{"slug":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","title":"Sermo in ramos palmarum","title_source":"Sermo in ramos palmarum","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":"2026-11-15T06:31:48Z","cost_usd":0.002673},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","work_id":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","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%20in%20ramos%20palmarum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":885,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":3608,"commentary_units":24,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":6,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","abstract":"The Sermo in ramos palmarum is a Greek homily attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria, surviving in a single manuscript tradition via a 17th-century copy with lacunae. Its anti-Arian polemic and liturgical references suggest a late 4th-century date, possibly post-Athanasian. The homily interprets Christ’s entry into Jerusalem typologically, conflating Psalm 118:26 and Psalm 8:2 with Gospel narratives, and cites the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs to link Judah to Christ. Excluded from the standard Athanasian corpus and Byzantine lectionaries, its limited reception and disputed authorship mark it as a marginal but intriguing witness to early Christian exegesis and liturgical development.","historical_context":"The homily likely originated in the late 4th century, possibly in Alexandria or a related Greek-speaking community, during the aftermath of the Arian controversy. Its anti-Arian polemic aligns with Athanasius’s theological concerns, but the absence from the standard Athanasian corpus (Migne PG) and Byzantine lectionaries suggests it was not widely accepted as authentic. The use of the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, a Jewish pseudepigraphon, indicates a learned author familiar with non-canonical traditions. The single manuscript tradition, a 17th-century copy with lacunae, points to limited transmission, possibly in monastic or scholarly circles. The homily’s liturgical references to Palm Sunday, though not adopted in Byzantine practice, reflect the evolving celebration of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem in the post-Nicene period.","significance":"The Sermo in ramos palmarum is significant for its typological exegesis and use of the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, offering insight into early Christian appropriation of Jewish traditions. Its disputed authorship and limited transmission highlight the complexities of the Athanasian corpus and the fluidity of liturgical texts. It relates to broader studies of anti-Arian polemic, Palm Sunday liturgy, and the reception of pseudepigrapha in patristic literature.","timeline":[{"date":"late 4th c.","event":"Probable composition of the homily, based on anti-Arian polemic and liturgical references."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Attribution to Athanasius of Alexandria, though disputed."},{"date":"17th c.","event":"Earliest extant manuscript copy, with lacunae in the opening lines."},{"date":"19th–20th c.","event":"Exclusion from standard Athanasian corpus (Migne PG) and Byzantine lectionaries."},{"date":"21st c.","event":"Publication in the khazarzar edition without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs","relation":"Cited in the homily to typologically connect Judah to Christ.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of Mark","relation":"Possible source for the narrative of the donkey and foal (Mark 11:1-4).","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of John","relation":"Possible source for the narrative of the donkey and foal (John 12:12-15).","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Psalm 118 (LXX)","relation":"Conflated with the phrase 'blessed is he who comes' to link Christ's entry to Davidic prophecy.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Psalm 8 (LXX)","relation":"Paraphrased to describe praise of Christ by the innocent, prefiguring the Palm Sunday crowd.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Athanasius is disputed; the homily may be post-Athanasian.","Date is uncertain; only a late 4th-century range can be inferred from internal evidence.","The homily survives in a single manuscript tradition with lacunae; textual decisions cannot be verified.","The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, so variant readings are unknown."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000541,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:31:48Z"},"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%20in%20ramos%20palmarum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-athanasius-the-great-of-alexandria-sermo-in-ramos-palmarum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":24,"english_words":885,"source_letters":3608,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily survives in a single Greek manuscript tradition; the khazarzar edition relies on a 17th-century copy, with lacunae in the opening lines.