{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","title":"In decollationem sancti Joannis","title_source":"In decollationem sancti Joannis","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":"2026-11-15T06:55:35Z","cost_usd":0.005863},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","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/In%20decollationem%20sancti%20Joannis.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":10,"english_words":2709,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":10974,"commentary_units":58,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":14,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","abstract":"This homily, attributed to John Chrysostom, commemorates the beheading of John the Baptist, a feast celebrated on August 29 in Byzantine liturgy. The text survives in multiple Greek manuscript families with significant variants, and the present edition follows the text printed by Khazarzar, based on Migne's Patrologia Graeca. The sermon employs vivid rhetoric, including comparisons of Herodias to Jezebel and anaphora of πάλιν, to emphasize the cyclical nature of Herodias's fury. Chrysostom also qualifies his misogynistic rhetoric by acknowledging virtuous women. The attribution to Chrysostom is not universally accepted; some scholars consider it spurious or a later compilation, though its style and theology are consistent with his authentic works.","historical_context":"The sermon is attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 349–407), but its exact date is unknown. It likely belongs to the festal homilies delivered on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (August 29). The Greek text survives in multiple manuscript families, with significant variants in the opening and closing sections. The present edition follows the text printed by Khazarzar, which is based on Migne's Patrologia Graeca. This homily was widely read in Byzantine liturgical tradition, often paired with the feast of the Beheading. Its vivid rhetoric influenced later hagiographical accounts of John the Baptist's death. The attribution to Chrysostom is not universally accepted; some scholars consider it spurious or a later compilation. The style and theology are consistent with Chrysostom's authentic works, but external evidence is lacking. This edition does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of manuscripts. Variants in the Greek text are not noted, and the reader should consult the Patrologia Graeca for a fuller textual history.","significance":"This homily is significant for its role in Byzantine liturgical tradition and its influence on later hagiographical accounts of John the Baptist's death. It exemplifies Chrysostom's rhetorical style, including the use of typological parallels and anaphora. The disputed authorship highlights the challenges of attributing works in the patristic corpus, and the text's survival in multiple manuscript families underscores its widespread use and transmission.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 349–407","event":"Life of John Chrysostom, to whom the sermon is attributed."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Probable composition of the homily, if authentic."},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Widespread liturgical use of the homily on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (August 29)."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Transmission in multiple Greek manuscript families with significant variants."},{"date":"19th c.","event":"Publication in Migne's Patrologia Graeca."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Digital edition by Khazarzar based on Migne's text."}],"relations":[{"work":"Patrologia Graeca","relation":"Source of the Greek text used by Khazarzar","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Kings 21","relation":"Allusion to the story of Naboth's vineyard and Elijah's flight, comparing Herodias to Jezebel","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of Matthew","relation":"Source for the account of John the Baptist's imprisonment and beheading","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of Mark","relation":"Source for the account of John the Baptist's imprisonment and beheading","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Antiquities of the Jews","relation":"Historical context for Herodias's marriage to Herod Antipas","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The attribution to John Chrysostom is not universally accepted; some scholars consider it spurious or a later compilation.","The exact date of composition is unknown; it is placed within Chrysostom's lifetime (c. 349–407) if authentic.","The Greek text survives in multiple manuscript families with significant variants; this edition does not provide a critical apparatus.","External evidence for the attribution is lacking; the style and theology are consistent with Chrysostom's authentic works but not definitive."