{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","title":"De jejunio et eleemosyna","title_source":"De jejunio et eleemosyna","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":"2026-11-15T06:45:28Z","cost_usd":0.004745},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","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/De%20jejunio%20et%20eleemosyna.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":8,"english_words":2129,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":8186,"commentary_units":48,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":11,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","abstract":"This homily by John Chrysostom urges the complementary ascetic practices of fasting and almsgiving, using scriptural exempla and moral exhortation typical of his paraenetic style. The text pairs fasting with scripture reading but subordinates both to consequent action, establishing its central theme. It employs metaphors of interest, agriculture, commerce, and navigation to argue that obedience and works are the 'interest' on the 'principal' of hearing the word. The homily survives in multiple Greek manuscripts, often grouped with Chrysostom's moral homilies, and was excerpted in Byzantine ascetic florilegia and cited in later monastic typika for its emphasis on almsgiving as a Lenten duty.","historical_context":"The homily is attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 347–407), a prominent Greek Church Father known for his eloquent preaching and moral teaching. Internal references to Lenten practice suggest a date during his Antiochene presbyterate (c. 386–397), but no external evidence confirms this, so dating remains uncertain. The work was composed in Greek, likely in Antioch, for a Christian community engaged in ascetic discipline. The text survives in multiple Greek manuscripts, often grouped with Chrysostom's moral homilies, and was excerpted in Byzantine ascetic florilegia and cited in later monastic typika. The khazarzar edition is a modern digital transcription without critical apparatus, not collating variant readings from the manuscript tradition, and may contain uncorrected errors.","significance":"This homily exemplifies Chrysostom's integration of ascetic practice with social ethics, emphasizing almsgiving as a Lenten duty. Its use of economic metaphors and scriptural paraphrases reflects late antique Christian moral teaching. The work's survival in Byzantine florilegia and typika shows its lasting influence on monastic and liturgical tradition, linking Antiochene preaching to later Eastern Christian asceticism.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 347–407","event":"Life of John Chrysostom"},{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Probable composition during Chrysostom's Antiochene presbyterate (uncertain)"},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscripts, often grouped with moral homilies"},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Excerpted in ascetic florilegia and cited in monastic typika"},{"date":"Modern","event":"Digital transcription by khazarzar without critical apparatus"}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homilies on Genesis","relation":"Similar paraenetic style and use of scriptural exempla","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John Chrysostom, On Fasting (De jejunio)","relation":"Related homily on same theme","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Apophthegmata Patrum","relation":"Later monastic tradition citing almsgiving as Lenten duty","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Typikon of the Great Church","relation":"Possible citation in liturgical regulations","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Dating is uncertain; internal references to Lenten practice suggest c. 386–397 but no external evidence confirms this.","The khazarzar edition is a modern digital transcription without critical apparatus, not collating variant readings from the manuscript tradition, and may contain uncorrected errors.","A scriptural citation in the homily is not verbatim from any known canonical verse; it may be a paraphrase or memory slip, and its source is uncertain."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000446,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:45:28Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/De%20jejunio%20et%20eleemosyna.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-jejunio-et-eleemosyna","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":8,"translated":8,"commentary_passages":8,"commentary_units":48,"english_words":2129,"source_letters":8186,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a homily urging fasting and almsgiving as complementary ascetic practices, using scriptural exempla and moral exhortation typical of Chrysostom’s paraenetic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in multiple Greek manuscripts, often grouped with Chrysostom’s moral homilies; the khazarzar edition is a modern digital transcription without critical apparatus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Dating is uncertain; internal references to Lenten practice suggest a date during Chrysostom’s Antiochene presbyterate (c. 386–397), but no external evidence confirms this.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily was excerpted in Byzantine ascetic florilegia and cited in later monastic typika for its emphasis on almsgiving as a Lenten duty.