{"slug":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","title":"Fragmenta in Jeremiam","title_source":"Fragmenta in Jeremiam","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":"2026-11-15T06:36:23Z","cost_usd":0.003106},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","work_id":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","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%20Jeremiam.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1311,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":5461,"commentary_units":29,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":10,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","abstract":"The Fragmenta in Jeremiam are surviving excerpts from Cyril of Alexandria's commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, preserved only in Byzantine catenae and florilegia rather than in a continuous manuscript tradition. Written after the Nestorian controversy (post-430), the commentary belongs to Cyril's later exegetical work. The fragments were cited in medieval catenae and later compiled in 17th-century editions by Fronto Ducaeus, shaping early modern knowledge of Cyril's Jeremiah exegesis. The source edition (khazarzar) lacks critical apparatus or manuscript sigla, making verification of selection principles and textual variants impossible. Cyril's anti-Jewish rhetoric reflects his polemical context, not historical Jewish exegesis.","historical_context":"Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444) composed this commentary after the Nestorian controversy, likely in the 430s or early 440s, as part of his later exegetical output. The work was produced in Alexandria, a major center of Greek patristic scholarship, within a Christian community deeply engaged in christological debates. The commentary survives only in fragments quoted by Byzantine catenists, who excerpted patristic sources for scriptural commentary collections. These catenae, compiled from the 6th century onward, preserved portions of Cyril's exegesis that otherwise would have been lost. The fragments were later edited by Fronto Ducaeus in the 17th century, contributing to early modern patristic studies. The transmission history is fragmentary and indirect, with no complete manuscript known. Cyril's exegesis of Jeremiah reflects his typological and christological reading of the Old Testament, often polemically directed against Jewish interpretations, a common feature of patristic anti-Jewish rhetoric.","significance":"These fragments provide rare insight into Cyril's exegesis of Jeremiah, a book less frequently commented on by Greek fathers. They illustrate his post-Nestorian hermeneutical approach, blending christological typology with anti-Jewish polemic. The fragments also exemplify the catena tradition's role in preserving otherwise lost patristic works, though their fragmentary state requires caution. The work relates to Cyril's broader exegetical corpus and to the history of biblical interpretation in late antiquity.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 376–444","event":"Life of Cyril of Alexandria"},{"date":"post-430","event":"Composition of the commentary on Jeremiah, after the Nestorian controversy"},{"date":"6th–10th c.","event":"Byzantine catenae excerpt and transmit fragments of Cyril's commentary"},{"date":"17th c.","event":"Fronto Ducaeus edits and publishes the fragments in early modern editions"},{"date":"20th–21st c.","event":"Digital edition by khazarzar without critical apparatus"}],"relations":[{"work":"Commentary on Isaiah","relation":"Another Old Testament commentary by Cyril, similar exegetical method and date","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Commentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets","relation":"Part of Cyril's later exegetical corpus, comparable in approach","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Catenae Graecorum Patrum","relation":"The catena tradition that preserved these fragments","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Against Julian","relation":"Cyril's apologetic work, also containing anti-Jewish and anti-pagan polemic","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The fragments survive only in catenae and florilegia, not in a continuous manuscript tradition; their reconstruction depends on later excerptors.","The exact date of composition is uncertain; it belongs to Cyril's later exegetical work (post-430) but cannot be more precisely dated.","The source edition (khazarzar) provides no critical apparatus or manuscript sigla; readers cannot verify selection principles or textual variants.","Cyril's anti-Jewish rhetoric reflects his polemical context, not historical Jewish exegesis; theological argument should be distinguished from historical description."