{"slug":"khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","title":"Fragmenta in Jeremiam","title_source":"Fragmenta in Jeremiam","author":"Gregory Thaumaturgus","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":"2026-11-15T06:36:03Z","cost_usd":0.003189},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","work_id":"khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-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/Gregory%20Thaumaturgus_PG%2010/Fragmenta%20in%20Jeremiam.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1290,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":5340,"commentary_units":30,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":9,"work_notes":5,"external_links":6,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","abstract":"The Fragmenta in Jeremiam attributed to Gregory Thaumaturgus survive only in catenae and florilegia, chiefly the Sacra Parallela of John of Damascus. No continuous manuscript exists. The fragments, of disputed authorship, show Origenist allegory and moral exegesis, applying New Testament proof-texts to Jeremiah's text. They likely date from the 3rd to 8th centuries, with no secure external witness before the 8th. The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, hindering verification of selection and completeness. The work reflects Alexandrian exegetical traditions but may incorporate later redaction.","historical_context":"The fragments are attributed to Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213–270), a pupil of Origen and bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus. However, no continuous manuscript of his commentary on Jeremiah survives; the fragments appear only in Byzantine catenae and florilegia, especially the Sacra Parallela (8th century). The earliest secure attestation is from John of Damascus (c. 675–749). The text's genre is a homiletic commentary, using lemmata from Jeremiah followed by exegesis with New Testament proof-texts and moral exhortation. The community is likely Greek-speaking Eastern Christian, possibly monastic or scholastic. The fragments show Origenist allegory, consistent with Gregory's teacher, but also phrasing that may reflect later Antiochene or Cappadocian redaction. The transmission is fragmentary and indirect, with no independent liturgical or canonical use. The khazarzar edition provides no manuscript witnesses or critical apparatus, so the selection criteria and completeness are unverifiable.","significance":"The Fragmenta in Jeremiam is significant as a rare witness to early Christian exegesis of Jeremiah, attributed to a major 3rd-century figure. It illustrates the use of allegory and New Testament typology in Alexandrian tradition. However, its disputed authorship and fragmentary survival highlight the challenges of reconstructing patristic works from catenae. The text also shows how later Byzantine compilers preserved and possibly reshaped earlier material.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 213–270","event":"Life of Gregory Thaumaturgus, to whom the fragments are attributed."},{"date":"3rd–4th c.","event":"Probable composition of the original commentary, if authentic."},{"date":"8th c.","event":"Earliest secure attestation of the fragments in John of Damascus's Sacra Parallela."},{"date":"8th–15th c.","event":"Transmission of the fragments in Byzantine catenae and florilegia."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Publication of the fragments in the khazarzar edition, without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Sacra Parallela","relation":"Primary source of survival; attributed to John of Damascus","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Commentary on Jeremiah by Origen","relation":"Possible source of allegorical method; Gregory was Origen's pupil","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Matthew 23:27","relation":"Cited in fragments as proof-text for moral exegesis","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Matthew 25:40","relation":"Adapted in fragments to emphasize reciprocal love","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Antiochene and Cappadocian exegesis","relation":"Possible later redaction of the fragments","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Gregory