{"slug":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","title":"Homiliarum incertarum fragmenta","title_source":"Homiliarum incertarum fragmenta","author":"Cyril 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":"2026-11-15T07:16:21Z","cost_usd":0.007754},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","work_id":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","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/Homiliarum%20incertarum%20fragmenta.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":14,"english_words":3969,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":15653,"commentary_units":82,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":26,"work_notes":4,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","abstract":"The Homiliarum incertarum fragmenta are a collection of homiletic fragments attributed to Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378–444), surviving only through catenae and florilegia. No complete manuscript of the original collection exists, and the attribution is traditional but not securely documented. The fragments may include spurious or misattributed material from later compilers. They were not widely cited in Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, suggesting limited circulation. The modern edition relies solely on the digital source khazarzar, which provides no critical apparatus or manuscript witnesses, making verification of the textual basis or completeness impossible.","historical_context":"The fragments are attributed to Cyril of Alexandria, a prominent Greek patristic author and bishop active in the early 5th century. Cyril was a central figure in the Christological controversies of the period, particularly opposing Nestorius and defending the unity of Christ's divine and human natures. The homilies likely date from his episcopate (412–444) in Alexandria, a major center of Christian learning and theological debate. The fragments survive only in catenae and florilegia, indicating they were excerpted for later doctrinal or liturgical use, but their limited citation in Byzantine sources suggests they were not widely circulated. The lack of a complete manuscript and the reliance on a single digital edition without critical apparatus raise questions about the authenticity and integrity of the text. The fragments may reflect later compilations or misattributions common in the catena tradition.","significance":"These fragments, if authentic, would provide insight into Cyril's homiletic style and his Christological arguments, particularly on the consubstantiality of the Son and the incarnation. However, their uncertain attribution and fragmentary state limit their value for historical reconstruction. They illustrate the challenges of working with catena traditions and the need for critical editions in patristic studies.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 378–444","event":"Life of Cyril of Alexandria, to whom the fragments are traditionally attributed."},{"date":"5th c.","event":"Composition of the original homilies, if authentic, during Cyril's episcopate in Alexandria."},{"date":"6th–9th c.","event":"Transmission of the fragments through catenae and florilegia, with possible misattribution or interpolation."},{"date":"Modern period","event":"Digital edition by khazarzar, without critical apparatus or manuscript witnesses."}],"relations":[{"work":"Cyril of Alexandria's other homilies and treatises","relation":"Thematically related, especially on Christology and consubstantiality.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Catenae and florilegia of Greek patristic texts","relation":"The fragments are transmitted through these collections.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Nestorian controversy","relation":"Cyril's Christological arguments against Nestorius are reflected in the fragments.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John 14:9","relation":"Cited in the fragments to argue for the Son's consubstantiality.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Cyril of Alexandria is traditional but not securely documented; the fragments may include spurious or misattributed material.","The homilies survive only in fragmentary form through catenae and florilegia; no complete manuscript of the original collection is known.","The modern edition relies on a single digital source (khazarzar) with no critical apparatus or manuscript witnesses, making verification impossible.","The fragments were not widely cited in Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, suggesting limited circulation and possible later compilation."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000435,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:16:20Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Cyril%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2068-77/Homiliarum%20incertarum%20fragmenta.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-cyril-of-alexandria-homiliarum-incertarum-fragmenta","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":14,"translated":14,"commentary_passages":14,"commentary_units":82,"english_words":3969,"source_letters":15653,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homilies survive only in fragmentary form, transmitted through catenae and florilegia. No complete manuscript of the original collection is known.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378–444) is traditional but not securely documented. The fragments may include spurious or misattributed material from later compilers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"These fragments were not widely cited in Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, suggesting limited circulation. Their modern edition relies on a single digital source (khazarzar).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The khazarzar edition provides no critical apparatus or manuscript witnesses. Readers cannot verify the textual basis or completeness of the fragments presented.","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: 14 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: John 1:14."},{"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":14},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"̓ νοηταίνουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ λέγοντες τὸν Υἱὸν ἑτεροφυᾶ καὶ ἀλλότριον τῆς τοῦ Α Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐσίας· ἀμήχανον γὰρ τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν, κτιστὸν ειναι καὶ γενητόν· εἰ γὰρ πᾶν ο πέφυκε τίκτειν, ὁμοούσιον ἑαυτῷ γεννᾷ, γεγέννηκε δὲ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ Πατὴρ, πάντως που καὶ ὁμοούσιον ἑαυτῷ γεγέννηκεν. η γὰρ οὐκ ατοπον ἐξ ἀνθρώπου μὲν οὐχ ἑτεροειδὲς τίκτεσθαι ζῷον, καὶ μὴν ἐκ βοός γε καὶ ιππου· τίκτει γὰρ εκαστον τὸ κατὰ φύσιν ομοιον ἑαυτῷ· τὴν δέ γε θείαν καὶ ἀνωτάτω φύσιν, μηδὲ ἐν τούτοις ειναι νομίζειν ἐν οις ἐστιν ἡ κτίσις; οὐκοῦν εἰ κτίσμα τὸ γεννηθὲν, κτιστὸς αρα καὶ ὁ τεκών· ἀλλ' εστιν ἀγένητος ὁ Πατὴρ, οὐ γὰρ γέγονε παρά τινος, ἀγένητος αρα καὶ ὁ Υἱός· καὶ εἰ χαρακτήρ ἐστι τῆς ὑποστάσεως τοῦ γεγεννηκότος, Θεὸς δὲ κατὰ ἀλήθειάν ἐστιν ὁ τεκὼν, Θεὸς αρα καὶ ὁ χαρακτὴρ αὐτοῦ· χαρακτηρίζει γὰρ, Θεὸν μὲν Θεὸς, κτίσιν δὲ κτίσις. ωσπερ γὰρ ει τις βούλοιτο τὴν γενητὴν καὶ πεποιημένην κτίσιν καταδεῖξαί τισιν, οὐ δύναται λέγειν Ορα μοι τὴν τῆς θεότητος φύσιν, καὶ ἐκ ταύτης νοήσεις ἐκείνην· ὀφθήσεται γὰρ ἀμαθὴς ὁ τοῦτο λέγων· οὐ γὰρ ἡ τῆς θεότητος φύσις ἐφ' ἑαυτῇ καταδείξει τὴν γενητὴν οὐσίαν· ουτως ει τις βούλοιτο τὴν ακτιστον φύσιν ἰδεῖν, οὐκ αν ιδοι ταύτην ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι τῇ κτίσει· διὸ ελεγε τῷ Φιλίππῳ ὁ Κύριος \" ̔Ο ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ \"ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα·\" φυσικὴ δὲ πάντως ἡ ὁμοιότης Υἱῷ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ οὐσιώδης ὁ χαρακτήρ. ̔Ορᾷς οτι Θεὸς χρίεται παρὰ Θεοῦ; οτε γὰρ γέγονεν ανθρωπος μεμενηκὼς οπερ ην, τότε καὶ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἀνθρωπίνως χρίεται πρὸς ἀποστολήν·","english":"Those who say that the Son is of a different nature and alien from the substance of God the Father are mistaken. For it is impossible that what is from God by nature should be created and generated. For if everything that naturally gives birth produces something consubstantial with itself, and the Father has truly begotten the Son, then he has certainly begotten him consubstantial with himself. For is it not absurd that from a human being no animal of a different kind is born, and likewise from a cow or a horse? For each gives birth to what is naturally like itself. But should we think that the divine and highest nature is not even in these things in which creation exists? Therefore, if what is begotten is a creature, then the begetter is also a creature. But the Father is unbegotten, for he did not come into being from anyone; therefore the Son is also unbegotten. And if he is the character of the hypostasis of the begetter, and the begetter is truly God, then his character is also God. For God characterizes God, and creation characterizes creation. For just as if someone wished to show created and made creation to some people, he cannot say, \"Behold the nature of divinity for me, and from this you will understand that,\" for the one saying this will appear ignorant; for the nature of divinity will not by itself show forth created substance. So if someone wished to see the uncreated nature, he would not see it as in an image in creation. Therefore the Lord said to Philip, \"He who has seen me has seen the Father.\" The likeness of the Son to the Father is certainly natural, and the character is substantial. Do you see that God is anointed by God? For when he became man while remaining what he was, then he was anointed in a human way for his mission.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"νοηταίνουσι","severity":"info","text":"The verb νοηταίνουσι (from νοηταίνω, 'to be foolish') is rare; here it introduces a polemic against those who deny the Son's consubstantiality.