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000469,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:36:23Z"},"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%20Jeremiam.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":29,"english_words":1311,"source_letters":5461,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The fragments survive only in catenae and florilegia, not in a continuous manuscript tradition. Their reconstruction depends on later excerptors.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444) wrote this commentary after the Nestorian controversy (post-430). The exact date is uncertain, but it belongs to his later exegetical work.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"These fragments were cited in Byzantine catenae and later in the 17th-century editions of Fronto Ducaeus, shaping early modern knowledge of Cyril’s Jeremiah exegesis.","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 selection principles or textual variants used.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Cyril’s anti-Jewish rhetoric in this commentary reflects his polemical context, not historical Jewish exegesis. Readers should distinguish theological argument from historical description.","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: 5 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":5},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Ὄντως εἰς ψεῦδος ἦσαν οἱ βουνοὶ καὶ δύναμις τῶν ὀρέων, κ.τ.λ. Διαμέμνηται ὀρῶν καὶ βουνῶν, ἐπείπερ ἐν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τοὺς ἀρχαίους ἐκείνους καιροὺς ἱερά τε καὶ τεμένη δειμάμενοι καὶ βωμοὺς ἀναστήσαντες, τοῖς δαιμονίοις χαριεστάτας προσεκόμιζον θυσίας. Ἡ δὲ αἰσχύνη κατανάλωσε τοὺς μόχθους τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἀπὸ νεότητος αὐτῶν. Αἰσχύνην λέγουσι τὴν ἀληθῶς ἀκλεᾶ καὶ ἀδοξοτάτην εἰδωλολατρείαν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτῳ πλάνησιν, ἣ καὶ τοὺς μόχθους τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν κατανάλωσε· δεδαπανήκασι γὰρ ἱερουργοῦντες τοῖς δαίμοσι τὰ πρόβατα αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς μόσχους αὐτῶν, καὶ φρονήσεως ζημίαν ὁμοῦ τοῖς οὖσιν ὑπέμειναν. Οἴ μοι! ὅτι ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνηρημένοις. Περιδράμετε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ὁρᾷς ἐν τούτοις ὠδίνοντα μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνῃρημένοις, καὶ προχείρως μὲν ἐλεεῖν ἐθέλοντα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, εἰργόμενον δέ πως ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ, μονονουχὶ δὲ καὶ ἀνασειράζοντα τὴν θεοπρεπῆ γαληνότητα διὰ τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπέρογκον· ζητοῦντα δ' οὖν ὅμως τὸ κατοικτείρειν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἐφ' ἑνὶ θέλοντα καταλύειν τὰ ἐξ ὀργῆς; Ἕνα γὰρ ἄνδρα τοὺς περιθέοντας ἐπιδεικνύναι πιστὸν ἐν αὐτῇ διετάττετο. Καὶ ἐγὼ εἶπα· Ἴσως πτωχοί εἰσι, διότι οὐκ ἐδυνήθησαν, κ.τ.λ. Τὸ προὖχον καὶ ἱερώτερον ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ταλανίζεται μὲν εἰκότως, ῥαγδαιοτέραν δὲ τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπήντλησεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο σαφηνιεῖ λέγων αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν, ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, κ.τ.λ. Πρὸς τίνα λαλήσω καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι;","english":"Indeed the hills and the strength of the mountains were false, etc. He mentions mountains and hills, since in those ancient times they built temples and precincts in them and erected altars, offering most pleasing sacrifices to the demons. And shame consumed the labors of our fathers from their youth. By shame they mean the truly inglorious and most dishonorable idolatry, and the error in this matter, which also consumed the labors of their fathers; for they expended their sheep and their calves in sacrificing to the demons, and together with their possessions they suffered a loss of wisdom. Woe is me! that my soul faints over the slain. Run about in the streets of Jerusalem. In these words you see one who is in travail over the slain, and who readily wishes to pity Jerusalem, but is somehow restrained by himself, and almost checks his divine serenity because of the excess of sin; yet nevertheless he seeks to commiserate the sins, and wishes to put an end to the things that come from wrath in one respect? For he commanded that one man be shown as faithful among those who run about in her. And I said: Perhaps they are poor, because they were not able, etc. The preeminent and more sacred element among the Jews is deservedly lamented, but it drew upon itself a more violent wrath. And Christ himself will clarify this, saying, Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go about over sea and dry land to make one proselyte, etc. To whom shall I speak and bear witness?