Thaumaturgus","label":"Gregory Thaumaturgus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Thaumaturgus","reason":"Biographical context for the attributed author"},{"key":"wikipedia:John of Damascus","label":"John of Damascus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_of_Damascus","reason":"Compiler of the Sacra Parallela, the main source of the fragments"},{"key":"wikipedia:Sacra Parallela","label":"Sacra Parallela","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacra_Parallela","reason":"Primary florilegium preserving the fragments"},{"key":"wikipedia:Catenae","label":"Catenae","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena","reason":"Genre of biblical commentary in which the fragments survive"},{"key":"wikipedia:Origen","label":"Origen","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen","reason":"Influence on Gregory's exegetical method"},{"key":"wikipedia:Book of Jeremiah","label":"Book of Jeremiah","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jeremiah","reason":"Biblical text being commented upon"}],"cautions":["Attribution to Gregory Thaumaturgus is disputed; the fragments may derive from a later compiler.","No continuous manuscript of the commentary is extant; survival only in catenae and florilegia.","Earliest secure external witness is 8th century (John of Damascus), leaving a gap of several centuries.","The khazarzar edition provides no critical apparatus or manuscript witnesses, so selection and completeness cannot be verified.","The fragments show Origenist allegory but also phrasing that may reflect later Antiochene or Cappadocian redaction."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000521,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:36:03Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Gregory%20Thaumaturgus_PG%2010/Fragmenta%20in%20Jeremiam.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-gregory-thaumaturgus-fragmenta-in-jeremiam","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":30,"english_words":1290,"source_letters":5340,"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, chiefly in the Sacra Parallela attributed to John of Damascus. No continuous manuscript of Gregory's commentary on Jeremiah is extant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213–270) rests on internal style and patristic citations, but the fragments may derive from a later compiler. No external witness securely dates them before the 8th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The fragments were cited by John of Damascus and later Byzantine catenists, but never transmitted as a separate work. They had no independent liturgical or canonical use in the Eastern Church.","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 selection criteria or the completeness of the fragmentary text against the original catena sources.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Gregory's authorship of any exegetical work is disputed. The fragments show Origenist allegory consistent with his teacher Origen, but also contain phrasing that may reflect later Antiochene or Cappadocian redaction.","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":"Τὸ πλησίον αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ εἰρηνικὰ, καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔχει τὴν ἐχθράν κτλ. Οὐκ ἂν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ φαρισαῖοι τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πολὺ τὸ οὐαὶ παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐκληρονόμησαν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τὴν ὑπόκρισιν· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἐλέγχοις τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐπαύσατο κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν προλέγων ὁ Κύριος· Οὐαὶ ὑμὶν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, κεκονιαμένους τάφους ἀποκαλῶν αὐτοὺς, οἱ ἔξωθεν μὲν φαίνονται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὡραῖοι, ἔσωθεν δὲ γέμουσιν ὀστέων νεκρῶν καὶ πά-σης ἀκαθαρσίας. Ἐὰν γάρ τι εἰς τὸν πλησίον ἀγαθὸν ἐργασώμεθα διὰ τῆς ἀνυποκρίτου ἀγάπης, ἀ-κούομεν παρὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος· Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ εἴ τι