{"slug":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","title":"Fragmenta in Ezechielem","title_source":"Fragmenta in Ezechielem","author":"Cyril of Alexandria","genre":"commentary","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":"2026-11-15T06:28:58Z","cost_usd":0.001659},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","work_id":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","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/Cyril%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2068-77/Fragmenta%20in%20Ezechielem.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":555,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":2319,"commentary_units":12,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":4,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","abstract":"The Fragmenta in Ezechielem of Cyril of Alexandria survive only as excerpts in Byzantine catenae and florilegia, not as a continuous manuscript. Dating to after the Council of Ephesus (431), the work reflects Cyril’s mature Christological exegesis, interpreting Ezekiel’s visions typologically—e.g., the four wings as intellectual uprightness, the cedar as Christ (Emmanuel), and Noah, Daniel, and Job as models of faith, wisdom, and patience. The fragments’ indirect transmission raises questions of authenticity and textual reliability, as catenae often conflate authors. No critical edition exists; the source edition (khazarzar) lacks apparatus, leaving variant readings unverified.","historical_context":"Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378–444) wrote this commentary late in his career, likely after the Council of Ephesus (431), when his Christological positions were fully developed. The work was composed in Greek in Alexandria, within the context of the Alexandrian exegetical tradition that favored allegorical and typological interpretation. The fragments survive only through indirect transmission: later Greek catenists and John of Damascus (Sacra Parallela) excerpted them for florilegia, indicating use in Byzantine theological compilations. No continuous manuscript exists, and the original commentary’s scope and structure are lost. The dating relies on internal theological concerns (e.g., Christological readings of Emmanuel) and the manuscript tradition of catenae, which postdate Cyril. The community was primarily Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians engaged in doctrinal debate and scriptural commentary.","significance":"The fragments preserve Cyril’s Christological reading of Ezekiel, linking prophetic imagery to Christ and models of virtue. They demonstrate the Alexandrian exegetical method and the use of catenae in transmitting patristic works. The work’s fragmentary state highlights challenges in reconstructing lost commentaries and the need for critical editions to verify attributions.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 378–444","event":"Life of Cyril of Alexandria"},{"date":"after 431","event":"Composition of Ezekiel commentary, likely after Council of Ephesus"},{"date":"8th c.","event":"John of Damascus cites fragments in Sacra Parallela"},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Fragments transmitted in catenae and florilegia"},{"date":"modern","event":"Khazarzar edition published without critical apparatus"}],"relations":[{"work":"Ezekiel (biblical book)","relation":"subject of commentary","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Sacra Parallela (John of Damascus)","relation":"transmits fragments","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Catenae (Byzantine)","relation":"primary transmission medium","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Commentary on Isaiah (Cyril of Alexandria)","relation":"similar exegetical method and Christological focus","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Dating is uncertain; only a terminus post quem of 431 is secure.","Fragments survive only in catenae and florilegia, not as a continuous manuscript.","Some fragments may be misattributed to Cyril; catenae often conflate authors.","The source edition (khazarzar) provides no critical apparatus or manuscript sigla, so variant readings cannot be verified.","Without a full critical edition, authenticity of each unit remains uncertain."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000426,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:57Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Cyril%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2068-77/Fragmenta%20in%20Ezechielem.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-ezechielem","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":12,"english_words":555,"source_letters":2319,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The fragments survive only in catenae and florilegia, not as a continuous manuscript. Their text depends on indirect transmission through later compilers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378–444) wrote this commentary late in his career, likely after the Council of Ephesus (431). The dating rests on internal theological concerns and manuscript tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril’s Ezekiel fragments were cited by later Greek catenists and by John of Damascus in the Sacra Parallela, indicating their use in Byzantine florilegia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The source edition (khazarzar) provides no critical apparatus or manuscript sigla. The reader cannot verify the editor’s choices among variant readings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Some fragments may be misattributed to Cyril; catenae often conflate authors. Without a full critical edition, authenticity of each unit remains uncertain.","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: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 