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄντως εἰς ψεῦδος ἦσαν οἱ βουνοὶ καὶ δύναμις τῶν ὀρέων","severity":"info","text":"Cyril opens with a lemma from Jeremiah, likely Jer 2:15 LXX, where the hills and mountain strength are declared false.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"αἰσχύνην","severity":"info","text":"Cyril glosses 'shame' (αἰσχύνην) as a metaphor for idolatry, which he calls 'inglorious and most dishonorable'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οἴ μοι! ὅτι ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνηρημένοις","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes a lament from Jeremiah (cf. Jer 4:31 LXX), interpreting it as divine anguish over sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites a saying of Christ against scribes and Pharisees, not found in the canonical Gospels, possibly from an apocryphal or oral tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἱερά τε καὶ τεμένη","severity":"info","text":"Cyril describes ancient pagan worship on hills, with temples and altars for demonic sacrifices, reflecting common patristic polemic against polytheism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Πρὸς τίνα λαλήσω καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι;","severity":"info","text":"The passage ends with a rhetorical question, typical of Cyril's exegetical style, emphasizing the prophet's isolation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Christ-saying against scribes and Pharisees is uncertain; it may be from an apocryphal gospel or a lost tradition.","The lemma 'Ὄντως εἰς ψεῦδος ἦσαν οἱ βουνοὶ' is not verbatim in the standard LXX of Jeremiah, suggesting Cyril may be citing a variant or paraphrasing."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Κατωνείδιζον γὰρ τὸ ῥῆμα Χριστοῦ, τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις περὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Δαιμόνιον ἔχει καὶ μαίνεται· τί αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε; Οὐχὶ ὁρᾷς τί αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσι ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα; Ὁσίᾳ δὴ οὖν τετιμώρηνται ψήφῳ. Ἀναθέντες γὰρ κτίσει τὸ σέβας, καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν ἰδίων χειρῶν λατρεύσαντες, αὐτοὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπήντλησαν κεφαλαῖς τὰ ἐκ θείας. ὀργῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀδίκως ἐκτείνεται δίκτυα πτερωτοῖς, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ἠσχύνθησαν σοφοί. Σοφοὺς ἔοικεν ἐν τούτοις ὑποδηλοῦν τοὺς τῶν Ἑλλήνων λογάδας, ποιητάς τε καὶ συγγραφέας· οἳ γλῶτταν μὲν ἔχουσιν εὐφυᾶ καὶ περιειργασμένην, καὶ ταῖς τῶν λόγων κομψείαις ἐξησκημένην εἰς τὸ ἐπίχαρι, φρονήσεως δὲ τῆς ἀληθοῦς ἀμέτοχοι τὴν καρδίαν. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ πάνσοφος γράφει Παῦλος, Ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία. Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ἑξῆς. Οὐκοῦν σοφοὶ μὲν, τό γε ἧκον εἰς φωνὴν καὶ γλῶτταν, ἄσοφοι δὲ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν. Ἡ δὲ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ἐλαίαν ὡραίαν εὔσκιον τῷ εἴδει. Ἀχρειοῖ γὰρ ὁλοτρόπως τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχὴν τὸ ἀποφοιτῆσαι Θεοῦ καὶ ἀμοιρῆσαι παντελῶς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ χάριτος καὶ ἐπικουρίας. Φοβερὸν γὰρ τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Πρὸς σὲ ἔθνη. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ γεγόνασιν ὑβρισταὶ καὶ ἀπειθεῖς, καὶ ἀσυνεσίας ἔμπλεω τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοντες, ἀλλ' οὖν σώζονται καὶ δοξάζονται παρὰ Χριστοῦ.","english":"For they reviled the word of Christ, saying to those who heard him about him: \"He has a demon and is mad; why do you listen to him? Do you not see what they themselves do in the cities of Judah?\" So then they have been punished by a holy decree. For having transferred reverence to creation and worshipped the works of their own hands, they themselves have drawn upon their own heads the consequences of divine wrath. For nets are not unjustly spread for winged creatures, according to the scripture. The wise were put to shame. By \"wise\" he seems here to indicate the luminaries of the Greeks, both poets and writers, who have a well-endowed and elaborate tongue, practiced in the refinements of speech for charm, but whose heart has no share in true wisdom. For as the all-wise Paul writes, \"They were vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened.\" Claiming to be wise, they became foolish, and so forth. Therefore they are wise, as far as concerns voice and tongue, but unwise in heart. And the wisdom of this world is folly before God, according to the scripture. \"A beautiful olive tree, well-shaded in appearance.\" For the soul of man is utterly ruined by departing from God and being completely deprived of his grace and assistance. For it is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God. \"To you, nations.\" For even if they have become insolent and disobedient, and have a mind full of folly, yet they are saved and glorified by Christ.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δαιμόνιον ἔχει καὶ μαίνεται","severity":"info","text":"The accusation 'He has a demon and is mad' echoes the New Testament charge of demonic possession against Jesus (cf. John 10:20).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐ γὰρ ἀδίκως ἐκτείνεται δίκτυα πτερωτοῖς","severity":"info","text":"The proverb 'nets are not unjustly spread for winged creatures' is a citation from the Septuagint of Proverbs 1:17, used to illustrate divine justice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes Paul: 'They were vain in their reasonings, and their unintelligent heart was darkened' — a paraphrase of Romans 1:21, emphasizing the folly of pagan wisdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"σοφοί","severity":"info","text":"Cyril glosses 'wise' (σοφοί) as referring to Greek luminaries (poets and writers), distinguishing verbal skill from true wisdom — a common patristic polemic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑλλήνων λογάδας","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'luminaries of the Greeks' reflects Cyril's anti-pagan polemic, targeting Greek intellectuals as eloquent but spiritually blind, a topos in early Christian apologetics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐλαίαν ὡραίαν εὔσκιον τῷ εἴδει","severity":"info","text":"The image of a 'beautiful olive tree, well-shaded in appearance' likely alludes to Jeremiah 11:16 (LXX), where the olive tree symbolizes Israel's false prosperity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Οὐχὶ ὁρᾷς τί αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα;' is ambiguous: it could be a continuation of the mockers' speech or Cyril's own rhetorical question. The English draft treats it as part of the mockers' words, which is plausible.","The reference 'κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον' for the net proverb is not explicitly identified in the text; it is assumed to be Proverbs 1:17, but the exact source is not cited by Cyril."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ἀπαρχὴ δὲ τούτων γεγόνασιν οἱ ἀθλοφόροι μάρτυρες, ὧν τῆς εὐκλείας ἡ φαιδρότης ὅλην ἀστράπτει τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν. Καὶ ἔσται ὡς τὸ ξύλον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ πλούτῳ μέγα φρονεῖ, οὔτε μὴν διακένων δοξαρίων ἐκτὸς γεγονὼς τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑψηλήν (σιξ)· εἰκαιότητος γὰρ ταῦτα, καὶ ἕτερον οὐδέν. Καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀσφαλὲς ἐνέχυρον εἰς σωτηρίαν, τὸ ἐπὶ Θεῷ πεποιθέναι τῷ πάντα ἰσχύοντι· τὸ δὲ ἐφ' ἑτέροις τισι ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐλπίδα, μάταιον καὶ ἀνωφελές. Ἰδοὺ ὡς ὁ πηλός. Μεταπλάττει\n\nγὰρ εὐκόλως ἐφ' ᾧπερ ἂν ἕλοιτο τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγονός. Οὐκ ἰδοὺ οἱ λόγοι; κ.τ.λ. Πῦρ ὀνομάζει τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν καὶ σωτήριον κήρυγμα, ἢ καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μέθεξιν, ὃ καὶ πυρὶ παρεικάζεται. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ πάνσοφος Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς περὶ αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οὕτω φησίν· Ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ὕδατι βαπτίζω εἰς μετανοίαν, κ.τ.