{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","title":"De meretrice","title_source":"De meretrice","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":"2026-11-15T06:39:26Z","cost_usd":0.0036},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","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%20meretrice.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":6,"english_words":1538,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":6560,"commentary_units":36,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":9,"work_notes":0,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","abstract":"De meretrice (On the Prostitute) is a homily attributed to John Chrysostom that uses the Gospel story of the Pharisee and the prostitute (cf. Luke 7:36–50) to emphasize repentance, especially during fasting days. The work presents the prostitute as a model of conversion and divine economy (οἰκονομίας), reflecting Chrysostom’s pastoral focus on moral reform. It survives in Greek and belongs to the broader corpus of Chrysostom’s homilies, though its exact date and liturgical setting remain uncertain. The homily influenced later Christian literature and iconography, where the prostitute is often identified with Mary of Egypt.","historical_context":"The homily is traditionally ascribed to John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 CE), a prominent preacher and Archbishop of Constantinople. It was likely composed in Antioch or Constantinople during the late 4th century, a period when Chrysostom delivered numerous homilies on repentance and moral discipline. The reference to 'days of fasting' suggests a Lenten context, a season when early Christian communities emphasized penitential practices. The work survives in Greek manuscripts, transmitted within Chrysostom’s extensive homiletic corpus. Its genre is a homily, a liturgical address expounding Scripture. The attribution to Chrysostom is generally accepted, though the exact date and original community are not specified in the available evidence. The homily engages with Gospel narratives and reflects Chrysostom’s characteristic rhetorical style and theological emphasis on divine economy and repentance.","significance":"De meretrice is significant for its portrayal of the prostitute as a paradigm of repentance, which influenced later hagiographical traditions, particularly the identification with Mary of Egypt. It exemplifies Chrysostom’s pastoral theology and the liturgical use of Scripture to promote moral transformation. The homily also contributes to understanding early Christian attitudes toward sin, gender, and redemption.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 347–407 CE","event":"Life of John Chrysostom, probable author of the homily."},{"date":"Late 4th c.","event":"Composition of the homily, likely in Antioch or Constantinople."},{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Transmission of Chrysostom’s homilies in Greek manuscripts."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Influence on iconography and hagiography, linking the prostitute to Mary of Egypt."}],"relations":[{"work":"Homily on the Paralytic (John Chrysostom)","relation":"Similar theme of repentance and divine economy.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Life of Mary of Egypt","relation":"Later tradition identifies the prostitute with Mary of Egypt.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of Luke (7:36–50)","relation":"Biblical source for the narrative of the Pharisee and the prostitute.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The exact date and place of composition are unknown; the homily is generally dated to the late 4th century based on Chrysostom’s lifetime.","Attribution to Chrysostom is traditional but not definitively proven by external evidence.","The homily’s survival in manuscript form is fragmentary; the full textual history is unclear."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000383,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:39:26Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/De%20meretrice.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-de-meretrice","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":6,"translated":6,"commentary_passages":6,"commentary_units":36,"english_words":1538,"source_letters":6560,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[],"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: 6 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":6},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου ὁμιλία εἰς τὸν φαρισαῖον καὶ εἰς τὴν πόρνην.