{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","title":"Sermo de patientia","title_source":"Sermo de patientia","author":"Athanasius the Great of Alexandria","genre":"homily","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T07:07:17Z","cost_usd":0.006716},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Sermo%20de%20patientia.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":12,"english_words":3240,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":13611,"commentary_units":71,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":2,"ambiguities":24,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","abstract":"The 'Sermo de patientia' (On Patience) is a Greek homily attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria but of uncertain authorship, likely dating from the 5th or 6th century. It exhorts endurance (ὑπομονή) as a central Christian virtue, especially for ascetics, drawing on scriptural allusions and monastic ideals. The text survives in limited Greek manuscripts, with no early translations, and is absent from major Byzantine lectionaries, suggesting restricted liturgical use. Its attribution is not supported by 4th-century inventories, and the modern digital edition lacks critical apparatus, obscuring its manuscript basis.","historical_context":"The homily is transmitted under the name of Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296–373), a key figure in Nicene orthodoxy, but its absence from 4th-century lists and its thematic focus on ascetic endurance point to a later origin, likely in the 5th or 6th century, possibly in an Egyptian or Palestinian monastic milieu. The work's emphasis on patience as a virtue for virgins and ascetics aligns with the development of monastic literature in the post-Athanasian period. Its limited manuscript transmission and lack of inclusion in Byzantine lectionaries suggest it was not widely used in public liturgy but may have circulated in monastic communities. The digital edition (khazarzar) provides no manuscript witnesses or variant readings, making it difficult to assess the text's stability or provenance.","significance":"The homily illustrates the adaptation of Athanasian themes—such as endurance and ascetic discipline—in later Christian literature. It reflects the ongoing valorization of patience in monastic spirituality and offers a window into the reception of Athanasius' authority. Its uncertain attribution highlights the challenges of pseudepigraphy in patristic studies.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 296–373","event":"Life of Athanasius of Alexandria, to whom the homily is attributed."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Probable composition of the homily, based on thematic and transmission evidence."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscripts; no early Latin or Syriac versions known."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Digital transcription published by khazarzar without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Athanasius, Life of Antony","relation":"Shares ascetic themes of endurance and spiritual discipline.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"New Testament, Romans 12:1","relation":"Echoed in the homily's call to present oneself as a living sacrifice.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"New Testament, Matthew 10:22 or 24:13","relation":"Paraphrased in linking endurance to salvation.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Pseudo-Athanasian homilies","relation":"Part of a corpus of works dubiously attributed to Athanasius.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Athanasius is uncertain; the work is not listed in 4th-century inventories and may be pseudepigraphical.","Date of composition is unknown; likely 5th or 6th century, but no firm evidence.","The digital edition (khazarzar) lacks critical apparatus, manuscript witnesses, or variant readings, limiting textual analysis.","Limited manuscript transmission and absence from Byzantine lectionaries suggest restricted liturgical use."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.0004,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:07:16Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Athanasius%20the%20Great%20of%20Alexandria_%20PG%2025-28/Sermo%20de%20patientia.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-de-patientia","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":12,"translated":12,"commentary_passages":12,"commentary_units":71,"english_words":3240,"source_letters":13611,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily survives in Greek manuscripts under Athanasius’ name, but its transmission is limited; no early Latin or Syriac versions are known.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Athanasius (c. 296–373) is uncertain; the work is not listed in standard 4th-century inventories and may date from the 5th or 6th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily is not included in the Byzantine liturgical lectionaries for major feasts, suggesting limited liturgical use in the Eastern tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The source edition (khazarzar) is a digital transcription without critical apparatus; it does not report manuscript witnesses or variant readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 12 narrative."},{"kind":"caution","severity":"caution","text":"2 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":12},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"1 ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ, ΠΕΡΙ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ.\n\nὉ ἡμέτερος διδάσκαλος Παῦλος παραγγέλλει, παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ. Κοινὸν μὲν τὸ παράγγελμα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπαγγέλλει τοῖς ἁγιωσύνην ἀσκοῦσιν. Ἡ παρθένος τὴν μὲν φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁμοία ταῖς ἄλλαις γυναιξὶ, τῇ δὲ προθέσει τὴν φύσιν ὑπερβᾶσα. Καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ ἁγίως προσελθεῖν θελήσασα, εἰ μὲν κατορθοῖ ἐνταῦθα, θαῦμα μέγα ἀπηνέγκατο· εἰ δὲ προθεμένη οὐκ ἐτελείωσεν, ἐξαίσιον τὸ τοιοῦτον πτῶμα γεγένηται· καὶ γὰρ χαλεπώτερόν ἐστιν ἀπὸ ὑψηλοτέρων πεσεῖν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαὶ καταπίπτειν. Καὶ ὅσῳ μεγάλη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελία, τοσούτῳ χείρων ἡ πτῶσις. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγγελία ὑπερβαίνει τὴν φύσιν, καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτὴν ἀνα φέρει, καὶ μετὰ ἀγγέλων χορεύειν αὐτὴν κατασκευάζει. Ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῇ πολιτείᾳ, ὥς φησι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ ἀξιώματι τούτῳ μαρτυρῶν, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν ὁ βίος ἐστὶ, φησὶν, ἡ προσδοκία τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει, ὅτι Οἱ καταξιωθέντες τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίσκονται. Ὃ τοίνυν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις ἀπόκειται, τοῦτο προλα βοῦσα ἥ τινων προαίρεσις, ἔχει καὶ κέκτηται. Οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι, οἵτινες τὸν λογισμὸν ἔχουσιν ἀνατεταμένον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἐσθίοντες ἐκ τῆς οὐρανίου τροφῆς, ἡγήσαντο ὡς φυλακὴν τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον, καὶ τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν εἰς μαρτυρίαν παραδεδώκασι, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ψυχὴν τετηρήκασιν ἁγνὴν, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς οἰκήσῃ ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὑπέμενον δὲ, ὥσπερ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν λέγει, ὅτι Ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται·","english":"Of the Same Athanasius Archbishop of Alexandria, On Patience.\n\nOur teacher Paul commands that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, pleasing to God. The command is common, but rather it is an announcement to those who practice holiness. The virgin is by nature similar to other women, but by her purpose she has transcended nature. And having wished to approach the holy in a holy manner, if she succeeds here, she has carried off a great marvel; but if she set out and did not complete it, such a fall has become extraordinary; for it is more difficult to fall from higher places than to fall from the ground. And as great as the promise is, so much worse is the fall. For the promise transcends nature, and bears it up to heaven, and prepares it to dance with angels. From this already in this life, as the Savior also says, bearing witness to this dignity, that after the resurrection of the dead is the life, he says, the expectation of men. And again he says, that Those who have been deemed worthy of the resurrection of future goods neither marry nor are given in marriage. What therefore is reserved in the kingdom of heaven for the promises, this the purpose of some has anticipated, and has and possesses. For the saints, who have their reason raised up toward God, and who eat of heavenly food, have considered this world as a prison, and have handed over their bodies for martyrdom, and have kept their own soul pure, so that God might dwell in them. And they endured, as our Lord says, that He who endures to the end, this one will be saved.