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not collate variant readings from the manuscript tradition; textual decisions rely solely on the khazarzar transcription, which may contain uncorrected errors.","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: 8 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":8},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΝΗΣΤΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΕΗΜΟΣΥΝΗΣ. Καλὴ ἡ νηστεία, καλὴ καὶ ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀνάγνωσις· καλὴ δέ ἐστιν, ὅταν καὶ ἡ ἐκ ταύτης πρᾶξις ἕπηται, ἐπεὶ, ἐὰν ἀναγινώσκῃς μὲν, μὴ ποιῇς δὲ, γίνεταί σοι εἰς κρῖμα ἡ ἀνάγνωσις, καὶ εἰς ἐφόδιον κολάσεως. Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ γόμου, φησὶ, δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται· καὶ πάλιν ὁ Χριστός· Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον· νῦν δὲ πρόφασιν οὐκ ἔχουσι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὑτῶν.\n\nΜακάριος δὲ ὁ λέγων εἰς ὦτα ἀκουόντων, ὅταν μάλιστα τὸν τόκον καταβάλωσι· τόκος δέ ἐστιν ἡ ὑπακοὴ, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐργασία, καθώς φησιν ὁ Κύριος· Κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν ἀπῄτησα ἂν τὸ ἐμὸν σὺν τόκῳ. Τί οὖν συνήγαγες, ἀδελφὲ, ἀπὸ τῆς νηστείας; ἐπεὶ καὶ γεωργὸς διὰ τοῦτο σπείρει, ἵνα θερίσῃ, καὶ ἔμπορος διὰ τοῦτο τὰς ἀποδημίας ἀποτελεῖ, ἵνα χρήματα συναγάγῃ, καὶ κυβερνήτης διὰ τοῦτο πολλὰ πελάγη διαπερᾷ, ἵνα τὸ σκάφος φορτίων ἐμπλήσῃ. Μή μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι Τόσας ἡμέρας ἐνήστευσα, τὸ καὶ τὸ οὐκ ἔφαγον, οἶνον οὐκ ἔπιον, ἀλουσίαν ὑπέμεινα, ἀλλὰ δεῖξόν μοι, εἰ θυμώδης ὢν, πρᾶος ἐγένου, καὶ εἰ ὠμὸς ὢν, ἐγένου φιλάνθρωπος. Ἐπεὶ ἐὰν μεθύῃς τῷ θυμῷ, τί τὴν σάρκα καταθλίβεις; ἐὰν φθόνος ᾖ ἔνδον καὶ πλεονεξία, τίς ἡ ὠφέλεια τῆς ὑδροποσίας; Οὐ ζητῶ νῦν ποταπὴ ἡ τράπεζα, ἀλλ' εἰ γνώμης κακῆς ἐγένετο μεταβολή. Ἐὰν ἡ δέσποινα, ἡ ψυχὴ λέγω, πορνεύῃ, τί τὴν θεράπαιναν, τὴν γαστέρα φημὶ, μαστίζεις; εἰ ἡ ψυχὴ παρασύρεται, τί τὸ σῶμα τήκεις; Ταῦτα λέγω οὐχ ὑμῶν κατηγορῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ῥᾳθύμους.","english":"Of the Same Author, a Discourse on Fasting and Almsgiving. Fasting is good, and the reading of the Scriptures is good; but it is good when the action that follows from it also accompanies it, since if you read but do not act, the reading becomes for you a judgment and a provision for punishment. For it is not the hearers of the law, it says, who are just before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified; and again Christ says: If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but now they have no excuse concerning their sin.\n\nBlessed is the one who speaks into the ears of those who hear, especially when they pay back the interest; the interest is obedience and the working of the commandments of God, as the Lord says: And I, when I came, would have demanded what is mine with interest. What then have you gathered, brother, from fasting? For the farmer sows for this reason, that he may reap, and the merchant undertakes his journeys for this reason, that he may gather money, and the pilot crosses many seas for this reason, that he may fill the ship with cargo. Do not tell me: I fasted so many days, I did not eat this or that, I did not drink wine, I endured going without a bath; but show me whether, being prone to anger, you became gentle, and whether, being harsh, you became humane. For if you are drunk with anger, why do you oppress the flesh? If envy and greed are within, what is the benefit of drinking water? I do not now ask what kind of table you had, but whether there was a change of evil disposition. If the mistress—I mean the soul—commits fornication, why do you scourge the handmaid—I mean the belly? If the soul is carried away, why do you waste the body? I say these things not accusing you, but for the sake of the careless.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Καλὴ ἡ νηστεία, καλὴ καὶ ἡ τῶν Γραφῶν ἀνάγνωσις","severity":"info","text":"The opening pairs fasting and scripture reading as good, but subordinates both to consequent action, establishing the homily's central theme.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς, ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ εἶχον","severity":"info","text":"An apparent allusion to Christ's words, possibly echoing John 15:22 or a similar logion, though the exact source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"τόκος","severity":"info","text":"Here τόκος means 'interest' in a metaphorical sense: obedience and works are the 'interest' on the 'principal' of hearing the word.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀλουσίαν ὑπέμεινα","severity":"info","text":"Enduring lack of bathing was a common ascetic practice in late antique Christianity, often associated with fasting.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Μακάριος δὲ ὁ λέγων","severity":"info","text":"A rhetorical shift from general principle to a beatitude-like address, introducing the metaphor of interest and the series of agricultural, commercial, and nautical analogies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ μὴ ἦλθον καὶ ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς","severity":"caution","text":"The scriptural citation is not verbatim from any known canonical verse; it may be a paraphrase or a memory slip, and its source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact scriptural source of the saying attributed to Christ is unclear; it may be a loose paraphrase or a non-canonical logion.","The phrase 'τὸν τόκον καταβάλωσι' could be read as 'pay back the interest' or 'pay down the interest,' with the metaphor of spiritual debt not fully explicated."