{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","title":"Ascetam facetiis uti non debere","title_source":"Ascetam facetiis uti non debere","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"other","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":"2026-11-15T07:06:45Z","cost_usd":0.006635},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","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/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/Ascetam%20facetiis%20uti%20non%20debere.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":12,"english_words":3280,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":13527,"commentary_units":71,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":16,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","abstract":"John Chrysostom's treatise 'Ascetam facetiis uti non debere' argues that monks must avoid jesting (facetiae) as incompatible with ascetic discipline. Drawing on scriptural and patristic authority, Chrysostom frames humor as a distraction from spiritual vigilance, targeting the Greek concept of εὐτραπελία (jesting) as a vice that undermines monastic dignity. The work likely dates to Chrysostom's Antiochene presbyterate (c. 386–397), a period when he produced many ascetic homilies. It survives in a single Greek manuscript tradition, with the khazarzar edition relying on Migne's PG 48 and earlier printed editions. No critical edition exists, and the text lacks apparatus for textual variants or liturgical context.","historical_context":"The treatise was likely composed during John Chrysostom's tenure as a presbyter in Antioch (c. 386–397), a period when he wrote extensively on asceticism and monastic discipline. Antioch was a major center of early Christian asceticism, with diverse monastic communities debating proper conduct, including speech and demeanor. Chrysostom's work reflects these contemporary debates, arguing against jesting as a threat to spiritual vigilance. The text survives in a single Greek manuscript tradition, transmitted through the Benedictine edition of Chrysostom's works (1834–1840) and later cited in Eastern Orthodox ascetic florilegia. The khazarzar edition, based on Migne's PG 48, provides no apparatus for textual variants or marginalia, limiting assessment of scribal interventions or original liturgical context. The work was never formally canonized but remains influential in ascetic literature.","significance":"This treatise is significant for its focused critique of humor in early Christian monasticism, contributing to broader patristic discussions on speech ethics and spiritual discipline. It relates to Chrysostom's other ascetic works and contemporary monastic rules, such as those of Basil of Caesarea, which also regulate laughter and jesting. The work's survival in a single manuscript tradition highlights challenges in textual transmission and the need for critical editions.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Likely composition during Chrysostom's Antiochene presbyterate."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscript tradition."},{"date":"1834–1840","event":"Inclusion in the Benedictine edition of Chrysostom's works."},{"date":"19th c.","event":"Cited in Eastern Orthodox ascetic florilegia."},{"date":"20th–21st c.","event":"Khazarzar edition based on Migne's PG 48, without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew","relation":"Similar ascetic themes and use of scriptural authority.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Basil of Caesarea, Longer Rules","relation":"Regulates monastic speech and demeanor, including jesting.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Colossians 3:8","relation":"Paraphrased as Pauline prohibition of 'foolish talk or jesting'.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Job 31:5 (LXX)","relation":"Cited as Job's self-testimony about not associating with jesters.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Psalm 25:5 (LXX)","relation":"Echoed in phrase 'Lead me to your truth'.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Date is uncertain; assigned to Chrysostom's Antiochene presbyterate (c. 386–397) based on thematic parallels, but no explicit internal evidence confirms this.","The text survives in a single Greek manuscript tradition; the khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, so textual variants and scribal interventions cannot be assessed.","Authorship is traditionally attributed to John Chrysostom, but no definitive external evidence confirms it; the work is not formally canonized."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000459,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:06:45Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/Ascetam%20facetiis%20uti%20non%20debere.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-ascetam-facetiis-uti-non-debere","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":12,"translated":12,"commentary_passages":12,"commentary_units":71,"english_words":3280,"source_letters":13527,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise argues that monks must avoid jesting (facetiae) as incompatible with ascetic discipline. Chrysostom draws on scriptural and patristic authority, framing humor as a distraction from spiritual vigilance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Composed likely during Chrysostom’s Antiochene presbyterate (c. 386–397), when he produced many ascetic homilies. The work reflects contemporary monastic debates on speech and demeanor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The text survives in a single Greek manuscript tradition; the khazarzar edition relies on Migne’s PG 48, collated with earlier printed editions. No critical edition exists.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Included in the Benedictine edition of Chrysostom’s works (1834–1840) and later cited in Eastern Orthodox ascetic florilegia, though never formally canonized.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The khazarzar edition provides no apparatus for textual variants or marginalia. Readers cannot assess scribal interventions or the work’s original liturgical context from this source alone.","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: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 12 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":12},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΟΤΙ ΟΥ ΧΡΗ ΕΥΤΡΑΠΕΛΙΖΕΙΝ ΤΟΝ ΑΣΚΗΤΗΝ Πανάγιαι αἱ παραινέσεις τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου, μετὰ φόβου κελεύουσαι τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ μετὰ φόβου καὶ πολλῆς ἐπιμελείας τὴν ἄσκησιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργαζόμενος, πολλὰς ὑφίσταται τὰς εἰς τὸ κακὸν ἐκτροπὰς, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐξ εὐθείας καὶ βασιλικῆς ὁδοῦ πλανώμενος εἰς τὰς δι' ἀκανθῶν καὶ σκολόπων πλαγίας καὶ ἀνοδίας· διὸ καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαὶ ἀδιάλειπτοι ὁδηγοὶ εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν γίνονται, Ὁδήγησόν με, λεγόντων, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου· καὶ, Κατάρτισον τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις σου. Ἀγαθὸν οὖν ἡ χρηστότης, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη κεφάλαιόν ἐστι τῶν ἀγαθῶν· τούτοις δὲ ἀκολουθεῖ φαιδρότης πολλὴ, καὶ γέλως ὑπερβάλλων τὸ μέτρον, καὶ ἡ τὴν σεμνότητα ταπεινοῦσα εὐτραπελία. Δεινὸν δὴ τὸ διαχυθῆναι τῇ εὐτραπελίᾳ. Ὁ γὰρ γέλως χαυνοῖ τὸν δεσμὸν τῆς σωφροσύνης, γέλως ἀπωθεῖ σεμνότητα, γέλως οὐ μιμνήσκεται φόβου Θεοῦ, γέλως οὐ φοβεῖται ἀπειλὴν γεέννης, γέλως πορνείας ὁδηγὸς, εὐτραπελία ἔλεγχός ἐστι τοῦ ἀκολάστου ἀνθρώπου, γελωτοποιία εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν κατενεχθῆναι ποιεῖ, γελωτοποιία καταφρονήσεως πρόφασις. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Ἀπόστολος ἀπαγορεύει λέγων· Μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία, τὰ οὐκ ἀνήκοντα, ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον εὐχαριστία· τοῦτο λέγων, ὅτι τὴν εὐθυμίαν μὴ πρόφασιν κτήσησθε ῥᾳθυμίας, ἀλλὰ εὐχαριστίας ὑπόθεσιν πρὸς τὸν δεδωκότα. Διὰ τοῦτο μαρτυρεῖ μὲν Ἰὼβ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ λέγων· Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤμην πεπορευμένος μετὰ γελοιαστῶν. Ἐπιπλήττει δὲ τῷ φιλογέλωτι τρόπῳ Σολομών·","english":"That the ascetic ought not to use jesting. All the exhortations of the blessed Paul are holy, commanding that one work out one's own salvation with fear. For he who does not practice the exercise of virtue with fear and great diligence suffers many deviations toward evil, and as if straying from the straight and royal road into the side-paths and trackless ways through thorns and brambles. Therefore, unceasing prayers to God become guides to the good, as they say, \"Lead me to your truth,\" and, \"Set my steps in your paths.