φαῦλον διὰ τῆς ἀπατηλῆς καὶ μιαρᾶς ὑποκρίσεως, ἢ καὶ διὰ ὁποιασοῦν ἑτέρας ἁ-μαρτίας, εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐνδειξώμεθα, ὁ-μοίως ἁμαρτάνομεν καὶ εἰς τὸν Θεόν. Δεῖνον οὖν ἡ ὑπόκρισις, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ πολέμιον· καὶ κεκρυμμένος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ δόλος, εἰς ἀπά-την τῶν ἁπλῶς προσφερομένων, τοῖς ἀγά-πην κεκτημένοις, ἄλλα μὲν ἐκ στόματος λαλοῦσα, ἄλλα δὲ ἐν στέρνοις φέρουσα, δελεάζει. Οὐκ ἀγαθὸν ἡ ὑπερηφανία, ψευδοδοξίαν ἔχουσα πολλήν· δῆλον γὰρ, δῆλον, ὡς πᾶν ἀγαθὸν τέλειον θεόθεν ἔρχεται· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ληπτὸν ἄλλως ἀνθρώπῳ, ὡς ὄντως ἀ-ληθέστατον εἶναι πάντων τὸ εἰρημένον, ὅτι δέοι τὸν αὐχοῦντα ἐπί τινι τούτῳ μόνον σε-μνύνεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ συνιέναι καὶ γινώσ-κειν ὅτι Κύριος αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν ἔλεος καὶ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ.","english":"He speaks peaceably to his neighbor, but harbors enmity within himself,\" etc. The scribes and Pharisees of the people of the Jews would not have inherited so much \"woe\" from the Savior, were it not for their hypocrisy; for in the refutations of their sins, the Lord did not cease to foretell on every occasion: \"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,\" calling them whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful to men, but within are full of dead men's bones and every impurity. For if we do some good to our neighbor through unfeigned love, we hear from the Savior: \"Inasmuch as you have done for one of these, my least brethren, you have done for me.\" And likewise, if we show something base toward a brother through deceitful and abominable hypocrisy, or through any other sin whatsoever, we sin similarly against God. Hypocrisy, therefore, is a terrible and hostile thing; and deceit hidden in the heart, for the deception of those who approach simply, those who possess love, speaking one thing from the mouth but bearing another in the breast, it entices. Pride is not good, possessing much vainglory; for it is clear, it is clear, that every perfect good comes from God; and it is not possible for a man to receive it otherwise, as what has been said is truly the most true of all things, that one who boasts ought to pride himself only on this: on understanding and knowing that the Lord Himself is the one who performs mercy, judgment, and righteousness, and that in this lies the will of God.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐαὶ ὑμὶν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, κεκονιαμένους τάφους","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'whitewashed tombs' echoes Matthew 23:27, where Jesus condemns scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites. Gregory applies this to moral interior versus exterior.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε","severity":"info","text":"This saying adapts Matthew 25:40 ('you have done it to me'), here applied to the least brethren, emphasizing reciprocal love and sin against God.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑπόκρισις","severity":"info","text":"Hypocrisy is the central vice; Gregory links it to deceit, hidden enmity, and the 'whitewashed tombs' metaphor, contrasting with unfeigned love.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι","severity":"info","text":"Scribes and Pharisees are standard New Testament opponents of Jesus, but Gregory uses them typologically to warn against hypocrisy in his own audience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a lemma (Jeremiah?) to exegesis via New Testament proof-texts, then to moral exhortation, typical of a homiletic commentary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Fragmenta in Jeremiam","severity":"info","text":"Attributed to Gregory Thaumaturgus, this fragment survives only in catenae; its authenticity is debated, but it reflects third-century Alexandrian moral exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The lemma 'Τὸ πλησίον αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ εἰρηνικὰ...' is not identified as a specific Jeremiah verse; it may be a paraphrase or lost reading. The Coptic cues are absent in the Greek; the structural classification 'narrative' is based on the source metadata."