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Athanasius is disputed; the homily’s anti-Arian polemic and liturgical references suggest a late 4th-century date, possibly post-Athanasian.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily is not included in the standard Athanasian corpus (Migne PG) and was not used in Byzantine lectionaries for Palm Sunday, indicating limited liturgical reception.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The khazarzar edition provides no critical apparatus; variant readings from other witnesses (if any) are not recorded, so textual decisions cannot be verified.","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: 4 narrative."},{"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":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Τοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἀθανασίου, ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας, λόγος εἰς τὰ βαΐα.\n\nΦρικτόν, ἀγαπητοί, μυστήριον καὶ σήμερον ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ γέγονε. μυστήριον δέ φημι τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν κηρυχθὲν καὶ ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ τελεσθέν. ὄντως γὰρ «εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου» κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Δαυίδ. καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτός· «ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον.» τὴν γὰρ κοινὴν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους πιστούμενος ὁ πάντων δεσπότης καὶ δημιουργός, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ πάντα δι' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομήσας πρὸ τοῦ σωτηρίου αὐτοῦ πάθους ἐκ νεκρῶν ἤγειρε τὸν Λάζαρον. ὅθεν μετὰ τοῦτο σπεύδων ὡς λοιπὸν ἔφην τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἑκούσιον πάθος ἀναδέξασθαι. «ἀποστέλλει,» φησὶν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής, «δύο τινὰς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν λέγων· πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν κατέναντι ὑμῶν κώμην, εὑρήσετε ὄνον δεδεμένην καὶ πῶλον σὺν αὐτῇ· λύσαντες ἀγάγετέ μοι.» Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Ἰακώβ, ὁ πατριάρχης, ἡνίκα τὰς εὐλογίας ἐν κλήρῳ παρεῖχε τοῖς τέκνοις, ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν οὕτως εἴρηκεν· «Ἰούδα, σὲ αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου.» καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «καὶ αὐτὸς προσ δοκία ἐθνῶν.» ποίων δὲ ἐθνῶν γέγονε προσδοκία Ἰούδας; Ἰουδαίων; οὐδαμῶς. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο δηλοῖ ὁ προφήτης, ἐπειδὴ ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ κύριος. καὶ πάλιν μεθ' ἕτερα ὁ αὐτός· «δεσμεύων πρὸς ἄμπελον τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ καὶ τῇ ἕλικι τὸν πῶλον τῆς ὄνου αὐτοῦ.» ὄνον καὶ πῶλον εἰπὼν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐσήμανεν. ἐδέσμευσε γὰρ ἀληθῶς τὰ ἔθνη ὁ κύριος τῇ ἀμπέλῳ καὶ τῇ ἕλικι τουτέστι τῇ παλαιᾷ καὶ καινῇ διαθήκῃ, ὅπως καρποφορήσωσι καρπὸν εὐσεβείας διὰ τῆς πίστεως. εἶτα ἐπάγει·","english":"Of the same Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, a homily on the Palms.\n\nA fearsome mystery, beloved, has occurred today in Jerusalem. A mystery, I say, that which was proclaimed by the prophets and fulfilled by Christ. For truly, \"blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,\" according to the blessed David. And again the same: \"From the mouths of infants and sucklings you have fashioned praise.\" For confirming the common resurrection of the human race, the master and creator of all, Jesus Christ, who arranged everything for us before his saving passion, raised Lazarus from the dead. Hence after this, hastening as I said to undergo the voluntary passion for us, \"he sends,\" says the evangelist, \"two of his own disciples, saying: Go to the village opposite you, you will find a donkey tied and a foal with it; untie them and bring them to me.\" For this reason the blessed Jacob, the patriarch, when he was distributing the blessings by lot to his children, coming to Judah spoke thus: \"Judah, let your brothers praise you.\" And after a little: \"And he himself is the expectation of nations.\" Of which nations did Judah become the expectation? Of the Jews? By no means. But the prophet indicates this, because from Judah the Lord has arisen. And again after other things the same: \"Binding his donkey to the vine and the foal of his donkey to the tendril.\" Saying donkey and foal, he signified the church of the nations. For truly the Lord bound the nations to the vine and the tendril, that is, to the Old and New Covenant, so that they might bear fruit of piety through faith. Then he adds:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Φρικτόν, ἀγαπητοί, μυστήριον","severity":"info","text":"The homily opens by calling the events a 'fearsome mystery', a rhetorical move that signals the typological interpretation to follow.