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000531,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:55:35Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20decollationem%20sancti%20Joannis.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-decollationem-sancti-joannis","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":10,"translated":10,"commentary_passages":10,"commentary_units":58,"english_words":2709,"source_letters":10973,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sermon is attributed to John Chrysostom (c. 349–407), but its exact date is unknown. It likely belongs to the festal homilies delivered on the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist (August 29).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text survives in multiple manuscript families, with significant variants in the opening and closing sections. The present edition follows the text printed by Khazarzar, which is based on Migne's Patrologia Graeca.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was widely read in Byzantine liturgical tradition, often paired with the feast of the Beheading. Its vivid rhetoric influenced later hagiographical accounts of John the Baptist's death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The attribution to Chrysostom is not universally accepted; some scholars consider it spurious or a later compilation. The style and theology are consistent with Chrysostom's authentic works, but external evidence is lacking.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not provide a critical apparatus or collation of manuscripts. Variants in the Greek text are not noted, and the reader should consult the Patrologia Graeca for a fuller textual history.","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: 10 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":10},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΑΠΟΤΟΜΗΝ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΔΡΟΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΒΑΠΤΙΣΤΟΥ ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ, Καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἡρωδιάδα.\n\nΠάλιν Ἡρωδιὰς μαίνεται, πάλιν ταράττεται, πάλι ὀρχεῖται, πάλιν ἐπιζητεῖ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Βαπτιστοῦ ἀνόμως ὑπὸ Ἡρώδου ἀποτμηθῆναι. Πάλιν Ἰεζάβελ περιέρχεται ζητοῦσα τοῦ Ναβουθαὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἁρπάσαι, καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Ἠλίαν καταδιῶξαι ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη. Οἶμαι δὲ μὴ μόνον ἐμὲ εἰς ἔκστασιν τυγχάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἀκούοντας τῆς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου φωνῆς, καὶ θαυμάζειν σὺν ἐμοὶ τὴν μὲν Ἰωάννου παῤῥησίαν τὴν δὲ Ἡρώδου κουφότητα, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀθέων γυναικῶν θηριώδη μανίαν. Τί γὰρ ἠκούομεν; Ὁ γὰρ Ἡρώδης κρατήσας τὸν Ἰωάννην, ἔθετο ἐν φυλακῇ. Διὰ τί; Διὰ Ἡρωδιάδα γυναῖκα Φιλίππου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ψέξειεν ἄν τις τὴν Ἡρώδου κουφότητα ὑπὸ δυστήνων γυναικῶν παραχθεῖσαν. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴποι, ἢ πῶ τις ἐκφράσειε τὴν τῶν γυναικῶν ἐκείνων ἀκόλαστον πονηρίαν; Ἐμοὶ μὲν δοκεῖ μηδὲν εἶναι ἐν κόσμῳ θηρίον ἐφάμιλλον γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς. Ἀλλὰ νῦν ἐμοὶ περὶ πονηρᾶς ὁ λόγος, οὐ περὶ ἀγαθῆς καὶ σώφρονος. Οἶδα γὰρ πολλὰς εὐσχήμονας καὶ ἀγαθὰς, ὧν με δεῖ μνημονεῦσαι τὸν βίον πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν καὶ ἔρωτα τῶν καλῶν.","english":"On the Beheading of the Forerunner and Baptist John, and on Herodias.\n\nAgain Herodias rages, again she is disturbed, again she dances, again she unlawfully seeks the head of John the Baptist to be cut off by Herod. Again Jezebel goes about seeking to seize the vineyard of Naboth and to pursue the holy Elijah into the mountains. I think that not only am I struck with amazement, but also all of you who hear the voice of the Gospel, and that you marvel with me at the boldness of John, the levity of Herod, and the bestial madness of the godless women. For what did we hear? Herod, having seized John, put him in prison. Why? Because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. And one might blame the levity of Herod, stirred up by wretched women. But what could one say, or how could one describe the licentious wickedness of those women? It seems to me that there is no beast in the world comparable to a wicked woman. But now my speech is about a wicked woman, not about a good and chaste one. For I know many virtuous and good women, whose life I must recall for the edification and love of what is noble.