\" Goodness, then, is good, and love is the chief of goods; but these are followed by much cheerfulness, and laughter that exceeds due measure, and the jesting that lowers dignity. It is indeed terrible to be dissolved in jesting. For laughter loosens the bond of temperance, laughter repels dignity, laughter does not remember the fear of God, laughter does not fear the threat of Gehenna, laughter is a guide to fornication, jesting is a proof of the licentious man, buffoonery causes one to be carried down into indolence, buffoonery is a pretext for contempt. Therefore the blessed Apostle forbids it, saying, \"Foolish talk or jesting, things that are not fitting, let them not issue from your mouth, but rather thanksgiving,\" saying this, that you may not acquire cheerfulness as a pretext for indolence, but as a basis for thanksgiving to the giver. Therefore Job bears witness concerning himself, saying, \"And if I had gone about with jesters.\" And Solomon rebukes the laughter-loving character.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"εὐτραπελία","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term εὐτραπελία (jesting) is the central vice under critique, associated with laughter that exceeds measure and undermines dignity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁδήγησόν με ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Lead me to your truth' echoes Psalm 25:5 (LXX), a prayer for divine guidance toward righteousness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Κατάρτισον τὰ διαβήματά μου ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις σου","severity":"info","text":"The petition 'Set my steps in your paths' alludes to Psalm 119:35 (LXX), seeking steadfastness in God's ways.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μωρολογία ἢ εὐτραπελία... μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω","severity":"info","text":"The Apostle's prohibition of 'foolish talk or jesting' is a paraphrase of Colossians 3:8 (or a similar Pauline admonition), urging thanksgiving instead.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἤμην πεπορευμένος μετὰ γελοιαστῶν","severity":"info","text":"Job's self-testimony about not associating with jesters is a loose citation of Job 31:5 (LXX), where Job denies consorting with buffoons.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σολομών","severity":"info","text":"Solomon, as a wisdom figure, is invoked to rebuke the laughter-loving character, likely referencing Proverbs or Wisdom of Solomon, though no specific verse is quoted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear; no significant ambiguities in this passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ἀγαθὸν, φησὶ, θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα, ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία. Καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους, καρδία δὲ ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης. Ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφῶν ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων. Τὸ δὲ ἀπρεπὲς καὶ ἄτιμον τῶν εἰς γέλωτα ἐγκειμένων ἐλέγχων, φησί· Φωνὴ ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα, οὕτως ὁ γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων. Πρὸς τί δὲ προσήκει τὸ πάνυ φαιδρὸν καὶ ἱλαρὸν εἰς τὸ σοφὸν ἡσύχιον καὶ σεμνὸν αἰσθήτι. Καὶ διὰ φόβου καὶ μερίμνης τοῦ ὀφθῆναι Θεῷ περιαιρεῖν τὸ ἄγαν ἱλαρόν. Οἱ γὰρ φαιδρότησιν ἀμέτροις καὶ γελοίοις διαχεόμενοι ἐοίκασιν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς, λήθῃ τινὶ βεβαρημένοι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ μηδὲ τοῦ Δεσπότου τὴν παρουσίαν προσδοκῶντες. Οὔπω τοῦ Δεσπότου τὴν εὐμένειαν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, οὔπω τῶν κακῶν βεβαίως ἔχεις τὴν ἀπαλλαγήν· οὐ γινώσκεις τὸ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐσόμενον, ὅ τι μὲν αὐτὸς ἔσῃ, τί δέ σοι συμβήσεται· εἶτα γελᾷς ἀφροντίστως, καὶ εὐτραπελίζεις, καὶ ἄγεις σεαυτὸν ἀφόβως, δέον ἐγκεῖσθαι ταῖς πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκεσίαις, ἀγωνιᾷν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων, καὶ τρέμειν μὲν ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ μή ποτε τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐκτραπῇς, φροντίζειν δὲ καὶ δεδοικέναι περὶ τῶν ἀπαντησομένων μὴ χαλεπώτερα καὶ μείζονα τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως ἐπέλθοι, τοσούτων καὶ τηλικούτων ἐν μέσῳ πολέμων ἀπειλημμένος; Ἀγῶνα ἐχέτω ἡ ψυχή σου· πολεμοῦσιν ἀοράτως δαίμονες, πολεμοῦσι προφανῶς ἄνθρωποι, πολεμεῖ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔνδον πάθη, αἱ διὰ σώματος ἐγειρόμεναι ἡδοναὶ, καὶ αἱ περὶ τὸ σῶμα ἔξωθεν συμφοραί.","english":"It is good, he says, anger over laughter, because the heart will be made good in the badness of the face. The heart of the wise is in a house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in a house of merriment. It is good to hear the rebuke of the wise rather than a man hearing the song of fools. And the unseemly and dishonorable character of those who are bent on laughter he exposes, saying: The voice of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. But to what end does the very cheerful and joyous pertain? Perceive it in the wise stillness and dignity. And through fear and concern to be seen by God, remove excessive cheerfulness. For those who are dissipated with immoderate gaiety and laughter seem to be ignorant of their own condition, their soul weighed down by some forgetfulness, and not even expecting the presence of the Master. Not yet the Master’s favor, O man, not yet do you have a secure release from evils; you do not know what will happen a little later, what you yourself will be, nor what will befall you; and then you laugh heedlessly, and jest, and conduct yourself without fear, when you ought to be engaged in supplications to God, to be in anguish over the future, and to tremble for yourself lest you ever deviate from virtue, and to be anxious and afraid concerning what will be encountered, lest more grievous and greater things than your strength can bear come upon you, hemmed in as you are by so many and such great wars? Let your soul have a contest; demons war invisibly, men war openly, the passions within the soul war, the pleasures roused through the body, and the misfortunes from without concerning the body.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀγαθὸν, φησὶ, θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom introduces a saying that paradoxically values anger over laughter, framing it as a corrective to the ascetic's tendency toward frivolity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους, καρδία δὲ ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης","severity":"info","text":"This aphorism echoes the wisdom tradition, particularly Sirach 21:20-21, which contrasts the demeanor of the wise and foolish.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"εὐτραπελίζεις","severity":"info","text":"The verb εὐτραπελίζω (to jest) is a key term in ascetic literature, denoting the kind of witty or playful speech that Chrysostom condemns as incompatible with the fear of God.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ἀγῶνα","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of the soul's contest (ἀγών) is common in Greek asceticism, drawing on athletic imagery to describe the spiritual struggle against demons, human temptations, and internal passions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from scriptural and proverbial sayings to a direct rhetorical address (ὦ ἄνθρωπε), intensifying the exhortation against heedless laughter.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Φωνὴ ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα","severity":"info","text":"The image of thorns crackling under a pot as a simile for foolish laughter appears in the Greek Proverbs (26:14 LXX), reinforcing Chrysostom's reliance on biblical wisdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the initial saying (Ἀγαθὸν, φησὶ, θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα) is not identified; it may be a proverb or a citation from an unknown text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Τοῖς γὰρ πλησίον οὐ συναλγεῖς, οὐκ ἀσθενεῖς μετὰ τῶν ἀσθενούντων, οὐ κλαίεις μετὰ τῶν κλαιόντων, οὐ δέδοικας περὶ τῶν μὴ βεβαίως περὶ τὴν πίστιν διακειμένων, μὴ μετακινηθῶσι καὶ πέσωσιν· οὐ θρηνεῖς τοὺς πεπτωκότας, οὐ χεῖρα ὀρέ γεις τοῖς κειμένοις, οὐκ ἐπιλαμβάνῃ τοῦ γελῶντος ἔνδοθεν στεναγμοῖς, ἐπειδὴ ἐληθάργησε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην κόλασιν· οὐκ ἀνατρέπει σου τὴν ἄκαιρον τρυφὴν ὁ τοῦ συνεσταλμένου καιροῦ λογισμὸς, οὐχὶ τῆς μελλούσης φοβερᾶς ἡμέρας\n\nπαρουσία· ἀλλ' ἐκείνους μὲν μεμίμησαι τοὺς μετὰ κιθάρας καὶ ψαλτηρίου τὸν οἶνον πίνοντας, οἷς ἀντὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης τὸ οὐαὶ ἠπείλησεν ὁ προφήτης. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκήρυξα κλαυθμὸν καὶ κοπετὸν καὶ ξύρησιν κεφαλῆς, καὶ περίζωσιν σάκκου· αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐποιήσαντο εὐφροσύνην καὶ χαρὰν λέγοντες· Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν· καὶ ἀνακεκαλυμμένα εἰσὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶ Κυρίου Σαβαὼθ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτοῖς ἡ ἁμαρτία αὕτη, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνωσιν. Ἀκούων ταῦτα φοβήθητι καὶ στέναξον· μὴ μιμήσῃ τοὺς φαγόντας καὶ πιόντας, καὶ ἀναστάντας παίζειν· καὶ ἵνα τὸ πικρότερον εἴπω, θυσίαι καὶ τροφαὶ καὶ παίγνια τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν ληθαργῆσαι φόβου ἐποίησαν, καὶ πρὸς εἰδωλολατρείαν ἐξείλκυσαν. Φοβήθητι μὴ σοῦ γελῶντος ὁ Δεσπότης ὀργίζηται, ὁ τοὺς μὲν κλαίοντας μακαρίσας, τοὺς δὲ γελῶντας ταλανίσας, μὴ τὴν παιγνίαν σου, καὶ τὸν ἐκκεχυμένον γέλωτα ἀφοβίαν περὶ Θεοῦ καὶ λήθην τῶν συμφερόντων ὁ διάβολος εὑρὼν ἐπιβῇ τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ σπείρῃ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ζιζάνια. Ἦν ὅτε ἄνεσιν εἶχον οἱ καιροὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιτηδείως·","english":"For you do not sympathize with those near you, you do not suffer with those who are suffering, you do not weep with those who are weeping, you do not fear for those who are not firmly established in the faith, lest they be shaken and fall; you do not lament those who have fallen, you do not reach out a hand to those who are prostrate, you do not restrain the one who laughs with inward groans, because he has forgotten the punishment prepared for him; the thought of the constrained time does not overturn your untimely luxury, nor the presence of the fearful coming day. But you have imitated those who drink wine with cithara and psaltery, to whom instead of gladness the prophet threatened woe. For I, he says, proclaimed weeping and beating of the breast and shaving of the head, and girding with sackcloth; but they made gladness and joy, saying, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die; and these things are uncovered in the ears of the Lord Sabaoth, that this sin will not be forgiven them until they die. Hearing these things, fear and groan; do not imitate those who ate and drank, and rose up to play; and to speak more bitterly, sacrifices and feasts and games made them forget the fear of God, and drew them toward idolatry. Fear lest while you laugh the Master be angry, he who blessed those who weep and declared those who laugh wretched, lest the devil, finding your play and your unrestrained laughter to be fearlessness concerning God and forgetfulness of what is beneficial, mount your soul and sow his own tares. There was a time when the seasons were more suitable for relaxation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐαὶ ἠπείλησεν ὁ προφήτης","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the prophet threatened woe' likely alludes to Isaiah 5:11 (LXX) or similar prophetic warnings against revelry, though the exact reference is not explicit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν, αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκομεν","severity":"info","text":"This saying, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die,' echoes a common Epicurean sentiment, but also appears in biblical wisdom literature (e.g., Ecclesiastes) and is cited by Chrysostom as a foil to ascetic mourning.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"θυσίαι καὶ τροφαὶ καὶ παίγνια","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom associates feasting and games with idolatry, reflecting early Christian polemic against pagan festivals, which were often linked to sacrificial rites and moral laxity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage forms a rhetorical climax in the narrative, contrasting the ascetic ideal of lamentation with the hedonistic response of the impenitent, culminating in a warning against laughter as a gateway to demonic influence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐληθάργησε","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἐληθάργησε (from ληθαργέω) means 'to forget' or 'to be oblivious,' here implying a willful neglect of divine punishment, a key concept in Chrysostom's ascetic psychology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἦν ὅτε ἄνεσιν εἶχον οἱ καιροὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιτηδείως","severity":"caution","text":"The final sentence is textually uncertain; the phrase 'there was a time when the seasons were more suitable for relaxation' may be a later gloss or a truncated thought, as it seems to contradict the preceding severity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The final sentence may be corrupt or incomplete; its concessive tone is at odds with the surrounding exhortation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τότε πολὺ παρὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἦν τὸ σκυθρωπὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ περιχαροῦς· καί φησιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός· Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν σκυθρωπάζων ἐπορευόμην, καὶ, Λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου, ἐν δὲ δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω· κατηφὴς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις γινόμενος, καὶ περὶ τῶν συμφορῶν ὀδυρόμενος, καὶ τὰς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ συμφορὰς, κάθηται κλαίων ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν μὴ καρηβαρίᾳ καὶ μέθῃ χρώμενος καὶ γελοίοις καὶ εὐτραπελίᾳ ἐκδώσῃς σεαυτόν· διὰ τοῦτο γάρ σου καὶ κιθάρα περιῄρηται, καὶ οὔτε τύμπανον ἔχεις ἐν χερσί· καὶ καρδίᾳ μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ στόματι ψάλλειν ὁ Παῦλος ἐδίδασκεν, ὁ πανταχόθεν συστέλλων τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ πάσης ἐκλύσεως καὶ διαχύσεως. Ἔπαιζεν ὁ πατὴρ Ἰσαὰκ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα· ἀλλὰ σοὶ καὶ τὰ πρὸς γυναῖκα σεμνότερα διατέτακται, ὅτι Ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος ἐστὶν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσι, καὶ οἱ χαίροντες ὡς μὴ χαίροντες, καὶ οἱ ἀγοράζοντες ὡς μὴ κατέχοντες, καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Σὺ δὲ οὐ βούλῃ συστέλλεσθαι, πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων συστελλομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον γυναικῶν ἀδιαφόρως ἐκχέεις δάκρυα, καὶ πληθύνεις παίγνια, καὶ γελοῖα προτείνεις, καὶ διακλᾶσαι αἰσχρολογίας προφέρων· μὴ φέρων γὰρ τὴν ἐν τῷ ἀκολάστῳ σου σώματι πύρωσιν, λοιπὸν ἐκφέρεις τὸν βόρβορον ἔξω, καὶ ἑαυτὸν φανερὸν ποιεῖς· οἷος εἶ διὰ ῥημάτων, τοιοῦτος πάντως ἔσῃ, καὶ πολὺ χείρων ἐν τῷ ἔσω ἀνθρώπῳ. Τί ἀφόβως συναναμίγνυσαι γυναιξί; τί σεαυτῷ εἰς τὴν παγίδα κατατρέχεις;","english":"Yet even then, among the saints, the somber prevailed over the cheerful. And the Psalmist says: \"All the day long I went about with a gloomy face,\" and, \"I will drench my bed each night, and wet my couch with my tears,\" becoming downcast over sins and lamenting the calamities. And the prophet Jeremiah sits weeping over the calamities of Jerusalem. Therefore, you too should not give yourself over to headache, drunkenness, jokes, and levity. For this reason your lyre has been taken away, and you hold neither a timbrel in your hands. Paul taught you to sing with your heart rather than your mouth, restraining the man from every dissipation and distraction on all sides. Isaac the patriarch played with his wife, but for you even matters concerning your wife are arranged more solemnly, because the time is contracted, so that those who have wives may be as if they do not, those who rejoice as if they do not, those who buy as if they do not possess, and those who use this world as if they do not abuse it, for the form of this world passes away. But you are unwilling to be restrained, though all things are restrained. Even in the presence of women you pour out tears indiscriminately, and multiply games, and offer jokes, and utter shameful words to provoke laughter. For, unable to bear the burning in your licentious body, you then bring forth the filth outside and make yourself manifest. As you are through words, so you will surely be, and much worse in your inner man. Why do you mingle fearlessly with women? Why do you run yourself into the trap?