# Fragments on the Song of Songs - Author: [Origen](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/origen/) - Latin title: *Fragmenta in Canticum canticorum* - Date: ca. 220-254 (approximate) - Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 17 (Paris, 1857) (Greek text: Migne, PG 17; OCR from the Internet Archive) - Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator - Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/ - Passages: 7 ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 1 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-1 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Short comments on Song of Songs 1:2–16 read the bride as the soul or the church from the Gentiles and the bridegroom as Christ the Word. ### Greek text Φιϊησάτω με ἀπὸ φιϊημάτων στόματος αὐτου. Μὴ διὰ προφητῶν με μνηστευσάτω, φησὶν, διʼ ἑαυτοῦ δὲ ὁμιλησάτω, κατʼ αἴσθησιν πνευματιχήνʼ δι᾿ ἧς ὁ Ἰωάννης φησί Καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψη.1άφησαν περὶ τοῦ Λόγου τῆς ζωῆς ταῦτα δέ φησιν ὡς τῶν προφητῶν εἰπόντων ἀχούσασα ᾿Επεθύμησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάϊλιἪλους σου χαὶ ἀλλαχοῦ Ὅν τρόπον εὐφρανθήσεται γυμφρίος ἐπὶ γύμφην, οὕτως εὑρρανθήσεται Κύριος ἐπὶ σοί. Ὁσάκις δέ φιλῖσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ νυμφίου νομίσωμεν ἐν ὅσῳ ὃὲ ἀποροῦμεν, ὑπολάδωμεν ἐχόμενοι λέγειν τὸ, Φιϊησάτω μὲ ἀπὸ ςιλημάτων στόματος αὑτοῦ. ἐσμὴ μύρων σου ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ἀρώματα. Ἥγουν αἱ ἀρεταί σου ὑπὲρ τὰς παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀρετὰς χατὰ τὸ, Ἐχάλυνψεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ ἔστι τὰρ αὑτοσοφία χαὶ διχαιοσύνηʼ ἡμεῖς δὲ χατὰ μέθεξιν σοφοί τε χαὶ δίχαιοι, χατὰ προαίρεσίν τε χαὶ δύναμιν, ἐν τῇ τούτων εὐωδίᾳ γινόμενοι Μῦρον ἐχχεγωθὲν ὄνομά σου. Διὰ ταῦτο γεάνιδες Τάχα προφητεύου (32) τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν τὸν χότμον πλῃρώσασαν δύναμιν, χατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ παρουσίαν ὥστε γενέσθαι χατὰ τὸν Παῦλον οἷς μὲν ἐσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ζωῆς εἰς ζωὴν, εἶπεν ἂν ἡ νύμφη, Διὰ τσῦτο πάντες ἠγάπησάν σε ἀλλʼ οὐ μόνον αἱ νεάνιδες ὁσημέραι ἀνανεούμεναι. χαὶ μὴ ἔχουσαι ῥυτίδα ἢ σπίιον ἐξεχεγώθη δὲ, ὡς μηχέτε σιωπᾶσθαι χαταχεχλεισμένον ἐν ἀποῤῥήτοις. ξἰσήγαγέ με ὁ βασι.ϊεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὑτοῦ. Ἤγουν ἀδύνατον (2) τὴν ἀξιέραστον λέγει ψυχὴν ἣ Ἔχχλησίαν ἢ τὸ ἡγεμονιχὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ὃ Παῦλος εἰσελθὼν ἔφη Ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν, ἵνα ἴδωμεν τὰ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν τίνα δὲ … χαὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐχ ἀνέθη ταῦτα γὰρ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὑτὸν ἐν γὰρ τῷ ταμιείῳ τοῦ νυμφίου πάντες οἱ θησανροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γγώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι αὕτη μὲν γὰρ ὡς προλαθοῦσα τὰς νεάνιδας εἰσήχθη, χαὶ ααρέστη ὡς βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ βασιίΐέξως, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ, κατὰ τὸν Δαυΐδ περὶ δὲ τῶν νεανίδων, ἀπενεχθήσονται τῷ βασιλεῖ παρθένοι ὀπίσω αὑτῆς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Αγαπήσωμεν μαστούς σου ὑπὲρ οἶνον εὐθύτης Ἤγουν εἰ καὶ νῦν διʼ ἀσθένειαν ὕπερ τοὺς δοὺς. μαστοὺς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὦ νυμφίε, τὸν οἶνον, ὅταν βελτιωθῶμεν, ὑπὲρ τοῦτον αὐτοὺς ἀγαπᾶν. Οἶνος μὲν οὖν εὐφραίνων νεάνιδας, τὰ νομικά ἡ δὲ τελειότης, τοῦ νυμφίου μαστοί εἶτα εἷς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ μὴ εἴδη ἀγαπᾶν, φησίν Εὐθύτης ἠγάπησέ σεʼ ἡμεῖς δὲ οὕπω τὰς ἑαυτῶν πορείας εὐθείας ἐποιησάμεθα. Μέλαινά εἶμε καὶ καλὴ, θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλήμ ὡς σκηνώματα Κηδὰρ, ὡς δέῤῥεις Σαλομών. Λέγει δὲ ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐχχλησία ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ψυχὰς, ἧτοι τὴν ἹΙίερουσαλὴμ,, ὁμολογοῦσαν τὸ μέλαν, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐχ λαμπρῶν μηδὲ πεφωτισμένων πατέρων διὸ χαὶ σχοτασμῷ παραδάλλεσθαι χαλὴ δὲ διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν παρεδέξατο χαὶ δέῤῥεθδινʼ ἐοικέναι τοῦ Σαλομὼν ἃς εἶχεν, μεθʼ ὧν ἄλλων ἐχέχτῇτο ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ. Μ τέ μὲ ὅτι ἐγώ εἶμι μεμελανω ὅτι ἡ βλέψη παι πελοαν ΤᾺ ᾿ μένη, Ἢ ὅτι σχοτισθεῖσάν με τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, Χριστὸς παρεῖδε διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν ὃν ἥλιον διχαιοσύνης ἀναγορεύουσιν αἱ Γραφαί. Υἱοὶ μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί ἔθεντό μὲ φυκλάκισσαν ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν ἀμπειῶγα ἐμὸν οὐχ ἐφύ.αξα. Ἤνγουν οἱ διδάσκοντες μαθηταὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, χαθᾶραί με τῶν πρὸς τούτου βουλόμενοι πονηρῶν λογίισμῶν, χαὶ τῶν συνεργούντων ταῦτα δαιμόνων, ἐμαχέσαντο τούτοις ἐν ἐμοὶ, τῆς αὐτῆς μοι μητρὸς ὄντες υἱοὶ, τῆς ἐλευθερίας φημί οὗ μὲν εἰς τὸ κατʼ ἐχλογὴν χάριτος λεΐμμα ἀναλαμδανόμενοιἐγὼ δὲ τὴν χατὰ τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ διαθήχην λαξοῦσα, χαὶ ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας ἀναγεννωμένη. Οὐ πρότερον δὲ ταύτην ἔθεντο φυάχισσαν, εἶτα ἐμαχέσαντο μαχεσάμενοι δὲ πρῶτον ἐπιτηδείαν ἐποίησαν τοῦ τεθῆναι ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν εἰς φυλαχήν... Μωῦσῆς δὲ οὗτος, καὶ οἱ προφῆται, ὧν ἕχαστος ἀγρὸς ἣν πλήρης, ὃν εὐλόγησε Κύριος.. καὶ ἀμπελὼν ἐν οἷς τις γενόμενος, χαὶ τὴν προτέραν ἕξιν ἑαυτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν ὡς ἐν Σοδόμων ὑπάρχουσαν ἀμπελῶνα, τῷ παρόντι χέχρηται λόγῳ. Ἐὰν - ξ ποίμαιγεξ τὰς ἐρίφους σου ἐπὶ σχηγώμασι τῶν Τὸ πολυθρύλλητον δὲ παρʼ Ἕλλησιν ἐπίφθεγμα προείληπται παραδοθὲν τῷ σοφῷ Σολομῶντι, τὸ Γνῶθι σαυτόν καθʼ ἣν ἀπειλεῖται νῦν ἡ ψυχὴ παρὰ τοῦ ἐράστου χαὶ νυμφίου, εἰ μὴ τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῇ κατʼ εἰχόνα Θεοῦ φυλάξει χάλλος, τὴν ἔνδοθεν ἐχδολὴν, χαὶ τὸ ἐν ἐσχάτοις τετάχθα:, τοὺς σκαιοὺς ἐρίφους ποιμαΐνουσα. Ποιμανεῖς δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν ποιμέ.γων σχηγώμασιν, ποτὲ μὲν τοῦδε, ποτὲ δὲ ἐχείνου οἷα δή τις ἀλῆτις - μέχρι παιδευθεῖσα τῇ πείρᾳ πρὸς τὴν σεαυτῆς ἐπιστρέψειας γνῶσιν ἁρμόσει δὲ χαὶ πρὸς τὴν Ἐχχλησίαν ὁ λόγος γινώσχει δέ τις ἑαυτὸν, εἰδὼς, εἰ ἀγαθὴν ἣ φαύλην ἔχει διάθεσιν καὶ πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀπολείπεται ἢ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνεται, τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθανόμενος εἰ δὲ χαὶ μήπω ἔλαθεν ἣ τετελείωται, ἥ προσεγγίζει τοῖς ὁρίοις τοῦ χάλλους ἔργον δὲ χαὶ τὸ ἀτφιστάνειν ἐκάστῃ πράξει ὅπως, γεγένηνται λογισμῷ τε παντὶ χαὶ λόγῳ γυναῖχας δὲ τὰς μὴ καθαρὰς μηδὲ ἀδιατρόρους ψυχὰς λέγει ἀμελοῦσα δὲ τῆς ἰδίας γνώσεως, γένοιτʼ ἂν χλυδωνιζομένη χαὶ περιφερομένη παντὶ ἀνέμῳ τῆς διδασκαιϊίας ἐν τῇ κυδείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων χαὶ πανταχοῦ μᾶλλον ποιμαίνειν τὰς ἰδίας σχαιὰς ἐρίφους ἣ παρὰ τῷ χαλῷ ποιμαίνει λόγῳ αὕτη δὲ προσηνὴς ὁ λόγος, εἰ χαὶ μηδέποτε λεία λοι πὸν ἤδη ἐν γυναιξίν ἐστι καλὴ, συγκαταριθμουμένη τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐχχλησίᾳ, χαὶ τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ μιχρῶν οὖσα χαλλίων αἱ γὰρ οὕτω λεγόμεναι τῆς ᾿Εχχλησίας γυναῖχες, τῶν ἐθνιχῶν Ψυχῶν ἀσυγκρίτως ἀμείνους πορευομένων ὀπίσω τῶν ἐραστῶν τῶν ἀντιχειμένων δυνάμεὠν, γυναιχῶν λεγομένων, ἀλλʼ οὐ παρθένων πῶς γὰρ οὐχ ἀμείνων, ἣ πρὸς τὸν χτίστην τὸν σαυτῆς ἀνακάμψασα; ὅμοιον δὲ τὸ Εξε.1θε, τῷ παραδοθῆναι τῷ Σατανᾷ, εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρχὸς ἀφορισθέντα τῆς Ἐχχλησίας - μετὰ τὸ χαθάπερ ἔλεγε πρὸς τὰς νεάνιδας εἰσαχθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ. Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου. ὡς τρυγόνος; Ἀλλὰ χαὶ μέλη Χριστοῦ Ἐχχλησίαν νύμφης ὁ Παῦλός φησιν ἧς οἱονεὶ πρόσωπον, οἱ τῷ χάλλει τῶν λοιπῶν διαφέροντες, αἰσχρὸν οὐδὲν ἐννοοῦντες τὴν δὲ τῆς σωφροσύνης αὑτῇ καρποφοροῦντες αἰδῶ, αἱ πρότερον ἴσως οὐχ ὄντες καλοὶ, τοσοῦτον μετέδαλον ὡς εἰρῆσθαι τῇ νύμφη Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου, μὴ ἔχοντες σπιιῖον ἣ ῥυτίδα; τάχα δὲ χαὶ τῷ τὸν ἕνα μόνον γινώσχειν Θεόν χαὶ ἡ τρυγὼν γὰρ ἑνὶ μόνῳ συνέρχεται. Ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου ποιήσωμέν σοι μετὰ στι᾿ ἡμάτων τοῦ ἀργυρίου. Τοῦτο δὲ, Οὐ. πολὺς ἣν οὐδὲ κεχυμένος ὁ ἄργυρος --ὀλίγα δὲ ἐν ἀποῤῥήτῳ παρὰ τῶν προφητῶν λεγόμενα (4) καὶ τῶν πάλαι σοφῶν --ἐπιδημήσαντος δὲ τὰ ἄν τοῖς ἀδάτοις τοῦ ναοῦ, τεθεώρηται τῷ βλέποντι ὃ, καταπέτασμα τὸ ἀληθινὸν σχιξζόμεναν ἄνωθεν ἕως χάτω ἐπὶ τῷ θεωρηθῆναι τὰ ἔνδον, ἐπὰν ὁ. ἀναπεσὼν κοιμηθεὶς ὡς λέων χαὶ ὡς σκύμνος ἐγερθῇ... Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα. Τότε γὰρ οἱ σύμμορφοι γενόμενοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὑτοῦ, παραλήψονται. αὐτοὶ (5) ἀνθυμοιωμάτων χρυοὖν πληθυνθήσονται γὰρ: τῷ ἀργυρίῳ καὶ τῷ χρυσίῳ … ἔδωχεν ὀσμὴν αὑτοῦ. ἧ αὐτὸν ἤλειψα, δέδωχε τῇ γὰρ ἑαυτῆς νάρδῳ τοὺς πόδας ἀλείψασα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, χαὶ ταῖς θριξὶν ἀπομάξασα, μεταπεποιημένην ἐχ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ νυμφίου ταύτην ἀνέλαδενἧς αἰσθανομένη φησὶν ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿ κεφαλὴν ἐλθούσης Ἡ ἐμὴ γάρδος ἔδωκέ μοι τὴν τοῦ νυμφίου ὀσμήν διόπερ ὡς ἀπὸ τῶν χρωτῶν Ἰησοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ὅλην ἐπλήρωσε τῆς μαθητρίας τὸ μῦρον. ἀγὰ μέσον τῶν μαστῶν μου αὐ.ϊισθήσεται Εἰποῦσα τὴν νάρδον τοῦ νυμφίου δεδωχέναι μοι τὴν ὁσμὴν, νῦν φημι τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν μὸν πνέειν στακτῆς οὐ διαχεομέντς, οὐδʼ ἕξω πνεούσης ἀλλʼ ἀποδεδεμένης χαὶ πυχνότερον τὴν εὐωδίαν διδούσης ἀδελφὸν δὲ τὸν πρῶτον ἐσχηκυῖα λαὸν ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐχχλησία, ἐπείπερ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸ χατὰ σάρχα ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, υἱὸν χέχληχεν ἀδελφοῦ καὶ νυμφίου τοῦ δὲ ᾿Αχύλα ἐχδεδωυχότος πατράδελφον, λεχτέον πατέρα εἶναι τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐχχλησίας τὸν πάλαι λαόν ἐπεὶ ἐχ τοῦ παρʼ ἐχείνοις νόμον χαὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἡ ἐν Θεῷ γένεσις χαὶ ἡ ἐξ ἡμῶν εἰς εὐσέδειαν ὑπῆρξε προαγωγή τούτου τοίνυν οὕτως ἀποδεδομένου τῆς νύμφης πατρὸς, ἀδελφὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ ὁμοίως ἐχείνοις ὑπὸ νόμον γενόμενος. Ἰδοὺ εἶ καλὴ, ἡ πιησίον μου. ἰδοὺ εἶ καλή ὀφθαλμοί 'σου περιστεραί. Νῦν ἔοικε πρότερον ἐνεωραχέναι τρανώτερον τῷ τοῦ νυμφίον χάλλει ἣ νύμφη χαὶ διὰ τῶν περιστερῶν αὐτῆς ὀφθαλμῶν αἰσθέσθαι τῆς ἐν τῷ χάλλει τοῦ λόγου χαὶ ὑπεροχῆς τάχα δὲ χαὶ χλίνην χοινὴν ἕαυτῆς χαὶ τοῦ νυμφίου τὸ σῶμα αἰνίττεται, ἐν ᾧ ἔτι οὖσα ἡ ψυχὴ ἀξιοῦται τῆς τοῦ λόγου χοινωνίας λέγει οὖν Παῦλος, Τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν μέλη Χριστοῦ ἐστι διὰ γὰρ τοῦ ἡμῶν τῆς νύμφης εἶναι λέγει τὸ σῶμα - διὰ δὲ τοῦ μέλη Χριστοῦ, τοῦ νυμφίου σύσχιον δέ φησι τὸν νυμφίον διὰ τὴν πυχνότητα τῶν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῇ σοφίᾳ θεωρημάτων ἐὰν δὲ ἢ ἡ χοινὴ νύμφη ἀμφοῖν εὐθαλὴς, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν χαὶ ἐπὶ τὸ σῶμα πᾶσαν τὴν διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρᾶξιν ἀγαθὴν δηλοῦσθαι, ### English translation (Claude) "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." Let him not woo me through the prophets, she says, but let him converse with me himself, by spiritual perception, of which John says, "And our hands have touched, concerning the Word of life." She says this as one who has heard the prophets saying, "The king desired your beauty," and elsewhere, "As a bridegroom will rejoice over a bride, so the Lord will rejoice over you." Whenever we think that we are being kissed from the mouth of the bridegroom …; but as long as we are at a loss, let us undertake to keep saying, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth." "The fragrance of your ointments is above all spices." That is, your virtues are above the virtues found among us, according to the saying, "His virtue covered the heavens"; for he is wisdom itself and righteousness itself, while we are wise and righteous by participation, by choice and by power, coming to be in the fragrance of these. "Your name is ointment poured out; therefore the maidens [loved you]." Perhaps prophesying the power of the name of Christ that filled the world at his coming, so that it became, as Paul says, to some a fragrance from death to death, to others of life to life, the bride would have said, "Therefore all have loved you." And not only the maidens, being renewed day by day and having no wrinkle or spot. It was poured out, so that it is no longer kept in silence, shut up among things not to be spoken. "The king brought me into his chamber." That is, … he means the soul worthy of love, or the church, or the ruling mind of Christ, into which Paul entered and said, "But we have the mind of Christ," so that we may see the things freely given us by God. And what are these? "… and they have not come up into the heart of man; for these things God has prepared for those who love him." For in the bridegroom's chamber are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hidden. For she, as having gone before the maidens, was brought in, and stood as a queen at the right hand of the king, in a robe woven with gold, as David says; and of the maidens: "Virgins shall be brought to the king after her," and so on. "We will love your breasts above wine; uprightness [has loved you]." That is: even if now, through weakness, we love wine more than your breasts, O bridegroom, when we have been made better we shall love them more than it. Wine, gladdening the maidens, is the things of the law; but perfection is the breasts of the bridegroom. Then, by way of excuse for not yet loving, she says, "Uprightness has loved you"; but we have not yet made our own paths straight. "I am black and beautiful, daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the tent-curtains of Solomon." The church from the Gentiles says this to the souls from Jerusalem, or to Jerusalem, confessing her blackness, because she is not from illustrious or enlightened fathers; for this reason she is also compared to darkness. But she is beautiful because of the Word whom she received, and resembles the tent-curtains of Solomon, which he had among the other things he possessed in his glory. "[Do not look at me because] I am darkened, [because the sun has looked askance at me]"; or: because, when I had been darkened by sin, Christ, whom the Scriptures proclaim the Sun of righteousness, passed me by on account of my unbelief. "The sons of my mother fought within me; they made me keeper in the vineyards; my own vineyard I did not keep." That is, the teaching disciples of Christ, wishing to