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ἀρέσκεται γὰρ τὸ θεῖον τῷ τοιούτῳ ἀνθρώπῳ, μόνιμά τε καὶ βέβαια φέρει διὰ παντὸς τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ὅταν τούτῳ τὴν αἰτίαν ἀποδιδῷ τῷν παρόντων ἀγαθῶν τῷ ὄντως αἰτιωτάτῳ, ᾧ τὴν αἰτίαν ἀναφέρειν δεῖ καὶ τοῦ μένειν τὰ ἀγαθά. Πῶς περιτετμημένους ὀνομάσας ὁ λό-γος, εἶτα οὐκ Ἰουδαίους μόνον ὀνομάζει, οὐ-δὲ Ἰσραηλίτας, οὐδὲ τὸν οἶκον Ἰακὼβ, οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τὸ κείμενον ὄνομα τὸ οἰκεῖον, Ἰούδα, ἀλλ' ἐγκαταλέγει τούτοις καὶ Αἴγυπτον, καὶ Ἐδὼμ, καὶ υἱοὺς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ υἱοὺς Μωὰβ, ὡς πάντας ἀπεριτμήτους καρδίας αὐτῶν; ἄ-ρα γὰρ τοιοῦτόν τι θέλει εἰπεῖν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι δὴ δοκοῦσι μὲν ἔχειν τὸν νόμον τὸν τῆς πε-ριτομῆς οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐδὲν δὲ διαφέρουσι τῶν λοιπῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων, ἀπε-ρίτμητοι ὄντες καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν, οὐκ ἀποτετμημένοι τὰς κακίας; Ἄρα, φημὶ, τοιοῦτόν τι εἰπεῖν βούλεται ὁ λόγος, ὅτι ἔ-χουσι μὲν τὸν λόγον τὸν τῆς περιτομῆς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ λόγια τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰούδα, οὐ-δὲν μέν τοι διαφέρουσι τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων τὸν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ, Αἰγύπτου καὶ Ἐδὼμ, υἱῶν Ἀμμὼν καὶ υἱῶν Μωάβ; Ἢ μέν ποτε πάντας ὁμοῦ περιτετμη-μένους καλεῖ, οὐ μόνον τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἀλλὰ δὴ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη, ὡς δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ ἀναγινωσκόμενα γράμματα; πάντας γὰρ ἐκάλεσε περιτετμη-μένους, εἶτα ὑπέταξεν Αἴγυπτον καὶ Ἰούδαν καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη. Καὶ πῶς ἐστι προσαχθῆναι πάντας αὐτοὺς εἰπεῖν περιτετ-μημένους; Πάντα τὰ ὀνομασθέντα ταῦτα ἔθνη τὰ προκείμενα, εἴ τις ἄνωθεν συλλογίζοιτο, εὕροι ἂν ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ.","english":"For the divine is pleased with such a man, and he bears the good things steadfastly and securely throughout, when he attributes the cause of the present good things to the truly most causative one, to whom one must refer the cause also of the good things remaining. How is it that the Word, having named them \"circumcised,\" then names not only Jews, nor Israelites, nor the house of Jacob, nor even the proper name itself, Judah, but includes among them also Egypt, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and the sons of Moab, as if all were uncircumcised in their hearts? For does the Word perhaps wish to say something like this, that the sons of Israel seem indeed to have the law of circumcision, but differ in no way from the other uncircumcised nations, being themselves also uncircumcised in their hearts, not having cut off their vices? Or, I say, does the Word wish to say something like this, that the sons of Judah have indeed the word of circumcision and the other oracles of God, but nevertheless differ in no way from those who do not have the law of God, Egypt and Edom, the sons of Ammon and the sons of Moab? Or does it perhaps call all together \"circumcised,\" not only the Israelites and the Jews, but indeed also the remaining nations, as the letters being read also indicate? For it called all \"circumcised,\" then subjoined Egypt and Judah and the remaining nations. And how is it possible to say that all of them are circumcised? All these named nations that are set forth, if one were to reason from above, one would find them to be from the seed of Abraham.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"περιτετμημένους","severity":"info","text":"The author puzzles over the term 'circumcised' being applied to non-Israelite nations, suggesting a spiritual interpretation where circumcision of the heart is lacking.