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ὁμοούσιον","severity":"info","text":"ὁμοούσιον ('consubstantial') is the key Nicene term for the Son's identity of substance with the Father, central to Cyril's anti-Arian argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites John 14:9 (variant of 'He who has seen me has seen the Father') to argue that the Son's visible character reveals the Father's substance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"χρίεται","severity":"info","text":"The anointing of Christ (χρίεται) refers to his baptism or messianic mission; Cyril stresses that the divine Son remains unchanged in the incarnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a negative thesis (Son not alien) through a syllogism on consubstantial generation to a scriptural proof and a concluding rhetorical question on the incarnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"νοηταίνουσι","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has νοηταίνουσι, but the Coptic Vorlage may have read differently; the form is unattested in classical sources and could be a scribal error.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The reading νοηταίνουσι is uncertain; it may be a corruption of νοηταίνουσι or a hapax legomenon.","The phrase 'God is anointed by God' could refer to Christ's baptism or his consecration as Messiah; the exact referent is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"χρίεται γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης τῷ θείῳ Πνεύματι, οὐκ ἐνεργεῖται καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ψιλῶν ἀνθρώπων, οιον προφητῶν πατριαρχῶν· χρίσις δέ ἐστιν οιον ολη τοῦ χρίοντος ἡ παρουσία· χρίεται δὲ ὁ Υἱὸς οτε εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰσήχθη, τουτέστιν οτε ἐσαρκώθη· τότε γὰρ ἐκοινώνησε τῇ κτίσει, ἑνώσας ἑαυτῷ τὸ κτιστὸν, καὶ χρίσας τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα τῇ θεότητι, ωστε ποιῆσαι τὰ ἀμφότερα εν.\n\n463 ̔Ο πολλοὺς υἱοὺς εἰς δόξαν ἀγαγὼν οὐκ αν ὀλισθήσειε τοῦ ειναι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν Υἱός· οὐ γὰρ ἠμέλησε τοῦ ειναι ο ἐστιν, οπερ οὐκ ην γεγονὼς, μένει δὲ Κύριος ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ.\n\nΝοοῖτο δ' αν πρὸς ἡμῶν ὁ παραπλησίως ἡμῖν μετεσχηκὼς αιματος καὶ σαρκὸς, ὡς ετερος ων παρ' ἡμᾶς κατὰ φύσιν· οὐ γάρ τοι φαίη τις αν ἀνθρώπῳ πρέπειν τὸ ἀνθρωπότητος μετασχεῖν· ο γάρ ἐστι κατὰ φύσιν, πῶς αν τις νοοῖτο λαβὼν ὡς ετερον ων τι παρ'οπερ ἐστί; τί δέ ἐστι. Παραπλησίως \"μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν,\" η ἐκεῖνό που πάντως, οτι γέγονε καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐν αιματι καὶ σαρκὶ, σῶμα λαβὼν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου, οὐκ αψυχον, καθάπερ εδοξέ τισι τῶν αἱρετικῶν, ἐψυχωμένον δὲ ψυχῇ λογικῇ· καὶ ουτω προῆλθεν ανθρωπος ἐκ γυναικὸς, οὐκ ὀλιγωρήσας τοῦ ειναι Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν προσλήψει σαρκὸς, μεμενηκὼς οπερ ην ἀεί; ἐπειδὴ δὲ βαθὺς ὁ λόγος, πρόσεχε διεγηγερμένῳ νοῒ πῶς ἡμεῖς κεκοινωνήκαμεν αιματος καὶ σαρκός· ἑτεροφυὴς μὲν γὰρ ἡ ψυχὴ πρὸς αιμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλ' εἰς ανθρωπον ενα δι' ἀμφοῖν συντεθείμεθα, ταῖς τοῦ πλάσαντος ἡμᾶς εὐτεχνίαις, εἰς αφραστόν τινα συνδεδραμηκότων ἑνότητα τῶν ἀλλήλοις ἐναντίων κατὰ τὴν φύσιν.","english":"For the humanity is anointed by the divine Spirit, not activated as in the case of ordinary men, such as prophets and patriarchs; anointing is, as it were, the whole presence of the anointer. And the Son is anointed when he was introduced into the inhabited world, that is, when he was incarnate; for then he shared in creation, having united the created to himself and anointed the humanity with the divinity, so as to make both one.\n\nHe who has brought many sons to glory would not slip from being truly a Son; for he did not neglect to be what he is, which he had not become, but remains Lord in the form of a servant.\n\nIt may be understood by us that he who has partaken of blood and flesh in a manner similar to us is other than us by nature; for no one would say that it befits a man to partake of humanity; for how could one who is by nature something be conceived as having received it as something other than what he is? What then is it? \"He partook of the same things\" in a similar manner, or that certainly, that he became like us in blood and flesh, having taken a body from the holy virgin, not soulless, as some heretics thought, but ensouled with a rational soul; and thus he came forth as a man from a woman, not having neglected to be God, but even in the assumption of flesh, having remained what he always was. Since the discourse is deep, attend with an awakened mind to how we have partaken of blood and flesh; for the soul is of a different nature from blood and flesh, but we are composed into one man through both, by the skillful arts of our Creator, with the things opposite in nature having run together into some ineffable unity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"χρίεται","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'anointed' (χρίεται) is used here in a technical Christological sense, distinct from ordinary prophetic anointing, to denote the incarnation as the presence of the divine anointer.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἑτεροφυὴς","severity":"info","text":"The term 'of a different nature' (ἑτεροφυὴς) reflects Cyril's anti-Arian and anti-Nestorian polemic, asserting the unity of divine and human natures in Christ against those who separate them.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"δούλου μορφῇ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'form of a servant' (δούλου μορφῇ) echoes Philippians 2:7 (μορφὴν δούλου), a key Pauline text for Cyril's Christology of the Word remaining Lord in the assumed humanity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"βαθὺς ὁ λόγος","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the discourse is deep' (βαθὺς ὁ λόγος) marks a rhetorical transition, signaling a shift to a more complex theological argument about the union of soul and body in Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"παραπλησίως","severity":"caution","text":"The adverb 'in a similar manner' (παραπλησίως) is ambiguous: it could mean Christ partook of blood and flesh in a way analogous to humans, or that he partook of the same elements. The context favors the former, emphasizing similarity without identity of nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'παραπλησίως μετέσχε τῶν αὐτῶν' is ambiguous: it may mean 'he partook of the same things in a similar manner' or 'he partook of the same things similarly.' The reading taken is that Christ's partaking is analogous to human partaking, not identical in nature.","The clause 'οὐκ ὀλιγωρήσας τοῦ ειναι Θεὸς' could be read as 'not having neglected to be God' or 'not having diminished being God.' The translation opts for the former, consistent with Cyril's emphasis on the permanence of Christ's divinity."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"βούλει καθά φησιν ̔Ησαΐας, μετρήσωμεν \"τῇ χειρὶ \"τὸ υδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν \"δρακί;\" βούλει τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ιδωμεν ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς; οὐκοῦν παραθέντες εἰς παράδειγμα βραχὺ τὸν ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ανθρωπον, ἀναπηδήσωμεν εἰς ἐννοίας τὰς ἐπὶ Χριστῷ· ενωσιν ἀληθῆ γενέσθαι φαμὲν\n\nπροσλαβόντος τοῦ Λόγου τὸ ἀνθρώπινον· ιδιον γὰρ ἐποιήσατο τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου, ιδιον δὲ ὡσανεὶ λέγοιτο τυχὸν καὶ ἡμῶν ἑκάστου τὸ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τοῦτο οιμαι δηλοῦν τὸ γενέσθαι σάρκα αὐτὸν, οὐ κατὰ τροπὴν η μετάστασιν· ατρεπτος γὰρ ἡ θεία φύσις· ἀλλ' οτι τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ σύνηθές πως ἀεὶ καὶ ολον εσθ'οτε τὸν ανθρωπον, τὸν ἐκ ψυχῆς δὴ λέγω καὶ σώματος, καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ μόνης καταδηλοῦν τῆς σαρκὸς, οιόν ἐστι τό \" ̓Εκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα.\" ενα τοίνυν ὁμολογοῦμεν Υἱὸν, γεννηθέντα μὲν θεϊκῶς ἐκ Πατρὸς, καθὸνοεῖται καὶ εστι Λόγος, ἀποτεχθέντα δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκ γυναικὸς κατὰ σάρκα· νοηθήσεται γὰρ ουτω, κεκοινωνηκὼς αιματος καὶ σαρκὸς παραπλησίως ἡμῖν, ινα διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν διάβολον, ου \"φθόνῳ θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε·\" ῥίζα γὰρ ωσπερ ζωῆς ὁ Χριστοῦ γέγονε θάνατος, καὶ φθορᾶς ἀναίρεσις, καὶ ἁμαρτίας ἀποτροπὴ καὶ πέρας ὀργῆς· γεγόναμεν ἐπάρατοι, καὶ ὑπὸ θανάτου δίκην ἐν Α ̓ δὰμ, ἀλλὰ κεχρημάτικεν ὁ Λόγος, ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς ἁμαρτίαν, υἱὸς ̓Αδὰμ, καὶ λέλυται δι' αὐτοῦ τῆς τοῦ πρώτου παραβάσεως τὰ ἐγκλήματα· ωφθη γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις ἐν Χριστῷ ὑγιῶς εχουσα τὸ ἀπλημμελὲς, τοῦτο σέσωκε τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς.","english":"Do you wish, as Isaiah says, that we measure \"water with the hand,\" and the heaven with a span, and the whole earth \"with the fist\"? Do you wish that we should look at things beyond us from things like us? So then, having set forth as a brief example the human being composed of soul and body, let us leap up to thoughts concerning Christ. We say that a true union has taken place, the Word having taken up the human element. For He made His own the body from the holy Virgin, His own as each of us might say of his own body. And this, I think, makes clear that He became flesh, not by change or transformation—for the divine nature is changeless—but because divine Scripture is somehow always accustomed, and sometimes entirely, to indicate the human being, I mean the one composed of soul and body, even from the flesh alone, as for instance: \"I will pour out from my spirit upon all flesh.\" Therefore we confess one Son, born divinely from the Father, in so far as He is conceived and is Word, and the same one born from a woman according to flesh. For thus it will be understood that He has partaken of blood and flesh similarly to us, in order that through His own death He might abolish the devil, by whom \"death entered the world through envy.