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀποτομήν","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term ἀποτομήν (beheading) is the key word of the title; it refers to the decollation of John the Baptist, a common feast in Byzantine liturgy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰεζάβελ ... Ναβουθαὶ ... Ἠλίαν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom compares Herodias to Jezebel, alluding to the story of Naboth's vineyard and Elijah's flight (1 Kings 21). This is a typological parallel, not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡρωδιάδα γυναῖκα Φιλίππου","severity":"info","text":"Herodias was originally married to Herod Philip, but left him to marry his brother Herod Antipas. This marital irregularity is the historical context for John's imprisonment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Πάλιν ... πάλιν ... πάλιν","severity":"info","text":"The anaphora of πάλιν (again) at the opening creates a rhetorical pattern of repetition, emphasizing the cyclical nature of Herodias's fury and the ongoing relevance of the story.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"οἶδα γὰρ πολλὰς εὐσχήμονας καὶ ἀγαθὰς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom explicitly qualifies his misogynistic rhetoric by acknowledging virtuous women, a common rhetorical move in patristic literature to avoid blanket condemnation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἀνόμως ὑπὸ Ἡρώδου' could be read as 'unlawfully by Herod' or 'unlawfully, by Herod'; the sense is that the beheading is illegal, not that Herod acts lawlessly in a general sense."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Οὐ δὲν τοίνυν θηρίον ἐν κόσμῳ ἐφάμιλλον γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς. Τί λέοντος δεινότερον ἐν τετραπόδοις; Ἀλλ' οὐδέν. Τί δὲ ὠμότερον δράκοντος ἐν ἑρπετοῖς; Ἀλλ' οὐδέν. Πλὴν καὶ λέων καὶ δράκων ἐν τῷ κακῷ ἐλάττω τυγχάνουσι Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ μου τῷ λόγῳ ὁ σοφώτατος Σολομὼν, λέγων· Συνοικῆσαι λέοντι καὶ δράκοντι εὐδόκησα, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς καὶ γλωσσώδους. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς τὸν προφήτην εἰρωνείᾳ εἰρηκέναι, ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων κατάμαθε ἀκριβῶς. Τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ οἱ λέοντες ᾐδέσθησαν, τὸν δὲ δίκαιον Ναβουθαὶ Ἰεζάβελ ἐφόνευσε· τὸ κῆτος τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐφύλαξε, Δαλιλὰ δὲ τὸν Σαμψὼν ξυρήσασα καὶ δήσασα, τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις παρέδωκε· δράκοντες καὶ ἀσπίδες καὶ κεράσται τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐτρόμασαν, Ἡρωδιὰς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν ἀρίστῳ ἀπέτεμεν· οἱ κόρακες τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει διέθρεψαν, Ἰεζάβελ δὲ αὐτὸν μετὰ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν τοῦ ὑετοῦ πρὸς φόνον ἐδίωκε. Τί γὰρ ἔλεγεν; Εἰ σὺ Ἠλιοὺ, καὶ ἐγὼ Ἰεζάβελ· Τάδε ποιήσαισάν μοι οἱ θεοὶ, καὶ τάδε προσθείησαν, εἰ μὴ αὔριον ταύτῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ θήσομαι τὴν ψυχήν σου ὡς ἑνὸς τῶν τεθνηκότων. Καὶ ἐφοβήθη Ἠλίας, καὶ ἐπορεύθη κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ὁδὸν ἡμερῶν τεσσαρά κοντα Καὶ ἦλθεν ὑπὸ Ῥαθμὲν, καὶ ᾐτήσατο τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς, ἱκανούσθω μοι νῦν, λάβε τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ κρείσσων ἐγὼ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πατέρας μου. Οἴμοι! ὁ προφήτης Ἠλίας ἐφοβήθη γυναῖκα; ὁ τὸν ὑετὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐν τῇ γλώττῃ βαστάζων, ὁ πῦρ οὐρανόθεν κατενέγκας, καὶ δι' εὐχῆς νεκροὺς ἐγείρας, ἐφοβήθη γυναῖκα; Ναὶ, ἐφοβήθη.","english":"There is, then, no beast in the world comparable to an evil woman. What is more terrible than a lion among quadrupeds? Nothing. What is more savage than a serpent among reptiles? Nothing. Yet both lion and serpent are inferior in wickedness. And the most wise Solomon bears witness to my words, saying: \"I would rather dwell with a lion and a serpent than with an evil and talkative woman.\" And lest you think the prophet spoke ironically, learn accurately from the facts themselves. The lions in the den respected Daniel, but Jezebel murdered the righteous Naboth; the whale preserved Jonah in its belly, but Delilah, having shorn and bound Samson, handed him over to the Philistines; serpents and asps and horned vipers trembled at John in the desert, but Herodias cut off his head at a banquet; the ravens fed Elijah on the mountain, but Jezebel, after the benefit of the rain, pursued him to kill him. For what did she say? \"If you are Elijah, I am Jezebel. May the gods do such and such to me, and add such and such, if by this hour tomorrow I do not set your soul like that of one of the dead.\" And Elijah was afraid, and went according to his soul, and departed into the desert for a journey of forty days. And he came to Rathmen, and asked that his soul might die, and said: \"Lord God, let it be enough for me now; take my soul from me, for I am no stronger than my fathers.