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"περιτομή","severity":"info","text":"Circumcision (περιτομή) here is a physical marker of Jewish identity, but the passage reinterprets it as a metaphor for moral or spiritual cutting off of vices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"υἱοὶ Ἀμμὼν, υἱοὶ Μωάβ","severity":"info","text":"The nations listed (Egypt, Edom, Ammon, Moab) are traditional enemies of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, e.g., in Jeremiah and Amos, where they are condemned alongside Israel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ","severity":"info","text":"The claim that all these nations descend from Abraham reflects a tradition (cf. Gen 25:1-4) that Abraham fathered many peoples through Keturah, including Midianites and others, later identified with these groups.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἢ μέν ποτε","severity":"info","text":"The passage presents three rhetorical questions (introduced by Ἄρα, Ἢ, and Ἢ μέν ποτε) exploring possible interpretations of 'circumcised' in the biblical text, a common exegetical technique.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰ ἀναγινωσκόμενα γράμματα","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the letters being read' may refer to a specific lection or manuscript; the exact biblical passage under discussion is not identified in the fragment, leaving the referent ambiguous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The biblical lemma being commented on is not explicitly cited; it may be from Jeremiah or another prophetic book listing nations.","The identity of 'the Word' (ὁ λόγος) is ambiguous—could be the biblical text personified or a divine figure."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ἁβραὰμ περιετμήθη ὢν ἐτῶν ἐννέα καὶ ἐννενήκοντα, αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ, Ἰσμαὴλ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄνδρες τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἱ οἰκογενεῖς, καὶ οἱ ἀργυρόνητοι, οἱ ἐξ ἀλλογενῶν ἐθνῶν· περιέτεμεν αὐτούς. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἐπὶ λέξεως τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα ἐν τῇ Γενέσει. Πῶς οὖν ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους καταβιβάζει, καὶ ἐπ' Ἐδώμ, καὶ ἐπὶ υἱοὺς Μωὰβ, καὶ ἐπὶ υἱοὺς Ἀμ-μὼν τὴν περιτομήν; Περιτέτμηται μὲν ὁ Ἰσμαὴλ, ὡς ἔφην, κατὰ νόμον, τρισκαιδε-καετής που ὢν, οἷα δὴ υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ Ἁβραὰμ ἐκ τῆς Ἄγαρ τῆς παιδίσκης τῆς Αἰγυ-πτίας. Καὶ\n\nμετ' ὀλίγα. Καὶ κατῳκίσθη, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰσμαὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐγένετο τοξότης, καὶ ᾤκησε τὴν ἔρημον. Ἠγάγετο δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰγυπτίαν γυναῖκα. Τίνος ἕνεκέν μοι ταῦτα πάντα μεμυθολογεῖσ-θαι; ζητῶ τοὺς περιτετμημένους κατὰ Αἴ-γυπτον, καὶ ζητῶ τοὺς περιτετμημένους τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, πάντας οὓς ἀναγράφει ὁ λόγος. Ἐοίκασιν οὖν ἐκ τοῦ γένους εἶναι τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ, ὃς ᾤκησε μὲν τὴν ἔρημον, ἠγάγετο δὲ τὴν αἰγυπτίαν γυναῖκα· καὶ οὐ-κέτι ἀμφιβάλλω τούτους που εἶναι, ἢ τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ περιτετμημένους, καὶ τοὺς πε-ρικειρομένους κατὰ πρόσωπον, καὶ κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Εἶκος γὰρ τὸν Ἰσμαὴλ παραλαβόντα τὸν νόμον τὸν πατρῷον τοῦ Ἁβραὰμ, ὡς θεοφιλοῦς πατρὸς ὄντα, καὶ ἀναχωρήσαντα τῆς οἰκείας, ἅπερ ἐνόμιζεν αὐτῷ εἶναι ἀσφαλέστατα, πατροπαρά-δοτα ὄντα, ταῦτα ποιεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐγγόνοις τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ. Οὕτως δὲ μέντοι περιτετμημένους ἔστιν εὑρεῖν Αἰγυπτίους ἢ τοὺς τὴν ἔρημον οἰκοῦντας. Πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἐδώμ; ὁ Ἐδὼμ οὖτος κα-ταβαίνει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος τοῦ Ἁβραάμ·","english":"Abraham was circumcised at the age of ninety-nine, he himself and his sons, Ishmael and all the men of his household, and the homeborn slaves, and the silver-purchased slaves from foreign nations; he circumcised them. For these things are recorded verbatim in Genesis. How then does he bring circumcision down upon the Egyptians, and upon Edom, and upon the sons of Moab, and upon the sons of Ammon? Ishmael was circumcised, as I said, according to the law, being about thirteen years old, since he was a son of Abraham by Hagar, the Egyptian maidservant. And\n\na little later. And Ishmael settled, it says, in the desert, and he