\n\nἘν παντὶ καιρῷ καλὴ καὶ σωτήριος ἡ μετάνοια τοῖς χρωμένοις αὐτῇ, ἐν ταύταις δὲ μάλιστα ταῖς τῆς νηστείας ἡμέραις ἐπωφελὴς πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις καθίσταται, τοῖς προςτρέχουσιν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτῆς. Νῦν γὰρ ἡμῶν αἱ ψυχαὶ, τὴν πολυσαρκίαν, ὡς βαρὺ φορτίον, ἀποτιθέμεναι, ῥαδίως ἀνήπτανται πρὸς τὸν ποιητὴν καὶ δεσπότην θεόν· καὶ τῶν οἰκείων πλημμελημάτων κατηγοροῦσι θερμῶς, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτῶν πταίσμασιν συγγνώμην αἰτοῦσιν παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου κριτοῦ. Εὔκαιρον οὖν ἐστιν, ἡμᾶς εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν, μετανοίας διδάσκαλον, τὴν πόρνην ἐκείνην, τὴν περιπλακεῖσαν τοῖς ἀχράντοις ἴχνεσιν τοῦ δεσπότου Χριστοῦ, τὴν ἐξαλείψασαν τοῖς νάμασιν τῶν δακρύων τὸ γραμματεῖον τῆς φαυλοτάτης ζωῆς, ἣν ἐλεήσας ὁ κύριος ἀπέσμηξεν καὶ οἰκτειρήσας ἀπέλουσεν.\n\nἈναδράμωμεν οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἱστορίαν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν κατίδωμεν, καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν προςεδρίαν θαυμάσωμεν, καὶ μάθωμεν παρ' αὐτῆς, πῶς ὀφείλομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, προςτρέχειν τῷ λυτρωτῇ θεῷ καὶ λαμβάνειν παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν συγχώρησιν τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἡμῖν. «Ἠρώτησέν τις τῶν φαρισαίων τὸν κύριον, ἵνα φάγῃ μετ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἰςελθὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ φαρισαίου ἀνεκλίθη.» Βλέπεις συγκατάβασιν θεοῦ; βλέπεις θείας οἰκονομίας μυστήριον; βλέπεις φιλανθρωπίας ὑπερβωλήν; ὁ διδοὺς τροφὴν πάσῃ σαρκί, κληθεὶς εἰς ἄριστον ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκέτου, ἀναμφιβόλως παρεγένετο πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἐσθιάσεως ἐνδείξηται τῆς αὑτοῦ συγκαταβάσεως τὸ μέγεθος·","english":"Of the same holy John Chrysostom, a homily on the Pharisee and the prostitute.\n\nAt every time, repentance is good and salutary for those who employ it, but especially in these days of fasting it becomes beneficial for all people who run to its embrace. For now our souls, putting aside corpulence as a heavy burden, easily take flight toward the creator and master God, and they fervently accuse themselves of their own transgressions, and they ask for forgiveness for their faults from the compassionate judge. It is therefore opportune for us to bring forward as a teacher of repentance that prostitute who clung to the immaculate footsteps of the Lord Christ, who washed away the record of her most base life with streams of tears, whom the Lord, having mercy, wiped clean and, pitying, cleansed.\n\nLet us then go back to the Gospel narrative, so that we may both behold the philanthropy of Christ and marvel at the woman's persistence, and learn from her how we too, the sinners, ought to run to the redeemer God and receive from him the forgiveness of our transgressions. \"One of the Pharisees asked the Lord to eat with him; and entering the house of the Pharisee, he reclined.\" Do you see the condescension of God? Do you see the mystery of the divine economy? Do you see the excess of philanthropy? He who gives food to every flesh, invited to a meal by his servant, undoubtedly came to him, so that through the dining he might demonstrate the magnitude of his own condescension.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου ὁμιλία εἰς τὸν φαρισαῖον καὶ εἰς τὴν πόρνην","severity":"info","text":"The title identifies the work as a homily by John Chrysostom on the Pharisee and the prostitute, establishing the narrative framework for the passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ καλὴ καὶ σωτήριος ἡ μετάνοια","severity":"info","text":"The opening asserts that repentance is always good and salvific, but especially beneficial during fasting days, setting the homiletic theme.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠρώτησέν τις τῶν φαρισαίων τὸν κύριον, ἵνα φάγῃ μετ' αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This is a direct quotation from the Gospel narrative (cf. Luke 7:36-50), recounting the Pharisee's invitation to Jesus, which Chrysostom uses as the basis for his homily.