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ὅσον γὰρ ἐὰν ἴδω ὑμᾶς πετομένους, ἔτι βούλομαι ὑμᾶς ἀνωτέρω πέτασθαι· τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς ἀγάπης τυραννίς. Καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ φιλάργυροι, ὅσον ἐὰν συναγάγωσι χρυσίον, πλέον ἐπιζητοῦσιν· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς πλέον ὀρεγόμεθα τῆς ὑμετέρας προκοπῆς. Εἰ οὖν θέλεις παρὰ Θεῷ προσδεχθῆναι, νήστευσον ὡς οἱ Νινευῗται, ἀδελφέ· ἐκεῖνοι νόμον οὐκ ἔλαβον· περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· Ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες, ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀργὴν τὴν νηστείαν ἐπιδείκνυσο· οὐ γὰρ ἀναβαίνει μόνη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡ νηστεία, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην· ξυνωρὶς γὰρ αὐτῆς ἐστι, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἀδελφότης καὶ ξυνωρὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄχημα. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο; Τῷ Κορνηλίῳ ἔλεγεν ὁ ἄγγελος· Αἱ προσευχαί σου καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πτερὸν γάρ ἐστι τῆς εὐχῆς ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη· ἐὰν οὖν μὴ ποιήσῃς πτερὸν τῇ εὐχῇ, οὐ πέταται· ὅταν δὲ πτερωθῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, ἵπταται εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἕως πότε ἡ φιλαργυρία καὶ τῶν κτημάτων ἡ ἐπιθυμία; Ταῦτα πάντα, ἀδελφὲ, συγκαταλύεται τῷ παρόντι βίῳ. Ἀλλὰ πάντως μοι ἐρεῖς· Ταῦτα σεαυτῷ λέγε. Καὶ ἐμαυτῷ λέγω, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ ὑμῖν· κοινὸν γὰρ τὸ συμβούλιον. Ἐγὼ ταῦτα ἀκούων, καὶ διορθούμενος, παρ' ὑμῶν χάριν λαμβάνω· κἂν δοῦλος ᾖ ὁ λέγων, δέχομαι τὴν συμβουλὴν, κἂν ἐλεύθερος ᾖ, προθύμως ἀκούω. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ διάφορον τῶν προσώπων, ἀλλ' ἡ χρῆσις τῆς συμβουλῆς ποιεῖ με δέχεσθαι τὰ λεγόμενα.","english":"For as much as I see you flying, I still want you to fly higher; such is the tyranny of love. And just as the avaricious, the more gold they accumulate, the more they seek, so we too yearn more for your progress. If therefore you wish to be accepted by God, fast as the Ninevites did, brother; they received no law—concerning whom Paul says, \"For when nations that have no law do by nature the things of the law, these, having no law, are a law to themselves.\" Do not, then, show your fasting to be idle; for fasting does not ascend to heaven alone, unless it has its sister, almsgiving; for it is its yoke-mate, and not only sisterhood and yoke-mate, but also a vehicle. And whence this? The angel said to Cornelius, \"Your prayers and your alms have gone up into remembrance before God.\" For almsgiving is the wing of prayer; if therefore you do not give a wing to prayer, it does not fly; but when your soul is winged, it soars to heaven. How long will avarice and the desire for possessions last? All these things, brother, are dissolved with the present life. But you will surely say to me, \"Say this to yourself.\" And I say it to myself, brother, and to you; for the counsel is common. Hearing these things and correcting myself, I receive grace from you; and if the speaker is a slave, I accept the advice; if he is free, I listen eagerly. For it is not the difference of persons, but the use of the advice, that makes me accept what is said.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες, ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom attributes to Paul a paraphrase of Romans 2:14, adapting it to the Ninevites as gentiles without law who act lawfully by nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Αἱ προσευχαί σου καὶ αἱ ἐλεημοσύναι σου ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The angel’s words to Cornelius echo Acts 10:4, where Cornelius’s prayers and alms are remembered before God, though the exact phrasing is Chrysostom’s own.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Νινευῗται","severity":"info","text":"The Ninevites are a standard exemplum in early Christian homiletics for pagan repentance, drawn from the book of Jonah; Chrysostom uses them to argue that fasting without law is still meritorious.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"τυραννίς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom calls love a 'tyranny' (τυραννίς), a paradoxical metaphor common in his rhetoric to express the irresistible, benevolent compulsion of pastoral care.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ξυνωρὶς","severity":"info","text":"The term 'yoke-mate' (ξυνωρὶς) pairs fasting and almsgiving as a team, then upgraded to 'vehicle' (ὄχημα), a metaphor for the soul’s ascent; this threefold intensification is a typical Chrysostomic rhetorical crescendo.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ἐμαυτῷ λέγω, ἀδελφὲ, καὶ ὑμῖν· κοινὸν γὰρ τὸ συμβούλιον","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom’s self-inclusion in the exhortation ('I say it to myself, brother, and to you') is a humility topos that reinforces his pastoral authority, a feature noted in later Byzantine and Slavic reception of his homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ Παῦλος' could refer to the Ninevites or to the general principle; the reading taken is that Paul’s words are applied to the Ninevites as an example."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Εἰ γὰρ Μωϋσῆς ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τηλικοῦτος, ὁ τῷ Θεῷ ὁμιλήσας, τὰς τοῦ κηδεστοῦ αὐτοῦ συμβουλίας οὐκ ἀπεστράφη, καὶ τούτου βαρβάρου ὄντος, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνος κατεδέξατο, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐβεβαίωσε· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς; Οὐ λέγω σοι, ἀκτήμων γενοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸ περισσὸν εἰς τοὺς πένητας ἀνάλωσον, ἵνα ἡ περισσεία σου ὑπόθεσις σωτηρίας σοι\n\nγένηται. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε πολλοὺς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν πένητας, πῶς μένουσι νοσοῦντες καὶ γυμνητεύοντες; καὶ ὁ μὲν νεώτερος, ὁ δὲ πρεσβύτερος, καὶ ἄλλος ὑφ' ἑτέρου στηρίζεται, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ τούτων τραγῳδία. Δὸς οὖν τῷ συνδούλῳ, ἵνα ἔχῃς τὸν Δεσπότην χρεωφειλέτην, τὸν ἡδέως χρεωστοῦντα, τὸν διδόντα τὸ κεφάλαιον μετὰ τοῦ τόκου· ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἔξω ἔγκλημα ὁ τόκος, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔπαινος. Οὐ δίδως τῷ πένητι; πρόσεχε τῷ δι' αὐτοῦ αἰτοῦντι, καὶ αἰδέσθητι τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ λαμβάνοντος· ὁ πένης λαμβάνει, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δανείζεται. Ἐννόησον ποῦ κατέβη ὁ Δεσπότης σου δι' ἐκεῖνο, ἵνα σε ἐπικάμψῃ μὴ εἶναι ὠμὸν καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον. Πεινῶντα μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἴδετέ με, καὶ οὐκ ἐθρέψατε· διψῶντα, καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατε· ξένον, καὶ οὐ συνηγάγετε· γυμνὸν, καὶ οὐ περιεβάλετε, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐ δίδως οὖν πεινῶντι τῷ Χριστῷ; Σὺ καὶ ὁ πένης τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ κοινῶς ἐκ τῆς τραπέζης μεταλαμβάνετε, τοῦ ποτηρίου αὐτοῦ ὁμοίως μετέχετε· ἐν τοῖς μεγάλοις σοι καὶ φρικτοῖς κοινωνεῖ, καὶ τῶν μικρῶν αὐτῷ οὐ μεταδίδως; Μὴ γὰρ τὰ σὰ αὐτῷ παρέχεις; Κἂν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν γονέων ἐδέξω, κἂν παρὰ τῶν προγόνων, τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσι. Τί καταχωννύεις αὐτὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν; Δὸς τῷ πένητι, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀσφαλείας φυλάττει σοι αὐτὰ ὁ Δεσπότης.","english":"For that Moses, that great man, who conversed with God, did not spurn the counsels of his father-in-law, even though he was a barbarian, but he accepted them, and God confirmed them; how much more should we? I do not tell you to become possessionless, but to spend the surplus on the poor, so that your abundance may become an occasion of salvation for you. Do you not see many poor people along the road, how they remain sick and naked? One is younger, another older, and another is supported by someone else, and their tragedy is great. Give, then, to your fellow servant, so that you may have the Master as your debtor, who gladly owes, who gives the principal along with the interest; for among external matters interest is a reproach, but in the case of God it is praise. Do you not give to the poor man? Pay attention to the one who asks through him, and respect the dignity of the receiver; the poor man receives, and God borrows. Consider where your Master descended for that one, in order to bend you so that you are not harsh and inhuman. For, he says, you saw me hungry and did not feed me; thirsty, and did not give me drink; a stranger, and did not take me in; naked, and did not clothe me, and so forth. Do you not give, then, to the hungry Christ? You and the poor man commonly partake of his body from the table, you likewise share in his cup; in the great and awesome things he communes with you, and you do not give him a share of the small things? For do you not offer him your own things? Even if you received them from your parents, even if from your ancestors, they belong to God. Why do you bury them in the ground? Give to the poor man, and the Master will keep them for you with great security.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Μωϋσῆς ... τοῦ κηδεστοῦ αὐτοῦ συμβουλίας","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom refers to the biblical episode where Moses heeds the advice of his father-in-law Jethro (Exodus 18). Jethro is called a 'barbarian' to emphasize that even a non-Israelite's counsel was accepted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πεινῶντα μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἴδετέ με","severity":"info","text":"This echoes a tradition of Christ's words to the rich, possibly from a lost apocryphon or a homiletic paraphrase of Matthew 25:35-36, where Christ identifies with the poor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"χρεωφειλέτην","severity":"info","text":"A financial metaphor: God as 'debtor' (χρεωφειλέτης) who repays with interest (τόκος). Chrysostom inverts the usual reproach of usury, making it praiseworthy when God is the debtor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐ λέγω σοι, ἀκτήμων γενοῦ, ἀλλὰ ...","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses a corrective structure: he denies an extreme demand (become possessionless) and substitutes a moderate one (spend surplus). This rhetorical move is typical of his moral exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Σὺ καὶ ὁ πένης τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ κοινῶς ἐκ τῆς τραπέζης μεταλαμβάνετε","severity":"info","text":"The shared participation in the Eucharist (body and cup) is used as a parallel to argue for sharing material goods. This is a common Chrysostomic topos linking liturgy and almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"τὸν διδόντα τὸ κεφάλαιον μετὰ τοῦ τόκου","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of God giving principal with interest was influential in later Christian economic ethics, especially in discussions of charity as a spiritual investment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τὰς τοῦ κηδεστοῦ αὐτοῦ συμβουλίας' could refer to Jethro's advice in Exodus 18 or to a broader tradition; the text does not specify the exact counsel.","The source of the quotation 'Πεινῶντα μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἴδετέ με' is not identified in the passage; it may be a paraphrase of a known scriptural passage or an apocryphal saying."