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":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Καὶ τέσσαρες πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνί. Ἑστήκασι γὰρ ἀεί πως αἱ νοεραὶ καὶ ἄνω δυνάμεις, οὐκ ὀκλάζουσαι πρὸς τὰ αἰσχίω, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ ἀμώμητον τῆς αὐταῖς πρεπούσης ζωῆς διᾴττουσιν τρίβον. Καὶ ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς περιστεραί. Οἱ μακάριοι μαθηταί· περιῆλθον γὰρ πᾶσαν ὑπ' οὐρανὸν, τὸ Χριστοῦ λαλοῦντες μυστήριον, καὶ ᾠδὴν καὶ λύραν ἔχοντες αὐτό. Καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν οἱ τρεῖς ἄνδρες οὗτοι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, Νῶε, καὶ Δανιὴλ, καὶ Ἰώβ. 203. Ἐπειδὴ οἶμαι δεῖν οὐκ ἀβασανίστους ἐᾷν τὰς τοῦ προφήτου φωνὰς, φέρε λέγωμεν τί δήποτε, Νῶε καὶ Ἰὼβ καὶ Δανιὴλ τεθνεώτων ἤδη, τάχα δέ που καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Δανιὴλ, σωθήσεσθαί φησιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ δικαιοσύνῃ, καί τοι τῆς ἄλλης ἁπάσης γῆς, καθ' ἧς ἂν ἡ τοῦ θανάτου ψῆφος ἐκφέροιτο, καταφθειρομένης. Ἔοικε τοίνυν τῷ μὲν Νῶε παρεικάζειν τοὺς διὰ πίστεως τῆς εἰς Θεὸν εὐεργετοῦντας αὐτῷ· τῷ γε μὴν Δανιὴλ τοὺς σοφούς τε καὶ διορατικούς· Ἰὼβ δὲ πάλιν τοὺς διά γε τῆς ὑπομονῆς, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τῆς εἰς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν ἐπαινουμένων, εὐαρεστοῦντας αὐτῷ. Καὶ λήψομαι ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἐπιλέκτων τῆς κέδρου ἐκ κορυφῆς. Κέδροις μὲν ἀπεικάζει ταῖς ὑψηλαῖς καὶ εὐκοσμοτάταις τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐν οἷς τὸ ἐπίλεκτον, καὶ οἱονεί τις καρδία γέγονεν ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ, ἐξ οὗ λαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ κατεφύτευσε τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὃς καὶ εἰς κέδρον ἀνέστη μεγάλην, καὶ εἰσεδέξατο πάντας εἰς ἰδίαν σκιάν· ἔγνω τε λοιπὸν ἡ ὑφήλιος σύμπασα τὴν τοῦ πάντα ἰσχύοντος Θεοῦ δύναμίν τε καὶ ἐξουσίαν.","english":"And four wings to the one. For the intellectual and higher powers always stand, as it were, not sinking toward baser things, but traversing the straight and blameless path of the life befitting them. And they will be upon the mountains like doves. The blessed disciples: for they went about the whole earth under heaven, proclaiming the mystery of Christ, having him as their song and lyre. And if these three men are in their midst, Noah, Daniel, and Job. Since I think it necessary not to leave the prophet's utterances unexamined, come, let us say why it is that Noah and Job and Daniel, already dead—and perhaps even Daniel himself—he says will be saved in their own righteousness, even though all the rest of the earth, against which the sentence of death might be pronounced, is being destroyed. So he seems to liken to Noah those who benefit him through faith in God; to Daniel, the wise and discerning; and again to Job, those who please him through patience, clearly in whatever is praiseworthy. And I will take from the choice parts of the cedar from the top. By cedars he likens the lofty and most well-ordered ones from Israel, among whom the choice part, and as it were a kind of heart, was the blessed David, from whom God the Father took and planted the Emmanuel, who rose up as a great cedar and received all into his own shade; and then the whole world under the sun came to know the power and authority of the all-powerful God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ τέσσαρες πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνί","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets the four wings as a symbol of the constant upright stance of intellectual powers, avoiding baseness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἔσονται ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς περιστεραί","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes the prophetic imagery of Ezekiel, where the blessed disciples are likened to doves on mountains, spreading the mystery of Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Νῶε, καὶ Δανιὴλ, καὶ Ἰώβ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril explains the typological significance of Noah, Daniel, and Job as models of faith, wisdom, and patience, respectively, in the context of salvation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"κέδρος","severity":"info","text":"Cyril uses 'cedar' as a metaphor for the lofty and well-ordered among Israel, with David as the choice part from which Emmanuel (Christ) is planted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐμμανουὴλ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril identifies Emmanuel as Christ, who rises as a great cedar and provides shade for all, reflecting a Christological reading of Ezekiel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπειδὴ οἶμαι δεῖν οὐκ ἀβασανίστους ἐᾷν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril signals a transition to a more detailed exegetical inquiry, examining why the prophet specifies the salvation of Noah, Daniel, and Job.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Καὶ τέσσαρες πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνί' is fragmentary; Cyril's interpretation assumes a symbolic reading of the four wings, but the original context in Ezekiel is not fully preserved.","The reference to 'τρεῖς ἄνδρες' (three men) includes Daniel, though Cyril notes the chronological issue of Daniel being already dead at the time of the prophecy."