cleanse me of the evil thoughts I had before this, and of the demons that worked with them, fought against these within me, being sons of the same mother as I, I mean of the free woman: they being taken up into the remnant according to the election of grace, while I received the covenant that belongs to the Jerusalem above and was born again from the promise. They did not first make her a keeper and then fight; but having fought, they first made her fit to be placed in the vineyards for keeping. … And these are Moses and the prophets, each of whom was a full field which the Lord has blessed, and a vineyard. Anyone who has come to be in them, and does not keep his former state, as being a vineyard in Sodom, has used the present saying. "If [you do not know yourself …] feed your kids by the tents of the [shepherds]." The much-repeated maxim among the Greeks, "Know yourself," was anticipated, having been handed down to the wise Solomon. By it the soul is now threatened by her lover and bridegroom: unless she keeps the beauty given her according to the image of God, [she will suffer] being cast out from within and being set among the last, feeding the left-hand kids. And you will feed them by the tents of the shepherds, now of this one, now of that, like some wanderer, until, taught by experience, you turn back to the knowledge of yourself. The saying will also fit the church. One knows oneself by knowing whether one has a good or a bad disposition, and whether one falls far short on the road to virtue or stretches forward to what lies ahead, forgetting what lies behind; and whether one has not yet arrived, or has been perfected, or is drawing near the borders of beauty. It is also a task to stand by each action and see how it came about, in every thought and word. By "women" he means souls that are not pure or not undefiled. But if she neglects knowledge of herself, she would be tossed about and carried around by every wind of teaching, in the trickery of men, and would feed her own left-hand kids anywhere rather than by the good Word. … She is now beautiful among women, numbered with the church of God and more beautiful than the little ones in it. For those who are called in this way the women of the church are incomparably better than the Gentile souls, which go after their lovers, the opposing powers, and are called women but not virgins. For how is she not better, who has turned back to her own creator? "Go out" is like being handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, being separated from the church, after having been brought, as she said to the maidens, by the king into his chamber. "Why have your cheeks become beautiful like a turtledove's?" Paul also calls the church, the bride, the members of Christ. Her face, as it were, are those who excel the rest in beauty, thinking nothing shameful, bearing for her the fruit of the modesty of self-control; who, perhaps not beautiful before, changed so much that it is said to the bride, "Why have your cheeks become beautiful," having no spot or wrinkle? And perhaps also because they know only the one God; for the turtledove too mates with one alone. "We will make you likenesses of gold with studs of silver." This means: the silver was not plentiful, nor poured out (few things were spoken in secret by the prophets and by the wise of old); but when he came to dwell among us, the things in the inaccessible parts of the temple were seen by the one who sees, the true veil being torn from top to bottom so that what was inside might be seen, when he who lay down and slept as a lion and as a lion's whelp is raised. … And after this. For then those who have been conformed to his resurrection will themselves receive, in return, likenesses of gold; for they will be multiplied with silver and with gold. … "[While the king was at his couch,] my nard gave its fragrance." … For having anointed the feet of Jesus with her own nard and wiped them with her hair, she received this fragrance back transformed by the fragrance of the bridegroom; perceiving it as it came upon her head, she says, "My nard has given me the fragrance of the bridegroom." Therefore, as from the skin of Jesus, the disciple's ointment filled the whole house. "[A bundle of myrrh is my kinsman to me;] he will lodge between my breasts." Having said that the nard has given me the bridegroom's fragrance, I now say that my kinsman breathes of myrrh, not poured out or breathing outward, but bound up and giving its sweet smell more densely. The church from the Gentiles, having the first people as brother, since Christ according to the flesh was from it, has called him brother's son and bridegroom. And since Aquila has rendered it "father's brother," one must say that the former people is the father of the church from the Gentiles, since from the law and the prophets among them came both the birth in God and our advancement to godliness. When the bride's father has been explained in this way, the Savior is a brother, having come to be under the law as they were. "Behold, you are beautiful, my companion; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves." Now the bride seems to have gazed more clearly than before at the beauty of the bridegroom, and through her dove-like eyes to have perceived the [beauty] and eminence in the Word. And perhaps she also hints that the body is the common couch of herself and the bridegroom, in which the soul, while still in it, is counted worthy of fellowship with the Word. So Paul says, "Our bodies are members of Christ": by "our" he says that the body belongs to the bride, by "members of Christ" to the bridegroom. She calls the bridegroom shady because of the density of the contemplations in the Word and in wisdom. And if the common bed of both is flourishing, it is no wonder that every good action done through the body is also signified with reference to the body, … ### Scripture references - Song 1:2: quotation, high confidence - 1 John 1:1: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:11 (44:12 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 62:5: quotation, high confidence - Song 1:3: quotation, high confidence - Hab 3:3: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 2:16: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 4:16: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 5:27: allusion, high confidence - Song 1:4: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:16: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 2:9: quotation, high confidence - Col 2:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:9 (44:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Ps 45:14 (44:15 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 1:5: quotation, high confidence - Song 1:6: quotation, high confidence - Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Gal 4:26: allusion, medium confidence - Rom 11:5: allusion, high confidence - Gen 27:27: quotation, high confidence - Deut 32:32: allusion, high confidence - Song 1:8: quotation, high confidence - Phil 3:13: quotation, high confidence - Eph 4:14: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Song 1:10: quotation, high confidence - Song 1:11: quotation, high confidence - Matt 27:51: allusion, high confidence - Gen 49:9: allusion, high confidence - Song 1:12: quotation, high confidence - John 12:3: allusion, high confidence - Song 1:13: quotation, high confidence - Rom 9:5: allusion, medium confidence - Gal 4:4: allusion, medium confidence - Song 1:15: quotation, high confidence - Song 1:16: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:15: quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - These comments on the Song of Songs come from a catena (a chain of excerpts) printed in Migne PG 17 among Origen's fragments; the excerpts are often abridged, and their attribution to Origen rests on the catena. The scan text is very corrupt: Migne's Latin translation and footnotes are interleaved with the Greek (removed by logged corrections), several lemmas of the Song are damaged, and some clauses are incomplete; gaps are marked "…" and bracketed words supply the verse being commented on. - Quotations: Song 1:2 ("Let him kiss me"); 1 John 1:1; Ps 45:11 (44:12 LXX); Isa 62:5; Song 1:3; Hab 3:3 ("his virtue covered the heavens", LXX); 2 Cor 2:16; 2 Cor 4:16; Eph 5:27; Song 1:4; 1 Cor 2:16; 1 Cor 2:9; Col 2:3; Ps 45:9, 14 (44:10, 15 LXX); Song 1:5–6; Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX); Gal 4:26; Rom 11:5; Gen 27:27; Deut 32:32; Song 1:8 ("know yourself", the Delphic maxim); Phil 3:13; Eph 4:14; 1 Cor 5:5; Song 1:10–11; Matt 27:51; Gen 49:9; Song 1:12; John 12:3; Song 1:13; Rom 9:5; Gal 4:4; Song 1:15–16; 1 Cor 6:15. "They will be multiplied with silver and gold": source uncertain. - "When we have been made better we shall love them": the Greek has an infinitive ("to love") with no governing verb, translated by sense. "Not undefiled": the scan's ἀδιατρόρους is read as ἀδιαφθόρους. The clause "But the Word is gentle to her, even if never smooth …" is too damaged to translate and is marked "…". "Father's brother" (πατράδελφον) is Aquila's rendering of the Hebrew dôdî in Song 1:13. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 1 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-1). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 2 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-2 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 2:1–17 read the flower, the shade, the call to arise, the little foxes, and the gazelle as figures of Christ's coming and the soul's ascent from the senses. ### Greek text Ἐγὼ ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου, κρίνον τῶν κοιλάδων. ἤΆνθος λέγει τὸ ὁδεῦον ἐπὶ τὸ γενέσθαι χαρπός ἐν οὖν τῷ περιγείῳ τόπῳ πεδίῳ ῥηθέντι, ἄνθος ἐστὶν ὃ γυμφίος λόγος ὡς πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ὅταν γὰρ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, μεταθδαλεῖ τὸ ἄνθος εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι χαρπός χαὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ πλέον χωροῦσι τοῦ ἄνθους, λέγει ἐπὶ γῆς ᾿ διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν ὁ νυμφίος ὡς ἄνθος τοῦ πεδίου ἑαυτὸν γὰρ ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούιϊου ἰαδὼν, πρὸς τὸ δυνηθῆναι τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα ἡμᾶς θεάσασθαι μήποτε δὲ τοῖς μὲν εὐγενεστέροις χαὶ ὁμαλέσι πεδίοις ὀνομαζομένοις, ἄνθος ἐστὶ, τοῖς δὲ τούτων χατωτέροις χαὶ χοιλωτέροις κρίνον ταῦτα φήσας ὁ νυμφίος παραθδάλλει τὴν καῖς, αἴτινές εἰσιν ἄκανθαι ταύτῃ παραθδαλλόμεναι. Τοιαῦται δὲ αἱ μὴ πλησίον τοῦ νυμφίον ψυχαί ἡ δὲ πλησίον κρίνον ἐν μέσῳ διαλάμπον αὐτοῦ. Ὡς μηκῖον ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ, οὕτως ἀδε.1φιδοῦς μου ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν υἱῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σχιὰν αὐτοῦ ἐπεθύμησα καὶ ἐκάθισα, καὶ ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῳωϊάρυγγί μου. Ἔπρεπε τῇ νύμφῃ τοῦ χάλλους ὅλῃ τοῦ νυμφίου γεγενημένῃ, περὶ αὐτῆς μὲν λέγειν οὐδὲν, πρὸς οἷς δὲ ὁ νυμφίος ἔφη περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, μήλῳ παραθάλλειν αὖτὸν τοὺς παρʼ αὑτῶν δὲ υἱοὺς, ξύλοις δρυμοῦ ὑπερὀολῇ δὲ τοῦ πόθου, τὸ χαὶ σχιᾶς ἐπιθυμεῖν τῆς αὖὐτοῦ, χαὶ παραπέμψαι τῷ βάθει τὴν τούτου ποιότητα ἔοικε δὲ ταῦτα λέγειν πρὸς τὰς νεάνιδας, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους ὁ νυμφίος τὰ πρῶτα νἱοὺς δὲ, ἢ τοὺς ἐταίροὺς λέγει οὃς παραθέει τοῦ νυμφίου ξύλοις ἀκάρποις καρείχασεν, ἣ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους αὑτοῦ. Ὑπὸ σχιὰν δὲ αὑτοῦ ἐπεθύμησέ τε χαὶ χεχάθιχεν λέγει δὲ χαὶ Ἵερεμίας ἕν Θρήνοιςʼ Πνεῦμα πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν Χριστὸς Κύριος, συνελήφθη ἐν ταῖς διαφθοραῖς ἡμῶν οὗ εἴπωμεν Ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ αὑτοῦ ζττώμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι πῶς γὰρ οὐχ ἔμελλε ξωῆς ἡμῖν αἰτία ἡ σχιὰ αὑτοῦ γενέσθαι, γενομένοις ἐλευθέροις τῆς τοῦ νόμου. σχιᾶς; Σχιὰν γὰρ εἶχεν ὁ γόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, μηχέτι οὖσιν ὑπὸ γόμον, ἀ.1.} ὑπὸ χάριν, εἰ χαὶ νῦν ἐσμεν ὑπὸ σχιὰν κολλῷ διαφέρουσαν μετὰ τὸν παρόντα γὰρ βίον, οὐχ ἔτι διʼ ἐσόπτρου καὶ αἱἷ-γίγματι, ἀλλὰ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον τὸν ἀλήθειαν θεωρήσωμεν λέξει δὲ χαὶ ἡ νύμφη, ἽΞως οὗ διαυγάσῃ ἡμέρα, καὶ κιγηθῶσιν αἱ σκιαί ἔστι γὰρ αὶ ὁ βίος ἡμῶν ὡς σχιὰ, καὶ ἐν σκιᾷ θανάτου ὁ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐχαθέξετο, καὶ οἱ ἀπιστοῦντες ἔτι καθέζονται. Εἰσαγάγετέ μὲ εἰς οἶχον τοῦ οἵγου. Ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς φίλους τοῦ νυμφίου φησὶ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους ἣ ἀποστόλους τε χαὶ προφήτας μονονουχὶ λέγουσα, Συγχεράσατέ με τῷ σώματι τοῦ Χοιστοῦ. Στηρίσατέ με ἐν μύροις, στοιδάσαωτέ με ὃν μή,1οις, ὅτι τετρωμένη ἀγάπης ἐγώ. Ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐχδέδωχεν: Ἑπαγαχλίνατά μὲ οἱ:᾿ἀγθη, τοὐτέστιν εὐώδεσι δένδροις, τοῖς χαλὸν γαρπὸν ποιοῦσιν, ἀνθοῦνταʼ τῶν φαύλων λεγομένων δένδρων ἀκάρπων ἣ χαχοχάρπων ὄντων τινὰ δὲ τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχει Στηρίσατέ μὲ ἐν ἀμύροις ὃ νοὴτέον, ἣ πιστοὺς μὲν, οὐ μὴν ὡς χρηματίζειν μέλη τῆς μὴ ἐχούσης σπίλον ἣ ῥυτίδα, ἢ ἀλλοτρίους τῆς πίστεως χρηστούς τὸ δὲ, στοιδάσαι ἑ με ἐν μή.1οις, εἶπεʼ βούλεται γὰρ ἡ νύμφη ἐν πολλοῖς περιχυλιομένοις αὐτὸν μήλοις ἀναπαύεσθαι ἅτινα οἶμαι χαρπός ἐστι τοῦ μήλου ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τοῦ δρυμοῦ νυμφίου, ἵνα τῆς αὐτῶν μεταλάδῃ ποιότητος Τέτρωμαι γὰρ φί.1τρῳ, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχονʼ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐχιλεκτοῦ βέλους, κατὰ τὸν ᾿Ησαῖαν. Φωνὴ τοῦ ἀδελφριδοδ μόν, ἰδοὺ οὗτος ἥκει πηδῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, δια.1:λόμονος ἐπὶ εοὺὑς βουνούς. Τοῦτό τινες τοῖς προλαδοῦσιν ἀπέδωκαν, τὸ δὲ Ἑδραϊχὸν ἐξ ἰδίας τάττει περικοπῆς χαὶ δηλόν ἐστιν ὡς ἡ νύμφη διαλεγομένη ταῖς θυγατράσιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, αἰφνίδιον αἰσθάνεται τῆς τοῦ νυμφίου φωνῆς, διαλεγομένου τισὶν ὡς εἰκός ἧς αἰσθανομένης ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρῶν χαὶ τῶν βουνῶν τῶν παραχειμένων τῷ τό πῳ τῆς νύμφης διαλέγεσθαι, ὡς μηδὲν ἀπάδειν νεδρῷ εἶτα σπουδῇ τῇ περὶ τὴν νύμφην, ἐγένετο πλησίον τοῦ οἴχου χαὶ παρέφηνεν ὄπισθεν αὐτόν εἶτα πηδήσας μέχρι τῶν τοῦ οἴχου φθάνει θυρίδων, ἐρωτικῶς ὥσπερ ἐθέλων εἰς αὐτὴν παραχῦψαι: ἐγγὺς δὲ τῆς οἰχίας ἔνθα ἡ νύμφη, δίκτυα πολλὰ ἐπενέδρα τῆς νύμφτς χαὶ τῶν περὶ αὐτὴν ἐχπεπέτασται, ἅπερ διαχόγας ὁ νυμὮ φίος ὡς ἰσχυρότερος, διέκυψε διʼ αὐτῶνʼ χαὶ χαλεῖ τὴν νύμφην πλησίον ἐλθεῖν: παραθαῤῥύνων ἔργῳ τῶν δικτύων καταφρονεῖν, ὡς ἤδη σχισθέντων, καὶ τοῦ χαλεποῦ δι᾿ αὐτῶν παραδραμόντος χαιροῦ, ὃν χειμῶνα χαλεῖ, ἀνωφελῇ φέροντα καὶ σφοδρὸν ὑςτόνʼ προτρέπεται δὲ χαὶ διὰ τῶν καλῶν τοῦ παρόντος χαιροῦ, ἄνθη λέγων ὡς ἐν ἕξαρι χαὶ θεραπείαν ἀμπέλωνʼ τρυγόνος τε φωνὴν, χαὶ συκῆς ὀλύνθους, χαὶ χυπριζούσας ἀμπέλους διαγράφευ καὶ τὸν ἔνθα συναναπαύσεται τόπονʼ ἔνθα γενομένην ἐδούλετο αὐτὴν ὅλῳ προσώπῳ τῷ νυμρίῳ φανῆναι, χαὶ τῆς ἡδείας αὐτῇ παρέχειν ἀχοῦσα: φωνῆς. ᾿Αποχρίνεται ἀδε.