\" Alas! The prophet Elijah feared a woman? He who bore the rain of the world on his tongue, who brought down fire from heaven, and raised the dead through prayer—feared a woman? Yes, he feared.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐ δὲν τοίνυν θηρίον ἐν κόσμῳ ἐφάμιλλον γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text uses a double negative (οὐ ... ἐφάμιλλον) to assert that no beast is equal to an evil woman, a rhetorical trope common in Chrysostom's moral exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Συνοικῆσαι λέοντι καὶ δράκοντι εὐδόκησα, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς καὶ γλωσσώδους","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Sirach 25:1 (LXX: 'I would rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than with a wicked woman'), attributed here to Solomon as a wisdom figure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰεζάβελ","severity":"info","text":"Jezebel, the Phoenician queen of Israel, is a biblical archetype of wickedness (1 Kings 16–21). Chrysostom uses her to parallel Herodias, linking the beheading of John to the persecution of Elijah.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ οἱ λέοντες ᾐδέσθησαν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts the lions' respect for Daniel (Dan 6) with Jezebel's murder of Naboth (1 Kings 21), reinforcing the theme that evil women surpass wild beasts in cruelty.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐφοβήθη Ἠλίας","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's emphasis on Elijah's fear of Jezebel (1 Kings 19) is a rhetorical device to magnify Herodias's threat; this interpretation influenced later Byzantine homiletics on the power of female malice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑπὸ Ῥαθμὲν","severity":"caution","text":"The toponym 'Rathmen' is obscure; it may be a variant of 'Rathamin' or a scribal error. The reference to Elijah's forty-day journey is not directly attested in the biblical text (1 Kings 19:8 mentions Beersheba).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear; no significant ambiguities in this passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Οὐδεμία γὰρ κακία συγκρίνεται γυναικὶ πονηρᾷ.\n\nΜαρτυρεῖ δέ μου τῷ λόγῳ ἡ Σοφία λέγουσα, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κακία ὑπὲρ κακίαν γυναικός. Ὢ τὸ κακὸν τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ ὀξύτατον ὅπλον! διὰ γυναικὸς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐν παραδείσῳ κατέτρωσε· διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν πραότατον Δαυῒδ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου δολοφονίαν ἐξέμηνε· διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν σοφώτατον Σολομῶντα πρὸς παράβασιν κατέστρωσε· διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν ἀνδρειότατον Σαμψῶνα ξυρήσας ἐτύφλωσε· διὰ γυναικὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἠλεὶ τοῦ ἱερέως ἠδάφισε· διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν εὐγενέστατον Ἰωσὴφ ἐν φυλακῇ\n\nδεσμεύσας κατέκλεισε· διὰ γυναικὸς τὸν παντὸς κόσμου λύχνον Ἰωάννην ἀπέτεμε. Τί δὲ λέγω περὶ ἀνθρώπων; Διὰ γυναικὸς τοὺς ἀγγέλους οὐρανόθεν κατέβαλε· διὰ γυναικὸς πάντας κατασφάζει, πάντας φονεύει, πάντας ἀτιμάζει, πάντας ὑβρίζει. Γυνὴ γὰρ ἀναιδὴς οὐδενὸς φείδεται· οὐ Λευΐτην τιμᾷ, οὐχ ἱερέα ἐντρέπεται, οὐ προφήτην αἰδεῖται. Ὢ κακὸν κακοῦ κάκιστον γυνὴ πονηρά! Κἂν μὲν πενιχρὰ ᾖ, τῇ κακίᾳ πλουτεῖ· ἐὰν δὲ πλοῦτον ἔχῃ τῇ πονηρίᾳ συνεργοῦντα, δισσὸν τὸ κακὸν, ἀφόρητον τὸ ζῶον, ἀθεράπευτος νόσος, ἀνήμερον θηρίον. Ἐγὼ οἶδα καὶ ἀσπίδας κολακευομένας ἡμεροῦσθαι, καὶ λέοντας καὶ τίγρεις καὶ παρδάλεις τιθασσευομένας πραΰνεσθαι· γυνὴ δὲ πονηρὰ καὶ ὑβριζομένη μαίνεται, καὶ κολακευομένη ἐπαίρεται. Κἂν ἔχῃ ἄνδρα ἄρχοντα, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τοῖς λόγοις αὐτὸν ἐκμοχλεύουσα πρὸς δολοφονίαν ὀξύνει, ὡς Ἡρωδιὰς τὸν Ἡρώδην· κἂν πένητα ἔχῃ ἄνδρα, πρὸς ὀργὰς καὶ μάχας αὐτὸν διεγείρει· κἂν χήρα τυγχάνῃ, αὐτὴ δι' ἑαυτῆς τοὺς πάντας ἀτιμάζει.","english":"No evil is comparable to an evil woman.\n\nWitness to my word is Wisdom, saying, \"There is no head above the head of a serpent, and there is no evil above the evil of a woman.