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς γηπόνους τί ποιοῦσιν; ὅτι πολλάκις ὑπὸ πενίας μὴ ἔχων σπόρον, τίθησιν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱμάτιον, καὶ λαμβάνει ὃ βούλεται, καὶ τῇ γῇ καταπιστεύει; καίτοι πολλάκις ἦλθε καιρῶν ἀνωμαλία, καὶ ἀπῆλθε μηδὲν θερίσας, καὶ ὅμως πιστεύει τῇ γῇ διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα. Ὅπερ οὖν ἡ γῆ ποιεῖ, τοῦτο ὁ Δεσπότης οὐ δύναται ποιῆσαι; Μίμησαι ἐκείνην τὴν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ χήραν, τὴν ἔχουσαν δράκα ἀλεύρου ἐν τῇ ὑδρίᾳ, καὶ ὀλίγον ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ καμψάκῃ, ὅτι ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸν προφήτην ἐξενοδόχησεν· ἢ ταύτην τὴν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἥτις δύο ὀβολοὺς βαλοῦσα πάντας ὑπερηκόντισεν· ὅλον γὰρ τὸν πλοῦτον ἑαυτῆς ἔβαλεν. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγεις; Πένης εἰμὶ καὶ οὐκ ἔχω χρήματα. Δύο ὀβολοὺς οὐκ ἔχεις; Εἰ δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἔχεις, γνώμης ἀγαθῆς περιουσίαν ζητεῖ ὁ Θεός. Διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν, Ὅστις ἐὰν δῷ ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσει τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ. Βλέπε, τί λέγει· ψυχροῦ ὕδατος, οὐ θερμοῦ, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τὴν δαπάνην τῶν ξύλων στερηθῇς τοῦ μισθοῦ. Καὶ βασιλεὺς μὲν ὅσον ἐὰν ἐπιβάλῃ σοι χρυσίον, κρεμώμενος, σχοινιζόμενος, δίδως ὅπερ βούλεται· κἂν πένης ᾖς, οὐ προσέχει τῇ δυνάμει τῶν προσώπων, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἰδίῳ κέρδει. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου δύναμιν ἀπαιτεῖ. Διὰ τί γάρ εἰσι πένητες; μὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ὁ Θεὸς ὄμβρον χρυσοῦν κατενεγκεῖν; ἀλλ' ἵνα σοι ἡ ἐκείνου πενία παραμυθία τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων σου γένηται. Μέγα ἄνθρωπος, καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων· βλέπε πόσον ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη. Ἑαυτῷ παραβάλλει ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἐλεήμονα· Γίνεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν.","english":"Do you not see what the farmers do? That often, when they lack seed due to poverty, they pawn their garment and take what they want, and entrust it to the earth? And yet, often there has come a season of irregular weather, and they have gone away reaping nothing, and still they trust the earth because of hope. What the earth does, then, can the Lord not do? Imitate that widow in the Old Testament, who had a handful of meal in her jar and a little oil in her flask, because from these she entertained the prophet; or that one in the Gospel, who, casting in two obols, outdid all, for she cast in her entire wealth. But what do you say? I am poor and have no money. Do you not have two obols? And even if you do not, God seeks an abundance of good will. For this reason he said, Whoever gives a cup of cold water shall not lose his reward. See what he says: cold water, not hot, so that you may not be deprived of the reward because of the expense of the wood. And with a king, however much gold he imposes on you, while you are hanging, being stretched on the rack, you give whatever he wants; and if you are poor, he does not regard the capacity of persons, but his own profit. But God is not like that; rather, he demands according to each one's ability. For why are there poor people? Could God not have brought down a rain of gold? But so that their poverty might become a consolation for your sins. Great is a man, and honorable is a merciful man; see how great almsgiving is. God compares the merciful man to himself: For, he says, be compassionate, as your heavenly Father is compassionate.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ χήραν","severity":"info","text":"The widow of Sarepta (1 Kings 17:8–16) who shared her last meal and oil with Elijah is the likely referent, though not named here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ἥτις δύο ὀβολοὺς βαλοῦσα πάντας ὑπερηκόντισεν","severity":"info","text":"The Gospel widow who gave two obols is not a direct Gospel citation but a common exemplum; cf. Mark 12:41–44 (the poor widow's mite) in later tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅστις ἐὰν δῷ ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος","severity":"info","text":"This saying is not found in the canonical Gospels; it may be an agraphon or a paraphrase of Matthew 10:42 (a cup of cold water).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Γίνεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος οἰκτίρμων ἐστίν","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Luke 6:36 ('Be merciful') and the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9), but is not a direct quotation; Chrysostom adapts freely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"γηπόνους","severity":"info","text":"γηπόνος (geponos) means 'farmer' or 'tiller of the soil,' a common figure in Chrysostom's agrarian metaphors for trust and risk.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"καμψάκῃ","severity":"info","text":"καμψάκη (kampsakē) is a rare word for a small flask or cruet, likely for oil; its use here underscores the widow's meager resources.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'prophet' entertained by the Old Testament widow is not specified; it is traditionally Elijah, but Chrysostom does not name him.","The source of the saying about a cup of cold water is uncertain; it may be an agraphon or a loose paraphrase of Matthew 10:42."