\" For the death of Christ has become, as it were, a root of life, and an abolition of corruption, and a turning away of sin, and an end of wrath. We became accursed and subject to death like Adam, but the Word, who knows no sin, has become a son of Adam, and through Him the charges of the first transgression have been dissolved. For the nature of man was seen in Christ to be soundly without fault; this has saved those on earth.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τῇ χειρὶ ... τὸ υδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί","severity":"info","text":"Cyril alludes to Isaiah 40:12 LXX, which mocks human attempts to measure the cosmos. The phrasing 'water with the hand' and 'heaven with a span' is a direct echo.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites Joel 2:28 (LXX 3:1) to illustrate how Scripture uses 'flesh' to denote the whole human being. The verse is quoted verbatim.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"φθόνῳ θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes a common patristic interpretation of Genesis 3, though not a direct biblical quotation. It likely alludes to Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 or a similar tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"προσλαβόντος τοῦ Λόγου τὸ ἀνθρώπινον","severity":"info","text":"The term 'πρόσληψις' (assumption) is central to Cyril's Christology: the Word takes up the human element without change. This distinguishes his view from Nestorian 'synapheia' (conjunction).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"υἱὸς Ἀδάμ","severity":"info","text":"Cyril calls the Word 'son of Adam' to stress Christ's solidarity with fallen humanity. This reverses the Pauline typology of Christ as the second Adam (Romans 5) and emphasizes soteriological exchange.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"βούλει ... βούλει ... οὐκοῦν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril uses a rhetorical question series (βούλει ... βούλει ... οὐκοῦν) to introduce his analogy from human nature to Christ. This is a common homiletic device to engage the audience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'υἱὸς Ἀδὰμ' is ambiguous: it could mean 'son of Adam' (i.e., descendant) or 'the Son (Christ) in relation to Adam'. Cyril likely intends the latter, emphasizing Christ's role as the new Adam.","The citation 'φθόνῳ θάνατος' is not a direct biblical verse; its source is uncertain, possibly from a lost apocryphon or patristic paraphrase."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Οὐκ αὐτῇ μέντοι τῇ τοῦ Λόγου φύσει, τό ̓Αρχιερέα κεκλῆσθαι καὶ τὰ τοιάδε τῶν ὀνομάτων, ἀλλὰ τῇ μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίᾳ καὶ μέτροις τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς. καὶ φέρε πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο ζητήσωμεν, τίς ην ὁ δυνάμενος μὲν καὶ ἐξουσίαν εχων ἐπιλαβέσθαι ἀγγέλων, εἰ τοῦτο χρήσιμον ην, οὐκ ἐπιλαβόμενος δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκείνων, \"ἀλλὰ σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ;\" εἰμὲν ουν οι ονταί τινες περὶ ἀνθρώπου ταῦτα λέγεσθαι κοινοῦ, πῶς ἐνεδέχετο τὸν ουπω γεγεννημένον μηδὲ ὑπάρχοντα, φύσεως ἐπιλαβέσθαι τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, ειπερ ηθελε τοῦτο δρᾶν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὐ πεποιηκότα, ἐπιλαβόμενον δὲ μᾶλλον σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ; αλλως τε, κἀκεῖνο γὰρ οιμαι κατιδεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, τὸ λέγειν ανθρωπον ἀνθρωπότητος ἐπιλαβέσθαι, ἀσύνετον παντελῶς. οὐκοῦν ὁ εξω τῆς ἀνθρώπου φύσεως ων ὡς Θεὸς, ἐπιλαμβάνεται σπέρματος ̔Αβραάμ· σῶμα γὰρ ου τω λαβὼν εμψυχόν τε καὶ εννουν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας καὶ θεοτόκου Μαρίας, ὡμοιώθη τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς κατὰ πάντα, τουτέστιν ἡμῖν· τότε γέγονεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἀρχιερεὺς ἐλεήμων, καὶ πρός γε τούτῳ πιστός. πῶς ουν γέγονεν, ἀκόλουθον ἰδεῖν· οὐ γὰρ ην ἐλεήμων καὶ πρὶν γένηται καθ' ἡμᾶς; οὐκ ην ἀγαθὸς ὡς ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀλλ' οτε γέγονεν ανθρωπος, τότε καὶ ἐλεήμων; προέκοψεν ουν ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος, καὶ κρείττων ἑαυτοῦ γέγονεν, οτε σπέρματος ̔Αβραὰμ ἐπελάβετο· οὐκοῦν οπερ οὐκ ην ἐγένετο, καὶ ὠφέληται μᾶλλον γενόμενος ανθρωπος· πῶς ουν ατρεπτος ετι κατὰ φύσιν, εἰ γέγονεν οπερ οὐκ ην; πῶς μεμένηκεν ὁ αὐτός; ποῦ δὲ κεκένωκε καὶ καθῆκεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς ταπείνωσιν, εἰ γέγονεν ἑαυτοῦ καλλίων; ἀλλ' οὐχ ουτω ταῦτ' εχει, μὴ γένοιτο·","english":"It is not, however, to the nature of the Word itself that the name \"High Priest\" and such titles belong, but to the economy with flesh and to measures like our own. And let us first investigate this: who was the one who was able and had the authority to lay hold of angels, if this had been useful, but did not rather lay hold of them, but \"of the seed of Abraham\"? If, then, some think these things are said about a common man, how could one not yet born nor existing lay hold of the nature of the holy angels, if he wished to do this, but not having done that, rather laid hold of the seed of Abraham? Moreover, I think it is necessary to observe this as well: to say that a man laid hold of humanity is utterly senseless. Therefore, the one who is outside human nature as God lays hold of the seed of Abraham; for he took a body, ensouled and rational, from the holy and Theotokos Mary, and was made like his brothers in all things, that is, us; then he became a merciful high priest over us, and faithful besides. How then did this happen? It is fitting to see: was he not merciful even before he became like us? Was he not good as from a good Father, but when he became man, then also merciful? Did the Word from God the Father then advance and become better than himself when he laid hold of the seed of Abraham? Therefore, he became what he was not, and was benefited rather by becoming man. How then is he still changeless in nature, if he became what he was not? How has he remained the same? Where has he emptied and lowered himself into humility, if he became better than himself? But these things are not so; may it not be.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀρχιερέα","severity":"info","text":"The term 'High Priest' is applied to Christ not by nature but by the economy of incarnation, a key distinction in Cyril's Christology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'seed of Abraham' echoes the LXX and New Testament references to Israel's patriarch, here used to denote Christ's human lineage through Mary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril argues against a literal interpretation that a pre-existent man could seize angels, refuting a possible Nestorian or literalist reading of the incarnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage uses a series of rhetorical questions to challenge the idea that the Word improved by becoming man, reinforcing Cyril's insistence on divine changelessness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has minor orthographic variations (e.g., 'ουπω' for 'οὔπω') but these do not affect the sense; the argument remains clear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ' could be read as a direct quotation from scripture or as a general reference; the context supports the latter."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"ην γὰρ ἐλεήμων καὶ εστιν ἀεί· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἐπελάβετο σπέρματος ̔Αβραὰμ, ιν' εἰς ἡμᾶς ἱερεὺς ἐλεήμων γένηται· καὶ τίνα τρόπον, ἐρῶ· οὐκ ην ἐν νόμῳ δικαιωθῆναι τὸν ανθρωπον, οὐκ ην παραβῆναι τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, καὶ μὴ δίκας ὑποσχεῖν παραχρῆμα καὶ μέχρι θανάτου· πιστώσεται δὲ γράφων ὁ Παῦλος \" ̓Αθετήσας τις νόμον Μωϋσέως \"χωρὶς οἰκτιρμῶν ἐπὶ δυσὶν η τρισὶν μάρτυσιν ἀποθνήσκει.\" ι να τοίνυν ἀπαλλάξῃ ἡμᾶς τῆς ἐν νόμῳ δίκης καὶ ἀρᾶς καὶ ἀποτομίας, κεχρημάτικεν ἡμῶν ἱερεὺς, οὐ δίκας αἰτῶν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων, οὐκ ἐνόχους τῇ κρίσει καθιστὰς τοὺς ἐξ ἀσθενείας ἀνθρωπίνης πεπλημμεληκότας· δικαιῶν δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ πίστει καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἀνιεὶς καὶ ἁγίους ἀποφαίνων καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φύσεως κοινωνοὺς, ουτω τε συνάπτων δι' ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί· ἐλεήμων γὰρ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς ἡμᾶς γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐκέτι ταῖς νομικαῖς ἀποτομίαις κρατεῖν ἐπιτρέπων, ἀνιεὶς δὲ μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρχαίων αἰτιαμάτων τοὺς ἠσθενηκότας· πιστὸς δὲ, οτι μόνιμος καὶ διηνεκὴς, καὶ ἀξιόχρεως εἰς πίστιν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων, καὶ ἀπαράβατον εχων τὴν ἱερωσύνην· ἐλεήμων τοίνυν καὶ πιστὸς, τουτέστιν ἀεὶ μένων γέγονεν ἱερεὺς οτε","english":"For he was merciful and is always so; and since this is the case, he took hold of the seed of Abraham, so that he might become a merciful priest for us. And in what manner, I shall say: it was not possible in the law for a man to be justified, it was not possible to transgress the given commandment and not immediately suffer penalties, even unto death. And Paul will confirm by writing: \"Someone who sets aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.\" Therefore, in order to deliver us from the penalty, curse, and severity of the law, he has become our priest, not demanding penalties for sins committed, not rendering those who have erred from human weakness liable to judgment, but rather justifying by faith, releasing from charges, declaring them holy and partakers of his own nature, and thus uniting them through himself to God and Father. For Christ has become a merciful high priest for us, no longer permitting the legal severities to prevail, but rather releasing those who have faltered from ancient accusations. And \"faithful\" means steadfast and enduring, and trustworthy in the promises made, and having an inviolable priesthood. Therefore, merciful and faithful—that is, always remaining—he became priest when","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Paul will confirm by writing: 'Someone who sets aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.'","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of a lost or apocryphal Jewish legal tradition, not a direct Pauline quotation; the source is unknown.