\" O the evil of the devil and his sharpest weapon! Through a woman he from the beginning wounded Adam in paradise; through a woman he drove the most gentle David to the murder of Uriah; through a woman he overthrew the wisest Solomon to transgression; through a woman he shaved and blinded the strongest Samson; through a woman he dashed the sons of Eli the priest to the ground; through a woman he bound and imprisoned the most noble Joseph; through a woman he beheaded John, the lamp of the whole world. And what do I say about humans? Through a woman he cast down the angels from heaven; through a woman he slaughters all, murders all, dishonors all, insults all. For a shameless woman spares no one: she honors no Levite, respects no priest, reveres no prophet. O evil of evils, most evil is an evil woman! If she is poor, she is rich in wickedness; if she has wealth cooperating with her malice, the evil is double, the beast is unbearable, the disease is incurable, the wild animal is untamed. I know that even asps are tamed when flattered, and lions and tigers and leopards are soothed when domesticated; but an evil woman, when insulted, rages, and when flattered, is puffed up. If she has a husband who is a ruler, by night and by day she pries him with words and sharpens him toward murder, like Herodias with Herod; if she has a poor husband, she stirs him to anger and fights; if she is a widow, she herself through herself dishonors all.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἔστι κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κακία ὑπὲρ κακίαν γυναικός","severity":"info","text":"This is a loose citation of Proverbs (LXX) 25:1, which reads: 'There is no head above the head of a serpent, and there is no evil above the evil of a woman.' The Greek text here matches the LXX tradition closely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡρωδιὰς τὸν Ἡρώδην","severity":"info","text":"Herodias, wife of Herod Antipas, is traditionally blamed for instigating the beheading of John the Baptist. Chrysostom uses her as a type of the manipulative evil woman, linking her to the earlier catalogue of biblical figures.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"διὰ γυναικὸς","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'through a woman' (διὰ γυναικὸς) structures a rhetorical catalogue of biblical figures (Adam, David, Solomon, Samson, Eli's sons, Joseph, John, angels), building to a climax that includes even angels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Γυνὴ γὰρ ἀναιδὴς οὐδενὸς φείδεται","severity":"info","text":"The description of the shameless woman who spares no one (Levite, priest, prophet) echoes a topos in early Christian and Jewish misogynistic literature, e.g., Sirach 25:13-26, where the wicked woman is similarly portrayed as uncontrollable.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγὼ οἶδα καὶ ἀσπίδας κολακευομένας ἡμεροῦσθαι","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's claim that even asps, lions, tigers, and leopards can be tamed by flattery, but not an evil woman, became a widely cited rhetorical trope in later Byzantine and Western medieval literature on women.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν πραότατον Δαυῒδ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου δολοφονίαν ἐξέμηνε","severity":"caution","text":"Chrysostom attributes David's murder of Uriah to a woman (Bathsheba), but the biblical narrative (2 Samuel 11) does not explicitly portray her as instigating the murder; this is a rhetorical exaggeration typical of Chrysostom's homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear; no significant ambiguities in the passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Φόβῳ γὰρ Κυρίου οὐ χαλινοῦται τὴν γλῶτταν, οὐκ εἰς τὸ μέλλον κριτήριον ἀποβλέπει, οὐκ εἰς Θεὸν ἀναβλέπει, οὐ φιλίας οἶδε θεσμοὺς φυλάττειν. Οὐδέν ἐστι γυναικὶ πονηρᾷ τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα παραδοῦναι εἰς θάνατον. Ἀμέλει γοῦν τὸν δίκαιον Ἰὼβ ἡ ἰδία γυνὴ πρὸς θάνατον τῆς βλασφημίας παρεδίδω, λέγουσα· Εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Ὢ φύσεως πονηρᾶς! ὢ προαιρέσεως ἀνοσίας! Οὐκ ἠλέησεν ὁρῶσα τοῦ ἰδίου ἀνδρὸς τὰ σπλάγχνα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀναζεουσῶν φλυκταινῶν, ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ἀνθράκων σπινθηροβόλων καιόμενα, καὶ ὅλας τὰς σάρκας τοῖς σκώληξι συνειλημμένας· οὐκ ἐκάμφθη πρὸς οἶκτον, ὁρῶσα αὐτὸν ὅλον δι' ὅλου ἑλισσόμενον, καὶ κάμνοντα καὶ ἀγωνιῶντα, καὶ συνεχῆ ἄσθματα μετὰ πόνου κεχηνότι τῷ στόματι φέροντα. Οὐκ ἐμειλίχθη πρὸς εὐσπλαγχνίαν ὁρῶσα τόν ποτε ἐν βασιλικῇ πορφυρίδι προσιόντα, τότε ἐπὶ κοπρίας κείμενον γεγυμνωμένον τῷ σώματι· οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσε τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀρχαίας συνηθείας, οὐδ' ὅσα δι' αὐτὸν ἐπίδοξα καὶ καλὰ ἤνθησεν αὕτη. Ἀλλὰ τί; Εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα. Ὢ χάρις γυναικός! ὢ μάλαγμα ὀδύνων προμαλακτήριον! ὢ φιλίας ὁμοζύγου θεσμός! Ἆρα σοῦ ποτε ἀῤῥωστούσης τοιοῦτον ἐφθέγξατο ῥῆμα, καὶ οὐχὶ εὐχαῖς καὶ εὐποιίαις τὴν νόσον σου ἀπέσμηξεν; οὐκ ἤρκει γὰρ αὐτῷ ἡ πρόσκαιρος παιδεία, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰώνιον αὐτῷ προξενεῖς τὴν κόλασιν διὰ τῆς βλασφημίας; ἢ οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι Πᾶσα βλασφημία καὶ ἁμαρτία ἀφεθήσεται ἀνθρώποις· ἡ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου βλασφημία, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται οὔτε ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι; Θέλεις ἰδεῖν καὶ ἄλλην τῆς πονηρίας ταύτης ὁμόζυγον;","english":"For she is not bridled by fear of the Lord in her tongue, she does not look to the future judgment, she does not look up to God, she does not know how to keep the bonds of friendship. There is nothing that an evil woman will not do to deliver her own husband to death. Indeed, the wife of the righteous Job delivered him to death by blasphemy, saying, \"Say some word against the Lord, and die.