ϊςʼ δοῦς μου καὶ 1όγει μοι ᾿Αγάστα, ἐ.ιθὲ, ἡ πλησίον μου, κα.1ή μου, περιστερά μον ὅτι ἰδοὺ ὁ χειμὼν παρῆ 1θεν, ὁ ὑετὸς ἀπηΐθεν καὶ ἐπορδύθη ἑαυτῷ τὰ ἄνθη ὥφθη ἐν τῇ γῇ χαιρὸς τῆς τομῆς ἔρθαχεʼ φωνὴ τῆς τρυγόνος ἠχούσθη ἐν τῇ γῇ ἡμῶν ἡ συκῆ ἐξήνεγκεν ὀλύνθους αὑτῆς αἱ ἄμπε.1οε κυπρίζουσιν, ἔδωκανʼ ὀσμήν, χ.τ. ἑ. ᾿Αγάστα, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν πρὸς τὰ νοητὰ, ἵνα συνῆμενʼ Ὁ ὑετὸς ἀπῆλθεν εἴπομεν ἂν ὑετὸν γεγονέναι, τὸν πρὸ τῆς Ἐπιδημίας χαιρὸν, τοῦ θδ0 ἐντειλαμένου ταῖς νεφέλαις ὕειν τὸν νομιχὸν χαὶ πρὸφητιχὸν λόγον πεπαῦσθαι δὲ τοῦτον,.ἐπειδὲ ὁ γόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἕως Ἰωάγνου ἔαρ δὲ χαὶ θέρς μετὰ τὴν Ἐπιδημίαν ὅτι μηχέτι ὑετῶν χρεία ὅτε τὰ διὰ Χριστὸν ἄνθη ὥφθη ἐν τῇ γῇ χαὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ, ἡ συκῇ οὐχ ἐχχόπτεται ἄχαρπος ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ γενομένη καιρῷ γυνγὶ γὰρ ὀλύνθους ἐξἡνεγχξδ, καὶ κυπρίζουσιν αἱ ἄμπελοι διό φησιν, Ὁ ἕν τῶν χλημάτων Χριστοῦ, εὐωδία, ἐσμὲν τῷ θεῷ. Ἁγάστα, ἐλθὲ, ἡ πλησίον μου, καλή μου, δεριστερά μου καὶ ἐ.1θὲ σὺ, περιστερά μου, ἐν σκέπῃ τῆς πέτρας ἐχόμενα τοῦ προτειχίσματος δεῖξόν μοι τὴν ὄψιν σου, καὶ ἀκούτισον με τὴν φωνήν σου, ὅτι ἡ φωγή σου ἡδεῖα, καὶ ἡ ὄψις Βούλεται. τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπερδῆναι τὰ αἰσθητά ὡς ἐπὶ πόλεως δὲ τεῖχος χαὶ προτείχισμα, τὸν αἰσθητὸν χόσμον χαλεῖ: δεῖ οὖν τὴν τῷ λόγῳ κοινωνοῦσαν ψυχὴν ἐν σκέπῃ τῆς πέτρας, οὐ μόνον ἕξω τοῦ τείχους τῆς πόλεως, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τοῦ προτειχίσματος γενέσθαι ὡς πλυσίον γενομένην ἀναχεχαλυμιαένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν τοντι, ἀρῖξόν μοι τὴν ὄψιν σου ἐπιθυμεῖ δὲ χαὶ δαλεγομενής ἀκσῦσαι, τὴν φωνὴν ὡς ἡδεῖαν θαυμάζων προτείχισμα δέ ἀστιν, ὅπερ Ἡταῖας περίτειχον ὀνομάζει, λέγων θήσει τεῖχος, ἣ περίτειχοςʼ βούλεται τοίνυν τῶν σωματικῶν ἐξεχθοῦσαν, οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ πίχει γενέσθῳ, ὅπθρ εἶναι τὸν περὶ τοῦ χόσμου λόχννῳμζω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχόμενα τοῦ προτειχίσματος ὃς λόγος, μέν ἐστι τάλενταζος τῶν σωματιχῶν, ἀρχὴ δὲ -ὧν ἀσωμάτων. Πιάσατε ἡμῖν ἀλώπεκας μικροὺς ἀξαωνίζοντως ἀμπελῶνας, καὶ αἱ ἄμπειοι ἡμῶν κυπρίζουσιν. ὕτα τοῖς φίλοις ὁ νυμφίος, ἧτοι ἀγγέλοις. ἣ ἀνδράσι ἁγίοις, ὅσοι τῇς Ἐχχλησίας διδάσχαλοι ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ὃὲΣ τῶν ἀμπελώνων ἧ προτροπή ἵνα τῶν πανούργων συλ) αμδανομένων δυνάμεων, αἵ διαφθείρνσαι τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς ἐχφύσεως τοῦ καρποῦ, δυνηθῶσὴ αἱ ἄμπελοι προοχόψαι ἀπὸ τοῦ χυπρίζειν μέχρι τῆς τὸῦ καρποῦ τελειώσεως, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεωργούμεγαι᾿ διὰ δὲ τὸ Θθθεξούσιον δυνάμεναι ἐνέγκαι καρπόν τε χαὶ μή ἣ τάχα καὶ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλώπεχές τινες δίʼ ἑτεροδόξου δριμύτητος ἐμποδίζοντες τοῖς ἀρξαμένοις πρέχειν χαλῶς οὖς ἔτι μιχροὺς ὄντας βούλεται συλληφθῆναι πρὶν ἐπιπλέον ἀσεδείας προχόψωσι μέγας γὰρ ἀλώπηξ γενόμενος, ἐχείνοις μὲν ἀνάλωτος, ὑπὸ μόνου ἕξ τοῦ νυμφίου θηρεύεται ἀρχόμενοι γὰρ ἐνεργεῖν τὰ χείρονᾳ, χαὶ τοῖς φίλοις εὐάλωτοι λέγει δʼ ἂν χαὶ μικροὺς τοὺς ἀ μπελῶνας οὐ δύναται γὰρ χατὰ τῶν ᾿Αδειριδός μου κἀγὼ αὐτῷ ὁ ποιμαίνων … Ἢ νύμψη πρὸς τοὺς ἑταίρους τοῦ νυμφίου φησὶν ὡς; οὐδεμίαν ἔχουσα πρὸς τοὺς ἀλώπεκας μετουσίαν ἐκοινώνησαν γὰρ ἡμῖν, φησὶν, αἵματος χαὶ σαρχὸς, χλὶ ἥμεῖ; αὐτῷ τῆς ἀφθαρτίας. Ἢ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ψυἢ γίνεται, χαὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἐϊς Θεὸν μετοικίζξεται οὕτω χαὶ ὁ Παῦλσ)ς Τὸ σῶμα οὗ τῇ πορνείᾳ, ἀ.1.1ὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ, κα ὁ Κύριος τῷ σώματι σῶμα γὰρ ἣ νύμφη Ἐχχλτσία Χριστοῦ, τὸ μηδαμῶς τῇ πορνείᾳ, ἀεὶ δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ χαὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Σωτήρ Μείνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ χἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν 3) δὲ τοῖς ἑξῆς ἀνάπαλιν γέγραπται Ἐγὼ τῷ ἀδε.1:ιδῷ μου, καὶ ὁ ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοί. Ἢ τάχα διὰ τὸ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀπὸ τοῦ γυμοίου γενέσθχι μὴ Σμφανίσαντος γὰρ ἑαυτὸν αὐτῇ, οὐδʼ αὐτὴ τῷ νυμφίῳ ἀνέκειτο τὸ γὰρ ἔνθέον αὑτοῦ χλλλος θεασαμένη, ἐπὶ σωτήριον ἀφίκετο φίλτρον, τῷ εἶτα τὴν τάξιν ἀντέλαδε πρὶν μὲν ἐλθεῖν τὸ τέλειον, λέγουσα, ἐγὼ τῷ ἀδειλριδῷ μονʼ ὅταν δὲ τελείως ἀποκαλυφθῇ. μηδὲν καταλίπῃ. χεχρυμμένον, αἰσθανομένη τοῦτο λέγες καὶ ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοί εἴρηται δέ πω ταῖς προφητείαιφ,αὐτὸς Κύριος ποιμανεῖ ἡμᾶς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡς νῦν ἐν κρίνοις ἡμᾶς ποιμαίνει τοῖς ἐν μέφῳ ἀκανθῶνʼ τοιγαροῦν εἰπών ᾿Εγὼ ἄγθος τοῦ πεδίου, κρίψον τῶν κοιλάδων, ἐπάγει ὡς χρίγον ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν, οὕτως. ἡ πι1ησίον μου ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν θυγατέρων χαὶ τήρει ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς νύμφης … οὐχ ἔλεξεν διὸ χαὶ παραγέγονεν, εἰς τὸ ἀκάνθαις μὴ ἐμπαγῆναι τὰ ποιμαινόμενα. Διὸ χαὶ αὐχεῖ μυστιχῶς λέγειν ἐν Ἰαχὼδ τό ς ἐγενόμὴν τῆς ἡμέρας συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύματι ἐν τῷ τοῦ παρόντος γὰρ βίου καύματι δεόμεθα τοῦ ποιμαίνοντος͵ διὰ τὰ μεσημόρινὰ δαιμόνια λέγει γὰρ πρὸς τὸν εὖ ὁποῖον χαὶ τὸ, Ὁ ἥλιος οὐ συγχαύσει σεʼ ἐπείπερ ὃ τὰς ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν φέρων χαὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνηθεὶς ἐγένετο ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν συγκαιόμενος τῷ χαύματιʼ ἵνα ἐξἀγοράσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπʼ αὐτῶν ὥς χαὶ ἀπὸ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν χατάρα ποιμαίνει δὲ χαὶ. ἐν κρίνοις, χαὶ μέχρι παρέλθωσιν αἱ σκιαὶ ποῦ βίου κατὰ τὸ, ὡς σκιαὶ ἡμέραι ἡμῶν παράγουσιν ἴσως δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ, διὰ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν, ἐν κρίνοις ἐποίμανεν ἔτι χαυσωνὸς ὄντος μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπιδτ μίαν, ποιμαίνει μὲν, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἐν κρίνοις ὡς γὰρ τῆς ἡμέρας διαπνευσάσης εἴρηται τὸ, ἀγαπητοὶ, γινώσχετε ὅτι ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν. ᾿Απόστρεψον, ὁμοιώθητι σὺ, ἀδειριδὲ μου, τῷ δόρχωνι ἣ γεδρῷ ἐνλάξων ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τῶν χοι.ζωΤὰ πρότερα πρὸς τὰς νεανίδας εἶπεν ἣ νύμφη, τὰ ὃὲ νῦν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον’: ὥστε τῷ παρόντι χαιρῷ ἁρμόττουσαν ἀναλαδεῖν ὁμοιότητα πρὸς μὲν τὼν δόρχωνα, διὰ τὸ διορατιχόνʼ πρὸς δὲ νεδρὸν ἐλάφων, διʼ ἀφανισμῶν τοῦ τῶν ὄφεων γένους ταῦτα δὲ ποιῶν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι τῶν χοιλωμάτων, ἀπόστρεψον λέγουσα, ἐχ τοῦ ἐν μορφῇ ὑπάρχειν Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνάλαδε ταῦτα διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδημῶνʼ ὧν οἱ πλείους διὰ τὴν χαχίαν ἐν κοιλώμασι διατρίδουσιν. ὄρη δὲ χοιλωμάτων, οἱ τῶν χαχῶν ὑπερανέχονται δίχαιοι ἀποστρέψας δὲ ὁ λόγος ὁμοιοῦται, ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἀναχειμένοις τῇ θεωρίᾳ, δόρχωνι ἐν τοῖς πραχτιχωτέροις δὲ χαὶ χαθαιρετιχοῖς τῶν ἀντιχειμένων δυνάμεων, ἐλάφων νεδρῷʼ τὸ δὲ, ἣ νεδρῷ, παραδιαζευτιχόνʼ ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων εἶπεν, ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρη θυμιωμάτωνγ οὐδὲν ἧττον τοὺς ἀγίους δηλῶν. ### English translation (Claude) "I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys." He calls "flower" that which is on its way to becoming fruit. In the earthly place, called "plain", the bridegroom Word is a flower in relation to the things to come; for when the perfect comes, he will change the flower so that it becomes fruit. And since they cannot yet contain more than the flower, he speaks of the earth; for this reason the bridegroom became like a flower of the plain. For he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, so that afterwards we might be able to behold his glory. But perhaps to the nobler ones, called level plains, he is a flower, and to those lower and more hollow than these, a lily. Having said this, the bridegroom compares [the bride with the daughters], who are thorns when compared with her. Such are the souls that are not near the bridegroom; but the one near him is a lily shining out in their midst. "As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons; in his shade I longed and sat, and his fruit was sweet in my throat." It was fitting for the bride, who had become wholly the bridegroom's through his beauty, to say nothing about herself, but, in answer to what the bridegroom had said about himself, to compare him to an apple tree, and the sons of others to trees of the wood; and, out of the excess of her longing, to desire even his shade, and to leave its quality to its depth. She seems to say these things to the maidens, as the bridegroom said the first things to his companions. By "sons" she means either the companions, whom she likened to fruitless trees beside the bridegroom, or those who are strangers to him. Under his shade she both longed and has sat down. Jeremiah too says in Lamentations: "The breath of our face, Christ the Lord, was taken in our corruptions, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the nations." For how could his shadow fail to become a cause of life for us, who have become free from the shadow of the law? For the law had a shadow of the good things to come; and we are no longer under law but under grace, even if we are now under a shadow, though one far different. For after the present life we shall no longer see through a mirror and in a riddle, but face to face we shall behold the truth. And the bride also will say, "Until the day breathes and the shadows move away." For our life too is like a shadow, and the one from the Gentiles sat in the shadow of death, and the unbelievers still sit there. "Bring me into the house of wine." She says this to the friends of the bridegroom, the holy angels, or the apostles and prophets, all but saying, "Mingle me with the body of Christ." "Support me with ointments, heap me among apples, for I am wounded by love." Symmachus rendered it thus: "Make me recline among flowers," that is, among fragrant trees that bear good fruit, in blossom; bad trees are called unfruitful or bearers of bad fruit. Some copies have, "Support me with things without ointment"; this is to be understood either of the faithful who are not, however, such as to be called members of her who has no spot or wrinkle, or of those who are strangers to the faith but upright. And she said, "heap me among apples"; for the bride wishes to rest among many apples rolled around her, which I think are the fruit of the apple tree among the trees of the wood, the bridegroom, so that she may share in their quality. "For I am wounded by love-longing," she says, according to Symmachus; by the chosen arrow, according to Isaiah. "The voice of my kinsman: behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills." Some have assigned this to what precedes, but the Hebrew sets it as a section of its own. And it is clear that the bride, while conversing with the daughters of Jerusalem, suddenly perceives the voice of the bridegroom, who, as is likely, is conversing with some others. She perceives him conversing on the mountains and hills lying near the bride's place, so that he is no different from a fawn. Then, in his eagerness for the bride, he came near the house and appeared behind it; then, leaping, he reaches the windows of the house, as if lovingly wishing to peep in at her. Near the house where the bride is, many nets have been spread to ensnare the bride and those with her; these the bridegroom, being stronger, broke through, and peered through them, and calls the bride to come near, encouraging her by his deed to despise the nets, as already torn, and the hard season that has passed by through them, which he calls winter, bringing useless and violent rain. He urges her also by the beauties of the present season, speaking of flowers as in spring, and the tending of vines; and he describes the voice of the turtledove, the early figs of the fig tree, the vines in blossom, and the place where he will rest with her. When she had come there, he wished her to appear to the bridegroom with her whole face, and to let him hear her sweet voice. "My kinsman answers and says to me: Arise, come, my companion, my beautiful one, my dove; for behold, the winter has passed, the rain has gone, it has gone its way; the flowers have appeared in the land; the time of pruning has come; the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land; the fig tree has put forth its early figs; the vines are in blossom, they have given their fragrance," and so on. Arise, he says, from things perceived by the senses to things perceived by the mind, so that we may be together. "The rain has gone": we might say that the rain was the time before his coming, when God commanded the clouds to rain the word of the law and the prophets; and that this ceased, since the law and the prophets were until John. Spring and summer come after his coming, because there is no longer need of rain, when the flowers that come through Christ have appeared in the land. And from his coming the fig tree is not cut down, though it was fruitless in the former time; for now it has put forth early figs, and the vines are in blossom. Therefore it says, "We who are among the branches are the fragrance of Christ to God." "Arise, come, my companion, my beautiful one, my dove; and come, my dove, in the shelter of the rock, close to the outer wall; show me your face, and let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face [is lovely]." He wishes the soul to pass beyond the things of sense. As with a city, he calls the sensible world a wall and an outer wall. So the soul that shares in the Word must come to be in the shelter of the rock, not only outside the wall of the city, but outside the outer wall too. To her, as having come near with unveiled face, he says, "Show me your face." He desires also to hear her speak, admiring her voice as sweet. The outer wall is what Isaiah calls the surrounding wall, when he says, "He will set a wall and a surrounding wall." He wishes her, then, having come out of bodily things, not only to be at the wall, which is the account concerning the world, but also close to the outer wall, which is the account that is the last of bodily things and the beginning of incorporeal