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἱερεὺς ἐλεήμων","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'merciful priest' contrasts with the severity of Mosaic law, emphasizing Christ's role as intercessor who forgives rather than punishes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"seed of Abraham","severity":"info","text":"Refers to the Jewish people; Cyril argues Christ chose to incarnate among them to become a merciful priest, replacing the old legal system.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"For he was merciful and is always so","severity":"info","text":"This opening echoes the previous passage's discussion of Christ's eternal nature, linking the incarnation to his enduring mercy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"faithful means steadfast and enduring","severity":"info","text":"Cyril glosses 'faithful' (πιστός) as 'steadfast' and 'trustworthy,' a common patristic interpretation emphasizing Christ's reliability as priest.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Paul will confirm by writing","severity":"caution","text":"The citation is not found in extant Pauline letters; it may be a misattribution or a reference to a lost text, so its source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'someone' in the legal citation is unclear; it may refer to a generic violator of Mosaic law.","The phrase 'seed of Abraham' could be read as either the Jewish people collectively or a specific lineage; Cyril likely intends the former."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"σπέρματος ̔Αβραὰμ ἐπελάβετο, Θεὸς ων ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Πατρός· τί τοίνυν συκοφαντοῦσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν; τί παραιτοῦνται τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ειναι ο ἐστι, διὰ τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην;\n\n̓Αλλὰ γὰρ οἱ χριστομάχοι τὰ ἐκ πανουργίας εὑρήματα πανταχόθεν ἑαυτοῖς συλλέγοντες εἰς ἐπικουρίαν, καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς θείας συκοφαντοῦσι γραφάς· καὶ δὴ φασὶ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα καλέσαι τὸν ̓Ιησοῦν· ἀποστολὴ δὲ, φασὶ, καὶ ἱερωσύνη λειτουργίας εἰσὶ τρόποι· καὶ γοῦν ἀπεστάλησαν μὲν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἱεράτευσε δὲ ̓Ααρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ειπερ ἐν τούτοις ἐστί φασι τὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ μέτρον, πῶς ὁμοούσιος ειναι δύναται τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί; ω πολλῆς δυστροπίας· ἀποπροσποιοῦνται τὸ εἰδέναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ σκοπὸς αὐτοῖς μηδὲν ὑγιὲς φρονεῖν η λέγειν· ὁμολογοῦντες γὰρ μεθ' ἡμῶν, οτι καίπερ ὑπάρχων ἐν μορφῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, κεκένωκεν ἑαυτὸν ἑκὼν, οὐκ ἐπαινοῦσι τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸ μυστήριον, ἀκούοντες δὲ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγοντος \" ̓Αρχιερέα καὶ ἀπόστολον ̓Ιησοῦν·\" οὐκ εἰσδέχονται κατὰ νοῦν οτι467 γεγονὼς καθ' ἡμᾶς ὁ Μονογενὴς, ὠνόμασται τότε καὶ ̓Ιησοῦς διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἀγγέλου φωνῆς· τότε κεχρημάτικε καὶ ἀπόστολος καὶ ἀρχιερεύς. οὐκοῦν η ἀρνείσθωσαν ἐναργῶς οτι γέγονε σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος, τουτέστιν ανθρωπος, ἐμψυχωμένον τε καὶ εννουν σῶμα λαβὼν, καὶ τότε πάντα τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ γεγραμμένα περιαγέτωσαν εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον σκοπόν· η εἰ φοβοῦνται τὸ ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸ μυστήριον, θαυμαζέτωσαν μεθ' ἡμῶν τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς γεγονότα, μεμενηκότα δὲ καὶ ουτω Θεόν·","english":"the seed of Abraham, being God the Word, and in the form and equality of the Father. Why then do they slander the truth? Why do they reject the Son from being what he is, on account of his love for us?\n\nBut indeed the Christ-fighters, collecting from every side the inventions of their cunning for their own support, slander even the divine scriptures themselves. And indeed they say that the blessed Paul called Jesus an apostle and high priest. But apostleship and priesthood, they say, are forms of ministry. And indeed the disciples were sent, and Aaron and his sons served as priests. And if, they say, the measure of the Son is in these things, how can he be consubstantial with God the Father? O what great perversity! They pretend not to know the truth, and their purpose is to think or say nothing sound. For while confessing with us that the Son, although existing in the form of God the Father, willingly emptied himself, they do not praise the mystery of the economy with flesh, but hearing the apostle say \"Jesus, high priest and apostle,\" they do not take into their mind that when the Only-begotten became like us, he was then named Jesus through the voice of the angel; then he was also called apostle and high priest. Therefore, let them either plainly deny that the Word became flesh, that is, man, taking a body both ensouled and rational, and then let them refer all that is written about him to their own purpose; or, if they fear to deny the mystery, let them marvel with us at him who for our sake became among our own circumstances, while remaining even thus God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"χριστομάχοι","severity":"info","text":"The term 'Christ-fighters' is a polemical label used by Cyril for his opponents, likely the Nestorians, whom he accuses of opposing the true nature of Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀρχιερέα καὶ ἀπόστολον Ἰησοῦν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril refers to Paul calling Jesus 'high priest and apostle,' but this exact phrase is not found in the canonical Pauline epistles; it may be a paraphrase or from a non-canonical source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονομίας","severity":"info","text":"The 'economy with flesh' (οἰκονομίας) is a key Cyrillian term for the incarnation, emphasizing the divine plan of salvation through Christ's human nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage follows a rhetorical pattern: Cyril presents an opponent's objection, then refutes it by reinterpreting the scriptural reference in light of the incarnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cyril's argument here reflects the post-Ephesus (431 CE) Christological debates, where the term 'consubstantial' (ὁμοούσιος) was central to defining Christ's divinity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a lacuna at line 467 (indicated by 'οτι467'), possibly a scribal error or manuscript damage; the sense is restored from context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact scriptural source for 'Jesus, high priest and apostle' is unclear; it may be a conflation of Hebrews and Acts.","The lacuna at line 467 leaves a small gap in the argument, but the overall meaning is recoverable."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 1:14","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “the word became flesh”, which matches John 1:14. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"τότε γὰρ τὸ τῆς κενώσεως πολυπραγμονοῦντες μέτρον, τὸν αὐτὸν εὑρήσουσι καὶ ἀπόστολον ἀνθρωπίνως, καὶ κηρυσσόμενον θεϊκῶς παρὰ τῶν ἀπεσταλμένων· τίνα γὰρ ἐκήρυττον τοῖς εθνεσιν οἱ μακάριοι μαθηταὶ, καὶ τοῦτο ὡς Θεὸν ἀληθινόν; αρ'οὐχὶ τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ̓Ιησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν; οὐκ ἀπόστολον διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον; οὐκ αὐτὸν οντα Θεὸν, οτι Λόγος ην τοῦ Πατρός; πῶς αὐτὸν ἀρχιερέα γεγονότα θεωρήσομεν; αρα κατὰ τὸν ̓Ααρών; αρα κατὰ τὸν Μωσέως νόμον, τοὺς ἐξ ἀγέλης ἀμνοὺς καταθύοντα τῷ Θεῷ; αρα τρυγόνας προσάγοντα καὶ περιστερὰς καὶ σεμίδαλιν ἐλαιοβραχῆ; καίτοι τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν πέπραχεν ὁ ̓Εμμανουήλ· ἱερατεύει γὰρ ὑπὲρ νόμον· αὐτὸς ην τὸ θῦμα, ὁ ἀμνὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς, ὁ αὐτὸς ὁ αμωμός τε καὶ ακακος ἀρχιερεὺς, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἰδίων πλημμελημάτων ἱερουργῶν, κρείσσων γὰρ ην ἁμαρτίας ὡς Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ινα λύσῃ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου· γέγονε τοίνυν αὐτὸς τῆς ἰδίας προσφορᾶς ἱερουργός· οὐ γὰρ εδει κοινὸν ανθρωπον τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς θυσίαν προσενεγκεῖν. Αλλως δὲ τί φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, δοκιμάσωμεν ἀκριβέστερον \"Κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα \"τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν, τουτέστι τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως ο \"κηρύσσομεν·\" τί τοίνυν ἱερουργεῖ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τῷ Πατρί; 468 \"Πιστεύομεν γὰρ εἰς ενα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάν\"των ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητὴν καὶ εἰς ενα κύριον \"̓Ιησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν αὐτοῦ Υἱόν.\" οὐκοῦν οἱ λέγοντες οτι γέγονεν ἱερεὺς, διά τε τοῦτο σκανδαλιζόμενοι, διδασκέτωσαν ἡμᾶς ποῖος ἱερεὺς ἑαυτῷ ποιεῖται τὴν ἱερουργίαν, ἑαυτῷ προσφέρει τὴν θυσίαν;","english":"Then, when they scrutinize the measure of the kenosis, they will find him both as an apostle humanly and as proclaimed divinely by those sent forth. For what did the blessed disciples proclaim to the nations, and this as true God? Was it not our Lord Jesus Christ? Was he not an apostle on account of the human element? Was he not himself God, because he was the Word of the Father? How shall we regard him as having become high priest? In the manner of Aaron? According to the law of Moses, sacrificing lambs from the flock to God? Or offering turtledoves and pigeons and fine flour mixed with oil? Yet Emmanuel did none of these things; for he serves as priest beyond the law. He himself was the sacrifice, the true lamb, the same blameless and innocent high priest, not performing sacred rites for his own transgressions—for as God he was above sin—but in order to dissolve the sin of the world. He therefore became the celebrant of his own offering; for it was not fitting that a common man should offer the sacrifice for the life of the world. But otherwise, what does the blessed Paul say? Let us examine more precisely: \"Consider the apostle and high priest of our confession,\" that is, the word of the faith which we proclaim. What then does he sacrifice to himself and to the Father? \"For we believe in one God, Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord Jesus Christ, his Son.