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ΠΕΡΙ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ","severity":"info","text":"The title ΠΕΡΙ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ is rendered 'On Patience' in the English draft, but ὑπομονή more precisely denotes endurance or steadfastness under trial, a key virtue in early Christian asceticism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"παραστῆσαι τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν θυσίαν ζῶσαν","severity":"info","text":"Echoes Romans 12:1, where Paul urges believers to present themselves as a living sacrifice. The phrase 'θυσίαν ζῶσαν' is a direct allusion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται","severity":"info","text":"Likely a paraphrase of Matthew 10:22 or 24:13, where endurance to the end is linked to salvation. The exact wording is not verbatim from the NT.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"παρθένος","severity":"info","text":"The discussion of the virgin who transcends nature by purpose reflects the ascetic ideal of fourth-century Egyptian monasticism, where virginity was a spiritual discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κοινὸν μὲν ... μᾶλλον δὲ","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical structure 'common ... but rather' introduces a correction or refinement, typical of Athanasian homiletic style to elevate the specific audience of ascetics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὥς φησι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τῷ ἀξιώματι τούτῳ μαρτυρῶν","severity":"caution","text":"The citation of the Savior is vague; the following clause about resurrection and marriage is not a direct gospel quotation but a composite of eschatological teaching, possibly from Matthew 22:30 or Luke 20:35.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν ὁ βίος ἐστὶ' is ambiguous: it may mean 'after the resurrection of the dead is life' or 'after the resurrection, life is the expectation of men.' The English draft takes the latter.","The identity of 'the Savior' in the second citation is unclear; the text may conflate multiple gospel passages."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"καὶ καθάπερ ὁ ψαλμῳδός φησιν· Ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶ να, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος· ὅσοι γὰρ δίκαιοι τὴν ἐλπίδα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἔχουσιν, ἀνάπαυσιν σαρκικὴν οὐκ ἐσχήκασι, χωρίζουσαν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀλλ' ἔμενον ἐν κόποις, μὴ δειλιῶντες, οὔτε μὴν διστάζοντες περὶ τῶν θείων ἐπαγγελιῶν· ἀλλ' ὑποδεχόμενοι τὰς θλίψεις ἐλαφρῶς, μνημονεύουσι τοῦ διὰ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου λέγοντος· Καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ καὶ περὶ τῶν μὴ προσδεξαμένων τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἤθελον ἀναστρέψαντες πάλιν εἶναι ἐν τοῖς οὐρανίοις· ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐ δεῖ εἶναι ἐν τοῖς κοσμικοῖς, ἀλλὰ μεταβῆναι εἰς τὸ συνεῖναι τῷ Θεῷ. Νῦν γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοὶ, μὴ ὀλιγωρήσητε, μηδὲ ὁμοιωθῆτε τῷ λαῷ τῷ κατὰ τὸν και ρὸν Μωϋσέως παραβεβηκότι ἐν ἡμέραις τεσσαράκοντα μόναις, ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν ἀναβαίνειν λαβεῖν τὸν θεῖον νόμον· καὶ ἐκ τούτου ἔνοχοι γεγόνασι, καὶ ἔπεσον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· ἀλλ' ὁμοιωθῶμεν Μωϋσεῖ ποιήσαντι τεσσαρά κοντα ἡμέρας καὶ νύκτας, νηστεύοντι χωρὶς βρώσεως καὶ πόσεως. Οὐ μόνον ταύτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλας τεσσαράκοντα, ἔχων τήν τε καρδίαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ τὴν σάρκα κρεμαμένην πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Μὴ ἐπιθυμήσωμεν ὡς τότε ἐπιθυμηταὶ κρεῶν γενόμενοι, πεσόν τες ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως αὐτῶν οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν, ὡς ὁ ψαλμός φησι, καὶ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ' αὐτούς· ἀλλὰ διατηρήσωμεν τῷ δόντι τὰς ἐντολὰς, ὡς οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰωναδὰβ, οἷς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπηγγείλατο λέγων· Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἀνὴρ υἱῶν Ἰω ναδὰβ παρεστηκὼς ἐνώπιόν μου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ·","english":"and as the psalmist says: \"He labored for eternity, and will live to the end\"; for all the righteous who have their hope in God have not had bodily rest that separates them from God, but they remained in labors, not shrinking back nor doubting the divine promises, but receiving afflictions lightly, remembering the Apostle's words: \"And you received the plunder of your possessions with joy.\" And he also bears witness concerning those who did not accept the redemption, that they did not wish to turn back and be again in the heavenly realms; but we must not be in worldly things, but pass over to be with God. Now you also, beloved brothers, do not be faint-hearted, nor become like the people in the time of Moses who transgressed in only forty days, while he was going up to receive the divine law; and because of this they became guilty and fell in the desert; but let us be like Moses, who spent forty days and nights fasting without food and drink. Not only these, but also another forty, having his heart, eyes, and flesh suspended toward God. Let us not desire, as those then who became desirers of meat, falling in the desert, while their food was still in their mouths, as the psalm says, and the anger of God rose up against them; but let us keep the commandments given to us, like the sons of Jonadab, to whom God promised, saying: \"A man of the sons of Jonadab standing before me will not fail all the days of his life.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκοπίασεν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τέλος","severity":"info","text":"The phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but echoes Psalm 9:21 LXX (ἐκοπίασεν ὁ κύριος) and the theme of eternal life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Hebrews 10:34 (καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε), encouraging joyful acceptance of loss.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"υἱοὶ Ἰωναδὰβ","severity":"info","text":"The sons of Jonadab (Rechabites) are a biblical group (Jeremiah 35) who abstained from wine and lived ascetically, serving as a model of fidelity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Νῦν γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ ἀγαπητοὶ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a direct exhortation to the congregation, transitioning from biblical exempla to practical application.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Μωϋσεῖ ποιήσαντι τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ νύκτας","severity":"info","text":"Moses' forty-day fast (Exodus 34:28) is paralleled with the congregation's trial, contrasting the people's failure with Moses' perseverance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως αὐτῶν οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'while their food was still in their mouths' is not found in the canonical psalm; it may be a conflated tradition or a misattribution.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'psalmist' in the first quotation is unclear; it may refer to a non-canonical psalm or a loose paraphrase.","The phrase 'another forty' (ἄλλας τεσσαράκοντα) is ambiguous: it could refer to a second forty-day fast by Moses or a different period."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"οἵτινες οἶκον οὐκ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἑαυτοῖς, οὔτε μὴν ἀμπελῶνας ἐφύτευσαν, καὶ γεγόνασιν εἰς ἔλεγχον τῷ λαῷ. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λαὸς πλῆθος ὢν ᾐχμαλωτεύθη· οὗτοι δὲ, ὀλίγοι ὄντες, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐφυλάχθησαν. Καὶ ὑμεῖς τοίνυν, οἵτινες τηρεῖτε τῶν πατέρων τὴν ὁδὸν, λογίζεσθε υἱοὶ υἱῶν Ἰωναδάβ. Τήν τε\n\nκληρονομίαν τῶν πατέρων, ὡς ὁ γενναῖος Ναβουθὲ, τηρήσωμεν, ὃς ἠπειλήθη ὑπὸ Ἀχαὰβ λαβεῖν τὸν αὐ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνα εἰς κῆπον λαχάνων· μὴ ὑποδεξάμενος δὲ, ἀνῃρέθη ἀγωνιζόμενος· ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐξεδίκησε. Κῆπον γὰρ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀμπελῶνα οὐκ ἤθελεν, ἔνθα φύονται πράσσα [πράσα] καὶ κρόμμυα καὶ σκόροδα, ἅτε ἐξέκλινεν· ἀλλ' ἤθελεν ἀμπελῶνα εὐφροσύ νης· μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν εὐφραντικὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἔκλυτον ὡς μολόχην κήπου ἐν καύματι, ἢ ὡς σευτλίον ἡμίεφθον, ὥσπερ οἱ νῦν προδεδωκότες. Εἰ γὰρ ἀφηρημένος ἦν, τάχα ἀφῄρητο ἂν ὁ νοῦς τῆς πατρικῆς θεοσεβείας· καὶ γὰρ ἐχρηματίσθη Ἰσραηλίτης, ὅτι νοῦς ἦν ὁρῶν τὸν Θεόν. Οἱ δὲ νῦν μηδὲν παθόντες τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἀμπελῶνα τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἀμπέλου ἀπέδοντο τῷ Ἀχαὰβ, καὶ ἐφυτεύθησαν τοσαῦτα ψεκτὰ λαχανοειδῆ. Μὴ γενώμεθα φιλάργυροι ὡς Ἑλισσαίου ὁ παῖς, ὁ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν λέπραν τοῦ Ναιμὰν ἐπισπασάμενος ἑαυτῷ· ἀλλ' ὑπομείνωμεν ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, ἵνα τῆς ἀναπαύσεως μέτοχοι γενώμεθα· οὐδεὶς γὰρ χωρὶς θλίψεως εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσελεύσεται. Μιμησώμεθα τοὺς προγενεστέρους ἡμῶν ἁγίους. Ὁ πρῶτος δίκαιος ἦν Ἄβελ, ὃς ἀπαρχὴν τῷ Θεῷ ἀνήνεγκεν ἐκ πρωτο τόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν, ὃν ἐζήλωσεν ὁ ἴδιος ἀδελφός. Τί γὰρ ἄδικον πε ποίηκε τῷ Κάϊν ὁ Ἄβελ;","english":"who built no house for themselves, nor planted vineyards, and they became a reproach to the people. And the people, being a multitude, were taken captive; but these, being few, were preserved by God. And you, therefore, who keep the way of the fathers, are reckoned as sons of the sons of Jonadab. Let us also keep the inheritance of the fathers, as the noble Naboth did, who was threatened by Ahab to take his vineyard for a vegetable garden; but not accepting, he was slain while contending; yet God avenged him. For he did not want his vineyard to become a garden, where leeks and onions and garlic grow, which he avoided; but he wanted a vineyard of gladness; rather, he wanted his own mind to be gladdening, and not slack like a mallow of a garden in the heat, or like a half-boiled beet, as those who have now betrayed. For if he had been deprived, perhaps the mind of ancestral piety would have been taken away; for the Israelite was named as one who sees God. But those now, having suffered nothing, have sold their vineyard of the true vine to Ahab, and have been planted with so many blameworthy vegetables. Let us not become lovers of money like Elisha's servant, who for this reason drew upon himself the leprosy of Naaman; but let us endure in afflictions, that we may become partakers of rest; for no one enters the kingdom without affliction. Let us imitate our predecessors, the saints. The first righteous man was Abel, who offered to God the firstfruits from the firstborn of his sheep and from their fat, whom his own brother envied. For what injustice did Abel do to Cain?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἰωναδάβ","severity":"info","text":"Jonadab (or Jehonadab) was the son of Rechab, founder of the Rechabite ascetic community that rejected houses, wine, and agriculture. The homily invokes them as models of patient, God-trusting simplicity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ναβουθὲ","severity":"info","text":"The story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21) is retold: Ahab demanded Naboth’s vineyard for a vegetable garden; Naboth refused and was killed. The homily uses this to contrast worldly luxury with spiritual gladness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑλισσαίου ὁ παῖς","severity":"info","text":"Elisha’s servant Gehazi (2 Kings 5) contracted Naaman’s leprosy after greedily accepting gifts. The homily warns against φιλαργυρία (love of money) as a failure of patience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄβελ","severity":"info","text":"Abel is cited as the first righteous man, offering firstfruits from his flock (Genesis 4:4). His murder by Cain exemplifies unjust suffering endured without retaliation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"νοῦς","severity":"info","text":"νοῦς (mind) is a key term: the homily equates the true ‘vineyard of gladness’ with the mind’s joyful, un-slackened state, and links ‘Israelite’ etymologically to ‘one who sees God’ (νοῦς ὁρῶν τὸν Θεόν).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"πράσσα [πράσα]","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has πράσσα, corrected to πράσα (leeks). The list of vegetables (leeks, onions, garlic) is a rhetorical catalogue of lowly garden produce, but the exact reading is uncertain in the manuscript tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'υἱοὶ υἱῶν Ἰωναδάβ' could be read as 'sons of the sons of Jonadab' (i.e., descendants) or as a generalizing idiom for 'true followers'; the homily likely intends the former, linking to the Rechabite vow.","The reference to 'Elisha's servant' is unambiguous in the biblical story, but the homily does not name Gehazi explicitly, relying on audience recognition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ὁ δὲ ζῆλος διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐπειδὴ οὐ προσεδέχθη αὐτὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ μὴ προσενέγκαι ὀρθῶς. Καὶ τὸ μὲν σῶμα ἀπέκτεινε, νομίζων σβέσαι τὴν μεταξὺ αὐτοῦ θείαν ἀγάπην, ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ βοᾷ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν μνείαν αὐτοῦ ποιεῖται ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Κάϊν μνεία ἀπείληπται. Σήμερον πάλιν τὸν ἀναίτιον Ἄβελ ἀποκτείνουσιν· ἀλλὰ τὸ αἷμα πρὸς τὸν Κύριον βοᾷ· καὶ ἐλπίζομεν, ὅτι οὐ παρασιωπηθήσεται διὰ τὸ αἷμα τῶν τηλικούτων μαρτύρων. Ὥσπερ ὁ τότε καιρὸς, οὕτω καὶ νῦν. Μνησθῶμεν δὲ καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τοῦ Ἐνὼχ, ὅτι πεποίηκεν ἔτη τριακόσια ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἀνατεταμένην τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἕως ἂν μετατεθῇ. Μὴ οὖν ὀλιγωρήσητε· οὐ γὰρ κεχρονίκα μεν. Καὶ Νῶε δὲ πεντακόσια ἔτη πεποίηκε δίκαιος ὢν τέλειος ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς παραβάσεως, πρὸ τοῦ λαλεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Θεὸν κατασκευάσαι τὴν κιβωτὸν, καὶ ἄλλα ἑκατὸν ἔτη αὐτὴν ἐργαζόμενος, χλευαζόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν ἐναντιουμένων· καὶ οἱ μὲν χλευάζοντες ἀπώλοντο ὑπὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ· ὁ δὲ, ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἠλπικὼς, ἐσώθη σὺν τοῖς οἰκιακοῖς, καὶ σωτήριον ἐγένετο τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἀβραὰμ δὲ πάλιν ὑπήκοος Κυρίου γενόμενος κατέλιπε τὰ ἴδια οἰκητήρια, ἕως οὗ ἀπολάβῃ τὰς μεγάλας ἐπαγγελίας· πειραζόμενος γὰρ ἄχρι τοῦ ἀνενέγκαι θυσίαν τὸν ἴδιον ἀγαπητὸν υἱὸν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ εἴληφε τηλικοῦτον χρηματισμὸν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ καλεῖσθαι φίλος Θεοῦ. Τὸν δὲ Ἰσαὰκ οἱ Φιλιστιεὶμ ἐπλεονέκτουν, καὶ τούτου τὰ φρέατα ἐνέφραττον, καὶ ἐμάχοντο αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ ὕδατος·","english":"Jealousy arose in him for this reason, because he was not accepted by God, since he did not offer correctly. And he killed the body, thinking to extinguish the divine love between them, not knowing that his soul cries out to God. And our Savior makes mention of him in the Gospel; but the mention of Cain is cut off. Today again they kill the innocent Abel; but the blood cries out to the Lord; and we hope that it will not be passed over in silence because of the blood of such great martyrs. Just as that time was, so also now. Let us also remember the patience of Enoch, that he spent three hundred and sixty-five years with his mind stretched toward God, until he was translated. Do not therefore be faint-hearted; for we have not been long delayed. And Noah spent five hundred years, being a perfect righteous man at the time of the transgression, before God spoke to him to build the ark, and another hundred years working on it, mocked by those who opposed him; and those who mocked perished in the flood; but he, having hoped in God, was saved with his household, and became a salvation to the world. Abraham again, having become obedient to the Lord, left his own dwellings, until he received the great promises; for he was tested even to the point of offering his own beloved son as a sacrifice to God, and Abraham received so great an honor as to be called friend of God. The Philistines wronged Isaac, and blocked up his wells, and fought with him over the water.