ones. "Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vineyards, and our vines are in blossom." The bridegroom says this to his friends, either angels or holy men, those who are teachers of the church. The exhortation is for the salvation of the vineyards, so that, when the crafty powers that corrupt the beginning of the fruit's growth are caught, the vines may advance from blossoming to the ripening of the fruit, being tended by God, yet able, by their own free will, to bear fruit or not. Or perhaps men too are foxes of a kind, who through the sharpness of heterodoxy hinder those who have begun to run well. He wishes them to be caught while they are still small, before they advance further in impiety; for a fox that has grown large cannot be caught by those friends, and is hunted by the bridegroom alone; but when they are beginning to do worse things, they are easily caught even by the friends. And he would call the vineyards small; for it cannot, against … . "My kinsman is mine, and I am his, he who feeds [among the lilies]." The bride says this to the companions of the bridegroom, as one who has no share with the foxes: for they shared with us in blood and flesh, and we with him in incorruption. Or because God comes to be in the soul, and the soul moves its dwelling into God. So also Paul: "The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body"; for the bride, the church, is the body of Christ, in no way for sexual immorality, but always for the Lord. And the Savior himself: "Abide in me, and I in you." But in what follows it is written the other way round: "I am my kinsman's, and my kinsman is mine." Perhaps this is because the beginning of the kindness came from the bridegroom; for if he had not shown himself to her, she would not have been devoted to the bridegroom, since it was by beholding his divine beauty that she came to a saving love. Then she reversed the order: before the perfect comes, she says, "I am my kinsman's"; but when he has been perfectly revealed and leaves nothing hidden, she perceives it and says, "and my kinsman is mine." It has been said somewhere in the prophecies, "The Lord himself will shepherd us for ever," but not as he now feeds us among lilies that are in the midst of thorns. Accordingly, having said, "I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys," he adds, "As a lily among thorns, so is my companion among the daughters." And observe that, as in the case of the bride, … he did not say. For this reason he has come, so that his flock may not be caught in thorns. Therefore he also boasts in a mystery, saying in the person of Jacob, "By day I was burned up by the heat"; for in the heat of the present life we need the one who shepherds us, because of the noonday demons. For it says to the one who does well, in the same way, "The sun will not burn you"; since he who bears our weaknesses and was pained for us was burned up by the heat on our behalf, to redeem us from them, as also from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us. He feeds also among lilies until the shadows of life pass, according to the saying, "Our days pass by like shadows." And perhaps before his coming, through the law and the prophets, he fed among lilies while it was still the burning heat; but after his coming he feeds, but not among lilies; for it is as when the day has breathed that it is said, "Beloved, know that it is the last hour." "Turn, my kinsman, be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of the hollows." The earlier words the bride said to the maidens, but these she says to the bridegroom, so that he may take a likeness that fits the present season: to the gazelle, for its keen sight; to the young stag, for destroying the race of serpents. Doing these things on the mountains of the hollows, she says, "Turn" from being in the form of God, and take these things up, out of your love for me, coming to dwell among men, most of whom spend their time in hollows because of their wickedness. The mountains of the hollows are the righteous, who rise above evils. When the Word has turned, he becomes like a gazelle in those devoted to contemplation, and like a young stag in those who are more given to action and to the overthrow of the opposing powers. The "or" in "or a young stag" is disjunctive. Theodotion said, "on the mountains of incense," no less signifying the saints. ### Scripture references - Song 2:1: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:10: allusion, high confidence - Phil 2:7: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:2: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:3: quotation, high confidence - Lam 4:20: quotation, high confidence - Heb 10:1: quotation, high confidence - Rom 6:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:12: allusion, high confidence - Song 2:17: quotation, high confidence - Job 8:9: allusion, medium confidence - Matt 4:16: allusion, high confidence - Song 2:4: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:5: quotation, high confidence - Isa 49:2: allusion, high confidence - Song 2:8: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:10: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:11: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:12: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:13: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:14: quotation, high confidence - Isa 5:6: allusion, medium confidence - Luke 16:16: quotation, high confidence - Luke 13:7: allusion, medium confidence - 2 Cor 2:15: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 3:18: allusion, medium confidence - Isa 26:1: quotation, high confidence - Song 2:15: quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:7: allusion, medium confidence - Song 2:16: quotation, high confidence - Heb 2:14: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 6:13: quotation, high confidence - John 15:4: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:3: quotation, high confidence - Ps 48:14 (47:15 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - Gen 31:40: quotation, high confidence - Ps 91:6 (90:6 LXX): allusion, high confidence - Ps 121:6 (120:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Isa 53:4: allusion, high confidence - Gal 3:13: quotation, high confidence - Ps 144:4 (143:4 LXX): quotation, medium confidence - 1 John 2:18: quotation, high confidence - Phil 2:6: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song printed in PG 17 among Origen's fragments; the scan text is corrupt, with Migne's Latin translation and footnotes interleaved (removed by logged corrections). Gaps are marked "…"; bracketed words supply the verse being commented on. - Quotations: Song 2:1–3; 1 Cor 13:10; Phil 2:7; Lam 4:20; Heb 10:1; Rom 6:14; 1 Cor 13:12; Song 2:17; Job 8:9; Matt 4:16 (Isa 9:2); Song 2:4–5; Isa 49:2 ("chosen arrow"); Song 2:8–14; Isa 5:6; Luke 16:16; Luke 13:7; 2 Cor 2:15 (garbled in the scan: "the fragrance of Christ to God"); 2 Cor 3:18; Isa 26:1; Song 2:15; Gal 5:7; Song 2:16; Heb 2:14; 1 Cor 6:13; John 15:4; Song 6:3; Ps 48:14 (47:15 LXX); Gen 31:40; Ps 91:6 (90:6 LXX, "the noonday demon"); Ps 121:6 (120:6 LXX); Isa 53:4; Gal 3:13; Ps 144:4 (143:4 LXX); 1 John 2:18. - "Compares [the bride with the daughters]": the scan's words here are garbled; the sense comes from Song 2:2, quoted later in the section. "Things without ointment" renders ἀμύροις, a variant reading for μύροις. The clause after "And observe that, as in the case of the bride" is lost in Migne's Latin column. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 2 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-2). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 3 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-3 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 3:1–6 read the bride's night search as the soul seeking the deeper things of the Word, beyond the world and beyond the ministering angels. ### Greek text Ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην μου ἐν νυξὶν ἐζήτησα ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου· ἐζήτησα αὐτὸν, χαὶ οὐχ εὗρον αὐτόν ἐκάλεσα αὐτὸν καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσέ μου ἀναστήσομαι δὴ καὶ κυκχιώσω ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς, καὶ ἐν ταῖς πιλατείαις καὶ ζη τήσω ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐζήτησα αὖ. τὸν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον αὐτόν ἐκάλεσα αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσέ μου εὕροσάν με οἱ τηροῦντες, οἱ κυχιλοῦντες ἐν τῇ πόλει μὴ ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ γυχή μου ἴδετε; ὡς μικρὸν ὅτε παρήκθον ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, ἕως οὗ εὗρον ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐκράτησα αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐχ ἀφῆχα αὐτόν ἕως εἰσήγαγον αὑτὸν εἰς οἶχον μητρός μου καὶ εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον τῆς συ.11αδούσης με. Περὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ γάμου μυστηρίων εἰπὼν, νῦν αὐτὸν διὰ νυχτὸς ἐπὶ τὴν κοίτην χαλεῖ ἀποῤόητοτέρων ἐθέλων χοινωνεῖν, χαὶ τῆς τελειοτέρας μετασχεῖν ἀναπαύσεως τοῦτο γὰρ ἣἡ κοίτη τὸ δὲ ἐν γυχτὶ, ἐν ἡσυχίας χαιρῷ, χαὶ πόῤῥω τῆς ὄψεως τῶν μὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα θεωρεῖν δυναμένωνʼ δεῖ δὲ ἀγάπῃ τὴν Ψυχὴν προτετρῶσθαι τοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν χοίτην ζητοῦντος τὰ τοῦ θείου λόγου βαθύτερα περιμένειν δὲ τὴν τῆς ποθούτης ἀνάστασιν ὁ ποθούμενοςʼ ὡς ἂν ἐπιτείνας τὸν ἔρωτα χατὰ χαιρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίσειε τῇ χαμούσῃ πλεῖστα παρὰ τὴν ζήτησιν τὴν αὐτοῦ εἰποῦσα γὰρ δτιἐπὶ τὴν χοίτην μου ἐν νυξὶν ἐζήτησα ὃν ἠγάτησῈν ἡ ψυχή μου, κκαὶ ὅτι ἐζήτησα αὐτὸν καὶ οὖχ εὗρον, ἐπάγει: ἀναστήσομαι δὴ καὶ χυχιλώσω οὐχοῦν ὑπτιασμὸν χαὶ τὴν χατάμυσιν ἀποθέμενοι, διαναστῶμεν πειθόμενοι τῷ λέγοντι, Ἔγειραι δὴ ὁ χαθεύδωγ. ὅλος δὲ ὁ κόσμος, ἡ πόλις ὃν ἐκπεριελθὼν δὶ τῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ θεωρδᾳ γινόμενον ἐν ταῖς σοφαῖς ἀδχσχαλίαις αὗται γὰρ αἱ ἀγοραί ὅθεν τι χρήσιμόν ἐπτι λαδεῖν, ἀλλὰ χαὶ ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις σοφία γὰρὲν ἐξόδοις ὑμνεῖται, ἐν ὃ πλατείαις παῤῥησίαν ἄγει χεχελεύσμεθα δὲ χαὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ πλάτος τῆς χαρδίας ἡμῶν γράψαι μείζονα δὲ ζητοῦσα ἣ χατ᾿ ἀγορὰς χαὶ πλατείας μὴ εὑρηκέναι φησί πλὴν ὁδεύει ἐπὶ τὴν εὔρεσιν, εὑρισχομένη ὑπὸ τῶν τηρούντων τὴν πόλιν χαὶ χυχλούντων αὐτήν εἶεν ἂν τὰ λειτουργιχὰ πνεύματα οὗτοί εἰσιν οὗς ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος περιοδεῦσαι τὴν γῆν ὧν δὴ περὶ τοῦ ποθουμένου πυνθάνεταιʼ οὐχ ἐγγέγραπται ὃξΣ τούτων ἀπόχρισις διδασχόμεθα δὲ εἰ μέλλοιμεν εὑρεῖν τὸν ποθούμενον, ὀλίγον τι παρελῥεῖν, καὶ χρείττους γενέσθαι τῶν τοιούτων ἀγγέλων κερὶ ὧν ἔοιχεν ἐν Επιστολῇ λέγειν ὁ Πέτρος διδάσχων τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τῶν τοῖς τελείοις ἀποχειμένωνʼ εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγει.οι παρακύψαιʼ ἀγαπητὸν δὲ ῥααχύ τι τοὺς τοιούτους παρενεγχεΐῖν, ἵνʼ εὑρεθῇ τὸ πθούμενον, χαὶ εὑρεθὲν κρατηθῇ, χαὶ κρατηθὲν μὴ γτθῆ ἀνόνητος γὰρ ἢ κράτησις, εἰ μὴ τὸ νοηθὲν συνεχὲς μελέτη χρατήσειεʼ διό φησιν οὐκ ἀφῆχα αὐτὸν, ἕως οὔ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκονʼ μητρός μου ἵνα καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἔξοδον, εἰσέλθοι αὐτῷ εἰς τὸν οἶχον τῇς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἔνθα εἰσάγῃ τὰ χοινύτερα τῶν τοῦ λόγου θεωρη μάτωνʼ τὰ δὲ ἀποῤῥητότερα εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τῆς συλλαδούσης τὴν νύμφην ἡ αὐτὶ δὲ μήτηρ καὶ συλλαδοῦσα δηλοῦτα:, διὰ τὸ ἐν τὸ συλλέψει τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς συστάσεως εἶναι μήτηρ ἃ λεγομένη μετὰ τὴν μόρφωσιν, χαὶ τὴν τοῦ συλΤίς αὕτη ἡ ἀναθδαίνουσα ἐχ τῆς ἐρήμου ὡς στεΚαλὴ λίαν ἡ ἀναδαίνουσα βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ ψυχὴ, φυγυῦσα τὰ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἁμαρτήματα, ἅπερ ἐξ ἐρήμου λέγεται ἀναθαίνειν τὸ δὲ τὸν δίχαιον εἶναι χριστοῦ εὐωδίαν ἐν παγτὶ τόπῳ τοῖς σωζομέγοις, καπγὸν ἡδὺν ἀναπέμπουσιν, εὐφραίνοντα τὰς τῶν ### English translation (Claude) "On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loved; I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hearken to me. I will rise now and go about in the city, in the markets and in the broad streets, and I will seek him whom my soul loved. I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hearken to me. The watchmen who go about in the city found me: Have you seen him whom my soul loved? It was but a little while after I passed from them, until I found him whom my soul loved. I held him and did not let him go, until I brought him into my mother's house and into the chamber of her who conceived me." Having spoken of the mysteries that come before the marriage, she now calls him by night to the bed, wishing to share in more secret things and to partake of the more perfect rest; for this is the bed. "By night" means in a time of quiet, and far from the sight of those who cannot contemplate such things. The soul of one who seeks on the bed the deeper things of the divine Word must first have been wounded by love; and the beloved waits for the rising of her who longs for him, so that, having heightened her love, he may at the right time show himself to her who has toiled greatly in seeking him. For having said, "On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loved," and "I sought him and did not find him," she adds, "I will rise now and go about." So then, putting off lying on our backs and closing our eyes, let us rise up, obeying the one who says, "Awake, O sleeper." The whole world is the city; going around it … in the contemplation concerning it, coming to be in the wise teachings; for these are the markets, from which one can take something useful; but also in the broad streets; for wisdom is sung in the ways out, and in the broad streets she speaks boldly. And we too have been commanded to write upon the breadth of our heart. But since she seeks greater things than are found in the markets and broad streets, she says she has not found him. Yet she goes on toward finding him, and is found by those who watch over the city and go about it. These would be the ministering spirits; these are those whom the Lord sent out to walk about the earth, and of them she asks about the beloved. Their answer is not written. We are taught that, if we are to find the beloved, we must pass a little beyond them and become better than such angels, of whom Peter seems to speak in his Epistle when he teaches the excellence of the things laid up for the perfect, "into which angels long to look." It is to be desired that we pass such ones by a little, so that the beloved may be found, and when found may be held, and when held may not be let go. For the holding is useless unless continual meditation holds what has been understood. Therefore she says, "I did not let him go, until I brought him into my mother's house," so that, after her departure from here too, she may enter with him into the house of the Jerusalem above, where she brings in the more common of the contemplations of the Word, and the more secret ones into the chamber of her who conceived the bride. The same one is signified as mother and as she who conceived, because the beginning of formation lies in conception; she is called mother after the forming, and … of the conception. "Who is this who comes up from the desert like columns [of smoke]?" … Very beautiful is the soul that comes up by life and by word, fleeing the sins found among the many; this is what is called coming up from the desert. And that the righteous man is the fragrance of Christ in every place among those who are being saved: they send up a sweet smoke that gladdens the … ### Scripture references - Song 3:1: quotation, high confidence - Song 3:2: quotation, high confidence - Song 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Song 3:4: quotation, high confidence - Eph 5:14: quotation, high confidence - Prov 1:20: quotation, high confidence - Prov 3:3: allusion, medium confidence - Heb 1:14: allusion, high confidence - Zech 1:10: allusion, high confidence - 1 Pet 1:12: quotation, high confidence - Song 3:6: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 2:15: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song in PG 17; Migne's Latin translation is interleaved in the scan (removed by logged corrections), and the section breaks off in mid-sentence. The lemma of Song 3:6 has run into the end of the preceding comment, and the opening of the comment on it is lost (marked "…"). - Quotations: Song 3:1–4; Eph 5:14; Prov 1:20; Prov 3:3 LXX ("the breadth of your heart"); Heb 1:14; Zech 1:10; 1 Pet 1:12; Song 3:6; 2 Cor 2:15. The sentence beginning "The whole world is the city" is garbled in the scan and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 3 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/1/#p-3). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 4 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-4 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 4:2–5:14 read the bride's features as the gifts of the church's teachers and the bridegroom's as Christ's, with the call to open read of the risen Christ and Thomas. ### Greek text Ὁδόγτες σου ὡς ἀγέ.λαι τῶν κεκαρμένων αἴ ἀνέδησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ λουτροῦʼ αἱ πᾶσαι διδυμεύουσαι, καὶ ἀτεχγοῦσω οὖλχ ἔστιν ἐν αὑταῖς. Διδυμεύουσαι δὲ ἄλλως, διὰ τὸ διττὸν τῆς νοήσεως τῆς τερητῆς (6) καὶ πνευματιχῆς. Ὡς σπαρτίον τὸ κόκκινον χείλη σοῦ, καὶ ἡ.α.λιά ἬἭνγουν ἔστω διάπυρος ἡ τοῦ λόγου παρασχευὴ ὡς Ἰερδῆσαι τὸν ἀκροατὴν δυναμένη, ἣ χαὶ τὸ ἔναιμον χαὶ ζωτικὸν δηλοῖ τῶν διὰ τοῦ χείλους ἐξιόντων ῥημάτων, οἰωνεὶ βαπτομένων ἐν τῇ ἀληθινῇ πόσει τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Προστίθησι τῷ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐπαίνῳ, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σιωπῆς ἐπισταμένης τῆς νύμφης χαιροὺς λαλιᾶς ὡραίας καὶ ἐπαινουμένης σιγῆς χαὶ ἐπεὶ πιστὸς πνοῇ κρύπτει πράγματα χαὶ ἡ νύμφη ἐν τῷ βάθει κρύπτει τὰ θεωρήματα τοὺς οἱονεὶ χόχχους τῆς ῥόας ἔχαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι σεσωματοποιημένον ἐν τῷ ἡγεμο: γιχῷʼ διὸ ἐπήγαγεν: ᾿Εκτὸς τῆς σιωπήσεώς σουʼ δηλῶν τὰ σιωπώμενα δόγματα ὡς χόχχους ῥόας ὑπὸ τὸ Ὡς πύργος Δαυῖδ τράχη.ϊός σου, ὁ ᾧχοδομημένος ὃν Θαιλπιώθʼ χίλιοι θυρεοὶ κρέμανται ἐπʼ αὐτὸν, πᾶσαι βοιλίδες τῶν δυνατῶν. ᾿Ακύλας τὸ Θαιϊπιὼθ ἐπάλξεις ἐχδέδωχεν ὃ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ὕψη ᾧ ἀχολουθεῖ τὸν ὑπὲρ τὰς ἐπάλξεις πύργον εἶναι τὴν σοφίαν, ἧς ὁμοίως ἤρτηνται θυρεοῦ μὲν τὰ πεπιστευμένα δόγματα, ἅπερ εἶπεν ἑνικῶς ὁ ᾿Ἀπόστολος θυρεὸν πίστεως βοιλίδος δὲ τῶν δυνατῶν, οἱ δυνατῶς ἀνατρέποντες λόγοι τῶν ἐναντίων τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν πιθανότηταʼ ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐπά,ἴξεις, ἐντολὰς ἐχδέδωχεν ἡ πέμπτη ἔχδοσις, τὸν νοῦν. μᾶλ λον ἣ τὴν λέξιν ἑρμηνεύουσαʼ μὴ προαποχειμένων γὰρ: ἐντολῶν, οἰχοδημηθῆναι τὴν ἀψευδῆ γνῶσιν ἀδύνατον. Δύο μαστοί σου, ὡς δύο νγεδροὶ δίδυμοι δορχάδος οἱ γεμόμεονοι ἐν τοῖς κρίνοις, ἕως οὗ διαπνεύσῃ ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ κινηθῶσιν αἱ σκιαί. … νεμομένοις ἐν ὡραίοις τόποις χαὶ εὐώδεσι σημαίνων τά τε νοητὰ χαὶ αἰσθητά νεδροὺς δὲ, ἐπειδὴ νῦν ἐχ μέρους γινώσχομενʼ ὅταν δὲ τὸ τέλειον ἔλθη, καταργοῦμεν τὴν νηπιότηταʼ ὅταν ὁ καύσων τοῦ παρόντος βίου παύσηται, καὶ χαιρὸς τῆς ἀναψύξεως ἐπιστῇ, λυομένης χαὶ τῆς σχιᾶς σχιὰ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ παρὼν βίος τότε γὰρ ὡς τέλειοι, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡς νεθροὶ νεμὴθησόμεθα. δίωσας ἡμᾶς ἐνὶ ἀπὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου, ἐν μιᾷ ἂνΤὸ ἔνθεμα εἴρηται παρὰ τὸ ἐντίθεσθαι χαὶ ἑνορμᾶσθαι τῷ τραχήλῳ τῆς νύμφης εἰ δὲ ὡς δύο νεδροὶ Ὦ δορχάδος ἔμειναν οἱ μαστοὶ τῆς νύμφης, τὸ τί ἐχα.1λιώθησαν; οὐκ ἂν ἐῤῥέθη θαυμαστικῶς͵ περὶ τοῦ, ὡς ἔφην, διανοητικοῦ, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τὸ διπλοῦν τοῦ θαύματος, τὴν αὔξησιν τοῦ χάλλους ὑπέδειξεν ὁποῖον τὸ ἐκαρδίωσας ἐκ δευτέρου ῥηθένʼ ἱμάτια δὲ τῆς νύμφης, οἱ ἐνδεδυμένοι Χριστὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν, σπιλάγχνα οἰκτιρμῶν χαὶ χρηστότητα χαὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην χείλη δὲ. οἱ διδάσχαλοι χαὶ κηρία μέλιτος λόγοι καλοί εἰργάσαντο δὲ χηρίον χαὶ μέλι προφῆται. χαὶ ἀπόστοχλαι, Κῆκπος. κεκλεισμένος, ἀδελφή μου νύμφη κῆπος Δεύτερον, τὸ κῆπος κεχιδισμένος ἐῤῥέθη, τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ προκόπτοντος, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τελείον. ὅτε. τὸ. ἦγεβθ ἘΚΡ] τετύπωται ἣ χαὶ νῦν μὲν ἡ νύμφη κῆπός ἐστιν χεκιϊεισμένος μόνον, ἐν δὲ τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι διὰ τὴν τελειότητα χαὶ τὸ βέδαιον, καὶ πηγή ἐστιν ἔσφραγισμένη. Παντὶ γὰρ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται καὶ περισσευθήσεται νῦν μὲν οὖν ἡ Γραφὴ χῇπον εἶναι ἀπλῶς ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ὡς περὶ ἑτέρου, χαὶ τὸ :αχαγείως προστίθησιν. Ἔοικεν ἐπιτιμᾷν ἡ νύμφη τῷ Βοῤῥέᾳ, τὴν ἐξουσίαν λαδοῦσα παρὰ τοῦ ἐπιτιμήσαντος τῷ ἀνέμῳ νυμφίου διὸ παρὰ τοῖς τρισὶν εὐαγγελισταῖς ἐπιτιμηθῆναι τῷ ἀνέμῳ εἴρηται οἱ δὲ ἄνεμοι ἀπιῶς ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ Χριστὸς οὖν ἐξωθουμένους τοῦ διαβόλου, εἰδοιχίζεται ταῖς ψυχαῖς περὶ οὗ τὸ, ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ Θαιμὰν Β ξει, τουτέστιν ἐχ Νότου. Αγοιξόν μοι, ἀδειφρὴ μου, κι1ησίον μου, περιστερά μου, τε.ϊεία μου, ὅτι ἡ κεφρα.1ἠ μου ἐπλήσθη δρόσου, καὶ οἱ βόύστρυχοί μου ΨῬεχάδων γυχεός. ᾿Αναγχαίως ἡ τοῦ μοί προσθήχη τοῦ ἄγοιξον ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἀντικειμέναις δυνάμεσιν ἀνοῖξαι ὡς περὶ ὀχληρᾶς δὲ τῆς δρόσου λέγειν δοχεῖ, ὡς 'χαὶ περὶ τῶν τῆς νυχτὸς ψΨεχάδωνʼ ἀνάπαυλαν γὰρ ἔοιχεν ἀπὸ τούτων ἐπιζητεῖν. ᾿Ακόλουθα ταῦτα τοῖς πρώτοις μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀνάστασιν εἰσῆλθε τῶν θυρῶν χεχλεισμένωνʼ χαὶ χαλεῖ τὸν Θωμᾶν, χαὶ διʼ αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν ἄπιστον ψυχὰν, ἀνοῖξαι τὴν ἰδίαν χαρδίαν καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως χωρῆσαι πληροφορίαν χαλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν τελείαν εἰπόντα, ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου ἡ δρόσος δὲ δηλοῖ τὴν χατὰ τὸν ὄρθρον ἀνάστασιν, ὅτε χάτειόσι δρόσος. Ἀδειριδός μου παρῆ.10ε: ψυχή μου ἐξῆν ἐν ιόγῳ αὐτοῦ. Ἡνίχα ἔφθασεν ἣ νύμφη τὸ χλεῖθρον, ὥστε τὴν Ψυχὴν ἀναπετάσαι τῷ λόγῳ, τότε μόνην.τὴν χεῖρα χαΐ τινας ἑαυτοῦ δείξας πράξεις παρελήλυθεν, ὡς μηδέπω τὸ πλέον εἰς θέαν χωρούσης τῆς νύμφης ἅμα δὲ χαὶ οἰχονομεῖ πλέον αὐτῆς ἐπιτεῖναι τὸν ἔρωτα ἐξέρχεται! χαὶ ἐκδημεῖ τοῦ σώματος ἡ Ψυχὴ διὰ τὸν τοῦ νυμφίου λόγον ἔχουδα ἐν οὐρανῷ τὸ πολίἘζήτησα αὑτὸν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον ἐχάλεσα αὑτὸν χαὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσέ μου. Συνεχῶς ἡ Ψυχὴ τὸν νυμφίον λόγον ξΣπιζητεῖ χαὶ εὑροῦσά πάλιν ἑτέροις ἀποροῦσα ζητεῖ χἀκεῖνα θεωρήσασα ποθεῖ τὴν ἑτέρων ἀποχάλυψινʼ χαὶ τυχοῦσα τούτων, ἐπʼ ἄλλοις εὔχεται τὸν νυμφίον ἑπιγος ἀπὸ μυριάδων. Ἢ λευκὸς ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς, πιῤῥὸς δὲ διὰ τὴν σάρκωσιν. Κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ χρυσίον κεράζʼ βόστ, Οἱ βόστρυχοι διὰ τὴν πνχνότητα παραθδάλλονται ταῖς τῶν φοινίχων ἐλάταις, ἅς φασιν ἀντὶ σπέρματος εἶναι ταῖς θηλείαις φοίνιξιν, ὥστε καρπὸν φέρειν … ἀντὶ τριχῶν λογισμῶν, μέλανες ἐπαινετῶς ὀνομάξονται, τῷ τοῦ νυμφίου συμδαλλόμενοι χάλλει τὸ δὲ ὡς κόραξ, οὐχ ἁπλῶς οἶμαι διὰ τὸ χρῶμα: σύμόολον δὲ τῶν βαθυτάτων εἶναι χαὶ πεπληρωμένων σκοτεινοῦ ὕδατος ἐν νεφέλαις ἀέρων περὶ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Ἰώδʼ Τίς δὲ ἡτοίμασε κόρακι βοράν; γεοσσοὶ δὲ αὑτοῦ πρὸς Κύριον χεκράζογνται ἡτοίμασε γὰρ τοῖς βαθυτέροις τὸν νοῦν, πολλὴν τροφὴν ὁ Θεὸς, ὧν οἱ μαθηταὶ νεοσσοὶ εὐχαῖς σχολάξοντες, πρὸς Κύριον χεχράγατσιν πλανώμενοι χαὶ ζητοῦντες τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐπαπορουμένοις ὑπʼ αὐτῶν τιτά. Σιαγόγες αὑτοῦ ὡς φιάϊζαι τοῦ ἀρώματος, φύουσαι Σιαγόνας Χριστοῦ τοὺς διακονουμένους λόγῳ θεοῦ χαὶ τροφῇ πνευματιχῇ νοητέονʼ διὰ μὲν τὴν πληρότητα τῆς εὐωδία; τῶν χαλῶν ἔργων χαὶ λόγων, ἔοιχότας φιάλαις τοῦ ἀρώματος διὰ δὲ τὸ ἐῤῥιζωμένον ἐν αὐταῖς ποιχίλον ἐν πάσῃ συνθέσει γραφῆς λόγον ἀεὶ Κοιλία αὐτοῦ πυξίον ἐ.εςάντινον, ἐπὶ λίθου σαπΚοιλία ἐστὶ τοῦ λόγου, οἱ χωρττιχοὶ τῶν μυστηρίων, τουτέστιν οἱ χοῖλοι πρὸς ὑποδοχήν πυξίον δὲ, οἱ πρὸς διατήρησιν ἐπιτήδειοι χατὰ δὲ τὸ λαμπρὸν χαὶ σαφὲ; ἐλεφάντινον εἶναι λέγεται ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη χοιλία, τὸ πύξιον τὸ ἐλεφάντινον, ἐπιδέδλτχε λίθῳ σαπφείρῳ, ὅς ἐστι Χριστός ὅσοι οὖν εἰσι χοιλία τοῦ λόγου, οὗτοι ἀπὸ τοῦ φόδου Κύριον ἐν γαστρὶ λαμδάνουσι, χαὶ τίκτουσι πνεῦμα σωτηρίας διὰ τοῦτο χαὶ ἡ χοιλία τῆς θυσίας ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ πλύνεται, ὡς μηδὲν ἔχειν χοπρῶδες. ### English translation (Claude) "Your teeth are like flocks of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of them bearing twins, and there is none barren among them." Bearing twins in another sense, because of the twofold understanding, the literal and the spiritual. "Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your speech [is lovely]." That is, let the preparation of the word be fiery, so as to be able to set the hearer aflame; or it also indicates that the words coming out through the lips are full of blood and of life, as if dipped in the true drink of the blood of Christ. To the praise of her self-control he adds the praise of the bride, who knows from her silence the seasons for beautiful speech and for praiseworthy silence. And since one who is faithful in spirit hides matters, the bride too hides her contemplations in the depth, like the seeds of the pomegranate, each in its own order, embodied in the ruling mind. Therefore he added, "apart from your silence," indicating the doctrines kept in silence, like the seeds of a pomegranate under the [veil]. "Your neck is like the tower of David, built for Thalpioth; a thousand shields hang upon it, all the darts of the mighty." Aquila rendered Thalpioth "battlements"; Symmachus, "heights." In keeping with this, the tower above the battlements is wisdom, on which there hang, in the same way, shields, that is, the doctrines that are believed, which the Apostle spoke of in the singular as "the shield of faith"; and darts of the mighty, that is, the arguments that mightily overturn the plausibility of those opposed to the truth. Instead of "battlements" the fifth edition rendered "commandments," interpreting the sense rather than the word; for unless commandments have first been laid down, it is impossible for true knowledge to be built up. "Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that feed among the lilies, until the day breathes and the shadows move." … feeding in lovely and fragrant places, signifying both the things of the mind and the things of the senses. "Fawns," because now we know in part; but when the perfect comes, we do away with childishness, when the burning heat of the present life ceases and the time of refreshment arrives, and the shadow too is dissolved; for the present life is a shadow. For then we shall be fed as perfect, and not as fawns. "You have heartened us with one of your eyes, with one [ornament of your neck]." The ornament is so called from being set upon and fitted to the neck of the bride. But if the bride's breasts had remained like two fawns of a gazelle, "How have they become beautiful?" would not have been said in wonder about the intellectual part, as I said; rather, the doubling of the wonder showed the increase of her beauty, as does "you have heartened" said a second time. The garments of the bride are those who have put on Christ Jesus, compassion, kindness, and humility. Her lips are the teachers, and the honeycombs are good words; prophets and apostles made the honeycomb and the honey. "A garden enclosed, my sister bride; a garden [enclosed, a fountain sealed]." "Garden enclosed" was said a second time, once of one who is making progress and once of one who is perfect. … Or else: now the bride is only a garden enclosed, but in the age to come, because of her perfection and steadfastness, she is also a sealed fountain. "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance." Now, then, Scripture says simply that she is a garden; but elsewhere, as if of another, it adds … . The bride seems to rebuke the north wind, having received the authority from the bridegroom, who rebuked the wind; for this reason it is said in the three evangelists that the wind was rebuked, and the winds simply obey him. When the powers of the devil are driven out, Christ then makes his dwelling in the souls; of him it is said, "God will come from Teman," that is, from the south. "Open to me, my sister, my companion, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night." The addition of "to me" to "open" is necessary; for one may also open to the opposing powers. He seems to speak of the dew as troublesome, as also of the drops of the night; for he seems to seek rest from them. These things follow on what came first: for after the resurrection he came in while the doors were shut, and he calls Thomas, and through him every unbelieving soul, to open its own heart and to receive the full assurance of the resurrection; and he calls him perfect when he has said, "My Lord and my God." The dew indicates the resurrection at dawn, when the dew comes down. "My kinsman passed by; my soul went out at his word." When the bride reached the bolt, so as to open her