειλαμένους, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις ἀντιπράξαντας ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις. ### English translation (Claude) “What do you think? A man had two children. He went to the first and said, Child, go, work today in the vineyard,” and so on, down to: “But you, when you saw it, did not change your minds afterward so as to believe in him.” Matthew alone recorded this parable, which, as it seems to me, contains the account of Israel, which disobeyed God, and of the people from the Gentiles, which believed. For these are the two children whom God had, he who, like a man, bears patiently with his son. And he, going to the first, whom he acquired from the beginning, whom he foreknew and foreordained, said to him, “Child, go, work today in my vineyard”; and he put it off, avoiding this place because of the scorching heat in it and the labours, and said, “I will not”; but later, at the consummation, repenting of having said to the father, “I will not,” he came into the vineyard and did the father’s will. When, however, the first had said, “I will not,” the father went to the other and spoke in the same way; then the second answered, “I go, Lord,” but did not come to the vineyard of the word and the father’s field. And it is plain that the one who said, “I will not,” and afterward repented, went away and worked in the vineyard, did the father’s will in deed; for the one who promised in word and did not do it denied by his works that he was doing the father’s will. Consider whether you can apply the parable also to those who promise little or nothing — neither virginity nor any other practice in keeping with the Gospel — but in their works show the opposite of what they did not even promise at the start in words about good deeds; and further to those who promise great things but do nothing in keeping with their promise. For the one says, as it were, “This virginity is beyond me; I do not want it; and to renounce life and devote oneself to the word is better than my worth”; while the other, hearing of each of the great works in the Scripture, says, “I go, Lord.” And one can see some who, as if from repentance, make progress toward the better, and take care of themselves toward what is higher beyond what was expected of them at the start; and others who rashly promised many things but in their works acted against their promises. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:32: quotation, high confidence - Deut 1:31: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 8:29: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:28–32; Deut 1:31 (God bearing with his son “as a man”); Rom 8:29. Origen applies the parable both to Israel and the Gentiles and to Christians who promise or decline virginity and the life devoted to the word; it is translated as written. The clause “in their works show the opposite of what they did not even promise” is awkward in the printed text and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.4 (PG 13:1484a–1485b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-4). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.5 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-5 - Source: PG 13:1485b–1488a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The tax collectors and prostitutes go ahead of Israel into the kingdom, which implies that Israel too will enter when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ### Greek text Μετά δέ τὴν παραβολὴν ἐπιφέρεται πρὸς μὲν τὸν εἰπόνταʼ ι Οὐ θέλω, ι καὶ ὕστερον μεταμεληθέντα, καὶ ἀπελθόντα, τόʼ ‹ Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι οἱ τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς είς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ · ι πρὸς δὲ τὸν εἰπόντα, ι Ἐγὼ, Κύριε, ι καὶ μὴ ἀπελθόντα, τό· ι Ἦλθε γὰρ Ἰωάννης πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ὁδῷ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷʼ ι καὶ τό· ι Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἰδόντες, οὺ μετεμελήθητε ὓστερον, τοῦ πιστεῦσαι ἐν αὐτῷ. ι Ἐπιστήσας δέ τις τοῖς ἀπὸ μοχθηροτάτου βίου προσερχομένοις τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ πιστεύουσι τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ τοῖς αὑχοῦσι τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ ἀπιστοῦσι τῷ Υίῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀκολάστως βιοῦσι, καὶ ὼμοτέροις πρὸς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους τυγχάνουσιν, ὄψεται τὸν Ἰησοῦ λόγον ἀληθῆ, ι ὅτι οί μὲν τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι προάγουσι ι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ι είς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦʼ ι ὁ δὲ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐκεῖνος Ἰσραὴλ οὐδέ μέχρι δεῦρο μεταμελεῖται, ἵνα κᾶν ὕστερον πιστεύσῃ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. Πρόσχες δέ καὶ τῷʼ ί Προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι οὐκ ἀποκλείοντι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ είσέρχεσθαι είς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐδεὶς γὰρ προάγει τὸν οὐδαμῶς ἐσόμενον ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ τόπῳ, ἐν ᾧ προῆξεν. Ὅρα οὖν μήποτε ἐμφαίνεται, ὅτι, ὅταν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. Νοείσθω δὲ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ οὐχ ό κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἐν τῇ εὐγενείᾳ. τῆς ψυχῆς χαρακτηριζόμενος, καὶ ἔχων μὲν τὸ εὐφυὲς πρὸς σύνεσιν καὶ τὸ διορατικὺν, οὐ μὴν ἀξίως τῆς εὐφυΐας ἀνατραφεὶς ἐν πίστει καὶ βίῳ ἀγαθῷ. Περὶ τοῦ φυτευθέντος ἀμπελῶνος καὶ ἐκδοθέντος γεωργοῖς. ### English translation (Claude) After the parable there follows, addressed to the one who said, “I will not,” and afterward repented and went: “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go ahead of you into the kingdom of God”; and addressed to the one who said, “I go, Lord,” and did not go: “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him,” and: “But you, when you saw it, did not change your minds afterward so as to believe him.” Whoever considers those who come to the word from a most wretched life and believe in Christ, and those who boast of the law and the prophets yet disbelieve the Son of God, live licentiously, and are rather cruel toward their own people, will see that Jesus’ saying is true, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes go ahead of Israel into the kingdom of God; but that Israel, having seen Jesus, has not repented even to this day so as to believe the truth at least later. But notice also that “They go ahead of you into the kingdom of God” does not shut Israel out from entering the kingdom of God; for no one goes ahead of someone who will never be in the place to which he has gone ahead. See, then, whether it is not indicated that, when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then all Israel will be saved. But let Israel be understood not as Israel according to the flesh, but as the one marked by nobility of soul, who has a natural aptitude for understanding and insight, yet has not been brought up in faith and a good life in a way worthy of that aptitude. [On the vineyard that was planted and let out to tenants.] ### Scripture references - Matt 21:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:32: quotation, high confidence - Rom 11:25: allusion, high confidence - Rom 11:26: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 10:18: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:31–32; Rom 11:25–26; Rom 9:8 (Israel according to the flesh). The last sentence, in brackets, is a heading for the next parable printed at the end of this section. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.5 (PG 13:1485b–1488a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-5). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-6 - Source: PG 13:1488a–1492d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen gives the simple reading of the parable of the tenants (Israel as the vineyard, the prophets as servants, Christ as the son) and then asks why God is called a man, a householder, or a king in the parables. ### Greek text ε Ἀλλην παραβολὴν ἀκούσατε· Ἀνθρωπος ἦν οἰκοδεσπότης, ὃς ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ φραγμὸν αύτῷ περιέθηκε, καὶ ὤρυξεν ὲν αὐτῷ ληνὸν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς. ι Τῷ μὴ ὲπιπλείον βασανίζοντι τά τῆς παραβολῆς, μηδὲ ἑκάστην λέξιν ἐξετάζοντι, πάνυ σαφὴς εἷναι δόξει οὓτως ἂν διηγήσεως τυχοῦσα· '0 πρὸ ἡμῶν λαὸς, καὶ μερὶς ὢν τοῦ Θεοῦ, 6 φυτευθεὶς ἦν ἀμπελὼν ὑπὸ τοῦ κατά τὴν παραβολὴν οἰκοδεσπότου· καὶ ὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ φρουρά περὶ αύτὸν 6 φραγμὺς ἦν · καὶ πύργος μὲν 6 ναὸς, ληνὸς ἃ ὁτόπος τῶν σπονδῶν* καὶ γεωργοὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ σοφοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ · ἀποδημία δὲ τοῦ δεσπότου, ὃτι Κύριος ὁ συνὼν αὐτοῖς ὲν νεφέλῃ ἡμέρας, καὶ στύλῳ νυκτὸς, ἓως αὐτοὺς καταφυτεύσει εἰσαγαγὼν εἰς ὅρος ἆγιον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς τὰ σκηνώματα αὑτοῦ, οὐκέτι οὓς τως αὐτοῖς ἐπεφαίνετο · 6 δὲ ἐγγίσας καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν ὁ χρόνος ἦν τῶν προφητῶν ἀπαιτούντων τὸν καρπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν γεωργῶν καὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ἵνα ἤδη δείξωσι παρειληφότες τὸν νόμον τῷ βεβιωκέναι κατʼ αὐτόν· δοῦλοι δὲ οἱ πρὸς τοὺς γεωργοὺς πεμφθέντες λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς οἱ πρῶτοι προφῆται, οὓς οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ σοφοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ὕβρισαν τύο πτοντες, τινὰς δὲ καὶ ἀνεῖλον, καὶ ἄλλους λιθολεύστους πεποιήκασιν· ἄλλοι δὲ μετὰ τούτους δοῦλοι πλείονες τῶν πρώτων 6 καιρὸς τῶν πολλῶν προφητῶν. ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ὲν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων γέγραπται, καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς δώδεκα, καὶ τῷ Δανιήλ· εἴποι γὰρ ἄν τις καὶτὸν Ἀνανίαν, Ἀζαρίαν, Μισαὴλ προφήτας γεγονέναι. Καὶ τούτοις οὖν τοῖς πλεὶοσι παρὰ τοὺς προτέρους προφήτας ὡσαύτως ἐχρήσαντο τύπτοντες, καὶ ἀναιροῦντες, καὶ λιθοβολοῦντες. Τελευταῖον δὲ τὸν υἱὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀποστέλλει ὁοίκοδεσπότης, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὲντρέψαι δυνάμενον τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ τοὺς γεωργούς· ἀλλʼ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ oi πρεσβύτεροι, καὶ οἰ σοφοί τοῦ λαοῦ τὸν Υἰδν ἰδόντες, οὐ πάνττ ἀναίσθητοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν γενόμενοι ὑπεροχῆς, κληρονόμον εἶναι αὑτὸν ὑπειλήφασι· τολμῶσι δὲ καί ἀποκτεῖναι αὑτὸν, ἵνα αὐτοί κύριοι τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος γένωνται· καὶ ἐκβαλόντες αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔξω κρίναντες τῶι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ πραγμάτων ἀπέκτειναν· καὶ εὐθέως ὁ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος Κύριος ὃν ἀπέκτειναν, ἐπιδημεῖ ἀναστάς ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ κακοὺς κακῶς τοὺς μὲν γεωργοὺς ἀπόλλυσιν, ἄλλοις δὲ γεωργοῖς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἑαυτοῦ παραδίδωσι τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ πιστεύσαντας, τουτέστι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, οῖ ἀποδιδόασιν ὲν ’ τοῖς ἰδίοις καιροῖς τοὺς καρποὺς τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ. Εἶτα εἰπόντων μετά τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ὲν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω πυθομένων τό· ι Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; ι τά ἀπὸ τοῦ· ι Κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσει αὐτοὺς» ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀποκρίνεται διδάσκων αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας, ὅτι ὑπʼ ἐκείνων μὲν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη, παρά δὲ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστιν ἔντιμος, καὶ κεφαλὴ τῆς ὅλης οἰκοδομῆς, καί τῆς κατʼ αὐτὴν συνοχῆς, καὶ κεφαλή γε θαυμαστὴ ὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν εἰδότων βλέπειν αὐτὴν. Εἶτα, προφητεύων περὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ’ἐθνῶν κλήσεως, φησί τοῖς μὴ πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν διδασκάλοις Ἰουδαίων· ι Ἀρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς.» Ἀλλʼ, ὡς προείπαμεν, ὁλοσχερεστέρα τις, καὶ οὐ κατά λέξιν ἐστὶν ἠ τοιαύτη διήγησις· πρὸς ἢν πολλά τις ἂν πνευματικὸς, καὶ ἀνακρίνειν δυνάμενος πάντα, ἐπαπορήσαι κρούων τὴν ἀσαφείᾳ κεκλεισμένην θύραν τῶν ἐνταῦθα κεκρυμμένων νοημάτων. καὶ ὀρθῶς ζητήσας εὖροι, καὶ αἰτήσας ἀπὸ τοῦ γΘεοῦ λάβοι. Καὶ c ἡμεῖς δὲ κατά τὺ μέτριον ἡμῶν τοιαῦτα εἰς τὸν τόπον φανταζόμεθα· ὅτι ὁ μὲν οἰκοδεσπότης ἄνθρωπος ὀ Θεός ἐστι, περί οὗ γέγραπταιδ ι Ἐτροποφόρησά σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὡς εἴ τις τροποφορήσαι ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦʼ ι οὗτος γὰρ, διὰ τὸ τροποφορεῖν καὶ φέρειν ὲν τῷ ἀνθρώπους ὠφελεῖν τρόπον ἀνθρώπινον τὸν ὠφελοῦντα ἀνθρώπους, ἐν τισι παραβολαῖς λέγεται εῐναι ἄνθρωποςʼ καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἄνθρωπος οἰκοδεσπότης καλεῖται διὰ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ τὸν περικείμενον τῷ ἀμπελῶνι φραγμὸν, καὶ τὴν ληνὸν ἢν ὤρυξε, καὶ τὸν πύργον δν ᾠκοδόμησε, καὶ οὒς κέκτηται δούλους, καὶ οὒς πέμπει πρὸς τοὺς γεωργοὺς, καὶ δεύτερον ἀποστέλλει πλείονας· ὡς οἰκοδεσπότης δὲ ἐξέδοτο γεωργοῖς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ἀφʼ ὧν ἀφελὼν αὐτὸν δίδωσιν ἑτέροις. Ἔτι δὲ πάλιν ἐντοῖς ἀνωτέρω ἄνθρωπος οἰκοδεσπότης εἴρηται διὰ τούτων· ι Ὀμοία γάρ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ, ὅστις ἐξῆλθεν ἅμα πρωῒ μισθώσασθαι ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦʼ ι καὶ ὡς οἰκοδεσπότης γε ἀμπελῶνα ἔχει, καὶ μισθοῦται γεωργούς· ἔστι δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐπίτροπος ᾧ λέγειʼ ι Κάλεσον τοὺς ἐργάτας, καὶ ἀπόδος τὸν μισθὸν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὺ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἕως τῶν πρώτων. ι Ἑν δὲ τῇ περὶ τοῦ δεξπνου παραβολῇ, καὶτῶν γάμων τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς κλήσεως, ούκ οἰκοδεσπότης, ἀλλὰ βασιλεὺς εἴρηταιο μείζων γὰρ ἦ οἰκοδεσπότης ἐστὶ, πέμπων στράτευμα ὡς βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἀναιρῶν τοὶς κρατήσαντας τοὺς δούλους αὑτοῦ, καὶ ὑβρίσαντας, καὶ ἀποκτείναντας αὐτούς· καὶ ὲν βασιλικῇ ἐξουσία, οὐχ ὡς οἰκοδεσπότης μόνον, εἷπε τοῖς διακόνοις δῆσαι πόδας καὶ χεῖρας τοῦ εἰσελθόντος εἰς τοὺς γάμους, μὴ ἔχοντος ἔνδυμα γάμου, καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν αὑτὸν εἰς ’ἐξῶτέρον σκότοςʼ. Ὅτε. δὲ ὲν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω λέ γεται· ιἌνθρωπος εἶχε τέκνα δύο, ι οὔτε οἰκοδεσπότης οὔτε βασιλεὺς ὠνόμασται, ἀλλʼ ἀπλῶς ἄνθρωπος. Είσὶν οὖν, ῶσπερ πολλαὶ ἐπίνοιαι τοῦ Θεοῦ κατά τὰς θείας Γραφάς, οὓτω καὶ διαφοραὶ τοῦ ἄνθρωπον αὗτδν ὀνομάζεσθαι, ήτοι ἁπλῶς, ἢ οἰκοδεσπότην, ἣ βασιλέα. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν κατά τὸν Ματθαῖον· κατά δὲ τὸν Λουκᾶν ἡ ὁμοία τῇ ἐκκειμένῃ παραβολῇ ἄν· θρωπον αὑτὸν ὠνόμασεν ἐν τῷ· ι ’Ἄνθρωπος ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ ἐξέδοτο αὑτὸν γεωργοῖς.» καὶ Μάρκος φησιν· ι Ἄνθρωπός τις ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ περιέθηκεν αύτῷ φραγμὸν.» Πάλιν τι αὖ ό Λουκᾶς τὴν τῆς κλήσεως ἐκτιθέμενος παραβολὴν, ι Ἄνθρωπός τις,› φησὶν, ι ἐποίησε δεῖπνον μέγα, καὶ ἐκάλεσε πολλούς.› Καὶ σὺ δὲ, συναγαγὼν εἴ που ὠνόμασται ἄνθ ρωπος ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πνευματικὶι πνευματικοῖς ἐν τῷ περὶ τούτου συγκρίνων λόγῳ, καὶ ζητήσας ὀρθῶς τὰ κατὰ τοὺς τόπους, εὕροις ἂν ἀνάλογον τῇ ζητήσει σου πλείονα εἰς τὸ ἄνθρωπον λέγεσθαι τὸν Θεόν. Οὗτος δὲ ἐφύτευσεν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ἇνθρωπος ἀμπελῶνα, ὅντινα ἐπιμελέστερον ζητητέον, μὴ ἀβασανίστως παρερχόμενον τοσαύτην παραβολήν. ### English translation (Claude) “Hear another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it and dug a winepress in it,” and so on, down to: “and it will be given to a nation producing its fruits.” To one who does not test the details of the parable further, nor examine each word, it will seem quite clear when explained as follows. The people before us, being also God’s portion, was the vineyard planted by the householder of the parable; God’s guard around it was the hedge; the tower was the temple, the winepress the place of the libations; and the tenants were the elders and wise men of the people. The master’s going abroad means that the Lord, who was with them in a cloud by day and a pillar by night until he planted them, bringing them into his holy mountain and into his dwellings, no longer appeared to them in that way. The season of fruits that drew near was the time of the prophets, who demanded the fruit from the tenants and from the vineyard, so that they might now show that they had received the law by having lived according to it. The servants sent to the tenants to receive the fruits were the first prophets, whom the rulers and wise men of the people insulted, beating them; some they even killed, and others they stoned. The other servants after these, more than the first, are the time of the many prophets, whose names are written in the second book of Chronicles, and in Jeremiah, and the Twelve, and Daniel; for one might say that Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael too were prophets. These too, more numerous than the earlier prophets, they treated in the same way, beating, killing, and stoning them. Last of all the householder sends his own son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was able to win the respect of the vineyard and the tenants. But the chief priests and the elders and the wise men of the people, seeing the Son, and not being wholly insensible of his superiority, took him to be the heir; and they dare even to kill him, so that they themselves may become masters of the vineyard; and having cast him out, and judged him to be outside the affairs of Israel, they killed him. And at once the Lord of the vineyard, whom they killed, comes, risen from the dead, and destroys the tenants, wretches, wretchedly, and hands over to other tenants, his apostles, those of the people who believed, that is, the vineyard; and they render the fruits to the householder in their seasons. Then, when those who earlier had asked, “By what authority are you doing these things?” had spoken, after the parable, the words beginning, “He will put those wretches to a wretched death,” the Saviour answers, teaching them from the prophecy that he was rejected by them, but is precious with God, the head of the whole building and of what holds it together, and indeed a head marvellous in the eyes of those who know how to see it. Then, prophesying about the calling from the Gentiles, he says to the teachers of the Jews who did not believe in him, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruits.” But, as we said before, such an explanation is rather general and not word by word. A spiritual person, able to discern all things, might raise many difficulties about it, knocking at the door, shut by obscurity, of the thoughts hidden here; and seeking rightly he might find, and asking of God he might receive. We too, according to our modest measure, picture the passage in some such way as this. The householder, the man, is God, about whom it is written, “The Lord your God bore with your ways, as a man would bear with the ways of his son.” For because he bears with our ways and, in helping human beings, takes on a human manner, the one who helps human beings is said in certain parables to be a man. And here he is called a man, a householder, because of the vineyard, the hedge placed around the vineyard, the winepress that he dug, the tower that he built, the servants he has acquired, whom he sends to the tenants, and the second time sends in greater number; and as a householder he let out the vineyard to tenants, from whom he takes it away and gives it to others. Again, in the passages above, a man, a householder, is spoken of in these words: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard”; and as a householder he has a vineyard and hires workers; and he also has a steward, to whom he says, “Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last up to the first.” But in the parable of the supper, the marriage feast of his son, and the invitation, he is called not a householder but a king; for he is greater than a householder, sending an army as a king, and destroying those who seized his servants, insulted them, and killed them; and with royal authority, not merely as a householder, he told the attendants to bind the feet and hands of the one who came into the wedding without a wedding garment, and to cast him into the outer darkness. But when it says above, “A man had two children,” he is named neither householder nor king, but simply man. As, then, there are many aspects of God according to the divine Scriptures, so there are also differences in his being named man: either simply, or householder, or king. So much for Matthew. According to Luke, the parable similar to the one before us named him a man, in: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants”; and Mark says: “A certain man planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it.” And again Luke, setting out the parable of the invitation, says: “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many.” And you too, gathering the places where God is named man, comparing spiritual things with spiritual in the discussion of this, and examining the passages rightly, would find, in proportion to your inquiry, more reasons for God’s being called a man. This householder, then, the man, planted a vineyard, which must be investigated more carefully, so as not to pass over so great a parable without testing it. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:9: allusion, medium confidence - Exod 13:21: allusion, high confidence - Exod 15:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:34: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:35: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:36: allusion, high confidence - 2 Chr 24:21: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 21:37: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:38: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:39: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:41: quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:22 (117:22 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 118:23 (117:23 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:42: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:15: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 7:7: allusion, medium confidence - Deut 1:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 20:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:28: quotation, high confidence - Luke 20:9: quotation, high confidence - Mark 12:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 14:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:33–43; Deut 32:9; Exod 13:21; Exod 15:17; 2 Chr 24:19–22; Dan 1:6–7; Ps 118:22–23 (117:22–23 LXX); 1 Cor 2:15; Matt 7:7–8; Deut 1:31; Matt 20:1, 8; Matt 22:1–13; Matt 21:28; Luke 20:9; Mark 12:1; Luke 14:16; 1 Cor 2:13. “Win the respect of” renders ἐντρέψαι, echoing “They will respect my son” (Matt 21:37). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.6 (PG 13:1488a–1492d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-6). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-7 - Source: PG 13:1492d–1501a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Comparing the parable with Isaiah’s song of the vineyard, Origen argues that in the Gospel the vineyard is not the people but the kingdom of God, that is, the Scriptures, with the hedge, winepress, and tower as levels of their meaning. ### Greek text Τίς οὖν ὁ ἀμπελὼν, ἕτερος ὢν παρά τοὺς γεωργοὺς τοὺς πρώτους καὶ τοὺς δευτέρους, ὃν ἐφύτευσεν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης ἀνθρωπος; ὁ δὲ ἀμπελὼν οὗτος πρότερον μὲν ὲκδιδὸμενός ἐστι γεωργοῖς ὑβρισταῖς δεύτερον δὲ, κατά τοὺς ἀποκριναμένους περὶ τοῦ ἁμπελῶνος, ὲκδιδόμενος ἄλλοις γεωργοῖς, οἵτινες δώσουσι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ ὲν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν κατά δὲ τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγοντα· ι Ἀρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς.» Ἆρα γὰρ δεήσει ταὐτὸν εἰπεῖν εἶναι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, αὶρομένην ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων, διδομένην δὲ ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς; ἢ ἄλλο μὲν εἶναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ἄλλο δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; ἴδωμεν δὲ πρῶτον, παραστήσαντες ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς, ὃτι ἀμπελὼν καλεῖται ὁ λαὸς, εί δύναται ἐφαρμόσαι πάντα τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον τῇ τοιαύτῃ διηγήσει. Φησὶν οὖν Ἡσαΐας ι ’ᾼσω δὴ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ᾆσμα τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου· ἀμπελῶν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὲν κέρατι, ὲν τόπῳ πίονι· καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα, καὶ ἐχαράκωσα, καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον Σωρὴκ,ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως τοῦ· ι Ἐποίησε δὲ ἀνομίαν, καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλά κραυγήν.» Ἐξεθέμην δὴ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἠσαῖου ᾆσμα, βουλόμενος αὐτὸ συνεξετάσαι τῇ παραβολῇ, εί κατά τοῦ αὐτοῦ κεῖται ὁ ἁμπελὼν σημαινομένου ὲν ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ Γραφῇ. Καὶ ὅρα τίνα μὲν ὅμοια ἔχουσιν αἱ ἐκτεθεῖσαι λέξεις, τίνα δὲ οὐχ ὃμοια, ἵνα, βλέπων τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν ὁμοίων πρὸς τὰ ἀνόμοια, οὓτως ἐπιστήσῃς τῷ νῴ τῆς Γραφῆς. Ὅμοιον οὖν τό· ι Ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ φραγμὸν αὐτῷ περιέθηκε, καὶ ὤρυξεν ἐν αὐτῷ ληνὸν, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε πύργον,ι τῷ· ι Ἀμπελὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὲν κέρατι, ὲν τόπῳ πίονι καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα, καὶ ἐχαράκωσα, καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον Σωρὴκ, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησα πύργον ὲν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ προλήνιον ὢρυξα ὲν αὐτῷ* ι παράθες γὰρ τῷ· ι Ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, ι τό· ι Ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον Σωpigri καὶ ’ζῷʼ «Φραγμὺν αὑτῷ περιέθηκε, ι τό· ι Φραγμὸν περιέθηκαί καὶ τῷο ι Ὠρυξεν ἐν αὐτῷ ληνδν,ι τό· ι Καὶ προλήνιον ὤρυξα ἐν αὐτῷ· ι καὶ τῷ· ι ᾮκοδόμησε πύργον,ι τό· ι Καὶ ᾠκοδόμησα πύργον ὲν μέσῳ αὑτοῦί κατʼ ἀμφοτέρους δὲ τοὺς τόπους περὶ τῶν καρπῶν λέγεται τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, παρὰ μὲν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ, οτι, ι Ἔμεινα τοὲ σταφυλὴν, καὶ ἐποίησεν ἀκάνθας» ἐν δὲ τῇ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου παραβολῇ σαφῶς οὐχ ὁ ἀμπελὼν κατηγορεῖται, ὡς μὴ δεδωκὼς τοὺς καρποὺς ἐγγίσαντος τοῦ καιροῦ αὐτῶν, ἀλλʼ οι γεωργοὶ οὗτοι, ι iam τοὺς» τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου ι δούλους, ὃν μὲν ἔδειραν, ὃν δὲ ἀπέκτειναν, ὃν δὲ ἐλιθοβόλησαν. ι Καὶ ἡνίκα ε ἀπέστειλεν ἀλλους δούλους πλείονας τῶν πρώτων πάλιν οἱ γεωργοὶ κατηγοροῦνται ποιήσαντες αὐτοῖς ὡσαύτως. Καὶ τρίτον δὲ oi γεωργοὶ κατηγοροῦνται ι εἰπόντεςπ Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος· δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν, καὶ σχῶμεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὖ· τοῦ, καὶ ἐκβαλόντες αὐτὸν ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, καὶ ἀποκτείναντες αὐτόν. ι Καὶ ὲν μὲν τῷ Ἠσαῖᾳ αὖτῷ τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ἀπειλεῖ ὁ Λόγος λέγωνʼ ε ’Δφελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς διαρπαγήν· καθελῶ τὸν τοῖχον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς καταπάτημα. Καὶ ἀνήσω τὸν ἀμπελῶνα μου, καὶ οὐ μὴ τμηθῇ, οὐδὲ μὴ σκαφῇ · καὶ ἀναβήσεται εις αὐτὸν ὡς εἰς χέρσον ἄκανθα· ι ἀλλά καὶ ὅτε ι ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελεῖται τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς τον ἀμπελῶνα ὑετὸν, ι τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ἀπειλεῖ, ὅντινα 6 προφήτης εἶπεν εῖναι τὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οἶκον, καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦ Ἰούδα, μὴ ποιήσαντα τὸν καρπὸν, τὴν κρισιν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ποιήσαντι δὲ ἀκάνθας, τὴν ἀνομίαν καὶ τὴν κραυγήν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τὸν μὲν ἀμπελῶνα οὐδὲν εὑρίσκομεν πάσχοντα, ἀλλʼ, εἰ δεῐ οὓτως εἰπεῖν, μᾶλλον προκώμενον τοῦ φέρειν τοὺς οἰκείους καρποὺς τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ ε προνοῶν γὰρ οὗτος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, αἴρει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν προτέρων γεωργῶν, οἵτινες ἀποκρίνονται τῷ Σωτῆρι πυθομένῳ καὶ εῑπόντι π ι Ὅταν οὖν Ελθῃ ὁ Κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, τί ποιήσει τοῖς γεωργοῖς ἐκείνοις; ι καὶ λέγουσιν, εἴτε ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου καὶ τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἀναγκαζόμενοι, εἴτε καὶ ἄκοντες, ἵνʼ οὕτως εἴπω, τά περὶ αὐτῶν προφητεύοντες, ὡς ἀρα κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσει ὁ Κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος si... σὺν τοὺς γεωργοὺς, καὶ προνοούμενος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ἐκδώσεται αύτδν ἀλλοις γεωργοῖς, οῑτινες ἀποδῶσουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς καρποὺς ὲν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν. Ἀλλά καὶ ὲν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ ἀκολούθως τῷ ο ι '0 γὰρ ἀμπελὼν Κυρίου Σαβαὼθ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ ἐστι, καὶ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Ἰούδα νεόφυτον ἠγαπημένον, ι εἴρηται πρὸς τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα λαόν· ι Ἐγὼ δὲ ὲφύτευσά σε ἄμπελον καρποφόρον πᾶσαν ἀληθινὴν, ι καὶ ἀνάλογον τῷ ο t Ἐμεινα ἵνα ποιήσῃ σταφυλὴν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀκάνθας, ι καὶ τῷ ο ε Ἐμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι κρίσιν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀνομίαν · καὶ ού δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλά κραυγὴν, ι τόν ι Πῶς ἐστράφης είς πικρίαν ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀλλοτρίας ι Οὐκοῦν ὁρᾷς ἐν μὲν ταῖς προφητικαῖς λέξεσι τὸν λαὸν λεγόμενον εἶναι ἀμπελῶνα. καὶ τὸν φυτεύσαντα αύτδν ἀπειλοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα αὐτῷ σε( ’Δερελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται είς διαρπαγὴν, ι καὶ τὰ λοιπάν ὲν δὲ ταῖς εὐαγγελικαῐς Ι οὐδεμίαν μὲν μέμψιν προσαγομένην τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, πᾶσαν δὲ τοῖς γεωργοῖς ’ καὶ πρὸς τῷ μηδεμίαν εἷναι ἀπειλὴν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, καὶ πρόνοιαν αὑτοῦ γινομένην, ἵνα διδῷ τῷ οἰκοδεσπότῃ τοὺς καρποὺς ὲν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν, καλ οὐκ ἂν δύναιο, τὴν ἀκρίβειαν βουλόμενος σῶσαι τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς γραφῆς, τρανῶς παραστῆσαι, δτι ἀμπελὼν ὁ λαὸς ἦν. Ἀλλὰ μήποτε ὁ κατά τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον ἀμπελὼν ὴ βασιλεία ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἠ αὐτὴ, οῐμαι, τυγχάνουσα τῇ τῶν Γραφῶν μετʼ ἐπισκοπῆς Θεοῦ διδασκαλίᾳ · τὸ γάρ ι ’Δρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ι ἐπιφερόμενον τῇ περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος παραβολῇ, σαφῶς, οἶμαι. δηλοῖ τὰ μυστήρια τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείας λέγεσθαι εἶναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, ὃν ἐφύτευσεν ὁ οίκοδεσπότης ἄνθρωπος. Τοῦτον δὴ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ὄντα, ὡς οἶμαι, νόμον καὶ προφήτας, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν ἐξέδοτο ὁ Κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος γεωργοῖς ο προτέροις μὲν τῷ λαῷ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ γὰρ πρῶτοι ι ἐπιστεύθησαν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦʼ ι δευτέροις δὲ ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῇς, τῇ ἀπὺ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ἀλλʼ ἔργον ἐξομαλίσαι, οὕτω νοουμένου τοῦ κατά τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον ἀμπελῶνος, τὸν περιθέντα αὐτῷ φραγμὸν, οὐδὲν πάσχοντα ὁποῖον ὲν ’τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ φραγμὸν, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται ο ι ’Δφελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς διαρπαγὴν, ι καὶ τὴν ὀρυχθεῖσαν ὲν αὐτῷ ληνὸν, καὶ τὸν οἰκοδομηθέντα πύργον. Καὶ ὅρα εἰ δυνάμεθα τὴν μὲν κατά τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν φυσιολογίαν τὸν ἀμπελῶνα εἰπεῖνʼ τὸν δὲ ἀκόλουθον τῇ ἀληθεῖ φυσιολογίᾳ βίον, ἐν ἀρετῇ καὶ καλλίστοις ἤθεσι καρποφοροῦντα, λέγειν εἶναι τὸν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος καρπόν · τὸν δὲ λογικὸν τόπον καὶ πᾶν τὸ γράμμα τῆς Γραφῆς τὸν φραγμὸν εἶναι τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος περικείμενον ἔξωθεν, ὼς μὴ κατοπτεύεσθαι τοῖς ἔξωθεν τὸν ἀμπελῶνα καὶ τὸν ὲν κρυπτῷ μάλιστα καρπὸν αὐτοῦ ° τὸ δὲ βάθος τῆς δεχομένης τοὺς καρποὺς τούτους ψυχῆς, πᾶν ἐπιπόλαιον ἀποβαλούσης, τὴν ὀρυχθεῑσαν εἶναι ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι ληνόν · ὁ δὲ οἰκοδομηθεὶς ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι πύργος, ἀνάστημα ἔχων, καί δίαρμα, καί ὕψος ὑπὲρ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, καὶ τὸν φραγμὸν, καὶ τὴν ληνὸν, ὁ περὶ Θεοῦ, 01pm,“γος ἐστὶ, ναὸς ῶν τοῦ ὲν αὐτῷ θείου νοῦ ο καὶ περὶ τοιούτου νομίζω λελέχθαι πύργου ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τό· ι Τίς ὲξ ὑμῶν, βουλόμενος πύργον οἰκοδομῆσαι, οὐχὶ πρῶτον ψηφίζει εί δύναται θεῖναι τὸν θεμέλιον, καὶ ἐκτελέσαι, ἵνα μὴ ἄρξωνται οί θεωροῦντες ἐμπαίζειν τῷ μὴ τελειώσαντι ι διὰ γὰρ παραβολῆς κάκεῖ δοκεῖ μοι λέγεσθαι, ὅτι, μέλλων θεολογείν, σκόπησον εἰ δύνασαι ἀρξάμενος πάντα ἃ. ἀπαιτεί σε ὁ λόγος εἰς θεολογίαν τελειῶσαι, ἵνα μὴ, ἀρξάμενος τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας δογμάτων, ἀτελῆ καταλίπῃς τὸν περὶ Θεοῦ πύργον, καὶ στεφάνην αὐτῷ μὴ ἐποικοδομήσῃς · εί γὰρ στεφάνην οὐκ ὲποικοδομήσεις, πεσεῖταί τις ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ ἐννοίας, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται. Τοῦτον δὲ τὸν, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ἀμπελῶνα ἐξέδοτο γεωργοῖς, τῷ πρὸ ἡμῶν λαῷ, ὁ θεὸς. καὶ ἀπεδήμησεν είς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ περιωπὴν, δοὺς ἀφορμὰς τοῖς γεωργοῖς, ἐξ ὧν αὐτὸς ἐφύτευσε, καὶ περιέθηκε, καὶ ὤρυξε, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησε, τοῦ φέρειν τοὺς καρποὺς ὲν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν. Ἤγγισαν μὲν οὖν καθʼ ἕκαστον οἱ καιροὶ τῶν καρπῶν, οἶμαι δʼ ὅτι καὶ ὅλῳ τῷ λαῷ. Τὸ δὲ ἐγγίσαι τοὺς καιροὺς τῶν καρπῶν ἀκριβῶς μὲν διηγήσασθαι ἕξεως μείζονάς ἐστιν ἢ καθʼ ἡμᾶς, καὶ καρδίας πολλῷ καθαρωτέρας καὶ διορατικῆς παρʼ ἡμᾶς ὅμως δὲ κατά δύναμιν ἐπιβαλοῦμεν οὔτως τῷ τόπῳ, ἀρξάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν καθ ένα. ### English translation (Claude) What, then, is the vineyard, distinct from the first and the second tenants, which the householder, the man, planted? This vineyard is first let out to insolent tenants, and secondly — according to those who answered about the vineyard — let out to other tenants, who will give its fruits in their seasons; but according to the Saviour, who says, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruits.” Must we, then, say that the kingdom of God is the same as the vineyard, taken away from the former and given to a nation producing its fruits? Or is the vineyard one thing and the kingdom of God another? Let us first show from Scripture that the people is called a vineyard, and then see whether everything in the passage can fit such an explanation. Isaiah, then, says: “Let me sing for the beloved a song of the beloved about my vineyard. The beloved had a vineyard on a hill, in a rich place; and I put a hedge around it, and fenced it, and planted a choice vine,” and so on, down to: “but it did lawlessness, and not righteousness, but an outcry.” I have set out the song from Isaiah because I wish to examine it together with the parable, to see whether the vineyard stands for the same thing in each Scripture. And see what likenesses and what unlikenesses the passages set out have, so that, seeing how the like differ from the unlike, you may attend to the meaning of Scripture. Alike, then, are “He planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower” and “The beloved had a vineyard on a hill, in a rich place, and