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Ἐὰν ἔλθῃ ὁ θάνατος, ὧδε μένει τὰ χρήματα· διὰ τί οὖν οὐ προαποστέλλεις σεαυτῷ ἐκεῖ, ἵνα ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ παραστῶσί σοι πένητες, ὅπου ῥήτωρ οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ συνήγορος; Ἐπιδείκνυνται γὰρ οἱ πένητες τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ τὰ στρόφια, καὶ ἁρπάζουσί σε τοῦ πυρός. Οὐχ οὕτως ἥλιος εἰς πάγος ἐλθὼν λύει αὐτὸ, ὡς ἐλεημοσύνη ἐμπεσοῦσα εἰς πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφανίζει αὐτάς. Ἵνα δὲ μάθῃς τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸ ὕψος, τί τῆς παρθενίας ἐπιπονώτερον; Οὐδέν· πολλαί εἰσιν αἱ ἀρεταὶ, αἱ μὲν μεγάλαι, αἱ δὲ μείζους, αἱ δὲ ἐλάττονες, τῆς δὲ παρθενίας οὐδὲν ἐπιπονώτερον· πρὸς τὴν φύσιν παλαίει· ὁ πόλεμος οὗτος ἀνοχὴν οὐκ ἔχει· μάχη ἐστὶν εἰρήνην μηδέποτε ἔχουσα, εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ ἐλέους τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἕστηκεν ἡ παρθένος τὴν κάμινον πρὸς ἑαυτὴν συνάγουσα, καὶ μὴ καιομένη· παρ48.1062 θένος ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθράκων ἑστῶσα οὐ κατακαίεται· ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ οὖσα οὐ φλέγεται, δρόσον ἔχουσα καθάπερ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες· πρὸς τὰς ἀοράτους δυνάμεις ἁμιλλωμένη, τὸν Μιχαὴλ μιμεῖται, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Γαβριὴλ ἁμιλλᾶται. Ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἦν ἡ παρθενία, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ δράκοντος","english":"If death comes, the wealth remains here. Why then do you not send it ahead of you to that place, so that on that day the poor may stand by you, where there is no orator nor advocate? For the poor display their garments and their headbands, and they snatch you from the fire. The sun coming upon ice does not melt it as almsgiving, falling upon a multitude of sins, obliterates them. And that you may learn the height of almsgiving, what is more laborious than virginity? Nothing. There are many virtues, some great, some greater, some lesser, but nothing is more laborious than virginity. It wrestles against nature; this war has no respite; it is a battle that never has peace, except through the mercy of Christ. The virgin stands, gathering the furnace to herself, and is not burned. A virgin standing on coals is not consumed; being in the furnace, she is not inflamed, having dew like the three youths. Striving against the invisible powers, she imitates Michael and contends with Gabriel. In paradise was virginity, and by the serpent","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"προαποστέλλεις","severity":"info","text":"The verb προαποστέλλεις (send ahead) conveys the idea of transferring wealth to the afterlife through almsgiving before death, a common theme in Chrysostom's eschatology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τρεῖς παῖδες","severity":"info","text":"The three youths (τρεῖς παῖδες) refer to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3, who were preserved in the fiery furnace, a type of divine protection.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μιχαὴλ ... Γαβριὴλ","severity":"info","text":"Michael and Gabriel are archangels in Jewish and Christian tradition, often associated with protection and divine service; Chrysostom likens the virgin's struggle to their angelic contests.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπιδείκνυνται ... ἁρπάζουσί","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a rhetorical question about death to a vivid image of the poor as intercessors, then to a comparison of almsgiving with virginity, creating a layered argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐλεημοσύνη ... ἀφανίζει","severity":"info","text":"The simile of almsgiving melting sins like the sun melts ice echoes a common patristic motif; cf. Chrysostom's homilies on almsgiving as a purifying force.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"παρ48.1062","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text includes a marginal notation 'παρ48.1062' likely from the manuscript or edition, possibly a page or column reference; its significance is unclear without further context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'παρ48.1062' is ambiguous; it may be a manuscript siglum or editorial note, not part of the original text."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"κατεφθάρη. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς μέσοις χρόνοις οὐκ ἐφαίνετο· ὅτε δὲ ἦλθεν ὁ ἐκ παρθένου γεννηθεὶς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τότε ἐφάνη πάλιν. Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι τῆς παρθενίας τὸ μέγεθος; Μωϋσῆς τὴν θάλασσαν ἔσχισε, τὸν ἀέρα μετέβαλε, μάννα κατήγαγε, καὶ κατελάλησαν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς ἰδίας γυναικὸς, τῆς Αἰθιοπίσσης, ὅτι γυναῖκα εἶχε· καὶ Ἀβραὰμ δὲ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, ἀλλὰκαὶ Ἰωσὴφ, εἰ καὶ σωφρονῶν, ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ ταῦτα γυναῖκα ἔσχε. Βούλει μαθεῖν, ὅσον ἐστὶν ἡ παρθενία; Ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλθὼν οὐ κατέδησεν αὐτὴν ἀνάγκῃ· ὁμοῦ γὰρ τὰς ἄλλας ἐπιτείνας ἀρετὰς, ταύτην οὐκ ἐπέτεινεν, ἵνα, ἐὰν ἑκουσίως κατορθώσῃς, στεφανωθῇς.\n\nΟἱ ἐγκράτειαν ἀσκοῦντες, καὶ τὴν ἀκτημοσύνην πρώτην αὐτὴν μεταχειρίζονται. Εἰσὶ γὰρ εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες ἐγεννήθησαν οὕτω· καὶ εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες εὐνουχίσθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· καὶ εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοι, οἵτινες εὐνούχισαν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐ τὰ μόρια κόψαντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀκόλαστον ἐπιθυμίαν ἀποκοψάμενοι. Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν, χωρείτω. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐπελθὼν πάσας, εἰδὼς αὐτῆς τὸ πέλαγος, λέγει· Περὶ δὲ τῶν παρθένων ἐπιταγὴν Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχω. Εἶδες πῶς μεγάλη ἡ παρθενία; Καὶ ὅμως χωρὶς ἐλεημοσύνης οὐκ ἔσωσεν· ἐλεημοσύναι δὲ χωρὶς παρθενίας ἔσωσαν. Αἱ πέντε παρθένοι αἱ μωραὶ, ἐπειδὴ ἔλαιον οὐκ εἶχον, ἀλλὰ μόνην τὴν παρθενίαν, οὐκ ἐσῆλθον εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα· λέγουσι γὰρ ταῖς φρονίμοις· Δότε ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑμῶν. Δικαίως δὲ ἐκλήθησαν μωραὶ, ὅτι τὸ ἐπιπονώτερον κατορθώσασαι, τὸ χωρὶς πόνου οὐκ ἐποίησαν·","english":"was destroyed. For this reason, in the intervening times it was not seen; but when Jesus Christ the Son of God, born of a virgin, came, then it appeared again. Do you wish to know the greatness of virginity? Moses split the sea, changed the air, brought down manna, and they slandered him about his own wife, the Ethiopian, because he had a wife; and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob also, and even Joseph, though chaste, nevertheless afterward had a wife. Do you wish to learn how great virginity is? Christ, when he came, did not bind it by necessity; for while he intensified the other virtues, he did not intensify this one, so that if you achieve it voluntarily, you may be crowned.\n\nThose who practice continence also make poverty the first of their concerns. For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, not by cutting off their members, but by cutting off their licentious desire. Let him who is able to advance, advance. And the Apostle, when he had gone through all the virtues, knowing its vastness, says: \"Concerning virgins, I have no command from the Lord.\" Do you see how great virginity is? And yet without almsgiving it did not save; but almsgivings without virginity saved. The five foolish virgins, because they had no oil, but only virginity, did not enter the bridal chamber; for they say to the wise ones: \"Give us some of your oil.\" And they were rightly called foolish, because they achieved the more difficult thing, but did not do the thing without effort.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Αἱ πέντε παρθένοι αἱ μωραὶ","severity":"info","text":"The five foolish virgins allude to the parable in Matthew 25:1–13, where oil symbolizes almsgiving or good works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"παρθενία","severity":"info","text":"παρθενία (parthenia) means 'virginity' or 'chastity'; here Chrysostom contrasts its value with that of almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μωϋσῆς τὴν θάλασσαν ἔσχισε","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom refers to Moses' miracles (Exodus 14:21, 16:13–15) to highlight that even he was slandered, underscoring virginity's superiority.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'Do you wish to know?' marks a shift to a new argument about virginity's greatness, followed by scriptural examples.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Περὶ δὲ τῶν παρθένων ἐπιταγὴν Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχω","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites 1 Corinthians 7:25, where Paul states he has no command from the Lord concerning virgins, to emphasize virginity's voluntary nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς Αἰθιοπίσσης","severity":"caution","text":"The reference to Moses' wife as 'the Ethiopian' (Αἰθιόπισσα) is a tradition from Numbers 12:1, but its historicity is uncertain; Chrysostom uses it to illustrate slander.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῆς Αἰθιοπίσσης' may refer to a specific tradition about Moses' wife, but its exact source is unclear; the reading taken is that it denotes a slander against Moses."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"τὸν μέγαν ἀνταγωνιστὴν κατήνεγκαν, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ἡττήθησαν. Καὶ ἐλθόντος τοῦ νυμφίου, εἰσῆλθον αἱ φρόνιμοι εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα· καὶ ἦλθον κἀκεῖναι κρούουσαι· καὶ λέγει αὐταῖς· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Διὰ τί; Ὅτι πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ οὐκ ἐθρέψατε. Ἡμᾶς δὲ μὴ γένοιτο ἀκοῦσαι φωνῆς τοιαύτης· τοῖς δὲ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην κατορθώσασι λέγει· Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Διὰ τί; ὅτι παρθενίαν ἐτήρησαν; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἐπείνασα, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· ξένος ἤμην, καὶ συνηγάγετέ με· γυμνὸς, καὶ περιεβάλετέ με· ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με. Ἵνα δὲ μάθῃς πόσον ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη, βούλομαι πάλιν ὑμᾶς ὑπομνῆσαι τῆς ἱστορίας ταύτης. Δέκα παρθένοι ἦσαν, αἱ πέντε φρόνιμοι, καὶ αἱ πέντε μωραί· καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον. Ἀνάστητε, ὁ νυμφίος ἔρχεται. Τὸ μεσονύκτιον ἡ ἀνάστασίς ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἄγγελοι πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπεγείρωσιν. Ἀναστᾶσαι δὲ αἱ παρθένοι ἐκόσμησαν τὰς λαμπάδας ἑαυτῶν. Ἡ δὲ λαμπὰς ἡ παρθενία ἐστὶ, τὸ καθαρὸν, τὸ ὀξὺ, τὸ φωτεινόν. Λέγουσιν αἱ μωραὶ ταῖς φρονίμοις· Δότε ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑμῶν. Λέγουσιν αὐταῖς αἱ φρόνιμοι· Φοβούμεθα μή ποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσῃ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν (ἀλλ' οὐχὶ βασκαίνουσαι οὐκ ἔδωκαν· ἐκεῖ γὰρ τίς χρεία χρυσίου λοιπόν; οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐκεῖ πλούσιος καὶ πένης), ἀλλ' ἀπελθοῦσαι ἀγοράσατε. Καὶ τίνες οἱ πωλοῦντες; Πένητες· σὺ γὰρ μᾶλλον λαμβάνεις ἢ δίδως· δίδως αὐτῷ σὺ γήϊνα, καὶ λαμβάνεις ἐπουράνια. Ὡς οὖν ἀπῆλθον ἀγοράσαι, ἦλθεν ὁ νυμφίος·","english":"the great antagonist they brought down, and were defeated by the lesser. And when the bridegroom came, the wise ones entered the bridal chamber; and those others also came, knocking. And he says to them: I do not know you. Why? Because you saw me hungry and did not feed me. May we never hear such a voice; but to those who have accomplished almsgiving he says: Come, the blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Why? Because they