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Τεταπείνωκε γὰρ τὸ ξύλον τὸ ὑγρὸν, φῦναι δὲ καὶ ἀναβλαστῆναι παρεσκεύασε τὸ ξύλον τὸ ξηρὸν, τουτέστιν ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαν, ταῖς τοῦ διαβόλου πλεονεξίαις κατευανθέν Καὶ ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτοῖς προστάγματα οὐ καλά. Ὅσον μὲν γὰρ ἧκεν εἰς θεωρίαν πνευματικὴν, ὁ νόμος ἅγιος καὶ ἡ ἐντολὴ ἁγία καὶ δικαία καὶ ἀγαθή. Ὅσον γε μὲν εἰς τὴν τοῦ πράγματος εἰκαιότητα, καὶ μόνην τὴν ἐν σκιαῖς λατρείαν, οὐ καλὰ τὰ προστάγματα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ζωῆς τῆς αἰωνίου πρόξενα. Δικαιοῦται γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἐν νόμῳ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ἰδοὺ τὸ γάλα κατεσθίετε. Ἐξαιτοῦντες γὰρ κατὰ τὸν νόμον δεκάτας, ἀπαρχὰς, εὐχαριστήρια, καὶ ταῖς ἐκ λαῶν δωροφορίαις ἐντρυφῶντες ἀσώτως, οὐδένα τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν ἐποιοῦντο λόγον. Καὶ οὐχ ἱκανὸν ὑμῖν ὅτι τὴν καλὴν νομὴν ἐνέμεσθε;\n\nΝομομαθεῖς γὰρ ὄντες οἱ ἐξ αἵματος Λευὶ, καὶ καλλίστην ὥσπερ νομὴν, λεπτὸν δὲ καὶ διειδὲς ἔχοντες ὕδωρ τὴν διὰ Μωϋσέως παίδευσιν οὐκ ἀνικάνως ἔχουσαν ποδηγεῖν εἰς ἀλήθειαν, κατεπάτουν τρόπον τινὰ τὴν νομήν· συνετάραττον δὲ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, παχεῖάν τινα καὶ ὑλώδη καὶ γαιώδους ἀκαθαρσίας ἀνάπλεων παρατιθέντες διδασκαλίαν τοῖς ἐν τάξει προβάτων ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ὡς κριοῖς. Καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ποιμένα ἕνα... τὸν δοῦλόν μου Δαβίδ. ) Ὅτι δὲ περὶ Χριστοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ἀταλαίπωρον ἰδεῖν· προτετελευτηκότος γὰρ ἤδη τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ καὶ ἐν τάφοις ἤδη κειμένου, προεφήτευσε μὲν ὁ μακάριος Ἰεζεκιήλ. Ἐποιεῖτο δὲ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ὡς ἐσομένην κατὰ καιροὺς, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἤδη τετελεσμένην· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἐσομένοις αἱ ὑποσχέσεις, οὐκέτι τοῖς ἤδη πεπραγμένοις.","english":"For the wet wood was humbled, and the dry wood was made to grow and sprout again—that is, a Church from the Gentiles, which had been withered by the rapacities of the devil. And I gave them commandments that were not good. For as far as spiritual contemplation was concerned, the law was holy, and the commandment was holy, just, and good. But as far as the emptiness of the matter and the mere service in shadows went, the commandments were not good, nor did they procure eternal life. For no one is justified by the law, according to what is written. Behold, you devour the milk. For, demanding tithes, firstfruits, and thank-offerings according to the law, and living dissolutely on the gifts brought by the peoples, they took no account of their salvation. And was it not enough for you that you grazed the good pasture?\n\nFor being learned in the law, those of the blood of Levi, and having the finest pasture, as it were, and the clear and transparent water of the instruction through Moses, which was not insufficient to lead to the truth, they trampled upon the pasture, so to speak, and disturbed the water, setting forth a teaching that was thick, woody, and full of earthly filth to those who followed them like sheep under rams. And I will set over them one shepherd... my servant David. That these things are said about Christ is easy to see; for the blessed David had already died and was already lying in the tomb when the blessed Ezekiel prophesied. And God the Father made the promise as something that would happen in due time, and not as something already accomplished; for promises are about future things, not about things already done.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Τεταπείνωκε γὰρ τὸ ξύλον τὸ ὑγρὸν, φῦναι δὲ καὶ ἀναβλαστῆναι παρεσκεύασε τὸ ξύλον τὸ ξηρὸν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril interprets the wet and dry wood allegorically: the humbled wet wood likely represents Israel, while the revived dry wood symbolizes the Gentile Church, withered by the devil's rapacities.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δικαιοῦται γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἐν νόμῳ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Paul's argument in Galatians and Romans that the law does not justify; Cyril likely references a New Testament passage, though the exact citation is not given.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰδοὺ τὸ γάλα κατεσθίετε","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'you devour the milk' likely alludes to a biblical metaphor for exploiting priestly privileges; Cyril criticizes Levites for greedily consuming offerings without concern for salvation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Νομομαθεῖς","severity":"info","text":"This term, 'learned in the law,' refers to the Levites, whom Cyril accuses of corrupting Mosaic instruction by adding thick, woody, and filthy teachings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ποιμένα ἕνα... τὸν δοῦλόν μου Δαβίδ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril transitions from criticism of Levites to a messianic promise, identifying the shepherd 'my servant David' as Christ, and clarifying that Ezekiel's prophecy concerns a future event, not David's historical reign.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"προτετελευτηκότος γὰρ ἤδη τοῦ μακαρίου Δαβὶδ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril notes that David had already died before Ezekiel's prophecy, so the promise of a shepherd refers to Christ, not the historical David, emphasizing the future-oriented nature of prophetic promises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact biblical reference for 'no one is justified by the law' is not specified; it may be an allusion to Paul (e.g., Gal 2:16 or Rom 3:20).","The identity of the 'wet wood' and 'dry wood' is not explicitly defined; the interpretation as Israel and the Gentile Church is inferred from context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}