λ. Ὀρθῶς οὖν ἔφη ὁ Χριστός· Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη; Καὶ ὑπεστρέψατε Ὁρᾷς ὅπως οὐκ ἀνέχεται τῶν τύπων ἀθετουμένων, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐξυβρισμένης ὡς ἐν σκιαῖς ἔτι; Ἀμεταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα καὶ ἡ κλῆσις τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Τοὺς δὲ ἀνεθέντας ἅπαξ ἀνόπιν ἕλκοντες Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ τοῖς τῆς δουλείας αὖθις ὑποφέροντες ζυγοῖς, τὸ ἀμεταμέλητον οὐ τετηρήκασι· προσκεκρούκασί τε διὰ τοῦτο, τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν δύναμιν ἀτιμάζοντες, εἰ καὶ ἦν ἐν τύποις ἔτι.","english":"The first of these were the victorious martyrs, whose glory shines brightly over the whole world. And it will be like wood. For it does not take pride in wealth, nor, having become empty of vain pretensions, does it hold its head high; for these are things of vanity and nothing else. For it is a sure pledge for salvation to trust in God, who is all-powerful; but to place hope in other things is vain and useless. Behold, like clay. For it easily reshapes what has come from it into whatever it chooses. Are not these the words? etc. He calls fire the evangelical and saving proclamation, or also the participation in the Holy Spirit itself, which is likened to fire. And indeed the all-wise John the Baptist speaks thus about him and about our Savior Jesus Christ: \"I baptize you with water for repentance,\" etc. So Christ rightly said: \"I came to cast fire upon the earth, and what do I want if it is already kindled?\" And you have turned back. Do you see how he does not tolerate the types being set aside, or rather the truth itself being insulted as if still in shadows? For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable, according to what is written. But the Jews, dragging back those who had once been set free, and subjecting them again to the yokes of slavery, have not preserved the irrevocable; and they have given offense by this, dishonoring the power of the mystery, even though it was still in types.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπαρχὴ","severity":"info","text":"Ἀπαρχὴ (first-fruits) here metaphorically designates the martyrs as the first offering of the Christian community, a common Pauline and patristic trope.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril attributes to Christ a saying not found in the canonical Gospels; it may derive from an apocryphal tradition or a lost source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ὕδατι βαπτίζω εἰς μετανοίαν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes John the Baptist with a phrase not attested in the New Testament; it likely reflects a variant tradition or a loose paraphrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ ἀμεταμέλητον","severity":"info","text":"The concept of God's gifts being 'irrevocable' (ἀμεταμέλητον) echoes a theological principle in Cyril's anti-Jewish polemic, asserting the permanence of Christian salvation over against Jewish re-enslavement.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἔσται ὡς τὸ ξύλον","severity":"info","text":"This phrase and the following 'Behold, like clay' appear to be lemmata from the Jeremiah text being commented on, though they are not continuous in the Septuagint.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑψηλήν (σιξ)","severity":"caution","text":"The parenthetical 'σιξ' likely indicates a textual corruption or a marginal note in the manuscript; the intended reading is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the sayings attributed to Christ and John the Baptist is unclear; they may be from lost apocrypha or Cyril's own composition.","The phrase 'Καὶ ἔσται ὡς τὸ ξύλον' and 'Ἰδοὺ ὡς ὁ πηλός' are not direct Septuagint citations; their exact referent in Jeremiah is uncertain.","The notation 'σιξ' after 'ὑψηλήν' is obscure; it may be a scribal error or a siglum for a variant reading."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Δικαιούμεθα δὲ ὅτι δωρεὰν διὰ χάριτος τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ζωῆς ἀντάλλαγμα προσενεγκόντες οὐδὲν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐκπριάμενοι δόξαν, ἡμερότητι δὲ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ Δεσποτικῇ τὸ χρῆμα κερδαίνοντες. Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς δῶτε, κ.τ.λ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ταῖς Αἰγυπτίων ἐπικουρίαις ἐπιθαρσήσαντες ἀντεφέροντο τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις, ταύτῃ τοι λελυπημένοι μετὰ τὴν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας ἅλωσιν, ἐτράποντο κατ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀμογητὶ νενικήκασιν. Τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι, κ.τ.λ. Ὅταν διώκῃ Θεὸς, οὐδεὶς ἀνασώσει τὸν κινδυνεύοντα· ἀλλ' ἐνθάπερ ἂν εἴη τις, ἐκεῖ περιτεύξεται τῷ θυμῷ. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐκδικῶ τὸν Ἀμμών. Κυρίλλου τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ Ἀπολιναρίου. Ἀμμὼν δὲ οἱ μὲν τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν λέγουσιν, οὕτω πάλαι καλουμένην, ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ναούμ φησι· Μὴ κρείττων εἶ σὺ τῆς Ἀμμὼν, τῆς κατοικούσης ἐν ποταμοῖς; Ὕδωρ κύκλῳ αὐτῆς ἧς ἡ εὐπορία θάλασσα, καὶ ὕδωρ τὰ τείχη αὐτῆς· Αἰθιοπία ἰσχὺς αὐτῆς καὶ Αἴγυπτος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστη πέρας τῆς φυγῆς· καὶ Λίβυες ἐγένοντο βοηθοὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτὴ εἰς μετοικίαν πορεύσεται. Ἀλλ' οἱ παρόντες καιροὶ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου πρεσβύτεροι κτίσεως. Ἴσως οὖν πρὸ Ἀλεξάνδρου πόλις ὑπῆρχεν ἐκεῖ, καὶ παυσαμένην ἀνέκτισε. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς Ἀμμωνᾶν τὸν Δία καλοῦσιν Αἰγύπτιοι, ἀφ' οὗ καὶ Ἀμμωνιακὴ προσαγορεύεται χώρα· ὃν αὐτῆς υἱὸν καλεῖ ὡς παρ' αὐτῆς θεοποιηθέντα· χειροποίητον γὰρ τὸ ἄγαλμα, ὃ δὴ, φησὶν, οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι παραλήψονται, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους αὐτῶν οὓς ἐπάγει θεούς. Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ Φαραὼ καὶ Αἴγυπτον, κατὰ κοινοῦ ἔχει τὸ ἐκδικῶ. Καὶ ἀγγέλους εἰς ἔθνη ἀπέστειλε.","english":"We are justified because we have brought nothing as an exchange for the life in Christ through grace as a gift, nor have we purchased the glory of freedom, but we gain the thing through the Lord's gentleness and philanthropy. \"If you give,\" etc. For because they, emboldened by the Egyptian auxiliaries, opposed the Babylonians, they were grieved by this after the capture of Jerusalem and Samaria, and they turned against them and conquered them without toil. \"To return,\" etc. When God pursues, no one will rescue the one in danger; but wherever one might be, there he will encounter the wrath. \"Behold, I avenge Ammon.\" This is from Cyril and also from Apollinarius. Some say that Ammon is Alexandria, so called long ago, as it is also said in Nahum: \"Are you not better than Ammon, which dwells among rivers? Water around her, whose wealth is the sea, and water her walls; Ethiopia is her strength and Egypt, and there was no end to her flight; and the Libyans became her helpers, and she herself will go into exile.\" But the present times are older than the foundation of Alexander. Perhaps, then, a city existed there before Alexander, and he rebuilt it after it had ceased. Some say that the Egyptians call Zeus Ammon, from which the Ammoniac region is also named; he calls him her son, as deified by her; for the statue is handmade, which, he says, the Babylonians will take, along with the other gods he brings in. The phrase \"against Pharaoh and Egypt\" has the verb \"I avenge\" in common. And he sent angels to the nations.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Δικαιούμεθα","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'we are justified' introduces a theological claim that justification is a free gift of grace, not an exchange, aligning with Cyril's anti-Pelagian emphasis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐὰν ὑμεῖς δῶτε, κ.τ.λ.","severity":"info","text":"The abbreviated citation 'If you give, etc.' likely refers to a biblical passage, possibly Jeremiah 27 or a related prophetic text, but the exact reference is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμμών","severity":"info","text":"Cyril notes that 'Ammon' may refer to ancient Alexandria, citing Nahum 3:8, and discusses the city's pre-Alexandrian existence and the Egyptian god Zeus Ammon.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ Ἀπολιναρίου","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'This is from Cyril and also from Apollinarius' indicates that the passage is attributed to both Cyril of Alexandria and Apollinarius of Laodicea, suggesting shared or conflated exegetical traditions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμμών","severity":"caution","text":"The identification of 'Ammon' with Alexandria is contested; Cyril reports multiple interpretations, including a reference to the god Zeus Ammon, leaving the precise referent ambiguous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι, κ.τ.λ.","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'To return, etc.' marks another abbreviated citation, likely from Jeremiah, indicating a structural break in the commentary where Cyril moves to a new lemma.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The abbreviated citations 'If you give, etc.' and 'To return, etc.' lack explicit biblical references, making their exact sources uncertain.","The identification of 'Ammon' as Alexandria or the god Zeus Ammon is ambiguous, with multiple interpretations presented."