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς νηστείας ἡμέραις","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'days of fasting' situates the homily within the liturgical season of Lent, a time when repentance and moral reflection were emphasized in early Christian practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονομίας","severity":"info","text":"The term 'οἰκονομίας' (economy) here refers to the divine plan or dispensation, a key concept in Chrysostom's theology emphasizing God's salvific arrangement.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν πόρνην ἐκείνην","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's portrayal of the prostitute as a model of repentance influenced later Christian literature and iconography, where she is often identified with Mary of Egypt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the prostitute is not specified in the text; Chrysostom may be referring to the unnamed woman in Luke 7 or conflating her with later traditions."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"καὶ τὸ τοῦ φαρισαίου δωμάτιον κατέλαβεν, ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ πάντα τόπον πληρῶν τῇ θεότητι, ἵνα καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν καὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐνδείξηται. «Καὶ ἰδοὺ, γυνὴ ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἥτις ἦν ἁμαρτωλὸς, ἐπιγνοῦσα, ὅτι ἀνάκειται εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ φαρισαίου, λαβοῦσα ἀλάβαστρον μύρου πολυτίμου, καὶ στᾶσα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, ἤρξατο τοῖς δάκρυσιν βρέχειν αὐτοῦ τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς ἐξέμασσεν, καὶ κατεφίλει τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤλειφεν τῷ μύρῳ»–οὐδὲν λέγουσα φανερῶς πρὸς αὐτόν.\n\nἘδεδοίκει γὰρ, μήπως λόγος τις δυςώδης, ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν αὐτῆς χειλέων ἐξελθὼν, κινήσῃ κατ' αὐτῆς εἰς ὀργὴν τὸν φιλάνθρωπον κριτήν. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ σιωπώμενον τὴν πρεσβείαν ἐξύφαινεν, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ μόνῃ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ποιουμένη, τὴν ἱκεσίαν ἀνέφερεν τῷ μόνῳ τὰ ἐγκάρδια ἐπισταμένῳ δεσπότῃ, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν, τὸν φιλάνθρωπον, τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐβόα· «Ἐτόλμησα προςελθεῖν σοι, δέσποτα, διὰ τὴν σὴν μητέρα καὶ παρθένον, ὡς σὺ μόνος ἐπίστασαι ὡς δημιουργὸς καὶ θεός· δι' ἐκείνην τοίνυν τὴν σὴν ἀπειρόγαμον μητέρα καὶ παρθένον, οἴκτειρόν με, τὴν πόρνην· δώρησαί μοι τῶν ἐμῶν πλημμελημάτων τὴν συγχώρησιν· δι' αὐτὴν ἐκείνης παρθενίαν τὴν ἐμὴν πορνείαν οἰκτείρησον· ἐλέησον, φιλάνθρωπε, κλαίουσαν, ἣν εἰκότως ἐμίσεις γελῶσαν καλῶς· οἰκτείρησον στενάζουσαν κατὰ ψυχὴν, ἣν εὐλόγως ἀπεστρέφου καλλωπιζομένην τῷ σώματι πρὸς ὄλεθρον καὶ ἀπάτην πολλῶν· οἰκτείρησον πλοκάμους, οὓς αὐτὸς μὲν ἐδημιούργησας πρὸς κόσμον τῆς ἐμῆς κεφαλῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν κατεκόσμουν τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς·","english":"And she entered the house of the Pharisee, as a human being, He who fills every place with His divinity, in order to display both the economy and the philanthropy. \"And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that He was reclining in the house of the Pharisee, took an alabaster flask of precious ointment, and standing behind Him, began to wet His feet with her tears, and to wipe them with the hair of her head, and to kiss His feet and anoint them with the ointment\"—saying nothing openly to Him.\n\nFor she feared lest some foul word, issuing from her sinful lips, might move the philanthropic judge to anger against her. But in silence she wove her intercession, and making confession only in her heart, she offered her supplication to the only master who knows the inmost thoughts, and cried out to Him, the philanthropic one, in her mind: \"I have dared to approach you, master, through your mother and virgin, as you alone know as creator and God; through her, then, your ever-virgin mother and virgin, have mercy on me, the prostitute; grant me forgiveness of my transgressions; through her virginity, pity my prostitution; have mercy, O philanthropic one, on her who weeps, whom you rightly hated when she laughed well; have mercy on her who groans in soul, whom you justly turned away from when she adorned her body for the ruin and deception of many; have mercy on the locks of hair, which you yourself created for the adornment of my head, but which I adorned for the destruction of my soul.