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν σκυθρωπάζων ἐπορευόμην","severity":"info","text":"The Psalmist's words are not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Psalm 38 (LXX) or similar penitential psalms, reflecting the ascetic theme of mourning.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes the language of Psalm 6 (LXX) or other psalms of lament, emphasizing nightly weeping as a sign of repentance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱερεμίας","severity":"info","text":"Jeremiah is cited as a model of mourning over Jerusalem's calamities, referencing the Book of Lamentations traditionally attributed to him.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κιθάρα περιῄρηται","severity":"info","text":"The removal of the lyre and timbrel symbolizes the ascetic renunciation of musical instruments associated with pagan or worldly entertainment, a common theme in early Christian monasticism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔπαιζεν ὁ πατὴρ Ἰσαὰκ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Isaac playing with his wife alludes to Genesis 26:8, where Isaac is seen sporting with Rebekah, but Chrysostom reinterprets this as a model of restrained marital joy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Σὺ δὲ οὐ βούλῃ συστέλλεσθαι","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from biblical exempla to direct exhortation, contrasting the ideal of restraint with the addressee's behavior, a common rhetorical device in Chrysostom's homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου' may be a conflation of multiple psalm verses; its exact source is uncertain.","The reference to 'Isaac playing with his wife' could be interpreted as a positive model of marital affection, but Chrysostom uses it to emphasize greater restraint for the ascetic."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"τί εἰς τὸν κίνδυνον ἑαυτὸν ἐμβάλλεις; τί φαιδρύνῃ πρὸς θηλείας, καὶ συνδιάγειν τολμᾷς; Διὰ τοῦτο νηστεῖαι, διὰ τοῦτο προσευχαὶ, διὰ τοῦτο κατὰ ξηροῦ δίαιτα, διὰ τοῦτο πολυτρόπους ἀσκήσεις ἐπινοοῦσιν ἄνθρωποι, διὰ τοῦτο τὰς ἐρήμους μεταδιώκουσιν· ἔνιοι δὲ οὐδὲ ἄρτου, οὐδὲ ὕδατος κορέννυνται, δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ διὰ τὸ φυγεῖν ἐκεῖνα τὰ σκάνδαλα, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐμπεσόντας ταῖς θηλείαις πτῶμα γενέσθαι αἰσχρόν. Σὺ δὲ ταῦτα πάντα παραδραμὼν, καὶ μήτε τὸν κίνδυνον ἐννοήσας μετὰ τὴν παγίδα, δι' ἧς ὁ πρωτόπλαστος ἐκ τῆς τηλικαύτης μακαριότητος ἐξέπεσεν, οὐκ ἐννοεῖς τὸ ὅπλον τοῦ διαβόλου, δι' οὗ ὁ ἀρχαῖος τρωθεὶς καταβέβληται; Καὶ ὁ μὲν Δεσπότης καὶ τὸ ἐμβλέψαι γυναικὶ ἀπηγόρευσε, πορνείαν διαγράφων· σὺ δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐμάνης, καὶ πλαστὰ ὀνόματα ἐπιθεὶς τῇ προσωνυμίᾳ τῆς ἀγάπης, προφάσει χρηστότητος ἑαυ τῷ σύνοικον ἐπεσπάσω, ὡς ἡ Εὔα τὸν ὄφιν. Ἀποδήσας τὸ πῦρ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, καὶ λύχνον εἰς χόρτον θήσας, κίνδυνον ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἕξεις· ἢ γὰρ εἰς αὐτὸ τὸ πτῶμα τοῦ βαράθρου ἐμπεσὼν περὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐκινδύνευσας· ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο πάθοις, φήμην αἰσχρὰν ἑαυτῷ περιάψεις, ὁ κελευόμενος προνοεῖσθαι καλὰ, οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων. Διὸ παραίνεσιν ἔχων ἐκκλησιαστικὴν ὀφείλεις παραφυλάττεσθαι ὅσα σεμνά· καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσα εὔφημα.","english":"Why do you cast yourself into danger? Why do you brighten up in the presence of women and dare to live with them? It is for this reason that there are fasts, for this reason prayers, for this reason a diet of dry food, for this reason men devise manifold ascetic practices, for this reason they pursue the deserts; some are not even satisfied with bread or water, for no other reason than to flee those snares, so as not, by falling among women, to become a shameful ruin. But you, having passed over all these things, and having given no thought to the danger after the trap through which the first-formed man fell from such great blessedness, do you not consider the weapon of the devil by which the ancient one, wounded, has been cast down? And while the Lord forbade even looking at a woman, proscribing fornication, you have gone so mad as to apply fabricated names to the appellation of love, and under the pretext of kindness have drawn a housemate to yourself, as Eve drew the serpent. Having tied fire in your bosom and placed a lamp in hay, you will have danger from both: for either you will fall into the very pit of the abyss concerning chastity, or, if you do not suffer this, you will attach a shameful reputation to yourself, you who are commanded to take thought for what is good not only before God but also before men. Therefore, having an ecclesiastical exhortation, you ought to guard all that is seemly, and not only this, but also all that is of good repute.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πρωτόπλαστος","severity":"info","text":"πρωτόπλαστος (prōtoplastos) means 'first-formed' and refers to Adam. Chrysostom uses this term to evoke the primal fall, linking the addressee's danger to Adam's original transgression.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εὔα τὸν ὄφιν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'as Eve drew the serpent' alludes to Genesis 3, where Eve is tempted by the serpent. Chrysostom compares the addressee's inviting a woman into his home to Eve's fatal interaction.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκκλησιαστικὴν παραίνεσιν","severity":"info","text":"ἐκκλησιαστικὴν παραίνεσιν (ekklēsiastikēn parainesin) means 'ecclesiastical exhortation.' This reflects Chrysostom's role as a preacher offering moral guidance, rooted in the ascetic tradition of the early church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὸ παραίνεσιν ἔχων","severity":"info","text":"The passage concludes with a hortatory clause introduced by Διό (Therefore), summarizing the preceding warnings into a direct command to guard what is seemly and of good repute.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"πῦρ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of 'tying fire in your bosom' and 'placing a lamp in hay' parallels common patristic warnings about the danger of proximity to temptation, echoing Proverbs 6:27-28 imagery.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἑαυ τῷ σύνοικον","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a space in ἑαυ τῷ (ἑαυτῷ), likely a scribal or editorial artifact. The intended reading is ἑαυτῷ σύνοικον ('a housemate to yourself'), consistent with the context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'πλαστὰ ὀνόματα ἐπιθεὶς τῇ προσωνυμίᾳ τῆς ἀγάπης' could be interpreted as either the addressee giving false names to the concept of love or applying fabricated names to the woman under the guise of love; the latter is adopted here."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"Μέτρησον τῷ σεμνῷ τὸ χρηστόν· τὸν φόβον ἐπίθες σωφρονιστήν. Τί χραίνεις τὸ καλὸν ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ; τί καὶ τὰς ἑτέρων παγιδεύεις ψυχὰς σύνοικον ἐπισπασάμενος; Οὐ μόνον γὰρ τῆς περὶ τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς ἀπολογίας δώσεις λόγον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὧν διὰ σὲ ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν. Ἔκβαλε τὸν ὄφιν ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου σου, ἔκβαλε τὸν κίνδυνον ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ· εἰ ἐπιποθεῖς ὑπὸ θηλειῶν διακονεῖσθαι, διὰ τί ἀρχαῖον νόμον οὐκ ἐφύλαξας, καὶ γάμῳ νομίμῳ συνήφθης; Ὁ γάμος κόλασιν οὐκ ἔχει, ἡ μοιχεία κόλασιν ἔχει ἀπαραίτητον· μοιχεία γάρ ἐστι καὶ μεγάλη μοιχεία ἡ σὺν γυναιξὶ συνοίκησις. Ἀνερεύνησον τὴν συνείδησίν σου, εἰ οὐδέποτε ἐβλάβης, εἰ οὔτε νυκτὸς, οὔτε ἡμέρας ἐδέξω πληγήν. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀναπτύξω σου τὴν καρδίαν, εἰ καὶ μέλλεις ἄχθεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ οὐ μέλει· πάνυ γὰρ ἀλγῶ, ὅταν ἴδω ἀσκητὴν συνείσακτον ἐπισπασάμενον· ἐγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν τραυματίζῃ, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν θηριάλωτος γίνῃ· χαυνοῦσαι γὰρ τοῦ τῆς σωφροσύνης δεσμοῦ, ἐκλύῃ ὁ γενναῖος πολεμιστὴς, αἰχμάλωτος ἀντὶ νικητοῦ ἀναδεικνύῃ. Μὴ γὰρ λίθος εἶ; Ἄνθρωπος εἶ, τοῖς κοινοῖς τῆς φύσεως συμπτώμασιν ὑποκείμενος· πῦρ ἔχεις ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ, καὶ οὐ καίῃ; καὶ πῶς ἔχει λόγον; Θὲς λύχνον εἰς χόρτον, καὶ τότε ἴδε, εἰ δύνασαί μοι εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐ καίεται ὁ χόρτος. Εἰ δὲ ἄρνησαι, ὅτι οὐ καίεται ὁ χόρτος, ἐμοὶ μὴ λέγε, ἀλλὰ τῷ εἰδότι τὰ κρύφια, ὃς ἔρχεται συναγαγεῖν τοὺς λογισμούς· κριτικὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ λογισμῶν, καὶ ἐννοίας καρδιῶν συνιεῖ· λέγει γάρ· Ὁ ἐμβλέψας γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ.","english":"Measure the gentle with the grave; set fear as a chastener. Why do you defile the fair name of Christianity? Why do you also entrap the souls of others by bringing in a live-in companion? For you will give account not only for the defense of your own soul, but also for those who were scandalized because of you. Cast the serpent from your bosom, cast the danger from yourself. If you long to be served by women, why did you not keep the ancient law and join yourself in lawful marriage? Marriage has no penalty; adultery has an inexorable penalty. For cohabitation with women is adultery, and great adultery. Examine your conscience, whether you were never harmed, whether you received no wound by night or by day. But I will lay open your heart, even if you are about to be vexed. Yet I care not; for I am greatly pained whenever I see an ascetic bringing in a live-in companion. And I tell you that every hour you are wounded, and every hour you are taken captive by the beast. For the bond of chastity is loosened, the noble warrior is unstrung, and you show yourself a captive instead of a victor. For are you stone? You are a human being, subject to the common accidents of nature. You have fire in your bosom, and are you not burned? And how is that reasonable? Place a lamp in hay, and then see if you can tell me that the hay is not burned. But if you deny that the hay is burned, do not tell me, but tell the one who knows the hidden things, who comes to gather the thoughts; for he is a judge of intentions and thoughts, and understands the notions of hearts. For he says: He who looked at a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"συνείσακτος","severity":"info","text":"The term συνείσακτος (syneisaktos) refers to a woman living with an ascetic as a spiritual companion, a practice Chrysostom condemns as covert adultery.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ ἐμβλέψας γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This echoes a patristic interpretation of the commandment against adultery, possibly derived from the Septuagint or early Christian moral teaching, though not a direct biblical quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's ascetic treatises often target the practice of syneisaktism, a form of cohabitation between male ascetics and women, which he viewed as a threat to chastity and Christian reputation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from rhetorical questions to imperative commands (Ἔκβαλε, Θές), then to a hypothetical denial and a warning about divine judgment, building a crescendo of moral urgency.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"πῦρ ἔχεις ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ","severity":"info","text":"The image of fire in the bosom (πῦρ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ) is a common ascetic metaphor for sexual desire; Chrysostom uses it elsewhere to warn against proximity to temptation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀναπτύξω σου τὴν καρδίαν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'I will lay open your heart' may be read as a rhetorical threat of psychological exposure, not a literal claim to clairvoyance; the Greek ἀναπτύξω suggests unfolding or revealing.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear; no significant ambiguities in this passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Βλέπε μὴ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν μοιχεία ἐν σοὶ εὑρίσκηται. Πάντως ἐρεῖς· Νηστείαις καὶ ἀσκήσεσι καὶ τῇ κατὰ ξηροῦ διαίτῃ τειχίζω ἐμαυτὸν, ἵνα μὴ τοῦ προκειμένου ἐκπέσω. Οὐκοῦν δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἡ ἄσκησίς σου ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὴν σύνοικόν σου· οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἔτι θησαυρίζεις δικαιοσύνην· ὑπέσυρε γάρ σου ἐκείνη τὴν ἄσκησιν. Ἔκβαλε τοίνυν ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ τὴν ζημιοῦσάν σε πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν, μή σε ἐκβάλῃ ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου, μή σε ποιήσῃ παίγνιον τῷ διαβόλῳ· μὴ στήσῃς αὐτὴν παρὰ σαυτῷ, μήπως καταστρέψασά σε σὺν σοὶ εἰς γέενναν κατενεχθῇ. Φοβήθητι τὸν φοβερὸν δικαστήν· διάθου σεαυτῷ διαθήκην μηδὲ ἀτενίσαι γυναικί· πρεσβυτέρων παρόντων αἰδοῦ πολιὰν, καὶ καθάπερ πατέρας αἰδούμενος φείδου μωρολογίας καὶ παιγνίας καὶ γέλωτος.\n\nΝεωτέρῳ μὴ πρόσπαιζε, μηδὲ δείκνυε ῥᾳθυμίας ὁδὸν, κατάρχων ταύτης αὐτὸς, καὶ πολὺ πλείονα τὴν καταφρόνησιν ἐμποιῶν· γυναῖκα δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῆς ἀντιβλέψεως αὐτῆς αἰδοῦ. Ὁ σὸς βίος ἐκείναις γενέσθω τύπος· τοιοῦτον σεαυτὸν ἐπίδειξον, ἵνα σε ἐκεῖναι αἰδῶνται, καὶ τύπος καὶ ἀρχὴ τῆς αἰδοῦς ἐκείναις γένῃ, ὅτι καὶ ἡγεμονικώτερον ἀνὴρ γυναικὸς, καὶ μὴ τὴν σὴν εὐχέρειαν προσθῇς εὐχερεστέρᾳ φύσει τῇ γυναικείᾳ. Γυνὴ αἰδείσθω διαφερόντως, ὅσῳ καὶ χαλεπώτερον ὄνειδος ἀναισχυντία γυναικός. Εἰ καὶ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι πρὸς ἄνδρας πολὺ δεινὸν καὶ τολμηρὸν, φόβου προστεθέντος γυναικὶ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα μᾶλλον ἢ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι. Ἡ γὰρ γυνὴ, φησὶν, ἵνα φοβῆται τὸν ἄνδρα· εἰ οὖν τῇ ἐχούσῃ ἄνδρα τοιοῦτος ὁ νόμος πρόκειται τί λοιπὸν πρὸς σὲ τὴν μὴ ἔχουσαν ἄνδρα;","english":"See that not every hour adultery is found in you. You will surely say: \"With fasts and ascetic practices and a dry diet I fortify myself, so that I may not fall from my purpose.\" Therefore your asceticism is for nothing else than for your live-in companion; therefore you no longer store up righteousness; for she has drawn off your asceticism. Cast out from yourself, then, the one who is costing you many goods, lest she cast you out of paradise, lest she make you a plaything for the devil; do not set her beside yourself, lest she, having overturned you, be carried down with you into Gehenna. Fear the fearful judge; make a covenant with yourself not even to gaze at a woman; in the presence of elders, revere their gray hair, and, as if revering fathers, refrain from foolish talk and jesting and laughter.\n\nDo not play with a younger man, nor show him a path of laxity, yourself beginning this, and instilling much greater contempt; and revere a woman even to the point of not looking back at her. Let your life be a pattern for those women; show yourself such that they revere you, and that you become for them a pattern and beginning of reverence, because a man is more authoritative than a woman, and do not add your own ease to the already easier nature of the female. Let a woman be especially reverent, inasmuch as a woman's shamelessness is a more grievous reproach. Even if speaking freely with men is very terrible and bold, fear is added for a woman toward her own husband rather than speaking freely. For the woman, it is said, is to fear the man; if then for the one who has a husband such a law is laid down, what remains for you, the one who does not have a husband?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"μοιχεία","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses μοιχεία (adultery) metaphorically to condemn the ascetic's continued relationship with a σύνοικος (live-in companion), implying spiritual infidelity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"σύνοικος","severity":"info","text":"σύνοικος (live-in companion) refers to a woman cohabiting with an ascetic, likely a spiritual marriage or syneisaktos, a practice Chrysostom repeatedly attacks.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"γέενναν","severity":"info","text":"γέενναν (Gehenna) echoes New Testament usage (e.g., Matt 5:22, 10:28) as a symbol of eschatological punishment, reinforcing the gravity of the ascetic's sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"παραδείσου","severity":"info","text":"παραδείσου (paradise) here denotes the heavenly reward the ascetic risks losing, a common theme in Chrysostom's homilies on ascetic discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from direct accusation (second-person singular) to general instruction (third-person), then to a scriptural citation about women fearing husbands, building rhetorical pressure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"παιγνίαν","severity":"info","text":"παιγνίαν (jesting) and γέλωτος (laughter) are condemned as unbecoming for ascetics, paralleling Chrysostom's broader critique of frivolity in works like De sacerdotio.