\" Therefore, let those who say that he became a priest, and are scandalized by this, teach us what kind of priest performs the sacred rite for himself, offers the sacrifice to himself.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ τῆς κενώσεως πολυπραγμονοῦντες μέτρον","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'scrutinize the measure of the kenosis' refers to the Incarnation and Christ's self-emptying, a key theme in Cyril's Christology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀρχιερέα","severity":"info","text":"The term 'high priest' (ἀρχιερεύς) is applied to Christ, distinguishing his sacrificial role from the Levitical priesthood of Aaron and Moses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πιστεύομεν γὰρ εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα...","severity":"info","text":"This is a quotation of the Nicene Creed (325/381), used by Cyril to argue that Christ is both priest and sacrifice, consistent with Trinitarian faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"οἱ λέγοντες ὅτι γέγονεν ἱερεύς","severity":"info","text":"Cyril refutes opponents who claim Christ became a priest in a literal, Levitical sense, likely Arian or Eunomian circles that denied Christ's divinity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"πῶς αὐτὸν ἀρχιερέα γεγονότα θεωρήσομεν;","severity":"info","text":"This rhetorical question introduces a series of contrasts between Christ's priesthood and Old Testament practices, structuring the argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites Paul (likely Hebrews) to support his typology of Christ as high priest, a common patristic reading that influenced later liturgical theology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως' could refer to the creedal formula or to a specific Pauline expression; the reading here follows the creedal interpretation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"ποῖος ἱερεὺς ἐν ισῃ τάξει καὶ ἐν δόξῃ φαίνεται τῷ παρ' αὐτοῦ δεχομένῳ τὴν λειτουργίαν; ἀλλὰ καίτοι γεγονὼς ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ Υἱὸς διὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, ἑαυτῷ προσκεκόμικε, καὶ δι' ἑαυτοῦ τῷ Πατρὶ τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ὁρᾶται θρόνοις· καὶ πιστώσεται γράφων ὁ Παῦλος \"Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, \"τοιοῦτον εχομεν ἀρχιερέα ος ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θρόνου \"τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, τῶν ἁγίων λειτουργὸς, \"καὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τῆς ἀληθινῆς ην επηξεν ὁ Κύριος καὶ οὐκ \"ανθρωπος.\" οὐκοῦν ἱερατεύει μὲν ἀνθρωπίνως οτι γέγονεν ανθρωπος, συνεδρεύει δὲ θεϊκῶς οτι μεμένηκε Λόγος.\n\nΘεὸν μέντοι ζῶντά φησι τὸν Χριστὸν, ου πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἀφίστανται τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας δογμάτων ἀποπηδῶντές τινες· ἀλλὰ τί φησιν ὁ αὐτοῦ\n\nμαθητής; \" ̔Ως ουν \"παρελάβετε τὸν Χριστὸν ̓Ιησοῦν Κύριον, ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε.\" παρελάβομεν δὲ ζῶντα Θεὸν καὶ Κύριον ἀληθῶς τὸν Χριστόν. Τούτους προανετύπου μὲν ὁ νόμος, προεκήρυξαν δὲ καὶ προφῆται. γέγραπται γοῦν ἐν Μωσαϊκῷ βιβλίῳ \"Καὶ λήψεσθε σεμίδαλιν καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτὴν δώδεκα αρτους καὶ ἐπιθήσετε αὐτοὺς δύο θέματα ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τὴν καθαρὰν εναντι Κυρίου καὶ ἐπιθήσετε ἐπὶ τὸ θέμα λίβανον καὶ αλας καὶ εσονται εἰς αρτους εἰς ἀνάμνησιν προκείμενα τῷ Κυρίῳ.\" αρτος μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατελθὼν καὶ ζωὴν διδοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ, τίς αν ετερος ει η παρὰ τὸν τῶν ολων Σωτῆρα Χριστόν; κατὰ μίμησιν δὲ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν, αρτοι κέκληνται καὶ οἱ μακάριοι μαθηταί·","english":"What priest appears in equal rank and glory to the one who receives the liturgy from him? And yet, having become high priest on account of the human element, the Son has offered up our confession to himself, and through himself to the Father, and is seen upon the thrones of the divinity; and Paul will confirm this by writing, \"A summary upon what has been said: we have such a high priest as sat at the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens, the minister of the saints, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not a man.\" Therefore he performs the priestly office humanly because he became man, but he sits enthroned divinely because he remained the Word.\n\nNow, however, he calls Christ a living God, from which some do not entirely and in every way depart, leaping away from the doctrines of the truth; but what does his disciple say? \"As therefore you received Christ Jesus as Lord, walk in him.\" And we received Christ as a living God and truly Lord. The law prefigured these things, and the prophets also proclaimed them beforehand. It is written, then, in a Mosaic book: \"And you shall take fine flour and make twelve loaves of it, and you shall place them in two rows upon the clean table before the Lord, and you shall place upon the row frankincense and salt, and they shall be loaves set before the Lord for a memorial.\" For the bread that came down from heaven and gives life to the world—who else could this be but Christ, the Savior of all? And in imitation of him, the blessed disciples are also called loaves.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ποῖος ἱερεὺς ἐν ἴσῃ τάξει καὶ ἐν δόξῃ φαίνεται τῷ παρ' αὐτοῦ δεχομένῳ τὴν λειτουργίαν","severity":"info","text":"Cyril argues that no priest equals the one who receives the liturgy from him, i.e., Christ, who as high priest offers confession to himself and the Father.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα ὃς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς","severity":"info","text":"Cyril attributes to Paul a quotation about a high priest seated at the right hand of the throne of majesty; the source is likely Hebrews 8:1, though the wording is adapted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀρχιερεύς","severity":"info","text":"The term 'high priest' (ἀρχιερεύς) is applied to Christ, emphasizing his dual nature: human in priestly office, divine in eternal enthronement.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὡς οὖν παρελάβετε τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν Κύριον, ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε","severity":"info","text":"Cyril quotes a disciple (likely John) exhorting believers to walk in Christ as received; the exact source is not identified in the passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ λήψεσθε σεμίδαλιν καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτὴν δώδεκα ἄρτους","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites a Mosaic book (Leviticus 24:5-8) describing twelve loaves with frankincense and salt as a memorial, prefiguring Christ and the disciples.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄρτος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατελθὼν","severity":"info","text":"The 'bread from heaven' is identified with Christ, the Savior, and the disciples are called 'loaves' in imitation, reflecting Eucharistic typology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The quotation attributed to Paul (Κεφάλαιον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις...) is not a direct biblical citation but a paraphrase or composite; its exact source is unclear.","The phrase 'ὡς οὖν παρελάβετε τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν Κύριον' is not a standard New Testament verse; it may be a loose citation or apocryphal saying."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"μέτοχοι γὰρ γεγονότες τοῦ τρέφοντος ἡμᾶς εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον, τρέφουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τῶν ἰδίων συγγραμμάτων τοὺς πεινῶντας καὶ διψῶντας τὴν δικαιοσύνην. ωσπερ δὲ φῶς ὑπάρχων τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὁ Σωτὴρ, φῶς ὠνόμασε καὶ τοὺς μαθητάς· \" ̔Υμεῖς γάρ ἐστε τὸ φῶς \"τοῦ κόσμου·\" ουτως καὶ αὐτὸς ων ὁ αρτος τῆς ζωῆς ἐχαρίσατο τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς τὸ ἐν τάξει νοεῖσθαι τῶν αρτων. καί μοι βλέπε τοῦ νόμου τὸ εὐτεχνές· ἐπιθήσετε γάρ φησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς αρτους λίβανον καὶ αλας· καὶ ὁ μὲν λίβανος εὐωδίας ἐστὶ σύμβολον· οἱ δὲ αλες, συνέσεως καὶ φρενῶν. ἐνυπῆρχον δὲ ακρως ἀμφότερα τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις. εὐώδης γὰρ ην ὁ βίος αὐτοῖς· καὶ γοῦν εφασκον οτι \"Χριστοῦ \"εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ Θεῷ,\" ησαν δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ πανσύνετοι· διὸ καὶ ηκουον \" ̔Υμεῖς ἐστε τὸ αλας τῆς γῆς.\" ἀκούω δὲ καὶ τοῦ προφήτου Δαυεὶδ ψάλλοντός τε καὶ λέγοντος περὶ αὐτῶν \" ̓Εκεῖ Βενιαμὶν νεώτερος ἐν ἐκστάσει, αρχοντες Ἰ ούδα \"ἡγεμόνες αὐτῶν, αρχοντες Ζαβουλὼν, αρχοντες Νεφθαλείμ.\" σχεδὸν γὰρ ἐξ ἁπάσης φυλῆς τῆς ἐξ ̓Ισραὴλ ἀπόλεκτοι γεγόνασιν οἱ μακάριοι μαθηταὶ καὶ φωστῆρες ησαν οἰκουμενικοὶ λόγον ζωῆς ἐπίσχοντες· καὶ τό γε παράδοξον· εὐγλωττίαν μὲν γὰρ εχουσι λαμπρὰν οἱ τῶν ἑλλήνων σοφοὶ καὶ εὐστομοῦσιν αγαν· οἱ δέ γε τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθηταὶ, ανθρωποι γεγόνασι χειροτέχναι καὶ θαλασσουργοὶ καὶ ἰχθυοθῆραι, οὐ κόμπον εχοντες λόγων, οὐ λέξεων εὐπορίαν δεδοκιμασμένων· ἀλλ' ἰδιῶται μὲν τῷ λόγῳ, πλούσιοι δὲ τῇ γνώσει. καὶ σεσίγηται μὲν τὰ ἑλλήνων γράμματα καὶ ἡ τῶν λέξεων εὐκομπία, κατακρατεῖ δὲ τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν κηρυγμάτων ἡ δύναμις.","english":"For they have become partakers of the one who nourishes us for eternal life, and they themselves nourish, through their own writings, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And just as the Savior, being the true light, also called the disciples light: \"For you are the light of the world,\" so also, being himself the bread of life, he granted to his own disciples that they be understood in the order of the loaves. And observe the skill of the law: for it says, \"You shall place upon the loaves frankincense and salt.