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Περιοχὴν δὲ εἶπεν οὓς Ἱερεμίας ἀγγέλους, καὶ Σύμμαχος ἀγγελίαν ἐξέδωκεν· νοοῖτο δ' ἂν καὶ πολιορκία. Καλεῖ δὲ κατὰ τῆς Ἰδουμαίας ἔθνη πολλὰ τὸ θεῖον νεῦμα, καὶ τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ κίνησιν ἀγγέλους εἶπε. Κινηθέντες γὰρ ἐκ Θεοῦ πρὸς πόλεμον, ἀλλήλους ἠρέθιζον, ὥς φησιν Ἀβδιού· συνεισέβαλον γὰρ τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς Ἰδουμαίαν καὶ τὰ περίοικα τῶν ἐθνῶν. Πρὸς Ἰδουμαίαν δὲ μεταστρέψας, φησίν· Ἰδοὺ μικρὸν ἔδωκά σε ἐν ἔθνεσιν, ἀλλ' ὅμως εὐκαταφρόνητος γενόμενος ἐφρόνεις εἰς μέγα ἐπὶ ταῖς δυσχερείαις, ἀγνοῶν ὡς ἁλώσῃ κἂν ὑψώσῃς ὡς ἀετὸς τὴν κατοίκησιν. Τῷ δὲ, καὶ ἔσται Ἰδουμαία εἰς ἄβατον, καὶ τοῖς ἐφεξῆς, συνωδὰ πάλιν ἔφησεν Ἀβδιού· Καὶ ἔσται ὁ οἶκος Ἡσαῦ εἰς καλάμην, καὶ ἐκκαυθήσεται εἰς αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται πυρφόρος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἡσαῦ.\n\nἩ δὲ παροιμία καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἔξω κρατεῖ· Οὐδὲ πυρφόρος ἐλείφθη, ἐπὶ τῶν ἄρδην ἀπολλυμένων. Προηγεῖτο γάρ τις πῦρ ἔχων, καὶ περικαθαίρων πρὸ τῆς συμβολῆς τὰ στρατεύματα, καὶ νόμος ἦν μηδένα κατὰ τούτου χεῖρα φέρειν πολέμιον. Ἰατρεύσαμεν τὴν Βαβυλῶνα. Βαβυλῶνα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν τούτοις κατονομάζουσιν, ὡς τὰ ἐκείνης μιμεῖσθαι σπουδάζουσαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀποδέουσαν τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν χώρας, τό γε ἧκον εἰς ἕξιν τελείαν, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι τιμᾷν τὸν νόμον, ἤτοι τῆς προφητικῆς παιδαγωγίας τὸ ἐπωφελές.","english":"He called \"a band\" what Jeremiah called \"angels,\" and Symmachus rendered as \"a message\"; it could also be understood as \"a siege.\" The divine will summons many nations against Idumea, and he called the motion proceeding from it \"angels.\" For, stirred up by God to war, they incited one another, as Obadiah says; for they invaded Idumea together with those from Israel and the surrounding nations. Turning to Idumea, he says: Behold, I have made you small among the nations, but nevertheless, having become contemptible, you thought yourself great in your difficulties, not knowing that you will be captured even if you raise your dwelling like an eagle. And with the words \"and Idumea will be impassable\" and those that follow, Obadiah again spoke in harmony: \"And the house of Esau will become stubble, and it will be burned up among them, and there will be no fire-bearer in the house of Esau.\"\n\nThe proverb also prevails among the pagans: \"Not even a fire-bearer was left,\" for those utterly destroyed. For someone used to go before, carrying fire, and purifying the armies before the engagement, and it was a law that no enemy should lay a hand on this man. We have healed Babylon. They call Jerusalem \"Babylon\" in these passages, as one eager to imitate that city's ways, and in no way falling short of the land of the nations, at least with respect to complete habituation and the refusal to honor the law, that is, the benefit of prophetic instruction.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Περιοχὴν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril notes that Jeremiah uses 'angels' (ἀγγέλους) for what he calls 'a band' (Περιοχὴν), and Symmachus renders as 'a message' (ἀγγελίαν); the term can also mean 'a siege' (πολιορκία).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀβδιού","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites the prophet Obadiah twice: first, that nations stirred by God invaded Idumea with Israel; second, that the house of Esau will become stubble with no fire-bearer left.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Obadiah"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"πυρφόρος","severity":"info","text":"Cyril explains the pagan proverb 'Not even a fire-bearer was left' for total destruction: a fire-bearer purified armies before battle and was protected by law from attack.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Βαβυλῶνα","severity":"info","text":"Cyril states that in these passages Jerusalem is called 'Babylon' because it imitated Babylon's ways and fully rejected the law and prophetic instruction.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Πρὸς Ἰδουμαίαν δὲ μεταστρέψας","severity":"info","text":"Cyril marks a shift in the prophetic address: after discussing nations, the speaker turns to Idumea directly, quoting a divine rebuke about its smallness and misplaced pride.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Coptic Vorlage for 'angels' (ἀγγέλους) is uncertain; Cyril's gloss 'band' (Περιοχὴν) may reflect a different reading or interpretation of the Hebrew."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}