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῇ κατὰ ξηροῦ διαίτῃ' (dry diet) is ambiguous: it may refer to xerophagy (eating dry food, i.e., no oil or wine) or a general ascetic regimen; the reading taken is the former.","The identity of the addressee (male ascetic with a σύνοικος) is inferred from context; the text does not explicitly state gender."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Σοὶ λοιπὸν τοῦτο πρέπει, μηδὲ ὅλως ἐγγίζειν ἀνδρὶ, εἰ ἐνδέχεται, μηδὲ ὅλως βλεπέτω ἀνὴρ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου. Νύμφη γὰρ Χριστοῦ εἶ· οὕτω προέρχου, ὡς νύμφη κεκοσμημένη, ἐσκεπασμένη τῷ περιβολαίῳ τὴν ὄψιν, ἵνα μή τινα διὰ τῆς ὁράσεως τραυματίσασα τῆς ἐκείνου ἀπωλείας σὺ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀπολήψῃ. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν ταῦτα λέγομεν κατὰ τὰς ἀῤῥήτους τῶν Γραφῶν διδασκαλίας· πολλαὶ δὲ μηδὲ τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν νῷ λαβοῦσαι, μήτε τὴν εὐχερῆ αὐτῶν πτῶσιν φοβηθεῖσαι, μήτε τὴν ἀποκειμένην κόλασιν προϊδοῦσαι ἀδιαφόρως ἤνεγκαν, καὶ οἰκείᾳ γνώμῃ προσῆλθον ὑπηρετεῖν ἀνδράσιν, οὔτε ἐξ ἴσου τῷ κανόνι τῆς γαμηθείσης καὶ ἐχούσης ἄνδρα. Σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τοῦτον τὸν ὅρον φυλάττεις· οὐ γὰρ μετὰ φόβου συναναστρέφῃ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀδείας καὶ καταφρονήσεως, καὶ συνεσθίεις, καὶ συμπίνεις, καὶ συνομιλεῖς,\n\nκαὶ συγγελᾷς ἀτάκτως· καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν σὺ μὲν θέλεις παρθένος καλεῖσθαι, οὐκ ἔτι δέ σε παρθένον ἐρῶ τὴν οὕτως ἑαυτὴν ῥίψασαν, καὶ μηδὲ φοβηθεῖσαν τὸν κίνδυνον. Τολμήσω εἰπεῖν τὸ προφητικὸν, Ἐκστήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐπὶ τούτῳ, καὶ φριξάτω ἡ κτίσις, εἰς ὅσην ἀναισχυντίαν κεχωρήκαμεν, καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἐργαστηρίοις πορνῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖναι, ὑπὸ μίμων ἀγελώμεναι... ἀνθρώπων, ἰταμώτεραι πρὸς τὰς ἀσέμνους πράξεις γίνονται· οὕτω καὶ αὗται εὐδοκιμήσασαι ἀνδράσι συνοικεῖν. Θεὸς ἀγανακτεῖ, ἄνθρωποι διασύρουσι, κἀκεῖναι τὸν ἄδικον κριτὴν μιμούμεναι, οὐδὲ τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦνται, οὔτε ἄνθρωπον ἐντρέπονται· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσι μειζόνως παῤῥησιάζονται καὶ τῶν ἐν γάμῳ σεμνῶς παροικουσῶν ἀνδράσιν.","english":"This, then, is fitting for you: not to approach a man at all, if possible, nor should a man even see your face. For you are a bride of Christ; go forth thus, as a bride adorned, your face covered with a veil, so that you may not, by wounding someone through sight, receive in return the recompense of his ruin. And we say these things according to the ineffable teachings of the Scriptures; but many women, having taken neither the fear of God to heart, nor feared their own easy fall, nor foreseen the punishment laid up for them, have conducted themselves indifferently and have come, by their own choice, to serve men, not equally according to the rule of a woman who is married and has a husband. But you do not keep even this rule; for you do not associate with fear, but with great license and contempt, and you eat together, and drink together, and converse together, and laugh together without restraint; and for all this, you wish to be called a virgin, but I will no longer call you a virgin, you who have so thrown yourself away and not even feared the danger. I will dare to say the prophetic word: Let heaven stand aghast at this, and let creation shudder, at how great shamelessness we have reached, even beyond the prostitutes in the brothels. For just as those women, made bold by the laughter of mimes... of men, become more brazen for shameless acts, so also these women, having gained approval, live with men. God is indignant, men mock, and they, imitating the unjust judge, fear neither God nor feel shame before man; but for all this, they are even more bold than women who dwell modestly with men in marriage.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"νύμφη Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'bride of Christ' is a standard early Christian metaphor for consecrated virgins, drawing on Song of Songs imagery and implying a spiritual marriage that demands physical separation from men.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκστήτω ὁ οὐρανὸς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Let heaven stand aghast' echoes prophetic rhetoric (cf. Jer 2:12 LXX) but is not a direct quotation; Chrysostom uses it as a rhetorical intensifier, claiming prophetic authority for his outrage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἐργαστηρίοις πορνῶν","severity":"info","text":"Prostitutes in brothels (ἐργαστήρια) were a familiar social reality in Antioch; Chrysostom contrasts their shamelessness with that of virgins who cohabit with men, heightening the scandal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν ἄδικον κριτὴν μιμούμεναι","severity":"info","text":"The 'unjust judge' may allude to a stock figure in Greco-Roman comedy or to a biblical trope (cf. Mt 27:11-26); Chrysostom uses it to depict the virgins' moral inversion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Σοὶ λοιπὸν τοῦτο πρέπει","severity":"info","text":"This passage forms the climax of Chrysostom's argument: after describing the ideal virgin (veiled, secluded), he contrasts her with the actual behavior of cohabiting virgins, building to a prophetic denunciation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"παρθένος","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's redefinition of 'virgin' as a state of conduct rather than physical status influenced later ascetic literature, though his extreme separation of sexes was not universally adopted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἐργαστηρίοις πορνῶν' could refer to brothels or workshops; the context favors brothels. The lacuna after 'ὑπὸ μίμων ἀγελώμεναι' leaves the comparison incomplete; the English draft supplies 'of men' conjecturally."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Αὗται μᾶλλον ἐπηρμένως τὰ μεθ' ὧν συνοικοῦσιν διατίθενται, καὶ ἐκταράσσουσι, καὶ ἀνθυβρίζουσι, καὶ πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς ὑπάρξεως δεσπόζειν βούλονται· κἂν ἐνίοτε βούληται εἰς εὐποιίαν ἐκτεῖναι τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, διακωλύει, καὶ λοιπὸν οὐκέτι ὑπηρέτις, ἀλλὰ δέσποινα γέγονεν. Ἀποχώρει οὖν τῆς ἀλλοτρίας συνοικήσεως, ὦ παρθένε, καὶ οὐχὶ μόνον τῆς συνοικήσεως λέγω, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ συνομιλεῖν ἢ συγγελᾷν παρατήρησαι. Εἰ γὰρ τῷ φρονίμῳ ἀνδρὶ μόλις ἡσυχῇ μειδιᾷν ἐπιτέτραπται, τῇ σοφῇ γυναικὶ μόλις καὶ τοῦτο κελεύει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ μειδιᾶσαι γυναικὶ ἐπαγγελλομένῃ θεοσέβειαν, βαρὺ καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον· πολὺ γὰρ βελτίων ἐπὶ σεμνότητι θεωρεῖται γυνὴ, ἤπερ ἐπὶ τῇ φαιδρότητι καὶ ἱλαρότητι. Καὶ δὴ ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν νύμφην ἀπὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ἐπιφέρων τοὺς ἐπαίνους ὁ τὸ μυστικὸν ᾆσμα γεγραφὼς τὴν σιωπὴν αὐτῆς θαυμάζων, καὶ τὸ τοῦ σχήματος αὐστηρὸν ἐπαινεῖ, θάμβος ὀνομάζων αὐτό· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ πάνυ σεμνὸν καὶ καταπληκτικὸν τοῖς ὁρῶσι γίνεται. Δεῖ γὰρ αὐτῆς τὴν σεμνότητα φοβερὰν εἶναι τοῖς περιέργοις ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ τῆς πολυπράγμονος ἀναιδείας ἀποτρεπτικήν· ἧς διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἀφεῖλε τὸν διὰ χρυσοῦ καὶ τριχῶν ἐμπλοκῆς καὶ ἐσθῆτος πολυτελοῦς, ἵνα μὴ καταστίλβῃ τοῖς περικειμένοις κοσμήμασι, καὶ φαιδρύνῃ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν τῶν ὁρώντων, καὶ προκαλῆται εἰς σκάνδαλον· διὰ τοῦτο νηστεῖαι, καὶ ἐγκράτειαι, καὶ ἀσκήσεις, καὶ ὠχρὸν καὶ στυγνὸν τὸ εἶδος, καὶ τὴν στολὴν εὐτελεστέραν ὀφείλει ἔχειν ἡ παρθένος διὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως εὐόλισθον·","english":"These women rather treat those with whom they live in a haughty manner, and they disturb them, and insult them in return, and wish to be mistress of his entire property; and if at times he wishes to extend his hand in charity, she prevents him, and so she has become no longer a handmaid but a mistress. Withdraw, then, from living with strangers, O virgin, and I say not only from cohabitation, but also from conversing or laughing together, take heed. For if a prudent man is barely permitted to smile quietly, a wise woman is barely commanded even this. For even smiling is heavy and dangerous for a woman professing piety; for a woman is considered much better in gravity than in cheerfulness and brightness. And indeed, the one who wrote the Song of Songs, transferring praises from the woman to the spiritual bride, admiring her silence, praises the austerity of her appearance, calling it awe; for this becomes the very dignified and striking thing to beholders. For her gravity must be fearful to prying eyes and deterrent to meddlesome shamelessness; for this reason he also removed her adornment of gold and braiding of hair and costly garment, so that she might not glitter with the ornaments she wears and brighten the eye of beholders and invite scandal; for this reason the virgin ought to have fasts, and abstinences, and ascetic practices, and a pale and somber appearance, and a more humble garment, because of the slipperiness of nature.