\" O evil nature! O unholy choice! She did not pity seeing her own husband's entrails burning from the boiling blisters, as if from spark-spewing coals, and his entire flesh seized by worms; she was not moved to compassion seeing him wholly writhing, laboring and struggling, and drawing continuous breaths with pain through his gaping mouth. She was not softened to pity seeing the one who once approached in royal purple, then lying naked on a dunghill; she did not remember her ancient familiarity with him, nor how many glorious and good things she herself had flourished through him. But what? \"Say some word against the Lord, and die.\" O the grace of a woman! O the soothing balm of pains! O the bond of conjugal friendship! Did he ever utter such a word when you were ill, and did he not wipe away your sickness with prayers and good deeds? Was not the temporal trial enough for him, but you also procure for him eternal punishment through blasphemy? Or do you not know that every blasphemy and sin will be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this age or in the next? Do you wish to see another partner of this wickedness?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ τελεύτα","severity":"info","text":"The wife's exhortation to Job to blaspheme and die is not a direct biblical quotation but a dramatic paraphrase of Job 2:9, where she urges him to 'curse God and die.'","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Πᾶσα βλασφημία καὶ ἁμαρτία ἀφεθήσεται ἀνθρώποις· ἡ δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου βλασφημία, οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Matthew 12:31-32, where blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is declared unforgivable, though Chrysostom adapts the wording freely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰὼβ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's depiction of Job's suffering (boils, worms, dunghill) draws on the Septuagint text of Job 2:7-8 and later hagiographic expansions, not the canonical Hebrew version.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Θέλεις ἰδεῖν καὶ ἄλλην τῆς πονηρίας ταύτης ὁμόζυγον;","severity":"info","text":"This rhetorical question marks a transition to a new exemplum of an evil woman, following the pattern of serial exempla in Chrysostom's homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁμόζυγον","severity":"info","text":"Literally 'yoke-fellow' or 'partner,' here used ironically of a woman sharing in wickedness, playing on the marital connotation of the word.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἆρα σοῦ ποτε ἀῤῥωστούσης","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a textual variant: ἀῤῥωστούσης (from ἀῤῥωστος, 'ill') is likely a scribal error for ἠρρωστούσης (from ἀρρωστέω, 'to be ill'). The sense is clear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The wife's speech 'Εἰπόν τι ῥῆμα πρὸς Κύριον' is ambiguous: it could mean 'say a word against the Lord' (blasphemy) or 'say a word to the Lord' (prayer). The context of blasphemy and the parallel in Job 2:9 supports the former reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Ἴδε μοι τὴν Δαλιλάν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνη τὸν ἀνδρειότατον Σαμψῶνα ξυρήσασα καὶ δήσασα, τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις παρέδωκε, τὸν ἴδιον ἄνδρα τὸν ἴδιον σύνευνον, ὃν ἔθαλπεν, ὃν ἐθώπευεν, ὃν ἐκολάκευεν, ὃν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτὴν ἀγαπᾷν ὑπεκρίνατο· ὃν χθὲς ἠγάπα, σήμερον ἠπάτα· ὂν χθὲς ἔθαλπεν ἀγαπῶσα, σήμερον ἔθαπτεν ἀπατῶσα. Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἦν ὡραῖος; Καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ ὡραιότερος κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ, ὃς ἑπτὰ βοστρύχους ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς ἔφερε, τῆς ἑπταφώτου χάριτος τὴν εἰκόνα βαστάζων; Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἦν ἀνδρεῖος; Καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ ἀνδρειότερος, ὅς γε λέοντα φοβερὸν ἐν ὁδῷ μόνος ἀπέπνιξε, καὶ ἐν μιᾷ σιαγόνι ὄνου χιλίους ἀλλοφύλους κατέστρωσεν; Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐχ ἅγιος ἦν; Τοσοῦτον ἦν ἅγιος, ὡς διψήσαντα αὐτόν ποτε ἐν σπάνει ὕδατος εὔξασθαι, καὶ ἐκ τῆς κατεχομένης ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ σιαγόνος νεκρᾶς ὕδωρ πηγάσαι, κἀκεῖθεν