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"καὶ τὸ τοῦ φαρισαίου δωμάτιον κατέλαβεν","severity":"info","text":"The subject of κατέλαβεν is ambiguous: grammatically it could be Christ (from the preceding context) or the woman. The English draft takes Christ as subject, consistent with the following relative clause describing the divine omnipresence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονομίαν","severity":"info","text":"οἰκονομίαν here denotes the divine economy, i.e., God's salvific plan of incarnation and redemption, a key concept in Chrysostom's soteriology.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"γυνὴ ... ἁμαρτωλὸς ... ἀλάβαστρον μύρου","severity":"info","text":"This passage closely paraphrases Luke 7:37-38, the story of the sinful woman who anoints Jesus' feet. The Greek text of the homily inserts the woman's silent prayer, expanding the biblical narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν σὴν μητέρα καὶ παρθένον","severity":"info","text":"The woman appeals through the Theotokos, reflecting Chrysostom's high Mariology. The epithet ἀπειρόγαμον (ever-virgin) is a standard patristic title for Mary, emphasizing her perpetual virginity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐδὲν λέγουσα φανερῶς ... τῇ καρδίᾳ μόνῃ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν","severity":"info","text":"The homily contrasts the woman's external silence with her internal confession, a rhetorical device that heightens the drama of repentance and underscores the theme of inward sincerity over outward speech.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐδεδοίκει γὰρ, μήπως λόγος τις δυςώδης","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's portrayal of the prostitute's fear that her words might offend Christ reflects a common patristic trope: the sinful mouth is unworthy to address the divine, a motif found also in homilies on the harlot of Luke 7.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The subject of κατέλαβεν in the first sentence is ambiguous; the English draft takes it as Christ, but the Coptic context may allow the woman.","The phrase 'ὡς ἄνθρωπος' could modify either Christ (as a human) or the woman (as a human); the English draft attaches it to the woman."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"δέξαι τὸ μύρον, ὡς μύρον οὐράνιον, καὶ ἀπόσμηξόν μου τοῦ βίου τὸν βόρβορον· δέξαι τὸ μύρον τοῦτο, καὶ πνευματικόν μοι μύρον χάρησαι, ἡ πηγὴ τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ἐμὲ τὴν ῥυπωθεῖσαν ἀπόπλυνον, ἰατρὲ\n\nπαντοδύναμε· θεράπευσον τὴν πολλὰς παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου δεξαμένην πληγάς· ἀπόξεσόν μου τῆς ψυχῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν λέπραν, ὡς ἀπέξυσας τοῦ πιστοῦ λεπροῦ τὴν κηλῖδα τοῦ σώματος· ξήρανον τὰς τῶν ἐμῶν ἀνομημάτων πηγὰς, ὡς ἐξήρανας τῷ κρασπέδῳ τοῦ αἵματος τῆς αἱμοῤῥοούσης τοὺς ὀχετούς· ἐλέησόν με κύριε, υἱὲ Δαυὶδ, ὡς ἠλέησας ἐκείνην τὴν Χανανείαν, τὴν ἀγενῆ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πιστήν.» Ταῦτα τῆς πόρνης πιστῶς ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐργαστηρίῳ καθικετευσούσης μετὰ δακρύων, ἐξεπλήσσοντο πάντες οἱ ἀνακείμενοι ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεξικακίᾳ τοῦ σωτῆρος, ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν ἐπιεικῶς φέροντα φιλήματα πορνικὰ καὶ κρατήματα χειρῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. Ὁ δὲ φαρισαῖος, ὁ καλέσας αὐτὸν εἰς ἄριστον, ἐν τοῖς ἀφανέσι τῆς ψυχῆς ἐργαστηρίοις βλασφήμους ἐκίνει κατ' αὐτοῦ λογισμοὺς, καὶ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος φιλανθρωπίαν ὡς ἄγνοιαν ἐμέμφετο, λέγων ἐν ἑαυτῷ· «Οὗτος, εἰ ἦν προφήτης, ἐγίνωσκεν ἂν, ποταπή ἐστιν ἡ ἁπτομένη αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν.» Ἀπάνθρωπον ὅλον καὶ τυφλὸν τοῦ φαρισαίου τὸ φρόνημα. Ἀλλὰ τί πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ μόνος ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγός; «Σίμων, Σίμων, ἔχω σοί τι εἰπεῖν»–ἤκουσα ὧν οὐκ ἐφθάγξω ῥημάτων, ἔγνων τῆς σῆς ψυχῆς τὰ βουλεύματα· ἐπίσταμαι τὰ κατὰ διάνοιάν σοι μελετηθέντα κατ' ἐμοῦ· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μηδὲν λαλήσαντί σοι ἀποκρίνομαι, ἵνα ἐκ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀποκρίσεως μάθῃς τῆς ἐμῆς θεότητος τὴν ἰσχύν·","english":"Receive the myrrh, as a heavenly myrrh, and wipe away the filth of my life; receive this myrrh, and grant me spiritual myrrh, O fountain of good things; wash me, who have been befouled, O all-powerful physician; heal me, who have received many wounds from the devil; scrape away the leprosy of sins from my soul, as you scraped away the stain of the body from the faithful leper; dry up the streams of my lawless deeds, as you dried up the channels of the woman with the hemorrhage with the hem of your garment; have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, as you had mercy on that Canaanite woman, the lowly but faithful one.