soul to the Word, then, having shown only his hand and some of his deeds, he passed by, since the bride did not yet have room to behold more; and at the same time he arranges to heighten her love still further. The soul goes out and departs from the body because of the word of the bridegroom, having her citizenship in heaven. "I sought him, and did not find him; I called him, and he did not hearken to me." The soul seeks the bridegroom Word continually; and having found him, being again at a loss about other things, she seeks; and having contemplated those, she longs for the revelation of others; and having obtained these, she prays to the bridegroom about yet others. "[My kinsman is white and ruddy, chosen] from ten thousands." … Or white, since he is true God, and ruddy because of the incarnation. "His head is gold, kephaz; his locks [are fir branches, black as a raven]." The locks, because of their thickness, are compared to the fronds of palm trees, which, they say, serve the female palms in place of seed so that they bear fruit … in place of hairs, thoughts, which are called black in praise when they are compared with the beauty of the bridegroom. And "as a raven," not simply, I think, because of the colour, but as a symbol of the deepest things, filled with dark water in clouds of the air; about which Job said, "Who has prepared food for the raven? Its young cry out to the Lord." For God has prepared much food for those who are deeper in mind, and their disciples, the young ones, devoting themselves to prayers, have cried out to the Lord, wandering and seeking the things in them about which they are perplexed. "His cheeks are like bowls of spice, putting forth [perfumes]." The cheeks of Christ are to be understood as those who minister the word of God and spiritual food: because of the fullness of the fragrance of good works and words, they are like bowls of spice; and because of the varied word rooted in them, in every arrangement of Scripture, always [putting forth perfumes]. "His belly is an ivory box, upon a sapphire stone." The belly of the Word is those who can contain the mysteries, that is, those who are hollow so as to receive them; the box, those fit to preserve them; and because of its brightness and clearness it is said to be of ivory. Such a belly, the ivory box, has been set upon a sapphire stone, which is Christ. All who are the belly of the Word conceive the Lord in the womb from fear, and give birth to a spirit of salvation. For this reason too the belly of the sacrifice is washed in Leviticus, so as to have nothing filthy. ### Scripture references - Song 4:2: quotation, high confidence - Song 4:3: quotation, high confidence - John 6:55: allusion, medium confidence - Eccl 3:7: allusion, medium confidence - Prov 11:13: allusion, medium confidence - Song 4:4: quotation, high confidence - Eph 6:16: quotation, high confidence - Song 4:5: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:9: allusion, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:11: allusion, medium confidence - Acts 3:20: allusion, medium confidence - Song 4:9: quotation, high confidence - Song 4:10: quotation, high confidence - Col 3:12: allusion, high confidence - Rom 13:14: allusion, medium confidence - Song 4:11: allusion, high confidence - Prov 16:24: allusion, medium confidence - Song 4:12: quotation, high confidence - Matt 25:29: quotation, high confidence - Song 4:16: allusion, high confidence - Matt 8:26: allusion, high confidence - Hab 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Song 5:2: quotation, high confidence - John 20:26: allusion, high confidence - John 20:28: quotation, high confidence - Song 5:6: quotation, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:8: allusion, medium confidence - Phil 3:20: allusion, medium confidence - Song 5:10: quotation, high confidence - Song 5:11: quotation, high confidence - Ps 18:11 (17:12 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Job 38:41: quotation, high confidence - Song 5:13: quotation, high confidence - Song 5:14: quotation, high confidence - Isa 26:18: allusion, high confidence - Lev 1:9: allusion, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song in PG 17; the excerpts skip verses, and several lemmas are incomplete (bracketed words supply them). Migne's Latin translation and footnotes are interleaved in the scan (removed by logged corrections); passages lost there are marked "…". - Quotations: Song 4:2–5; John 6:55; Eccl 3:7; Prov 11:13 (LXX); Eph 6:16; 1 Cor 13:9–11; Acts 3:20; Song 4:9–12; Col 3:12; Rom 13:14; Prov 16:24; Matt 25:29; Song 4:16; Matt 8:26 (and parallels); Hab 3:3; Song 5:2; John 20:26–28; Song 5:6; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 3:20; Song 5:10–11; Ps 18:11 (17:12 LXX); Job 38:41; Song 5:13–14; Isa 26:18 (LXX); Lev 1:9. - "Literal": the scan's τερητῆς is read as ῥητῆς ("of the letter"). Kephaz (Song 5:11) is a Hebrew word for fine gold left untranslated in the Septuagint. The "fifth edition" is one of the anonymous Greek versions in Origen's Hexapla. The words after "it adds" in the comment on Song 4:12 are garbled in the scan. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 4 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-4). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 6 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-6 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 6:4–13 read the queens, concubines, and maidens as ranks of souls sharing in the Word, and the bride's descent to the nut garden as the soul's fall into this toilsome life. ### Greek text Κα,λὴ εἷ, ἡ πιησίον μου, ὡς εὐδοκία, ὡραία ὡς Ὅσον πλησίον γίνεται τοῦ νυμφίου, κρείττοσιν ἀπειχάξεται τῷ γὰρ κα.1ὴ χαὶ ὡραία χαὶ πιϊησίον, προσέθηχε τὸ ὡς Ἱερουσαιϊήμʼ καὶ χαταπληχτιχὴν δὲ τὴν τετελειωμένην φησὶν Ἐχχλησίαν πῇ μὲν, ὃν ταῖς ἀντικειμέναις δυνάμεσιν, οὐ δυναμέναις ἐνατενίζειν τῷ χάλλει τοῦ προσώπου αὐτῆς πῇ δὲ χαὶ ταῖς ὑποδεεστέραις αὐτῆς, ἑοιχυίαις ταῖς τεταγμέναις ἐν τῷ παντὶ χαταστάσεσινʼ ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὐ τεταγμέὉ γαι παρατάξεις θάμξος γάρ εἰσιν ὡς τάγμα παρεμἉπόσερεψον τοὺς ὀφθαιϊμούς σου ἀπεναντίον μου, ὅτι αὑτοὶ ἀνεπτέρωσάν μδ. Ἡ Ἐχχλησία τῇ ὡραιότητι: χαὶ τῷ χάλλει ἐνορᾷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυναμένη τῇ πλείονι προχοπῇ κατανοεῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν θεότηταʼ χαθὸ πάντα διʼ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο εὐφραινόμενος δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, τῆς εἴτε Ἐχχλησίας εἴτε νύμφης τοῦ λόγου ψυχῆς πτεροῖς αὐτὴν λογικοῖς ἀποστραφῆναι κελεύει πρὸς τὸ μετέωρον ὡς ἂν ἐπʼ ἄχρον ἔλθοι τῆς τελειότητος, ὡς ἂν χἀχείνη βλέπῃ τοῦτον ἑπτερωμένον, χαὶ μηχέτι συγχαταθαίνουτα διʼ αὑτὴν, καὶ δύνηται λένειν, εἰ χαὶ γινώσχομεν τῇ σῇ τοίνυν συνανέδη προχοπῇ, φησὶν, χωρησάσης σου ἐνορᾷν, χαὶ μηχέτι περαιτέρω τῆς οἰχονομίας ζητεῖν. … τῶν κεκαρμένων αἱ ἀγέδησαν ἀπὸτοῦ ἰουτροῦ αἱ πᾶσαι διδυμεύουσαι, καὶ ἀτεχγοῦσω οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐταῖς. Εἴρτται δεύτερον ταῦτα τῇ νύμφῃ, πρότερον οἶμαι τοιαύτῃ φανείσῃ χατὰ τὸ ἐνδεχόμενον, ἡνέχα ἔτι ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ ἐτύγχανενʼ δεύτερον ὁπότε ἦλθεν ἐπὶ πὴν τελειότηταʼ διὸ χαὶ νῦν μόνον παρῃνίξατοʼ Ὁδόντῆς σου ὡς ἀγέλαι τῶν κεκαρμένων χατὰ δὲ τὸν ᾿Ακύλαν χαὶ Σύμμαχον, ὀδόντες σου ὡς ἀγέιλαι τῶν προδάτων, ἣ, τῶν ἀμνάδων χαὶ ἔπρεπεν εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς τελειότητος ὡς εἶναι τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ λουτροῦ οὐχ ἔτι προτέρου, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δευτέρου διδυ. μεύουσαι δὲ τάχα, ὡς τρεφόμεναι τῇ τῶν νοητῶν χαὶ αἰσθητῶν θεωρίᾳ χαὶ ὡς μηδεμίαν ἄγονον εἶναι τῆς περὶ οὑτινοσοῦν λόγου τροφῆς. Ἑξήκοντά εἰσι βασίλισσαι καὶ ὀγδοήχογντα παλαχαὶ, καὶ γεάνιδες ὧν οὐχ ἔστιν ἀριθμός μέα δέ ἐστι περιστερά μου. Αἱ γεάνιδες ἀριθμὸν οὐχ ἔχουσαι οὐ τῷ μὴ ὑποπίπτειν ἀριθμῷ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀξίας αὐτὰς εἶναι ἀριθμηθῆναιχαὶ τάχα τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας ἔχεται, τῇ ἐνταῦθα διαφορᾷ τῶν νεανίδων τῶν χοινωνουμένων ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, χαὶ τὰ παρὰ ᾿Αποστόλου λεγόμενα περὶ ἀναστάσεως νεχρῶν, λόγῳ τάγματα φάσχοντιʼ ἐπειδὴ γὰρ διʼ ἀνθρώπου θάνατος, καὶ διʼ ἀνθρώπου ἀνάσ… ἀποθνήσκουσιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ πάγτες ζωοποιηθήσογται: ἔχαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι ὁ γὰρ ἑχάστου βίος χαὶ λόγος χαὶ διάθεσις ποιήσει προχριθῆναι ἑχάστου κατʼ ἀξίαν. Μὴ θαύμαζε, εἰ ὁ νυμφίος ἣν ἔχων χαλὴν νύμφην, χαὶ τάχα δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην χαὶ πλείονας ἐὰν νοήσῃς αὐτοῦ χκλὶ τὰς νύμφας, οὐ φοδηθήσῃ λέγειν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ασματος: Ἑξήχογνταά εἰσι βασίλισσαι καὶ ὀγδοήκοντα παλλακαὶ, καὶ γεάγιδες ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός μία δέ ἐστι περιστερά μου λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ νυμφίος λογικὸν ζῶον ἡ νύμφη ἐὰν νοήσῃ ψυχὴ χαὶ λάθῃ ὁ νυμφίος τὴν νύμφηνʼ ἀλλʼ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος, οὗ μιᾷ ψυχῇ κοινωνῶν, ἀλλὰ πλείοσι χαὶ διαφόροις, τιμῇ τινι βασιλιχῇ καὶ διαφαινούσῃ, λεγέτω τελεία περιστερά ταῖς δὲ βασιλικαῖς μὲν, ὑποδεεστέ(αις δὲ, διὰ τοῦτο ἑξήκοντα βασίλισσαι ἑτέραις δὲ ψυχαῖς χοινωνεῖ παιδαγωγουμέναις φόδῳ θεοῦ αὗταί εἰσιν αἱ παλλαχίδες εἰσί τινες χαὶ ἄλλαι ψυχαὶ ὗποδεέστεραι, ἐλάττονα φόδον ἔχουσαι αὗταί εἰσιν αἱ νεάνιδες ὧν οὐχ ἔστιν ἀριθμός ὁ νυμφίος τοῖνυν χαὶ ἐνθάδε καλὰς καὶ δυναμένας αὐτῷ εἶναι χαὶ χοινωνοὺς, ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ παστοῦ τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, χοινωνεῖ ἀγγέλοις χαὶ ἀρχαγγέλοις, αἴ τινές εἰσιν αἱ νύμφαι τοῦ λόγου, χαὶ θρόνοι καὶ κυριότητες. Εἰς κῆπον καρύας κατέδην ἰδεῖν ἐν γεγγήματι τοῦ χειμάῤῥου ἰδεῖν εἰ ἤνθησεν ἡ ἄμπειλος, εἰ ἤνθησαν αἱ. ῥόαιʼ ἐκεῖ δώσω τοὺς μαστούς μου. Κατά τι παράδειγμα οἱ δίχαιοι χαρύαι εἰσὶ, φέροντες χαρπὸν διὰ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν θεραπείαν ἱερατικὴν, διὰ τὸ ἔρχος ἔχειν περὶ αὐτά ὁ μέν τι πιχρὸν καὶ χολῶδες, ὕτερον δέ τι δχληρὸν τῶν πειρασμῶν ἀλλὰ χαὶ χειμάῤῥους ὁ πειρασμὸς λέγοιτοʼ χατὰ τὸ, χειμάῤῥους διῆῖθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν ἡδρυλήθη τοίνυν ἡ νύμφη χαταῤᾶσᾳ εἰς τὸν κῆπον τῆς καρύας, τουτέστιν ἐχπεσοῦσα τὰ ([) παραδείσου πρὸς τὴν ἐπίμόχθον ταύτην ζωὴν, ἰδεῖν παράδοξόν τι γέννημα τοῦ χειμῶνος ῥέοντος μαύρου ποταμοῦ ἣ, χατὰ Σύμμαχον, κατέθη μαθεῖν εἰ ἡ φάρυγξ τοῦ βίου ὀπώρας ἔχειʼ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἤγθησεν ἡ ἄμπειλος, διαφεύ - γουφᾷ τὸν χειμμῶγαʼ χαὶ τὸ ἕαρ φθάσασα, τὸν χαιρὸν τοῦ Πάρχα χαὶ τῆς τῶν ἀξύμων ἑορτῆς τότε γὰρ φιλεὶ ἀγθεῖν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ἡ ἄμπελος χαὶ εἰ ἤγθησαν αἱ ῥόαι, ὧν ὁ καρπὸς πολὺς, καὶ τάξει περιξιλημμένας ὑπὸ τοῦ λέπους ᾧ ὡμοίωται τὸ μῆλον τῆς νύμφης ἐχεὶῖ δὲ, φησὶ, δώσω σρι τοὺς μαστούς μου, ουτέστι τὸ ἡγεμονιχόνʼ ἀ.1.. ἠἡἠγγόησδ, φησὶν, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἔψευσται, μὴ δυναμένη ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς τι ποιεῖν ἀλλʼ οὐχ ἀπελείφθην ἐν τούτοις ὁʼ γὰρ πατὴρ ποῦ Νασσσὼν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ λαοῦ μου ᾿Αμιναδὰδ, ἔθετό με ἑαυτῷ εἶναι ἄρματα Ναασσὼν δὲ ὁὀφριώδης ἑρμηνεύεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς νύμφηςʼ ᾿λμιναδὰδ ὃὲ οὗτος ὁ ἐν ᾿Αριθμοῖς πατὴρ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῆς φυλῆς Ἰούδα Νααστώνʼ ὃς μεταλαμδάν νεται εἰς τὸν Χριστόν διὰ τὸ, χαθὼς Μωῦσῇς ὕψωσε τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως, φησὶν, ἄρματά μὲ ἔθετο ἑαυτῷ ἡνιοχῶν μου τοὺς λογισμούς. ἐπίστρεφε καὶ ὀψόμεθα ἐν σοί. ### English translation (Claude) "You are beautiful, my companion, as good pleasure, lovely as [Jerusalem, terrible as ordered ranks]." The nearer she comes to the bridegroom, the better the things to which she is likened; for to "beautiful" and "lovely" and "companion" he added "as Jerusalem." And he calls the perfected church terrifying: in one way to the opposing powers, which cannot gaze upon the beauty of her face; in another way also to those below her, since she resembles the ordered states of the universe. Symmachus has not "ordered" but "battle-lines": for they are an object of awe, like a rank of armies. "Turn your eyes away from me, for they have given me wings." The church gazes upon the loveliness and beauty of Christ, able through greater progress to perceive his divinity, inasmuch as all things came into being through him. And he, gladdened by the power of the eyes of the soul, whether the church or the soul that is the bride of the Word, bids her turn away on rational wings toward the height, so that she may come to the summit of perfection, and so that she too may see him winged and no longer coming down for her sake, and may be able to say, "even if we have known [Christ according to the flesh, we know him so no longer]." He went up, then, together with your progress, he says, since you now have room to gaze upon him, and no longer seek further than the dispensation. "[Your teeth are like flocks] of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of them bearing twins, and there is none barren among them." These things are said to the bride a second time: the first time, I think, when she had appeared such, as far as was possible, while she was still in this life; the second, when she had come to perfection. Therefore now he only hinted at it: "Your teeth are like flocks of shorn ewes"; according to Aquila and Symmachus, "your teeth are like flocks of sheep," or "of ewe-lambs." And it was fitting that these things be said of perfection, so that "from the washing" refers no longer to the first washing but to the second. Bearing twins, perhaps, as being nourished by the contemplation of the things of the mind and the things of the senses, and as none being barren of the nourishment of the word about anything whatever. "There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number; but one is my dove." The maidens have no number, not because they do not fall under number, but because they are not worthy to be numbered. And perhaps the same thought underlies the difference here among the maidens who share with Christ and what the Apostle says about the resurrection of the dead when he speaks of orders: "For since death came through a man, the resurrection [of the dead also came through a man; for as in Adam all] die, so also in Christ all will be made alive, each in his own order." For each one's life and word and disposition will cause each to be ranked according to worth. Do not be surprised if the bridegroom, having a beautiful bride, has perhaps a second and a third and more: if you understand his brides too, you will not be afraid to say, from the