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου","severity":"info","text":"A conflation of Psalm 118:26 (LXX) and the phrase 'blessed is he who comes' from the Psalms, used to link Christ's entry to Davidic prophecy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of Psalm 8:2 (LXX), applied here to the praise of Christ by the innocent, prefiguring the Palm Sunday crowd.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀποστέλλει δύο τινὰς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν","severity":"info","text":"A reference to the Gospel narrative of the donkey and foal, likely from Mark 11:1-4 or John 12:12-15, though not verbatim.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰούδα, σὲ αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου","severity":"info","text":"A citation from the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs (Testament of Judah 1:1-2), a Jewish pseudepigraphon used by Athanasius to typologically connect Judah to Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"δεσμεύων πρὸς ἄμπελον τὴν ὄνον αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Another citation from the Testament of Judah (25:1-2), where the donkey and foal are interpreted as the Church of the Gentiles bound to the Old and New Covenants.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Jacob/patriarch blessing narrative is not explicitly identified; it is taken here as the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, but could be a lost Jewish tradition.","The phrase 'blessed is he who comes' is not a direct Psalm quotation; it may be a conflation or a liturgical formula."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"«πλυνεῖ ἐν οἴνῳ τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αἵματι σταφυλῆς τὴν περιβολὴν αὐτοῦ.» στολὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ περιβολὴν τὴν σάρκα λέγει. ἑκουσίως γὰρ δι' ἡμᾶς ἐν σταυρῷ προσηλώθη σαρκί, ἵνα τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι τὸν ῥύπον ἐκπλύνῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτιῶν. καθὼς καὶ ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ γέγραπται· «διὰ τί σου ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματά σου ὡς ἀπὸ πατητοῦ ληνοῦ, πλήρης καταπεπατημένης;» Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. λέγει γὰρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ κύριος περὶ τῆς ὄνου· «καὶ ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ· τί ποιεῖτε ἢ τί λύετε τὸν πῶλον, εἴπατε ὅτι ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.» μὴ διστάσητε, φησίν, ἐν μηδενὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν οἰκονομίαν πραττομένων· οὐδεὶς ὑμῶν ἀντιστήσεται οὐδὲ ἀντιρρημονήσει πρὸς οὐδὲ ἓν ῥῆμα. «εἴπατε ὅτι ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχει.» οὐδεὶς κωλύσει ὑμᾶς ποιοῦντας τὸ ὑπ' ἐμοῦ προσταττόμενον. «ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς.» δεῖ τοίνυν πάντα τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ γεγραμμένα εἰς πέρας ἐλθεῖν. δεῖ με εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σήμερον ἐποχούμενον ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον. «ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς·» ἰδοὺ Ζαχαρίας ὁ προφήτης διαρρήδην βοᾷ λέγων· «χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιών· κηρύσσεταί σοι δίκαιος καὶ σῴζων· αὐτὸς πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον ὄνου νέον.» καιρὸς οὖν εὐδοκίας ὁ παρών. δεῖ με τὴν ἔχθραν λῦσαι καὶ εἰρηνοποιῆσαι τὰ πάντα διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ. δεῖ τὴν νῦν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τέλος λαβεῖν καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίαν στηριχθῆναι. ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὁ ὑμνῳ δὸς Δαυὶδ περὶ τῆς κλήσεως ταύτης τῶν ἐθνῶν προεφήτευσε; τί γὰρ εἴρηκε;","english":"He will wash his garment in wine and his cloak in the blood of the grape.\" He speaks of Christ's garment and cloak as the flesh. For willingly on our account he was nailed in the flesh to the cross, so that with his own blood he might wash away the filth of our sins. As it is also written in Isaiah: \"Why are your garments red and your clothes as if from a trodden winepress, full of the trodden?\" But let us return to the matter at hand. For the Lord says to the disciples concerning the donkey: \"And if anyone says to you, 'What are you doing, or why are you untying the colt?' say that its master has need of it.\" Do not hesitate, he says, in any of the things done according to my economy; none of you will resist or speak a word against anything. \"Say that its master has need of it.\" No one will hinder you from doing what is commanded by me. \"For the world and its fullness are mine.\" Therefore all things written about me must come to pass. I must enter Jerusalem today riding on a beast of burden. \"Search the scriptures;\" behold, Zechariah the prophet cries out explicitly, saying: \"Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; a righteous and saving one is proclaimed to you; he is gentle and mounted on a beast of burden and a young colt of a donkey.