\" As the harlot was faithfully making these supplications with tears in the secret workshop of her soul, all who were reclining at table were astonished at the forbearance of the Savior, seeing him calmly enduring her harlot's kisses and the grasp of sinful hands. But the Pharisee, who had invited him to dinner, in the hidden workshops of his soul was stirring up blasphemous thoughts against him, and was blaming the Savior's philanthropy as ignorance, saying to himself: \"This man, if he were a prophet, would know what sort of woman is touching him, that she is a sinner.\" The Pharisee's mind is altogether inhuman and blind. But what does the only good and philanthropic one, the giver of good things, say to him? \"Simon, Simon, I have something to say to you—I have heard words you did not utter, I have known the counsels of your soul; I know the thoughts you have pondered in your mind against me; and for this reason I answer you though you have said nothing, so that from my answer you may learn the power of my divinity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς αἱμοῤῥοούσης","severity":"info","text":"The woman with the hemorrhage is a reference to the woman cured by Jesus in Matthew 9:20-22 and Mark 5:25-34.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν Χανανείαν","severity":"info","text":"The Canaanite woman refers to the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30, whom Jesus praised for her faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"μύρον","severity":"info","text":"μύρον (myrrh) is a fragrant ointment used in ancient Mediterranean culture for anointing; here it is both literal (the harlot's offering) and metaphorical (spiritual grace).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Φαρισαῖος","severity":"info","text":"The Pharisee represents a Jewish sect known for strict observance of the Law; in Chrysostom's rhetoric, he embodies hypocrisy and lack of compassion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from the harlot's prayer (direct speech) to the narrator's description of the reactions of the guests and the Pharisee, then to the Pharisee's internal monologue, and finally to Jesus' response.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's portrayal of the harlot's repentance and the Pharisee's judgmental thoughts reflects a common patristic theme: true piety is shown by mercy, not by legalism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'faithful leper' is not specified in the text; it may refer to a biblical figure (e.g., Naaman in 2 Kings 5) or a hagiographic tradition.","The phrase 'secret workshop of her soul' (ἐν τῷ ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐργαστηρίῳ) is a metaphor for inner thoughts; its exact nuance is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"ἵνα ἐκ τῶν ἐμῶν ῥημάτων ἐπιγνῷς, ὅτι ποιητής εἰμι ψυχῶν καὶ ἔφορος τῶν καρδιῶν· εἰ τοίνυν προφήτην με βούλει καλεῖν, ἢ καὶ δημιουργὸν τῶν προφητῶν, τὸν κατὰ τὸ βλεπόμενόν σοι ἄνθρωπον, ὃ βούλει καὶ δόξαζε. «Σίμων, Σίμων, ἔχω σοί τι εἰπεῖν· δύο χρεοφειλέται ἦσαν δανειστῇ τινι. ὁ εἷς ὤφειλε δηνάρια πεντακόσια, καὶ ὁ ἕτερος πεντήκοντα· μὴ ἐχόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἀποδοῦναι, ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο. Τίς οὖν αὐτὸν ὤφειλεν πλέον ἀγαπᾶν; Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ φαρισαῖος εἶπεν· ὑπολαμβάνω, ὅτι ᾧ τὸ πλέον ἐχαρίσατο. Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ σωτήρ· ὀρθῶς ἔκρινας»–Καὶ σὺ χρεστεῖς μοι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς εὐθύνας πολλὰς, κἀγὼ συνεχώρησά σοι καθάπερ καὶ ταύτῃ τῆς πολιτείας τὰ ἐγκλήματα, καὶ σοῦ καλέσαντός με προθύμως ὑπήκουσα καὶ ὁμορόφιος ἐγενόμην καὶ ὁμοδίαιτος· οὐχ ὡς ἄπορος ἢ ἐνδεὴς τροφῆς, ἀλλ' ὡς πλούσιος ἐν ἐλέει τὴν τῶν προςερχομένων μετάνοιαν προςδεχόμενος καὶ τὰς τούτων ἁμαρτίας συγχωρῶν. Τί οὖν διαβάλλεις τὴν ἐμὴν συγκατάβασιν; τί δὲ κακίζεις τὴν ἐμὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἧς πρῶτος ἀπήλαυσας σύ; τί πολλὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπαιτεῖς τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, ἣν ἐὰν ἐπιδείξωμαι νῦν, οὐ συμφέρει σοι; τί λογοθετεῖς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀγαθότητα, ἧς ἐνδεὴς γέγονας καὶ αὐτός; «Καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ Σίμωνι ἔφη· βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα;» –ὦ φιλανθρωπίας θεοῦ ἄπειρον ὕψος· ὦ ἀνεξικακίας δεσπότου ἀνυπέρβλητον μέγεθος· τὴν ὁμολογουμένην πόρνην «γυναῖκα» προςηνῶς προςηγόρευσεν· ἔκρυψεν τὸ τῆς πονηρᾶς προαιρέσεως ὄνομα, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως προεκόμισεν ὄνομα.","english":"so that from my words you may recognize that I am a maker of souls and an overseer of hearts. If, then, you wish to call me a prophet, or even a creator of prophets, the man you see before you, call me and glorify me as you wish. \"Simon, Simon, I have something to tell you. There were two debtors to a certain lender. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Since they did not have the means to repay, he forgave both. Which one, then, ought to love him more?\" The Pharisee answered, \"I suppose the one to whom he forgave the greater amount.\" The Savior said to him, \"You have judged correctly.\" And you owe me many accounts of your own life, and I have forgiven you, just as I have forgiven this woman the charges of her conduct. And when you called me, I willingly obeyed and became your housemate and table-companion, not because I am needy or lacking food, but because I am rich in mercy, accepting the repentance of those who come to me and forgiving their sins. Why, then, do you slander my condescension? Why do you revile my philanthropy, of which you yourself were the first to partake? Why do you demand such strictness from others, which, if I were to show now, would not benefit you? Why do you call my goodness to account, when you yourself have been in need of it? \"And turning to the woman, he said to Simon, 'Do you see this woman?'\" O the infinite height of God's philanthropy! O the unsurpassable magnitude of the Lord's forbearance! He called the acknowledged prostitute \"woman\" gently; he concealed the name of her evil choice and brought forward the common name of her nature.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ποιητής","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term ποιητής (poiētēs) here means 'maker' or 'creator', not 'poet'. The speaker claims divine agency, aligning with Chrysostom's portrayal of Christ as creator of souls.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σίμων, Σίμων, ἔχω σοί τι εἰπεῖν· δύο χρεοφειλέται ἦσαν δανειστῇ τινι","severity":"info","text":"This parable of the two debtors is not a canonical Gospel passage but a narrative invention by Chrysostom, attributed to Christ in dialogue with Simon the Pharisee.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"πόρνην","severity":"info","text":"The term πόρνην (pornēn) refers to a prostitute, a key figure in this homily. Chrysostom contrasts her sinful label with the neutral 'woman' to emphasize Christ's philanthropy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ Σίμωνι ἔφη","severity":"info","text":"This narrative shift marks a direct address to the woman, interrupting the dialogue with Simon. It highlights Chrysostom's rhetorical use of dramatic action.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"φιλανθρωπίας θεοῦ ἄπειρον ὕψος","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's exclamation on God's philanthropy reflects a key theme in his soteriology, later influential in Eastern Christian emphasis on divine condescension.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"χρεοφειλέται","severity":"caution","text":"The spelling χρεοφειλέται (chreopheiletai) is a variant of χρεωφειλέται (chreōpheiletai), 'debtors'. This orthographic difference does not affect meaning but may reflect manuscript tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker (Christ or a divine figure) is ambiguous in the Greek; the text shifts between first-person divine claims and third-person narration. The reading taken assumes Christ as speaker throughout."