Song, "There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number; but one is my dove." The bridegroom is the Word; the bride is a rational living being, if the soul understands and the bridegroom receives the bride. But since this Word shares, not with one soul, but with many and different ones, then the one with whom he shares with a royal and conspicuous honour, let her be called the perfect dove; those with whom he shares royally, but less, are for this reason the sixty queens; he shares with other souls that are trained by the fear of God, and these are the concubines; there are some other souls, still lower, having less fear: these are the maidens without number. The bridegroom, then, [seeking] here too souls that are beautiful and able to be his and to share with him, came out from the heavenly bridal chamber. He shares with angels and archangels, who are brides of the Word, and with thrones and dominions. "I went down into the garden of the nut tree, to see the produce of the torrent, to see whether the vine had blossomed, whether the pomegranates had flowered; there I will give you my breasts." By a kind of likeness the righteous are nut trees, bearing fruit through their priestly service to God, because they have a fence around them: one bitter and like gall, another hard, the hardness of temptations. But temptation may also be called a torrent, according to the saying, "Our soul passed through a torrent." The bride, then, … going down into the garden of the nut tree, that is, falling from the things of paradise into this toilsome life, to see some unexpected produce of the winter-flowing dark river; or, according to Symmachus, "I went down to learn whether the ravine of life has fruits"; and also to see whether the vine has blossomed, having escaped the winter and reached the spring, the season of the Passover and of the feast of unleavened bread; for that is when the vine usually blossoms in Judea; and whether the pomegranates have flowered, whose fruit is plentiful and enclosed in order by the rind, to which the bride's cheek is likened. "There," she says, "I will give you my breasts," that is, the ruling mind. But "my soul did not know," she says, and the promise proved false, since she cannot do anything of herself. "But I was not left behind in these things; for the father of Nahshon, the ruler of my people, Amminadab, set me to be chariots for himself." Nahshon is interpreted "serpent-like," the ruler of the bride's people; and Amminadab is the one in Numbers, the father of Nahshon, ruler of the tribe of Judah. He is applied to Christ because of the words, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert." So, she says, he set me as chariots for himself, driving my thoughts. "Return, and we shall look upon you." ### Scripture references - Song 6:4: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:5: quotation, high confidence - John 1:3: allusion, high confidence - 2 Cor 5:16: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:6: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:8: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:9: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:21: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:22: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:23: quotation, high confidence - Ps 19:5 (18:6 LXX): allusion, medium confidence - Col 1:16: allusion, high confidence - Song 6:11: quotation, high confidence - Num 17:8: allusion, low confidence - Ps 124:4 (123:4 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 6:12: quotation, high confidence - Num 1:7: allusion, high confidence - John 3:14: quotation, high confidence - Song 6:13 (7:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song in PG 17; Migne's Latin translation and footnotes are interleaved in the scan (removed by logged corrections). Bracketed words supply lemmas and a quotation partly lost there (1 Cor 15:21–22). - Quotations: Song 6:4–5; John 1:3; 2 Cor 5:16; Song 6:6; Song 6:8–9; 1 Cor 15:21–23; Ps 19:5 (18:6 LXX, the bridal chamber); Col 1:16; Song 6:11; Num 17:8 (Aaron's rod bearing nuts, an allusion: uncertain); Ps 124:4 (123:4 LXX); Song 6:12; Num 1:7; John 3:14; Song 6:13 (7:1 LXX). - "No longer seek further than the dispensation" (μηκέτι περαιτέρω τῆς οἰκονομίας ζητεῖν): the sense is uncertain. "Nahshon is interpreted 'serpent-like'": the scan's ὀφριώδης is read as ὀφιώδης, as the reference to the serpent of John 3:14 requires. The word after "The bride, then," is garbled in the scan. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 6 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-6). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 7 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-7 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 6:13–7:12 read the Shulammite as the church at peace or the despoiled soul called back, and her features as the gifts of teachers and the fruit of love. ### Greek text Τί ὄψεσθε ἐν τῇ Σουλαδίςειδι; ἡ ἐρχομένη ὡς χοροὶ τῶν παρεμ δο.ἰῶν ἀνέδη γὰρ ἐχ τοῦ (1ουτροῦ, ὡς τὰ ἀγγελικὰ τάγματα. ᾿Αχύλας χαὶ ἡ πέμπτη ἔχδοσις, τὸ Σου.Ἰαδίτις ἐξἐδωχαν, εἰρηγεύουσα γάρ ἔστι δὲ ἡ νύμφη τοῦ λόγου ψυχὴ, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐχχλησία, διὰ τὸν ποʼ ἧσαντα τὸ ἕν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσαντα. ἐὰν ὃξ ἢ Σου.Ἰαμίτις, ἢ ἐσχυ.ϊευμένη, κατὰ Σύμμαχον, λέγοι ἂν πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ νυμφίος, Ὦ ἐσχυλευμένη χαὶ ὑπὸ τῷ αἰχμαλωτίσαντί σς γεγενημένη, ἐπίστρεφε εἰς τὴν προτέραν εὐγένειαν νῦν μὲν ὡς ἐν ἀπαρχῇ λαμβάνουσα τῆς υἱοθεσίας τὸν ἀῤῥαθῶνα, καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐλπίδαʼ ἐὰν δὲ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας χαὶ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας τὸ ἔνδυμα, πυχνότερον δὲ εἰς προτροπὴν, τὸ ἐπίστρεφδʼ τότε γάρ φησι χυρίως ἐστὶν ἰδεῖν σε᾿ τῶν ἑταίρων ὃὲ τοῦ νυμφίου πρὸς τὴν νύμφην εἶναι τὸν λόγον δοχῶʼ πρὸς οὺς ὁ νυμφίος, Τί ὄψεσθε; φητίν ἀπεικάζεται δὲ νενιχτ κότων στρατῷ ἣ μία γὰρ νύμφὴ πλῆθος ἐν ἑαυτῇ ἔχει παρεμθολῶνʼ τὰ γὰρ μέλη τῆς νύμφης συστήματα τυγχάνοντα πλείονα, χοροὶ μέν εἰσι, τῷ τὸ θεῖον ὑμνεῖν συμφώνως θεολογοῦντες. αὐτῷʼ τῷ δὲ καθελεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους παρεμθολῶν. εἰοηνιχῶν ἔχοντες ἀλλʼ οὐκάότι σχήμα πολεμικὸν, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν χειμάῤῥω χαμοῦσαν χαὶ σχυλεῖσαν αὐτούς προσκαλοῦνται οἱ φίλοι τοῦ νυμφίου ἐσκυλέγοντες, ὀψόμοθω ἐν σοί δώρων γὰρ αὐτῆς τὸν σκυλμὸν, οὐκ ἄχαρπον, ἀλλʼ εἰς χρηστὸν τελευτήσαντα πέρας, ὅπιως τοὺς ἐγ τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ κατακριθέντας παραδεδομένους τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρχὸς, παρελθόντας τὸ τοῦ χειμάῤῥου ὕδωρ, γιχηφύρους ἦγε μεθʼ ἑαυτῇς, ἀρχομένη ὡς χρροὶ παρεμδοϊῶγ, τῶν ἐχ πολέμον ἐπανερχομένων, χαὶ χατὰ των χαὶ λεγόντων Κύριξ, ὡς ὅχιλῳ εὐδοχίας ἐστεῬυθμοὶ μηρῶν σον ὅμοιοι ὁρμίσχοις, ἔργον χειρῶν Πολλαχοῦ τάττει τοὺς μηροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γενέσεως ἡ Γραφὴ δηλοῖ τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα τῆς νύμφης τὸ τεταγμένον ἐν τῷ τῆς γενέσεως χωρίῳ καὶ εὕρυὅμον, ὁμοίῳ περιτραχηλίοις χατεσχενασμένοις τῇ ἀρετῇ. γὸς χρᾶαμα κοιλία σου, θημωνία σίτου ποφρωγμέγη ἐν κρίνοις.͵ Ἐπὶ τὸν ὀμφαλὸν δὲ τὸν χρατῇρα ἡ σοφία συγχαλεῖ λέγουσα Αεῦτε, πίδτε οἶνον ὃν κεκέρακα ὑμῖν χαὶ δηλοῖ τὸ πνευματιχὸν πνεῦμαʼ καὶ προσέθηχε χαὶ θημωγνίαν σίτου, ἵνα τὴν πνευματιχὴν τροφὴν σημάνῃ τὸ γὰρ θημωγία ἀντὶ τοῦ συναγωγὴ ἀρετῶν πλήθους εἰς ἕν τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ συντεταγμένη. Κρίνα δʼ ἂν εἴη χαὶ τὰ ἄνθη τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἃ ουνελέξατο ἀπὸ μέσου τῶν τοῦ βίου ἀκανθῶν. Ὁ τράχη.1ός σου ὡς πύργος ἐλεφάντιγος. Ἰργοι δὲ ἐχλήθησαν, οἱ τὰ ἀρεστὰ τῷ νυμφίῳ ποιοῦντες, σκοπευτήριον ἔχοντες τὴν θεωρητικὴν ψυχὴν, ἐχ μετεώρου σχοπεύουσαν ἅπαντα ἐλεφάντινον δὲ, διὰ τὸ λαμπρὸν χαὶ λεῖον οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ χαχίας τραχὺ ἐν τῷ τῆς νύμφης τραχήλῳʼ οὐχέτι δὲ περὶ τῶν νεχρῶν εἶπεν, οἱ γεμόμεγοι ἐν κρίνοις ὑπεράνω γὰρ ἐγεγόνεισαν χρίνων τῶν ἐν μέσῳ ἀχανθῶνʼ βούλεται δὲ ἡμᾶς χαὶ φιλομαθεῖς ὄντας πολλῶν ἔχειν τὴν ψυχὴν θυγατέρα σοφῶν καὶ ἐν εἰσαγωγαῖς γενέσθαι μαθημάτων πολλῶν, ἃς ἐχάλεσε πύλαςτοσοῦτον, φηοἷν, γνώσεως τοῖς ὃν σοὶ διδασκάλοις περίεστι χάρις, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοὺς παρὰ σοὶ ἀπολαύειν αὐτῶν τῆς παιδεύσεως, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν καὶ πόῤῥωθεν τῆς αὐτῶν ἀπολαύειν ὠφελείας. Μυχτήρ σου, ὡς πύργος τοῦ Λιδάνου σχοκεύων ἀρόσωπον τς υῥέλῳ τη κεραλή σου ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς Κάρμηιϊτος, καὶ πιιόχιον κερωϊῆς σου ὡς πορφύραν βασιλεὺς δεδεμένος ἐν παραδρομαῖς. Ὁ δὲ χαθαρὰν ἔχων τὴν διαπνοὴν, χαὶ διὰ τῆς αἱσθήσεως τοῦ θείου λόγον δυνάμενος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων αὑτοῦ δραμεῖν, μυκτήρ ἐστιν αἰσθανόβενος εὐωδίας πνευματικῆς σχοπεύων εἶ τι ἐπιφανὲς ἐν ἔθνεσι δόγμα δοχεῖʼ Δαμασκὸς γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη παρἔστηστιτοῦ δὲ ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ χαλοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον σύμὄρλονʼ ὁ δὲ λίδανος ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ δὲ Κάρμηλος ἐπίγνωσις περιτομῆς ἐρἀηνεύεται γινώσκε: δὲ περιτομὴν ὁ μετὰ παῤῥησίας λέγειν δυνάμενος ἡ μεῖς ἐσμὲν ἣ περιτομή ἀπὸ … χεφαλῆς, τουτέστι Χριστοῦ, ἐπίγνωσις πνευματιχῆς ἐγεννήθη περιτομῆς. Τί ὡραιώθης καὶ τί ἡδύνθης, ἀγάπη, ἐν τρυφαῖς σου; τοῦτο μέγεθός σον ὡμοιώθης τῷ φοίνικι, χαὶ οἱ μαστοί σου τοῖς βότρυσι διότι ὑψη.1όν σου τὸ φρόγημα καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν γηΐνων ἐπιφεὍτι ταῦτά φησιν ὁ νυμφίος ἀποθαυμάζων αὐτῦὶς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χρεῖττον μεταθδολήνʼ ὡς γὰρ ἡ τῶν στοιχείων εὐχρατία σωμάτων ὑγείαν ἐμποιεῖ, οὕτως ἐχ τῶν ὁρμῶν καὶ ἐχχλίσεων, ὑγεία πως χαὶ χάλλος ἐπιγίνεται τῇ Ψυχῇʼ ὡς δὲ αἰσχρά τίς οὖσα διὰ χαχίαν ἡ νύμφη, μετέδαλεν ἐξ ἀρετῆς εἰς ὡραιότητα, οὕτως οὖσα πιχρὰ, γέγονεν ἡδίστη τε αὐτῷ χαὶ γλυκεῖα φησὶ τοίνυν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς σωματικαῖς τρυφαῖς ἣ πολυτελὴς εὐωχία περιπόθητος, οὕτω τοῖς τὴν πνευματιχὴν τρυφῶσι τρυφὴν, ἡ ἀγάπη τῆς δὲ σοῦ ἀντωνυμίας χειμένης παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις, λέγοι ἂν, τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐντρυφᾷς πλέον τῶν ἄλλων τοῦ πνεύματος χαρπῶνʼ ὡς πάντα διʼ αὐτὴν στέγειν πάντα ὑπομένεινʼ ὥσπερ ὃὲ σωμάτων ἐστὶ βραχύτης (δ), καὶ μέγεθος ἑτέρων, οὕτω χαὶ ψυχῆς ἀναλόγως οἷς διαπράττεται. Ἤγουν τὰ νοἡματά σον, φησὶν, τρόφιμά τε χαὶ πόΕἶτα ἀναδήσομαι ἐν τῷ φοίνικιʼ κρατήσω τῶν ὕψεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται δὴ μαστοί σου ὡς βότρυες ἀμπέλου καὶ ὀσμὴ ῥιγός σου ὡς μηα, καὶ λάρυγξ ὡς οἶνος ἀγαθὸς, πορευόμενος τῷ ἀδειφριδῷ μου εἰς εὐθύτητα, ἱκαγούμενος ἐν χείλεσί μου ὀδοῦσιν. ᾿ἈἈσειχασθεῖσα φοίγνιχε, φοίνικα τὸν νυμφίου χαλεῖ, τὸ ὕψος καὶ μέγεθος τοῦ λόγου χατανοήσασαʼ ἐφʼ ἃ καὶ ἤλπισεν ἀνελθεῖν ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἀσμάτων ὅτε τελεία ἐστὶν ἡ νύμφη ὅτε καὶ ἀντιλήψεται τῶν τοῦ νυμφίου μασθῶν, δηλούντων τὰ πυχνώματαʼ διὸ καὶ ἀμπέλου βότρυσιν ἀπειχάζονται περὶ ἧς εἶπεν ὁ Σωτὴρʼ Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή τὰ δὲ ἐχ τῶν τοῦ λόγου χρυπτῶν ἐχπορενόμενα, ἐπὶ τοδοῦτον ἰθύνει τε χαὶ εὐφραίνει, ὥστε λέγειν ὅτε δεῖ, καὶ οἷς δεῖ, χαὶ ὅσου δεῖ τὰ μὲν γὰρ χείλη τὸν λόγονʼ οἱ δὲ ὀδόντες τὴν ἐχεμυθίαν ἐμφαίνουσι κατὰ τὸ, ε τῷ στόματί σου ποίησον θύραν χαὶ μοχλὸν, καὶ τοῖς λόγοις σου μέτρον χαὶ σταθμόν ν τῶν δὲ τοιούτων οὐ μόνον ἄσφαλῇ τὰ νοήματα, ἀλλὰ χαὶ τὰ χείλη αἰσθήσει δέδεται Ὁ οἶνος δὲ ὁ ἀγαθὸς, ὁ ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς χαρδίας προσφερόμενος. Ἐγὼ τῷ ἀδειφριδῷ μου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ αὐτοῦ. Τελειωθείσης ὁ λόγος, ὅτι μηδαμοῦ παντοδα πῇ ἀνάπαυσιν εὑρήσει, ὅπου ἑαυτὸν ἐπιστρέψει, ὡς παρʼ ἐμοΐ Ἐλθὲ, ἀδελφιδέ μου ἐξέλθωμεν εἰς ἀγρόν αὐ.1ισθῶμεν ἐν κώμαις ὀρθρίσωμεν εἰς ἀμπειῶνας Περὶ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων ἡ νύμφη παραχαλεῖ ὡς ἐχ τῶν ἐνδοτάτων χαὶ μαχαρίων διατριδῶν εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐπισκοπὴν ἐξελθεῖνʼ οὗτοι γὰρ ἀγρὸς χαὶ κῶμαι χαὶ ἀμπελῶνες χαὶ ῥόαι ### English translation (Claude) "What will you see in the Shulammite? She who comes like dances of the camps." For she has come up from the washing, like the angelic orders. Aquila and the fifth edition rendered "Shulammite" as "the one at peace"; for the bride of the Word is the soul, the church of Christ, because of him who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the fence. But if "Shulammite" means "the despoiled one," according to Symmachus, the bridegroom would say to her: O despoiled one, who came to be under the one who took you captive, return to your former nobility; now receiving, as in firstfruits, the pledge of adoption and the hope of the resurrection, but then the garment of the promise and of incorruption. The repetition of "return" is for exhortation; for then, he says, it is properly possible to see you. I think the words are spoken by the companions of the bridegroom to the bride, and to them the bridegroom says, "What will you see?" She is likened to an army of victors; for the one bride has in herself a multitude of camps. For the members of the bride, being many companies, are dances in hymning the divine with one voice and speaking of God; and in destroying the enemies they are camps, now at peace, no longer having a warlike form. The friends of the bridegroom call to her who toiled and was troubled for those in the torrent, saying, "We shall look upon you"; for seeing her trouble, not fruitless but ending in a good outcome, how she led with her as victors those who had been condemned in the torrent, handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, once they had passed through the water of the torrent, coming like dances of the camps of those returning from war, … and saying, "Lord, as with a shield of good pleasure you have crowned us." "The curves of your thighs are like necklaces, the work of [a craftsman's] hands." Scripture often places the thighs in connection with generation. Here, then, it indicates what is ordered and well proportioned in the bride in the region of generation, like necklaces fashioned by virtue. "[Your navel is a turned bowl, not lacking] mixed wine; your belly is a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies." At the navel, wisdom calls people to the mixing bowl, saying, "Come, drink the wine that I have mixed for you"; and it indicates the spiritual …; and he added "a heap of wheat" also, to signify the spiritual food. For "heap" stands for a gathering of a multitude of virtues, ordered into one in concord. The lilies would be the flowers of the grace of God, which she gathered from amid the thorns of life. "Your neck is