I put a hedge around it and fenced it and planted a choice vine and built a tower in the middle of it and dug a wine vat in it.” For set beside “He planted a vineyard” the words “I planted a choice vine”; beside “He put a hedge around it,” “I put a hedge around it”; beside “He dug a winepress in it,” “And I dug a wine vat in it”; and beside “He built a tower,” “And I built a tower in the middle of it.” In both passages something is said about the fruits of the vineyard: in Isaiah, “I waited for … grapes, and it produced thorns”; but in the parable of the Gospel it is plainly not the vineyard that is accused of not giving its fruits when their season drew near, but these tenants, who took the householder’s servants and “beat one, killed another, and stoned another.” And when he sent other servants, more than the first, again the tenants are accused of having done the same to them. And a third time the tenants are accused, “saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance,” and casting him out of the vineyard and killing him. In Isaiah the Word threatens the vineyard itself, saying, “I will take away its hedge, and it will be plundered; I will pull down its wall, and it will be trampled. And I will abandon my vineyard, and it will not be pruned or dug; and thorns will come up on it as on waste land”; and also when “he commands the clouds not to rain rain on the vineyard,” he threatens the vineyard, which the prophet said is the house of Israel and the man of Judah, because it did not produce the fruit, judgment and righteousness, but produced thorns, lawlessness and outcry. But in the Gospel we find that the vineyard suffers nothing; rather, if one may put it so, it is cared for so that it may bear its own fruits for the householder. For he, providing for the vineyard, takes it away from the former tenants, who answer the Saviour when he asks, “When, then, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” And they say — whether compelled by reason and the logic of the story, or unwillingly prophesying, so to speak, about themselves — that the lord of the vineyard will put those wretches, the tenants, to a wretched death, and, providing for the vineyard, will let it out to other tenants, who will render him the fruits in their seasons. In Jeremiah too, consistently with “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah a beloved new planting,” it is said to the sinning people, “But I planted you as a fruitful vine, wholly true”; and, corresponding to “I waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced thorns,” and “I waited for it to do judgment, but it did lawlessness, and not righteousness, but an outcry,” comes “How have you turned to bitterness, a foreign vine?” So do you see that in the prophetic passages the people is said to be the vineyard, and the one who planted it threatens it and says, “I will take away its hedge, and it will be plundered,” and the rest; but in the Gospel passages no blame is brought against the vineyard, but all of it against the tenants? Besides there being no threat to the vineyard, care is even taken of it, so that it may give the householder its fruits in their seasons; and if you wish to preserve the exactness of the Gospel text, you could not show clearly that the vineyard was the people. But perhaps the vineyard of the Gospel is the kingdom of God, which is, I think, the same as the teaching of the Scriptures, given under God’s oversight. For “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruits,” added to the parable of the vineyard, clearly shows, I think, that the mysteries of the kingdom of God are said to be the vineyard which the householder, the man, planted. This vineyard, then, which is, as I think, the law and the prophets and the whole divine Scripture, the Lord of the vineyard let out to tenants: first to that people, for they were the first “entrusted with the oracles of God”; and secondly to a nation producing its fruits, the church from the Gentiles. But on this understanding of the vineyard of the Gospel it is a task to make fit the hedge placed around it, which suffers nothing like the hedge in Isaiah, of which it is written, “I will take away its hedge, and it will be plundered”; and the winepress dug in it; and the tower that was built. See, then, whether we can say that the vineyard is the account of nature according to the divine Scripture; that the life in keeping with the true account of nature, bearing fruit in virtue and the finest character, is the fruit of the vineyard; that the rational element and the whole letter of Scripture is the hedge of the vineyard lying around it on the outside, so that the vineyard, and above all its hidden fruit, cannot be spied on by those outside; that the depth of the soul that receives these fruits, casting off everything superficial, is the winepress dug in the vineyard; and that the tower built in the vineyard, which has elevation and loftiness and height above the vineyard, the hedge, and the winepress, is the account about God, being a temple of the divine mind within it. And I think that the Saviour spoke of such a tower in the words, “Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first count whether he can lay the foundation and finish it, lest those who see it begin to mock the one who did not finish?” For there too he seems to me to say in a parable: When you are about to speak about God, consider whether, having begun, you can complete all that reason demands of you for speaking about God, so that you do not begin the doctrines of godliness and leave the tower about God unfinished, without building its coping; for if you do not build the coping, someone will fall from the conception of God and will die. This vineyard, as we have explained it, God let out to tenants, the people before us, and went abroad to his own lookout, giving the tenants the means, from what he himself had planted, put around, dug, and built, to bear the fruits in their seasons. The seasons of the fruits drew near, then, for each individual, and I think also for the whole people. To explain exactly the drawing near of the seasons of the fruits belongs to a greater habit of mind than ours, and to a heart far purer and more discerning than ours; yet as far as we can, we shall approach the passage as follows, beginning with individuals. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:41: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:2: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:4: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:6: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:7: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:35: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:36: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:38: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:39: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:40: quotation, high confidence - Jer 2:21: quotation, high confidence - Rom 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 14:28: quotation, high confidence - Luke 14:29: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:33–43; Isa 5:1–7; Matt 21:35–41; Jer 2:21 (LXX wording); Rom 3:2; Luke 14:28–30. In the quotation of Isa 5:4 a word or two is garbled in the scan and marked “…”. “Is, I think, the account about God” renders a phrase partly garbled in the scan. The scan’s opening letters of the section are debris and have been removed. Origen’s comparison of Israel and the church from the Gentiles is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.7 (PG 13:1492d–1501a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-7). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-8 - Source: PG 13:1501a–1504b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The ripening of the vine through its seasons pictures the soul’s growth from infancy through imperfect stages to the mature fruit of virtue and the beatitudes. ### Greek text Καὶ νοείσθω ὲν ἑκάστῃ ψυχῇ 6 Λόγος ἀμπελος πεφυτευμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου ' ἢ ἀμπελὼν αἱ ἀφορμαὶ πάντων ἀναγκαίων είς σωτηρίαν προβλημάτων. Ὠσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀμπέλων ὲστί τις καιρὸς ὅτε ἐκφύει φύλλα, καὶ ἀλλος ὅτε τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν καρπῶν δείκνυσιν ἔτι βραχείας, καὶ ἀλλος ὅτε κυπρίζει τὰ δειχθέντα, καὶ ἀλλος ὅτε περκάζει, καὶ ἄλλος ὅτε καιρός ἐστι τοῦ τρυγᾷν τετελειωμένους τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ ἑτοίμους πρὸς τὸ φέρειν οἴνου ποιότητα· οὕτως ό μὲν πρῶτος τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῆς ζωῆς καιρὸς κατά τὴν νηπιότητα ἐχέτω τὴν ἄμπελον οὐδὲν περικειμένην, ἀλλά μόνον ἔχουσαν τὸ ζωτικὸν · εἶτʼ ἐπὰν 6 λόγος συμπληροῦσθαι ἄρχηται, ό καιρὸς ἔστω τῆς πρώτης ἀνθήσεως ’ ὅσον δὲ προκόπτει γεωργουμένη ἡ ψυχὴ, τοσοῦτον καὶ 6 γεωργούμενος ἀμπελὼν δείγματα φέρει μᾶλλον τῶν βοτρύων κυπριζόντων μὲν, καὶ ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας μελλούσης ἀρετῆς φερόντων κατʼ ἀρχὰς, ὕστερον δὲ ήδη καὶ ὀμφακιζόντων, ὃτι κακία μὲν ἐστιν, ούχ ἡ παραμένουσα δὲ, ἀλλʼ ἡ ἀναγκαίως ὑφισταμένη, καὶ οὐδέποτε νιυομένη ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, ἀλλʼ ἀεὶ, εί δεῖ οὕτως όνομάσαι, ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν όδεύουσα. Ἐὰν δὲ παραμένῃ ἡ κακία, καὶ μὴ χρησώμεθα ἄλλῃ ὡς ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν διόδῳ, ἀεὶ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐπʼ ἀρετῇ προκοπὴν ἄγοντες, τίκτεται ὄμφαξ, όν φαγών τις, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην, αιμωδιᾷ· ἐπὶ πλεῖον δέ τις προκόπτων, οἱονεὶ περιόζουσαν μὲν, οὐδέπω δὲ τετελειωμένην ἔχει τὴν σταφυλήν. Ἔστι δὲ τις μετὰ τὴν προκοπὴν κατάστασις σπουδαία, ὅτε ἡ γεωργηθεῖσα ἄμπελος φέρει. τὸν καρπὸν, βότρυας ἀγάπης τελείους, καὶ χαρᾶς, καὶ εἰρήνης, καὶ μακροθυμίας, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἂ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ κατείλεκται, καὶ ὲν μυρίαις ἄλλαις Γραφαῖς· ἐστι γάρ τις βότρυς κατὰ τό ο ι Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι · ι καὶ ἄλλος κατὰ τὸο ι Μακάριοι οἰ πενθοῦντες · ι καὶ ἄλλος κατὰ τό· ι Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς· ι καὶ ἄλλος κατὰ τό ι Μακάριοι οἰ εἰρηνοποιοί ἰκαὶ ἄλλος κατὰ τό ’ α Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ· ι καί τί με δεῖ καταλέγειν τοὺς αἰτίους τῶν μακαρισμῶν βότρυας; ταῦτα δὲ ὲπιπλεὶον ἐξήτασα διὰ τό· ο Ὅτε ἤγγισεν ό καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν, ι νοῆσαι καὶ σαφηνίσαι θέλων. ### English translation (Claude) Let the Word in each soul be understood as a vine planted by the householder, or the vineyard as the starting points for all the questions necessary for salvation. Just as with vines there is a season when they put out leaves, another when they show the beginnings of the fruits, still small, another when what has appeared is in blossom, another when the grapes begin to colour, and another when it is time to gather the fruits, perfected and ready to yield the quality of wine; so let the first season of a person’s life, in infancy, have the vine with nothing on it, but having only the life-force. Then, when reason begins to be filled out, let it be the season of the first flowering. And the more the soul advances under cultivation, the more the cultivated vineyard bears signs of clusters: in blossom at first, and bearing the fragrance of virtue to come, and later already unripe, because there is vice — not the kind that remains, but the kind that necessarily exists, which never inclines toward the worse but always, if one may name it so, travels toward virtue. But if the vice remains, and we do not use it as a passage, so to speak, toward virtue, always leading it on toward progress in virtue, an unripe grape is produced, and whoever eats it, as the prophet says, has his teeth set on edge. One who advances further has the grape as though ripening, but not yet perfected. And after progress there is an excellent state, when the cultivated vine bears its fruit, perfect clusters of love, and joy, and peace, and patience, and the rest that are listed by the Apostle and in countless other Scriptures. For there is a cluster corresponding to “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” another to “Blessed are those who mourn,” another to “Blessed are the meek,” another to “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and another to “Blessed are the pure in heart.” And why must I list the clusters that bring about the beatitudes? I examined these things at some length because I wished to understand and to make clear the words, “When the season of the fruits drew near.” ### Scripture references - Matt 21:34: quotation, high confidence - Jer 31:30 (38:30 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ezek 18:2: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 5:22: allusion, high confidence - Matt 5:3: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:4: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 5:8: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:33–34; Jer 31:29–30 (38:29–30 LXX; Ezek 18:2); Gal 5:22–23; Matt 5:3–9. “Ripening” renders a word garbled in the scan (perhaps περκάζουσαν). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.8 (PG 13:1501a–1504b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-8). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.9 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-9 - Source: PG 13:1504b–1505d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: God alone knows when each soul’s season of fruit has come; the servants sent for the fruit are the prophets, whom Israel’s leaders beat, killed, and stoned. ### Greek text Τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου δέ ἐστι καὶ τῆς θείας ἐπιστήμης αὐτοῦ εἰδέναι τὸν ἑκάστου τῶν ἀνθρώπων καιρὸν πότε ἧγγισε, πότε ἔτι πόρρω ἐστὶν ὁ καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, ἐὰν ἐπὶ πλεῖον ὲπιστήσωμεν συγκρίνοντες τὸν χρόνον ἐξ οῦ ὲκλήθημεν τῷ παντὶ χρόνῳ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν, δυνησόμεθα όρᾷν πῶς τινες, ὥσπερ ι ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχουσι διδάσκεσθαι τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῶν λογίων τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι Οὕτως ὀφείλοντες τινες ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκονομίας, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν κλῆσιν ἁπάντων, ἢδη φέρειν τοὺς καρποὺς, ἦ πάντως οὐκ ἔχουσι μὲν, ἀκαίρως δὲ κυπρίζοντας, καὶ οὐκ ὲν καιρῷ ὀμφακίζοντας. Εἰ νενόηται σοι δὴ καθʼ ἕκαστον, πῶς δεῖ ἐκλαμβάνειν τό · ε Ὅτε δὲ ἤγγισεν ὁ καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν, ι μετάβα εἰ δύνασαι τῷ λόγῳ ἐπὶ τοὺς παραλαβόντας διὰ Μωῦσέως τὸν νόμον, ὅτι κάκείνων ἧγγισέ ποτε ὁ καιρὸς τῶν καρπῶν, καὶ ἀπέστειλε τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους πρὸς τοὺς γεωργοὺς τοὺς πρώτους, ι πιστευθέντας τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ ὲν ἑκάστῳ ἀμπελῶνος. Εὐχερὲς μὲν οῦν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι δούλους λέγει τοὺς προφήτας ο ἀλλὰ ζητητέον πῶς ἁποστέλλονται πρὸς τοὺς γεωργοὺς λαβεῖν τοὺς τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος καρπούς εἴποι γάρ ἂν τις, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ λαβεῖν ἀποστέλλονται τοὺς καρποὺς οἱ προφῆται, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ γεωργῆσαι μᾶλλον καὶ συνεργῆσαι τοῖς καρποῖς. Ὅρα οὖν εί δυνάμεθα λέγειν τά πνευματικά καρπώματα, καὶ τὰς Θείας προσφορὰς δίδοσθαι ἀπὸ τῶν γεωργησάντων τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τοῖς ἀποστελλομένοις δούλοις, ἴνα προσαγάγωσιν ὡς ἱερεῖς τῷ Θεῷ τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ προσφέροντος, ἀλλά λαβόντες οἱ γεωργοὶ ὲν τῷ λαῷ, τοὺς ἀποσταλέντας δούλους λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ὃν μὲν ἔδειραν, ὡς ι τὸν Μιχαίαν ἐπάταξεν εἰς τὴν σιαγόνα Σεδεκίας υίὸς Χαναὰν, ι ὅτε καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ προφητεύσαντι ό ψευδοπροφήτης· ι Ποῖον πνεῦμα Κυρίου τὸ λαλῆσαν ὲν σοί; ι ὃν δὲ ἀπέκτειναν, ὡς Ζαχαρίαν μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ο ὃν δὲ ἐλιθοβόλησαν ὡς τὸν Ἀζαρίαν υίδν τοῦ ἰωαδαὲ τὸν ἱερέα, καθάπερ γέγραπται ὲν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων· ι ἡνίκα γάρ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐνέδυσε τδν Ἀζαρίαν τὸν τοῦ Ἰωαδαὲ τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ ἀνέστη ἐπάνω τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν ' Τάδε λέγει Κύριος · Τί παραπορεύεσθε τάς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου; Καὶ οὐκ εὐοδωθήσεσθε ὃτι ἐγκατελίπετε τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἐγκαταλείψει ὑμᾶς. Ἐπὲθεντο αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐλιθοβόλησαν αὐτὸν διʼ ἐντολῆς Ίωάς τοῦ βασιλέως, ὲν αὐλῇ οἴκου Κυρίου. Καὶ οὐκ ἐμνήσθη Ίωάς τοῦ ἐλέους, οὗ ἐποίησε μετʼ αὐτοῦ Ἰωαδαὲ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθανάτωσε τὸν υίδν αὑτοῦ. Καὶ ὡς ἀπέθνησκεν, εἶπεν· Ἰδοι Κύριος, καὶ κρινάτω. ι ### English translation (Claude) It belongs to the householder and to his divine knowledge to know each person’s season: when it has drawn near, and when the season of the fruits is still far off. And we too, if we consider more closely, comparing the time since we were called with the whole time of our faith, will be able to see how some, “though by this time they ought to be teachers, need again to be taught what are the elements of the oracles of God.” So some who ought, in proportion to the time of God’s dispensation and of everything connected with their calling, to be bearing fruit already, have none at all, but blossom out of season and grow unripe grapes at the wrong time. If, then, you have understood how “When the season of the fruits drew near” is to be taken of each individual, transfer the account, if you can, to those who received the law through Moses: for them too the season of the fruits once drew near, and he sent his servants to the first tenants, who had been “entrusted with the oracles of God,” to receive the fruits of the vineyard in each of them. It is easy to say that he calls the prophets servants; but we must ask how they are sent to the tenants to receive the fruits of the vineyard. For someone might say that the prophets are sent not to receive the fruits, but rather to cultivate and to help the fruits along. See, then, whether we can say that the spiritual first fruits and the divine offerings are given by those who have cultivated the vineyard to the servants who are sent, so that they, as priests, may bring to God the fruits of the one who offers. But the tenants among the people took the servants sent to receive the fruits of the vineyard, and beat one, as “Zedekiah son of Chenaanah struck Micaiah on the cheek,” when the false prophet also said to him after he had prophesied, “What kind of Spirit of the Lord spoke in you?”; killed another, as Zechariah between the temple and the altar; and stoned another, as Azariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, as is written in the second book of Chronicles: “For when the Spirit of God clothed Azariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood up above the people and said, Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord? You will not prosper; because you have forsaken the Lord, he will forsake you, they set upon him and stoned him by command of King Joash in the court of the house of the Lord. And Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada his father had shown him, and he put his son to death. And as he was dying he said, May the Lord see and judge.” ### Scripture references - Heb 5:12: quotation, high confidence - Rom 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:34: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:35: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 22:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 23:35: allusion, high confidence - 2 Chr 24:20: quotation, high confidence - 2 Chr 24:21: quotation, high confidence - 2 Chr 24:22: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Heb 5:12; Rom 3:2; Matt 21:34–35; 1 Kgs 22:24 (3 Kgdms 22:24 LXX); Matt 23:35; 2 Chr 24:20–22. In the Greek Bible the priest of 2 Chr 24:20 is called Azariah; the English Bible calls him Zechariah son of Jehoiada. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.9 (PG 13:1504b–1505d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-3/#p-17-9). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.10 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-10 - Source: PG 13:1505d–1508c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: “They will respect my son” was not a mistaken prediction: the tenants did inwardly respect the Son, recognizing him as the heir, even though they did not act on it. ### Greek text Ἑξῆς ἐστιν ὲν τῇ παραβολῇ, ὅτι t πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους πλείονας τῶν πρώτων, καὶ ἐποίησαν αὐτοῖς ὡσαύτως. ι Πλήρης δὲ ὴ Γραφή ἐστι τῶν συμβεβηκότων τοῖς προφήταις, οὓς ἀπέστειλεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ, ῐνα τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν ἀναφέρωσιν, ὡς ἅγιοι ἱερεῖς, τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν. ’Υστερον δὲ ἀπέστειλε τὸν Υἱὸν αὑτοῦ μετὰ τοὺς προφήτας τόν Χριστόν. Ζητήσεις δὲ πῶς 6 ἀποστέλλων τὸν Υἱὺν λέγει μέν· ι Ἐντραπήσονται τὸν Υἱόν μου, ι ὡς οὐ προκαταλαβὼν δὲ τδ μέλλον αὐτῷ συμβαίνειν, τοῦτο εἶπεν· οὐ γὰρ φαίνονται κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν ἐντραπέντες αὖ τόν. Καὶ φάσκειν γε ὲν τούτοις μὴ προεγνωκέναι τὸ μέλλον τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ ἀποσταλέντος Υιοῦ, ἀλλά ἐψεῦσθαι ἄλλα εἰπόντα ἄλλων γενομένων, ἀσεβές· πάλιν τε αὖ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐνετράπησαν αὑτὸν οἱ γεωργοὶ, παρά τὴν ἐνάργειάν ἐστινʼ ι Οἱ γὰρ γεωργοὶ, ἰδόντες τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, εἷπον ὲν ἑαυτοῖς· Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 κλῃρονόμος, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὀ μὲν οὖν τις εἰς ταῦτα φήσει, ὅτι ἀναγκαῖον συμβῆναι τό· ι Ἐντραπήσονται τὸν Υἱόν μου, ι εἰ καὶ μὴ τότε συμβέβηκεν· ὁ δέ τις ἐρεῖ, ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν 6 Πατὴρ πέμπων τὸν Υἰόν· Λήψεται ό Υἱός μου τὸν καρπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν γεωργῶν, ἀλλʼ ὃτι ι ἐντραπήσονται· ι ἐνετράπησαν μὲν γὰρ τῷ ἐγνωκέναι, ὅτι οὗτος 6 Υἱὸς ἦν, καὶ εἰρηκέναι αὐτοὺς ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὅτι, ι Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 κληρονόμος. ι οὐ πάντως δὲ εἰ ὲνετράπησαν καὶ κατᾶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὲπλήχθησαν, ήδη καὶ τά τῶν ἐντρεπομένων πεποιήκασιν. ### English translation (Claude) Next in the parable is that “again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did the same to them.” The Scripture is full of what happened to the prophets whom he sent on behalf of the people, so that, as holy priests, they might offer up the people’s fruit to God through their prayers. Later, after the prophets, he sent his Son, Christ. You will ask how the one who sends the Son says, “They will respect my son,” as though he said this without foreseeing what would happen to him; for according to the letter they plainly did not respect him. To say in this connection that the Father of the Son who was sent did not foreknow the future, but was deceived, saying one thing while another happened, is impious; and again, to say that the tenants respected him is against the plain evidence: “For the tenants, seeing his son, said among themselves, This is the heir,” and so on. One person, then, will say about this that “They will respect my son” had necessarily to come to pass, even if it did not come to pass then. Another will say that the Father, in sending the Son, did not say, “My son will receive the fruit from the tenants,” but that “they will respect him”; and they did respect him, in that they recognized that this was the Son and said among themselves, “This is the heir.” But it does not at all follow that, if they respected him and were struck at the beginning, they also did what people do who respect someone. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:37: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:38: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations: Matt 21:36–38. Origen rejects as impious the view that the Father failed to foresee the Son’s death. The first word of the last sentence is garbled in the scan (probably οὐ, “not”), and is translated so. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.10 (PG 13:1505d–1508c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-10). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.11 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-11 - Source: PG 13:1508c–1512a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Like Herod, who believed Jesus was the Christ yet tried to kill him, the leaders recognized the heir and still killed him, and then unwittingly pronounced their own sentence. ### Greek text Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ζητήσει τις, τίνες οὗτοι οἱ γεωργοὶ οἱ εἰπόντες· ι Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 κληρονόμος, δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν· ι οὐ γὰρ φαίνονται Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτείναντες αὐτὸν ὼς Υἰὸν τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου. Καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ φήσει τις, ὅτι, ἡνίκα διελάλουν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὅστις εἴη, τινὲς εἶπον, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν 6 Χριστός ° πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίναντο ἄλλοι· ι ’0 Χριστὸς ὅταν ἔρχηται, οὐδεὶς γινώσκει πόθεν ἐστί ’ τοῦτον δὲ οἶδαμεν πόθεν ἐστίν · ι εἴτʼ ἐπεὶ, ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων, καὶ τῶν τεραστίων, καὶ θείων δυνάμεων πληττόμενα, ἐφρόνουν μὲν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐχ ὡμολόγουν δὲ, καὶ ἀληθὲς ἦν τόο ι Ἐντραπήσονται τὸν Υἰόν μου· ι ἀληθὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ, ἀπεγνωκότων αὐτῶν, ὅτι εἴη 6 Υἱὸς, λελέχθαι· ι Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 κληρονόμος, δεῦτε, ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτόν · ι διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ· ι Κάμὲ οἴδατε, καὶ οἴδατε πόθεν εἰμί. ι Ἐπιστήσας δέ τις τοῖς ἀναγεγραμμένοις περί τοῦ Ἡρώδου, ἡνίκα ἔμαθεν ἀπὸ τῶν μάγων τετάχθαι τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὄψεται, ὅτι δύνανται οἱ ἀποκτείναντες τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἐγνωκότες ὅτι τίς εἴη, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπιβεβουλευκέναι αὐτῷ· καὶ γὰρ 6 Ἡρώδης, μαθὼν ἀπὸ τῶν γραμματέων, ὃτι ἐν Βηθλεὲμ γεννᾶται 6 Χριστὸς, καὶ συγκαταθέμενος, ὅτι Χριστὸς εἴη ὁ γενόμενος, ἀποστέλλει μὲν αὐτοὺς, λέγωνʼ σ Πορευθέντες ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσατε περὶ τοῦ παιδίου, ἵνα κάγὼ ἐλθὼν προσκυνήσω αὐτῷʼ ι οὐδὲν δʼ ἧττον ἐπανελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐπεβούλευσε τῷ παιδίῳ, οὐκ ἀπιστῶν, ὅτι 6 Χριστὸς ἦν · οὐκ ἂν γὰρ, πάντη ἀπιστῶν, ι πάντα τὰ παιδία ἀνεῖλε τὰ ὲν Βηθλεὲμ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς, ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ὴκρίβωσε παρὰ τῶν μάγων omne καὶ ἐπίστευσεν αὑτὸν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν προφητευόμενον, καὶ ἐβούλετο αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι, καὶ τὸ ὅσον γε ἐφʼ ἐαυτῷ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. Οὕτως οὖν δύνανται καὶ οἱ ἐπιβουλεύσαντες τῷ Σωτῆρι εἰρηκέναι μὲν, οὐχ ὥστε δὲ εἰς ἄλλους φθάσαι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, ι ἐν ἑαυτοῖς γὰρ εἶπον · Οὗτός ἐστιν 6 κληρονόμος, ι οὐδὲν ἦττον αὑτὸν ἀνῃρηκέναι. ᾠήθησαν γὰρ, ἀποκτείναντες τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ μὴ νοοῦντες αὑτοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ( ι εί γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν) αὐτοὶ κύριοι ἔσεσθαι τῶν πραγμάτων, ἐπεὶ ἀπετύφλωσεν αὐτοὺς ἡ κακία αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν μυστήρια Θεοῦ, καὶ ὡς μὴ ἐγνωκότες αὐτὰ ι ἐξέβαλον ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ι τὸν Υίὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέκτειναν ι αὐτόν. Τὸ δέ· ι Ἐξέβαλον ι αὑτὸν ι ἔξω τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, ι τοιοῦτον εἷναί μοι φαίνεται, τὸ, ὅσον ἐφʼ ἐαυτοῖς, ἀλλότριον αὑτὸν εἶναι ἔκριναν καὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος καὶ τῶν γεωργῶν ἡνίκα κατεψηφίζοντο αὑτοῦ τὴν πρὸς θάνατον ψῆφον. Καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις 6 Σωτὴρ πυνθάνεται τῶν καὶ αὐτῶν γεωργῶν πονηρῶν, λέγων αὐτοῖς· ι Ὅταν οὖν ἐλθῃ 6 Κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, τί ποιήσει τοῖς γεωργοῖς ἐκείνοις ; ι Oi δὲ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὑτῶν κριθησόμενοι καὶ καταδικασθησόμενοι, ὡς κακοὶ κακῶς ἀπολούμενοι, καὶ μηκέτι μέλλοντες ἔχειν τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, τό οι Κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσει αὐτούς, καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐκδώσεται ἄλλοις γεωργοῖς, οἵτινες ἀποδώσουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς καρποὺς ὲν τοῖς καιροῖς αὐτῶν ο ι καὶ οίονεὶ προφητεύουσιν ὁμοίως τῷ Καιάφα τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, καὶ ἀφʼ ἑαυτῶν ### English translation (Claude) At the same time someone will ask who these tenants are who said, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him”; for the Jews do not appear to have killed him as the son of the householder. To this someone will reply that, when they were discussing among themselves who he might be, some said, “This is the Christ,” to whom others answered, “When the Christ comes, no one knows where he is from; but we know where this man is from.” Then, since, struck by the signs and wonders and divine powers, they thought that he was the Christ of God, but did not confess it, both “They will respect my son” was true, and it was also true that, having recognized that he was the Son, they said, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him.” For this reason the Saviour says, “You know me, and you know where I am from.” Whoever considers what is written about Herod, when he learned from the magi that the king of the Jews had been appointed, will see that those who killed the Saviour could have known who he was and nonetheless have plotted against him. For Herod, having learned from the scribes that the Christ is born in Bethlehem, and agreeing that the one who had been born was the Christ, sends them off, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, so that I too may come and worship him”; and none the less, when they had gone home, he plotted against the child, not disbelieving that he was the Christ. For had he disbelieved altogether, he would not have “killed all the children in Bethlehem and in all its region, from two years old and under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the magi”; but he believed him to be the prophesied Christ, and wished to kill him, and, as far as lay in him, did kill him. So too those who plotted against the Saviour could have said it — though not so that their word reached others, “for they said among themselves, This is the heir” — and none the less have put him to death. For when they had killed Christ, not understanding his resurrection (“for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”), they thought that they themselves would be masters of affairs, since their wickedness had blinded them and they did not know the mysteries of God; and, as not knowing them, “they cast” his Son “out of the vineyard and killed” him. “They cast him out of the vineyard” seems to me to mean this: as far as lay in them, they judged him to be alien both to the vineyard and to the tenants, when they passed against him the sentence of death. Upon this the Saviour asks these same wicked tenants, saying to them, “When, then, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” And they say to him, to be judged and condemned out of their own mouth, as wretches who would perish wretchedly and would no longer have the oracles of God: “He will put those wretches to a wretched death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.” And they prophesy, as it were, like Caiaphas, the high priest of that year, and from themselves … ### Scripture references - Matt 21:38: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:39: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:40: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:41: quotation, high confidence - John 7:26: allusion, high confidence - John 7:27: quotation, high confidence - John 7:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 2:4: allusion, high confidence - Matt 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 2:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:8: quotation, high confidence - John 11:51: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:38–41; John 7:26–28; Matt 2:2–16; 1 Cor 2:8; John 11:49–51. The section breaks off in mid-sentence (“and from themselves …”); the rest of the sentence is lost in the scan or lies across the boundary with the next section, which begins a new sentence. Origen’s statement about the responsibility of Jesus’ opponents is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.11 (PG 13:1508c–1512a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-11). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.12 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-12 - Source: PG 13:1512a–1513c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, became the head of the corner uniting the two Testaments; the kingdom was only “let out” to Israel but is “given” to the nation that bears its fruit. ### Greek text Εἷτα ό Σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς αὐτοὺς δυσωπεῖ, νομίζοντας εἶναι καὶ οἰκοδόμους τοῦ λαοῦ, ὅτι λίθον αὑτὸν ὄντα καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθέντα ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ό Πατὴρ θήσει τῆς ὅλης οἰκοδομῆς κεφαλὴν. συνέχοντα δύο γωνίας Παλαιᾶς καὶ Καινῆς Διαθήκης, καὶ δύο λαῶν οἰκοδομάς· τοιοῦτον γάρ ἐστι τό · ι Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὲν ταῖς Γραφαῖς · Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη είς κεφαλὴν γωνίας; Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, καὶ ἔστι θαυμαστὴ ὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν. ι Κεῖται δὲ ἡ λέξις ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ ἑπτακαιδεκάτῳ ψαλμῷ, ὃς ἐστι πρὸ τοῦ πολυστιχωτάτου ψαλμοῦ τεταγμένος, καὶ ἔχει οὕτως τὸ ῥητόν · ι Λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οί οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη είς κεφαλὴν γωνίας. Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη, καὶ ἔστι θαυμαστὴ ὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν. Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα ἣν ἐποίησεν ό Κύριος, ἀγαλλιασώμεθα, καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ὲν αὐτῇ · ι καὶ εί τι ἄλλο τῶν περὶ Χριστοῦ προφητευομένων δύναται δυσωπῆσαι τδν εὐγνωμόνως ἐξετάζοντα τὰ γεγραμμένα, καὶ τοῦτο ὲν αὐτοῖς ἂν ταχθείη. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ περὶ λίθου ὀ προφήτης ἁναισθήτου ταῦτα λέγει, ὡς εἴποι τις ἂν ἠλίθιος ἀνὴρ, δῆλον ἂν εῐη, ὃτι ὁ ἀποδεδοκιμασμένος ὑπὸ τῶν ὲν τῷ λαῷ ἐκείνῳ σοφῶν, καὶ ἁρχιερέων, καὶ πρεσβυτέρων, καὶ γραμματέων Ἰησοῦς, οὗτος ἀληθῶς ἐγένετο ὡς κεφαλὴ Ἐκκλησίας είς κεφαλὴν γωνίας, ἑνῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνάγων τὰς δύο Διαθήκας. Καὶ ἐστιν αῦτη ἡ κεφαλὴ, δῶρον Κυρίου τῇ ὅλῃ οἰκοδομῇ δεδομένη, καὶ θαυμαστὴ κεφαλὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, δυναμένων αὐτὴν βλέπειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ ἀπεδοκίμασαν oi οἰκοδομοῦντες τοῦτον τδν λίθον, ἤρθη μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν γεωργῶν ὲκείνων, καὶ τῶν οἰκοδόμων ἐκείνων τὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὲν οἷς ἦν ὴ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ · ἐδόθη δὲ ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς. Εἰ δὲ ἀληθὲς τό· ι Δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ι ιὸιὸ δηλονότι οὐδενὶ τῶν μὴ ποιούντων τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείας δίδοται ή τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλεία ’ οὐδενὶ γὰρ βασιλευομένῳ ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτιας δίδοται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλεία. Ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις, πῶς, εἰ μηδενὶ δίδοται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλεία τῷ μὴ ποιοῦντι τοῦς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ἐδόθη ή τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλεία ἐκεινοις ἀφʼ ὧν ἤρθη, κατά τὸ εἰρημένον· ι Ἀρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ; »Καὶ πρόσχες εἰ δυνάμεθα, ὡς ἐν τηλικαύτῃ δυσχερίᾳ οὕτως ού πάνυ τι εὐαποδότου προβλήματος, ἐπιστήσαντες τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν εἰρημένων περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος πρότερον, καὶ περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ δεύτερον, ἐπιλύσασθαι τὸ ζητούμενον. Οὐκ εἴρηται δὴ περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ὅπερ εἴρηται περὶ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ ° περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος κατά τὸ πρότερον γέγραπται, ὅτι ἐξέδοτο αὑτὸν γεωργοῖς περὶ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς. Ἦν δʼ ἂν ἄλυτον τὸ κατά τὸν τόπον, ει, ῶσπερ ς Ἐξέδοτο αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς, ι γεγραμμένον ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου, οὕτως εἴρητο καὶ περὶ τοῦ δευτέρου,‹ Ἐκδοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς ο ο καὶ εξ, ῶσπερ εἴρηται περὶ τῶν δευτέρων· ι Καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς, ι εἴρητο καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων, ὅτι ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡμεῖς εἰς τὸν τόπον ἐπηπορήσαμεν, καὶ τὸ φανὲν ἡμῖν εἰρήκαμεν· ὁ δὲ βέλτιον δυνάμενος καὶ νοεῖν καὶ λέγειν, ἐκεῖνος ήμῶν μᾶλλον ἀκουέσθω. ### English translation (Claude) Then, upon this, the Saviour puts them to shame from the Scripture, since they thought themselves to be the builders of the people too: he, being a stone rejected by them, the Father will make the head of the whole building, holding together two corners, the Old and the New Testament, and the buildings of two peoples. For this is the meaning of: “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes?” The text stands in the hundred and seventeenth psalm, which is placed before the psalm with the most verses, and the passage runs thus: “The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” And if any other of the prophecies about Christ can put to shame one who examines what is written with fair judgment, this too may be ranked among them. For if the prophet does not say these things about a senseless stone, as a foolish man might claim, it would be plain that Jesus, who was rejected by the wise men of that people, and by the chief priests and elders and scribes, truly became, as head of the church, the head of the corner, uniting the two Testaments and bringing them together. And this head is a gift of the Lord given to the whole building, and a head marvellous in our eyes, since we are able to see it. And for this reason, since the builders rejected this stone, the oracles of God, in which was the kingdom of God, were taken away from those tenants and those builders, and were given to a nation producing its fruits. But if “It will be given to a nation producing its fruits” is true, then plainly the kingdom of God is given to none of those who do not produce the fruits of the kingdom of God; for the kingdom of God is given to no one who is ruled by sin. But someone will say: if the kingdom of God is given to no one who does not produce its fruits, how was the kingdom of God given to those from whom it was taken away, according to the saying, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you”? Consider whether, in so great a difficulty, a problem not at all easy to resolve, we can solve the question by attending to the difference between what is said first about the vineyard and second about the kingdom of God. What is said about the vineyard is not what is said about the kingdom of God: for about the vineyard it is written, in the first place, that he let it out to tenants, but about the kingdom of God, that it will be given to a nation producing its fruits. The passage would have been insoluble if, as “He let it out to tenants” is written of the first, so it had been said of the second, “It will be let out to a nation producing its fruits”; and if, as it is said of the second, “And it will be given to a nation producing its fruits,” it had also been said of the first that he gave it to tenants. These are the difficulties we have raised about the passage, and we have said what appeared to us; but let one who is better able both to understand and to speak be heard rather than us. ### Scripture references - Matt 21:42: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:22 (117:22 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:23 (117:23 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 118:24 (117:24 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Eph 2:20: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 2:14: allusion, low confidence - Rom 6:12: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:42–43; Ps 118:22–24 (117:22–24 LXX; Origen notes that it stands just before the longest psalm, Ps 119 [118 LXX]); Eph 2:14–20; Rom 6:12. Origen’s contrast between the vineyard “let out” to Israel and the kingdom “given” to the Gentiles is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.12 (PG 13:1512a–1513c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-12). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.13 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-13 - Source: PG 13:1513c–1517b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The leaders could not seize Jesus because of the crowds; unlike them, the bride of the Song seeks and holds him rightly, and no opponent can seize or overturn the mind of Christ. ### Greek text ι Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦ, ἔγνωσαν ὅτι περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει. Καὶ ζητοῦντες κρατῆσαι αὐτὸν, ἐφοβήθησαν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἐπεὶ εἰς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον. ι Ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦ, ὧν τῆς μὲν ἑτέρας ἀρχὴ ἦν· ι ’Ἄνθρωπός τις εἶχε τέκνα δύοʼ ι τῆς δὲ λοιπῆς · ι Ἀνθρωπος ἦν οἰκοδεσπότης, ὃς ἐφύτευσεν ἀμπελῶνα, ι ἔγνωσαν ὃτι περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει κατά μὲν τὴν ἑτέραν παραβολὴν, ὅτι εἶπεν ὁ δεύτερος υἱός· ‹ Ἐγὼ, κύριε, καὶ οὐκ ἀπῆλθεν ι κατὰ δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν, ὅτι, ἐπεὶ εἴρηται αῦτη κατὰ τὰ λελεγμένα κατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων προτέρων γεωργῶν, τό· ι Ἀρθήσεται ἀφʼ ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς· ι καὶ γνόντες, ὅτι περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει, ἐζήτησαν μὲν αὑτὸν κρατῆσαι. καὶ ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ ὃ τί ποτʼ ἀν δυνηθῶσιν· οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν δὲ, ἐπεὶ μὴ οἷοί τε ἦσαν ὑπομεῖναι ὄχλων ὁρμὴν τῶν ἑχόντων τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἱς προφήτην. Καὶ. ὅσοι γε ἐπιβουλευτικῶς βούλονται κρατῆσαι τὸν Λόγον, ἵνʼ ὠς κεκρατημένον παρʼ αὐτοῖς καθέλωσιν αὑτὸν, οὗτοι οὐκ ἄν ποτε κρατήσαιεν αὐτοῦ, τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ὄχλων προφήτην τινὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτὸν ὑπολαμβανόντων, περισπώντων τοὺς βουλομένους αὐτὸν κρατεῖν καὶ ἐπιβουλεῦσαι αὐτῷ. Μετά ταῦτα ἰστέον, ὅτι τῶν ζητοῦντων κρατεῖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν διαφοραί εἰσιν· ἄλλως γὰρ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ oi Φαρισαῖοι ἐζήτουν κρατῆσαι αὐτὸν, ἄλλως ἡ ὲν τῷ ’ᾼσματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων νύμφη ζητήσασα αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀναστᾶσα, καὶ κυκλοῦσα ἐν πόλει, ὲν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς, καὶ ὲν ταῖς πλατείαις, μόγις ποτὲ εὗρεν αὐτὸν, ὅτε μικρὸν παρῆλθε τοὺς τηροῦντας καὶ κυκλοῦντας ὲν τῇ πόλει, καί εὑροῦσα ἐκράτησεν, ὅτε καὶ λέγειʼ ι Ἐκράτησα αὑτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσω αὐτὸν, ἓως οὗ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον μητρός μου, καὶ εἰς ταμιεῖον τῆς συλλαβούσης με. ι Ἀλλά καὶ αὑτὴ ἠ νύμφη κατʼ ἀρχὰς μὲν τοῦ ’ᾼσματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων, ι ’Ἐκράτησα, ι φησὶν, ι αὐτὸν εἰς οἷκον μητρός μου, καὶ είς ταμιεῖον τῆς συλλαβούσης με ’ ι πρὸς δὲ τῷ τέλει τοῦ αὐτοῦ βιβλίου, ὼς προκύψασα, καὶ ἑτέρως αὐτὸν μέλλουσα κρατεῖν, καὶ βέλτιον παρὰ τὸ πρότερον, φησιν· ι Εἷπα, Ἀναβήσομαι ὲν τῷ φοίνικι, τῶν eq,th αὑτοῦ. ι Ἰνα δὲ νοήσῃς τοὺς ζητοῦντας αὑτὸν κρατῆσαι ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ Φαρισαίους, καὶ μὴ κρατοῦντας αὑτὸν, κατανόησον, ὅτι ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ’ἄλλων παρά τὸν Χριστοῦ λόγον λόγων οἷόν τὲ ἐστι κρατῆσαι, καὶ περιδράξασθαι τοῦ νοῦ τῶν ὁτιποτοῦν δογματισάντων, καὶ τεθεωρημένως ἀνατρέψαι αὐτὸν, καί, ὡς ἠ Γραφὴ ὠνόμασε, συμβιβάσαι* οὕτω γὰρ ὁ κατά τὸ Εὐαγγὲλιον, σοφὸς, ὡς ι πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνων πάντα, αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπʼ οῦδενδς ἀνακρινόμενος, ι ἀνακρίνει μὲν, καὶ βασανίζει καὶ διελέγχει τοὺς ἄλλους λόγους, εἴτε τῶν τοῦ κόσμου σοφῶν, εἴτε τῶν ὲν ταῖς αἱρέσεσι διαπρέπειν δοκούντων· οὐ κατακρίνεται δὲ, οὐδὲ καταλαμβάνεται ό ὲν αὐτῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ νοῦς, οὐδὲ κρατεῖται ὑπὸ τῶν προθεμένων αὐτὸν ἀνατρέπειν· ι Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβἀσει αύτόν; ι Καὶ σαφὲς, ὅτι, εἴπερ μέλλει τις συμβιβάσαι τινὸς νοῦν πρότερον αὐτὸν γνώσεται, καὶ μετά τοῦτο συμβιβάσει· ι Νοῦν δὲ Κυρίου τίς γνώσεται, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν; ι ἁλώσεται γὰρ ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ καὶ εἴξει αὐτῷ. Καὶ ταῦτα δέ μοι λελέχθω διὰ τό · ι Καὶ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν κρατῆσαι, ἐφοβήθησαν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἐπεὶ καὶ εἰς προφήτην αὑτὸν εἶχον. ι ### English translation (Claude) “And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And though they sought to seize him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.” The chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables — one of which began, “A certain man had two children,” and the other, “There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard” — and knew that he was speaking about them: according to the first parable, because the second son said, “I go, lord,” and did not go; according to the other, because, in keeping with what had been said against the former, sinning tenants, this was said: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruits.” And knowing that he was speaking about them, they sought to seize him and to do to him whatever they could; but they could not, since they were unable to withstand the onrush of the crowds, who held Jesus to be a prophet. And those who wish with treacherous intent to seize the Word, so that, having him in their grip, they may destroy him, could never seize him, since the crowds on his side, who take him to be a prophet of God, draw away those who wish to seize him and to plot against him. Next, it must be known that there are differences among those who seek to seize Jesus. In one way the chief priests and the Pharisees sought to seize him; in another way the bride in the Song of Songs sought him, and rose, and went about in the city, in the marketplaces and in the streets, and at last, with difficulty, found him, when she had gone a little past the watchmen who go about in the city; and having found him she held him fast, when she also says, “I held him and will not let him go, until I have brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her who conceived me.” But this same bride, in the earlier part of the Song of Songs, says, “I held him … into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her who conceived me”; while toward the end of the same book, as one who has made progress and is about to hold him in another and a better way than before, she says, “I said, I will go up into the palm tree, … its heights.” That you may understand that the chief priests and Pharisees who sought to seize him did not seize him, consider that with doctrines other than the word of Christ it is possible to seize and to grasp the meaning of those who have taught anything whatever, and to overturn it with understanding, and, as Scripture has called it, to “instruct” it. For in this way the one who is wise according to the Gospel, as “the spiritual person who discerns all things, but is himself discerned by no one,” discerns and tests and refutes the other doctrines, whether of the wise of this world or of those who seem to excel in the heresies; but the mind of Christ in him is not condemned, nor caught, nor seized by those who set out to overturn it. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct him?” And it is plain that, if anyone is going to instruct someone’s mind, he will first know it, and after this instruct it; “but who will know the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct him?” For it would be caught by him and would yield to him. Let these things be said by me because of the words, “And seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.” ### Scripture references - Matt 21:45: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:46: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:28: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:30: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:33: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:43: quotation, high confidence - Song 3:1: allusion, high confidence - Song 3:2: allusion, high confidence - Song 3:3: allusion, high confidence - Song 3:4: quotation, high confidence - Song 7:8 (7:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:15: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:16: quotation, high confidence - Isa 40:13: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 21:45–46; Matt 21:28–30, 33, 43; Song 3:1–4; Song 7:8 (7:9 LXX); 1 Cor 2:15–16; Isa 40:13. Origen quotes Song 3:4 twice, the second time as from “the earlier part” of the Song; a word or two of the second quotation and of the quotation of Song 7:8 (“I will take hold of its heights”) are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.13 (PG 13:1513c–1517b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-13). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.14 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-14 - Source: PG 13:1517c–1524d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The crowds rightly but inadequately held Jesus to be a prophet; he is the Son and Wisdom of God, and those who teach falsely about him, though they gather in his name, scatter. ### Greek text Πλὴν, κᾶν εύφημῶσιν οί ὄχλοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, φρονοῦσι μέν τι περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀληθὲς, ού μὴν τὸ μέγεθος συνιᾶσιν αὐτοῦʼ ἦν μὲν γάρ Ἰησοῦς καὶ προφήτης, ὡς δῆλον τῷ νοήσαντι τό· ι Προφήτην ὲκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ἀναστήσει ύμῖν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐμέ· αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε κατά πάντα ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ ό προφήτης ἐκεῖνος. Ὃς δʼ ἂν μὴ ἀκούσῃ τοῦ προφήτου ὲκείνου, ὲξολοθρευθήσεται. ι Πλὴν οὐχ ἠ ὑπεροχὴ αὑτοῦ ὲν τῷ προφήτην αὑτὸν εἶναι ἦν, ἀλλʼ ὲν τῷ Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, ι πρωτότοκον πάσης κτίσεως, καὶ εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, ὲν ᾧ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε ὁρατὰ, εῐτε ἀόρατα, ι καὶ τὰ έξῆςʼ καὶ μᾶλλον ἦν αὑτοῦ ὴ ὑπεροχὴ ὲν τῷ εῗναι αὐτὸν Σοφίαν τὴν λέγουσαν · ι '0 Θεὸς ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὑτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὑτοῦ, πρὸ τοῦ τι ποιῆσαι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέ με ὲν ἀρχῇ πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ τούτους γε τοὺς ὄχλους οὑτως φρονοῦντας περὶ αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἑτοίμως ἔχοντας ὑπερπολεμεῖν αὑτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, φοβοῦνται οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, καὶ οὑ δύνανται, ἶνʼ ἐπιβουλεύσωσι θέλοντες κρατῆσαι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, κρατῆσαι αὑτοῦ. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν γέγραπται· ι Ἐπεὶ είς προφήτην αὑτὸν εἶχον· ι παρὰ τοῦτο δʼ ἂν πιήσαις, ὅτι οί ὄχλοι, κᾶν μὴ τῇ λέξει, είς προφήτην αὑτὸν ἔχωσιν, εἰς ὅ τί ποτʼ ἂν ἔχωσιν αὑτὸν, πολλῷ ἔλαττον ἔχουσιν αὑτὸν οὑ ἐστιν, οὑ φθάνοντες οὔπω ἐπὶ τὴν ὲκ μέρους γνῶσιν τῶν ὲκ μέρους αὑτὸν γινωσκόντων, καὶ οὐδὲν τρανοῦντες περὶ αὑτοῦ. τοῦτο δὲ λέγω περὶ τῶν ἀληθῶς περὶ αὑτοῦ φρονούντων· οὑ νομιστέον γὰρ εἶναι ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ τοὺς τὰ ψεύδη φρονοῦντας περὶ αὑτοῦ, φαντασίᾳ τοῦ δοξάζειν αὐτόν· ὁποῖοί εἰσιν οἱ συγχέοντες Πατρὺς καὶ Υἱοῦ ἔννοιαν, καὶ τῇ ὑποστάσει ἕνα διδόντες εἶναι τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ μόνῃ καὶ τοῖς ὀνόμασι διαιροῦντες τὸ ἓν ὑποκείμενον· καὶ οί ἀπὺ τῶν αἱρέσεων φαντασίᾳ τοῦ μεγάλα περὶ αὑτοῦ φρονεῖν ἀδικίαν είς τὸ ὕψος λαλοῦντες, καὶ κακῶς λέγοντες τὸν Δημιουργὸν, οὐκ είσὶν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦʼ οὑ γάρ εισι μετʼ αὑτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτὸ είσι κατʼ αὐτοῦʼ ι Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ὢν, ι φησὶ, ι μετʼ ἐμοῦ, κατʼ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν. Οὕτω δὲ, κᾶν συνάγωσιν ὀί μὴ τὰ ἀληθῆ περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φρονοῦντες ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ, σκορπίζουσι μᾶλλον ἢ συνάγουσι. Φησὶ γὰρ 6 Σωτήρ· ι Καὶ 6 μὴ συνάγων μετʼ ἐμοῦ, σκορπίζει.» Καὶ πρόσχες, ὃτι μὴ εἴρηται ἁπλῶς· ι ’0 μὴ συνάγων σκορπίζει· ι ἀλλά μετά ἀκριβοῦς προσθήκης τῆς, ι μετʼ ἐμοῦ· ι δεῖ γὰρ τὸν συνάγοντα μετʼ αὐτοῦ συνάγειν. Νοήσεις δὲ τὸν μετʼ αὐτοῦ συνάγοντα, ἐπιστήσας τῷ· ι Συναχθέντων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος, σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ είς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός· ι τὸ γάρ· ι Συναχθέντων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος, σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, i δηλοῖ τὸν συνάγοντα μετʼ αὑτοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἂν λέγοις τό· ι Συναχθέντων ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ,› ἁρμόζειν τοῖς ήτοι μετά τοῦ κακῶς βιοῦν συνάγουσιν, ἦτοι συναγομένοις, ή μετά τοῦ κακῶς καὶ ἀσεβῶς φρονεῖν περὶ Θεοῦ ἢ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα καὶ διὰ τὸ τοὺς ὄχλους φρονοῦντας περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ, καὶ πολλῷ ἔλαττον φρονοῦντας τῆς ἀξίας αὐτοῦ, λέγεσθαι εἰς προφήτην αὐτὸν ἐσχηκέναι. Συνεξετάσας δὲ τούτοις τὴν τοῦ Λουκᾶ περὶ τῶν ὁμοίων λέξιν, τρανότερον, οἴμαι, κατασκευάσεις τά προειρημένα* ὅστις φησι· ι Καὶ ἦν διδάσκων τὸ καθημέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ ἐζήτουν αὑτὸν ἀπολέσαι καὶ ούχ εὕρισκον τί ποιήσουσιν· ὁ γὰρ λαὸς ἅπας ἐξεκρέματο αὐτοῦ ἀκούων· ι καὶ ἐν τούτοις γὰρ δηλοῦται, ὅτι οἱ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν προϊστάμενοι παρανόμως λόγων, ὀνομαζόμενοι ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ γραμματεῖς, ἐχθροὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, ζητοῦσι μὲν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσαι, καὶ ἀφανίσαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ άπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ πίστιν* οὐχ εὑρίσκουσι δὲ τί ποιήσουσιν εις ὅπερ βούλονται ἀνύσαι, ἅτε προληφθέντος παντὸς τοῦ εἰς αὑτὸν πιστεύσαντος λαοῦ, καὶ ἐξηρτημένου τῆς είς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀγάπης, καὶ ἐκκρεμαμένου ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν τῆς διδασκαλίας αύτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ λόγου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐστι γε τοῦτο ἰδεῖν μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο, τίνα τρόπον ζητοῦσι καθελεῖν οί προβαλλόμενοι τὴν θεραπείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς ἀρχιερεῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν ὡς γραμματεῖς, καὶ 0111βΕΝ15 τὸ ἀρχαῖον ὡς οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ, ζητοῦσιν ἀπολέσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐξαφανίσαι τὴν περὶ αὑτοῦ δόξαν, πάντα είς τοῦτο ἀκολούθως τῷ βουλήματι τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν πράττοντες, οὑ μὴν εὑρίσκοντες τί ποιήσουσιν, ἴνα τὸν ἐξηρτημένον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λαὸν ἀποστήσωσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπαλείψωσιν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς διανοίας αὐτῶν. Τάχα δὲ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἡντινοῦν δόξαν ἔχοντες περὶ τοῦ Θείου, καὶ πρεσβεύοντες περὶ αὐτῆς ἀλλοτρίως τῆς Ἰησοῦ διδασκαλίας, ἀπολέσαι μὲν θέλουσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, οὐ δύνανται δὲ, ἐπεὶ πᾶς 6 ὄχλος αὐτοῦ ἐκκρέμαται ἀκούων. Ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ οἱστισινοῦν συγγράμμασιν ἧς δήποτε σοφίας προσέχοντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τροπικῶς λεγόμενοι γραμματεῖς, ἀπολέσαι θέλουσιν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τὸν Ἰησοῦν· οὐ μὴν εὑρίσκουσιν είς τοῦτο ἀνύσιμον 6 ποιήσουσι. Καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τῆς Ἰησοῦ διδασκαλίας λόγοι Ἑλλήνων καὶ βαρβάρων ἀπολέσαι θέλουσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν· ἀλλʼ ού δύνανται, νικώμενοι ἀπὸ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ, Ἰησοῦ ἐκκρεμαμένου τοῦ διδασκάλου, ὲν τῷ ἀκούειν καὶ συναισθάνεσθαι τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Μάρκος δὲ τὰ παραπλήσια ὑποβάλλει λέγων· ι Καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ oi γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐζήτουν πῶς αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν· ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ αὑτὸν, ὃτι πᾶς 6 λαὸς ἐξεπλήσσετο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὑτοῦ.» Πᾶς γάρ 6 λαὸς Χριστοῦ ἐκπλήσσεται ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν δύναται γενέσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν προειρημένων ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων, ζητούντων ἀπολέσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐκλῦσαι τὴν ἔκπληξιν παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὑτοῦ. Περὶ τῶν καλουμένων εις τοὺς γάμους. ### English translation (Claude) Yet even if the crowds speak well of Jesus, and think something true about him, they do not understand his greatness. For Jesus was indeed also a prophet, as is plain to one who has understood: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from among your brothers, like me; you shall listen to him in everything that prophet says. And whoever does not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed.” Yet his superiority did not lie in his being a prophet, but in his being the Son of God, “the firstborn of all creation, and the image of the invisible God, in whom all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,” and so on; and still more did his superiority lie in his being the Wisdom who says, “God created me as the beginning of his ways for his works; before he made anything, and before the age, he founded me in the beginning, before he made the earth,” and so on. And these crowds, who thought thus of him and were ready to fight for him against those who fought him, the chief priests and the Pharisees fear; and, though they wish to seize Jesus in order to plot against him, they cannot seize him. Here, then, it is written, “Because they held him to be a prophet”; but from this you may observe that the crowds, even if they do not hold him to be a prophet in so many words, whatever they hold him to be, hold him to be far less than he is, since they have not yet attained even the partial knowledge of those who know him in part, and state nothing clearly about him. And this I say about those who think truly about him; for those who think falsely about him must not be considered to be on his side, under a pretence of glorifying him. Such are those who confuse the conception of the Father and the Son, and grant that the Father and the Son are one in hypostasis, dividing the one subject by conception alone and by names; and those from the heresies who, under a pretence of thinking great things about him, “speak unrighteousness on high” and speak evil of the Creator, are not on his side; for they are not with him, and for this reason they are against him: “For whoever is not with me,” he says, “is against me.” So too, even if those who do not think truly about the Son gather in the name of Jesus, they scatter rather than gather; for the Saviour says, “And whoever does not gather with me scatters.” And notice that it is not said simply, “Whoever does not gather scatters,” but with the precise addition, “with me”; for the one who gathers must gather with him. You will understand who gathers with him by considering: “When you and my spirit are gathered together with the power of the Lord Jesus, to hand over such a man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh”; for “When you and my spirit are gathered together with the power of the Lord Jesus” shows the one who gathers with him. And you would not say that “When you are gathered in the power of the Lord Jesus” fits those who gather, or are gathered, while living wickedly, or while thinking wickedly and impiously about God or his Christ. I have said these things also because the crowds, who thought about Jesus and were on his side, but thought far less than his worth, are said to have held him to be a prophet. If you examine together with this Luke’s words about similar matters, you will, I think, establish what has been said more clearly. He says: “And he was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do; for all the people hung on his words.” For here too it is shown that those who preside unlawfully over Jewish doctrines, called chief priests and scribes, enemies of Jesus, and elders of the people, seek to destroy Jesus and to blot out from among human beings his name and the faith in him; but they do not find what to do to accomplish what they wish, since the whole people that believed in him had been won over beforehand, and was bound to Jesus in love, and hung on hearing his teaching and his word. And one can see this even to this day: in what way those who put forward the worship of God, as his chief priests, and the divine Scripture, as scribes, and … the ancient, as elders of the people, seek to destroy Jesus and to blot out his glory, doing everything to this end in keeping with the will of their fathers, yet not finding what to do to draw away from him the people bound to Jesus, and to wipe him out of their minds. And perhaps all who hold any opinion whatever about the Divine, and maintain it in a way foreign to the teaching of Jesus, wish to destroy Jesus, but cannot, since the whole crowd hangs on him, listening. And those too who attend to writings of any wisdom whatever, and for this reason are figuratively called scribes, wish to destroy Jesus from among human beings; yet they do not find anything they could do that would accomplish it. And all the doctrines of Greeks and barbarians that are older than the teaching of Jesus wish to destroy Jesus; but they cannot, being overcome by the whole people, which hangs on Jesus the teacher, hearing and perceiving his teaching. And Mark too suggests similar things, saying: “And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his teaching.” For the whole people of Christ is astonished at his teaching, and nothing can be accomplished by the chief priests and scribes just mentioned, who seek to destroy Jesus from among human beings and to dispel the astonishment of his whole people. [On those invited to the wedding.] ### Scripture references - Deut 18:15: quotation, high confidence - Deut 18:19: quotation, high confidence - Acts 3:22: allusion, medium confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:16: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:22: quotation, high confidence - Prov 8:23: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:9: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 73:8 (72:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Matt 12:30: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:47: quotation, high confidence - Luke 19:48: quotation, high confidence - Mark 11:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:46: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 18:15, 19 (in the form of Acts 3:22–23); Col 1:15–16; Prov 8:22–23; 1 Cor 13:9, 12; Ps 73:8 (72:8 LXX); Matt 12:30; 1 Cor 5:4–5; Luke 19:47–48; Mark 11:18. “Those who confuse the conception of the Father and the Son” are the Monarchians, who held the Father and the Son to be one hypostasis distinguished only in thought and name; “those from the heresies” who speak evil of the Creator are probably the Marcionites and Gnostics. A word describing the “elders” is garbled in the scan and marked “…”. Origen’s application to Jewish leaders “to this day” is translated as written. The last sentence, in brackets, is a heading for the next parable printed at the end of this section. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.14 (PG 13:1517c–1524d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-14). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.15 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-15 - Source: PG 13:1524d–1525d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: In the general reading of the wedding feast, the king is God, the marriage is the church’s restoration to Christ, the servants are the prophets, and the burning of the city is the fall of Jerusalem. ### Greek text Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς 6 Ἰησοῦς εἷπε πάλιν ἐν παραβολαῖς αὐτοῖς, λέγων· Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις, ποιῶν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὑτοῦ.» καὶ τὰ έξῆς ἕως τοῦ· 1 Πολλοὶ γάρ είσι κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί.ι Καὶ αὕτη ἡ παραβολὴ ὁλοσχερέστερον νοουμένη δόξει σαφὴς εἶναι, ἐν ᾗ ἄνθρωπος μὲν βασιλεὺς τροπικῶς 6 Θεὸς και Πατὴρ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἶναι λέγεται· οι δὲ γάμοι τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ἀποκατάστασις τῆς νύμφης Ἐκκλησίας Χριστοῦ πρὸς Χριστὸν τὸν νυμφίον αὑτῆς· οἱ δὲ ἀποστελλόμενοι δοῦλοι καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους είς τοὺς γάμους, οἱ κατά καιρόν εισι προφῆται ἐπιστρέφοντες τοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ διὰ τῶν προφητειῶν ἐπὶ τὴν εὐφροσύνην ἀγομένην ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκαταστάσει τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πρὸς Χριστόν οἱ δὲ μὴ θέλοντες ἑλθεῖν προηγουμένως ὄντες κλητοὶ, οἱ μὴ ἀκούοντες τῶν λόγων τῶν προφητῶν ἦσαν· oi δὲ ἀποστελλόμενοι ἄλλοι δοῦλοι, ἄλλο ἄθροισμα προφητῶν· τὸ δὲ ἡτοιμασμένον ἄριστον, ἐν ᾧ οἱ ταῦροι τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὰ σιτευτὰ αὐτοῦʼ τεθυμένα ἦν, αί στερεαὶ ἦσαν καὶ λογικαὶ τῶν μυστηρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ τροφαί. Οῦτω δὲ καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα, oi περὶ πάντων τῶν ὄντων λόγοι, οὓς, ὅταν ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, οἱ τῇ κλήσει ἀκολουθήσαντες φάγωνται, καὶ πίωνται. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν κεκλημένων διὰ τῶν προφητῶν οἱ μὲν μόνον ἠμέλουν τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ τοῖς βιωτικοῖς ἐσχόλαζον πράγμασιν, οὑ μὴν καὶ ὲπονηρεύοντο κατʼ αὐτῶν, διὰ τοῦτο τὴν διαφορὰν αὐτῶν παραστῆσαι βουλόμενος εἶπεν· ι Οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρὸν, ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦʼ οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες αὐτοῦ τοὺς δούλους, ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν.» Εἶτα ἀκολούθως τῇ ὁλοσχερεστέρα διηγήσει ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ βασιλέως νοεῖται, ἢν καὶ ό Ἀπόστολος περὶ Ἰουδαίων ὀνομάζων λέγειʼ ι Ἔφθασε δὲ ἡ ὀργὴ ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς είς τέλος. ι Εἶτα προφητεύεται ὁ κατὰ Ἰουδαίων πόλεμος, καὶ ἡ ἅλωσις Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἡ ἀναίρεσις τοῦ λαοῦ μετὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν, ἐν τῷ· ι Καὶ πέμψας τὸ στράτευμα αὐτοῦ ἀνεῖλε τοὺς φονεῖς ἐκείνους, καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησε. ι ### English translation (Claude) “And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who, when he made a marriage feast for his son, sent his servants,” and so on, down to: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” This parable too, understood in a more general way, will seem clear. In it the man, the king, is said figuratively to be the God and Father of Jesus Christ; the marriage of the king’s son is the restoration of the bride, the church of Christ, to Christ her bridegroom; the servants sent to call those invited to the wedding are the prophets in their several times, turning those of the people by their prophecies toward the festivity held at the restoration of the church to Christ; those who would not come, though they had been invited first, were those who did not listen to the words of the prophets; the other servants who were sent are another company of prophets; the dinner prepared, for which the king’s oxen and his fatted animals had been slaughtered, was the solid and rational food of the mysteries of God. So too “all things are ready”: the accounts of all things that exist, which those who have followed the call will eat and drink when the perfect comes. And since, of those invited through the prophets, some merely neglected what was said and busied themselves with the affairs of life, yet did not act wickedly against the prophets, he therefore, wishing to show the difference between them, said: “But they made light of it and went off, one to his own farm, another to his business; and the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.” Then, in keeping with the more general explanation, the king’s anger is understood, which the Apostle too names when he says of the Jews, “But wrath has come upon them to the end.” Then the war against the Jews is prophesied, and the capture of Jerusalem, and the destruction of the people after Christ’s coming, in the words, “And he sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:1: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 5:14: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 13:10: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:7: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:1–14 (vv. 1–7 quoted); Heb 5:14; 1 Cor 13:10; 1 Thess 2:16. Origen’s reading of the burning of the city as the capture of Jerusalem after Christ’s coming is translated as written. Stray bracketed letters in the scan have been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.15 (PG 13:1524d–1525d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-15). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.16 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-16 - Source: PG 13:1525d–1529c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The apostles called Gentiles bad and good alike to the wedding, but all must put on the wedding garment of the virtues, or be cast into the outer darkness. ### Greek text Τὸ δέʼ ι Τότε λέγει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦʼ '0 μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμος, οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι. Πορεύεσθε οῦν ἐπὶ τάς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν, καὶ ὅσους ἂν εὕρητε, καλέσατε είς τοὺς γάμους, ι ἀναφέροιτο ἂν ἐπὶ τοῦς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποστόλους λέγοντας Ἰουδαίοις· ι Ὑμῖν ἦν ἀναγκαῖον ἀναγγεῖλαι τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀναξίους κρίνετε ἑαυτοὺς, ἰδοὺ στρεφόμεθα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη.» Αἱ διέξοδοι οὖν τῶν ὁδῶν τὰ ἔξω τοῦ Ἰσραήλ ἐστι πράγματα, παρʼ αἷς οἱ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων εὑρισκόμενοι καλοῦνται εἰς τοὺς γάμους, συναγόντων τῶν ἀποστόλων πάντας οὓς ἐὰν εὕρωσιν· εὕρισκον δὲ τοὺς ἀκούοντας, καὶ οὐκ ἐφρόντιζον καλοῦντες πότερόν ποτε πρὸ τῆς κλήσεως πονηροὶ ἢ ἀγαθοὶ ἦσαν οἱ καλούμενοι· πάντας γάρ τοὺς εὑρισκομένους ἐκάλουν. Ἀγαθοὺς δέ νομιστέον ἐνταῦθα ἁπλούστερον λέγεσθαι τοὺς μετριωτέρους τῶν ἐρχομένων ἐπὶ τὴν θεοσέβειαν, οἷς ἐφαρμόζοις ἂν τὸ τοιοῦτο ἀποστολικόν ’ ι Ὅταν δὲ ἔθνη, τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα, φύσει τά τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οἱ τοιοῦτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες ἑαυτοῖς είσι νόμος* οἵτινες ἐνδείκνυνται τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, συμμαρτυρούσης αὐτῶν τῆς συνειδήσεως. ι Καὶ ἐπλήσθη γε ὁ Χριστοῦ καὶ Ἐκκλησίας γάμος, καὶ ἀποκατάστασις τῶν εὑρεθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀνακειμένων ἐπὶ τῷ εὐφρανθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς γάμοις. Εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καλεῖσθαι δεῖ, ού μὴν ὥστε τοὺς πονηροὺς μένειν πονηροὺς, άλλά μεταμφιασαμένους, καὶ ἀποθεμένους τά ἀλλότρια τοῦ γάμου ἐνδύματα, ἐνδύσασθαι τά τοῦ γάμου, ι σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην, πραότητα, μακροθυμίαν ι ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι τά τοῦ γάμου ἐνδύματα · διὰ τοῦτο ὀ βασιλεὺς εἰσέρχεται θεάσασθαι τοὺς ἀνακειμένους, πρὶν αὐτοῖς παραβῇ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον ἄριστον, τοὺς ταύρους, καὶ τά τεθυμένα σιτιστὰ, καὶ πάντα τά ἕτοιμα, ἱνα θεασάμενος τηρήσῃ μὲν τοὺς ἔχοντας ἔνδυμα γάμου καὶ εὑφράνῃ, καταδικάσῃ δὲ τοὺς ἐναντίους. Εἰσελθὼν οὗν εὑρίσκει τινὰ τῶν κεκλημένων καὶ ἐληλυθότων ἐπὶ τὴν κλῆσιν μὴ ἀλλάξαντα ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ἦθος, μηδὲ ἐνδυσάμενον ἔνδυμα γάμου, ι καὶ λέγει αύτῷ· Πῶς εἰσῆλθες ὦδε μὴ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου; ι Εἶτʼ ἐπεὶ ό ἁμαρτὼν, καὶ μὴ άνακαινωθεὶς, μηδὲ ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὡς μὴ ἔχων τόπον ἀπολογίας, φιμοῦται· διὰ τοῦτο γέγραπται τό· ι Ὁ δὲ ἐφιμώθη. ι Καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ γε τὸ ἐκβληθῆναι τοῦ γάμου τὸν άτιμάσαντα τὴν κλῆσιν· δεῖ γάρ αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν διακόνων τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν πρὸς τοῖς δεσμοῖς τεταγμένων, δεθέντα τὴν πονηρίαν οὐκ εἰς δέον ἐχρήσατο, καὶ τὴν δραστήριον δύναμιν ἐν πρᾶξιν ἀγαθὴν οὐκ ἐτέλεσεν, ού μόνον ἀπὸ τοῦ γάμου ἐκβληθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀλλότριον φωτὸς δικασθῆναι τόπον, ἒνθα σκότος ἦν τὸ ὡς ἐν σκότῳ βαθύτερον, καὶ καλούμενον σκότος ἐξώτερον. Καὶ εἴ τίς γε ήμῶν, ἐπὶ τὴν κλῆσιν ἐλθὼν τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς τοὺς γάμους τοῦ υἱοῦ αὑτοῦ, δοκεῖ μὲν ὑπακούειν καὶ ἔρχεσθαι μετὰ τῶν κεκλημένων, ού μὴν ἐνδέδυται ’τὸ προειρημένον ένδυμα γάμου, ταῦτα πείσεται, καὶ δεθεὶς ποδῶν και χειρῶν ἐκβληθήσεται εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον · ἔνθα κατὰ τό· ι Οὐαὶ οι γελῶντες νῦν, ὅτι κλαύσετε, ι ό κλαυθμὸς τοῖς τὰ τοῦ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ θρήνου ἄξια ἁμαρτήσασι · κλαύσονται δὲ θρηνοῦντες τὰς ἰδίας ταλαιπωρίας. Εἶθʼ ἵνα παραστήσῃ ό Λόγος τὸν φόβον, καὶ τὸν τρόμον, καὶ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ πράγματα, καὶ τοὺς πόνους ἐν οἷς ἔσονται οἱ μὴ ἐνδεδυμένοι ἔνδυμα γάμου, εἷπε τό· ι Ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς, ο καὶ ού μόνον ὁ κλαυθμὸς, ἀλλὰ ι καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. ι Καὶ ἐπιφέρεται τῇ ὅλῃ παραβολῇ διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς δεδηλῶσθαι τοὺς κληθέντας, ού πάντας δὲ ἐληλυθέναι, ἀλλʼ ὀλίγους ἐξ αὐτῶν, τό· ι Πολλοί εισι κλητοὶ, όλιγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. ι ### English translation (Claude) “Then he says to his servants, The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the outlets of the roads, and invite to the wedding as many as you find.” This could be referred to the apostles of Jesus Christ, who say to the Jews, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you; but since you judge yourselves unworthy, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” The outlets of the roads, then, are the affairs outside Israel, at which those whom the apostles find are called to the wedding, the apostles gathering all whom they find. And they found those who listen, and in calling them did not concern themselves whether those called had been bad or good before the call; for they called all who were found. By “good” here we must take it that the more moderate of those coming to godliness are meant, in a simpler sense; to them you might apply this apostolic saying: “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves; they show the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness.” And the wedding of Christ and the church was filled, the restoration of those whom the apostles had found, reclining to rejoice at the wedding. Then, since both bad and good must be called — not, however, so that the bad remain bad, but so that, changing their clothes and putting off the garments foreign to the wedding, they may put on those of the wedding, “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience” (for these are the garments of the wedding) — for this reason the king comes in to look at those reclining, before the prepared dinner is set before them, the oxen, the fatted animals slaughtered, and all things ready, so that, having looked, he may keep and gladden those who have the wedding garment, and condemn their opposites. Coming in, then, he finds one of those who had been invited and had come in response to the call, who had not changed his character nor “put on a wedding garment,” and he says to him, “How did you come in here without a wedding garment?” Then, since the one who has sinned, and has not been renewed nor put on the Lord Jesus Christ, is silenced as having no ground for defence, it is therefore written, “But he was speechless.” And it is not enough that the one who dishonoured the call be cast out of the wedding. He must be bound by those of the king’s attendants who are appointed to the bonds — he who did not use his course as he ought, and did not bring his active power to good action — so that he is not only cast out of the wedding, but also sentenced to the place foreign to light, where there was darkness, as it were the deeper darkness, which is called the outer darkness. And if any of us, coming at the king’s call to the wedding of his son, seems to obey and to come with those invited, but has not put on the wedding garment just described, he will suffer these things, and, bound feet and hands, will be cast into the outer darkness; where, in keeping with “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will weep,” there is weeping for those who have committed sins worthy of weeping and lament; and they will weep, lamenting their own miseries. Then, so that the Word may set forth the fear and the trembling and the grim things and the pains in which those will be who have not put on a wedding garment, he said, “There will be weeping”; and not only weeping, but also “the gnashing of teeth.” And there is added to the whole parable, because it has been shown that many were called but not all came, only few of them: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:9: quotation, high confidence - Acts 13:46: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:10: allusion, high confidence - Rom 2:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:12: quotation, high confidence - Rom 13:14: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:13: quotation, high confidence - Luke 6:25: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:8–14; Acts 13:46; Rom 2:14–15; Col 3:12; Rom 13:14; Luke 6:25. “His course” renders πονηρίαν (“wickedness”), which makes no sense here and is probably a scan slip for πορείαν (“course, walking”), matching the bound feet as “active power” matches the hands; translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.16 (PG 13:1525d–1529c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-16). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.17 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-17 - Source: PG 13:1529c–1532c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Turning to a deeper reading, Origen sets out who in the parable reigns and who is ruled, and asks why God is likened to a “man” and king, recalling an earlier allegorist’s two texts on God as like and unlike a man. ### Greek text Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁλοσχερέστερον εἰς τὴν παραβολὴν· πειρασόμεθα δὲ ἐπανελθόντες ἐρευνῆσαι κατὰ τήν παροῦσαν δύναμιν αὐτὴν, ἐὰν ἄρα, βοηθηθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς σοφίας Πνεύματος, δυνηθῶμέν τινα καὶ βαθύτερα εἰς τὴν παραβολὴν εὑρόντες οἰκοδομῆσαι, καὶ κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον σιωπῆσαι, αἰνίξασθαι, ἢ ἐκθέσθαι. Ἦ βασιλεία τοίνυν τῶν οὐρανῶν ὡμοιώθη, κατὰ μὲν τὸν βασιλεύοντα, ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ· κατὰ δὲ τὸν βασιλεύοντα τῷ βασιλεῖ, τῷ υἱῷ αὑτοῦ ο κατὰ δὲ τὰ βασιλευόμενα, τοῖς δούλοις καὶ τοῖς κεκλημένοις εἰς τοὺς γάμους, ὧν οἱ μὲν οὐκ ῆθελον εἰσελθεῖν, οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν ι ἀπῆλθον, ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ῐδιον ἀγρὸν, ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αύτοῦ, καὶ ἄλλοι κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους ὕβρισαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν. ι Ἔτι τῶν βασιλευομένων ἐστὶ καὶ τὸ στράτευμα τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν συναγόμενοι πονηροὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ, ἕως ἐπλήσθη ὁ γάμος ἀνακειμένων, καὶ ὁ ὲν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις οὐκ ἔχων ἔνδυμα γάμου, καὶ οἱ κελευσθέντες διάκονοι δῆσαι τὸν μὴ ἔχοντα ἔνδυμα γάμου ποδῶν, καὶ χειρῶν, καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν αὑτὸν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον. Ἐδύνατο μέντοι γεγράφθαι ο ι Ὡμοιώθη ή βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλεῖ, ι χωρὶς τῆς, ‹ ἄνθρωπος, ι προσθήκης· ἀλλʼ ἐπεὶ πρόσκειται καὶ τὸ, ι ἀνθρώπῳ, ι ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τοῦτο διηγήσασθαι, οὕτως ἂν, ὡς ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, σαφηνισθέν· τῶν μὲν πρὸ ἡμῶν ποιήσας τις βιβλία, νόμων ἱερῶν ἀλληγορίας, τὰς ὡσπερεὶ ἁνθρωποπαθῆ παριστάσας λέξεις τὸν Θεὸν διηγούμενος, καὶ τὰς τὸ θεῖον αὐτοῦ ἐμφαινούσας, ἐνὶ μὲν ῥητῷ ἐχρήσατο περὶ τοῦ ὡς ἄνθρωπον λέγεσθαι εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομοῦντα, τῷ · ιι Ἐτροποφόρησέ σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, ὡς εἴ τις τροποφορήσαι ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὑτοῦ · ι ἐνὶ δὲ περὶ τοῦ μὴ ὼς ἄνθρωπον εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν, τῷ· ι Οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Θεὸς διαρτηθῆναι. ι ### English translation (Claude) So much, then, for a more general treatment of the parable. But we shall try to go back and search it out according to the power we now have, in case, helped by the Spirit of wisdom, we may be able to find some deeper things in the parable and so build up our readers, and, as reason directs, either keep silent, or hint at them, or set them out. The kingdom of heaven, then, is likened, as regards the one who reigns, to a man, a king; as regards the one who reigns with the king, to his son; and as regards those who are ruled, to the servants and to those invited to the wedding, of whom some would not come in, and others, making light of coming in, “went off, one to his own farm, another to his business, and others seized the servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.” Also among those who are ruled are the king’s army, and the bad and good gathered from the roads until the wedding was filled with guests reclining, and the one among those reclining who had no wedding garment, and the attendants ordered to bind feet and hands the one who had no wedding garment and to cast him into the outer darkness. It could, however, have been written, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king,” without the addition “man”; but since “man” has been added too, it is necessary to explain this as well. It might, it seems to me, be made clear in this way. One of those before us, who composed books of allegories of the sacred laws, in explaining the passages that present God as if he had human feelings, and those that show his divinity, used one text for God being said to be like a man as he manages human beings, namely: “The Lord your God bore with your ways, as a man would bear with the ways of his son”; and another for God not being like a man, namely: “God is not like a man, to waver.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:6: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:7: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:10: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:13: allusion, high confidence - Deut 1:31: quotation, high confidence - Num 23:19: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Philo, Deus 53–54 (Philo of Alexandria (works)): allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:2–13; Deut 1:31; Num 23:19. The writer “who composed books of allegories of the sacred laws” is Philo of Alexandria, who sets these same two texts side by side (Quod Deus sit immutabilis 53–54). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.17 (PG 13:1529c–1532c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-10/#p-17-17). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.18 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-18 - Source: PG 13:1532c–1536a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Against those who reject the God of the Old Testament for his human-like passions, Origen points out that the Gospel parables also call God a man and show the king who gives the wedding feast as angry. ### Greek text Ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλὴν ἀφθονίαν ἔχομεν ἀπὸ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ παραδειγμάτων, ὲν οἷς ὡμοιώθη κατά τινας παραβολὰς ἀνθρώπῳ. Χρησόμεθα οὖν ταῖς ἄνθρωπον ὀνομαζούσαις παραβολαῖς τὸν Θεὸν εἰς ἀπολογίαν τῶν ὅσον ἐπὶ ταῖς λέξεσιν ἀνθρωποπαθῆ φασκουσῶν εἶναι τὸν Χριστοῦ Πατέρα, καὶ φήσομέν γε πρὸς τοὺς ἐτεροδόξους, διὰ τὸ μὴ νενοηκέναι τὰ οὕτως λεγόμενα ὲν τοῖς Παλαιοῖς Γράμμασι προσκόπτοντας τῷ θεῷ νόμου, καὶ προφητῶν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου κτίσεως, ὅτι· Εἴπερ ἀνθρώπῳ ὡμοίωται κατὰ τὰς τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου παραβολὰς ὁ Θεὸς, διὰ τί ἀκολούθως ταύταις ταῖς παραβολαῖς οὐ παραδέχεσθε παραβολὴν εἶναι τήν ὀργήν, τὸν θυμὸν, καὶ τὴν μεταμέλειαν, καὶ τήν ἀποστροφήν τοῦ προσώπου, καὶ τὴν κάθισιν, καὶ τὴν στάσιν, καὶ τὸν περίπατον τοῦ Θεοῦ; Τὸν γὰρ ἀναγεγραμμένον ὲν ταῖς προφητείαις ὕπνον αὑτοῦ ἤτοι ού παρετήρησαν, ἢ ὁμολογήσουσιν εἶναι παραβολήν. Καὶ ἔτι πρὸς ὲκείνους ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι· Εἰ μὴ βούλεσθε ἀκολούθως τῷ ἐν παραβολῇ ἄνθρωπον λέγεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ὲν παραβολῇ ἀκούειν τῶν ἀνθρωποπαθῶς περὶ αὑτοῦ ἀπαγγελλουσῶν Γραφῶν, παραστήσατε πῶς ἄνθρωπος ὁ τῶν ὅλων κατά τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον λέγεται Θεὸς οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον, ὡς ὑμεῖς ὑπολαμβάνετε, λεγόμενος ἔχειν ἐν ἐαυτῷ. ’ἐκ περιουσίας ’δὲ ἐλέγξομεν αὐτοὺς, μηδὲ τὰ τῆς Καινῆς Διαθήκης γράμματα ἐξητακότας, ἐν οἷς κατά τὴν ἐνταῦθα παραβολὴν ό ποιῶν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αύτοῦ βασιλεὺς ἄνθρωπος ὠργίσθη ἐπὶ τοῖς μὴ θελήσασι κατὰ τὴν κλῆσιν αὐτοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς τοὺς γάμους, καὶ τοῖς άμελήσασι μὲν τοῦ δειπνῆσαι είς τοὺς γάμους, ἀπεληλυθόσι δὲ είς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρὸν, ἢ ἐπὶ τήν ἐμπορίαν· ὠργίσθη δὲ καὶἐπὶ τοῖς κρατήσασι τοὺς δούλους αὑτοῦ, καὶ ὑβρίσασι, καὶ ἀποκτείνασι. Λεγέτωσαν γὰρ ἡμῖν πότερον ό ὀργισθεὶς οὗτος ἅτε ποιῶν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὑτοῦ, ό Πατήρ ἐστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἢ ἄλλος τις παρὰ τὸν, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ παραβολῇ, ὀργισθέντα, Πατήρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ· ἑκατέρως δὲ στενοχωρηθήσονται, εἶτʼ ὲκ τοῦ μὴ θέλειν τὸν ὀργισθέντα, ποιοῦντα γάμους τῷ υἱῷ Πατέρα εἶναι Χριστοῦ διὰ τὴν ὀργήν· εἴτʼ ὲκ τοῦ ἀναγκάζεσθαι διὰ τοὺς γάμους καὶ τὸν υἱὸν παραδέχεσθαι, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἴη ό Πατὴρ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ὀργίζεται. Ἐάν δὲ διήγησιν τῷ ὀργίζεσθαι πειραθῶσι φέρειν, φήσομεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτιʼ Ὦ οὗτοι, τίς ή ἀποκλήρωσις, μὴ φεύγειν μὲν τὸν ὲν τῷ Εὐαγγελιῳ ποιοῦντα γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν ὀργὴν, καὶ ἀλλον ζητεῖν (ιιιο ἐν δὲ τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τοῖς προφήταις, διὰ ca αὐτὸ τῆς ### English translation (Claude) We, however, have a great abundance of examples about God from the Gospels, in which he is likened in some parables to a man. We shall use, then, the parables that name God a man in defence of the Scriptures which, as far as their words go, say that the Father of Christ has human feelings. And we shall say to those of other opinions, who, because they have not understood what is said in this way in the Old Writings, take offence at the God of the law and the prophets and of the creation of the world: “If, according to the parables of the Gospel, God is likened to a man, why do you not, in keeping with these parables, accept that the anger, the wrath, the repentance, the turning away of the face, the sitting, the standing, and the walking of God are parable?” For his sleep, recorded in the prophecies, they have either not noticed, or will admit to be parable. And we shall say further to them: “If you will not, in keeping with God’s being called a man in a parable, hear in a parable the Scriptures that speak of him as having human feelings, show how the God of the universe is called a man according to the Gospel, while being said, as you suppose, to have nothing human in himself.” And we shall refute them abundantly as people who have not even examined the writings of the New Testament, in which, according to the parable here, the man, the king who made a marriage feast for his son, was angry with those who would not come to the wedding at his call, and with those who made light of dining at the wedding and went off to their own farm or to their business; and he was angry also with those who seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. Let them tell us whether this one who was angry, being the one who made a marriage feast for his son, is the Father of Christ, or whether someone other than the one who, as far as the parable goes, was angry is his Father. Either way they will be hard pressed: either they will not want the one who was angry, who made a marriage feast for his son, to be the Father of Christ, because of the anger; or they will be compelled, because of the wedding and the son, to accept that he is the Father of Christ, and that he is angry. And if they try to offer an explanation of his being angry, we shall say to them: “Sirs, what arbitrary choice is this, not to flee from the one in the Gospel who makes a marriage feast for his son because of his anger, nor to look for another …, but in the law and the prophets, because of the same … ### Scripture references - Matt 22:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:5: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:7: allusion, high confidence - Ps 44:23 (43:24 LXX): allusion, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:2–7; Ps 44:23 (43:24 LXX; God’s “sleep”). “Those of other opinions” who take offence at the God of the law and the prophets are probably the Marcionites; Origen’s argument against them is translated as written. A word is garbled near the end, and the section breaks off in mid-sentence (“because of the same …”); the rest is lost in the scan or lies across the boundary with the next section, which begins a new sentence. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.18 (PG 13:1532c–1536a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-18). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.19 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-19 - Source: PG 13:1536a–1537c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: God is likened to a man, a panther, a lion, or a consuming fire only for the sake of sinners; at the restoration of all things he will be seen as he is, as light. ### Greek text Ὅσον οὖν ἄνθρωποί ἐσμεν, καὶ οὐ συμφέρει ἡμῖν τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς χρηστότητος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ πολύ πλῆθος τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ κεκρυμμένης ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ βλαβῶμεν, θεωρεῖν, ἀναγκαίως ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ἵνα ἀνθρώποις λαλήσῃ ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομήσῃ μὴ χωροῦντας οἰκονομηθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πάντη μένοντος Θεοῦ, καὶ ὲν τῷ λέγειν διὰ προφητῶν, καὶ ὲν τῷ οἰκονομεῖν ἀνθρώπους. Καὶ τότε παύσεται ὁμοιουμένη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅταν, παυσαμένου ζήλου, καὶ ἔριδος, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν παθῶν, καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ τοῦ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖν, ἄξιοι γενώμεθα ἀκοῦσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι Ἐγὼ εἶπα, Θεοί ὲστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες, ι ἢ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, μηκέτι πράττοντες τοιαῦτα ἐφʼ οἷς λέγοιτʼ ἄν ο ι Ὑμεῖς δὲ ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε. ι Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὸ ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ ὁμοιοῦσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν παύσεται, ἀλλά καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ὧν χρῄζει ἁμαρτωλὸς ἄνθρωπος, οἷον γέγραπται ὲν τῷ Ὠσηὲ· ι Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ὡς πάνθηρ τῷ Ἐφραῒμ, καὶ ὡς λέων ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰούδα ι καὶ ὲν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ · ι Ἀπαντήσομαι, ι φησὶν, ι αὐτοῖς ὡς ἄρκτος ἀπορουμένη. ι Παύσεται οὖν ποτε τῶν ὡς πάνθηρ, καὶ λέων, καὶ ὡς ἄρκτος ἀπορουμένη, ὅτε διὰ τὸ τοὺς τῶδε πεποιηκότας μηκέτι χρῄζειν τοῦ ὡς πάνθηρος, καὶ τοῦ ὡς λέοντος, καὶ τοῦ ὡς ἄρκτου, αὐτὸς οὐκέτι ἔχων τοὺς τοιούτου ἑαυτοῦ χρῄζοντας, ὲμφανίσει ἑαυτὸν καθώς ἐστιν. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὕτως ἀκούω καὶ τοῦ· ι '0 Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον· ι ἐπείπερ 8m ίὸὖἹ μὲν ἔστι τὰ τοῦ καταναλίσκεσθαι ἄ ·, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ό Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ ἐστι καταναλίσκον ἐκεῖναʼ ἐπὰν δὲ ἀναλωθῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ καταναλίσκοντος πυρὸς τὰ πεφυκότα ὕπʼ ἐκείνου ἀναλίσκεσθαι, τότε οὐκέτι μὲν ἔσται ό Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον, μόνον δὲ, ὡς εἶπεν Ἰωάννης, φῶς, λέγων· ι Ὁ Θεὸς φῶς ἐστι. ι Τούτων δὲ κινηθέντων, πρόσχες εί δύνασαι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰωάννου καθολικῆς Ἐπιστολῆς οὕτως ἐχον· ι Ἀγαπητοὶ, νῦν τέκνα Θεοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα. Οἴδαμεν, ὅτι, ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὃτι ὀψόμεθα αὑτὸν καθώς ἐστι, ι τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον ἐκλαβεῖν. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ, κᾶν άξιωθῶμεν βλέπειν τὸν Θεὸν τῷ νῷ καὶ καρδίᾳ, οὐ βλέπομεν αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καθὼς διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκονομίαν ἡμῖν γίνεται· ἐπὶ δὲ τέλει τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων ὧν ‹ ἐλάλησε διὰ στόματος τῶν ἁγίων ἐξ αἰῶνος προφητῶν αὑτοῦ, ι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὡς νῦν, ὃ οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλʼ ὡς πρέπει τότε, ὃ ἐστιν. ### English translation (Claude) Since, then, we are human beings, and it is not to our advantage to look upon the riches of God’s kindness and the great abundance of his kindness hidden by him, lest we be harmed, the kingdom of heaven was necessarily likened to a man, a king, so that he might speak to human beings as a man, and manage human beings who are unable to receive being managed by God, while he remains God in every respect, both in speaking through prophets and in managing human beings. And the kingdom of heaven will cease to be likened to a man when, jealousy and strife and the other passions and sins and walking in a merely human way having ceased, we become worthy to hear from God, “I said, You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High,” or from his Christ, no longer doing such things as would lead to the words, “But you die like men.” And I think that not only will the likening of the kingdom of heaven to a man, a king, cease, but also countless other things which a sinful human being needs, as it is written in Hosea, “I am like a panther to Ephraim, and like a lion to the house of Judah”; and in another place, “I will meet them,” he says, “like a bear robbed of her young.” He will then one day cease from being like a panther and a lion and like a bear robbed of her young, when, because those who have done such things no longer need him to be like a panther, like a lion, and like a bear, he himself, no longer having any who need him in such forms, will show himself as he is. So too I understand the words, “Our God is a consuming fire”: for as long as there are things fit to be consumed, so long is our God a fire consuming them; but when the things whose nature is to be consumed by the consuming fire have been consumed, then our God will no longer be a consuming fire, but only, as John said, light, when he says, “God is light.” These things having been raised, consider whether you can take in this way the words from the catholic Epistle of John that run thus: “Beloved, we are now children of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that, when it appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” For now, even if we are counted worthy to see God with the mind and heart, we do not see him as he is, but as he becomes for us because of the dispensation on our behalf; but at the end of things, and at the restoration of all things of which “he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,” we shall see him, not as now, what he is not, but as is fitting then, what he is. ### Scripture references - Rom 2:4: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 31:19 (30:20 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 3:3: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:7 (81:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Hos 5:14: quotation, high confidence - Hos 13:8: quotation, high confidence - Heb 12:29: quotation, high confidence - Deut 4:24: quotation, medium confidence - 1 John 1:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Acts 3:21: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Rom 2:4; Ps 31:19 (30:20 LXX); 1 Cor 3:3; Ps 82:6–7 (81:6–7 LXX); Hos 5:14; Hos 13:8; Heb 12:29 (Deut 4:24); 1 John 1:5; 1 John 3:2; Acts 3:21. “As long as there are things fit to be consumed” renders a phrase partly garbled in the scan, translated by sense. Origen’s view that God will no longer be “a consuming fire” once what is to be consumed is consumed, and his reference to the restoration of all things, are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.19 (PG 13:1536a–1537c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-19). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.20 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-20 - Source: PG 13:1537c–1540b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen explains “Son of Man” as meaning that the Son, imitating God who in parables is called a man, becomes by dispensation the son of that “man,” who is God. ### Greek text Ἀπαξ δὲ ταῦτα εἰπόντες εἰς τόʼ ι Ὡμοιώθη ἠ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ι δυνάμεθα καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν εὑρεῖν τοῦ συνεχῶς τὸν Σωτῆρα Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἢ Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου, ἑαυτὸν ὠνομακέναι, δηλοῦντα, ὅτι, ὥσπερ ό Θεὸς ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομῶν ὼς ἐν παραβολαῖς ἄνθρωπος λέγεται, τάχα δέ πως καὶ γίνεταιʼ οὕτως καὶ ό Σωτὴρ, προηγουμένως Υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ Θεός ἐστι, καὶ υἱὸς τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ι εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου* ι οὐ μένει δὲ ἐν ᾧ ἐστι προηγουμένως, ἀλλὰ γίνεται κατʼ οἰκονομίαν τοῦ ἐν παραβολαῖς λεγομένου ἀνθρώπου, ὄντος δὲ Θεοῦ, Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, κατὰ τὸ μιμεῖσθαι ὅταν ἀνθρώπους οίκονομῇ τὸν Θεὸν, λεγόμενον ἐν παραβολαῖς καὶ γινόμενόν ως ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ οὐ χρή τινα ἄνθρωπον ζητεῖν, κἀκείνου λέγειν υίὸν εἶναι τὸν Σωτῆρα, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐπὶ τῆς ἐννοίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τῶν λεγουσῶν παραβολῶν αὑτὸν εἶναι ἄνθρωπον, συνετῶς ἀκούειν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ἑαυτὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Παρʼ ἡμῖν μὲν οὖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ι ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖʼ ι παρὰ δὲ τοῖς κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς λεγομένοις θεοῖς, ὧν ι ἐν συναγωγῇ ἔστη ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν μέσῳ θεοὺς διακρίνων. ι ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐστιν ὁμοία Θεῷ βασιλεῖ. ### English translation (Claude) Having said these things once and for all about “The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king,” we can also find the reason why the Saviour continually named himself the Son of Man, or Son of man. He shows that, just as God, when managing human beings, is said in parables to be a man, and perhaps in some way even becomes one, so too the Saviour, being in the first place Son of God, is both God and the son of his love, and “the image of the invisible God”; yet he does not remain in what he is in the first place, but becomes, by dispensation, the Son of man — of the one who in parables is called a man but is God — by imitating, when he manages human beings, God, who is called a man in parables and in some way becomes one. And one must not look for some man and say that the Saviour is his son, but, referring everything to the conception of God and of the parables which say that he is a man, understand intelligently his calling himself the Son of Man. With us human beings, then, “the kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king”; but with those who according to the Scriptures are called gods, among whom “God stands in the congregation, judging gods in the midst,” the kingdom of heaven is like God, a king. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:2: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:13: allusion, high confidence - Col 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:1 (81:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:2; Col 1:13, 15; Ps 82:1 (81:1 LXX). Origen’s explanation of the title “Son of Man” (as son of God, who is called “a man” in the parables, rather than of any human being) is his own and is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.20 (PG 13:1537c–1540b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-20). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.21 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-21 - Source: PG 13:1540b–1541a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen asks whether the kingdom is likened to a throne or a dominion among higher powers, and distinguishes the bride, the servants, and the guests as different orders of souls in the spiritual marriage of the Word. ### Greek text Ζητήσεις δὲʼ εί, ὡσπερ ἐν ἀνθρώποις τοῖς ὑποδεεστέροις, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ ἑαυτῶν φύσει, ἀγγέλων. καὶ θρόνων, καὶ κυριοτήτων, καὶ ἀρχῶν, καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, ι ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὲν θρόνοις ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θρόνῳ βασιλεῖ· κυριότησι δὲ, κυριότητι βασιλεῖ· ἀρχαῖς δὲ, ἀρχῇ βασιλεῖʼ καὶ ἐξουσίαις, ἐξουσίᾳ βασιλεῖ. «aqua γάρ τις- Τίς ἡ ἀποκλήρωσις τοῖς μὲν ἐλάττοσιν ὡμοιῶσθαι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ’ ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ· τοῖς δὲ κρείττοσιν ἀνθρώπου μὴ τὸ άνάλογον τούτῳ γίνεσθαι; Οὗτος δὴ, ὁ ὁμοιωθεὶς ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ ποιῶν γάμους τῷ υἱῴ αὑτοῦ, ἀπέστειλε τοὺς δούλους αὑτοῦ καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους είς τοὺς γάμους· καὶ ἐπιστήσεις εί, ὥσπερ άλλη ἡ γαμουμένη νύμφη παρὰ τοὺς καλοῦντας δούλους, καὶ τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τους γάμους οὕτως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μυστικῶν πραγμάτων οἱ μέν τινες εἰσιν ἀναλαμβανόμενοι είς τὸ σύστημα τῆς νύμφης, ἄλλοι δὲ είς τὴν τάξιν τῶν άποστελλομὲνων δούλων καλέσαι τοὺς κεκλημένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους· καὶ τρίτοι παρὰ τούτους, οί κεκλημένοι είς τοὺς γάμους. Θεὸς δʼ ἂν εἰδείη τὰ διάφορα τάγματα τῶν ψυχῶν, ἦ σὺν αὐταῖς καὶ δυνάμεων, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ τούσδε μὲν ἐπὶ τὺ σύστημα τῆς νύμφης ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι· ἑτέρους δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους τοὺς διακονουμένους τῇ κλήσει· καί ἄλλους ἐπὶ τοὺς καλουμένους. Ἐν πνευματικοῖς δὲ γάμοις κοινωνίαν νόει Λόγου νυμφίου τόκον ὲν καλῷ ποιουμένου, καὶ νύμφης ψυχῆς γαμουμένης Λόγῳ, καὶ μὴ φθειρομένης ὑπʼ αὐτοῦʼ ἀλλά καὶ καθʼ ἑκάστην τὴν πρὸς αὑτὸν κοινωνίαν ἀφθαρσίας μεταλαμβανούσης, καὶ γεννώσης ὁποῖα γένοιτʼ ἐκ τοιούτων γάμων λογικά γεννήματα. ### English translation (Claude) You will ask whether, just as among human beings, who by their own nature are lower than angels, thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man, a king, so among thrones the kingdom of heaven is likened to a throne, a king; among dominions, to a dominion, a king; among principalities, to a principality, a king; and among authorities, to an authority, a king. For someone will say: what arbitrary choice would it be that for the lesser beings the kingdom of heaven should be likened to a man, a king, while for those greater than man the corresponding thing should not happen? This one, then, likened to a man, a king, making a marriage feast for his son, sent his servants to call those invited to the wedding. And you will consider whether, just as the bride being married is other than the servants who call and those invited to the wedding, so also in mystical matters some are taken up into the body of the bride, others into the rank of the servants sent to call those invited to the wedding, and a third group besides these, those invited to the wedding. God would know the different orders of souls, or of powers too along with them, and the cause of some being taken up into the body of the bride, others among the servants who minister to the call, and others among those who are called. In spiritual marriages, understand the union of the Word, the bridegroom, who begets offspring in what is good, and of the bride, the soul, married to the Word and not corrupted by him, but at each union with him receiving a share of incorruption, and bearing such rational offspring as might come from such marriages. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:3: quotation, high confidence - Col 1:16: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 11:2: echo, low confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:2–3; Col 1:16; 2 Cor 11:2. The verb introducing the objection (“someone will say”) is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.21 (PG 13:1540b–1541a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-21). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.22 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-22 - Source: PG 13:1541a–1544a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The king’s dinner of oxen and fatted animals is the solid, abundant spiritual teaching of the mysteries, first offered to gifted Israelite souls who would not come. ### Greek text Καὶ ὲν τοιούτοις γάμοις νόει τὸ ἑτοιμαζόμενον ἄριστον ὲκ στερεᾶς ὲν πνευματικοῖς λογικοῖς τροφῆς· καὶ τὸ στερεὸν τῆς τροφῆς τροπολογούμενόν μοι νόει ἐν τοῖς ταύροις· ἀλλά καὶ τὸ πνευματικὸν τῆς αὐτῆς Θεωρίας έν τοῖς θυομένοις σιτιστοῖς· καὶ τὴν ἄλλην δὲ ποικιλίαν τὴν ἀνάλογον τοῖς σωματικοῖς πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν τῷ· ι Καὶ τὰ πάντα ἓτοιμαʼ ι ὁ γὰρ βασιλεὺς έν δαψιλείᾳ βασιλικῇ ἀξίως τῆς βασιλείας καὶ τοῦ πλούτου ἑαυτοῦ τὸ τοιοῦτον ποιεῖ ἄριστον. Δοκεῖ δή μοι εὐγενῶν τινων ψυχῶν Ἰσραηλιτικῶν γεγονέναι ἡ προηγουμένη κλῆσις είς τοὺς γάμους. Προηγουμένως γὰρ διὰ τῶν καλούντων τῷ τῆς διδασκαλίας λόγῳ βούλεται ὁ Θεὸς ἥκειν είς τὴν μακαρίαν ταύτην ἑστίαν τοὺς πρὸς σύνεσιν εὐφυεστέρους· καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὅτι ού θέλουσιν oi τοιοῦτοι ὲλθεῖν είς τὴν κλῆσιν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀποστέλλονται ἄλλοι δοῦλοι προκαλούμενοι τοὺς μὴ θέλοντας ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, εί ἔλθοιεν οἱ κεκλημένοι, μεταλήψεσθαι αὐτοὺς ὲτοιμασθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀρίστου, καὶ ταύρων τῶν ὼς ὲν καθαροῖς πάντων τῶν καθαρῶν μειζόνων, καὶ σεσιτευμένων τῇ ποικίλῃ καὶ πολλῇ ἀποδείξει τῶν είς ἕκαστον πρόβλημα νοημάτων· οἱονεὶ γάρ σιτιστὺν παρατίθησι λόγον, ἢ διῃρημένον, καὶ ὲν τροπολογίᾳ λεγόμενον τεθυμένον, ὁ τὴν περὶ τοῦ προκειμένου προβλήματος ἀπόδειξιν πολλὴν φέρων καὶ πλήρη ’ ὡς εἰ καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν ὀλίγα τινὰ καὶ ἀσθενῆ φέροιτο εἰς τὴν τῶν προβλημάτων ἀπόδειξιν κατά τὰ δοκοῦντα κατασκευάζειν αὐτὰ, εἷεν ἂν τὰ τεθυμένα λεπτά τινα καὶ ἰσχνά, καὶ ἵνʼ ὁμοίως ὀνομάσω, ξηρά καὶ ἃσαρκα· ἀλλʼ οὐ τοιαῦτα τά ἐτοιμασθέντα ὲν τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀρίστῳ, ὲν ᾧ φησινʼ ι Οἱ ταῦροί μου καὶ τά σιτιστὰ τεθυμένα, ι οὕτω δὲ ι καὶ τὰ πάντα ἕτοιμα, ι ἵνʼ ὲν τῇ στάσει τῶν παίδων, καὶ τῇ λειτουργίᾳ τῶν πνευματικῶν οἰνοχόων ἕκαστος τῶν διακόνων φέρῃ εἰς τὸ ἄριστον τεταγμένως ἐκεῖνα μάλιστα, ὲν οἷς ἔμαθε διακονεῖσθαι. Καὶ προτρεπόμενός γε τοὺς, ὼς εἷπον, κατὰ τὴν παραβολὴν δευτέρους, εἷπε τό· ι Ἰδοὺ τὸ ἄριστον ἡτοίμασα, οί ταῦροί μου καὶ τά σιτιστά τεθυμένα, καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα· δεῦτε εις τοὺς γάμους. ι ### English translation (Claude) In such marriages, understand the dinner prepared from solid food, consisting of spiritual and rational nourishment; and understand the solidity of the food expressed figuratively, as I take it, in the oxen; and the spiritual element of the same contemplation in the fatted animals that are slaughtered; and the other variety, the spiritual contemplation that corresponds to bodily things, in “and all things are ready.” For the king, with royal abundance, worthy of his kingdom and his wealth, makes such a dinner. It seems to me that the first call to the wedding was of certain noble Israelite souls. For in the first place God wishes, through those who call with the word of teaching, those who have the better natural aptitude for understanding to come to this blessed feast; and one can see that such people do not wish to come to the call. For this reason other servants are sent, inviting those who will not come, and promising that, if those invited come, they will share in the dinner prepared by the king, and in oxen — greater, as it were, among clean animals, than all the clean — fattened with the varied and abundant demonstration of the thoughts on each problem. For the one who brings an abundant and full demonstration of the problem in hand sets out, as it were, a fatted word, or one divided up, figuratively called slaughtered; whereas if, by hypothesis, only a few weak things were brought to the demonstration of problems, as seeming to establish them, the slaughtered animals would be thin and lean, and, to name them in the same manner, dry and fleshless. But not such are the things prepared at the king’s dinner, at which he says, “My oxen and fatted animals are slaughtered,” and so “all things are ready,” so that, with the servant boys standing by and the spiritual cupbearers ministering, each of the attendants may bring to the dinner, in due order, especially those things in which he has learned to serve. And urging those who, as I said, come second according to the parable, he said: “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted animals are slaughtered, and all things are ready; come to the wedding.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:3: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:4: quotation, high confidence - Heb 5:14: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:3–4; Heb 5:12–14 (solid food). Origen’s identification of those first invited with “noble Israelite souls” is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.22 (PG 13:1541a–1544a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-22). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.23 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-23 - Source: PG 13:1544a–1545d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Those who neglect the call are less guilty than those who, armed with sophistries, insult and kill God’s messengers; God’s army destroys their systems of doctrine, and the call goes out to all. ### Greek text Ἀλλʼ oi προηγουμένως καλούμενοι, ὡς πτωχοὶ καὶ ἄποροι τὸν νοῦν, ι ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ι περιέποντες τὰ ἴδια καὶ εὐφραινόμενοι μᾶλλον ἐπʼ αὐτοῖς ἢ οἷς ἐπηγγέλλετο διά τῶν ἀποσταλέντων δούλων ὁ βασιλεύς. Καὶ ὅρα, ὅτι ὁ μέν τις αὐτῶν ἔχων ἴδιον ἀγρὸν οὐκ ἦλθεν είς τοὺς γάμους· ὁ δὲ ἐμπορίαν κέκτηται, μιμεῖσθαί πως θέλων τὰ λεγόμενα ὲν τῇ περὶ τοῦ ἐμπόρου τῶν μαργαριτῶν παραβολῇ, ζητοῦντος τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας, καὶ εὑρόντος ἕνα πολύτιμον, καὶ ἀποδομένου τοὺς πολλοὺς, ἵνα ἀγοράσῃ τὸν ἕνα. Πλὴν οὐκ αἴσιος ἡ ἐμπορία αὕτη, ἐφʼ ἦν ἀπελθὼν ὁ κεκλημένος ού τοῦ ἑτοιμασθέντος τῷ βασιλεῖ ἀρίστου, καὶ τῶν τεθυμένων ταύρων. καὶ σιτιστῶν, καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑτοίμων. Ὅσοι μὲν οὖν τῶν διορατικῶν κληθέντες οὐκ ἔρχονται είς τὴν κλῆσιν, οὐ μὴν καὶ τοὺς ἀποσταλέντας δούλους ἐπὶ τὸ καλεῖν ὑβρίζουσι καὶ ἀναιροῦσι, μετριώτεροί εἰσι τῶν ταῦτα τετολμηκότων, καὶ ἀναπαύονται ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρὸν, ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμπορίᾳ αὑτοῦ. Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ παρά τούτους, ἴδωμεν τίνες εἰσί· δοκεῖ δή μοι, ὅτι ὲκπεπτώκασιν οὗτοι ἐπὶ παρασκευὴν ἐριστικῶν καὶ σοφιστικῶν λόγων, ὲν οἷς κρατοῦντες τῶν ἀποστελλομένων δούλων ού παρεσκευασμένων πρὸς τὸ λύειν σοφίσματα, ἢ κρατεῖν δοκοῦντες, ὑβρίζουσι τοὺς διακονουμένους τῇ κλήσει. Καὶ ἔστι γε ἰδεῖν τοὺς προσπεπονθότας τῇ ἀσκήσει τῶν θείων λόγων, καὶ μετά τῆς θείας σοφίας βουλομένους αὐτὸν πρεσβεύειν, ὑβριζομένους ὑπὸ τῶν διορατικῶν μὲν, οὗ βουλομένων δὲ πιστεύειν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· τινάς δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀναιρουμένους ὑπʼ ἐκείνων, οἷς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀργισθῆναι λέγεται, ἐπειδὴ φθάσαι τὴν καλουμένην ὀργὴν ἐπʼ αὐτούς. Τὸ δὲ ἔργον τῆς ὀργῆς ἐπιπεμφθῆναι τὸ στράτευμα τοῦ βασιλέως ἦτοι τὸ πλῆθος τῆς οὐρανίου στρατιᾶς, ἢ τοὺς τεταγμένους ἐπὶ τῶν κολάσεων ἀγγέλους. Καὶ ἀναιροῦσί γε τοὺς φονεῖς τῶν διακόνων τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐμπίπρησιν ὁ βασιλεύς· οἱονεὶ γὰρ πόλις καὶ σύστημα καθʼ ἕκαστόν ἐστι τῶν συγκεκροτημένων ἐν τῇ σοφία τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου δογμάτων, ἐμπίπρησιν ό βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐξαφανίζει, ὡς ἐκ μοχθηρῶν οἰκοδομημάτων συνεστηκυῖαν · καὶ ἐπάν ποτε κατανοήσαις καθαίρεσιν εἴτε ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως, εἴτε ὁποιωνποτοῦν λόγων ἐπαγγελλομένων ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἀνατροπὴν αὑτῶν γενναίαν, μὴ ὄκνει λέγειν τὸ τοιοῦτον γεγονέναι ὑπὸ στρατιωτῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐμπιπράντων τάς τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς ἀληθείας πόλεις. Ἐνεπρήσθη μέντοι καὶ ἠ πόλις τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς διδασκαλίας μετὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίαν, ἧς ἐμπρησθείσης εἰπε τοὶς δούλοις αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀποστόλοις Χριστοῦ, ἢ ἀγγέλοις Θεοῦ τεταγμένοις ἐπὶ τῆς κλήσεως τῶν ἐθνῶν · t ’0 μὲν γάμος ἕτοιμος, οἱ δὲ κεκλημένοι οὐκ ἦσαν ἄξιοι. Πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν όδῶν, καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε, καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους. ι Καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἀπὸ πάσης ὁδοῦ ἰδιωτικῆς, καὶ οῦκ ἰδιωτικῶν δογμάτων τῶν κατά τά ἔθη τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ πόλεων, καὶ κωμῶν, καὶ τόπων τοὺς καλουμένους εἰς τοὺς γάμους ἀπὸ τῶν προσταχθέντων τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Ἐξελθόντες δὲ οἰ δοῦλοι, εἴτε ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, oi Χριστοῦ ἀπόστολοι, εἴτε ἀπὺ τῶν ἔνδον ὁρίων ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν οἱ μακάριοι ἀγγελοι, καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς, καὶ συνήγαγον καὶ συνάξουσι πάντας οὓς ἐὰν εὕρωσι πονηροὺς, ἵνα ἀποθέμενοι τὴν πονηρίαν, τὸ ἀλλότριον τοῦ γάμου ἔνδυμα, καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι μετά τῶν λεγομένων ἀγαθῶν τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου, πληρώσωσι τὴν τοῦ γάμου ἑστίαν ἑαυτῶν ἀνακειμένων. ### English translation (Claude) But those called first, being poor and needy in mind, “made light of it and went off,” attending to their own things and delighting in them more than in what the king promised through the servants sent. And see that one of them, having his own farm, did not come to the wedding; while another has a business, wishing in a way to imitate what is said in the parable of the merchant of pearls, who sought fine pearls and, finding one of great value, sold the many to buy the one. But this business is not auspicious, for which the one invited went off, … not of the dinner prepared by the king and of the slaughtered oxen and fatted animals and all that was ready. All those, then, of the discerning who, when called, do not come to the call, yet do not insult and kill the servants sent to call them, are more moderate than those who have dared such things; and they take their rest, one on his own farm, another in his business. Let us see who the rest besides these are. It seems to me that these have fallen into the preparation of contentious and sophistical arguments, by which they overpower the servants who are sent, who are not prepared to resolve sophisms, or seem to overpower them, and so insult those who minister to the call. And one can see those devoted to the practice of the divine words, and wishing to champion it with the divine wisdom, insulted by people who are discerning but do not wish to believe the truth; and some of them even killed by those with whom the king is said to be angry, since the wrath so called has come upon them. The work of the wrath is that the king’s army is sent, either the multitude of the heavenly host, or the angels appointed over punishments. And they destroy the murderers of the ministers of the Word, and the king burns their whole city. For each of the systems of doctrines put together in the wisdom of the rulers of this age is like a city and a body, which the king burns and wipes out, as made up of wretched buildings. And whenever you observe the destruction of “knowledge falsely so called,” or of any doctrines whatever that profess the truth, and their noble overthrow, do not hesitate to say that this has been done by soldiers of God, burning the cities of the enemies of the truth. The city of Jewish teaching too was burned after Christ’s coming; and when it had been burned, the king said to his servants — the apostles of Christ, or the angels of God appointed over the calling of the Gentiles — “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the outlets of the roads, and invite to the wedding as many as you find.” And one can see those who are called to the wedding by those commanded to do this, from every road, both of simple people and of doctrines that are not simple, according to the customs of the nations, cities, villages, and places. The servants went out — whether from Judaea and Jerusalem, the apostles of Christ, or from the inner regions where the blessed angels were — and came to the roads, and have gathered, and will gather, all the bad whom they find, so that, having put off their wickedness, the garment foreign to the wedding, and having put on, with those called good, the garment of the wedding, they may fill the wedding feast as they recline. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:5: quotation, high confidence - Matt 13:45: allusion, high confidence - Matt 13:46: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:6: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:7: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 2:16: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:6: allusion, high confidence - 1 Tim 6:20: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:9: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:10: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:5–10; Matt 13:45–46; 1 Thess 2:16; 1 Cor 2:6; 1 Tim 6:20. After “for which the one invited went off” a word or more is lost in the scan, marked “…”. Origen’s statements about the “city of Jewish teaching” burned after Christ’s coming are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.23 (PG 13:1544a–1545d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-23). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.24 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-24 - Source: PG 13:1545d–1549a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The guest without the wedding garment is one who kept the vices he had before faith; bound and cast out, he will weep and gnash his teeth, and the churches too have many called but few chosen. ### Greek text Ἐπὰν οὖν t πλησθῇ ὁ γάμος ἀνακειμένων, ι καὶ προσαναπαυσαμένων τῇ πίστει καὶ τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ, τότε εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπιθεωρῆσαι καὶ κρῖναι περὶ τῶν ἀνακειμένων, ἵνα τὸν μὲν οὐκ ἔχοντα ἔνδυμα γάμου ἐλέγξας κολάσῃ τοῖς δέ λοιποῖς τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον ἄριστον παραθῇ, καὶ τὰ τεθυμένα σιτιστὰ μετὰ τῶν ταύρων, καί τὰ λοιπά πάντα ὅσα ἡτοίμασεν. Ἕνα δὲ οἵδε τὸν οὐκ ἐνδεδυμένον ἔνδυμα γάμου, εἰς ἓν γένος ἢ εἶδος ἀναφέρων τοὺς τὴν πρὸ τῆς πίστεως κακίαν τηρήσαντας, καὶ μὴ ἀποδυσαμένους αὐτήν· καὶ μέμφεταί γε τῷ τοιούτῳ, ὡς κακῶς ποιήσαντι, κατὰ τὸ τετολμηκέναι εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τοὺς τοιούτους γάμους, μὴ ἀναλαβόντι τὸ τοῦ γάμου ἔνδυμα, τὸ ὕφασμα τῆς ἀρετῆς, τὸ λαμπρὸν ἱμάτιον, περὶ οὗ Σολομῶν ἐν Ἐκκλησιαστῇ ἐνετείλατο λέγων· ‹ Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἔστωσαν τὰ ἱμάτιά σου λευκά. ι Φιμοῦται δὲ ὁ τολμήσας εἰσελθεῖν χωρὶς ἐνδύματος γάμου εἰς τὸν λαμπρὸν τοῦτον γάμον, καὶ οὺ δύναται λέγειν, ὅστις ὡς ἄξιος κολάσεως καὶ κρίσεως καταδικάζεται ὑπὸ τοῦ εἰπόντος τοῖς διακόνοις, ἄλλοις παρὰ τὰ ἂνω στρατεύματα, ἵνα, δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας, οἷς οὐκ εἰς δέον ἐχρήσατο, (οὔτε γὰρ ἣν ἔδει πορείαν περιεπάτησεν, οὔτε ἃς ἐχρῆν πράξεις ἐπετέλεσεν·) ἐκβάλωσιν αὑτὸν οὐ μόνον ἔξω τῆς ἑστίας τοῦ γάμου, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐξώτερον σκότος καὶ πάντη φωτὸς ἀμιγές ° ἵνα, διψήσας φωτὸς μετὰ τὸ γεγονέναι ἐν σκότῳ τῷ ἐξωτέρω, κλαύσῃ rp)»;th δυνάμενον αὐτὸν εὐεργετῆσαι, κάκεῖθεν ῥέξειν-θαι Θεδν, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας βρύξῃ τοὺς διὰ κακίαν φαγόντας τὸν ὄμφακα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αἰμωδιάσαντας· Τοῦ γάρ ι φαγόντος τὸν ὄμφακα οἰ ὀδόντες αἱμωδιάσουσιν. ι Ὅμφακα δὲ κάκεῖ νομιστέον λέγεσθαι τὴν κακίαν τοῦ μὴ ἐπεκτεινομένου τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, ἀλλὰ παραμείναντος αὐτῇ, δέον ὁδεῦσαι ἐπὶ τὸ πέπειρον, καὶ γλυκεῖαν ποιῆσαι τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς σταφυλήν. Ἐπιφέρει δὲ ὅλῃ τῇ παραβολῇ διὰ μὲν τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν κεκλημένων καὶ μὴ γενομένων ἀξίων τό· ι Πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσιν οἰ κλητοί· ι διὰ δὲ τοὺς εἰσελθόντας εἰς τὸν γάμον, καὶ άνακληθέντας ἐκεῖ ὼς ὀλίγους. τό ’ ι Ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. ι Καὶ εἰ τις γε κατανοήσαι τά πολυάνθρωπα άθροίσματα τῶν, ἵνα ἁπλούστερον ὀνομάσω, Ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ ἐξετάσαι πόσοι μὲν οἱ βιοῦντες ἐπιεικέστερον, καὶ ι μεταμορφούμενοι τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός· ι πόσοι δὲ οἱ ῥᾳθυμότερον πολιτευόμενοι, ι καὶ συσχηματιζόμενοι τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ. ι ἴδοι ἂν, ὅτι χρήσιμός ἐστιν ἡ λέγουσα τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνή· ι Πολλοὶ γάρ είσι κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δʼ ἐκλεκτοί. ι Kal. ἀλλαχοῦ λέλεκται· ι Πολλοὶ ζητήσουσιν είσελθεῖν. καὶ οὐκ ίσχύσουσι· ι καί· ι Ἀγωνίζεσθε εἰσελθεῖν ’διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, ὅτι ὀλίγοι εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτήν.) Περὶ τῶν ἐπερωτησάντων διὰ τὸν κῆνσον. ### English translation (Claude) When, then, “the wedding is filled with guests reclining,” and resting on faith and godliness, then the king will come in to look over and judge those reclining, so that, having convicted the one who has no wedding garment, he may punish him, and may set before the rest the prepared dinner, and the slaughtered fatted animals with the oxen, and all the other things that he prepared. He knows one who has not put on a wedding garment, referring to one genus or species those who have kept the wickedness they had before faith and have not stripped it off. And he blames such a one as having done wrong in daring to enter such a wedding without taking up the garment of the wedding, the woven fabric of virtue, the bright garment about which Solomon gave a command in Ecclesiastes, saying, “At every season let your garments be white.” The one who dared to enter this bright wedding without a wedding garment is silenced and cannot speak; and he is condemned as deserving punishment and judgment by the one who told the attendants — others than the armies mentioned above — to bind his feet and hands, which he did not use as he ought (for he neither walked the course he should, nor performed the actions he ought), and to cast him out not only from the wedding feast but into the outer darkness, wholly unmixed with light; so that, thirsting for light after being in the outer darkness, he may weep … the one able to benefit him, and from there … God, and may gnash the teeth that through wickedness ate the unripe grape and so were set on edge: “For the teeth of the one who eats the unripe grape will be set on edge.” There too the unripe grape must be taken to mean the wickedness of the one who did not stretch forward to what lies ahead, but remained in it, when he ought to have gone on to ripeness and made the grape of virtue sweet. And he adds to the whole parable, on account of the many who were called and did not become worthy, “For many are called”; and on account of those who entered the wedding and were made to recline there, being few, “but few are chosen.” And if anyone considers the populous gatherings of what, to put it simply, are called the churches, and examines how many live more reasonably and “are transformed by the renewal of the mind,” and how many conduct themselves more carelessly “and are conformed to this age,” he would see that the Saviour’s saying is useful: “For many are called, but few are chosen.” And elsewhere it has been said, “Many will seek to enter and will not be able,” and, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for few find it.” [On those who questioned him about the census tax.] ### Scripture references - Matt 22:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:12: allusion, high confidence - Eccl 9:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:13: allusion, high confidence - Jer 31:30 (38:30 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ezek 18:2: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 3:13: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:14: quotation, high confidence - Rom 12:2: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 7:13: allusion, high confidence - Matt 7:14: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:10–14; Eccl 9:8; Jer 31:29–30 (38:29–30 LXX; Ezek 18:2); Phil 3:13; Rom 12:2; Luke 13:24; Matt 7:13–14. Two phrases about the outcast’s weeping (“he may weep … the one able to benefit him, and from there … God”) are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. The last sentence, in brackets, is a heading for the next passage printed at the end of this section. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.24 (PG 13:1545d–1549a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-24). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.25 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-25 - Source: PG 13:1549a–1552d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen sets the question about the census tax in its history: Jewish resistance to Roman statues in the temple and the debate, stirred by Judas the Galilean, over paying tribute. ### Greek text ε Τότε πορευθέντες oi Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατʼ αὐτοῦ, ὅπως αὐτὸν παγιδεύσωσιν ὲν λόγῳ, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, ἓως τοῦ· ι Καὶ ἀφέντες αὐτὸν ἀπῆλθον. ι Τὸ βούλημα τῆς ὲκκειμένης λέξεως, κατὰ τὸ ῥητὸν, τοιοῦτον εἶναί μοι φαίνεται· Ἰουδαῖοι, ἅτε ἰδίαν ἔχοντες τὴν κατά τὸν Μωσέως νόμον διδασκαλίαν, καὶ πολιτείαν ἀπεξενωμένην τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀγωγῆς, καὶ δόγμα ἔχοντες τὸ λέγον· ι Ἕως θανάτου ἀγώνισαι περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ Κύριος πολεμήσει περὶ σοῦ, ι ἀνθίσταντο τοῖς κρατοῦσιν αὐτῶν ἔθνεσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ παραβῆναι τὸν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ · καὶ πολλάκις γε ἄρδην ἀπολέσθαί κεκινδυνεύκασιν ἐπὶ Ῥωμαίων βουλομένων ἀνδριάντα Καίσαρος εἰσαγαγεῖν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἁνθιστάμενοι καὶ κωλύοντες τοὺς ἰσχυροτέρους αὐτῶν γενομένους, ὲκ τοῦ ἡμαρτηκέναι Ἰουδαίους. Εὖρομεν δὲ ὲκ τῶν κατά τὸν χρόνον Τιβερίου Καίσαρος ἱστοριῶν γραφὰς, ὡς ἄρα ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου ἐκινδύνευσεν 6 λαὸς, τοῦ μὲν Πιλάτου βιαζομένου ἀνδριάντα Καίσαρος ἀναθεῖναι ἐν τῷ ναῷ. τῶν δὲ καὶ παρά δύναμιν κωλυόντων. Τὸ δὲ ὅμοιον ἀναγέγραπται γεγονέναι καὶ κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Γαΐου, Καίσαρος. Καὶ στοχαζόμεθα, ὃτι ὅσον μὲν ἐπεσκοπεῖτο 6 λαὸς, καὶ τὸν λεγόμενον κατὰ τοὺς προφήτας φραγμὸν περιτετείχιστο ι 6 ἀμπελὼν τοῦ Κυρίου, οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τὸ ἠγαπημένον νεόφυτον αὑτοῦ ἄνθρωπος Ἰούδα, ι οὐδὲν τηλικοῦτον ἐγένετο. Τὸ παραδοξότατον δὲ, αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἐτόλμησε μιᾶναι τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Πιλάτος, ᾧ παρέδωκαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Καὶ κατὰ τὸν χρόνον οὖν τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ἡνίκα φόρον ἐπετάχθησαν δοῦναι Ἰουδαῖοι Ῥωμαίοις, σκέψις καὶ βουλὴ ἦν ὲν Ἰουδαίοις περὶ τοῦ πότερον καθήκει τοὺς ἀνακειμένους τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μερίδα ὄντας αὑτοῦ διδόναι φόρον τοῖς ἄρχουσιν, ἢ ὑπὲρ ἐλευθερίας πολεμεῖν, εί μὴ συγχωροῖντο ζῆν ἃ βούλονται, καὶ μὴ διδόναι φόρον. Καὶ ἱστόρηται, ὅτι Ἰούδας μὲν ὁ Γαλιλαῖος, οὗ μέμνηται καὶ Λουκᾶς ὲν ταῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων Πράξεσιν, ἀποστήσας πολὺ πλῆθος Ἰουδαίων, ἐδίδασκε μὴ δεῖν διδόναι Καίσαρι φόρον, μηδὲ κύριον ἀναγορεύειν τὸν Καίσαρα· ὁ δὲ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ τετράρχης πείθειν ἐβούλετο τὸν λαὸν εἴκειν τῇ παρούσῃ καταστάσει, καὶ μὴ αὐθαίρετον αἱρεῖσθαι πρὸς ἰσχυροτέρους πόλεμον, διδόναι δὲ τοὺς φόρους. Καὶ ἡ προκειμένη δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου λέξις οὐ σαφῶς μὲν ἐμφαίνει τὰ τοιαῦτα· τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ βεβασανισμένως ὀρᾷν τὸ ἐκκείμενον ῥητὸν, παρίστησι ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχεινʼ χώραν γὰρ οὐκ εἶχον Φαρισαῖοι βουλόμενοι παγιδεῦσαι ὲν λόγῳ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀποστείλαντες ἑαυτῶν τοὺς μαθητὰς μετὰ τῶν Ἧρωδιανῶν πυθέσθαι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, πότερον ἔξεστι δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι, ἦ οὔ· εἰ ὁμολογούμενον ἦν, ὅτι οὐ διδόναι, καὶ εί συμπεφωνημένον ἦν, ὅτι διδόναι. ### English translation (Claude) “Then the Pharisees went and took counsel against him, how they might entrap him in talk,” and so on, down to: “And they left him and went away.” The meaning of the passage before us, according to the letter, seems to me to be this. The Jews, since they had their own teaching according to the law of Moses, and a way of life estranged from the conduct of the Gentiles, and held a precept that says, “Strive for the truth to the death, and the Lord will fight for you,” resisted the Gentiles who ruled them so as not to transgress the law of God. Often they ran the risk of being utterly destroyed when the Romans wished to bring a statue of Caesar into the temple of God, resisting and hindering those who had become stronger than they because the Jews had sinned. We have found in the histories of the time of Tiberius Caesar writings to the effect that under Pontius Pilate the people were in danger, when Pilate tried by force to set up a statue of Caesar in the temple and they resisted even beyond their strength. The like is recorded to have happened also in the times of Gaius Caesar. And we conjecture that, as long as the people was under God’s oversight, and “the vineyard of the Lord, the house of Israel, and the man of Judah, his beloved new planting,” was walled about with the hedge spoken of in the prophets, nothing so serious happened. And most remarkable of all, it was Pilate himself, to whom they handed over Jesus, who first dared to defile the temple of God. In the time of the Saviour, then, when the Jews had been ordered to pay tribute to the Romans, there was inquiry and debate among the Jews whether those dedicated to God, who were his portion, ought to give tribute to the rulers, or to fight for freedom, if they were not permitted to live as they wished, and not give tribute. And it is recorded that Judas the Galilean, whom Luke also mentions in the Acts of the Apostles, led a great number of Jews to revolt and taught that one should not give tribute to Caesar nor proclaim Caesar lord; while the tetrarch of that time wished to persuade the people to yield to the present situation and not to choose of their own accord a war against stronger men, but to pay the tributes. The present passage of the Gospel does not show such things plainly; but to one able to look closely at the text before us, it shows that things were so. For the Pharisees, wishing to entrap Jesus in talk, would have had no room to send their disciples with the Herodians to ask Jesus whether it is lawful to give the census tax to Caesar or not, if it had been agreed that one should not give it, or if it had been agreed that one should give it. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:22: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:2: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 5:7: quotation, high confidence - Acts 5:37: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:17: allusion, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 4:28 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence - Josephus, Ant. 18.55–59 (Josephus (works)): allusion, medium confidence - Josephus, Ant. 18.4–10 (Josephus (works)): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:15–22; Sir 4:28; Isa 5:2, 7; Acts 5:37. The “histories” are probably those of Josephus (on Pilate, Ant. 18.55–59 and J.W. 2.169–174, where the objects are standards and images rather than a statue in the temple; on Gaius, Ant. 18.261–309; on Judas the Galilean, Ant. 18.4–10). The identity of “the tetrarch of that time” is uncertain. Origen’s statements about the Jews of that time are translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.25 (PG 13:1549a–1552d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-25). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.26 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-26 - Source: PG 13:1552d–1556d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The trap lay in the two groups sent: forbidding the tax would expose Jesus to the Herodians, allowing it to the Pharisees; he answered by examining the coin, teaching that both Caesar and God receive their due. ### Greek text Καὶ ὅρα εἰ μὴ δηλοῦται τὰ τῆς ἐκκειμένης ἱστορίας ἐκ τοῦ τοὺς βουλομένους παγιδεῦσαι ἐν λόγῳ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Φαρισαίους, μὴ μόνους ἀπεσταλκέναι τοὺς μαθητὰς ἑαυτῶν πευσομένους περὶ τοῦ κήνσου, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν Ἡρωδιανῶν· εἰκὸς γὰρ, ὅτι ὲν τῷ λαῷ τότε oi μὲν διδάσκοντες τελεῖν τὸν φόρον Καίσαρι ἐκαλοῦντο Ἡρωδιανοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ θελόντων τοῦτο γίνεσθαι· oi δὲ φαντασίᾳ ἐλευθερίας κωλύοντες διδόναι τὸν φόρον τῷ Καίσαρι, ἐδόκουν εἶναι οἱ ἀκριβοῦντες τὰ Ἰουδαίων μαθήματα Φαρισαῖοι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλεταί τις ταῦθʼ οὕτως ἔχειν, σωσάτω πῶς βουλόμενοι αὐτὸν παγιδεῦσαι ὲν λόγῳ ἀποστέλλουσι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν μαθητὰς οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ἀποστέλλουσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἦρωδιανοὺς πευσομένους περὶ τοῦ φόρου ποία γὰρ παγὶς ἦν ὲν τῷ ἀποκρίνασθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, εἴτε βούλεται κῆνσον δίδοσθαι Καίσαρι, εἴτε μὴ, εἰ μὴ, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, κωλύοντος μὲν αὑτοῦ διδόναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι, ἔμελλον Ἦρωδιανοὶ παραδιδόναι αὐτὸν Ῥωμαίοις, ὼς ἀποστασίαν διδάσκοντα· ἐπιτρέποντος δὲ, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔμελλον κατηγορεῖν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς βλέποντος είς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου μᾶλλον, ἥπερ διδάσκοντος ὲν ἀληθείᾳ τὴν ὁδὸν Θεοῦ; Βασάνισον δὲ παρὰ σαυτῷ, ὅτι οἱ τῶν Φαρισαίων μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· ι Διδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἴ, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διδάσκεις, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γάρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου· › οἷον προκαλοῦνται αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ ἐπαίνου ἐπὶ τὸ μὴ λαβεῖν πρόσωπον τῶν Ἥρωδιανῶν, καὶ τῶν οῖ ἐφρόνουν τὰ Καίσαρος, ἵνα ἀποφηνάμενος κατά τὸ βούλημα τῶν Φαρισαίων περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν Καίσαρι διδόναι φόρον, ὑπʼ αὐτῶν παραδοθῇ τοῖς Ἠρωδιανοῖς. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ τό· ι Γνοὺς δὲ ό Ἰησοῦς τὴν πανουργίαν αὐτῶν, εἷπε· Τί με πειράζετε, ὑποκριταί; ι Οὐκοῦν ᾔδει πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν Φαρισαίων μετὰ πανουργίας αὑτῴ προσερχομένων, ἵνʼ ὅ τι ποτʼ ἂν ἀποκρίνηται, ἐκ τῆς ἀποκρίσεως ἐπιβουλεύσωσιν αὐτῷ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὲκ τοῦ προκειμένου Εὑαγγελίου λελέχθω εἰς τὸν τόπον ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν, οἷς συνᾴδει καὶ τὰ τοῦ Μάρκου καὶ τοῦ Λουκᾶ ρητά περὶ τῶν ὁμοίων, ὡς δυνατόν σοι παραθεμένῳ τὰ Εὑαγγέλια καὶ συνεξετάζοντι αὐτὰ ἀλλήλοις ἰδεῖν · οὐκ ἄλλος γὰρ νοῦς ἐστι παρὰ τοῦτον εἰρημένος τῷ Ματθαίῳ περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον, καὶ παραπλησίως Ματθαίῳ παρὰ τῷ Μάρκῳ. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ διδασκόμεθα ἀπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μὴ τοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν λεγομένοις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐνδόξοις φαινομένοις, προφάσει τῆς είς Θεὸν εὐσεβείας προσέχειν, ἀλλά ὑπὸ τῆς ἐξετάσεως, καί τῆς ἀκολουθίας τοῦ λόγου παρισταμένοις· πρόσχες γὰρ, ὅτι, ζητουμένου τοῦ, εί δεῖ διδόναι Καίσαρι κῆνσον, ἢ μὴ, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀπεφήνατο τὸ δοκοῦν ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ εἰπώνʼ ι Ἐπιδείξατέ μοι τὸ νόμισμα τοῦ κήνσου, ι ἐπύθετο τίνος ἡ εἰκὼν καὶ ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ, καὶ εἰποῦσιν, ὃτι Καίσαρος, ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι δεῖ ἀποδιδόναι Καίσαρι τὰ αὐτοῦ αἰτοῦντι, καὶ μὴ ἀποστερεῖν αὐτὸν τῶν ἰδίων φαντασίᾳ θεοσεβείας. Οὐ δήπου δὲ τὰ μὲν Καίσαρος ἀποδιδόναι δεῖ τῷ Καίσαρι, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ οὐ κωλύεταί τις ἀποδιδοὺς καὶ Καίσαρι τά Καίσαρος ἀποδιδόναι τῷ Θεῷ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) And see whether the facts of the history we have set out are not shown by the Pharisees, who wished to entrap Jesus in talk, sending their own disciples to ask about the census tax not alone but with the Herodians. For it is likely that among the people at that time those who taught that the tribute should be paid to Caesar were called Herodians by those who did not want this to be done, while those who, under a pretence of freedom, hindered the paying of tribute to Caesar were thought to be the Pharisees, who were exact in the teachings of the Jews. If someone does not want things to be so, let him explain how the Pharisees, wishing to entrap him in talk, send their own disciples, and send the Herodians too, to ask about the tribute. For what trap was there in Jesus’ answering whether he wished the census tax to be given to Caesar or not, unless, as we have explained, the Herodians would hand him over to the Romans as teaching revolt if he forbade giving the census tax to Caesar, while, if he permitted it, the Pharisees would accuse Jesus of regarding the person of men rather than teaching the way of God in truth? Test it for yourself: the disciples of the Pharisees, in saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God in truth, and you care for no one; for you do not regard the person of men,” were provoking him, as it were, by their praise not to show partiality to the Herodians and to those who took Caesar’s side, so that, declaring according to the Pharisees’ wish that tribute should not be given to Caesar, he might be handed over by them to the Herodians. See also the words: “But Jesus, perceiving their craftiness, said, Why do you test me, you hypocrites?” He knew, then, that he was being tested by the Pharisees, who came to him with craftiness so that, whatever he answered, they might plot against him on the strength of his answer. Let these things be said from the present Gospel on the passage, as regards the letter. With them the words of Mark and Luke on the same matters agree, as you can see by setting the Gospels side by side and examining them against one another; for no other meaning than this is stated by Matthew about the matters of the passage, and Mark’s is like Matthew’s. At the same time we are taught by our Saviour not to give heed, under the pretext of piety toward God, to what is said by the many and therefore seems reputable, but to what is established by examination and by the logic of reason. For notice that, when the question was whether one should give the census tax to Caesar or not, he did not simply declare his own opinion, but said, “Show me the coin of the census tax,” and asked whose image and inscription it bore; and when they said, “Caesar’s,” he answered that one must render to Caesar what is his when he asks for it, and not deprive him of his own under a pretence of piety. But surely it is not that one must render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, but not also to God the things that are God’s; and no one who renders to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s is prevented from rendering to God the things that are God’s. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:16: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:18: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:19: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:20: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:21: allusion, high confidence - Mark 12:13: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 20:20: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:15–21; Mark 12:13–17; Luke 20:20–26. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.26 (PG 13:1552d–1556d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-26). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.27 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-27 - Source: PG 13:1556d–1557c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Figuratively, Caesar’s due is what the body reasonably needs, and God’s due is the virtue that suits the soul made in God’s image; excessive bodily austerity is like refusing Caesar his tax. ### Greek text Δύναται δέ τις τὰ κατά τὸν τόπον οὓτως τροπολογῆσαι. Συνεστήκαμεν ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος· ὑπερκείσθω δὲ νῦν λέγειν ὅτι καὶ ὲκ πνεύματος· καὶ ὀφείλομεν τινα διδόναι ὡσπερεὶ φόρον σωμάτων ἄρχοντι λεγομένῳ Καίσαρι, τὰ ἀναγκαῖα τῷ σώματι, ἔχοντα τὴν είκόνα τοῦ τῶν σωμάτων ἄρχοντος σωματικήν · ταῦτα δέ ἐστι τροφὴ, καὶ σκέπη, καὶ ἀναγκαία διανάπαυσις, καὶ ὕπνοι. Καὶ άλλα ὀφείλομεν, ἐπεὶ ἡ ψυχὴ φύσει κατʼ είκόνα ἐστὶ Θεοῦ, τῷ βασιλεῖ αὐτῆς Θεῷ, άπερ ἐστὶ συμφέροντα, καὶ κατάλληλα τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς φύσει καὶ οὐσίᾳ. Ταῦτα δέ είσιν αἱ ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν ἄγουσαι όδοὶ, καὶ αἱ κατʼ ἀρετὴν πράξεις. Οἱ οὖν διδασκόμενοι τὸν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τῶν τοῦ σώματος πραγμάτων, καὶ ὀφειλομένων αὑτῷ οὐ τά αὐτὰ δοξάζουσιν· Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸ ἀνάλογον ποιοῦσι τοῖς συμβουλεύουσι μὴ διδόναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι, ὅση δύναμις νηστείαις καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις κακοῦντες τὸ σῶμα, καὶ ἀποχῇ πάσῃ τῇ διὰ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τὰς ἀναγκαίας αὐτοῦ πράξεις· ἕτεροι δὲ παρὰ τούτους εἰσὶν, οἳ ἀτρανώτως μὲν διαλαμβάνουσι περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον· φαντάζονται ’ δὲ, ὅτι καὶ τῷ σώματι χρὴ διδόναι τὰς ὀφειλάς · ἀλλʼ ὅ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν 6 Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, τρανῶς χωρίζων τὰς εὐλόγους τῷ σώματι ὀφειλάς άπὸ τῶν ὀφειλῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, φησινʼ ‹ Ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ· ι είκόνα γὰρ ἔχει Καίσαρος καὶ σωματικῶν πραγμάτων 6 φόρος, ὃν μόνον καί οὐδὲν πλέον αὐτοῦ ὀφείλομεν τῷ σώματι. ### English translation (Claude) One can interpret the passage figuratively as follows. We consist of soul and body (let it be put off for now to say that we consist also of spirit); and we owe certain things to be given, as a kind of tribute, to the ruler of bodies, who is called Caesar: the things necessary for the body, which bear the bodily image of the ruler of bodies. These are food, clothing, necessary rest, and sleep. And we owe other things, since the soul is by nature according to the image of God, to its king, God: the things that are beneficial and suited to the nature and substance of the soul. These are the ways that lead to virtue and the actions done in virtue. Those, then, who are taught the law of God do not hold the same opinions about the matters of the body and what is owed to it. Some do what corresponds to those who advise not giving the census tax to Caesar, afflicting the body as much as they can with fasts and vigils, and with complete abstinence from what serves the body and its necessary actions. Others besides these do not grasp the matters of the passage clearly, but imagine that the body too should be given its dues. But our Saviour, the Word of God, clearly separating the reasonable dues of the body from the dues of the soul, says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” For the tribute bears the image of Caesar and of bodily things, and this alone, and nothing more, we owe to the body. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:21: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:23: echo, low confidence - Gen 1:27: allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:21; 1 Thess 5:23 (spirit, soul, body); Gen 1:27. A number in the scan (“357”, apparently a column number) has been removed. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.27 (PG 13:1556d–1557c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-27). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.28 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-28 - Source: PG 13:1557c–1560d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Another reading takes Caesar as the ruler of this age, whose things are our vices; Origen adds that hostile questions should be answered carefully, and that those who leave the Word after hearing him are like the Pharisees who left Jesus. ### Greek text Οἶδα δὲ καὶ άλλην είς τὸν τόπον τοιαύτην φερομένην διήγησιν. '0 μὲν άρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐν τροπολογίᾳ καλεῖται Καῖσαρ· 6 δὲ τῶν αἰώνων βασιλεὺς, ἐν οὐδενὶ συμβόλῳ τυγχάνων, Θεὸς πανταχοῦ ὀνομάζεται. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἔχομέν τινα τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, τουτέστι τὰ κατὰ κακίαν, καὶ οὐ πρότερον δυνάμεθα ἀποδιδόναι τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποδῶμεν ἀποθέμενοι πάντα τά τῆς κακίας τῷ Καίσαρι τά τοῦ Καίσαρος · διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἐπιδειχθέντος τοῦ νομίσματος καὶ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ εἰκόνος, φησιν · ι Ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ. ι Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ κατὰ τὸν τόπον σκοπήσωμεν, ὅτι, ὲάν ποτε, πειραζόμενοι faterin ζητούντων ἀφορμὰς, προτεινόντων προβλήματα οὐχ ἵνα μάθωσιν, ἀλλʼ ἵνα ὅση δύναμις ἡμῶν κατηγορήσωσιν, ἀκούωμεν λόγους πειραστικοὺς ἡμῶν, οὔτε πάντη σιωπᾷν ὀφείλομεν, οὔτε ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀποκρίνεσθαι, ἀλλά περιεσκεμμένως καὶ μετά περισκέψεως, εἰς τὸ ὅση δύναμις ἐκκόψαι τὰς ἀφορμάς τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμὰς, καὶ διδάσκειν ἀνεπιλήπτως τὰ σώζοντα τοὺς βουλομένους ὲν τῷ ἀκούειν σώζεσθαι. Δύνανται δὲ οἱ μὲν Φαρισαῖοι λαμβάνεσθαι εἰς τοὺς διδασκάλους τῶν διαφόρων Ἰουδαϊκῶν παραδόσεων· οἱ δὲ Ἠρωδιανοὶ εἰς τὸν νομιζόμενον παρά τοῖς πολλοῖς βασιλικὸν Ἰουδαίων τῶν οὕτως ἁπλούστερον λεγομένων λόγων. Ἀφʼ ἑκατέρων οὖν πυνθάνονται τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὰ περὶ τοῦ κήνσουʼ ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνεται, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν· πλὴν ἐπεὶ οὐ μαθεῖν βούλονται ὲκ τοῦ ἐρωτᾷν αὐτὸν, ἀλλά παγιδεῦσαι ὲν λόγῳ, καὶ πειράζειν αὑτὸν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀκούσαντες τὰ δοκοῦντα αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ πύσμα αὑτοῦ, καὶ θαυμάσαντες, ὅτι μὴ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἀφορμὰς τοῦ αὐτῷ ἐπιβουλεύειν, οὐκ ἔμειναν μὲν παρʼ αὐτῷ, ὡς oi μαθηται· οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς ἀπῆλθον, ὡς περὶ ἄλλων γέγραπται, ι ἀφέντες ι δὲ ι αὑτὸν ἀπῆλθον· ι καὶ τοιοῦτοι γέ εἰσιν οἱ ἀφιέντες τὸν Λόγον, καὶ ἀπιστοῦντες αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπιόντες ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ μετά τὸ ἀκοῦσαι αύτοῦ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσει λέγων περὶ τῶν μετὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἀποστάντων καὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν, ὅτι οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἀφέντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπῆλθον· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐροῦμεν τὸ τῆς νύμφης* ι Ἐκράτησα αὑτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκα αὐτόν. ι Περὶ τῶν Σαδδουκαίων, οἳ ἐπηρώτησαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς ἑπτὰ λαβούσης ἄνδρας. ### English translation (Claude) I also know another interpretation of the passage that is current, of this kind. The ruler of this age is figuratively called Caesar, while the king of the ages, who is under no symbol, is everywhere named God. Since, then, we have certain things belonging to the ruler of this age, that is, the things of wickedness, and we cannot render to God the things that are God’s until we have put off all the things of wickedness and rendered to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, therefore the Saviour, when the coin and the image on it had been shown, says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Let us consider this too in connection with the passage: if ever we are tested by people who seek occasions against us, who put forward problems not to learn but to accuse us as far as they can, and we hear questions meant to test us, we ought neither to keep wholly silent nor to answer at random, but carefully and with circumspection, so as to cut off, as far as we can, the occasions sought by those who want occasions, and to teach blamelessly the things that save those who wish to be saved by listening. The Pharisees can be taken to stand for the teachers of the various Jewish traditions, and the Herodians for what among the many is considered the royal element of the Jews’ doctrines, as they are rather loosely called. From both, then, they ask the Saviour about the census tax; and he answers them, as we have explained. Yet since they wish not to learn by asking him, but to entrap him in talk and to test him, therefore, having heard his view on their question, and marvelling that he had given them no occasion to plot against him, they did not stay with him, as the disciples did; nor did they simply go away, as is written of others; but “they left him and went away.” And such are those who leave the Word, and disbelieve him, and depart from him after hearing him. One will not be wrong in saying of those who, after hearing, have turned away even from listening, that these “left Jesus and went away”; but we shall say the words of the bride: “I held him and did not let him go.” [On the Sadducees, who questioned Jesus about the woman who had had seven husbands.] ### Scripture references - Matt 22:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:19: allusion, high confidence - John 12:31: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Tim 1:17: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:15: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:22: quotation, high confidence - John 6:66: echo, low confidence - Song 3:4: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:15–22; John 12:31; 1 Tim 1:17; John 6:66–68; Song 3:4. The last sentence, in brackets, is a heading for the next passage printed at the end of this section. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.28 (PG 13:1557c–1560d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-18/#p-17-28). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.29 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-29 - Source: PG 13:1560d–1568a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Sadducees, like the Samaritans and some Corinthians, denied not only the resurrection of the flesh but any survival of the soul; Origen argues that Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 are aimed at that denial. ### Greek text ι Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, ι καὶ τά ἑξῆς, ἕως τοῦ· ι Ἐξεπλήσσοντο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ. 1 Τά δὲ ἰσοδυναμοῦντα τούτοις, ἢ τὰ αὑτά αὐτοῖς εἴρηται καὶ παρά τῷ Μάρκῳ καὶ τῷ Λουκᾷ ὲν ἄλλαις κατʼ ὀλίγα λέξεσιν. ι Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ι ποίᾳ ἢ ὅτε ι πορευθέντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατʼ αὐτοῦ, ὅπως αὐτὸν παγιδεύσωσιν ἐν λόγῳ, ι καὶ πυνθάνονται τά περὶ τοῦ κήνσου; Εἰκὸς γὰρ, ὅτι, ἀποκρινομένου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν περὶ τοῦ κήνσου, καὶ εἰπόντος· ι Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τά Καίσαρος τῷ Καίσαρι, καὶ τά τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ, ι καὶ θαυμασάντων τὴν ἀπόκρισιν αὑτοῦ, ᾠήθησαν οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι, εἰδότες αὐτοῦ τὰς συνετὰς ἀποκρίσεις, ἦτοι αὐτοὶ διὰ τῆς ὲπαπορήσεως παραστήσειν ἑαυτοὺς κρείττονα λόγον ἔχοντας, μὴ εἶναι λέγοντας ἀνάστασιν τῶν ἐλπιζόντων αὐτὴν, ἢ τάχα καὶ μαθήσεσθαι πῶς δύναται εἶναι ἀνάστασις κατὰ τὴν Μωσέως γραφὴν, καὶ ποῖος ὁ βίος ἔσται τῶν ἀναστησομένων. Παρατήρει δὲ, ὅτι σχεδὸν πᾶσα ἡ τοῦ καιροῦ τούτου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διδασκαλία πρὸς πεύσεις ἐγίνετοʼ καὶ πρῶτόν γε, ι ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ είς τὸ ἱερὸν, προσῆλθον αὐτῷ διδάσκοντι οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ λέγοντες· Ἐν ποία ἐξουσία ταῦτα ποιεῖς; καὶ τίς ἔδωκέ σοι τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην; ι Πρὸς οὓς ἀντερωτήσας τὰ περὶ Ἰωάννου, ἔδοξεν εὐλόγως παρῃτῆσθαι τὴν πρὸς τὸ βούλημα αὐτῶν ἀπόκρισιν· εἶτα μετά τοῦτο λέγει παραβολὴν τὴν περὶ δύο τέκνων, τοῦ τε ὑποσχομένου ἐργάσασθαι ὲν τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, καὶ μὴ ἐργασαμένου, καὶ τοῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου μὲν, μὴ ἐργασαμένου δέ. Εἶτα μετά ταῦτα λέγει τὴν περὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος παραβολὴν, καὶ τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων γεωργῶν τοὺς δούλους, καὶ τὸν υἱον, καὶ τά ἑξῆς τούτων· περὶ τῶν εις τοὺς γάμους κλητῶν ἄλλην παραβολήν· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο δευτέραν πεῦσιν τὴν περὶ τοῦ κήνσου ἀνέγραψεν ὁ Ματθαῖος, καὶ τρίτην τῶν Σαδδουκαίων περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἐπαπόρησιν. Ἀλλά καὶ τετάρτη μετὰ ταύτην ἐπερώτησις γεγένηται ἀπό τινος Φαρισαίου πειράζοντος αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ· ι Ποία ἐντολὴ μεγάλη ὲν τῷ νόμῳ. ι Τοσούτων δὲ ἐρωτήσεων προσαγομένων αὐτῷ, καὶ αὐτὸς συνηγμένων τῶν Φαρισαίων ὲπερώτησεν αὐτοὺς τά περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι μέντοι, λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, οὐ τὴν ἐν τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῶν ἁπλουστέρων ὀνομαζομένην ἀνάστασιν σαρκὸς ἠθέτουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντελῶς ἀνῄρουν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς οὐ μόνον ἀθανασίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὲπιδιαμονὴν, οἰόμενοι μηδαμοῦ ὲν τοῖς Μωσέως γράμμασι σημαίνεσθαι τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς μετά ταῦτα ζωήν. Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ τοῖς Σαδδουκαίοις δόγμα περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχῆς φρονοῦσι μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο Σαμαρεῖς, καὶ οἰκοδομοῦντες ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶναι νομομαθεῖς, καὶ ἕως θανάτου ἀγωνιζόμενοι περὶ τοῦ Μωσέως νόμου καὶ τῆς περιτομῆς. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ περὶ ἀναστάσεως σημαινόμενον, λέγω δὲ τὸ παρά Σαδδουκαίοις καὶ Σαμαρεῦσιν, demisi τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ζωὴν, νοοῦντές τινες τῶν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου χρόνον Κορινθίων, ἐδογμάτιζον μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν, περὶ ὧν ταῦτα γράψειʼ ι Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς κηρύσσεται, ὲκ νεκρῶν ὃτι ἐγήγερται, πῶς λέγουσιν ὲν ὑμῖν τινες, ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν; ι Ὅτι δὲ οἱ ὲν Κορίνθῳ λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν κατά τὸ Σαδδουκαίων σημαινόμενον ὴθέτουν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, τὴν autesz τῆς ψυχῆς, δῆλον ποιεῖ ὲκ τοῦ· ι Εἰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ ἠλπικότες ἐσμὲν ὲν Χριστῷ μόνον, ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐσμέν. ι Ὅπερ ἐπιμελῶς ἐξετάσας ὄψει, ὅτι ὀ μὲν ἀθετῶν τὴν ὲν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πεπιστευμένην ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, κᾶν ψευδόμενος ἀθετῇ, ού πάντως ὲν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ ὲν Χριστῷ ἠλπικώς ἐστι μόνον· ἵνα γὰρ καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν μὴ ᾖ ἀληθὴς ἠ πεπιστευμένη παρά τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀνάστασις, ούκ ὲν ταύτῃ τῇ ζωῇ ἧλπικε μόνον ὲν Χριστῷ ὁ ἐκείνην ἀθετῶν, ζώσης τῆς ψυχῆς, οὐκ ἐκεῖνο μὲν ἀπολαμβανούσης τὸ σῶμα, ἐνδυομένης δὲ αίθέριόν τι καὶ κρεῖττον· ἀλλʼ οὐδὲ ι ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐσμὲν, ι εί τὴν μὲν ψυχὴν λέγοιμεν ζῇν καὶ ὑπάρχειν, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦτο μὴ περιτεθείη μὲν αὐτῇ, μηδὲ λέγοιμεν ἀπολαμβάνειν αὐτό. Ἔτι δὲ είς κατασκευὴν τοῦ πρὸς τὸ σημαινόμενον τοῦτο μάλιστα ἵστασθαι τὸν Ἀπόστολον ὲν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους προτέρᾳ, συγχρησόμεθα καὶ τῷ· ι Εἰ ὅλως νεκροὶ ούκ ἐγείρονται, τί καὶ βαπτίζονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν; καὶ ἡμεῖς κινδυνεύομεν πᾶσαν ὦραν; ι καὶ τῷ ι Εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, ἐθηριομάχησα ὲν Ἐφέσῳ, τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος, εί νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται; φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν. ι Ἔστω γὰρ τὸ νομισθὲν παρά τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀληθὲς εἶναι μὴ εἶναι ἀληθὲς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν νεκρῶν, πῶς τούτῳ ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ μάτην ἡμᾶς κινδυνεύειν ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν ἀγωνιζομένους; πῶς δὲ οὐδὲν ὄφελος τῷ διὰ Χριστὸν θηριομαχήσαντι, οίκονομουμένῃ κατʼ ἀξίαν, τὸ δὲ πρότερον σῶμα μὴ ἀπολαμβάνοι; πῶς δὲ ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ μὴ εἶναι σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν τό· ι Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν ;’ ι Οὐ ταῦτα δέ φαμεν ἀπιστοῦντες τῷ ὲν Ἡσαΐᾳ γεγραμμένῳ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπονʼ ι Ὄψεται πᾶσα σάρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ· ι ἢ τῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰὼβ λεγομένῳ· ι Ὅτι ἀένναός ἔστιν ὁ ἐκλύειν με μέλλων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀναστῆσαι τὸ δέρμα μου τὸ ἀνατλοῦν ταῦτα· ι οὐκ ἀπιστοῦμεν δὲ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀποστολικῇ φωνῇ λεγούσῃ· ι Ζωοποιήσει τὰ θνητά ὑμῶν σώματα, διὰ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν αὐτοῦ πνεῦμα ὲν ὑμῖν· ι ἀλλʼ ὅση δύναμις καθαίρομεν τὸ ὲν τῇ ἐκκειμένῃ λέξει τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου σημαινόμενον ἀπὸ τῆς, ἀνάστασις, φωνῆς καὶ παρεθέμεθα τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας πρὸς Κορινθίους ῥητά. ι Προσῆλθον οῦν τῷ Ἰησοῦ Σαδδουκαῖοι, οἵτινες ἔλεγον μὴ εἷναι ἀνάστασιν· ι ἀνάστασιν δὲ τὴν, ὠς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, κατά αὐτοὺς, ο καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν ι ἡμῶν τὸν Κύριον, t λέγοντες Μωσῆς εἶπεν* Ἐάν τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀναστήσει σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ. ### English translation (Claude) “On that day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection,” and so on, down to: “they were astonished at his teaching.” Things equivalent to these, or the same, are said also in Mark and Luke, in words differing slightly. “On that day” — what day, if not the day when “the Pharisees went and took counsel against him, how they might entrap him in talk,” and asked about the census tax? For it is likely that, when our Saviour had answered about the census tax and said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” and they had marvelled at his answer, the Sadducees, knowing his wise answers, thought either that by raising a difficulty they themselves would show that they, who say there is no resurrection, had a stronger argument than those who hope for it, or perhaps that they would learn how there can be a resurrection according to the writing of Moses, and what the life of those who rise will be. Observe that almost all our Saviour’s teaching at this time was given in response to questions. First, “when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, saying, By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Having asked them in return about John, he seemed with good reason to have declined to give the answer they wanted. Then after this he tells the parable of the two children, the one who promised to work in the vineyard and did not work, and the one who promised but did not work. Then after this he tells the parable of the vineyard and of the tenants who killed the servants and the son, and what follows; another parable about those invited to the wedding; and after this Matthew recorded a second inquiry, that about the census tax, and a third, the difficulty raised by the Sadducees about the resurrection. And after this a fourth question was put by a Pharisee who tested him about “Which commandment is great in the law?” When so many questions had been put to him, he himself, when the Pharisees were gathered together, questioned them about the Christ. The Sadducees, however, saying that there is no resurrection, not only rejected what in the usage of simpler believers is called the resurrection of the flesh, but did away entirely not only with the immortality of the soul but even with its survival, thinking that the life of the soul hereafter is nowhere indicated in the writings of Moses. The same doctrine about the human soul as the Sadducees’ is held to this day by the Samaritans, who consider themselves learned in the law and strive to the death for the law of Moses and circumcision. Some of the Corinthians in the Apostle’s time understood resurrection in this sense — I mean that of the Sadducees and Samaritans, which does away with the life of the soul hereafter — and taught that there is no resurrection; about them he writes: “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” That those in Corinth who said there is no resurrection of the dead rejected the resurrection in the Sadducees’ sense, that is, the … of the soul, he makes plain from the words: “If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” If you examine this carefully, you will see that one who rejects the resurrection of the dead believed in the church, even if he is wrong to reject it, has not in every case hoped in Christ in this life only. For if, by hypothesis, the resurrection believed by the many were not true, the one who rejects it would not have hoped in Christ in this life only, since the soul lives, not receiving back that body, but putting on something ethereal and better; nor “are we of all people most to be pitied” if we were to say that the soul lives and exists, but that this body is not put about it again, and were not to say that it receives it back. Further, to establish that the Apostle in the First Letter to the Corinthians takes his stand chiefly against this sense, we shall also make use of the words, “If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? And why are we in danger every hour?” and, “If, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what do I gain, if the dead are not raised? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” For suppose that what is thought true by the many about the resurrection of the dead were not true: how does it follow that we run into danger in vain when we strive for the salvation of our souls? And how is there no gain for the one who fought with beasts for Christ, his soul being dealt with according to its worth, though it does not receive back its former body? And how does “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” follow from there being no resurrection of the flesh? We do not say these things in disbelief of what is written in Isaiah in this way: “All flesh shall see the salvation of God,” or of what is said by Job: “For everlasting is he who is to release me upon the earth, and to raise up my skin that endures these things”; nor do we disbelieve the apostolic voice that says, “He will give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Rather, as far as we can, we are clarifying the sense of the word “resurrection” in the passage of the Gospel before us, and for this we have adduced the texts from the First Letter to the Corinthians. “Then Sadducees came to Jesus, who said there was no resurrection” — resurrection, that is, in their sense, as we have explained — “and asked” our Lord, “saying, Moses said, If a man dies having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:33: quotation, high confidence - Mark 12:18: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 20:27: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:15: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:21: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:23: quotation, high confidence - Matt 21:28: allusion, high confidence - Matt 21:33: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:2: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:17: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:36: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:41: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:12: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:19: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:29: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:30: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:32: quotation, high confidence - Isa 40:5: quotation, high confidence - Job 19:25: quotation, high confidence - Job 19:26: quotation, high confidence - Rom 8:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:24: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:23–33 (Mark 12:18–27; Luke 20:27–40); Matt 22:15, 21; Matt 21:23–31, 33–41; Matt 22:1–14, 36, 41–42; 1 Cor 15:12, 19, 29–30, 32; Isa 40:5 (LXX); Job 19:25–26 (LXX); Rom 8:11; Deut 25:5. The printed description of the first son in the parable of the two children (“who promised to work … and did not work”) repeats that of the second and is probably corrupt; it is translated as printed. One word describing what the Corinthians denied is garbled in the scan and marked “…”; another, describing the Samaritans, is translated by sense. In his hypothetical case Origen distinguishes the resurrection of “this body” from the soul’s putting on “something ethereal and better,” while stating that he does not disbelieve Isa 40:5, Job 19:25–26, or Rom 8:11; this is translated as written. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.29 (PG 13:1560d–1568a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-29). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.30 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-30 - Source: PG 13:1568a–1572b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Sadducees’ fable of seven brothers assumed that the risen keep male and female bodies; Jesus answered that the risen neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels, and Origen leaves aside the question whether some angels were once human. ### Greek text Ἄξιον οὖν εἰς τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ παραθέσθαι τὴν Μωσέως λέξιν, εἰς ἣν ἀνέφερον Σαδδουκαῖοι τὰ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ γεγραμμένα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν εἰρῆσθαι. Ἔχει οὖν, οὕτως ὲν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ τὸ ῥητόν ι Ἐὰν δὲ κατοικήσωσιν ἀδελφοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν,ι καὶ τά ὲξῆς, ἓως τοῦ· ι οἶκος τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος τὸ ὑπόδημα. ι Τούτου δὴ τοῦ ῥητοῦ οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ὡς τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἀναστάσεως μὴ ἔχοντες, φαύλως ἀκούσαντες, καὶ μηδὲν θεοῦ ἄξιον ἐνθυμηθέντες εἰς τὸν ἐκκείμενον νόμον, ᾠήθησαν ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν τὸ καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα πάλιν ἔσεσθαι ἀναστάντα, ἄρρενα μόρια ἔχοντα, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, γυναῖκα ἀναστήσεσθαι, σῶμα γυναικεῖον περικειμένην· καὶ ταπεινῶς ὑπολαμβάνοντες λέγεσθαι τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως ὲκ τοῦ ταῦτα αὐτοῖς νομίζειν ἀκολουθεῖν, πλάσαντές τινα μῦθον τὸν περὶ έπτά ἀδελφῶν γαμησάντων μίαν γυναῖκα, ἐπηπόρουν τίνος ἂν γένοιτο γυνὴ τοιαύτη ἀναστᾶσα, φθάσασα ἅπαξ έπτά χρηματίσαι ἀνδρῶν γυνή. Ἐδύναντο δὲ καὶ χωρίς τοῦ τοιούτου πλάσματος ἐπαπορῆσαι ὲκ τῶν πολυγάμων γυναικῶν, τάχα δὲ καὶ πολυγάμων ἀνδρῶν. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀποκρινόμενος αὐτοῖς, τὸ μὲν βούλημα τοῦ κατά Μωσέα νόμου οῦ διηγήσατο, ὡς οὐκ ἀξίοις γνώσεως τηλικούτου μυστηρίου· μόνον δὲ ἀπεφήνατο λέγων καὶ τὰς θείας Γραφάς ἀπαγγέλλειν περὶ τῆς ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, ὃτι ἐκεῖ μή εἰσι γάμοι, ἀλλά γίνονται οἱ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνιστάμενοι ὡς οἱ ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι· καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμοῦνται, οὕτω, φησιν, καὶ οἱ ἀνιστάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν. Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι διὰ τούτων δηλοῦσθαι, ὅτι οὗ μόνον κατά τὸ μὴ γαμεῖν, καὶ τὸ μὴ γαμεῖσθαι, ὥς οἱ ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι γίνονται οἱ καταξιούμενοι τῆς ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως· ἀλλά καὶ κατά τὰ μετασχηματιζόμενα αὐτῶν τά σώματα τῆς ταπεινώσεως γίνεσθαι τοιαῦτα, ὁποῖὰ ἐστι τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων σώματα, αἰθέρια, καὶ αὐγοειδὲς φῶς. Ξενίζον δέ τι τοὺς πολλοὺς τῶν πιστευόντων δόγμα ζητήσαι τις ἂν, τάχα μὲν καὶ πολλαχόθεν, σαφῶς δʼ ὅτι καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐπαπορῶν, εί ὥσπερ είσὶν oi ἀνιστάμενοι ὲκ νεκρῶν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ τάγματι ἀγγέλων μεταβάλλοντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, οὕτως καὶ ἄλλοι ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι, ἄνθρωποί ποτε ὄντες, καὶ καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενοι ὲν ἀνθρώπου σώματι, γεγόνασιν ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι, ὥς τινες ἕτεροι πρὸ αὐτῶν. Ὀ δὲ τὸ ξενίζον τοῦτο δόγμα ζητῶν ἐκ τῆς προκειμένης λέξεως, τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀλλαχόθεν, ὁράτω περιαθρήσας ὅλην τήν τε Γραφὴν καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τί ἕπεται τῷ ταῦτα τιθέντι, σκοπείτω, εί χρὴ παραδέξασθαι τοιοῦτον λόγον ᾧ ἕπεται τοιαῦτα ἅτινα δηλοῦται ἐκ τοῦ· ι Ἀγγέλους κρινοῦμεν,ι καὶ τοῦʼ ι Εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι.» Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὴν Ἰούδα πρόσοιτό τις Ἐπιστολὴν, ὁράτω τί ἕπεται τῷ λόγῳ διὰ τό· ι Ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον, είς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀῖδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν.» Ὀράτω δὲ 6 τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμῶν ζητεῖν, πῶς αὐτῶν δεῖ ἀκούειν τῶν ὲν Γενέσει γεγραμμένων, ὃτι, ι Ἰδόντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὃτι καλαί εἰσιν, ἔλαβον ἑαυτοῖς εις γυναῖκας ἀπὸ πασῶν ὧν ἐξελέξαντο. » Σαφῶς δὲ τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐπαπορῆσαι, καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν αὐτῶν ὲπισκοπῆσαι, καὶ χάρτῃ πιστεῦσαι τὴν τῶν τηλικούτων σαφήνειαν, μήποτε οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς ἀρκεῖ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον παρακεκινδυνευκέναι. ### English translation (Claude) It seems to me worth setting out for this purpose the words of Moses to which the Sadducees, as written in the Gospel, referred what they said. The text in Deuteronomy runs thus: “If brothers live together and one of them dies,” and so on, down to: “the house of him whose sandal was loosed.” The Sadducees, having no hope of resurrection, understood this text badly and conceived nothing worthy of God about the law set out; and they thought it followed from there being a resurrection that the husband too will rise again a man, having male organs, and the wife will rise a woman, clothed in a woman’s body. Supposing in this lowly way that what is said about the resurrection is said on the ground that, in their view, these things follow from it, they invented a tale about seven brothers who married one woman, and raised the difficulty whose wife such a woman would be when she rose, having once been called the wife of seven men. They could also have raised the difficulty without such a fiction, from women who had married several times, and perhaps also from men who had married several times. And our Saviour, answering them, did not explain the meaning of the law of Moses, since they were not worthy of knowing so great a mystery; he only declared, saying that the divine Scriptures too proclaim this about the resurrection from the dead, that there are no marriages there, but those who rise from the dead become like the angels in heaven; and as the angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage, so, he says, are those who rise from the dead. I think it is shown by this that those who are counted worthy of the resurrection from the dead become like the angels in heaven not only in not marrying and not being given in marriage, but also in that their bodies of humiliation are transformed and become such as the bodies of the angels are, ethereal and of radiant light. Someone might seek a doctrine strange to most believers — perhaps from many places, but plainly from this one as well — raising the question whether, just as those who rise from the dead are like the angels in heaven, changing from human beings into the order of angels, so also other angels in heaven were once human beings and, having contended well in a human body, have become angels in heaven, as some others did before them. Let whoever seeks this strange doctrine from the present passage, and perhaps from elsewhere, look around the whole of Scripture and the sequence of things, and consider what follows for one who holds these things, and whether one must accept a teaching from which follow such things as are shown by “We shall judge angels,” and by “things into which angels long to look.” And if someone also accepts the Epistle of Jude, let him see what follows for this teaching from the words, “And the angels who did not keep their own position of authority, but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloom for the judgment of the great day.” And let the one who dares to inquire into such things see how one must understand what is written in Genesis, that “the sons of God, seeing the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, took wives for themselves from all whom they chose.” To raise the difficulty about the passage plainly, to examine its consequences, and to entrust the clarification of such great matters to paper, is perhaps not safe; for it is enough that we have ventured so far even in what has been said. ### Scripture references - Deut 25:5: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:24: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:25: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:28: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:29: allusion, high confidence - Matt 22:30: allusion, high confidence - Phil 3:21: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:3: quotation, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:12: quotation, high confidence - Jude 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Gen 6:2: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 25:5–10; Matt 22:24–30; Phil 3:21; 1 Cor 6:3; 1 Pet 1:12; Jude 6; Gen 6:2. Origen’s statement that the risen will have bodies “ethereal and of radiant light,” like those of angels, and that there is no marriage in the resurrection, is translated as written. He raises, without adopting it, the question whether some angels were once human beings, and declines to set out the matter in writing. His “if someone also accepts the Epistle of Jude” reflects the doubt about that letter in his time. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.30 (PG 13:1568a–1572b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-30). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.31 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-31 - Source: PG 13:1572b–1576c - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen allegorizes levirate marriage: the soul is married first to the letter of the law, which bears no children, and then to its brother, the spiritual law, whose offspring are good works that still bear the name of the law of God. ### Greek text Οὐκ ἄκαιρον δὲ νομίζω ἅπαξ ὲκθεμένους τὴν λέξιν τοῦ νόμου ἀπὸ τοῦ Δευτερονομίου, ἰδεῖν ὁποῖόν ἐστιν αὐτοῦ τὸ βούλημα. Ζητητέον οὖν ὲν αὐτῷ τίς ἡ μία γυνὴ, καὶ τίνες οἱ δύο ἄνδρες οἱ ἀλλήλων ἀδελφοί· πρότερον μὲν γαμῶν 6 ἕτερος τὴν γυναῖκα, οὐ καρποφορῶν δὲ ἐξ αὐτῆς· δεύτερος δὲ γαμῶν ὁ τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἀδελφὸς, καὶ γεννῶν παιδίον ἐξ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ζητήσεις τίς ἐστιν 6 μὴ βουλόμενος λαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐναντίον τῆς γερουσίας ὑπολυόμενος τὸ ἓν ὑπόδημα, καὶ ὲμπτυόμενος είς τὸ πρόσωπον ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἀναβάσης ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην, καὶ λεγούσης· ι Οὐ θέλει 6 ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρός μου ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὕτοῦ ἐν Ἰσραήλ.» Ζητηθείη δʼ ἂν ὲν τῷ τόπῳ καὶ τίς ἡ γερουσία, καὶ ὴ πύλη ἐφʼ ἢν ἀναβαίνει ἡ γυνὴ λέγουσα τὰ γεγραμμένα. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν σεμνόν τι εἶναι καὶ αἰδοῦς ἄξιον χρὴ πεπεῖσθαι πάντα νόμον ἐπαγγελλόμενον εἶναι Θεοῦ, ἢ μὴ ὄντα σεμνὸν μὴ εἶναι νόμον Θεοῦ, πᾶς 6 μὴ πάντη ἀσύνετος ὁμολογήσαι ἄν· εί δὲ εὑρίσκομεν ἡμεῖς τὸ τοῦ νόμου τούτου σεμνὸν καὶ χρήσιμον, ἢ μὴ, πρῶτον μὲν Θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη, καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὑτοῦ, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ 6 κατὰ τὴν Γραφὴνάκέ μαξάμενος δόκιμος τραπεζίτης, και εἰδὼς ι πάντα δοκιμάζειν,› καὶ ι τὸ μὲν καλὸν κατέχειν, ἀπέχεσθαι δὲ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ.» Φέρε οὖν τὸ προκείμενον πρόβλημα νομικὸν διηγήσασθαι θέλοντες, ἐπικαλεσάμενοι τὸν εἰπόντα· ι Φθέγξομαι προβλήματα ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ι εἴπωμεν, καλὸν μὲν εί τά ὑπʼ αὑτοῦ διδόμεναʼ εἰ δὲ μήγε, τά ὑποπίπτοντα ἡμῖν εἰς τὸν τόπον· κρινεῖ δὲ ὁ ἐντυγχάνων τοῖς λεχθησομένοις. Δοκεῖ δή μοι κατὰ μίαν διήγησιν γυνὴ εἶναι ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ γαμουμένη πρότερον μὲν τῷ τοῦ νόμου γράμματι, καὶ μὴ τεκνοῦσα ἐξ αὐτοῦʼ δεύτερον δὲ τῷ πνευματικῷ νόμῳ, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου καρποφοροῦσα, καὶ γεννῶσα, καὶ μὴ ἀφισταμένη ἐν τῷ γεγεννημένῳ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἀποθανόντα αὐτῇ νόμον γράμματος τιμῆς. Καὶ τάχα ἑκάστη ἐσομένη μακαρία ψυχὴ, καὶ τροπικῶς γυνὴ, πάντως γαμεῖται πρότερον κατὰ τὰς εἰσαγωγάς τῷ τοῦ νόμου γράμματι. ὃς ἀποθνήσκει προκοπτούσης τῆς γυναικὸς ψυχῆς, ἶνʼ αὐτὴ τοῦ σεμνοτέρου καὶ τεκνοποιοῦ ἐπιτύχῃ γάμου, ὅτε ι σωθήσεται διά τῆς τεκνογονίας, ἐπάν τά τέκνα μείνῃ ἐν πίστει, καὶ ἀγάπῃ, καὶ ἁγιασμῷ μετά σωφροσύνης· ι οὐ σωθησομένη πρὸ τῆς τεκνογονίας, ἢ χωρὶς αὐτῆς. Τέκνα δὲ τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης, ψυχῆς, ἀπὸ τοῦ δευτέρου ἀνδρὸς, τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νόμου, τὰ κατʼ αὐτόν ἐστιν ἔργα· ἀδελφοὶ δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ μιᾶς μητρὸς, διανοίας, γεννώμενοι, οἱ δύο νόμοι, οἵτινες καὶ κατοικοῦσιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· οὐ γὰρ κεχώρισται ὁ οἶκος αὐτῶν ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων· ἀλλʼ ἀμφότεροί εἰσι καὶ ἀμφότεραι αἱ ἐκδοχαί, ὡς ἐν οἴκῳ τινὶ τῷ περιέχοντι αὐτοὺς γράμματι. Καὶ ὅρα εἰ μὴ τοῦτο δηλοῦσθαι δύναται ἐκ τοῦ· ι Ἐὰν δὲ κατοικῶσιν ἀδελφοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό· ι εἶτα ἑξῆς ἐστιʼ ‹ Καί ἀποθάνῃ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν, σπέρμα δὲ μὴ αὐτῷ, ι ἃ κατὰ δύναμιν διηγησάμην. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τόʼ ι Ούκ ἔσται ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἔξω ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι, ι καὶ τίς μὲν γυνὴ, ψυχὴ, παραβαίνει τοῦτον τὸν νόμον, τίς δὲ τηρεῖ. Ὡς ἐν τοιούτοις δὴ τόποις ὑπολαμβάνω μετά τὸν θάνατον τῆς κατά τὸ γράμμα ἐκδοχῆς τοῦ νόμου, καὶ τὴν ἀνατροπὴν αύτῆς, τὴν μέν τινα ψυχὴν ποιοῦσαν παρά τὴν θείαν ἐντολὴν, γυναῖκα πρότερον γενομένην τοῦ τεθνηκότος, καὶ ἐκείνῳ πιστεύσασαν, ι ἔξω ι πάντη ι γίνεσθαι ι τοῦ νόμου ι ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι, ι ὅτε παραδέχεται λόγον αὑτὸν ἐγγίζοντα τῇ ἐκδοχῇ τοῦ γράμματος, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀλλότριον καὶ ἡ ἐκδοχὴ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν νόμον γράμματος, καὶ οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν τῷ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐκείνῳ οἰκοῦντι γαμηθῆναι πνευματικῷ νόμῳ, ἀλλά τινι ἔξω ἀμφοτέρων τούτων λόγῳ, καὶ μηδαμῶς ἐγγίζοντι κοινωνῆσαι· ἑτέραν δὲ ψυχὴν κατὰ Θεὸν βιοῦσαν ἀποθανόντος, καὶ ἀνατραπέντος τοῦ προτέρου ἀνδρὸς, οὐ βουλομένην ι ἔξω γενέσθαι, καὶ ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι, ι ἀλλὰ γαμουμένην τῷ ἀδελφῷ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ οἰκήσαντι, ὅτε ὁ ἁδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς εἰσέρχεται πρὸς αὖτὴν, καὶ γίνεται ἔνδον τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς, καὶ λαμβάνει αὐτὴν ἑαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα, καὶ συνοικεῖ αὐτῇ τῇ ψυχῇ ἐπὶ μακαρισμῷ αὐτῆς, ἅτε κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ γαμουμένης τῷ δευτέρῳ καὶ πνευματικῷ νόμῳ · τὸ δὲ παιδίον ὃ ἐὰν τέκῃ, καὶ γεννήσῃ καὶ συνοικήσασα τῷ δευτέρῳ καὶ πνευματικῷ ἀδελφῷ ψυχὴ γυνὴ, καθίσταται ὲκ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, καὶ γίνεται οὐκ ὲκ τοῦ προτέρου μὲν, ὁμώνυμος καὶ τῷ προτέρῳ ’ ὄνομα γὰρ τῷ γεννήματι ἐκ τοῦ πνευματικοῦ νόμου ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τετελευτηκότος, ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνος ἐκαλεῖτο νόμος Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ χρή γε ἐξαλείφεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ διορατικοῦ καὶ ἀληθῶς Ἰσραὴλ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀποθανόντος ἀνδρὸς, κᾶν with; ἐξαλειφθῇ. ### English translation (Claude) Having once set out the words of the law from Deuteronomy, I think it not out of place to see what kind of meaning it has. We must ask, then, who in it is the one wife, and who are the two husbands who are brothers of one another: the first marrying the wife but bearing no fruit from her, and the second, the dead man’s brother, marrying her and begetting a child from her for the one who has died. And after this you will ask who is the one who does not wish to take his brother’s wife, and for this reason has his one sandal loosed before the council of elders, and is spat upon in the face by the woman, who goes up to the gate and says, “My husband’s brother will not raise up his brother’s name in Israel.” One might also ask in the passage what the council of elders is, and the gate to which the woman goes up saying what is written. That every law which professes to be God’s must be believed to be something venerable and worthy of reverence, or, if it is not venerable, not to be a law of God, everyone not wholly without understanding would agree. But whether we find what is venerable and useful in this law or not, God would know first, and his Christ, and after them the approved money-changer according to Scripture, who knows how to “test all things” and to “hold fast what is good, and abstain from every form of evil.” Come, then, since we wish to explain the legal problem before us, let us call upon him who said, “I will utter problems from of old,” and say — well, if it be what is given by him; but if not, what occurs to us about the passage; and the reader will judge what is about to be said. It seems to me, according to one interpretation, that the wife is the human soul, married first to the letter of the law and bearing no children by it, and second to the spiritual law, and bearing fruit and begetting by it, yet not abandoning, in what she has borne, the honour due to the letter of the law that died for her. And perhaps every soul that is to be blessed, and is figuratively a wife, is in every case married first, in its introductory stages, to the letter of the law, which dies as the wife, the soul, advances, so that she may attain the more venerable, child-bearing marriage, when she “will be saved through childbearing, if the children continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control,” not being saved before the childbearing or without it. The children of this wife, the soul, by the second husband, the spiritual law, are the works done according to it. The brothers, born of one mother, the understanding, are the two laws, which also live together; for their house is not separated, the one from the other, but both of them, both interpretations, are in the letter which contains them as in a house. And see whether this can be shown from the words, “If brothers live together”; then next comes, “and one of them dies, and he has no offspring,” which I have explained as I could. Let us also look at the words, “The wife of the dead man shall not be married outside to a man not near of kin,” and ask which wife, that is, soul, transgresses this law, and which keeps it. In such passages I take it that, after the death of the literal interpretation of the law and its overthrow, one soul, which had previously been the wife of the dead man and had trusted him, acts against the divine commandment and comes wholly “outside” the law “to a man not near of kin,” when it accepts a doctrine that is not near to the interpretation of the letter, but wholly alien both to it and to the interpretation of the letter of the law; and such souls did not wish to be married to the spiritual law that lived together with that one, but to unite with some doctrine outside both of these and in no way near of kin. Another soul, living according to God, when the former husband has died and been overthrown, does not wish “to be married outside to a man not near of kin,” but is married to the brother of the deceased, who lived together with him, when her husband’s brother goes in to her, and comes within her soul, and takes her to himself as wife, and lives with her, the soul, to her blessedness, since she is married according to the will of God to the second, the spiritual law. And the child that the soul, the wife, who has lived with the second and spiritual brother, bears and begets, is established in the name of the deceased; it is not from the first husband, yet it bears the name of the first too. For the name of what is begotten of the spiritual law is the name of the deceased, since that one too was called the law of God; and the name of the dead husband must not be blotted out from the discerning and true Israel, even if … is blotted out. ### Scripture references - Deut 25:5: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:6: allusion, high confidence - Deut 25:7: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:9: allusion, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:21: quotation, high confidence - 1 Thess 5:22: quotation, high confidence - Ps 78:2 (77:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Rom 7:4: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Tim 2:15: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Agraphon approved money-changers (Sayings of Jesus outside the Gospels (agrapha)): allusion, medium confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 25:5–10; 1 Thess 5:21–22; Ps 78:2 (77:2 LXX); Rom 7:1–4; 1 Tim 2:15. The “approved money-changer” alludes to the saying “Be approved money-changers,” often cited by Origen as a word of the Lord not found in the Gospels; a word after “according to Scripture” is garbled in the scan. The last words are garbled in the scan and marked “…”. This allegory of the levirate law concerns the soul and the two senses of the law, not marriage as such. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.31 (PG 13:1572b–1576c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-31). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.32 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-32 - Source: PG 13:1576c–1584b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Origen gives three readings of the brother who refuses the levirate duty: a doctrine that despises the law’s letter, the heresies that separate the law from the Gospel, and a disciple who will not carry on a wise man’s teaching. ### Greek text Ταῦτα μὲν οῦν ὲκ μέρους εἰρήσθω περὶ τοῦ νόμου · Θεοῦ δὲ πάλιν ἡμῖν, ἢ καὶ μᾶλλον χρεία, ἐν Χριστῷ φωτίζοντος τὸν νοῦν ἡμῶν πρὸς θέαν τῶν ἑξῆς· ι Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ βούληται, φησὶν, ὁ ἄνθρωπος λαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀναβήσεται ἠ γυνὴ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην ἐπὶ τὴν γερουσίαν, καὶ ἐρεῖ, ι τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα. Καὶ πρῶτόν γε παρατήρει, ὅτι εἰς ὅσον καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἐποίει τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου προστεταγμένον, καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ εἰσιὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν συνῴκει αὐτῇ, καὶ ὲτέκνου ἐξ αὐτῆς, ἄνθρωπος οὐκ εἴρητο, ἀλλὰ ἀδελφὸς ἀνδρὸς τῆς γυναικός· ὅτε δὲ οὐ βούλεται λαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ θέλει ἀναστῆσαι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα ὲν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς γερουσίας τῆς πόλεως λέγειʼ Οὑ βούλομαι λαβεῖν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀτιμοῦται ὑπολυόμενος τὸ ὑπόδημα, καὶ ἐμπτύεται είς τὸ πρόσωπον ὑπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ μετονομάζεται, ἵνα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ι ὁ οἶκος τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος τὸ ὑπόδημα, ι τότε λέγεται ἄνθρωπος· οἱονεὶ γὰρ διὰ μὲν τῆς τηρήσεως τοῦ νόμου ἐλέγετο αὐτῷ τό· ι Ἐγὼ εἶπα· Θεοί ἐστε · ι διὰ δὲ τοῦ τὰ ἐναντία τῷ νόμῳ ποιεῖν, οἱονεὶ ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου φάσκοντος πρὸς αὑτόν · ι Ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε. ι Καὶ πρόσχες εί δύνασαι νοῆσαι μετὰ τὸν Θάνατον τῆς ὲκδοχῆς τοῦ γράμματος εἶναι ἄλλην ἐκδοχὴν τοῦ νόμου, διημαρτημένην, καὶ οὐ πνευματικὴν, οὑδὲ ἀνεπίληπτον, πλὴν τὴν γένεσιν ἔχουσαν ἡμαρτημένην μὲν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἀφορμῆς τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γεγραμμένων ἐρχομένην, καὶ οὑ βουλομένην ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῶν, καὶ τιμῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ νόμου. Οὐ βούλεται δὲ ἡ τοιαύτη ἐκδοχὴ παραλαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, ψυχήν· οὐδὲ γὰρ θέλει καρποφορῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ δοξάσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἀδελφοῦ· διὸ ἡ γυνὴ οὐ κάτω ἔστηκεν ἡ ἑτοίμη τιμῆσαι τὸν πρότερον ἄνδρα αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην καὶ τὴν εἴσοδον τῆς πόλεως ἑαυτῆς ἐχούσης καὶ γερουσίαν. Καὶ νοείσθω ταῦτα γινόμενα κατὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὴν είσαγωγὴν καὶ εἴσοδον. Ἐλέγχει οὑν ἠ γυνὴ τὸν μὴ βουλόμενον ἄνδρα καρποφορῆσαι τὸν τοιόνδε λόγον, καὶ λέγει· t Οὐ θέλει ὁ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρός μου ἀναστῆσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ ὲν Ἰσραήλ. ι Εἶτα ἡ γερουσία τῆς πόλεως ὲκείνης, ἐξετάζουσα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνδρα, πυνθάνεται εί ἀληθῶς οὑ βούλεται· ἀποκριναμένου δὲ ἐκείνου τὸ ’μὴ βούλεσθαι, προσέρχεται αὑτὴ πρὸς τὸν μὴ βουληθέντα ἐξαναστῆσαι σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γερουσίας ἐλέγχει αὑτὸν, καὶ ἀτιμάζει ὑπολύουσα τὸ ὑπόδημα αὑτοῦ τὸ ἓν. Καὶ σκόπει ὲν τούτοις διὰ τὸ, ι Λῦσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου, ι εἰρημένον πρὸς Μωῡσέα καὶ Ἰησοῦν, καὶ τὸ, ι Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος ἴνα λύσω τὸν ἱμάντα τοῦ ὑποδήματος αὑτοῦ, › γεγραμμένον ὲν τῷ κατά Λουκᾶν, καὶ κατὰ Μάρκον, καὶ ὲν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην, μήποτε οὑ ταυτόν ἐστι τὸ λῦσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα τῷ ὑπολῦσαι· οὐ γὰρ ὑπολύσασθαι κελεύεται Μωῦσῆς, Ἰησοῦς, οὑδὲ Ἰωάννης περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὠνόμασε τὸ ὑπολῦσαι. Οὗτος οὖν 6 παρανομῶν οὔτε ἐξ ὅλων ὑπολέλυται, οὔτε πάντη τῇ ὑποδέσει κεκόσμηται, ἀλλʼ ἐξ ἡμισείας ἑκάτερον ἔχει · διὸ ἐμπτύει εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γερουσίας ὲλέγξασα αὐτὸν γυνή · ἐμπτύει γὰρ πᾶσα ψυχὴ τῷ οὐ τεκνοποιοῦντι, οὐδὲ καρποφοροῦντι λόγῳ, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀνατροπῆς ύπολύει αὐτὸν ὲν οἷς πταίει· ι Καὶ ἀποκριθεῖσα λέγει, ὅτι, Οὕτω ποιήσουσι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὃς οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ τὸν οἷκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ. ι Καὶ πρόσχες πάλιν ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι δεύτερον 6 ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὠνόμασται ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀμαρτάνοντος, νῦν δʼ ἤδη καὶ μὴ οἰκοδομοῦντος τὸν οἷκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ. Πᾶς οὖν 6 βλέπων τοῦτον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὑπολυόμενον ἀπὸ γυναικὸς, καὶ ἑμπτυόμενον, καὶ ἀκούων αὐτῆς λεγούσης· ι Οὕτω ποιήσουσι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὃς οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ τὸν οἷκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, ι πάντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ποιείτω· εἰ γὰρ μὴ οἰκοδομήσει τὸν οἷκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, ὑπολυθήσεται τὸ ἒν ὑπόδημα, καὶ ἐμπτυσθήσεται, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα παντὸς τοῦ τοιούτου ὲν Ἰσραὴλ παρά τοῖς ὁρῶσι κληθήσεται ι οἶκος τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος τὸ ὑπόδημα. ι Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ δευτέραν είς τὸν ἐκκείμενον νόμον διήγησιν, καὶ ἔστωσαν δύο νόμοι ἀδελφοί· καθʼ οὓς 6 μὲν τηρήσας τὸν πρότερον οὐκ ἧν ἄνομος Θεοῦ· ὁ δὲ τὸν δεύτερον φυλάσσων ἐστὶν ἔννομος Χριστοῦ. Καὶ νόει μοι κατὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν τεθνηκέναι τὸν πρότερον νόμον, ἄνθρωπον τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχῆς, ἐπεὶ ι μὴ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ὲν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει πρότερον ἕνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης ι τῆς κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον· δεύτερον δὲ νόμον τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀδελφὸν ὄντα τοῦ προτέρου τοῦ διὰ Μωϋσέως, καὶ υἱὸν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Λόγου, ὃς καὶ τὸν πρότερον ἐγέννησε. Κατοικούντων οὖν τούτων τῶν δύο ἀδελφῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, μάλιστα κατὰ τὴν παρουσίαν, ἀπέθανεν 6 εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ σπέρμα, ἀλλά ή γυνὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος μετά τὸν θάνατον τοῦ προτέρου ἀνδρὸς, ἡ ὑπὸ νόμον ψυχὴ, ού γίνεται ἔξω ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι· ἐγγίζει γὰρ ἀνὴρ, 6 τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου νόμος, ὡς ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τεθνηκότος, τῷ προτέρῳ νόμῳ, καὶ εἰσέρχεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ· οἷον, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδείγματος, ἰδέ μοι τὴν Παύλου ψυχὴν ὑπὸ νόμον, εἶτα διὰ Χριστὸν ὲξαγοράσαντα αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενον ὑπὸ τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον · καὶ ὅρα εί μὴ ἀπέθανεν 6 ἀνὴρ τῆς Παύλου ψυχῆς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦττον ἀποθανόντος ἐκείνου, γυνὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος οὑ γέγονεν ἔξω, ὡς οἴονται οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων, οὑδὲ ἀνδρὶ μὴ ἐγγίζοντι· ὁ γὰρ ἀδελφὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὴν, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὑτὴν ἑαυτῷ είς γυναῖκα, καὶ συνᾠκησεν αὑτῇ, καὶ γέγονεν 6 καρπὸς, καὶ τὸ γέννημα, καὶ τὸ παιδίον, καὶ τὸ τεχθὲν ὲκ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ τετελευτηκότος· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν πνευματικὸν νόμον τὸ Εὑαγγέλιον ὀνομάζει πάντα, καὶ οὐκ ἐξήλειπται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ὅτε ἐλήλυθεν 6 νόμος τοῦ Εὑαγγελίουʼ παρὰ γὰρ τῷ ἀληθινῷ Ἰσραὴλ τηρεῖται καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ προτέρου. Τίς δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ό μὴ βουλόμενος ἄνθρωπος λαβεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ ὁ ἐν ταῖς αἱρέσεσι λόγος, μὴ βουλόμενος τὴν τιμήσασαν ψυχὴν τὸν πρότερον ἄνδρα, καὶ τὴν μνήμην τοῦ προτέρου ἀνδρὸς παραδέξασθαι; καθʼ οὗ ἀναβαίνει ἠ γυνὴ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν πύλην, περὶ ἧς λέλεκται τὸ, ι Αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ Κυρίου, δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, ι καὶ ἀναβαίνει ἐπὶ τὴν γερουσίαν, καὶ διαμαρτύρεται περὶ τοῦ μὴ βουλομένου ἀναστῆσαι σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὑτοῦ ὲν Ἰσραὴλ, μηδὲ τιμῆσαι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Μωῦσέως νόμον. Ἐπὰν οὖν ἡ γερουσία πύθηται τοῦ τοιούτου ἀνθρώπου εἰ ἀληθῆ περὶ αὑτοῦ λέγει ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ οὑ βούλεται ἐξαναστῆσαι σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· τότε προσέρχεται ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος ἐναντίον τῆς γερουσίας, καὶ ὑπολύει τὸ ὑπόδημα τὸ ἓν ἀπὸ τοῦ ποδὸς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα κᾶν ὑποδεδεμένος τὸ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα ὑπολελυμένος τε τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὄνομα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτό γε οὐκ ἐνδόξως οὐδὲ ἀληθῶς τὸ Χριστοῦ φορῶν ὄνομα· ἐμπτύει δὲ καὶ είς πρόσωπον τοῦ τοιούτου ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ ὀνειδίζει ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ αύτῷ, καὶ οὐ βουληθέντι θεοποιηθῆναι ὲκ τοῦ καρποφορῆσαι· καί φησιν οὕτω παντὶ ἔσεσθαι τῷ μὴ οἰκοδομήσαντι τόν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὑτοῦ, τοῦ Εὑαγγελικοῦ λόγου, 6 νομικός ἐστι καὶ προφητικός· καὶ ἄλλο ὄνομα οὑχ ἕξει 6 μὴ οἰκοδομῶν τὸ ὄνομα αὑτοῦ παρὰ τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ἢ τοῦτο, ὅτι οἶκός ἐστιν οὗτος τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος τὸ ὑπόδημα. Πᾶς οὖν 6 ὲν αἱρέσεσι, μάλιστα ταῖς διακοπτούσαις τὴν θεότητα, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἀπὸ τοῦ Εὑαγγελίου χωριζούσαις καλινδούμενος, ι οἶκός ι ἐστι ι τοῦ ὑπολυθέντος ὑπόδημα, ι ὲμπτυόμενος είς πρόσωπον, καὶ ὑπολυόμενος τὸ ἒν ὑπόδημα. Καὶ τρίτην δὲ τοιαύτην ὑπόνοιαν είς τὸν τόπον ὲξεδεξάμεθα, ἥν διὰ βραχέων ἐροῦμεν· γυνὴ μὲν ἡ Σοφία εἴρηται διὰ τὸ, ι Ταύτην ἐζήτησα νύμφην ἀγαγέσθαι ἐμαυτῷ, ι καὶ ὲρᾷν δεῖ κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα Σολομῶνα· ι Ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς, καὶ τηρήσει σε· ι ἀνὴρ δὲ αὐτῆς 6 σοφός· ὲάν οὖν 6 σοφὸς μὴ γεννήσας τινὰς ὲκ τῆς Σοφίας ἀπαλλαγῇ τοῦ βίου, ὁ κατοικήσας μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἀναπαυσάμενος λόγοις, πρεσβευέτω τῶν αὐτῶν, ἶνα γεννηθῇ ἐκ τῆς Σοφίας 6 κλέος περιποιήσων τῷ ἀπαλλαγέντι τῆς συμβιώσεως τὸν καρπὸν παραστῆσαι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλοιτο πρεσβεῦσαι ό καταλειπόμενος ἀδελφὸς τῶν λόγων, ἀτιμασθήσεται ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας ἐξ ἡμισείας αὐτὸν ύπολυούσης · οὕτε γὰρ οὐχ ὑπολυθήσεται 6 τοιοῦτος, οὔτε τελείως ὑπολυθήσεται. Εἰς δὲ κατασκευὴν τοῦ τὸν νόμον ἄνδρα λέγεσθαι κατά τὴν Γραφὴν γυναικὸς, τῆς ψυχῆς, παραθησόμεθα ### English translation (Claude) Let this much be said, in part, about the law. But we need God again, or rather even more, enlightening our mind in Christ to contemplate what follows: “For if the man does not wish,” it says, “to take his brother’s wife, his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate, to the elders, and say,” and the words that follow. And first observe that, as long as the wife was doing what was commanded by the law, and the husband went in to her and lived with her and had children by her, he was not called “man,” but the brother of the woman’s husband; but when he does not wish to take his brother’s wife, and will not raise up his brother’s name in Israel, and, when summoned by the elders of the city, says, “I do not wish to take her,” and is dishonoured by having his sandal loosed, and is spat upon in the face by the woman, and is renamed, so that his name is “the house of him whose sandal was loosed,” then he is called “man.” For it is as though, through his keeping the law, the words were said to him, “I said, You are gods”; but through his doing what is contrary to the law, he is as it were convicted by the Word, who says to him, “But you die like men.” And consider whether you can understand that, after the death of the literal interpretation, there is another interpretation of the law that has gone astray, neither spiritual nor blameless, but having its origin in error, though it comes from the starting points of what is written in the law, and does not wish to raise up the name of their brother and to honour the name of the law. Such an interpretation does not wish to take its brother’s wife, the soul; for it does not wish to bear fruit for the glory of the name of the dead brother. Therefore the wife, who is ready to honour her first husband, does not stand below, but goes up to the gate and entrance of her own city, which also has a council of elders. Let these things be understood as happening in the church, and in the introduction and entrance into it. The wife, then, convicts the husband who does not wish to bear fruit — a doctrine of this kind — and says, “My husband’s brother will not raise up his brother’s name in Israel.” Then the elders of that city, examining such a husband, ask whether he truly does not wish it; and when he answers that he does not, she herself comes to the one who would not raise up offspring for his brother, and before the elders convicts him and dishonours him by loosing his one sandal. And in this connection consider, in view of “Remove the sandal from your feet,” said to Moses and to Joshua, and of “I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal,” written in Luke and Mark and John, whether to remove the sandal is not the same as to loosen it; for Moses and Joshua are not commanded to loosen it, nor did John speak of loosening with regard to the Saviour. This transgressor, then, has neither been wholly unshod nor fully equipped with footwear, but has each by half; therefore the woman, having convicted him before the elders, spits in his face. For every soul spits on a doctrine that does not beget children or bear fruit, and by overturning it loosens it in the points in which it stumbles. “And she shall answer and say, So shall they do to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.” And note again here that he is named “man” a second time, in the case of the one who sins and now also does not build up his brother’s house. Let everyone, then, who sees this man having his sandal loosed by a woman and being spat upon, and hears her say, “So shall they do to the man who does not build up his brother’s house,” do everything for the building up of his brother; for if he does not build up his brother’s house, his one sandal will be loosed, and he will be spat upon, and the name of every such person in Israel will be called among those who see, “the house of him whose sandal was loosed.” Let us also look at a second interpretation of the law set out. Let the two brothers be two laws, according to which the one who kept the first was not without law toward God, while the one who keeps the second is under the law of Christ. And understand, please, that at the coming of Christ the first law died, the husband of the human soul, since “what was glorified has not been glorified in this respect, because of the glory that surpasses it,” that of the second; and the second law is that of Christ, the brother of the first, given through Moses, and son of the same Word who also begot the first. While these two brothers, then, lived together, especially at the coming, one of them died, and he had no offspring; but the wife of the dead man, the soul under the law, after the death of her first husband does not become “outside, to a man not near of kin”; for a husband is near of kin, the law of the Gospel, as brother of the dead husband, the first law, and he goes in to his brother’s wife. For example, see the soul of Paul under the law, and then, through Christ who redeemed him from the law, come under the Gospel. See whether the husband of Paul’s soul did not die, and yet, when he had died, the wife of the dead man did not become “outside,” as those from the heresies think, nor “to a man not near of kin”; for her husband’s brother went in to her, took her to himself as wife, and lived with her, and the fruit, the offspring, the child, the one born, came to be in the name of the deceased. For according to the spiritual law the Gospel names everything, and the name of the deceased was not blotted out when the law of the Gospel came; for among the true Israel the name of the former too is kept. Who, then, after this, is the man who does not wish to take his brother’s wife, if not the doctrine in the heresies, which does not wish to accept the soul that has honoured its former husband, and the memory of the former husband? Against him his brother’s wife goes up to the gate, of which it is said, “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter by it,” and goes up to the elders, and testifies about the one who does not wish to raise up offspring for his brother in Israel, nor to honour the law of God given through Moses. When, then, the elders ask such a man whether the woman speaks the truth about him and he does not wish to raise up offspring for his brother, then the wife of the dead man comes before the elders and loosens the one sandal from his foot, so that, even if he is shod with the name of Christ, he has the name of God loosed, and for this reason does not bear the name of Christ either gloriously or truly. And the woman spits in the face of such a one, and reproaches him as a mere man, who would not be made divine by bearing fruit; and she says that so it will be for everyone who does not build up the house of his brother, the Gospel word, which is also of the law and the prophets; and the one who does not build it up will have no other name among the Israelites than this: that this is the house of him whose sandal was loosed. Everyone, then, who wallows in the heresies, especially those that divide the Godhead and separate the law from the Gospel, “is the house of him whose sandal was loosed,” spat upon in the face and having his one sandal loosed. We have also taken up a third interpretation of this kind for the passage, which we shall state briefly. Wisdom is called a wife because of “I sought to take her as my bride,” and one must love her, according to Solomon, who said, “Love her, and she will guard you”; and her husband is the wise man. If, then, the wise man departs from life without having begotten any from Wisdom, let the brother who lived with him and rested in the same doctrines champion them, so that one may be born from Wisdom who will win glory for the one who departed from their life together by presenting the fruit. But if the brother who is left in the doctrines does not wish to champion them, he will be dishonoured by Wisdom, who loosens him by half; for such a one will neither remain unloosed nor be completely loosed. To establish that, according to Scripture, the law is called the husband of the wife, that is, of the soul, we shall cite … ### Scripture references - Deut 25:7: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:8: allusion, high confidence - Deut 25:9: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:10: quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 82:7 (81:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:5: quotation, high confidence - Josh 5:15: quotation, high confidence - Luke 3:16: quotation, high confidence - Mark 1:7: quotation, high confidence - John 1:27: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 9:21: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:10: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:5: allusion, medium confidence - Ps 118:20 (117:20 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, high confidence - Prov 4:6: quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Wis 8:2 (Wisdom of Solomon): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Deut 25:7–10; Ps 82:6–7 (81:6–7 LXX); Exod 3:5; Josh 5:15; Luke 3:16; Mark 1:7; John 1:27; 1 Cor 9:21; 2 Cor 3:10; Gal 4:5; Ps 118:20 (117:20 LXX); Wis 8:2; Prov 4:6. Origen distinguishes “remove” (λῦσαι) from “loosen” (ὑπολῦσαι) the sandal. The heresies “that divide the Godhead and separate the law from the Gospel” are probably the Marcionites and Valentinians; this is translated as written. The section breaks off in mid-sentence (“we shall cite …”); the following text is lost in the scan or lies across the boundary with the next section. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.32 (PG 13:1576c–1584b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-29/#p-17-32). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.33 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-33 - Source: PG 13:1584b–1589b - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: The Sadducees’ story wrongly assumes that earthly relations continue after the resurrection; in the new age there will be no marriage or fleshly kinship, and the only marriage is the spiritual one of the bridegroom, the king’s son. ### Greek text Ταῦτα μὲν, εί καὶ μετὰ παρεκβάσεως λελέχθαι δοκεῖ, εἰρήσθω είς σαφήνειαν τοῦ παρὰ Μωῡσεῖ νόμου, οὗ μνησθέντες oi Σαδδουκαῖοι ἐπύθοντο τοῦ Σωτῆρος, λέγοντες τό· ι Μωϋσῆς εἶπεν· Ἐάν τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Φέρε δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ ἄλλα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐξετάσωμεν τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ · ι Ἦσαν δὲ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ 6 πρῶτος γήμας ἐτελεύτησε, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὁ μὲν Ἡσαΐας ὲν τῇ προφητείᾳ φησιν· ι Ἐπιλήψονται ἑπτὰ γυναῖκες ἀνθρώπου ἐνὸς, λέγουσαι· Τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν φαγώμεθα, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ἡμῶν περιβαλώμεθα, πλὴν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ σὸν κεκλήσθω ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς· ἄφελε τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν ἡμῶν. ι Οἱ δὲ προσελθόντες Σαδδουκαῖοι τῷ Σωτῆρι τὸ ἀνάπαλιν τῇ προφητείᾳ φασὶ περὶ ἀνδρῶν ἑπτὰ γαμησάντων μίαν γυναῖκα · πλάσμα δὲ δοκεῖ μοι εἶναι τὸ πρόβλημα αὐτῶν, προθεμένων διὰ τοῦ πλάσματος τὸν περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀθετῆσαι λόγον, καὶ οἰηθέντων ἀκολουθεῖν τῇ ἀναστάσει τὸ ἕκαστον τῶν ἀνισταμένων τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν σχέσιν πρὸς οὓς εἶχεν ὲν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, ἵνʼ 6 μὲν ἀνὴρ ἀπολάβῃ καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα μετά τοῦ τυχεῖν ἀναστάσεως· 6 δὲ πατὴρ μείνῃ έν τῇ σχέσει τῇ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ 6 ἀδελφὸς πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν. Ἠγνόουν δὲ ἄρα, ὃτι 6 δημιουργὸς πάντα ποιῶν πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον, ὅπου μὲν γένεσίς ἐστι καὶ φθορὰ, πεποίηκεν ἀναγκαίως τὰς τοιαύτας σχέσεις, ἵνʼ ὁ μέν τις ἀνὴρ διὰ γυναικὸς διακονούμενος παίδων γενέσει· οί δὲ γεννώμενοι σχῶσί τι ἐκ τῆς διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν γενέσεως συγγενὲς, ὄντες ’ ἀδελφοί · γενέσεως δὲ ἔργον ἦν καὶ πατὴρ καὶ υἱὸς, καὶ μήτηρ καὶ θυγάτηρ. Εἰ οὖν ἐν τῇ μακαριότητι oi γέρως ἀξιούμενοι διὰ τὸν ἐνεστηκότα αἰῶνα ὲν ᾧ καλῶς ἐβίωσαν, ὲν ἐκείνῃ ἔσονται τῇ ζωῇ, καὶ οὐδεὶς τῶν μὴ ἀγωνισαμένων ἐνταῦθα καταξιοῦται τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, δηλονότι ὧν ἐνταῦθα διὰ γένεσιν χρεία ἦν, ταῦτα οὐκ ἔσται ἐκεῖ· οὐδὲν γὰρ παρέλκον ὁ Θεὸς ποιεῖ, οὐδὲ μάτην τι παρʼ αὐτῷ γίνεται. Ἐχρῆν δὲ ὁρᾷν τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους τὸ ἀκόλουθον αὐτῶν τῇ ὑπονοίᾳ περὶ τοῦ ἕκαστον ἀπολήψεσθαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα, ὅτι πάλιν ἐκεῖ τεκνογονίαι, καὶ παίδων γενέσεις, καὶ θάνατοι· εἰ δὲ ταῦτα, καὶ νόσοι· εί δὲ γενέσεις, καὶ νηπιότητες καὶ προβάσεις ἀπὸ νηπιότητος ἐπὶ τὸ συμπληροῦσθαι διάλεκτον, καὶ ὕστερον τὸν λόγον, καὶ ὲν τῇ συμπληρώσει τοῦ λόγου κακίαν, καὶ μόλις ποτὲ πάλιν ἀρετὴν ἐν ὀλίγοις τοῖς ζητοῦσιν αὐτὴν εὑρίσκεσθαι. Τούτων δὲ τί ἂν εἴη ματαιότερον; Καὶ βέλτιόν γέ ἐστι μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν τοῦ τοιαύτην εἶναι ὁποίαν ὑπενόουν οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι, ὑπολαμβάνοντες ἀκολουθεῖν τῇ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσει τὸ ἀπολαμβάνειν ἕκαστον τὴν γυναῖκα· ᾧ ἀκόλουθον ἦν καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν εἰρημένων ἔσεσθαι. Εἴπερ οὖν καινὸς αἰών ἐστιν ὲλπιζόμενος, καὶ γῆ καινὴ, καὶ, ὡς ὠνόμασεν Ἡσαΐας, ι οὐρανὸς καινὸς, καὶ γῆ καινὴ, › καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ γέγραπται, ι ποτήριον καινῆς Διαθήκης, ι ἀπὸ ἀμπέλου οἶμαι καινῆς, ἑτεροῖα δεῖ εἶναι πάντα τὰ τῆς ὲκεῖσε ζωῆς, καὶ άληθῶς μακάρια. Ὥσπερ δὲ, ὡς ό Λόγος ἀπέδειξεν, ἠκολούθησε τῷ εἶναι γυναῖκα καὶ ἄνδρα τὸ ἔσεσθαι καὶ τέκνα πατέρων, καὶ ἀδελφοὺς ἀδελφῶν, καὶ μητέρας τῶν γεννωμένων· οὕτω μήποτε ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ μὴ εἶναι γυναῖκα ἢ ἄνδρα τὸ μηκέτι ἔσεσθαι πατέρα καὶ μητέρα, καὶ ἀλλήλων τινὰς ἀδελφοὺς, τάχα οὐ περὶ μελλόντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν παρεληλυθότων; Ἐκεῖ γὰρ οὐκέτι τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα γένους ἔσται μνήμη παρὰ τοῖς εὐλόγως ἀκούουσι τοῦ · ι Μὴ μνημονεύετε τὰ πρῶτα, καὶ τὰ ἀρχαῖα μὴ συλλογίζεσθε· ἰδοὺ ποιῶ καινὰ πάντα· ι καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο ὲν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι οὐ χρηματίσει πατὴρ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ Θάρρα, οὐδὲ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Χεττούρας ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, τάχα δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν Ἰσαάκ· τὰ γὰρ mai; καινὰ πάντα. ι Εἰ δέ ἐστιν ἄλλως τις παρὰ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἐτέρως παρὰ τὰ ὲν γενέσει πράγματα πατὴρ καὶ υἱὸς, οὐκέτι διὰ γυναικὸς, οὐδὲ διʼ ἀσχημόνων μερῶν τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ ἀνάλογον τῷ ' καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα Υἱὸν εἶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπιστήσει ό δυνάμενος τὰ τηλικαῦτα ὀρθῶς ζητεῖν, χωρήσας ι τὸ πάντα ἐρευνῶν πνεῦμα καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ. ι Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τούτων τὸ ἑτεροῖον, καὶ ὥσπερ ὁμώνυμον παραλαμβάνω, λέγω δὲ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνδρός. Ἐν γάρ τῇ ἀναστάσει ι τῶν νεκρῶν ἀληθὲς καὶ τό· ι οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίζονται, ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ι ἀληθὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ ὡς ἐν παραβολῇ εἰρημένον περὶ ἑτεροίου παρὰ τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς γάμους ὲν τῷ· ι Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ βασιλεῖ, ὅστις ποιῶν γάμους τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ ὲν τῷ· ι Τότε ὁμοιωθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν δέκα παρθένοις, αἵτινες λαβοῦσαι τὰς λαμπάδας αὑτῶν, ι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐκοῦν ό υἱὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν γαμεῖ γάμον παρά πάντα γάμον, ὃν ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, καὶ οὖς ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη · καὶ ἔστιν 6 σεμνὸς καὶ θεῖος ἐκεῖνος καὶ πνευματικὸς γάμος ὲν ἀρρήτοις ῥήμασιν, ι ἃ μὴ ἔξεστιν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλεῖν. ι Ζητήσει δέ τις εί ἀνάλογον τῷ ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν τοῦ νυμφίου γάμῳ εἰσὶ καὶ ἄλλοι γάμοι, ἢ ὲν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν μόνος 6 νυμφίος, καταργήσας πάντα γάμον, γαμεῖ γάμον, οὐχ ὅπου ἔσονται οἱ δύο είς σάρκα μίαν, ἀλλʼ ὅπου κυριώτερόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἒν πνεῦμά είσιν 6 νυμφίος καὶ ἡ νύμφη. Ἀλλʼ ὅρα μήποτε ὀλισθῇς ἀκούων τοιούτων λόγων, πρὸς τὸ τὴν περὶ τῶν αἰώνων μυθοποιΐαν ἀρρένων καὶ θηλειῶν παραδέξασθαι κατά τοὺς ἀναπλάσαντας τάς συζυγίας αὐτῶν οὐδαμῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων δηλουμένας. ### English translation (Claude) Let these things, even if they seem to have been said by way of digression, stand as said for the clarification of the law given by Moses, which the Sadducees mentioned when they questioned the Saviour, saying, “Moses said, If a man dies having no children,” and so on. Come, then, after this let us examine the rest of the Gospel passage, from “Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died,” and so on. Isaiah says in his prophecy: “Seven women will take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes; only let your name be called upon us; take away our reproach.” But the Sadducees who came to the Saviour speak, the reverse of the prophecy, of seven men who married one woman. Their problem seems to me to be a fiction: they proposed by means of the fiction to set aside the doctrine of the resurrection, thinking that it follows from the resurrection that each of those who rise has the same relation toward those to whom he was related in this life, so that the husband, on attaining the resurrection, also receives back his wife, the father remains in his relation to his son, and the brother to his brother. They did not know, then, that the Creator, who makes all things for usefulness, made such relations of necessity where there is birth and decay: so that a man, through a woman, may minister to the birth of children, and those who are born may have a certain kinship from their birth through the same parents, being brothers. Father and son, and mother and daughter, were the work of birth. If, then, those counted worthy of the prize because of the present age, in which they lived well, will be in that life of blessedness, and no one who has not contended here is counted worthy of the resurrection from the dead, plainly the things that were needed here because of birth will not be there; for God makes nothing superfluous, and nothing is done by him in vain. The Sadducees ought to have seen what follows from their supposition that each will receive back his own wife: that there would again be childbearing there, births of children, and deaths; and if these, diseases; and if births, then infancies, and progress from infancy to the completion of speech and later of reason, and with the completion of reason, wickedness, and virtue found again only rarely, among the few who seek it. What could be more vain than these things? Indeed it is better that there be no resurrection than that it be such as the Sadducees supposed, who took it that each person’s receiving back his wife follows from the resurrection from the dead, from which each of the things mentioned would also have followed. If, then, a new age is hoped for, and a new earth, and, as Isaiah named it, “a new heaven and a new earth,” and, as is written in the Gospel, “the cup of the new covenant,” from a new vine, I think, then all the things of the life there must be of another kind, and truly blessed. And just as, as reason has shown, it followed from there being wife and husband that there would also be children of fathers, and brothers of brothers, and mothers of those born; so perhaps it follows from there being no wife or husband that there will no longer be father and mother, nor some who are brothers of one another — perhaps not only regarding those to come, but also regarding those who have been? For there will no longer be any memory there of descent according to the flesh, among those who rightly hear the words, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old; behold, I make all things new.” Accordingly, in the age to come Terah will not be called father of Abraham, nor will Abraham be called father of Israel and of those born of Keturah, nor perhaps even of Isaac’s descendants; for … all things are new. But whether there is someone who is a brother in another way than according to the flesh, and a father and son otherwise than in the things of birth — no longer through a woman, nor through the unseemly parts of the body, but in a way analogous to the Saviour’s being the Son of God — the one able to inquire rightly into such great matters will consider, having received “the Spirit who searches all things, even the depths of God.” And I take this other kind, this sameness of name, as it were, not only in these cases — I mean brother, father, and son — but also concerning wife and husband. For in the resurrection of the dead it is true that “they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven”; and true also is what is said as in a parable about a marriage of another kind than marriages on earth, in, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who made a marriage feast for his son,” and so on; and in, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps,” and so on. The son of the king, then, in the resurrection of the dead, marries with a marriage beyond every marriage that eye has seen, and ear has heard, and that has entered the heart of man; and that venerable, divine, and spiritual marriage consists in unspeakable words, “which it is not lawful for a man to speak.” Someone will ask whether, corresponding to the bridegroom’s marriage in the resurrection of the dead, there are also other marriages, or whether in the resurrection of the dead the bridegroom alone, having abolished every marriage, marries with a marriage in which the two will not be one flesh, but in which it is more proper to say that the bridegroom and the bride are one spirit. But beware lest, on hearing such words, you slip into accepting the myth-making about the aeons, male and female, according to those who have fabricated their pairs, which are in no way shown by the sacred writings. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:24: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:25: quotation, high confidence - Isa 4:1: quotation, high confidence - Isa 65:17: quotation, high confidence - Isa 66:22: quotation, medium confidence - Luke 22:20: quotation, high confidence - Isa 43:18: quotation, high confidence - Isa 43:19: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:17: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 11:27: allusion, medium confidence - Gen 25:1: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:30: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:2: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:9: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 12:4: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:24: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:17: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:24–25; Isa 4:1; Isa 65:17 (66:22); Luke 22:20; Isa 43:18–19; 2 Cor 5:17; Gen 11:27; Gen 25:1–2; 1 Cor 2:10; Matt 22:30; Matt 22:2; Matt 25:1; 1 Cor 2:9 (adapted: “beyond every marriage that eye has seen”); 2 Cor 12:4; Gen 2:24; 1 Cor 6:16–17. A word before “all things are new” is garbled in the scan and marked “…”. Origen’s view that there will be no marriage or fleshly kinship in the resurrection, and his question whether former relations will be remembered, are translated as written. The warning at the end is against the Valentinian teaching of male and female aeons in pairs (syzygies). ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.33 (PG 13:1584b–1589b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-33). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.34 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-34 - Source: PG 13:1589c–1593a - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Jesus says the Sadducees do not know the Scriptures because the Old Testament teaches the absence of marriage in the resurrection only figuratively; its marriage laws, like Paul’s reading of Abraham’s wives and of Genesis 2:24, point to Christ and the church. ### Greek text Ἐπεὶ οὐδεμιᾶς τροπολογίας δεῖται τὸ πύσμα τῶν Σαδδουκαίων περὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφῶν ἐσχηκότων μίαν γυναῖκα, φέρε κατανοήσωμεν τοὺς τοῦ Σωτῆρος περὶ ταῦτα λόγους, ὲν οἷς φησι· ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὐτε γαμοῦσιν, οὐτε γαμίζονται, ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ. ι Πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ ζητήσει τις τοιαῦτα· 6 λέγων Σωτὴρ τοῖς Σαδδουκαίοις· ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τάς Γραφάς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι ἐμφαίνει κατά τάς Γραφάς παρίστασθαι τὸ ὲν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν μὴ εἶναι γάμους, ἅτε τῶν ἀναστησομένων τοῖς ὲν οὐρανῷ ’ἀγγέλοις παρʼ οἷς οὐκ ἔστι γάμος· ποία οὖν Γραφὴ δηλοῖ, ὅτι ὲν τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίζονται; καὶ ποῦ τοῦ νόμου ἢ τῶν προφητῶν μανθάνομεν περὶ τῶν ἀναστησομένων, ὅτι ἔσονται ὡς οἱ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄγγελοι; σαφῶς γάρ τοιαῦτα ὲν τῇ παλαιᾷ Γραφῇ οὐχ εὑρίσκομεν· κατὰ μὲν τὸν Λουκᾶν τοῦτο οὐ ζητηθήσεται, ἀναγράψαντα τὸν Σωτῆρα εἰρηκέναι, ι Οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου γεννῶσι καὶ γεννῶνται, γαμοῦσι καὶ γαμίσκονται, ι καὶ ἑξῆς, καὶ μὴ εἰπόντα ὲν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ τι πρὸς τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ταῦτα δηλοῦσθαι· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ματθαῖον ζητηθείη ἂν, ὀρθῶς δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν Μάρκον · κατʼ αὑτὸν γὰρ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἷπε τοῖς Σαδδουκαίοιςʼ ι οὐ διὰ τοῦτο πλανᾶσθε μὴ γινώσκοντες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ; ὅταν γὰρ ὲκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῶσιν, οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι οί ὲν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ι Ἕκαστος μὲν οὖν τῶν ὲπιστησάντων τῇ ὲπαπορήσει ἡμῶν ζητείτω ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν παριστάμενα τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰρημένα … περὶ τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν · ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαῦτα φήσομεν, ὅτι περιέχουσι ταῦτα αἱ Γραφαὶ οὐκ αὐτολεξεὶ, οὐδʼ ὥστε τοῖς τυχοῦσι νοηθῆναι, ἀλλʼ ὲν τροπολογία· ι Σκιὰν γὰρ ἔχων ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ι καὶ νομοθετήσας τινὰ περὶ γυναικῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν, καὶ διηγησάμενος γάμους δικαίους, οὐ περὶ τούτων προηγουμένως λέγει, ὡς ἐκ τῆς προχείρου λέξεως ἐπιλάβοι τις ἂν, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς προαπεφήναμεν, παραθέμενοι τὰ περὶ τοῦ γάμου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐσομένου ὲν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι · οἷον, ι Ἀβραὰμ δύο υἱοὺς ἔσχεν, ἕνα ὲκ τῆς παιδίσκης, καὶ ἕνα ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς παιδίσκης κατὰ σάρκα γεγένηται· ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἐλευθέρας διὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας· ι οὐ πάντως στῆναί με δεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ γάμου τῆς ἐλευθέρας, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὴν παιδίσκην κοινωνίας ταῦτα ’γάρ ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα. Ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ ι ἓνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται oi δύο είς σάρκα μίαν.» οὐχ οὕτως ἀκουστέον τοῦ λεγομένου, ῶς οὐδὲν μυστήριον δηλοῦντος· ι τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστὶ, ι καὶ, ὡς Παῦλός φησιν, είς Χριστὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀναφερόμενον καὶ πρὸ βραχέος ἐκθέμενοι τὸν περὶ τῆς γαμουμένης τῷ ἀδελφῷ τοῦ τετελευτηκότος ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, ὡς ἐδυνήθημεν ἐξητάσαμεν τὸ βούλημα τοῦ νόμου. Είσὶ δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι μυρίοι περὶ γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνδρὸς νόμοι, ὡς περὶ τοῦ βιβλίου τοῦ ἀποστασίου, καὶ περὶ τῶν δύο γυναικῶν ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ γινομένων, μιᾶς μὲν ἀγαπωμένης, ἐτέρας δὲ μισουμένης, καὶ περὶ τῆς γαμουμένης αἰχμαλώτου τῷ αὐτῆς ἐρασθέντι, γαμουμένης δὲ μετὰ τὸ ξυρᾶσθαι, καὶ ὲν πενθικοῖς κλαῦσαι τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτῆς· ὧν ἕκαστος τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ θεῖον ἔχει ὲν τῇ εὑρισκομένῃ ἀληθινῇ τροπολογίᾳ. Εἴ τις οὖν, ἀναγινώσκων τὸν νόμον, καὶ τὰ περὶ γάμου γυναικῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν διεξερχόμενος, οἴεται μηδὲν πλέον τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ γράμματος σημαινομένων δηλοῦσθαι, ι πλανᾶται μὴ εἰδὼς τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ. ι ### English translation (Claude) Since the Sadducees’ question about the seven brothers who had one wife needs no figurative interpretation, let us consider the Saviour’s words on these matters, in which he says: “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.” On this someone will ask questions such as these. In saying to the Sadducees, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God,” the Saviour indicates that it is established according to the Scriptures that in the resurrection of the dead there are no marriages, since those who will rise will be like the angels in heaven, among whom there is no marriage. What Scripture, then, shows that in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage? And where in the law or the prophets do we learn of those who will rise that they will be like the angels in heaven? For we plainly do not find such things in the Old Scripture. According to Luke this question will not arise, since he recorded that the Saviour said, “The children of this age beget and are begotten, marry and are given in marriage,” and so on, and did not say anything to the Sadducees in this passage about these things being shown in the Scriptures; but according to Matthew it might be asked, and rightly also according to Mark. For according to him Jesus answered and said to the Sadducees, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.” Let each of those who have attended to our difficulty, then, seek from the Scriptures what establishes the Saviour’s words … about those after the resurrection. We, however, shall say this: that the Scriptures contain these things not word for word, nor so as to be understood by just anyone, but figuratively. “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come,” though it legislated certain things about women and men and narrated righteous marriages, does not speak primarily about these things, as one might take it from the obvious wording, but about the things that we too set out before, when we adduced the passages about the Saviour’s marriage that will be in the age to come. For example, “Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and one by the free woman; and the one by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, the one by the free woman through the promise”: I need not in every respect stop at the sensible marriage of the free woman and the union with the slave woman, “for these things are allegorized.” But even if “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,” the saying is not to be heard as showing no mystery; “for this mystery is great,” and, as Paul says, refers to Christ and the church. And a little before, setting out the law about the woman married to the brother of her dead husband, we examined as well as we could the meaning of the law. There are also countless other laws about wife and husband, such as the law about the certificate of divorce, and about two wives belonging to one husband, one loved and the other hated, and about the captive woman married to the man who desired her, married after she has shaved her head and wept for her father and her mother in mourning clothes; each of these has its venerable and divine meaning in the true figurative interpretation that is found. If anyone, then, reading the law and going through what concerns the marriage of women and men, thinks that nothing more is shown than what is signified by the letter, “he is wrong, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” ### Scripture references - Matt 22:29: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:30: quotation, high confidence - Luke 20:34: quotation, high confidence - Mark 12:24: quotation, high confidence - Mark 12:25: quotation, high confidence - Heb 10:1: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:22: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:23: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:24: quotation, high confidence - Gen 2:24: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:31: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:32: quotation, high confidence - Deut 25:5: allusion, high confidence - Deut 24:1: allusion, high confidence - Deut 21:15: allusion, high confidence - Deut 21:12: allusion, high confidence - Deut 21:13: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:29–30; Luke 20:34–35; Mark 12:24–25; Heb 10:1; Gal 4:22–24; Gen 2:24 (Eph 5:31–32); Deut 25:5–10; Deut 24:1; Deut 21:15–17; Deut 21:10–13. The text after “the Saviour’s words” is unreadable in the scan (a line or more lost) and is marked “…”. Origen’s reading of the marriage and divorce laws of Moses as having a figurative meaning is translated as written; he does not here discuss their literal force. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.34 (PG 13:1589c–1593a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-34). ## Commentary on Matthew 17.35 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-35 - Source: PG 13:1593a–1600d - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-02 Summary: Since the Old Testament teaches the absence of marriage in the resurrection only figuratively, reading it literally leads to absurdities; Jesus proved the resurrection to the Sadducees from God’s words at the bush, for he is God of the living, and the patriarchs live to him. ### Greek text Ζητήσαι δʼ ἂν τις εἰ, ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφάς, ι λεγόμενον τοῖς Σαδδουκαίοις, μὴ προσιεμένοις ἄλλην Γραφὴν ἢ τὴν νομικὴν, ἀναφορὰν ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ ἑτέρας παρὰ τὸν Μωῦσέως νόμον Γραφάς. Ὁ μὲν οὖν τις φήσει καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐγκαλεῖσθαι τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους, ὅτι, μὴ προσιέμενοι τὰς ἐξῆς τῷ νόμῳ Γραφάς, πλανῶνται μὴ εἰδότες αὐτάς· ἕτερος δὲ ἐρεῖ· Ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τὸ τὴν πλάνην ἐλέγχεσθαι τῶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς τὰς κατά Μωῦσέα Γραφάς τῷ μὴ ἐκλαμβάνειν τὸν ἐν ταύταις θεῖον νοῦν. Δύο μέντοιγε πράγματά φησι μὴ εἰδέναι τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους, ἓν μὲν τὰς Γραφάς, ἕτερον δὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀφʼ ἧς δυνάμεως τὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως γίνεται, καὶ ἡ καινὴ ἐν αύτῇ ζωή. Δύναται δέ τις τὸ μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰδέναι λέγεσθαι τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους ἀναφέρειν ἐφʼ ἐαυτὸν τὸν Σωτῆρα· ἐπείπερ ι Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμίς ἐστι, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία, ι καὶ ἠγνόουν αὐτὸν οι Σαδδουκαῖοι, ὡς μὴ εἰδότες τὰς περὶ αὑτοῦ Γραφάς, μηδέ οἷα διακονήσεται τῇ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσει τῶν σωθησομένων. Ὁ δὲ μὴ ἀρεσκόμενος τῷ διὰ τῆς τροπολογίας λύεσθαι τὸ περὶ τοῦ, ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ είδότες τὰς Γραφάς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι ἐπηπορημένον, δυεῖν θάτερον ποιήσει, ἢ ἀπιστήσει τοῖς ἐκκειμένοις ρητοῖς, ὡς οὐ καλῶς ἀναγεγραμμένοις, τῷ μὴ ἂν τὸν Σωτῆρα τὰ μὴ γεγραμμένα εἰρηκέναι ὡς γεγραμμένα, ἢ τολμήσει ἀπιστῆσαι ὼς οὐκ ἀληθεύσαντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ τρίτος δʼ ἂν τις, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποκρύφους καταφεύγων λόγους, ἔνθα δοκεῖ σαφέστερον τὰ περὶ τῆς μακαρίας γεγράφθαι ζωῆς, φήσει ἐπʼ ἐκείνους τὴν ἀναφορὰν εἶναι τῶν ἐνταῦθα γεγραμμένων ἐν τῷ· ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τάς Γραφάς. ι Καὶ ὅρα εἰ μὴ πάντοθεν ἀτόποις περιπεσεῖται διὰ τὸ φεύγειν τὴν τροπολογίαν· εἴτε γὰρ τῇ Γραφῇ ἀπιστεῖ, παρά τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν ποιήσει λόγον· εἴτε τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς κατὰ σάρκα Ἰουδαῖος τὸ τοιοῦτο ποιήσει· εῐτε ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποκρύφους καταφεύξεται, οὐκ ἐπὶ ὁμολογούμενον πρᾶγμα παρά τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν ἐλεύσεται. Διόπερ ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἄλλως φαίνεται δύνασθαι ltissim τὸ, ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὲν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ι ἢ διὰ τῆς ἀνάλογον κειμένης ἀλληγορίας παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ ὲν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας Ἐπιστολῇ περὶ παιδίσκης καὶ ἐλευθέρας, ἀποδοθησομένης καὶ είς τὰς λοιπὰς Γραφὰς ἔνθα περὶ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς λέλεκταί τι. Καὶ ὥσπερ πλανῶνται οἱ διὰ τὸ μὴ τροπολογεῖν τὰ προφητικὰ οἰόμενοι μέλλειν ἡμᾶς μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν σωματικὰ βρώματα, ἐπεὶ αἱ λέξεις τῶν Γραφῶν τοιαῦτα περιέχουσιν· οὕτως καὶ τὰ περὶ γάμων γεγραμμένα καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν τηροῦντες ἐπὶ τοῦ ῥητοῦ, καὶ οἰόμενοι συνουσίαις ἡμᾶς καὶ τότε χρήσεσθαι, διʼ ἃς οὐδὲ σχολάζειν τῇ προσευχῇ δυνατὸν, ὲν μολυσμῷ πως ὄντων καὶ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ τινὶ τῶν χρωμένων ἀφροδισίοις. Μετὰ ταῦτα ζητῶ πότερον τὸ, ι Πλανᾶσθε μὴ είδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ι ἐπὶ μόνον ἀναφέρεται τὸ, ι Ἑν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει οὔτε γαμοῦσιν, οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ι ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τό· ι Ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ὼς οἱ ἄγγελοι ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ. ι Οὐ γὰρ εὑρίσκω ποῦ Γραφῆς λέγονται οἱ σωθησόμενοι εἶναι ὡς ἄγγελοι ὲν τῷ οὐρανῷ· εί μὴ ἄρα τις καὶ τοῦτο φήσει δηλοῦσθαι ὲν τῷ, ι Σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου μετʼ εἰρήνης, τραφεὶς ἐν γήρᾳ καλῷ,ι καὶ τῷ, t Προσετέθη πρὸς τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ, ἢ τῷ ἐν Δευτερονομίῳ λεγομένῳ περὶ ἀνθρώπου, ὡς τεταγμένου ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ὲν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς· ἑαυτῷ δὲ τὴν λέξιν τηρήσας εὑρήσεις. Ἑξῆς τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἰδεῖν τό· ι Περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν νεκρῶν οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ; Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς, Θεὸς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων. ι Καὶ εἰς τοῦτο δὲ φήσομεν, ὅτι μυρία δυνάμενος περὶ τοῦ ὑπάρχειν τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παραθέσθαι ἀπὸ προφητῶν 6 Σωτὴρ, τοῦτο οὐ πεποίηκεν, διὰ τὸ τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους μόνην προσίεσθαι τὴν Μωῦσέως Γραφὴν, ἀφʼ ἧς ἐβουλήθη αὐτοὺς συλλογισμῷ δυσωπῆσαι τοιοῦτό τι δηλοῦντι· ὁ Θεὸς εἶπε Μωϋσεῖ, ι Ἐγώ εἰμι Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ, ι ἡνίκα ἐπὶ τῆς βάτου ἐχρημάτισεν αὐτῷʼ ἤτοι οὖν 6 Θεὸς, Θεὸς ὄντων ἐστὶν, ἢ Θεὸς οὐκ ὄντων· ἀλλʼ ἄτοπον λέγειν, ὅτι 6 Θεὸς 6 εἰπὼν, ι '0 ὢν, τοῦτό μοί ἐστιν ὄνομα, ι τῶν οὐδαμῶς ὄντων Θεός ἐστιν· εί δὲ τοῦτο ἄτοπον, ὄντων Θεός ὲστι, καὶ ζώντων, καί ὑφεστηκότων, καὶ αἰσθανομένων τῆς χάριτος, ἦς αὐτοῖς 6 Θεὸς ἐδωρήσατο, Θεὸν ἑαυτὸν ἀναγορεύων αὐτῶν, καὶ λέγων· ι Τοῦτό μού ἐστι μνημόσυνον αἰώνιον. ι Ζῶσιν ἄρα αἰσθανόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ 6 Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ 6 Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ 6 Ἰακὼβ, καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἰδίως χρηματίζων Θεός· οὐ γὰρ γέγραπται· ι Ἐγὼ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Ἰακώβʼ ι ἀλλʼ ι Ἐγώ είμι Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ, ι καὶ οὕτως γε ἀνέγραψαν Ματθαῖος, καὶ Μάρκος, καὶ Λουκᾶς, ἵνʼ, οἶμαι, παραστήσωσι τοῖς προσέχουσι τῇ ἀναγνώσει, ὅτι καθʼ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν 6 Θεὸς Θεός ἐστι, τοῦτʼ ἐξαίρετον αὐτοῖς χαριζόμενος· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν ὅμοιοι τοῖς Ἑβραίοις, ἵνα συλληπτικῶς, ὥσπερ ὲκείνων, οὕτω καὶ τούτων 6 Θεὸς λέγηται· ἐπʼ ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ γέγραπται· ι Ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Ἐβραίων ἀπέστειλέ με· ι ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων κατὰ ἕνα, ἵνα παραστήσῃ 6 Λόγος, ὅτι εἷς Ἀβραὰμ ἰσότιμος ὅλῳ ἔθνει Ἐβραίων ἔστιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπίσης ἐστὶν 6 Θεὸς, Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἐβραίων; τὸ δὲ ὅμοιον ἐρεῖς καὶ περὶ τοῦ Θεὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Θεὸν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ, ὠς Θεὸν τῶν Ἐβραίων · τοιαύτης δὲ τιμῆς ἠξιῶσθαι νομίζω καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν, διὸ ἀναγέγραπται ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν· ι '0 Θεὸς Ἠλιοῦ. ι Τοῦ μὲν οὖν Ἀβραὰμ Θεὸς μόνον ἦν 6 Θεὸς, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τοῦ Ἰακώβ· τοῦ δὲ κρείττονος αὐτῶν Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν οὐ μόνον Θεός ὲστιν 6 Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Πατήρ· διὸ καλῶς λέγεται παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳʼ ι Εὑλογητὸς 6 Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. › Οὗτος δὴ Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, οὗ εὐλογητὸς 6 Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ἐχαρίσατο τοῖς γνησίοις αὑτοῦ μαθηταῖς τὸ τὸν αὑτὸν εἶναι αὐτῶν οὐ μόνον Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ Πατέρα· φησὶ γὰρ ἀναστὰς ὲκ νεκρῶν πρὸς τὴν Μαριάμ· ι Μή μου ἅπτου· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου· πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου, καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς· Ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ Πατέρα ὑμῶν, καὶ Θεὸν μου, καὶ Θεὸν ὑμῶν.» Ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι, ὅτι καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τῷ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τῷ Ἰακὼβ ἐχαρίσατο, ἵνα μηκέτι μόνον Θεὸς ᾖ αὐτῶν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ Πατήρ. '0 δὲ Λουκᾶς προσέθηκε τῷ· ι Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων, ι κειμένῳ καὶ παρὰ Ματθαίῳ καὶ Μάρκῳ, τὸ, ι Πάντες γάρ αὑτῷ ζῶσιν, ι ὅπερ ἦν οὐχ 6 τυχὼν ἔπαινος τῶν πατριαρχῶν· ἅτε τοῦ τηλικούτου Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαρτυροῦντος αὐτοῖς, οὐ μόνον ὅτι ζῶσιν · ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτι ὃ ζῶσι, Θεῷ ζῶσι, καὶ οὐκ ἄλλῳ τινι. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ, ι Πάντες γάρ αὐτῷ ζῶσι, ι καλὸν παντὶ τρόπῳ ἀσκεῖν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀναλαβεῖν, ἵνα πάντες μηδενὶ άλλῳ, ἢ τῷ Θεῷ ζήσωμεν ἐν Χριστῷ. Τὴν δὲ ὲν βραχυλογίᾳ ἀπόδειξιν, ἐκ τῶν Μωϋσέως γραμμάτων, τοῖς μόνα ἐκεῖνα μένοις ὼς Oeta napi. τοῦ ζῇν τοὺς πατριάρχας, ι ἀκούσαντες οἱ ὄχλοι ἐξεπλήσσοντο, ι τὴν διδαχὴν ἀποδεχόμενοι τοῦ Σωτῆρος σοφωτάτην, καὶ δυναμένην τοὺς gratia δυσπίστως ἔχοντας ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς αὐτόν. ### English translation (Claude) One might ask whether “You are wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures,” said to the Sadducees, who accepted no Scripture other than the law, refers also to Scriptures other than the law of Moses. One person will say that the Sadducees are charged with precisely this, that by not accepting the Scriptures that come after the law they are wrong in not knowing them; another will say: to refute the Sadducees’ error it is enough that they did not know the Scriptures of Moses, in that they did not grasp the divine meaning in them. He says, however, that the Sadducees did not know two things: one, the Scriptures, and the other, the power of God, by which power the things of the resurrection come about, and the new life in it. One can also refer to the Saviour himself the saying that the Sadducees did not know the power of God either; since “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,” and the Sadducees did not know him, as people who did not know the Scriptures about him, nor what he will minister to the resurrection from the dead of those who will be saved. But one who is not content to resolve by figurative interpretation the difficulty raised about “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God,” will do one of two things: either he will disbelieve the texts before us as not rightly recorded, on the ground that the Saviour would not have spoken of what is not written as written; or he will dare to disbelieve Jesus as not having spoken the truth. And a third might take refuge in the apocryphal writings, where the things about the blessed life seem to be written more clearly, and say that the words here, “You are wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures,” refer to them. See whether he will not fall into absurdities on every side by fleeing figurative interpretation. If he disbelieves the Scripture, he will act against the church’s teaching; if he disbelieves Jesus, he will be doing what a Jew according to the flesh would do; and if he takes refuge in the apocrypha, he will not come to anything agreed upon among believers. Therefore it seems to me that “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God; for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage” can be explained in no other way than through the corresponding allegory found in the Apostle in the Letter to the Galatians about the slave woman and the free woman, which will also be applied to the other Scriptures where something is said about husband and wife. And just as those err who, because they do not interpret the prophetic writings figuratively, think that after the resurrection we shall eat and drink bodily foods, since the words of the Scriptures contain such things, so also do those who keep to the letter what is written about marriages and husbands and wives, and think that we shall then too engage in sexual intercourse, on account of which it is not possible even to devote oneself to prayer, since those who engage in sexual relations are in a certain defilement and a kind of impurity. After this I ask whether “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” refers only to “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage,” or also to “but they are like the angels in heaven.” For I do not find where in Scripture those who will be saved are said to be like angels in heaven; unless someone will say that this too is shown in “But you shall go to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age,” and “He was added to his people,” or in what is said in Deuteronomy about man as set by God in heaven and on earth; but you will find it if you examine the passage for yourself. Next one can look at the words, “And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” To this too we shall say that, though the Saviour could have adduced countless passages from the prophets about the future life that awaits human beings, he did not do so, because the Sadducees accepted only the Scripture of Moses. From it he wished to put them to shame with a syllogism that shows something like this: God said to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” when he spoke to him at the bush. Either, then, God is God of those who are, or God of those who are not. But it is absurd to say that God, who said, “He who is: this is my name,” is God of those who in no way are. And if this is absurd, he is God of those who are, and live, and subsist, and perceive the grace that God gave them when he proclaimed himself their God and said, “This is my everlasting memorial.” Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live, then, perceiving God and his grace, since he is called God of each of them individually. For it is not written, “I am the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob,” but, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”; and so Matthew, Mark, and Luke recorded it, in order, I think, to show those who attend to the reading that God is God of each of them, granting them this as a special honour. For they were not like the Hebrews, so that God would be called their God collectively, as he is of the Hebrews; for of them it is written, “The God of the Hebrews has sent me,” but of these one by one, so that the Word may show that one Abraham is of equal honour with the whole nation of the Hebrews. For is not God equally God of Abraham and God of the Hebrews? And you will say the same about his being God of Isaac and God of Jacob as about his being God of the Hebrews. I think that Elijah too was counted worthy of such honour, which is why it is written in the fourth book of Kingdoms, “The God of Elijah.” Of Abraham, then, God was only God, and likewise of Isaac and of Jacob; but of our Saviour, who is greater than they, God is not only God but also Father. Therefore it is well said by the Apostle, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This Jesus Christ, whose God and Father is blessed, granted to his true disciples that the same one should be not only their God but also their Father; for, having risen from the dead, he says to Mary, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, and my God and your God.” And I think that he granted this also to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that God should no longer be only their God, but now also their Father. Luke added to “He is not God of the dead, but of the living,” which stands also in Matthew and Mark, the words, “for all live to him.” This was no ordinary praise of the patriarchs, since our great Saviour bears witness to them not only that they live, but also that the life they live they live to God, and to no one else. This “for all live to him” it is good to practise in every way and for us to take up, so that we may all live to no one else but to God in Christ. Hearing this brief demonstration from the writings of Moses, given to those who accepted only those writings, that the patriarchs live, “the crowds were astonished,” receiving the Saviour’s teaching as most wise and able to turn to him even those who were slow to believe. ### Scripture references - Matt 22:29: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 1:24: quotation, high confidence - Gal 4:22: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 7:5: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 22:30: quotation, high confidence - Gen 15:15: quotation, high confidence - Gen 25:8: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:31: quotation, high confidence - Matt 22:32: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:6: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:14: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:15: quotation, high confidence - Exod 3:18: quotation, high confidence - 2 Kgs 2:14: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Eph 1:3: quotation, medium confidence - John 20:17: quotation, high confidence - Luke 20:38: quotation, high confidence - Mark 12:27: allusion, high confidence - Rom 6:10: echo, low confidence - Gal 2:19: echo, low confidence - Matt 22:33: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - Quotations and allusions: Matt 22:29–33; 1 Cor 1:24; Gal 4:22–24; 1 Cor 7:5; Gen 15:15; Gen 25:8; Exod 3:6, 14, 15; Exod 3:18 (5:3); 2 Kgs 2:14 (4 Kgdms 2:14 LXX); 2 Cor 1:3 (Eph 1:3); John 20:17; Luke 20:38; Mark 12:26–27; Rom 6:10–11; Gal 2:19. The Deuteronomy passage about man “set by God in heaven and on earth” is unidentified. Origen’s statement that sexual relations bring “a certain defilement” that hinders prayer (cf. 1 Cor 7:5), and his view that the risen will neither eat bodily food nor have intercourse, are translated as written. A word in “can be explained in no other way” and a phrase in “to those who accepted only those writings” are garbled in the scan and translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.35 (PG 13:1593a–1600d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-commentarius-matthaeum/17-33/#p-17-35).