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"«Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα»–ἣν ἐθεασάμην πάλαι τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ὀφθαλμοῖς· τὴν αὐτόκλητον ἐπειςελθοῦσαν ἡμῖν; τὴν πρῶτον καὶ μόνον ἀναισχυντήσασαν ἀναισχυντίαν καλήν; τὴν, ἐνδέοντι καιρῷ, τὴν ζωηφόρον ἐπιδειξαμένην ἀναίδειαν; τὴν ὑπὸ σοῦ κατηγορουμένην ἐπὶ ἐγκλήμασι πολλοῖς, ἐφ' οἷς προςῆλθεν τῇ ζωῇ, καὶ μὴ τολμήσασαν, ὡς ἀπρόςωπον, κατὰ πρόςωπον στῆναι, ἀλλ' ὀπίσω κρυπτομένην, καὶ διὰ τοῦ βίου τοῦ προτέρου ἑαυτῆς ἔλεγχος γινομένην; «Εἰςῆλθόν σου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ὕδωρ εἰς τοὺς πόδας μου οὐκ ἔδωκας, αὕτη δὲ τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔβρεξέν μου τοὺς πόδας, καὶ ταῖς θριξὶν τῆς κεφαλῆς αὑτῆς ἐξέμαξεν.» Οὓς οὐκ ἔβρεξεν πόδας τοῖς κύμασι ἡ θάλασσα, αὕτη τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἀπέπλυνεν καὶ τοῖς φιλήμασιν ἱκέτευσεν. Πότε κατέμαθες τοιαύτην γυναῖκα τὰς ἰδίας τρίχας ἐκμαγεῖον ποιήσασαν, καθάπερ αὕτη ἐπὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ποδῶν πεποίηκεν; «Φίλημά μοι οὐκ ἔδωκας»,\n\nκαίτοι δίκαιος ἦσθα, καλέσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἄριστον, πρῶτος ὑπαντῆσαι καὶ περιπτύξασθαί με καὶ τὰ τῆς φιλοφροσύνης ἐν πᾶσιν ἐπιδείξασθαι· ἀλλὰ σὺ μὲν τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησας, «αὕτη δὲ, ἀφ' οὗ εἰςῆλθον εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, οὐ διέλειπεν καταφιλοῦσά μου τοὺς πόδας». Βλέπε ταύτης τὸν ἀκόρεστον πόθον καὶ κόλασόν σου τὸν φιλολοίδορον τρόπον· βλέψον εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ κατάμαθε κλαίουσαν, εἰ μὴ καὶ σὺ ἀγαπήσῃς, ἣν ἀκαίρως ἐμίσησας. «Ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου οὐκ ἤλειψας, αὕτη δὲ μύρῳ ἤλειψέν μου τοὺς πόδας, οὗ χάριν, λέγω σοι, ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αἱ πολλαί».","english":"Do you see this woman—whom I once beheld with the eyes of divinity; the one who came in unbidden to us; the first and only one to show a noble shamelessness; the one who, at the opportune moment, displayed a life-bearing audacity; the one accused by you of many charges, on account of which she approached life, and did not dare, as one without a face, to stand face to face, but hid behind, and became a reproach through her former life? \"I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet; but she bathed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head.\" The feet that the sea did not wet with its waves, she washed with her tears and supplicated with her kisses. When did you ever learn of such a woman making her own hair a towel, as she did upon my feet? \"You gave me no kiss,\"\n\nand yet you were just, having invited us to a meal, to be the first to meet and embrace me and show all signs of friendliness; but you did not do this, \"while she, from the moment I entered your house, did not cease kissing my feet.\" See her insatiable longing and punish your own slanderous manner; look at her and learn from her weeping, if you too will not love the one you untimely hated. \"You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with myrrh; for which reason, I tell you, her many sins are forgiven.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"αὐτόκλητον","severity":"info","text":"The adverb αὐτόκλητον means 'unbidden' or 'self-invited,' emphasizing the woman's initiative in approaching the speaker without prior invitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀναισχυντίαν καλήν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'noble shamelessness' (ἀναισχυντίαν καλήν) is a paradoxical expression, contrasting conventional shame with a positive, life-affirming audacity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰςῆλθόν σου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν","severity":"info","text":"The quotation about entering the house, water for feet, and tears wiping feet echoes the Gospel account of the sinful woman anointing Jesus' feet (Luke 7:36-50), though not a direct citation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"μύρῳ","severity":"info","text":"Myrrh (μύρῳ) was a costly aromatic resin used in ancient anointing, often associated with luxury and penitential acts; its use here underscores the woman's lavish devotion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Βλέπεις ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with a rhetorical question ('Do you see this woman?') that frames a series of appositional descriptions, building to a direct address and contrast between the woman's actions and the listener's neglect.