like a tower of ivory." Those who do what pleases the bridegroom were called towers, having as their watchtower the contemplative soul, which watches over all things from on high; and ivory, because of its brightness and smoothness; for there is nothing rough from wickedness in the bride's neck. And he no longer spoke of the fawns "that feed among the lilies"; for they had come to be above the lilies that are amid thorns. He wishes us, being lovers of learning, to have the soul as the daughter of many wise men, and to be at the entrances of many studies, which he called gates. So great a grace of knowledge, he says, abounds to the teachers among you that not only those with you enjoy their instruction, but those outside and far off already enjoy the benefit they bring. "Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, watching the face of Damascus; your head upon you is like Carmel, and the braid of your head like purple; a king bound in the galleries." The one who has pure breath, and through the perception of the divine Word is able to run after him to the fragrance of his ointments, is a nose that perceives spiritual fragrance, watching whether any doctrine among the nations seems remarkable; for Damascus represents the nations, and the face is a symbol of what is remarkable and beautiful. Frankincense is offered on the altar of God. Carmel is interpreted "knowledge of circumcision"; and he knows circumcision who can say with boldness, "We are the circumcision." From … the head, that is, Christ, the knowledge of spiritual circumcision was born. "How beautiful you have become, and how sweet, O love, in your delights! This is your stature: you were likened to the palm tree, and your breasts to clusters." Because your mind is lofty, and nothing earthly … . The bridegroom says these things marvelling at their change for the better. For as a good blending of the elements produces health in bodies, so from right impulses and avoidances a kind of health and beauty comes upon the soul. And as the bride, who was ugly through wickedness, changed through virtue into loveliness, so, being bitter, she became most pleasant and sweet to him. He says, then, that as in bodily delights a costly feast is longed for, so, for those who delight in spiritual delight, love is longed for. Since the pronoun "your" stands in the other versions, he would be saying: you delight in love more than in the other fruits of the Spirit, so as to bear all things and endure all things for its sake. And as there is shortness in some bodies and tallness in others, so it is with the soul too, in proportion to what it accomplishes. That is, your thoughts, he says, are nourishing and … . "I said, I will go up into the palm tree, I will take hold of its heights; and your breasts shall be like clusters of the vine, and the fragrance of your nostril like apples, and your throat like good wine, going to my kinsman for uprightness, sufficient for my lips and teeth." Having been likened to a palm tree, she calls the bridegroom a palm tree, having perceived the height and greatness of the Word, to which she also hoped to go up at the end of the songs, when the bride is perfect, when she will also take hold of the bridegroom's breasts, which signify the dense truths; therefore they are also likened to clusters of the vine, of which the Savior said, "I am the true vine." The things that come forth from the hidden places of the Word direct and gladden to such a degree that one speaks when one should, to whom one should, and as much as one should. For the lips signify speech, and the teeth reticence, according to the saying, "Make a door and a bolt for your mouth, and a measure and a weight for your words." In such people not only are the thoughts secure, but the lips also are bound by discernment. The good wine is that which is brought forth from the good treasure of the heart. "I am my kinsman's, and his turning is toward me." When she has been perfected, [she says] that the Word will find rest nowhere at all, wherever he turns, as he does with me. "Come, my kinsman, let us go out into the field; let us lodge in the villages; let us rise early to go to the vineyards." The bride urges him to go out, as from the innermost and blessed dwellings, to watch over those who are lower; for these are the field and the villages and the vineyards and the pomegranates … ### Scripture references - Song 6:13 (7:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Eph 2:14: allusion, high confidence - Rom 8:23: allusion, medium confidence - Eph 1:14: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 5:5: quotation, high confidence - Ps 5:12 (5:13 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:1 (7:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:2 (7:3 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Prov 9:5: quotation, high confidence - Song 7:4 (7:5 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:5 (7:6 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 1:4: allusion, high confidence - Phil 3:3: quotation, high confidence - Song 7:6 (7:7 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:7 (7:8 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Gal 5:22: allusion, medium confidence - 1 Cor 13:7: allusion, high confidence - Song 7:8 (7:9 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:9 (7:10 LXX): quotation, high confidence - John 15:1: quotation, high confidence - Luke 6:45: allusion, high confidence - Song 7:10 (7:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence - Song 7:11 (7:12 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Extrabiblical texts - Sir 28:25 (Sirach): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song in PG 17; Migne's Latin translation and footnotes are interleaved in the scan (removed by logged corrections); gaps are marked "…" and bracketed words supply lemmas. The section breaks off in mid-sentence. Song 6:13–7:11 in the English numbering is 7:1–12 in the Septuagint. - Quotations: Song 6:13 (7:1 LXX); Eph 2:14; Rom 8:23 and Eph 1:14 (firstfruits, pledge); 1 Cor 5:5; Ps 5:12 (5:13 LXX); Song 7:1–2; Prov 9:5; Song 7:4–5; Song 1:4; Phil 3:3; Song 7:6–7; Gal 5:22; 1 Cor 13:7; Song 7:8–9; John 15:1; Sir 28:25; Luke 6:45; Song 7:10–11. - "The fifth edition" is one of the anonymous Greek versions in Origen's Hexapla. "Towers" and "fawns" read the scan's ἴργοι as πύργοι and νεκρῶν ("the dead") as νεβρῶν, as the lemmas require. Symmachus's rendering "the despoiled one" derives the name from a Hebrew root for spoil. The sentence on 7:10 is garbled and is translated by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 7 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-7). ## Fragments on the Song of Songs, chapter 8 - URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-8 - Source: PG 17 - Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-10-17 Summary: Comments on Song of Songs 8:1–14 read love strong as death as the seal of Christ on the soul's thoughts and deeds, and the small sister as the church still growing on earth. ### Greek text Εὑροῦσα ἔξω φιλήσω σε καί γε οὐχ ἐξουδεγώσουσί με 'παραϊήψομαί σεʼ εἰσάξω σε εἰς οἷχον μητρός μοι καὶ εἰς ταμιεῖον τῆς συ.1.1αἀπὸ γάματος ῥοῶν μου. Εὑρίσκουσα γὰρ αὑτὸν τῆς ἄνω περιωπῆς ἐχδάντα, Ὥρχισα ὑμᾶς. θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσι καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἰσχύσεσι (9) του ἀγροῦ, τί ἐγείρητε χαὶ ἐξεγείρητε τὴν ἀγάπην ἕως ἂν θελήσῃ; Ἤδη δεύτερον ὥρκισεν ἀλλʼ ἀμφιδάλλουσα προετίθει τὸ ἐών νῦν δὲ διδάξασα τὸ εἶδος τῆς ἐγέρσεως τῆς ἐξεγέρξεως χαὶ τῆς ἀγάπης οἱονεὶ παρίστησιν, ὅτι ὀρχοῦσα ὑμᾶς κατὰ τῶνδε ὥρχισα, τὸ ἐγείρττε χαὶ θές με ὡς σ:-οαγίδα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου, ὡς σΞξραγίδα ἐπὶ τὸν βραχίονά σου ὅτι κραταιὰ ὡς θάΠροτρέπεται αὑτὴν ὁ νυμφίος πᾶν νόημα χαὶ πρᾶξιν μορφῶσαι τῷ ἑαυτοῦ χαραχτῆριʼ ποιεῖν δὲ ταῦτά φησιν τὴν ὡς θάνατον κραταιὰν ἀγάπηνʼ πάντα γὰρ στέγει, πάντα ὑπομένει διὸ χαὶ κραταιὰ χατὰ θάνατον νεχροῦντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἤγουν ἐπειδὴ πάντων ἐκράτησεν ὁ θάνατος, διὰ τὸ ἐν τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ πάντας ἀποῦνέσχειν χαὶ ὁ ἄδης ὁμοίως τοιαύτη, φησὶν, ἡ ἀγάπη χαὶ ὁ ζῆλος: ὃν δεῖ ζηλοῦν τῷ Θεῷ, σκληρὸς χατὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ὑπάρχων, ὡς ὁ τοῦ Ἡλίου χαὶ τοῦ Φινεές ἣ τοῦτο λέγει ὁ νυμφίος πρὸς αὐτὴν, θές με ὡς σφραγίδα πρὸς τὸ σφραγίζειν τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις σου χαὶ τὰς πράξεις σου, χαὶ ξως θανάτου ἀγωνίσαι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας χαὶ ἐν τῷ ἄδῃ δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐζήλωσαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὑποφθείραντες τοὺς στρατιώτας. Ἀδειϊφὴ ἡμῶν μιχρὰ, καὶ μαστοὺς οὐχ ἔχει. Ὅτι μιχρὰ ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἔτι ἐπισκευαζομένη τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐχχλησία, χαὶ νοήματα (τοῦτο γὰρ οἱ μαστοὶ) μήπω ἔχουσα, ἐπιδίδωσιν εἰς μέγεθος βίου καὶ νοημάτωνʼ ἐπʼ ἂν τρανώσῃ τὰ νοῆματα χαὶ προφητικὰ θεωρήματα, ἣ τὴν σύμπνοιάν τε χαὶ ἐνέργειαν χωρήσῃ δυνάμεως αἷ χαὶ ταῦτά φατι μετά τε προφητῶν χαὶ δικαίων πνευμάτων. Ὁ χαθήμενος ἐν κήποις, ἑταῖροι προσέχοντες τῆς φωνῆς σου ἀκούτισόν με΄ φύγε, ἀδελφιδέ μου, καὶ ὁμοιώθητι τῇ δορκάδι, ἣ τῷ γνεδρῳῷ τῶν ἐ.1άφων ἐπὶ ὄρη ἀρωμάτων. Εἶδεν ἡ νύμφη τὸν νυμφίον ἀναπαυόμενον ἐν τοῖς Ν κήποις, χαὶ τοὺς ἑταίρους αὐτοὺς προσέχηντας αὐτοῦ τῇ φωνῇ ἧς ἤχουφεν αὐτή χαὶ βούλεται αὑτὸν ὀξέως χαὶ διορατικῶς ὁρῶντα, ἀπὸ τῶν τῇδε πραγμάτων ἐχχλῖναι, τάχει μὲν καὶ ὀξνδερχίᾳ, ὡμοιωμένον δορκάδι, γεδρῷ δὲ τοῖς τῶν πολεμίων ὡς ὄφεων χαὶ σχορπίων ταφρονητιχῶς ἔχειν, χαὶ ἀνελθεῖν πρὸς τοὺς ἀνεστηχόταὡς ὅρη, καὶ πάσης πνέοντας εὐωδίας περὶ ὧν τὸ, οἱ θεμέλιοι αὑτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἔρεσι τοῖς ἁγίοις χαὶ ταῦτα χατὰ τοὺς Ἑδδομήχοντα χαὶ Θεοδοτίωνα, χαὶ τὴν πέμπτην ἔχδοσινʼ ὁ μέντοι ᾿Αχύλας, ὁ χαθὴμεγος ἐν κήποις, ἐξέδωκεν ὁ δὴ Σύμμαχος, ἡ χατοικοῦσαʼ ὡς λέγεσθαι τὰ πρῶτα πρὸς τὴν νύμφην καθημένην παρὰ τοῖς ἰδίους καρποῖς, χαὶ τοὺς ἕταιρους αὐτοῦ προσεχτιχῶς αὐτῆς ἀκροᾶσθαι ### English translation (Claude) "Finding you outside, I will kiss you, and indeed they will not despise me. I will take you, I will bring you into my mother's house and into the chamber of her who conceived [me; I will give you to drink of spiced wine,] from the stream of my pomegranates." For finding him come down from the lookout above, … . "I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the strengths of the field: why should you awaken and arouse love until it pleases?" She has now adjured them a second time. Before, being in doubt, she put "if" first; but now, having taught the form of the awakening, of the arousing, and of love, she presents, as it were, this: that in adjuring you I adjured by these things, by "awaken" and … . "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, [jealousy hard as Hades]." The bridegroom urges her to shape every thought and action by his own stamp; and he says that it is love, strong as death, that does these things; for it bears all things, endures all things. Therefore it is strong like death, putting sin to death. That is: since death prevailed over all, because in Adam all die, and Hades likewise, such, he says, is love; and such is the jealousy with which one must be jealous for God, being hard against sinners, like that of Elijah and of Phinehas. Or the bridegroom says this to her: "Set me as a seal," to seal your thoughts and your actions, and to contend even to death for the truth. And even in Hades the Jews were jealous against Christ, bribing the soldiers. "Our sister is small, and she has no breasts." Because the soul of man is small, and the church of God is still being furnished on earth and does not yet have thoughts (for this is what the breasts are), she advances to greatness of life and of thoughts, when she makes the thoughts and the prophetic contemplations clear, or makes room for the concord and working of power; and she says these things together with the prophets and the spirits of the righteous. "You who sit in the gardens, the companions attend to your voice; let me hear it. Flee, my kinsman, and be like the gazelle or the young stag on the mountains of spices." The bride saw the bridegroom resting in the gardens, and the companions attending to his voice, which she herself heard; and she wishes him, who sees sharply and keenly, to turn away from the things here: in speed and sharpness of sight to be like a gazelle, and like a young stag in treating the enemies, as serpents and scorpions, with contempt; and to go up to those who stand high like mountains and breathe out every fragrance, of whom it is said, "His foundations are on the holy mountains." This is according to the Seventy, Theodotion, and the fifth edition. Aquila rendered "he who sits in the gardens"; but Symmachus, "she who dwells," so that the first words are said to the bride, as sitting among her own fruits, while his companions listen attentively to her. ### Scripture references - Song 8:1: quotation, high confidence - Song 8:2: quotation, high confidence - Song 8:4: quotation, high confidence - Song 8:6: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 13:7: quotation, high confidence - 1 Cor 15:22: allusion, high confidence - 1 Kgs 19:10: allusion, high confidence - Num 25:11: allusion, high confidence - Matt 28:12: allusion, high confidence - Song 8:8: quotation, high confidence - Heb 12:23: allusion, medium confidence - Song 8:13: quotation, high confidence - Song 8:14: quotation, high confidence - Luke 10:19: allusion, high confidence - Ps 87:1 (86:1 LXX): quotation, high confidence ### Translation notes - From the catena on the Song in PG 17. Migne's Latin translation is interleaved in the scan (removed by logged corrections), and the comments on 8:1–2 and 8:4 break off. After the comment on Song 8:13–14 the scan text runs on into Origen's fragments on Ezekiel (on Ezek 29:10; 30:21–22; 32:6, 25; 44:1–3), which belong to another work and were removed by a logged correction; they are not translated here. - Quotations: Song 8:1–2, 4, 6; 1 Cor 13:7; 1 Cor 15:22; 1 Kgs 19:10 (Elijah's zeal); Num 25:11 (Phinehas); Matt 28:12–13 (the soldiers bribed); Song 8:8; Heb 12:23; Song 8:13–14; Luke 10:19; Ps 87:1 (86:1 LXX). "The fifth edition" is one of the anonymous Greek versions in Origen's Hexapla. - "And even in Hades the Jews were jealous against Christ, bribing the soldiers": the catena's comment applies "jealousy hard as Hades" to the bribing of the guard at the tomb (Matt 28:12–13); translated as written. "Your thoughts": the scan's word is broken by the Latin column and is read by sense. ### Citation (SBL) Origen, Frag. Cant. 8 (PG 17; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-fragmenta-canticum/4/#p-8).