became an archer, and he dwelt in the desert. And his mother brought him an Egyptian wife. Why are all these things mythologized for me? I seek those circumcised in Egypt, and I seek those circumcised in the desert, all whom the account records. They seem, then, to be from the lineage of Ishmael, who dwelt in the desert and took an Egyptian wife; and I no longer doubt that these are either those circumcised in Egypt, or those who cut their hair in front and dwell in the desert. For it is likely that Ishmael, having received the paternal law of Abraham, as from a God-loving father, and having withdrawn from his own country, did what he considered most secure for himself, being ancestral traditions, and did these things also for his own descendants. Thus, indeed, one can find Egyptians or those dwelling in the desert circumcised. And how also Edom? This Edom also descends from the seed of Abraham.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Γένεσις","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Abraham's circumcision at age 99 and the circumcision of his household is drawn from Genesis 17:23-27 (LXX).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰσμαήλ","severity":"info","text":"Ishmael, son of Abraham by Hagar the Egyptian, is traditionally considered the ancestor of the Ishmaelites, often associated with Arab peoples. The text links circumcision practices among Egyptians and desert dwellers to Ishmael's lineage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"περιτομή","severity":"info","text":"The term 'circumcision' here is used both literally (the physical rite) and symbolically, as the author questions its application to non-Israelite groups like Egyptians, Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"μετ' ὀλίγα","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'a little later' indicates a lacuna or a transition in the source text, suggesting that the original commentary may have had a continuous argument now broken by a gap.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μεμυθολογεῖσθαι","severity":"info","text":"The author uses 'mythologized' to express frustration with the narrative, reflecting a critical, rationalizing approach to scriptural interpretation common in early Christian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐδώμ","severity":"caution","text":"The identification of Edom as descending from Abraham's seed is not directly supported by Genesis; Edom is traditionally descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, not Abraham. The author may be conflating genealogies or using a non-canonical tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The text assumes a connection between Ishmael's Egyptian wife and the circumcision of Egyptians, but the exact mechanism is not fully explained.","The reference to 'those who cut their hair in front' (περικειρομένους) is unclear; it may denote a specific group or a ritual practice distinct from circumcision."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"τῷ γὰρ Ἁβραὰμ ἐγένετο μὲν παῖς Ἰσμαὴλ ἐκ τῆς Ἄγαρ, ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰσαὰκ ἐκ τῆς Σάῤῥας· τῷ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ πάλιν παῖδες δύο, ὅ τε Ἡσαῦ καὶ ὁ Ἰακώβ.\n\nΚαὶ ὁ μὲν Ἰακὼβ οὐκ ἠγάγετο γυναῖκαν αἵμα-τος ξένου, οὐδὲ τῶν Χαναναίων, ταῦτα ἐπι-σκέψαντος τοῦ πατρός. Ὁ μέντοι Ἡσαῦ ἠ-γάγετο γυναῖκα τὴν θυγατέρα Ἰσμαὴλ, ἀ-δελφὴν τοῦ Νεβεώθ, ἀνεψιὰν δήπουθεν ἀγόμενος ἑαυτοῦ γυναίκα πρὸς πατρὸς, ξέ-νην δὲ πρὸς μητρὸς, καὶ γίνεται παίδων πολλῶν πατήρ. Πρωτότοκος δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἐ-δὼμ, καὶ μαρτυρήσει μοι τὸ ἱερὸν λόγιον λέ-γον· Αὖται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Ἡσαῦ πατρὸς Ἐδώμ. Οὐκοῦν ἄπερ ἐλέγετο μικροῦ πρόσ-θεν περὶ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ, ὅτι δὴ παραλαβὼν νόμον πατρόθεν, τὸν τῆς περιτομῆς, παρεδί-δου ἐγγόνοις τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ, ταῦτα λέγειν ἡμῖν ἔξεστι περὶ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ, ὅτι ὢν παῖς Ἰσαὰκ τοῦ υἱοῦ Ἁβραὰμ, ὃν παρέλαβε νόμον παρά τε τοῦ πάππου, παρά τε τοῦ πατρὸς ἥκον-τα εἰς αὐτὸν, παρεδίδου καὶ τοῖς παισὶ, καὶ περιέτεμέν που καὶ αὐτὸς τὸν Ἐδώμ· οὐκέτι οὖν ἀσαφές; Πῶς δὲ καὶ υἱοὶ Ἀμμὼν καὶ υἱοὶ Μωάβ; τούτους γινώσκουσί που οἱ φιλοπονώτεροι εἶναι τοὺς υἱοὺς Λὼτ, τοῦ ἀδελφιδοῦ Ἁ-βραάμ. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα. Ἐτέχθῃ οὖν ἐκ τοῦ Λὼτ, ὅ τε Ἀμμὼν καὶ ὁ Μωὰβ, ἐκάτερος ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ, ὁπηνίκα ὑπονοήσασαι ἔ-ρημον εἶναι τὴν γῆν, οὕτω διασώσασθαι τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐβουλήθησαν αἱ θυγα-τέρες Λώτ· ἐτέχθη γὰρ τῇ μὲν πρεσβυτέρᾳ ὁ Μωὰβ, ἑρμηνευόμενος ἐκ πατρὸς, καὶ τῇ δευτέρᾳ Ἀμμὼν, ἑρμηνευόμενος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ γένους.","english":"For Abraham had a son Ishmael by Hagar, and Isaac was born of Sarah; and Isaac again had two sons, Esau and Jacob.\n\nAnd Jacob did not take a wife of foreign blood, nor of the Canaanites, his father having taken precautions in these matters. However, Esau took as wife the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth, thus taking as his wife his own cousin on the father's side, but a foreigner on the mother's side, and he became the father of many children. His firstborn was Edom, and the sacred word will bear witness for me, saying: \"These are the generations of Esau, father of Edom.\" Therefore, just as was said a little earlier concerning Ishmael, that having received the law from his father, that of circumcision, he transmitted it to his own descendants, so it is permissible for us to say concerning Esau, that being the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the law which he received from both his grandfather and his father, coming down to him, he transmitted also to his children, and he himself circumcised Edom somewhere. Is it no longer unclear? And how about the sons of Ammon and the sons of Moab? Those who are more diligent know these to be the sons of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. And a little later: So from Lot were born both Ammon and Moab, each from his own daughters, at the time when the daughters of Lot, supposing the land to be deserted, wished to preserve the race of men in this way; for Moab was born to the elder, interpreted as \"from father,\" and Ammon to the second, interpreted as \"the son of the race.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Αὖται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Ἡσαῦ πατρὸς Ἐδώμ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'These are the generations of Esau, father of Edom' is not a direct quotation from the canonical Septuagint Genesis; it may be a paraphrase or a variant reading from a lost source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐδώμ","severity":"info","text":"Edom is identified here as the firstborn of Esau, linking the Edomites to Esau's lineage, a common tradition in Jewish and Christian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμμὼν καὶ Μωάβ","severity":"info","text":"Ammon and Moab are presented as sons of Lot born from incest with his daughters, a tradition found in Genesis 19:30-38, though the specific interpretation of their names ('from father' and 'son of the race') is exegetical.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'And a little later' indicates a lacuna or a transition in the manuscript, suggesting the original text continued with further discussion before the passage on Lot's daughters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐτέχθῃ οὖν ἐκ τοῦ Λὼτ, ὅ τε Ἀμμὼν καὶ ὁ Μωὰβ, ἐκάτερος ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ","severity":"caution","text":"The account of Lot's daughters begetting Ammon and Moab by their father is a variant tradition; the biblical text (Genesis 19:30-38) describes the Moabites and Ammonites as born from Lot's daughters without specifying incest.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"οἱ φιλοπονώτεροι","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'those who are more diligent' suggests Gregory appeals to learned readers familiar with non-canonical or interpretive traditions about Lot's descendants.