\" Therefore the present time is one of good will. I must dissolve the enmity and make peace through the cross. The present Jerusalem must come to an end, and the church from the nations must be established. Or did not the hymn-writer David also prophesy concerning this calling of the nations? For what did he say?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πλυνεῖ ἐν οἴνῳ τὴν στολὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αἵματι σταφυλῆς τὴν περιβολὴν αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The opening quotation is not from the canonical Bible; it likely derives from a lost apocryphon or a patristic florilegium, possibly echoing imagery from Isaiah 63:2-3.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"διὰ τί σου ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια ... πλήρης καταπεπατημένης","severity":"info","text":"This quotation from Isaiah 63:2-3 (LXX) is used to interpret Christ's blood as wine that washes away sin, a common typology in patristic exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"χαῖρε σφόδρα, θύγατερ Σιών· κηρύσσεταί σοι δίκαιος καὶ σῴζων· αὐτὸς πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον καὶ πῶλον ὄνου νέον","severity":"info","text":"This is a free citation of Zechariah 9:9 (LXX), adapted to emphasize Christ's entry on a donkey; the original LXX reads 'ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον' but does not mention a 'young colt'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονομίαν","severity":"info","text":"Here 'οἰκονομίαν' (economy) refers to the divine plan of salvation, specifically the incarnation and passion, a technical term in Greek patristic theology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a rhetorical return to the main narrative after an exegetical digression on the wine/blood imagery, typical of homiletic structure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"δεῖ με εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σήμερον ἐποχούμενον ἐπὶ ὑποζύγιον","severity":"info","text":"The homily presents Christ's entry as a typological fulfillment of prophecy, linking the donkey to the cross and the 'new Jerusalem' of the Gentile church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the opening quotation ('πλυνεῖ ἐν οἴνῳ...') is uncertain; it may be a lost apocryphon or a patristic invention.","The phrase 'ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς' is not a direct biblical quotation but a theological assertion attributed to Christ."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"«πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα ἐποίησας, ἥξουσι καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιόν σου, κύριε.» οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ «ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταί,» οἱ διὰ πίστεως τὸν λόγον δεχόμενοι. εἶτά φησιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· «πορευθέν τες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐποίησαν καθὼς συνέταξεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἤγαγον τὴν ὄνον καὶ τὸν πῶλον καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐπεκάθησαν τὸν\n\nἸησοῦν.» Ὢ τῆς πολλῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος πρὸς ἡμᾶς συγκαταβάσεως. τίς οὐ θαυμάσῃ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης; τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγῇ, ὅτι ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβὶμ ἐποχούμενος ἐπὶ πῶλον δι' ἡμᾶς ἐκαθέσθη; ὁ ὑπὸ τῶν σεραφὶμ ἀνυμνούμενος ὑπὸ νηπίων εὐφημεῖται. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἱματίοις, φησί, τὴν ὁδὸν κατεστρώννυον, ἄλλοι δὲ κλάδους ἐκ τῶν δένδρων κόπτοντες τὸ αὐτὸ ἐποίουν. καὶ οἱ μὲν προπορευόμενοι, οἱ δὲ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον ἅμα τοῖς ἀπειροκάκοις παισὶν ἐπινίκιόν τινα ὕμνον λέγοντες· «ὠσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.» διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀποθέμενοι πάντα λογισμὸν ῥυπαρὸν καὶ αἰσχρὰς ἐνθυμήσεις καὶ τὴν ἐν πανουργίᾳ πονηρίαν ἀπειρόκακον ἔννοιαν ἀναλαβόντες ἅμα τοῖς παισὶν ἐκείνοις μετὰ φαιδρῶν τῶν λαμπάδων ἀπαντήσωμεν τῷ σωτῆρι Χριστῷ, τῷ ἀληθινῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν. καὶ τοῖς μὲν βαΐοις νικητὴν αὐτὸν τοῦ θανάτου κηρύξωμεν, τοῖς δὲ τῶν ἐλαιῶν κλάδοις τὸν ἐλεήμονα καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἱκετεύσωμεν λέγοντες·","english":"All the nations, which you have made, will come and worship before you, Lord.\" These are the \"true worshipers,\" those who receive the Word through faith. Then the evangelist says: \"And the disciples, going, did as he had instructed them, and they brought the donkey and the foal and placed their garments upon them, and they seated Jesus.\" O the great condescension of the Savior toward us! Who would not marvel at the magnitude of his love for us? Who would not be astonished that he who rides upon the cherubim sat upon a foal for our sake? He who is hymned by the seraphim is acclaimed by children. For some, it says, were strewing the road with their garments, while others, cutting branches from the trees, did the same. And some went before, others followed, crying out together with the innocent children, singing a kind of victory hymn: \"Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.