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ δὲ ζῆλος διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένετο ἐν αὐτῷ","severity":"info","text":"The antecedent of 'him' is ambiguous in the passage; the context from the previous passage suggests Cain, the jealous brother of Abel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ αἷμα πρὸς τὸν Κύριον βοᾷ","severity":"info","text":"Echoes Genesis 4:10, where God says to Cain, 'the voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μνησθῶμεν δὲ καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τοῦ Ἐνὼχ","severity":"info","text":"Enoch's 365 years and translation recall Genesis 5:23-24 and the tradition that he walked with God and was taken up.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ Νῶε δὲ πεντακόσια ἔτη πεποίηκε","severity":"info","text":"Noah's 500 years before the flood and 100 years building the ark follow Genesis 5:32 and 6:3-22, with the mockery implied in the biblical narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀβραὰμ ... πειραζόμενος ... ἀνενέγκαι θυσίαν τὸν ἴδιον ἀγαπητὸν υἱὸν","severity":"info","text":"Refers to the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), where Abraham is tested by God to sacrifice his son, though the actual sacrifice is prevented.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Τὸν δὲ Ἰσαὰκ οἱ Φιλιστιεὶμ ἐπλεονέκτουν","severity":"info","text":"The Philistines' conflict with Isaac over wells is not in Genesis; it may reflect later Jewish or Christian traditions about Isaac's struggles in Gerar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'him' in the first sentence is not explicit in this passage; the previous passage indicates it is Cain, but the homily may assume the audience knows the biblical story.","The Philistines' blocking of Isaac's wells is not a direct biblical account; it may be a conflation with later aggadic traditions or a misremembering."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"ὅτε δὲ ἔσχατον ἐμακρύνθη ἀπ' αὐ τῶν, ἐπλάτυνεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐνέπλησεν εὐλογίας. Καὶ σήμερον πάλιν τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ τὰ φρέατα θέλουσιν ἐμφράξαι· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐάσητε· λάβετε σὺν ὑμῖν τοὺς παῖδας τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ ὀρύξατε, αἵτινές εἰσιν ἀποστόλων βοήθειαι τῆς διδασκαλίας, τῶν ὄντων ὑπερμάχων τῆς ἀληθείας. Τὸν Ἰακὼβ πάλιν ἐδίωκεν ὁ ἴδιος ἀδελφὸς Ἡσαῦ, καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν, καὶ ἐποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατα Λαβὰν, ἀγρυπνῶν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς, ὡς μίσθιος κακοπαθῶν, ἐμακροθύμησεν ἐν μόχθῳ. Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ συνέσει ἔθηκε τὰς ῥάβδους ἐν ταῖς ληνοῖς τῶν ποτιστηρίων, καὶ πάντα τὰ ποικιλοειδῆ πρόβατα ὑπήρχθη ἴδια. Καὶ τούτῳ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐπλάτυνεν· αὐτὸς γὰρ μό νος ἀπῴχετο, σὺν πολλῷ δὲ πλήθει ἐλήλυθεν, υἱοὺς ἐκτήσατο καὶ κτήνη, οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλήθη ἀγγέλων συνευφραίνοντο αὐτῷ. Ἐλεύσεται οὖν ὁ ἀλη θινὸς Ἰακὼβ μετὰ τῆς οὐρανίου ἀγγελικῆς παρατάξεως, ὁ ποιμὴν τῶν προβάτων, καὶ ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ. Τὸν Ἰωσὴφ δὲ οἱ ἴδιοι ἀδελφοὶ ἐζήλωσαν· οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ πατρὸς","english":"But when he was finally separated from them, God enlarged him and filled his mouth with blessing. And today again they wish to block up the wells of Isaac; but do not allow it. Take with you the children of Isaac, and dig, which are the apostolic aids of teaching, the champions of truth. Jacob again was pursued by his own brother Esau, and he withdrew into Mesopotamia, and shepherded the flocks of Laban, keeping watch day and night, suffering as a hired hand, and he endured patiently in toil. In his own wisdom he placed the rods in the troughs of the watering places, and all the variegated sheep became his own. And for him God at last enlarged; for he went away alone, but returned with a great multitude; he acquired sons and cattle, and not only that, but multitudes of angels rejoiced with him. Therefore the true Jacob will come with the heavenly angelic array, the shepherd of the sheep, and will render to each according to his deed. As for Joseph, his own brothers were jealous of him; the sons of his father","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰ φρέατα τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ","severity":"info","text":"The wells of Isaac allude to Genesis 26:18-22, where Isaac reopens wells stopped by Philistines. The homily applies this typologically to the present struggle.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰς ῥάβδους ἐν ταῖς ληνοῖς","severity":"info","text":"Jacob placing rods in troughs to breed variegated sheep is a non-biblical tradition, likely from Jewish or early Christian exegesis of Genesis 30:37-43.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπλάτυνεν","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἐπλατύνω (to enlarge, to make broad) is used here in a spiritual sense: God grants prosperity or scope. It recurs in the passage for both Isaac and Jacob.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ σήμερον πάλιν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'And today again' marks a typological shift from the Old Testament narrative to the present situation of the audience, a common homiletic device.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀποστόλων βοήθειαι","severity":"info","text":"The 'apostolic aids of teaching' likely refer to the writings or successors of the apostles, seen as champions of truth against contemporary opponents.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the true Jacob' who will come with the angelic array is ambiguous: it may refer to Christ as the eschatological shepherd, or to a restored patriarch figure. The text does not specify.","The phrase 'the sons of his father' at the end is cut off; the Coptic original may have continued with a reference to Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"αὐτοῦ τοῦτον ἀντὶ ἀργυρίου ἀπέδοντο, καὶ τὴν τούτου τιμὴν διεμερίσαντο. Ὁρᾶτε τὴν τοσαύτην ἀδικίαν τῶν ἀνδρῶν τούτων. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἐμακροθύμησεν ὁ δίκαιος ἐν πᾶσι τού τοις· οὐ γὰρ μόνον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἐφθόνησεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ τοῦτον μακροθυμήσαντα ὁ Θεὸς κατ έστησε τῆς γῆς Αἰγύπτου βασιλέα. Οὐ μόνον τῆς αἰσθητῆς βασιλείας κληρονόμος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐπουρα νίου ἐγένετο. Καὶ σήμερόν εἰσιν οἱ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἀδελ φοὺς πιπράσκοντες καὶ διαμεριζόμενοι τὸ ἀργύριον. Μνησθῶμεν καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς τοῦ Ἰὼβ, τοῦ μήτε εὐθηνοῦντος ἐκκλίναντος, μήτε μὴν πειραζόμενος τοσαῦτα ἐν ἑκάστῳ πράγματι, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμήσαντος καρτερῶς, ἕως ἂν ἀπολάβῃ διπλᾶ παρὰ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ἐμαρτυρήθη μέχρι νῦν, ὅτι πέπονθεν οὗτος, ἵνα φανῇ τοῖς πᾶσι δίκαιος. Ὁ δὲ Μωϋσῆς οὐκ ἐπεθύμησε τοῦ τόπου τὸν πλοῦτον περιποιήσασθαι· ἀλλ' ἔφυγε πάροικος γενόμενος ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ γῇ, ἢ τὰ ἐνεστῶτα κατέλειπεν, ἵνα μεταλάβῃ τῶν αἰωνίων. Οἱ δὲ τοίνυν ἐπελάθοντο [ἐπελάχοντο] ἴσως τῆς βασιλείας. Ἐκλείψει ὁ καιρὸς διηγουμένων ἡμῶν περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ἁγίων. Ἀλλ' ἵνα συντόμως εἴπωμεν τὸν λόγον, δηλοῦμεν, ὅτι καὶ τὸν Ἡλίαν ἐδίωκεν Ἰεζάβελ, ὑπομείνας δὲ ἐν τῷ κόπῳ ἀνελήφθη. Καὶ ὁ Ἑλισσαῖος δὲ σὺν τοῖς μετ' αὐτοῦ βοτάνας ἤσθιεν, ἀλλ' εἶχε τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶντα Λόγον· καὶ τούτου τὰ ὀστᾶ τελευτήσαντα ἀνέστησε νεκρὸν, γνωρίσματος διδομένου, ὅτι τοῦ δικαίου ἐλπὶς οὐκ ἀπόλλυται. Ἱερεμίαν εἰς λάκκον βορβόρου ἐνέβαλον ζῶντα, ζηλούμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν.","english":"They sold this man for silver and divided his price among themselves. Do you see such great injustice of these men? But the righteous one was patient in all these things; for not only his brothers, but also his wife envied him. And after he showed patience, God appointed him king of the land of Egypt. He became heir not only of the perceptible kingdom, but also of the heavenly one. And today there are those who sell their own brothers and divide the silver. Let us also remember the patience of Job, who neither in prosperity turned aside, nor when tempted with so many things in each matter, but endured patiently until he received double from God. And he has been testified to until now, that he suffered in order to appear righteous to all. Moses did not desire to acquire the wealth of the place; but he fled, becoming a sojourner in a foreign land, or he left the present things behind in order to partake of the eternal. Those, then, perhaps forgot the kingdom. The time will fail us as we narrate about each of the saints. But to speak the word briefly, we declare that even Elijah was persecuted by Jezebel, but having endured in the toil, he was taken up. And Elisha, together with those with him, ate herbs, but he had the living Word within him; and his bones, after his death, raised a dead man, a sign being given that the hope of the righteous is not lost. They cast Jeremiah alive into a pit of mire, envied by the false prophets.