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀποχώρει οὖν τῆς ἀλλοτρίας συνοικήσεως","severity":"info","text":"The command to withdraw from cohabitation with strangers reinforces the ascetic ideal of separation from worldly domestic life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μυστικὸν ᾆσμα","severity":"info","text":"The reference to the Song of Songs (τὸ μυστικὸν ᾆσμα) is interpreted allegorically as praising the spiritual bride's silence and austerity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"θάμβος","severity":"info","text":"The term θάμβος (awe) is used to describe the effect of the virgin's severe appearance, deterring prying eyes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"εὐόλισθον","severity":"info","text":"The word εὐόλισθον (slipperiness) reflects a common ascetic trope about the inherent instability of human nature, especially female, requiring strict discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Δεῖ γὰρ αὐτῆς τὴν σεμνότητα φοβερὰν εἶναι","severity":"info","text":"This sentence shifts from warning against worldly cohabitation to prescribing the virgin's appearance as a deterrent, structuring the argument around fear and awe.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπὶ τῇ φαιδρότητι καὶ ἱλαρότητι","severity":"caution","text":"The contrast between gravity and cheerfulness may reflect a rhetorical exaggeration typical of ascetic exhortation, not a literal prohibition of all smiles.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the one who wrote the Song of Songs' is assumed to be Solomon, but the text does not name him explicitly.","The phrase 'transferring praises from the woman to the spiritual bride' could be read as a typological interpretation, but the exact referent of 'spiritual bride' is left open."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τῷ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ Τιμοθέῳ γράφων, τὴν πρὸς γυναῖκας αὐτοῦ τιμητικὴν χρηστότητα τῆς ἁγνείας ἀσφαλείᾳ προφυλάττει, λέγων· Νεωτέρας χήρας τιμᾷν ὡς ἀδελφὰς ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ. Εἰ δὲ γυναικὸς τὸν περὶ τὸ σῶμα κόσμον ἀφαιρεῖ τὰ θεῖα γράμματα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἀνδρὶ προσήκει τὸ παντελῶς ἀκαλλώπιστον, καὶ ἡ μέχρι τῆς χρείας περιβολὴ, ἵνα σκέπασμα ᾖ καὶ μὴ καλλώπισμα, καθάπερ ὠνόμασεν ὁ Παῦλος· Ἔχοντες διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα. Αἱ γὰρ εἰς καλλωπισμὸν ἐσθῆτες, γυναικεῖαι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνδρεῖαι νομιζέσθωσαν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ νόμος λέγει· Οὐκ ἐνδύσεται ἀνὴρ στολὴν γυναικείαν. Μὴ τοίνυν θηλυνέσθω ἀνὴρ, ὅπου οὐδὲ τὸ θῆλυ σφόδρα προσήκει θηλύνεσθαι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐκ τριχῶν καμήλου ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐσθῆτα ἐφόρει, καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ· καὶ πρότερον Ἠλίας, οὗ τὸ πνεῦμα ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐφόρεσε, μηλωτὴν μόνον κἀκεῖνος ἠμφίαστο. Νωθρᾶς καὶ ῥᾳθύμου ψυχῆς τὸ θαυμάζειν εὐανθὲς ἔνδυμα καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἐργασίαν λεπτόν· ψυχὴ δὲ μεγαλοφυὴς ἡ τοῦ ὄντως κόσμου τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ αἰσθανομένη διαπτύει πᾶσαν μαλακὴν ἐσθῆτα, τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν αὐτῆς ἐπιποθοῦσα τὴν ἀπερίεργον, τὴν εὐπρεπεστέραν, τὴν σεμνοτάτην, τὴν ἁγνείαν πάντων προτιμήσασα. Ἀρκέσθητε τοίνυν τῇ διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπομνήσει, φυλάξατε δὲ τὴν σεμνότητα, μὴ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου ἐξαγαγεῖν ὡς πικρὰν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, ἥτις γλυκυτέρα ὑπὲρ μέλι καὶ κηρίον αὐτῷ τε τῷ ἀκούοντι καὶ τοῖς πλησιάζουσι γίνεται. Ἡ γὰρ πνευματικὴ χαρὰ σεμνῶς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς εἰς ἑνότητα Θεοῦ προσορμίζει τὴν ψυχὴν, πληροῖ δὲ τῆς γλυκύτητος καὶ τοὺς συντυγχάνοντας.","english":"For this reason also Paul, writing to his genuine child Timothy, safeguards his respectful kindness toward women with the security of chastity, saying: \"Honor younger widows as sisters in all chastity.\" If the divine writings remove from a woman the adornment of the body, how much more does it befit a man to be entirely unadorned, and to have clothing only to the point of necessity, so that it is a covering and not an ornament, just as Paul named it: \"Having sustenance and coverings, we will be content with these.\" For garments for adornment are to be considered more womanly than manly; for the law says: \"A man shall not wear a woman's garment.\" Therefore let a man not be effeminate, where not even a woman is strongly suited to be effeminate before God. John wore a garment of camel hair, and a leather belt about his loins; and earlier Elijah, whose spirit John bore, was clothed only in a sheepskin. It is of a sluggish and indolent soul to admire a blooming garment and one fine in workmanship; but a magnanimous soul, perceiving the true beauty of the real world, spurns every soft garment, longing for that which is higher than itself—the unpretentious, the more seemly, the most dignified—having preferred chastity above all. Be content, therefore, with the reminder through what has been said, and preserve dignity, not carrying strictness beyond measure as if it were harsh, which becomes sweeter than honey and honeycomb both to the hearer himself and to those who approach. For spiritual joy, with dignity and magnificence, moors the soul in the unity of God, and fills with sweetness even those who encounter it.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Νεωτέρας χήρας τιμᾷν ὡς ἀδελφὰς ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom adapts 1 Timothy 5:2, where Paul instructs Timothy to treat younger widows with honor and chastity, though the exact wording differs slightly from the canonical text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔχοντες διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Paul's teaching on contentment with basic necessities, possibly alluding to 1 Timothy 6:8 or a similar pastoral maxim, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἐνδύσεται ἀνὴρ στολὴν γυναικείαν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites the law from Deuteronomy 22:5, which prohibits cross-dressing, to reinforce his argument against effeminate attire.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐκ τριχῶν καμήλου ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐσθῆτα ἐφόρει","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom refers to John the Baptist's camel-hair garment and leather belt, and Elijah's sheepskin, as ascetic exemplars of simplicity, drawing on hagiographic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀρκέσθητε τοίνυν τῇ διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπομνήσει","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a rhetorical conclusion, urging the audience to be content with the reminder and to preserve dignity without excessive strictness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"πνευματικὴ χαρὰ σεμνῶς καὶ μεγαλοπρεπῶς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts spiritual joy with worldly adornment, describing it as mooring the soul in God's unity and sweetening those who encounter it.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῷ γνησίῳ τέκνῳ Τιμοθέῳ' may imply a spiritual or literal sonship; Chrysostom likely uses it metaphorically for Paul's protégé.","The reference to 'νεωτέρας χήρας' is ambiguous as to whether it means younger widows or widows in general; the context suggests younger ones."