\" Therefore, let us also, setting aside every foul thought and shameful intention and the wickedness of cunning, take up an innocent mind, and together with those children, with bright torches, meet the Savior Christ, our true God. And with palm branches let us proclaim him victor over death, and with branches of olive let us beseech the merciful and good one, saying:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα ἐποίησας, ἥξουσι καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιόν σου, κύριε.","severity":"info","text":"This is a citation of Psalm 86:9 (LXX), where the nations are said to worship before the Lord. The homily adapts it to Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"συγκαταβάσεως","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term συγκατάβασις (condescension) is a key theological concept in Athanasius, denoting Christ's voluntary lowering of himself for human salvation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ὠσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ","severity":"info","text":"The acclamation 'Hosanna to the son of David' reflects early Christian liturgical practice, blending Hebrew 'hosanna' (save now) with messianic title.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Therefore, let us also' marks a shift from narrative to exhortation, a common homiletic move to apply the biblical scene to the congregation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῖς μὲν βαΐοις ... τοῖς δὲ τῶν ἐλαιῶν κλάδοις","severity":"info","text":"The pairing of palm (victory over death) and olive (mercy) branches reflects established Palm Sunday ritual, linking Christ's triumph with divine mercy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπεκάθησαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν","severity":"caution","text":"The verb ἐπεκάθησαν (they seated) is aorist; the Greek could imply they seated Jesus on the garments, but the syntax is ambiguous—possibly a scribal or grammatical variant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἐπεκάθησαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν' could be read as 'they seated Jesus' (on the donkey/foal) or as a transitive use with an implied object; the translation follows the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"«εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐλθὼν καὶ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.» εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐλθὼν κατ' οἰκονομίαν καὶ «δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσας πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς τῇ σῇ πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν.» ἐρχόμενος δὲ μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς. αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.","english":"Blessed is the one who has come and who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest.\" Blessed is the one who has come according to the economy and \"who, being rich, became poor for our sake, so that we might be enriched by your poverty.\" And who comes with glory to judge the living and the dead. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐλθὼν καὶ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase echoes the liturgical acclamation of Palm Sunday, blending the 'hosanna' cry with a blessing formula that anticipates both Christ's past incarnation and future coming in glory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"οἰκονομίαν","severity":"info","text":"Oikonomia here denotes the divine economy—the salvific plan of incarnation and redemption—a key Athanasian concept emphasizing Christ's voluntary condescension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσας πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς τῇ σῇ πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσωμεν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is a patristic adaptation of 2 Corinthians 8:9 (Vulgate) or a similar soteriological paradox; it is not a direct biblical quotation but a theological paraphrase common in Alexandrian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'to judge the living and the dead' is a standard element of early Christian creeds (e.g., Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed), here applied to Christ's eschatological role.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν","severity":"info","text":"The doxological conclusion with 'for ever and ever' and 'amen' is a standard homiletic closing, reinforcing the liturgical context of the Palm Sunday sermon.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'hosanna in the highest' appears in later Byzantine liturgical texts (e.g., the Cherubic Hymn) and reflects the integration of this homily's acclamation into worship tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text does not specify whether the 'one who has come' refers to Christ's incarnation or his entry into Jerusalem; the reading adopted here follows the homily's Palm Sunday context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}