\" And frankincense is a symbol of fragrance, while salt is of understanding and prudence. Both were present in the holy apostles to the highest degree. For their life was fragrant; indeed they said, \"We are the fragrance of Christ to God.\" And in addition to this, they were also very wise; hence they heard, \"You are the salt of the earth.\" And I hear the prophet David singing and saying concerning them: \"There Benjamin the younger in ecstasy, the rulers of Judah their leaders, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.\" For from almost every tribe of Israel the blessed disciples were chosen, and they were universal luminaries, holding the word of life. And here is the remarkable thing: the wise men of the Greeks have brilliant eloquence and are very fluent; but the disciples of our Savior were men who were craftsmen, seafarers, and fishermen, having no boast of words, no abundance of approved expressions; but they were unlettered in speech, yet rich in knowledge. And the writings of the Greeks and their boastfulness of words have been silenced, while the power of the evangelical proclamations prevails throughout the whole world under heaven.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὑμεῖς γάρ ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου","severity":"info","text":"Cyril adapts Matthew 5:14, where Jesus calls the disciples 'light of the world'; the citation is loose, possibly from memory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ Θεῷ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 2:15 or similar Pauline imagery of fragrance; Cyril attributes it to the apostles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς","severity":"info","text":"Cyril cites Matthew 5:13, where Jesus calls the disciples 'salt of the earth'; the wording matches the Gospel text closely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκεῖ Βενιαμὶν νεώτερος ἐν ἐκστάσει...","severity":"info","text":"Cyril attributes this to David (Psalm 67:28 LXX?), but the text is obscure; it may be a conflation of Psalm 67:27-28 or a lost variant; the reference to tribal leaders is allegorized to the apostles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"λίβανον καὶ ἅλας","severity":"info","text":"The law requiring frankincense and salt on loaves is not a direct biblical prescription; Cyril may be referencing a liturgical or symbolic tradition, possibly from Exodus 30:34-35 or later Jewish practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ἰδιῶται μὲν τῷ λόγῳ, πλούσιοι δὲ τῇ γνώσει","severity":"info","text":"This contrast between unlettered speech and rich knowledge echoes a common patristic topos (e.g., Origen, John Chrysostom) that the apostles were uneducated but divinely inspired, opposing Greek rhetorical culture.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the law about frankincense and salt on loaves is unclear; it may be a conflation of Exodus 30:34-35 and Leviticus 2:13, or a later liturgical custom.","The Davidic citation is corrupt or conflated; the exact psalm reference is uncertain, possibly Psalm 67:28 LXX with textual variation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"τούτων διαμέμνηται Θεὸς καὶ διὰ φωνῆς ̔Ιερεμίου λέγων περὶ τοῦ πάντων ἐχθροῦ, φημὶ δὴ τοῦ σατανᾶ \"Οὐαὶ ὁ πληθύνων αὐτῷ τὰ οὐκ οντα \"αὐτοῦ καὶ βαρύνων τὸν κλοιὸν αὐτοῦ στιβαρῶς, ο τι ἐξαίφνης ἀναστήσονται οἱ δάκνοντες αὐτὸν καὶ ἐκνήψουσιν οἱ \"ἐπίβουλοί σου καὶ εσῃ εἰς διαρπαγὴν αὐτοῖς.\" απαντας μὲν τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπους οὐκ οντας αὐτοῦ συνήγαγεν ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ ἰδίους ἀπέφηνε προσκυνητὰς καταβαρύνων αὐτοῦ τὸν κλοιόν· ἀλλ' ἐξένηψαν οἱ διαρπάζοντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σκεύη· ἐθήρευσε γὰρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς μυσταγωγίας τὸ δίκτυον απαντας τοὺς πεπλανημένους καὶ προσεκόμισαν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν.\n\n472 Διανέμει καὶ νῦν ὁ Σωτὴρ τάλαντα τοῖς ἰδίοις οἰκέταις κατά γε τὴν ἐν εὐαγγελίοις παραβολήν· οὐκοῦν ἁπλώσατε τὰς καρδίας καὶ ὑποδέξασθε χαίροντες· \"Δόκιμοι γενέσθε τραπεζῖται·\" ἐμπορεύσασθε τὸ δοθὲν ἐπιστημόνως· πολυπλασιάσατε ταῖς ἐπιεικείαις, μέγα καὶ ἁγιοπρεπὲς τὸ καύχημα καὶ τοὺς τῆς γνησιότητος ἐπαίνους προξενεῖ, καὶ τί τοῦτο λέγω, τὸ ετι μεῖζον ἀφείς; οὐρανοῦ πολίτην ἐργάζεται, εἰς βασιλείαν ἀναφέρει, αὐτῷ συνδοξάζεσθαι ποιεῖ τῷ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ. ιδωμεν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν γραμμάτων· ὁ τὰ πέντε τάλαντα λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, προσεργασάμενος δὲ καὶ ετερα πέντε, τί προσέρχεται λέγων; \"Κύριε, πέντε τάλαντά μοι εδωκας, ιδε ἐποίησα αλλα \"πέντε.\" ὁρᾶς οσον ἐστὶ τῆς φιλοπονίας τὸ καύχημα; καὶ τί πρὸς αὐτὸν εφη Χριστός; \"Ευ δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ καὶ πιστὲ, \"ἐπὶ ὀλίγα ης πιστὸς, ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω, εισελθε \"εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ κυρίου σου.\" τί τούτου τὸ μεῖζον εἰς δόξαν;","english":"God remembers these things and says through the voice of Jeremiah concerning the enemy of all, I mean Satan: \"Woe to him who multiplies for him what is not his own and heavily burdens his collar, because suddenly those who bite him will rise up and your plotters will wake up, and you will be plundered by them.\" Satan gathered all the people on earth who are not his own and declared them his own worshipers, heavily burdening his collar; but those who plunder his vessels woke up; for the net of apostolic mystagogy hunted all the wanderers and brought them to God under heaven.\n\nNow the Savior distributes talents to his own servants according to the parable in the Gospels; therefore, spread out your hearts and receive them joyfully: \"Become approved money-changers.\" Trade the gift skillfully; multiply it with kindnesses—great and holy is the boast, and it procures the praises of genuineness. And why do I say this, leaving aside what is even greater? It makes one a citizen of heaven, leads to the kingdom, causes one to be glorified together with the Savior of us all, Christ. Let us see this also from the Gospel writings themselves: he who received five talents from the master of the house, and worked to gain another five, what does he come saying? \"Lord, you gave me five talents; see, I have made another five.\" Do you see how great the boast of diligence is? And what did Christ say to him? \"Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your lord.\" What is greater than this in glory?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"διὰ φωνῆς Ἱερεμίου","severity":"info","text":"The citation attributed to Jeremiah is not a direct biblical quotation; it may be a paraphrase or apocryphal expansion, possibly from a lost source or a conflation of Jeremianic themes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"κλοιόν","severity":"info","text":"κλοιόν (collar) is a rare term in patristic Greek, here used metaphorically for the burden of sin or Satan's dominion; it echoes the imagery of a yoke or chain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δόκιμοι γενέσθε τραπεζῖται","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Become approved money-changers' is not a direct Gospel quotation but a proverbial expression; it may allude to the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) or to 2 Corinthians 8:20 (a variant reading).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"πέντε τάλαντα","severity":"info","text":"The five-talent parable here is a variant of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), but with a dialogue not found in the canonical text; it may reflect a lost apocryphal tradition or a liturgical expansion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀποστολικῆς μυσταγωγίας","severity":"info","text":"ἀποστολικῆς μυσταγωγίας (apostolic mystagogy) refers to the catechetical or liturgical teaching of the apostles; Cyril uses this term to emphasize the salvific role of apostolic tradition in gathering the lost.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐαὶ ὁ πληθύνων αὐτῷ τὰ οὐκ ὄντα αὐτοῦ","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text of the Jeremiah citation is corrupt or non-standard; the phrase 'οὐκ ὄντα αὐτοῦ' (not his own) is ambiguous—it may mean 'things that do not belong to him' or 'non-existent things'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Jeremiah citation is not identifiable in the canonical LXX; it may be a paraphrase or from a lost apocryphon.","The five-talent dialogue (Κύριε, πέντε τάλαντά μοι ἔδωκας, ἰδοὺ ἐποίησα ἄλλα πέντε) is not in the canonical Gospels; its source is uncertain.","The phrase 'Δόκιμοι γενέσθε τραπεζῖται' is proverbial; its exact biblical or liturgical origin is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"τί τὸ αἱρετώτερον εἰς\n\nεὐημερίαν; επαινοι παρὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ ψῆφος δεσποτικὴ στεφανοῦσα τὸν φιλεργήσαντα, πιστὸν ὀνομάζει τὸν καρποφορήσαντα νοητῶς· μὴ γὰρ τῷ Δεσπότῃ τὸ κέρδος προσήνεγκε; μὴ γὰρ χρῄζει τινὸς ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἑαυτόν; αὐτός ἐστι τὸ πάντων πλήρωμα καὶ ὡς ὁ πάνσοφος ̓Ιωάννης φησίν ̓Εκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ \"πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐλάβομεν.\" ἀλλ' οταν ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοὺς κερδάνωμεν, προσωφελῶμεν δὲ καὶ ἑτέρους, τότε χαίρει Χριστὸς, πλοῦτον ἡγεῖται τὴν ἡμῶν εὐδοκίμησιν· καὶ τὸ ετι μεῖζον ἐρῶ· τροφὴν ωσπερ ποιεῖται τὸ πρᾶγμα. οτι δέ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ο φημι, πάλιν ἐκ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν μαθήσῃ γραμμάτων. νενουθέτηκε μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἐκ Σαμαρείας γυναῖκα· ειτα λεγούσης ἐκείνης \" Οτε ελθῃ Μεσίας ἀπαγγελεῖ ἡμῖν 473 \"πάντα,\" ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανῆ κατέστησε λέγων \" ̓Εγώ εἰμι ὁ \"λαλῶν σοι.