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Ἀλλὰ μὴ πρόφασιν λαβὼν ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων, ὅτι ἐκωλύθης ἐν ἱλαρότητι διάγειν, ἄρξῃ\n\nσκυθρωπὸς καὶ χαλεπὸς εἶναι πρὸς τοὺς ἐρχομένους ἀδελφοὺς, μηδὲ ἀπηνής τις καὶ δυσπρόσιτος καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος ἔσο ἀντὶ χρησίμου καὶ ἀγαπητικοῦ, μηδὲ ἐν ταῖς δεξιώσεσι τῶν προσιόντων ἀδελφῶν σκυθρωπὸς, καὶ περὶ ἀπόκρισιν καὶ λόγον ἀκοινώνητος. Πάντοτε γὰρ χαίρειν πρόσταγμά ἐστιν ἀποστολικὸν, καὶ τὸ, Παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους, καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοί· καὶ, Ἡ ἀγάπη, φησὶ, χρηστεύεται· καὶ αἱ τῶν ἀποστόλων φιλοφροσύναι τοῖς γράμμασιν αὐτῶν ἔνεισιν, ὡς τέκνα φιλοφρονούμενοι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ὡς ἀδελφοὺς παρακαλοῦντες τοὺς προσέχοντας· καὶ πολλὰ περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς κατὰ τὴν ἀγάπην χρηστότητος ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν καταμαθεῖν. Μηδὲ δεῖ πρὸς ἄμετρον ἱλαρότητα μετάγειν, μηδὲ γελωτοποιίᾳ λυμήνασθαι τὴν εἰς Θεὸν μίμησιν χρηστότητα, ἀλλὰ μεταξὺ στῆναι τῆς τελείας ἱλαρότητος, καὶ μήτε λυπεῖν τοὺς συντυγχάνοντας, μήτε ἐκλύειν καὶ ῥᾳθύμους ἀποτελεῖν, μήτε χαλεπῶς ἐπιπλήττειν, μήτε ἀπατηλῶς κολακεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συμφερόντως ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ χρηστῶς παρακαλεῖν. Ὃς φείδεται, φησὶ, ῥῆμα προέσθαι σκληρὸν, νοήμων· κηρία δὲ μέλιτος λόγοι καλοὶ, γλύκασμα δὲ αὐτῶν ἴασις ψυχῆς· εἰσὶν οἳ λέγοντες τιτρώσκουσιν ὡς μάχαιραι, γλῶσσαι δὲ σοφῶν ἰῶνται. Καλὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ θείαις ᾠδαῖς ἀνακεῖσθαι μετρίως· ἡ γὰρ τοιαύτη φαιδρότης ἁγιάζει τὴν ψυχὴν, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον· Πληροῦσθε, φησὶ, Πνεύματι, ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ.","english":"But do not, taking pretext from my words because you have been prevented from living in cheerfulness, begin to be sullen and harsh toward the brothers who come to you, nor be someone disagreeable, difficult of access, and inhuman instead of useful and loving, nor be sullen in your greetings to approaching brothers, and unsociable in response and speech. For to rejoice always is an apostolic commandment, and so is \"Exhort one another, and be kind to one another\"; and \"Love,\" it says, \"is kind\"; and the affability of the apostles is present in their letters, as they affectionately treat their hearers like children, as they exhort those who pay attention like brothers; and much about the sacred kindness in accordance with love can be learned from the holy Scriptures. Nor should one lead to immoderate cheerfulness, nor corrupt the imitation of God's kindness with buffoonery, but stand between perfect cheerfulness, and neither grieve those who meet with you, nor render them lax and indifferent, nor rebuke harshly, nor flatter deceptively, but both turn them with profit and exhort with kindness. \"He who spares,\" it says, \"to utter a harsh word is prudent; honeycombs of honey are beautiful words, and their sweetness is a healing of the soul; there are those who, speaking, wound like swords, but tongues of the wise heal.\" It is also good to devote oneself moderately to divine hymns; for such brightness sanctifies the soul, according to the Apostle: \"Be filled,\" he says, \"with the Spirit, singing and chanting in your hearts to the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Παρακαλεῖτε ἀλλήλους, καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοί","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom paraphrases an apostolic command to mutual exhortation and kindness, likely echoing Paul's letters (e.g., 1 Thess 5:11; Gal 5:22) but not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ ἀγάπη, φησὶ, χρηστεύεται","severity":"info","text":"A direct allusion to 1 Corinthians 13:4, where Paul writes 'ἡ ἀγάπη χρηστεύεται' (Love is kind). Chrysostom uses this to support the virtue of kindness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πληροῦσθε, φησὶ, Πνεύματι, ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites an apostolic injunction to be filled with the Spirit through singing and chanting in the heart, likely a paraphrase of Ephesians 5:19 or Colossians 3:16, though not verbatim.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἱλαρότης","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term 'ἱλαρότης' (cheerfulness) is a key virtue in this passage, contrasted with sullenness and buffoonery. It reflects the ideal of moderate joy in ascetic life.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"γελωτοποιίᾳ","severity":"info","text":"The term 'γελωτοποιία' (buffoonery) refers to excessive jesting or clownish behavior, which Chrysostom warns against as corrupting the imitation of God's kindness. This reflects contemporary concerns about monastic decorum.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from negative prohibitions (do not be sullen) to positive exhortations (rejoice, be kind), then to a middle way between extremes, concluding with scriptural citations and a final recommendation of moderate hymnody.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Πληροῦσθε, φησὶ, Πνεύματι, ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ' is not a direct biblical quotation; it may be a conflation of Pauline themes. The source of the proverbial sayings about honeycombs and tongues is unclear; they may be from a wisdom tradition or Chrysostom's own composition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Καλὸν οὖν τῇ πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην εὐφροσύνην σπουδῇ προσιέναι, καὶ μὴ διά τινα τρόπον πικρὸν καὶ σκληρὸν ὀκνηρῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν θείαν ᾠδὴν, ὡς μὴ καταξιοῦντα φωνὴν προσκομίσαι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μελῳδίαν. Πρὸς γὰρ τοιοῦτον θεῖον πνεῦμα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὁμιλίαν τὴν ἱερὰν φαιδρῶς ἔχειν δεῖ οὐκ εἰς ἡδυφωνίαν ἐκλυομένους, οὐδὲ βακήλως διακεῖσθαι εἰς τὰς θείας ᾠδὰς, οὐδὲ μελῳδικῶς ἀνακλᾷν, καὶ περιβλέπεσθαι ὧδε κἀκεῖ, ὅπως ἐπαινεθῇς, ἀλλ' ἐνευφραινομένους Θεῷ, καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἀρέσκειν σπουδάζοντας, καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὴ μάλιστα, ἵνα τῷ σεμνῷ τὸ ἱλαρὸν κεκραμένον εὑρήσηται, τοῦ μὲν πρὸς Θεὸν φόβου τὴν σεμνότητα παρέχοντος ἡμῖν, τῆς δὲ θείας ᾠδῆς εἰς φαιδρότητα ἐναγούσης, καὶ μίμησιν τῆς αἰωνίου χαρᾶς ἐμποιούσης, ἐν ᾗ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν οἱ καλῶς ἐμπολιτευσάμενοι ζήσονται παρὰ Κυρίῳ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"It is good, therefore, to approach with zeal for such cheerfulness, and not, through some bitter and harsh disposition, to be reluctant toward divine song, as if deeming it unworthy to contribute a voice to the melody of God. For toward such a divine spirit and toward sacred converse one must be cheerful, not dissolving into mere sweetness of voice, nor being vulgarly disposed toward the divine odes, nor melodically twisting and looking about here and there in order to be praised, but rejoicing in God, striving to please Him alone, and especially here, so that the cheerful may be found blended with the dignified, the dignity being provided to us by fear of God, and the divine ode leading to brightness and instilling an imitation of eternal joy, in which those who have lived well in this life will live the future life with the Lord; to whom is the glory and the power unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"θείαν ᾠδήν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'divine ode' refers to liturgical singing, likely psalmody or hymnody, which Chrysostom encourages as a joyful act of worship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"βακήλως","severity":"info","text":"The rare adverb βακήλως (from βάκηλος, 'vulgar' or 'effeminate') denotes a coarse or unseemly disposition, contrasting with the dignified cheerfulness Chrysostom advocates.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"μελῳδικῶς ἀνακλᾷν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom warns against 'melodically twisting' the voice, a practice associated with theatrical or secular music, which he elsewhere condemns as distracting from pious worship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This final passage concludes the treatise by blending the themes of cheerfulness and dignity, ending with a doxology and 'Amen', typical of Chrysostom's homiletic conclusions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The emphasis on joyful yet dignified psalmody influenced later Byzantine monastic typika, which prescribe a cheerful but reverent demeanor during liturgical singing.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'βακήλως διακεῖσθαι' could be interpreted as either 'vulgarly disposed' or 'effeminately disposed'; the translation opts for 'vulgarly' to align with Chrysostom's broader critique of worldly affectation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}