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact source of the quotation 'These are the generations of Esau, father of Edom' is unclear; it may be a paraphrase or from a non-extant version of Genesis.","The phrase 'And a little later' indicates a possible lacuna in the manuscript, leaving the transition between topics uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Ταῦτα πάντα εἰρημένα οὐκέτι δυσ-κόλως ἡμᾶς συγκατατίθεσθαι παραπείθει, πάντας τοὺς περιτετμημένους οὕτω καλεῖσ-θαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ λόγου, μαρτυροῦντος αὐτοῦ Ἱερεμίου καὶ περὶ υἱῶν Μωάβ, καὶ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἀμμὼν, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς περιτετμημένοις κατέλεξε καὶ τούτους. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὠφελείας τινος ἡμῖν προσγίνεσθαι δεῖ ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων τούτων, οὕτως ἄν τις ὀρθῶς εἴποι, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ γένη τῶν ἀνθρώπων προσποίησιν μὲν ἔχει δικαιοσύνης, καί τινα μὲν ἴχνη φέρειν νόμου Θεοῦ, καὶ σχηματίζεσθαι πως, καὶ ἐπιπλάστως ἐπιμελεῖσθαι ἀρετῆς, μέχρι μέντοι σχήματος αὐτοῖς ἵσταται τὰ τῆς προαιρέσεως, μέχρι προσποιήσεως καὶ τοῦ καθυποκρίνεσθαι, οὐ μέντοι καὶ τέλεον ἐσ-πουδάσαμεν τὴν κακίαν ἐκκόπτειν ἐξ ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ ὀνείδη ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰ-δουμαίαν., 2. Κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν, μὴ μανθάνετε. Τί δὲ μανθάνετε; Νόμον μανθάνετε Θεοῦ, τὸν λέγοντα· Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ, θεοὶ, οἱ οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀπολέσθωσαν ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.","english":"All these things having been said no longer persuade us with difficulty to agree that all the circumcised are so called by the sacred word, Jeremiah himself bearing witness both concerning the sons of Moab and concerning the sons of Ammon, that he also numbered these among the circumcised. And after a little. But if some benefit must also accrue to us from these sayings, one might rightly speak thus, that the many races of men have a pretense of righteousness, and bear some traces of the law of God, and are somehow shaped, and artificially cultivate virtue, but their purpose stops at the form, at pretense and dissembling, and we have not earnestly endeavored to cut out evil from ourselves and the reproaches against Egypt and against Idumea. 2. According to the ways of the nations, do not learn. But what do you learn? You learn the law of God, which says: You shall have no other gods besides me; gods who did not make heaven and earth, let them perish from the face of the earth and from beneath the heaven.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ταῦτα πάντα εἰρημένα","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase refers back to the previous discussion of circumcision and the genealogies of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau, linking the argument to the preceding passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"υἱῶν Μωάβ, καὶ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἀμμὼν","severity":"info","text":"Jeremiah mentions the sons of Moab and Ammon as circumcised peoples; cf. Jer 9:25-26 (LXX) where circumcision is associated with these nations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Exod 20:3 (LXX) or Deut 5:7, emphasizing monotheism and the rejection of foreign gods.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν","severity":"info","text":"Egypt and Idumea (Edom) are traditional biblical enemies of Israel; the reproaches likely refer to prophetic condemnations in Jeremiah and other prophets.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα","severity":"info","text":"This phrase indicates a lacuna or a transition in the original text; the commentary jumps from one point to another, possibly omitting intervening material.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"περιτετμημένους","severity":"info","text":"Gregory's argument that all circumcised peoples are so called by scripture reflects early Christian debates on the scope of God's covenant, possibly engaging with Jewish or Gnostic interpretations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα' suggests a break in the text; the exact extent of the omitted material is uncertain.","The reference to 'reproaches against Egypt and Idumea' is unclear; it may allude to specific prophetic passages not explicitly quoted."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}