preserved virginity? Not at all; but because I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick and in prison, and you visited me. And that you may learn how great almsgiving is, I wish to remind you again of this story. There were ten virgins, five wise and five foolish; and a voice came at midnight: Arise, the bridegroom is coming. The midnight is the resurrection, when the angels awaken us all. And the virgins, having arisen, adorned their lamps. The lamp is virginity—pure, sharp, bright. The foolish say to the wise: Give us some of your oil. The wise say to them: We fear that it may not suffice for us and for you (but it was not out of envy that they did not give; for what need of gold is there there? For there is no rich and poor there), but go and buy some. And who are the sellers? The poor; for you receive more than you give: you give him earthly things, and you receive heavenly things. So as they went to buy, the bridegroom came.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δέκα παρθένοι ἦσαν, αἱ πέντε φρόνιμοι, καὶ αἱ πέντε μωραί","severity":"info","text":"This passage adapts the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), but Chrysostom reinterprets the wise and foolish virgins as figures for almsgiving versus virginity alone.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"λαμπὰς","severity":"info","text":"The lamp (λαμπάς) is allegorized as virginity—pure, sharp, bright—but the oil needed to keep it burning symbolizes almsgiving, a key Chrysostom innovation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μεσονύκτιον ἡ ἀνάστασίς ἐστιν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom identifies the midnight cry with the resurrection, when angels awaken all. This reflects early Christian liturgical and eschatological associations of midnight with the resurrection.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡνα δὲ μάθῃς πόσον ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη, βούλομαι πάλιν ὑμᾶς ὑπομνῆσαι τῆς ἱστορίας ταύτης","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a return to the parable after an allegorical interlude, framing the narrative as a repeated lesson on the superiority of almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom’s paraphrase of the bridegroom’s invitation echoes Matthew 25:34 but adds 'from the foundation of the world,' a phrase not in the biblical text, emphasizing preordination.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀλλ' ἀπελθοῦσαι ἀγοράσατε","severity":"caution","text":"The wise virgins’ advice to 'go and buy' oil from the poor is a Chrysostom addition not in the biblical parable; it may reflect his rhetorical emphasis on almsgiving as a transactional exchange.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'great antagonist' (τὸν μέγαν ἀνταγωνιστὴν) in the opening line is unclear; it may refer to Satan or a figure from a lost preceding context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα αἱ ἕτοιμοι, καὶ ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θύραι. Ἐλθοῦσαι δὲ ἐκεῖναι ἔκρουσαν, καὶ λέγει αὐταῖς· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς.\n\nὉρᾷς, ἐπειδὴ ἐλεημοσύνην οὐκ εἶχον, καὶ τοῦ πόνου τῆς παρθενίας ἀπέτυχον, καὶ ἔξω τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἔμειναν. Μαθόντες οὖν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸ κέρδος, ἀδελφοὶ, ποιήσωμεν ἐλεημοσύνην, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐπιτύχωμεν, καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύσωμεν, χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"And the prepared ones entered the bridal chamber, and the doors were shut. But those others came and knocked, and he says to them: I do not know you.\n\nDo you see? Because they had no almsgiving, they failed even in the labor of virginity, and remained outside the bridal chamber. Therefore, having learned the profit of almsgiving, brothers, let us practice almsgiving, so that we may attain the bridal chamber and enjoy the eternal goods, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom glory is to the Father together with the holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῦ πόνου τῆς παρθενίας","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'the labor of virginity' suggests that the virgins' ascetic effort is itself a form of toil, which is rendered fruitless without almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἐλεημοσύνην","severity":"info","text":"Eleēmosynē (almsgiving) is the central virtue in this homily; here it is presented as the decisive factor for entering the bridal chamber, surpassing even virginity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς","severity":"info","text":"The bridegroom's refusal 'I do not know you' echoes the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), where the foolish are shut out.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁρᾷς","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'Do you see?' marks a transition from the parable's narrative to Chrysostom's direct exhortation, drawing a moral lesson for the audience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The concluding doxology is typical of Chrysostom's homilies, reflecting the liturgical context of the work and its transmission in Byzantine manuscripts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκλείσθησαν αἱ θύραι","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text says 'the doors were shut' (passive), but the Coptic Vorlage may have had a different nuance; the English draft's 'were shut' is retained.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the prepared ones' (αἱ ἕτοιμοι) is not specified; they are likely the wise virgins from the parable, but the text does not name them explicitly."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}