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"μακροθυμέω","severity":"info","text":"The verb μακροθυμέω (to be patient, to endure) is a key thematic term in this homily, linking the examples of Joseph, Job, and others to the virtue of patience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰὼβ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Job's patience and receiving double from God alludes to Job 42:10-17, where Job's fortunes are restored twofold after his trials.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡλίαν","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Elijah persecuted by Jezebel and taken up recalls 1 Kings 19:1-8 and 2 Kings 2:11, where Elijah flees Jezebel and is later assumed into heaven.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑλισσαῖος","severity":"info","text":"The story of Elisha's bones raising a dead man is not directly in the biblical text but is a hagiographic tradition; it may derive from 2 Kings 13:21 or later legends.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱερεμίαν","severity":"info","text":"Jeremiah cast into a pit of mire by false prophets echoes the tradition in the Martyrdom of Jeremiah or the Lives of the Prophets, not the canonical book of Jeremiah.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπελάθοντο [ἐπελάχοντο]","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a variant: ἐπελάθοντο (they forgot) or ἐπελάχοντο (they obtained by lot). The sense is unclear; the English draft follows the former, but the latter may be intended.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase ἐπελάθοντο [ἐπελάχοντο] is ambiguous: it could mean 'they forgot' or 'they obtained by lot', affecting the interpretation of the saints' attitude toward the kingdom.","The reference to Elisha's bones raising a dead man is not found in the canonical Bible; it may derive from apocryphal or hagiographic sources."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Ὁ δὲ Ἰεζεκιὴλ κοιμώμενος ἦν ἐπὶ τὰ πλευρὰ ἡμέρας ὅλας ἑκατὸν ἐνενήκοντα, ἐσθίων ἄρτον καὶ πίνων οἶνον ἐν μέτρῳ, οὐ μετεστράφη ἀπὸ πλευροῦ ἐπὶ τὸ πλευρὸν, ἕως οὗ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῷ εἶπεν. Οἱ δὲ καταλείποντες τὸν Κύριον μεταστρέφονται εἰς τὸ πλευρὸν τῆς ἰδίας ἀναπαύ σεως, οἵτινες ἔκδηλοί εἰσι λαβόντες ἀπεντεῦθεν τὴν ἑαυτῶν μερίδα. Ἐπιμείνατε οὖν ἐπὶ τὸ πλευρὸν ἕως ἂν ἡ θειότης προστάξῃ. Οἱ γὰρ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ μεγά λοι δεσμοί εἰσιν οἱ βεβαιότατοι λόγοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τοῦ δὲ Δανιὴλ κατηγόρησαν οἱ σατράπαι, κωλῦσαι θέλοντες αὐτὸν τῶν εὐχῶν· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπαύσατο, καὶ ἐνεβλήθη δὶς εἰς λάκκον λεόντων· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἐνέφραξεν αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα. Καὶ σήμερον κατηγοροῦσιν ἡμῶν, μὴ θέλοντες προσεύχεσθαι ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Φα νερὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἡμᾶς διώκουσι, καὶ τοὺς Πατέρας ἡμῶν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους. Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὅστις ἄμεμπτός ἐστι, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτῷ αἰτία, ἀλλ' αὕτη μόνη, τὸ προσεύχεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Κύριον. Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπομένειν εἰς τέλος. Μηδεὶς οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν δει λοψυχείτω. Κατανοήσατε γὰρ τοὺς τρεῖς ἁγίους μικροὺς ὄντας μὴ ὑποταγέντας τῇ εἰκόνι Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ διὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ἁγιωσύνης καὶ πολιτείας κατασβέσαντας τὴν τηλικαύτην κάμινον τῆς φλογὸς, καὶ οὐδὲ ὀσμὴ πυρὸς ἐν τοῖς ἐνδύμασιν αὐτῶν ἐγένετο. Μηδὲ ἐν τοῖς ὑμετέροις ἐνδύμασι γενέσθω ὀσμὴ πυρὸς τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, οἵτινές εἰσιν οἱ τοῦ διαβόλου οἱ κατασβεννύμενοι φθαρτοὶ λογισμοί. Μὴ ἀπατάτω ὑμᾶς βρῶσις, μηδὲ λεγέτω τις· Γεγήρακα, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι νηστεῦσαι·","english":"Ezekiel lay on his side for one hundred and ninety whole days, eating bread and drinking wine in measure, and did not turn from one side to the other until God spoke to him. But those who abandon the Lord turn to the side of their own repose, who are manifestly having received their portion from that place. Persist, therefore, on the side until the divinity commands. For the great bonds of Ezekiel are the most steadfast words of God. The satraps accused Daniel, wishing to prevent him from his prayers; but he did not cease, and he was twice thrown into the lions' den; but God muzzled their mouths. And today they accuse us, not wishing us to pray to God. This is evident, that they persecute both us and our fathers the bishops. Blessed is the man who is blameless, and in whom no charge was found, but only this one: praying to the Lord. This is to endure to the end. Let no one among you, therefore, be faint-hearted. For consider the three holy youths, who were small, not submitting to the image of Nebuchadnezzar, and through the same holiness and manner of life extinguished so great a furnace of flame, and not even the smell of fire was on their garments. Let there be no smell of the fire of Nebuchadnezzar on your garments either, which fires are those of the devil, the perishable thoughts that are extinguished. Let food not deceive you, nor let anyone say: I have grown old, and I cannot fast.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰεζεκιὴλ κοιμώμενος ἦν ἐπὶ τὰ πλευρὰ ἡμέρας ὅλας ἑκατὸν ἐνενήκοντα","severity":"info","text":"The detail of Ezekiel lying on his side for 190 days is not in the canonical book of Ezekiel; it likely derives from apocryphal traditions or hagiographic expansions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δανιὴλ ... ἐνεβλήθη δὶς εἰς λάκκον λεόντων","severity":"info","text":"Daniel's twice being cast into the lions' den is not in the biblical book of Daniel (only once, in Dan 6); this detail may come from later Jewish or Christian legend.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τοὺς τρεῖς ἁγίους μικροὺς ... μὴ ὑποταγέντας τῇ εἰκόνι Ναβουχοδονόσορ","severity":"info","text":"The three youths (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) refusing Nebuchadnezzar's image alludes to Dan 3, where they refuse to worship a golden statue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"πλευρὸν","severity":"info","text":"πλευρὸν (pleuron) means 'side' (of the body); here it is used literally for Ezekiel's posture and metaphorically for steadfastness, as in 'persist on the side'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"σατράπαι","severity":"info","text":"σατράπαι (satraps) are Persian provincial governors; in Dan 6 they accuse Daniel, reflecting the historical setting of the Persian court.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"οἱ τοῦ διαβόλου οἱ κατασβεννύμενοι φθαρτοὶ λογισμοί","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the perishable thoughts that are extinguished' is grammatically ambiguous: it may refer to the devil's thoughts or to the fires of Nebuchadnezzar as perishable thoughts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'those who abandon the Lord' is not specified; they may be apostates or those who give up ascetic discipline.","The phrase 'the great bonds of Ezekiel' could refer to his physical bonds or to the steadfastness of his faith."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"ἀλλὰ μεμνήσθω τοῦ γεραιοῦ Ἐλεαζάρου, τοῦ μὴ ἀπατηθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως γεύσασθαι ἢ μιαροφαγῆσαι. Οἱ δὲ ἐν ὑμῖν νεώτεροι μνημονευέτωσαν τῶν ἑπτὰ γενναιοτάτων Μακκαβαίων, παραμυθούμενοι ἕκαστος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφὸν, ἄχρις ἂν τελειωθῶσιν ἐν τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ, καὶ γένωνται ἐν τῷ ναῷ Κυρίου στῦλοι φωτός. Ὅσαι δὲ πάλιν ἐν ὑμῖν μητέρες, παρακλήτορες ἔστωσαν τῶν τέκνων, ὥσπερ ἡ ἐκείνων ἀμανὴς καὶ ἀπλανὴς ἦν προτρεπομένη τοὺς υἱοὺς, ἵνα ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοὺς ἀπολάβῃ σὺν αὐτῇ. Κἂν διωχθῆτε, καὶ ἀπολάβωσιν ὑμᾶς, ἱκανούσθω τὸ σῶμα ὑμῶν εἶναι ναὸς Θεοῦ. Μνήσθητε τῶν διωκομένων τότε ἀποστόλων καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθέντων, καὶ εὐχαριστούντων μετὰ χα ρᾶς, ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἀτιμασθῆναι· καὶ τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων τῶν τοσούτων αἰκισμοὺς ὑπενεγκόντων, ἄχρι καὶ ἐξορύξεως ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ\n\nμονόφθαλμοι ἐγένοντο. Ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνῶσις ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν ἐτύγχανεν, εἰς οὓς ὁ τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγος ἔφθασε λέγοντος· Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Τινὲς δὲ νῦν προδεδώκασι μηδὲν καθόλου αἰκισμὸν παθόντες, ἕνεκεν τριῶν πραγμάτων, φιλαργυρίας τε καὶ ἀπολαύσεως σαρκὸς, βρωμάτων καὶ ποτῶν, καὶ κενοδοξίας, φιλαρχίας καὶ ἀνθρωπίνου φόβου. Ταῦτα γεγραφήκαμεν παρακαλοῦντες ὑμᾶς· ἀλλ' ἔστι μέτρον ἑκάστου κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου πολιτείαν ἴδιον. Ἕκαστος οὖν ὑμῶν φίλους ἑαυτοῦ ἄνω κτάσθω· διὸ ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει· Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ φίλος ὑπαρχέτω σοι. Ἀδελφοὶ δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἔστωσαν χρήσιμοι· τούτου γὰρ χάριν γεννῶνται.","english":"But let him remember the aged Eleazar, who was not deceived by the king to taste or to eat defiling food. And let the younger among you remember the seven most noble Maccabees, each comforting his own brother until they are perfected in martyrdom and become pillars of light in the temple of the Lord. And again, let the mothers among you be encouragers of their children, just as that mother was gentle and unwavering, urging her sons so that she might receive them with her in the kingdom. Even if you are persecuted and they take you away, let it suffice that your body is a temple of God. Remember the apostles who were then persecuted and cast into prison, giving thanks with joy because they were deemed worthy to be dishonored for His name; and the holy martyrs who endured so many tortures, even to the gouging out of eyes, and became one-eyed. But the knowledge of God was in their hearts, to whom the word of the Savior came, saying: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Yet some now have betrayed, having suffered no torture at all, for the sake of three things: love of money and indulgence of the flesh, food and drink, and vainglory, love of power, and human fear. We have written these things exhorting you; but there is a measure for each according to his own manner of life. Therefore, let each of you acquire friends for himself above; hence Scripture says: At all times let a friend be with you. And let brothers be useful in times of need; for this purpose they are born.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἐλεαζάρου","severity":"info","text":"Eleazar is a Jewish scribe from 2 Maccabees 6:18-31 who refused to eat pork under torture, becoming a model of faithful resistance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μακκαβαίων","severity":"info","text":"The seven Maccabees (2 Maccabees 7) are a mother and her seven sons martyred for refusing to eat pork; the homily adapts the story to encourage endurance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ","severity":"info","text":"The saying 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' is not a direct Gospel quotation but a paraphrase of Matthew 5:8, adapted to the homily's context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"στῦλοι φωτός","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'pillars of light' is a metaphor for steadfast martyrs, possibly echoing the 'pillars of the church' (Galatians 2:9) but with a luminous, eschatological nuance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ταῦτα γεγραφήκαμεν παρακαλοῦντες ὑμᾶς","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a transition from exhortation to a concluding reflection on individual measure, typical of homiletic closure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀδελφοὶ δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἔστωσαν χρήσιμοι","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence on brothers being useful in need may be a loose citation of Proverbs 17:17 or a common saying; the source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'that mother' (ἡ ἐκείνων ἀμανὴς) is ambiguous: likely the mother of the Maccabees, but the Greek text does not name her explicitly.","The phrase 'friends above' (φίλους ἑαυτοῦ ἄνω) could mean friends in heaven or friends in authority; the context suggests spiritual companionship."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Ὅσοι οὖν μιμηταὶ ἑκάστου τῶν προειρημένων εἰσὶ, τούτων συγκληρονόμοι ἔσονται, καὶ τούτους ἕξουσι φίλους ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀνάγκης. Εἴ τις πρεσβύτερος τυγχάνει, μιμείσθω Τιμόθεον προεστῶτα καλῶς, καὶ βαθμὸν ἑαυτῷ περιποιοῦντα καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν ἐν Χριστῷ. Εἴ τις διάκονός ἐστι, μιμείσθω τοὺς περὶ Στέφανον ἑπτὰ πιστευθέντας διακονεῖν, οἳ καὶ πιστοὶ πλήρεις Πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐγένοντο. Εἴ τις ἀναγνώστης, συμμέτοχος γενέσθω τοῦ λέγοντος· Ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφου· καὶ ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος· Εἴ τις λαλεῖ, ὡς λόγια Θεοῦ· καὶ, Ἄργυρος πεπυρωμένος γλῶσσα δικαίου. Ὅσοι μοναχοὶ τέλειοι, ἐχέτωσαν τούτους τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας εἰς φίλους, Ἡλίαν, Ἑλισσαῖον, Ἰωάννην· οἱ δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς νεώτεροι μιμείσθωσαν τοὺς τότε τρεῖς ἁγίους μετὰ τῶν Μακκαβαίων. Αἱ δὲ παρθένοι προσδοκώμεναί εἰσι μετὰ τῶν συνεταιρίδων ἐν οὐρανοῖς Μαρίας ἅμα ἀδελφῆς Ἀαρὼν, καὶ τῆς Μαρίας καὶ Θέκλης τῆς ἐκτιλάσης τὴν σαρκικὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς, καὶ τῶν τεσσάρων θυγατέρων Φιλίππου τῶν προφητευουσῶν. Αἱ δὲ χῆραι πολιτευόμεναι ἔστωσαν ὥσπερ Δεβόῤῥα κρίνουσα τὸν λαὸν, ἥτις ἐχρημάτισε μήτηρ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ ὡς Ἰουδὴθ ἐν τῇ φρονιμότητι καὶ ἁγιασμῷ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ὁλοφέρνου ἀφειλαμένη· καὶ ὥσπερ Ἄννα θυγάτηρ Φανουὴλ, ὀγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων ἐτῶν οὖσα, ἦν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ λατρεύουσα ἐν νηστείαις καὶ δεήσεσι, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει ἀνθωμολογεῖτο τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ὅσοι πρεσβῦται τῇ ἡλικίᾳ εἰσὶν, ἔστωσαν μιμηταὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ πρεσβείου τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν τῇ φιλοξενίᾳ, καὶ ὥσπερ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, Ἰώβ τε καὶ Λώτ.","english":"Therefore, all who are imitators of each of those mentioned above will be their co-heirs and will have them as friends in a day of need. If someone is a presbyter, let him imitate Timothy, who presided well and secured for himself both rank and great boldness in Christ. If someone is a deacon, let him imitate those around Stephen, the seven entrusted with service, who became faithful and full of the Holy Spirit. If someone is a reader, let him share in the one who says: \"My tongue is the reed of a swift-writing scribe,\" and as Peter said: \"If someone speaks, it is as oracles of God,\" and \"The tongue of a righteous man is refined silver.\" All who are perfect monks, let them have these holy men as friends: Elijah, Elisha, John; and the younger among them, let them imitate the three holy men of that time along with the Maccabees. The virgins are expected to be with their companions in the heavens, together with Mary the sister of Aaron, and with Mary and Thecla, who plucked out fleshly desire from herself, and with the four daughters of Philip who prophesied. The widows who live a civic life, let them be like Deborah, who judged the people and was called mother in Jerusalem; and like Judith, who in prudence and holiness removed the head of Holofernes; and like Anna, daughter of Phanuel, who at eighty-four years of age served in the temple with fasts and prayers, and at the end confessed to the Lord. All who are advanced in age, let them be imitators of the good old age of Abraham in hospitality, and like Isaac and Jacob, Job and Lot.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Τιμόθεον","severity":"info","text":"Timothy is likely Timothy of Ephesus, a companion of Paul, but here presented as a model presbyter. The description 'προεστῶτα καλῶς' echoes pastoral leadership ideals in early Christian literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφου","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but may echo Psalm 45:5 (LXX) or scribal imagery. The attribution to Peter is unusual and not found in canonical Acts or epistles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"τῶν τεσσάρων θυγατέρων Φιλίππου τῶν προφητευουσῶν","severity":"info","text":"Philip the evangelist had four prophesying daughters according to Acts 21:9. This detail appears in early Christian tradition, notably in Eusebius (Hist. eccl. 3.31).