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι","severity":"info","text":"The declaration that her many sins are forgiven reflects Chrysostom's theme of repentance and grace, a key motif in his homilies on the sinful woman.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the woman is not explicitly named; she is traditionally associated with Mary Magdalene or the sinful woman of Luke 7, but the text leaves this open.","The phrase 'eyes of divinity' (τοῖς τῆς θεότητος ὀφθαλμοῖς) may be metaphorical or refer to a visionary experience; the exact sense is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"Ταύτην οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ, ζηλώσωμεν τὴν πιστὴν καὶ θαυμασίαν πόρνην, καὶ ὡς ἔτι καιρὸν ἔχομεν μετανοίας ἐν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ταύταις ἡμέραις τῆς νηστείας, σπουδάσωμεν διὰ βίου καθαροῦ καὶ πολιτείας ἀρίστης, διὰ νηστείας, δι' ἐλεημοσύνης, διὰ δακρύων, δι' ἐξομολογήσεως κατᾶραι πάντα βόρβορον καὶ κηλῖδα τῶν πολλῶν ἡμῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἵνα καὶ τῆς προςηνοῦς φωνῆς ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ φιλανθρώπου δεσπότου, λέγοντος πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ἀφέωνται ὑμῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· ὅπως καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας κληρονόμοι γενώμεθα, καὶ τῆς μακαρίας φωνῆς ἀξιωθῶμεν, τῆς λεγούσης· δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν–ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.","english":"Let us therefore, brothers, emulate this faithful and wondrous prostitute, and while we still have an opportunity for repentance in these few days of the fast, let us hasten, through a pure life and excellent conduct, through fasting, through almsgiving, through tears, through confession, to cleanse away all the filth and stain of our many sins, so that we may also hear the gentle voice of the benevolent master saying to us: Your sins are forgiven; that we may become heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and be deemed worthy of the blessed voice that says: Come, the blessed ones of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you—may we all attain this by the grace and benevolence of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages, amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ταύτην οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ, ζηλώσωμεν τὴν πιστὴν καὶ θαυμασίαν πόρνην","severity":"info","text":"The passage opens with an exhortation to emulate the 'faithful and wondrous prostitute,' concluding the narrative arc of the preceding passage by applying the example to the congregation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"πόρνην","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term πόρνην (prostitute) is used without negative connotation here, reflecting Chrysostom's rhetorical strategy of rehabilitating a socially marginal figure as a model of Christian virtue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀφέωνται ὑμῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Your sins are forgiven' echoes the absolution formula in early Christian liturgy, possibly alluding to Matthew 9:2 or the general penitential practice of Chrysostom's Antioch.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν","severity":"info","text":"This invitation to the 'blessed ones of my father' to inherit the kingdom is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Matthew 25:34, where the blessed inherit the kingdom prepared for them.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ἵνα ... ὅπως ...","severity":"info","text":"The passage uses a double purpose clause (ἵνα ... ὅπως ...) to link the cleansing of sins with two eschatological rewards: hearing the master's forgiveness and inheriting the heavenly kingdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν","severity":"info","text":"The concluding doxology to the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is a standard liturgical formula in Chrysostom's homilies, reflecting late 4th-century Antiochene trinitarian piety.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν' is a wish formula; the antecedent of 'ἧς' is ambiguous but likely refers to 'βασιλείαν' (kingdom)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}