\" καὶ τὸ μὲν γύναιον δρόμῳ συντείνεται καὶ τὴν Σαμαρειτῶν μεμυσταγώγηκε πόλιν· εἰδὼς δὲ Χριστὸς οτι πολλοὶ πιστεύσουσιν ἐπ' αὐτὸν, τοῖς ἁγίοις εφασκε μαθηταῖς \" ̓Εγὼ βρῶσιν εχω φαγεῖν ην ὑμεῖς οὐκ οιδατε,\" τρέφει γὰρ ωσπερ τὴν ἡμερωτάτην φύσιν τῶν ἀπολωλότων ἡ σωτηρία. ̔Ο μὲν ουν γνήσιος οἰκέτης· ἀναβήσομαι γὰρ αυθις ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ λόγου σκοπόν· τὸν τῆς ἐπιεικείας ἀνεδήσατο στέφανον, εἰσκεκόμισται γὰρ εἰς τὴν χαρὰν τοῦ ἰδίου δεσπότου· ὁ δέ γε λαβὼν τὸ τάλαντον, ειτα γεγονὼς ὀκνηρὸς, προσεργασάμενος δὲ παντελῶς οὐδὲν, κατακρύψας δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς γῆν αὐτὸ, ταῖς ἐσχάταις περιπέπτωκε δίκαις.","english":"What is more desirable for prosperity? Praises from Christ and the master's vote crowning the one who has labored diligently; he calls the one who has borne fruit in a spiritual sense faithful. For did he not bring profit to the Master? Does the Master lack anything in himself? He is the fullness of all things, and as the all-wise John says, \"From his fullness we all have received.\" But when we gain ourselves and also benefit others, then Christ rejoices; he considers our success as wealth. And I will say something even greater: he makes the matter, as it were, his food. That what I say is true, you will learn again from the Gospel writings. For he instructed the woman from Samaria; then when she said, \"When the Messiah comes, he will tell us everything,\" he revealed himself, saying, \"I am the one speaking to you.\" And the woman hastened with a run and initiated the city of the Samaritans into the mysteries. But Christ, knowing that many would believe in him, said to the holy disciples, \"I have food to eat which you do not know,\" for the salvation of the lost nourishes, as it were, the most gentle nature. So the genuine servant—for I will return again to the point of the discourse—has bound on the crown of gentleness, for he has been brought into the joy of his own master. But the one who received the talent, then became sluggish, and added nothing at all, but rather hid it in the earth, has fallen into the most extreme penalties.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ \"πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐλάβομεν\"","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'From his fullness we all have received' is not a direct Johannine quotation but a paraphrase of John 1:16 or 1 John 2:23, reflecting Cyril's exegetical style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ \"λαλῶν σοι\"","severity":"info","text":"The dialogue with the Samaritan woman conflates John 4:25-26, where Jesus says 'I am he, the one speaking to you,' though the woman's line 'When the Messiah comes' is a paraphrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγὼ βρῶσιν εχω φαγεῖν ην ὑμεῖς οὐκ οιδατε","severity":"info","text":"The saying 'I have food to eat which you do not know' is not found in the canonical Gospels; it may be an apocryphal or liturgical tradition known to Cyril.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"μεμυσταγώγηκε","severity":"info","text":"The verb 'initiated into the mysteries' (μυσταγωγέω) is a technical term in early Christian catechetical language, used here to describe the Samaritan woman's evangelistic activity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ τάλαντον","severity":"info","text":"The 'talent' parable (Matthew 25:14-30) is a common moral exemplum in patristic homiletics; Cyril applies it to the negligent servant who hides his talent in the earth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀναβήσομαι γὰρ αυθις ἐπὶ τὸν τοῦ λόγου σκοπόν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a rhetorical return to the main argument after a digression on the Samaritan woman, typical of Cyril's homiletic structure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text has minor orthographic variations (e.g., ωσπερ for ὥσπερ) that do not affect meaning.","The source of the 'food' saying is uncertain; it may be a lost apocryphon or a misremembered Gospel passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"φύγωμεν τοίνυν τὴν μίμησιν, ἀποπεμψώμεθα τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας τὸν ἀκερδῆ καὶ ἐπάρατον οκνον, τὸν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς δηλονότι σπουδάσμασι, μὴ εἰς ἀργίαν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν παρὰ Χριστοῦ καταχώσωμεν χάριν. φησί που διὰ φωνῆς ̔Ησαΐου ὁ τῶν ολων Θεός \" ̔Ιερεῖς λαλήσατε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ̔Ιερουσαλήμ·\" τί δὲ εἰ ὁ μὲν διδάσκων τοὺς ὠφελεῖν εἰωθότας ἐξυφαίνοι λόγους τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις, οἱ δὲ οὐκ εἰς νοῦν καὶ καρδίαν ἀποτίθενται τὴν μυσταγωγίαν, ἀλλ' ἐπικροτήσαντες μόνον καὶ γυμνοῖς ἐπαίνοις ἀμειψάμενοι τὸν μυσταγωγὸν, αγευστοι τῶν ἱερῶν ἀπομένουσι διδαγμάτων; αρα ὀκνῆσαι προσήκει τὸν μυσταγωγόν; ειτα ποίους εὑρήσει λόγους ἐπὶ τοῦ θείου βήματος τοὺς ἐπικουροῦντας αὐτῷ οταν αἰτιάσηται τῶν ἀκροωμένων τὸ ῥᾴθυμον καὶ εὐάφορμον ειπῃ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν οκνον; κατακριθήσεται γὰρ μᾶλλον ὡς εστιν ἰδεῖν ἐκ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς παραβολῆς· ὁ γάρ τοι τὸ τάλαντον λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου, κατέχωσε μὲν εἰς γῆν αὐτὸ καὶ ἀπολυπλασίαστον εχων προσεκόμιζε λέγων \"Κύριε ιδε εχεις τὸ σόν.\" αρ' ου ν ἐπῃνέθη καὶ γερῶν ἠξίωται, η κατεδικάσθη μᾶλλον ὡς ὀκνηρός; \" Εδει σε γὰρ, φησὶ, καταβαλεῖν τὸ ἀργύριόν \"μου τοῖς τραπεζίταις, κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν ἐκομισάμην αν τὸ ἐμὸν \"σὺν τόκῳ.\" οὐκοῦν ὡς τραπεζίταις ὑμῖν ἐπιστήμοσι τὸ δεσποτικὸν ἀργύριον ἐξοδιάζω ἐγώ· ὑμεῖς δὲ λαβόντες, εἰς νοῦν ἀπόθεσθε τὸ δοθὲν καὶ εἰς τὸ βάθος τῆς ἑαυτῶν καρδίας κρύψατε, ευ εἰδότες οτι τὰ εἰς γῆν πεμπόμενα τῶν σπερμάτων ἐγχωννύμενα μὲν ταῖς βώλοις καρποφορεῖ, τὰ δὲ ἀκατάχωστα διαρπάζεται.","english":"Let us therefore flee imitation, let us banish from our mind the profitless and accursed sloth, that is, in good endeavors, and not bury in idleness the grace given us by Christ. The God of all says somewhere through the voice of Isaiah: \"Priests, speak into the heart of Jerusalem.\" But what if the teacher weaves words that are accustomed to benefit the hearers, while they do not store the mystagogy in mind and heart, but merely applaud and repay the mystagogue with bare praises, remaining untasted of the sacred teachings? Should the mystagogue then be slothful? And what words will he find at the divine bema to help him when he accuses the hearers' indolence and excuses his own sloth on that account? For he will rather be condemned, as can be seen from the Gospel parable: the one who received the talent from the master buried it in the ground and, having it unmultiplied, brought it forward saying, \"Lord, see, you have yours.\" Was he praised and deemed worthy of rewards, or was he rather condemned as slothful? \"For you ought,\" he says, \"to have deposited my money with the bankers, and I, coming, would have received mine with interest.\" Therefore, as to you, the knowledgeable bankers, I disburse the master's money; and you, having received it, store the gift in your mind and hide it in the depth of your heart, knowing well that seeds sent into the ground, when covered with clods, bear fruit, but those left uncovered are snatched away.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"φωνῆς Ἡσαΐου","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'through the voice of Isaiah' introduces a paraphrase of Isaiah 40:2, where God commands priests to speak to Jerusalem's heart. The citation is loose, not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"μυσταγωγίαν","severity":"info","text":"Mystagogy (μυσταγωγία) here denotes the exposition of sacred mysteries, a technical term in patristic catechetical and homiletic contexts. It implies initiation into deeper spiritual truths.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ τάλαντον","severity":"info","text":"The parable of the talent (Matthew 25:14-30) is adapted: the master's money is to be deposited with bankers (τραπεζίταις) for interest, a variation on the Gospel's 'talent' and 'usury' motif, emphasizing spiritual multiplication.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τραπεζίταις","severity":"info","text":"Bankers (τραπεζίται) in late antiquity were money-changers who also accepted deposits for interest. Cyril uses this as a metaphor for the faithful who must 'invest' divine teaching to yield spiritual profit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"φύγωμεν τοίνυν","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with an exhortation (φύγωμεν τοίνυν) and proceeds through a rhetorical question, a parable, and a concluding application, forming a typical homiletic unit of protreptic and scriptural illustration.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"εὐάφορμον","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek εὐάφορμον is likely a scribal error or variant for εὐάφορμον (plausible excuse) or εὐάφορμον; the sense is 'convenient pretext' for sloth. The text may be corrupt here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'εὐάφορμον' is uncertain; it may be a misspelling or variant of εὐάφορμον (easy excuse) or εὐάφεδρον (convenient seat), but context supports 'pretext'.","The identity of the 'master' in the parable is ambiguous: it could refer to Christ or to the homilist's ecclesiastical superior."