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Θέκλης","severity":"info","text":"Thecla is a legendary virgin martyr from the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, venerated in early Christianity. Her mention here reflects the ascetic ideal for virgins.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows a catalog structure, addressing specific groups (presbyters, deacons, readers, monks, virgins, widows, elders) with exemplary figures, typical of paraenetic homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Μαρίας ἅμα ἀδελφῆς Ἀαρών","severity":"caution","text":"The identification of Mary as 'sister of Aaron' is ambiguous: it may refer to Miriam, Moses' sister, or conflate her with the Virgin Mary. The text does not clarify.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Mary the sister of Aaron' is unclear—possibly Miriam or a conflation with the Virgin Mary.","The source of the saying attributed to Peter ('If someone speaks...') is not identified in canonical texts."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Ὅσαι δὲ πρεσβύτιδες ἢ χῆραι, ζηλούτωσαν τὴν χήραν τὴν ἐν Σαραιπτὰ, καὶ τὴν προσενεγκαμένην τὰ δύο λεπτά. Νῦν δὲ, ἀγαπητοί μου ἐν Κυρίῳ, χωρὶς πολυλογίας, καιρός ἐστι τοῦ πενθῆσαι. Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ αἰχμαλωτευθῆναι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐρημωθῆναι, ἐκάθισεν Ἱερεμίας κλαίων, καὶ ἐθρήνησε τὸν θρῆνον τοῦτον ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ εἶπε· Πῶς ἐκάθισε μόνη ἡ πόλις ἡ πεπληθυμένη λαῶν; ἐγενήθη ὡς χήρα· οἱ γὰρ ἅγιοι ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πτώσει κλαίουσιν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ σήμερον ἡ Ἐκκλησία ὡς χήρα γεγένηται· ἰδοὺ ὁδοὶ Σιὼν πενθοῦσι παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶ ναι ἐρχομένους ἐν ἑορτῇ· ἰδοὺ οἱ ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς ἀναστενάζουσι, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αὐτῆς ἄγονται, ἀπεκλείσθη ἡμῶν τὸ Σάββατον, καὶ ἡ ἑορτὴ, καὶ ἡ νεομηνία. Καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ κλαίει ὁ προφήτης λέγων· Κλαύσομαί σε, ἄμπελος Σέβαμα· τί ὠλοθρεύθησαν τρυγηταί σου; ὁ οἶνός ἐστιν ἐν ληνῷ χρῄζων κούφων ἀξίων χωρῆσαι τοῦτον. Πολλὰ δὲ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν τετραυματισμένων ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ παρῃτήσαντο τετραυματισμένοι. Ὅσοι γοῦν ἀβλαβεῖς ἔμειναν κοῦφα νέα διατετηρημένα προσερχέσθωσαν μεταλαβεῖν. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ κλαίει λέγων· Τίς δῴη τῇ κεφαλῇ μου ὕδωρ, καὶ ὀφθαλμοῖς μου πηγὴν δακρύων, καὶ κλαύσωμεν τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς, τοὺς τετραυματισμένους θυγατρὸς λαοῦ μου, τοὺς σοφοὺς ὄντας εἰς τὸ κακοποιῆσαι, τὸ δὲ καλὸν ποιῆσαι μὴ ἐπεγνωκότας; Τοῦτο ποιοῦντες κλαίοντες ἐπὶ τῷ πτώματι τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ὁ προφήτης δὲ πάλιν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐθρήνει ἐφ' ἕκαστον τῶν ἀποπεπτωκότων, ὥσπερ αὐτῷ εἴρηται· Λάβε θρῆνον ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα Τύρου.","english":"As many as are presbytides or widows, let them emulate the widow in Sarepta and the one who offered the two lepta. Now, my beloved in the Lord, without much speech, it is time to mourn. It happened after Jerusalem was taken captive and Israel was laid waste, Jeremiah sat weeping and chanted this lament over Jerusalem, and said: How has the city once full of peoples sat alone? She has become like a widow; for the saints weep over the fall of men. For behold, today the Church has become like a widow; behold, the ways of Zion mourn because there are none coming to the feast; behold, her priests groan, and her virgins are led away, our Sabbath, and the feast, and the new moon have been closed to us. And in another place the prophet weeps, saying: I shall weep for you, vine of Sebama; why have your vintners been destroyed? The wine is in the vat, needing light ones worthy to contain it. Many, because of the multitude of the wounded in the present time, have been excused, being wounded. So then, as many as have remained unharmed, preserved as light new ones, let them come forward to partake. And again in another place he weeps, saying: Who would give my head water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, and we shall weep for this people day and night, the wounded of the daughter of my people, those who are wise for doing evil, but have not known how to do good? Doing this, weeping over the fall of men. And the prophet Ezekiel again lamented over each of those who had fallen away, as it was said to him: Take up a lament over the ruler of Tyre.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πρεσβύτιδες","severity":"info","text":"πρεσβύτιδες (presbytides) likely refers to elderly women with a formal role in the church, distinct from widows (χήραι). The term echoes early Christian orders of widows and older female ministers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν χήραν τὴν ἐν Σαραιπτὰ","severity":"info","text":"The widow of Sarepta (1 Kings 17:8–16) sheltered Elijah; her oil and flour were miraculously multiplied. The reference underscores faithful provision in destitution.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν προσενεγκαμένην τὰ δύο λεπτά","severity":"info","text":"The widow who offered two lepta (small coins) is from Mark 12:41–44 (the poor widow’s mite). The story illustrates that even the smallest gift is meritorious.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πῶς ἐκάθισε μόνη ἡ πόλις ἡ πεπληθυμένη λαῶν","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Lamentations 1:1: 'How deserted is the city that was full of people.' The homily adapts the verse to describe the Church’s desolation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κλαύσομαί σε, ἄμπελος Σέβαμα","severity":"info","text":"The vine of Sebama (Sibmah) appears in Jeremiah 48:32–33, a lament over Moab’s vineyards. The homily applies it to the Church’s loss of its faithful.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Λάβε θρῆνον ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα Τύρου","severity":"info","text":"Ezekiel 27:2–3 records a lament over Tyre’s prince. The homily uses this to urge mourning for those who have fallen from the faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the widow in Sarepta' and 'the one who offered the two lepta' is clear from biblical tradition, but the homily does not specify which biblical widow is meant for the latter; the two-lepta story is from the New Testament (Mark 12:41–44).","The phrase 'light ones worthy to contain it' (κοῦφα νέα διατετηρημένα) is ambiguous: it may refer to new, light vessels (metaphor for pure souls) or to young, unburdened individuals fit to receive the Eucharist."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα Τύρου μόνον κλαίει, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοὺς\n\nπολλοὺς τάχα ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ δακρύων καταντήσουσιν· σκοποὶ γὰρ τυγχάνουσι τοῦ παντὸς, καὶ διίκτορες τοῦ πενθεῖν. Καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἔκλαιεν ἐπὶ τῷ πτώματι δυνατῶν λέγων· Πῶς ἔπεσον δυνατοὶ, καὶ ἀπώλοντο σκεύη πολεμικά; Μὴ ἀναγγείλατε ἐν Γὲθ, μηδὲ ἐν ὁδοῖς Ἀσκαλῶνος, μήποτε εὐφρανθῶσι θυγατέρες ἀπεριτμήτων· ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ σήμερον ἔπεσαν δυνατοὶ, καὶ μεγάλα σκεύη πολεμικὰ, ἅπερ δεῖ κλαίειν. Ἔκλαιε δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, οὐχ ὅτι ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι παρηνόμησε. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν μὴ τοὺς τελευτήσαντας κλαύσωμεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς τὴν ἰδίαν πίστιν ἀπαρνησαμένους. Δεξώμεθα καὶ τὸν λόγον τοῦ προφήτου Ἰωὴλ, καὶ ἐπιτελέσωμεν, ὡς προστάττει καὶ προσκαλεῖται κλαίειν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐν ἀπωλείᾳ λέγων· Ἐξελθέτω νυμφίος ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ, καὶ νύμφη ἐκ τοῦ παστοῦ αὐτῆς. Κλαύσονται οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ λειτουργοῦντες θυσιαστηρίῳ, καὶ ἐροῦσι· Φεῖσαι, Κύριε, τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ μὴ δῷς τὴν κληρονομίαν σου εἰς ὄνειδος τοῦ κατάρξαι αὐτῶν ἔθνη, μήποτε εἴπωσιν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν; Τάχα δέ πως καὶ ἡμῖν λεχθείη τὸ, Καὶ ἐζήλωσε Κύριος τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐφείσατο τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐν τοῖς Θρήνοις πάλιν κεῖται· Τείχη Σιὼν καταγαγέτωσαν ὡσεὶ χειμάῤῥους δάκρυα ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός. Μὴ ἆρα τείχεσιν ἢ λίθοις λέγει, ἢ πάντως τοῖς οὖσιν ἁγίοις τείχεσι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς πεπλήρωται καταγαγόντας ὡσεὶ χειμάῤῥους δάκρυα πανταχοῦ. Νῦν δὲ ἐπιλαβώμεθα καὶ τοῦ τῆς Ὠδῆς λόγου· Πορευόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο καὶ ἔκλαιον αἴροντες τὰ σπέρματα αὐτῶν.","english":"And he does not weep only for the ruler of Tyre, but for the many who will perhaps be reached by his tears; for they are watchmen of the whole and conductors of mourning. And David wept over the fall of the mighty, saying: How have the mighty fallen, and the vessels of war perished? Do not announce it in Gath, nor in the roads of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice; for behold, even today the mighty have fallen, and great vessels of war, which must be wept over. He wept over Absalom, not because he died, but because he transgressed. And we therefore should not weep for those who have died, but for those who have denied their own faith. Let us also receive the word of the prophet Joel, and fulfill it, as he commands and summons us to weep over those in ruin, saying: Let the bridegroom come out of his chamber, and the bride out of her bridal chamber. The priests who serve the altar shall weep, and they shall say: Spare, Lord, your people, and do not give your inheritance over to the reproach of nations ruling over them, lest it be said among the nations: Where is their God? Perhaps it might also be said to us: And the Lord was zealous for his people, and spared his people. And in the Lamentations it is again written: Let the walls of Zion bring down tears like winter torrents day and night. Does he speak of walls or stones, or rather of the holy walls of the Church? For behold, over all of them it has been fulfilled that they bring down tears like winter torrents everywhere. Now let us also take up the word of the Ode: As they went, they went and wept, carrying their seeds.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πῶς ἔπεσον δυνατοὶ, καὶ ἀπώλοντο σκεύη πολεμικά","severity":"info","text":"A loose citation of 2 Sam 1:19-20 (David's lament over Saul and Jonathan), adapted to the homily's theme of fallen 'mighty' and 'vessels of war'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελθέτω νυμφίος ἐκ τοῦ κοιτῶνος αὐτοῦ, καὶ νύμφη ἐκ τοῦ παστοῦ αὐτῆς","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of Joel 2:16 (LXX), where the prophet calls for mourning over a ruined harvest; here applied to weeping over apostates.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τείχη Σιὼν καταγαγέτωσαν ὡσεὶ χειμάῤῥους δάκρυα ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός","severity":"info","text":"An allusion to Lamentations 2:18-19 (LXX), where the walls of Zion are personified to weep; Athanasius reinterprets 'walls' as the Church's holy members.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"σκοποὶ ... καὶ διίκτορες τοῦ πενθεῖν","severity":"info","text":"The terms 'watchmen' and 'conductors of mourning' evoke a liturgical or monastic role in early Christian communities, possibly referring to those who lead communal lament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"θυγατέρες ἀπεριτμήτων","severity":"info","text":"'Daughters of the uncircumcised' is a pejorative term for Philistine women in the Hebrew Bible (cf. 2 Sam 1:20), used here to heighten the contrast between the faithful and enemies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἐν τοῖς Θρήνοις πάλιν κεῖται","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a shift from scriptural exempla (David, Joel) to the book of Lamentations, reinforcing the homily's cumulative rhetorical structure of biblical mourning types.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'σκοποὶ ... καὶ διίκτορες τοῦ πενθεῖν' may refer to specific liturgical officers or be metaphorical; the reading here takes it as a general description of prophetic or priestly roles.","The identity of 'the Ode' (τῆς Ὠδῆς) is unclear; it may refer to a specific canticle from the Septuagint or a liturgical hymn, but the text does not specify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Ὥσπερ οἱ προεστῶτες νῦν καὶ οὐκ ἔχοντες ποῦ τὰ σπέρματα καταβάλωσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐρχόμενοι ἥξουσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει φέροντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται· καὶ τὸ, Ἑσπέρας αὐλισθήσεται κλαυθμὸς, καὶ εἰς τὸ πρωῒ ἀγαλλίασις. Οἱ γὰρ ἀπόστολοι καὶ τότε κλαίοντες τὸ ἑσπέρας, ἠγαλλιάσαντο πρωΐας. Καὶ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ Μαρία παρεκάθητο τῷ μνημείῳ κλαίουσα· ταύτῃ ὀφθεὶς ὁ Κύριος ἀφεῖλε τῶν αὐτῆς ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ δάκρυα· ἐπληρώθη τὸ προλέγοντο· Καὶ ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Θεὸς πᾶν δάκρυον ἀπὸ παντὸς προσώπου. Μνήσθητε τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, ὅτι τοσαῦτα ἔπαθε δι' ἡμᾶς· ἐξεδύθη τὸν ἱματισμὸν, ἐνέδυσαν αὐτὸν χλαμύδα κοκκίνην, περιέθηκαν αὐτῷ στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, ἐνέπτυσαν αὐτῷ, ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐῤῥαπίσθη ὑπὸ ὑπηρέτου ὁ τῶν ἁπάντων Δεσπότης. Ἐκρεμάσθη ἐπὶ ξύλου, ἐπότισαν αὐτὸν ὄξος μετὰ χολῆς, διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βλέποντος, λόγχῃ τὴν πλευρὰν ἔνυξαν, παρέθετο τὸ πνεῦμα εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἐτέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐν μνημείῳ, ἀνέστη τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ εἰς οὐρανοὺς, προεκήρυξαν αὐτὸν ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι λέγοντες· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν. Ἀναλογίσασθε οὖν τὸν τοιαύτην ὑπομονὴν ἐνδειξάμενον, ἵν' ὅστις ἂν μιμητὴς αὐτοῦ γίνηται, οὗτος καὶ συγκάθεδρος καὶ συγκληρονόμος αὐτοῦ γένηται, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπηγγείλατο, ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"Just as those who now preside have no place to cast their seeds. Yet they will come, arriving in exultation, bearing their sheaves. For blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted; and, \"In the evening weeping will lodge, and by morning, exultation.\" For the apostles also, weeping in the evening, rejoiced in the morning. And Mary Magdalene sat by the tomb weeping; the Lord appeared to her and removed the tears from her eyes; what was foretold was fulfilled: \"And God removed every tear from every face.\" Remember our Lord, that he suffered so much for us: he was stripped of his garment, they put a scarlet cloak on him, they placed a crown of thorns on him, they spat on him, they mocked him, and the Master of all was slapped by a servant. He was hung on a tree, they gave him vinegar mixed with gall to drink, they divided his garments while he watched, they pierced his side with a spear, he gave up his spirit into the hands of the Father, his body was placed in a tomb, he rose on the third day, he was taken up in glory into the heavens, holy angels proclaimed him beforehand, saying, \"Lift up your gates, O rulers.\" Therefore, consider the one who displayed such endurance, so that whoever becomes an imitator of him may also become his co-occupant of the throne and co-heir, as he himself promised, in the kingdom of heaven for ever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑσπέρας αὐλισθήσεται κλαυθμὸς, καὶ εἰς τὸ πρωῒ ἀγαλλίασις","severity":"info","text":"Likely a loose citation of Psalm 30:5 (LXX 29:6) or a similar sapiential motif; the exact phrasing is not verbatim in the LXX.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Θεὸς πᾶν δάκρυον ἀπὸ παντὸς προσώπου","severity":"info","text":"Not a direct biblical verse; may echo Isaiah 25:8 LXX or a liturgical adaptation; the source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν","severity":"info","text":"Possibly an allusion to Psalm 24:9 LXX (23:9) or a resurrection hymn; the exact wording is not found in the canonical Psalter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"χλαμύδα κοκκίνην","severity":"info","text":"The scarlet cloak (χλαμύς κοκκίνη) is a detail from the passion narrative, possibly from apocryphal or liturgical tradition, not canonical Gospels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from general consolation (mourning turned to joy) to a detailed passion summary, then to a hortatory conclusion urging imitation of Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"συγκάθεδρος καὶ συγκληρονόμος","severity":"info","text":"The promise of being co-occupant of the throne and co-heir echoes Matthew 19:28 and patristic themes of theosis; the phrasing is Athanasian.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the scriptural quotations is uncertain; they may be paraphrases or from non-canonical traditions.","The phrase 'προεστῶτες νῦν' could refer to contemporary church leaders or to the apostles; the context is ambiguous."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}