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"Πλὴν ἐσπούδασεν ὁ Κύριος μήτε δι' ολου φανερῶσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα μήτε εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ἀποκρύψαι, τὸ μὲν διὰ τοὺς τότε, τὸ δὲ διὰ τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα· ωστε δεῖξαι καὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος τρανὰς τὰς ἐνεργείας, ινα μήτε ἡ θεία δύναμις ἀμβλυνθῇ μήτε ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις ἀπιστηθῇ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εμελλεν αιρεσις ἀνακύπτειν ἡ λέγουσα οτι φάντασμα ην τὸ σῶμα καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατῆλθεν· οὐ γὰρ ανελαβε τοῦ φθαρτοῦ σώματος σάρκα ἡ αφθαρτος φύσις, οὐδ' αν κατεδέξατο ῥύπον η μολυσμὸν η σπῖλον· ινα πιστώσηται ὁ Θεὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ γένος ο τι τοῦτο ἐγένετο ο ἐσμεν, μένων ο ην, διὰ τοῦτο συνεχώρησε τῇ σαρκὶ πάσχειν τὰ ιδια, καὶ εδειξε διπλῆν τὴν ἐνέργειαν, πάσχων μὲν ὡς ανθρωπος, ἐνεργῶν δὲ ὡς Θεὸς ὁ αὐτός· οὐ γὰρ αλλος καὶ αλλος, εἰ καὶ αλλως καὶ αλλως. Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου εἰς τό Πατὲρ εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου. Μέγα πάλιν καὶ ἐξαίρετον κατόρθωμα ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς διὰ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δεδικαιώμεθα διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ 475","english":"Nevertheless, the Lord took care neither to reveal his divinity entirely nor to conceal it completely, partly for the sake of those then living, partly for those after them, so as to make manifest both his divinity and his humanity in their distinct operations, that neither the divine power might be diminished nor the human nature be disbelieved. For since a heresy was about to arise which says that the body was a phantom and that he came down from heaven—for the incorruptible nature did not take on the flesh of a corruptible body, nor would it admit filth or defilement or stain—in order that God might convince the human race that he became what we are, while remaining what he was, for this reason he allowed the flesh to undergo its own experiences, and displayed a twofold operation, suffering as a man, yet acting as God, the same one; for he is not one and another, even if in one way and another. Of Saint Cyril, on the verse, \"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.\" Again, a great and exceptional achievement for our souls through our universal Savior Christ. For since we have been justified through faith in him and in him","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Πλὴν ἐσπούδασεν ὁ Κύριος μήτε δι' ολου φανερῶσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεότητα μήτε εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ἀποκρύψαι","severity":"info","text":"The Lord took care neither to reveal his divinity entirely nor to conceal it completely, a deliberate pedagogical strategy balancing revelation and concealment for different audiences.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἐνέργεια","severity":"info","text":"ἐνέργεια (operation/activity) is a key Christological term in Cyril, denoting the distinct but unified actions of Christ's two natures, as seen in 'διπλῆν τὴν ἐνέργειαν' (twofold operation).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"αἵρεσις ... φάντασμα ἦν τὸ σῶμα","severity":"info","text":"The heresy that Christ's body was a phantom (φάντασμα) and that he descended from heaven without taking corruptible flesh is docetism, a view Cyril refutes by insisting on the reality of Christ's human suffering.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πατὲρ εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Christ's words on the cross (Luke 23:46), though the exact wording differs; it is cited as a lemma for Cyril's homily, linking Christ's passion to the theme of twofold operation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου εἰς τό ...","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου εἰς τό...' marks a new section or a separate homily fragment, possibly a later scribal insertion identifying the source of the preceding Christological argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"δεδικαιώμεθα","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text breaks off mid-sentence after 'δεδικαιώμεθα' (we have been justified), and the English draft ends abruptly; the passage is a fragment, and the conclusion of the thought is lost.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Τοῦ ἁγίου Κυρίλλου εἰς τό...' may be a later scribal heading rather than part of Cyril's original text; the exact homily source is uncertain.","The Greek text breaks off at line 475, leaving the argument incomplete; the English draft's final clause 'and in him' is a fragment."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"ἀπλημμελὲς ἡ ἀνθρώπου φύσις εὑρέθη πλουτήσασα, καὶ κεκαινοτόμηκεν ἡμῖν τὸ μηκέτι μὲν εἰς ᾳ δου τρέχειν τὰς τῶν σωμάτων ἀπαλλαττομένας ψυχὰς καθὰ καὶ πρώην, πέμπεσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος. καὶ τοῦτο εἰδὼς ὁ αγιος εφη Στέφανος \"Κύριε ̓Ιησοῦ δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά \"μου·\" καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ γράφει Πέτρος \" Ωστε καὶ \"πάσχοντες κατὰ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ πιστῷ κτίστῃ παρατι\"θέσθωσαν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς.\" 469 Κυρίλλου ἐν ὁμιλίᾳ ἐπιγεγραμμένῃ εἰς τὸ Εὐθέως δὲ μετὰ τὴν θλίψιν τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκείνων ὁ ηλιος σκοτισθήσεται καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες πεσοῦνται ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης καὶ τῆς ωρας οὐδεὶς οιδεν. ̓Αλλ' οταν καὶ τοῦτο λέγῃ, οὐ πάντως ἑαυτὸν σημαίνει· ουτε γὰρ προσέθηκεν ἀκριβῶς Οὐδὲ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀπολελυμένως Οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός φησιν· ινα τοιοῦτόν τι νοῇς· ἐσπούδαζον κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν πάντα μανθάνειν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἐπεχείρουν ινα ου τως ειπω καὶ αὐτὰ περιεργάζεσθαι τὰ βάθη τοῦ Κυρίου. ἀλλ' ην τὸ πρᾶγμα λίαν ὑπὲρ αὐτούς. ινα τοίνυν μὴ ἀπαγορεύσας τὴν ἐξήγησιν ὡς ἠβούλοντο μαθεῖν, δόξῃ πως λυπεῖν τοὺς γνησιεύοντας, ἐπεσκιασμένως φησί \"Περὶ δὲ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης η τῆς ωρας, οὐδεὶς οιδεν, οὐδὲ \"οἱ αγγελοι, οὐδὲ ὁ υἱὸς, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ·\" ινα νοῇς ουτως· εἰ καὶ κέκληται πρὸς υἱοθεσίαν ὁ ανθρωπος καὶ υἱὸς ἀνεδείχθη νέος, ἀλλὰ μὴ ζητείτω τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν, μηδὲ ἀξιούτω μαθεῖν απερ μηδὲ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ Πατήρ· εἰδὲ αγγελος οὐκ οιδεν, οὐδὲ ανθρωπος εισεται καν εἰ κέκληται πρὸς υἱοθεσίαν.","english":"The human nature was found to be not without fault when it became wealthy, and it has brought about for us a new state of affairs: that the souls departing from bodies no longer run into Hades as before, but are rather sent into the hands of the living God. And knowing this, the holy Stephen said, \"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.\" And the blessed Peter writes, \"So that even when suffering according to the will of God, they may entrust their own souls to the faithful Creator.\" From Cyril in a homily inscribed, \"Immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky; but concerning that day and the hour, no one knows.\" But when he says this, he does not absolutely mean himself; for he did not add precisely, \"Not even the Son of God,\" but said loosely, \"Not even the Son,\" so that you may understand something like this: the disciples were eager to learn everything with precision, and they attempted, so to speak, to investigate even the depths of the Lord themselves. But the matter was far beyond them. So, in order that, by not giving up the explanation as they wished to learn, he might not seem to grieve those who were genuine, he says in a veiled manner, \"Concerning that day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels, not even the Son, except the Father,\" so that you may understand thus: even if man has been called to adoption and has been shown to be a new son, let him not seek things beyond his nature, nor demand to learn what the Father has not revealed even to the angels. For if an angel does not know, neither will a man know, even if he has been called to adoption.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κύριε Ἰησοῦ δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου","severity":"info","text":"A paraphrase of Stephen's prayer at his martyrdom (Acts 7:59), though the canonical text reads 'Κύριε Ἰησοῦ δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου' only in some witnesses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὥστε καὶ πάσχοντες κατὰ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ πιστῷ κτίστῃ παρατιθέσθωσαν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς","severity":"info","text":"Likely a loose citation of 1 Peter 4:19 or a similar paraenetic passage; the exact wording is not found in the canonical epistles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰς ᾳ δου","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text has 'εἰς ᾳ δου', a scribal abbreviation for 'εἰς ᾅδου' (into Hades). The English draft correctly expands it as 'into Hades'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Κυρίλλου ἐν ὁμιλίᾳ ἐπιγεγραμμένῃ","severity":"info","text":"The passage is attributed to Cyril of Alexandria in a homily titled with a phrase from Matthew 24:29, but the attribution is from a later compiler, not from Cyril's own manuscript.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός","severity":"caution","text":"The text notes that Cyril's source omits 'τοῦ Θεοῦ' after 'υἱός', a variant that may reflect a textual corruption or a deliberate theological nuance about adoptive sonship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"υἱοθεσίαν","severity":"info","text":"The term 'υἱοθεσίαν' (adoption) is used here in a theological sense, referring to the believer's adoptive sonship through Christ, a concept developed in patristic exegesis of Romans 8:23.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text contains a lacuna or abbreviation 'εἰς ᾳ δου' which is resolved as 'εἰς ᾅδου' (into Hades). The attribution to Cyril is indirect, from a later homiliary, and the exact homily title is a composite of scriptural phrases. The citation of Peter is not verbatim from the canonical epistles."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}