τὸ ἴαμα τῆς δίψης ἀρύσασθαι. Καὶ τὸν οὕτως ὡραῖον, τὸν οὕτως ἀνδρεῖον, τὸν οὕτως ἅγιον, ἡ ἰδία γυνὴ, ὡς πολέμιον δήσασα, τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις παρέδωκε. Καὶ πόθεν ἆρα γυνὴ τοῦ οὕτως ἀνδρείου κατίσχυσεν; Ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθότητος. Τὸ γὰρ μυστήριον αὐτοῦ τῆς ἰσχύος νύκτωρ ἀποσυλήσασα, γυμνὸν αὐτὸν ἱμᾶσιν ἰσχυροῖς κατέστρεψε. Διὰ τοῦτο παραγγέλλει σοι ἡ Σοφία· Ἀπὸ τῆς συγκοίτου σου φυλάσσου τοῦ ἀναθέσθαι τι αὐτῇ. Ποῖον, εἰπέ μοι, θηρίον κατὰ τοῦ ἰδίου ἄῤῥενος τοιαῦτα ἐμελέτησε πώποτε; τίς δράκαινα τὸν ἴδιον ὁμόζυγον ἀπολέσθαι θέλει; ποία","english":"Look at Delilah for me. For she also, having shaved and bound the most valiant Samson, handed him over to the foreigners—her own husband, her own bedfellow, whom she cherished, whom she caressed, whom she flattered, whom she pretended to love more than herself; whom yesterday she loved, today she deceived; whom yesterday she cherished with love, today she buried with deceit. And was he not handsome? And who was more handsome than he at that time, who bore seven locks on his head, bearing the image of the sevenfold grace? And was he not brave? And who was braver than he, who alone strangled a fearsome lion on the road, and with a single jawbone of an ass laid low a thousand foreigners? And was he not holy? He was so holy that once, when thirsty in a scarcity of water, he prayed, and from the dead jawbone held in his hand water gushed forth, and from there he drew relief for his thirst. And this man, so handsome, so brave, so holy, his own wife, binding him as an enemy, handed over to the foreigners. And how then did a woman prevail over such a brave man? From the man's own goodness. For having stripped away the secret of his strength by night, she overthrew him naked with strong straps. Because of this, Wisdom commands you: Beware of revealing anything to your bedfellow. Tell me, what beast has ever plotted such things against its own male? What serpent wishes its own yoke-mate to perish? What","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Δαλιλάν","severity":"info","text":"Delilah is the Philistine woman who betrayed Samson in Judges 16. Chrysostom here follows the biblical narrative but embellishes details (e.g., seven locks) from later hagiographic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἑπτὰ βοστρύχους","severity":"info","text":"The seven locks of Samson are not in the biblical text (Judges 16) but appear in later Jewish and Christian legend, possibly symbolizing the sevenfold grace of the Holy Spirit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπὸ τῆς συγκοίτου σου φυλάσσου","severity":"info","text":"The warning 'Beware of revealing anything to your bedfellow' echoes Proverbs 11:14 (LXX) or similar wisdom sayings, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ μὴν οὐκ ἦν ὡραῖος;","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses a rhetorical triplet (handsome, brave, holy) to build pathos before Delilah's betrayal, a common homiletic device.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"ἡπταφώτου χάριτος","severity":"info","text":"The 'sevenfold grace' likely refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 12:6-8), a typological reading common in patristic exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπατῶσα","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek plays on ἀγαπῶσα (loving) and ἀπατῶσα (deceiving), a paronomasia lost in translation. The text is sound, but the wordplay is essential to Chrysostom's rhetoric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἑπτὰ βοστρύχους' (seven locks) is not in the biblical account; its source is unclear—possibly from a lost apocryphon or oral tradition.","The identity of 'Wisdom' (ἡ Σοφία) is ambiguous: it may refer to the book of Proverbs or to personified Wisdom in the Septuagint."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"δὲ λέαινα τὸν ἴδιον ἄῤῥενα πρὸς σφαγὴν παραδίδωσιν; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐπιτετευγμένως εἶπεν ἡ Σοφία, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κακία ὑπὲρ κακίαν γυναικός; Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς, ὁ ἔχων γυναῖκα πονηρὰν, γινωσκέτω ἤδη τοὺς τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ κεκομίσθαι μισθούς. Οὐκ ἀμάρτυρος ὁ λόγος· ἄκουε τῆς Σοφίας λεγούσης· Γυνὴ πονηρὰ ἀνδρὶ ἀνόμῳ δοθήσεται ἀντὶ ἔργων πονηρῶν. Ἀλλὰ περὶ πονηρᾶς γυναικὸς ὁ λόγος ἄχρι τούτου ἐχέτω ὅρον. βʹ. Δεῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς μνημονεῦσαι καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς μάλιστα διὰ τὰς παρούσας. Αἱ γὰρ ἀγαθαὶ τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρετὰς ὡς ἰδίας ὁρῶσι, καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων πόνους ὡς ἰδίους στεφάνους εἶναι λογίζονται. Γυνὴ ἀγαθὴ καὶ φιλόξενος ἦν ἡ μακαρία Σουναμῖτις, ἥτις τὸν ἄνδρα παρακαλέσασα, δωμάτιον ᾠκοδόμησε τῷ Ἑλισσαίῳ, ἵνα διερχόμενος ἀκωλύτως ἔχῃ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, τεθεικυῖα αὐτῷ κλίνην καὶ λυχνίαν καὶ τράπεζαν· κλίνην οὐ κενὴν ἱματίων, ἀλλ' ἔχουσαν πρέποντα τῷ προφήτῃ τὰ στρώματα· λυχνίαν οὐκ ἄνευ λύχνου, ἀλλὰ σὺν τῷ ἄρδοντι ἐλαίῳ τὸ φῶς· τράπεζαν οὐκ ἔρημον ἄρτων, ἀλλ' ἔγκαρπον ἐδεσμάτων. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴπῃ περὶ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης χήρας τῆς τὸν προφήτην Ἠλίαν ὑποδεξαμένης; ᾗ οὐδὲν ἐνεπόδιζεν ἡ πενία τῶν χρημάτων, διὰ τὸ πλούσιον τῆς προαιρέσεως; ᾗ οὐ παρῆν οὐ σῖτος, οὐκ οἶνος, οὐ προσέψημα, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν γεηρῶν πρὸς τὴν τῆς πενίας παραμυθίαν. Οὐ χώρα αὐτῇ σιτοφόρος σπέρμα ἄρτου προσέφερεν· οὐκ ἄμπελος αὐτῇ γλυκόῤῥυτον βότρυν ἐγεώργει· οὐ δένδρον αὐτῇ ὀπώρας καρπὸν ἥδιστον προσέφερε. Πῶς γὰρ, ᾗ οὔτε σπιθαμὴ γῆς ἀροσίμου τόπος ὑπῆρχεν, οὔτε πηχυαῖον ἔδαφος πρὸς ἀμπέλου φυτείαν;","english":"does a lioness hand over her own mate to slaughter? You see how aptly Wisdom said, \"There is no head above the head of a serpent, and there is no evil above the evil of a woman.\" And in short, he who has an evil wife, let him know that he has already received the wages of his lawless deeds. The word is not without witness: hear Wisdom saying, \"An evil woman will be given to a lawless man in return for evil deeds.\" But let the discourse concerning the evil woman have its limit here. 2. But we must also recall the good women, especially on account of the present ones. For good women see the virtues of good men as their own, and consider their labors as their own crowns. A good and hospitable woman was the blessed Shunammite, who, having urged her husband, built a chamber for Elisha, so that when he passed through he might have unhindered rest, having placed for him a bed, a lampstand, and a table: a bed not empty of coverings, but having bedding befitting a prophet; a lampstand not without a lamp, but with oil feeding the light; a table not bare of bread, but fruitful with dishes. And what might one say about that blessed widow who received the prophet Elijah? Whom her poverty of means did not hinder, because of the richness of her purpose? For whom there was present neither grain, nor wine, nor cooked food, nor anything else of earthly things for the consolation of poverty. No grain-bearing land offered her the seed of bread; no vine cultivated for her a sweet-flowing cluster; no tree offered her the most pleasant fruit of the season. For how could it, when she possessed neither a span of arable land nor a cubit of ground for planting a vine?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἔστι κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κακία ὑπὲρ κακίαν γυναικός","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom attributes this saying to 'Wisdom' (Σοφία), but it is not a direct biblical quotation. It may be a proverb or a paraphrase of Sirach 25:15 or 25:22, which warn against women's malice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Γυνὴ πονηρὰ ἀνδρὶ ἀνόμῳ δοθήσεται ἀντὶ ἔργων πονηρῶν","severity":"info","text":"This is not a verbatim biblical verse. It echoes the sapiential theme of retributive justice found in Proverbs and Sirach, possibly a loose citation of Sirach 25:8 or a similar passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σουναμῖτις","severity":"info","text":"The Shunammite woman is a figure from 2 Kings 4:8-37, who provided hospitality to the prophet Elisha. Chrysostom uses her as a model of a good and hospitable wife.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης χήρας τῆς τὸν προφήτην Ἠλίαν ὑποδεξαμένης","severity":"info","text":"The widow who hosted Elijah is likely the woman from Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-16, whose oil and flour were miraculously multiplied. Chrysostom emphasizes her poverty and generosity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"βʹ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek numeral βʹ (2) marks a clear structural division. Chrysostom transitions from a warning about evil wives to a praise of good wives, using the Shunammite and the widow of Zarephath as exempla.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἁπαξαπλῶς","severity":"info","text":"The adverb ἁπαξαπλῶς means 'once for all' or 'in short,' signaling a summarizing conclusion to the preceding argument about evil wives.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the sayings attributed to 'Wisdom' is uncertain; they may be paraphrases of Sirach or common proverbs.","The identity of the widow who hosted Elijah is not explicitly named; the Zarephath widow is the most likely referent."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ θέρους ἐν ταῖς ἀρούραις κυρτοβατοῦσα, τοὺς ἀποπίπτοντας τῶν δρεπανιστῶν παλάμαις ἀστάχυας ἐρανιζομένη, συμμεμετρημένην τῷ ἐνιαυσιαίῳ κύκλῳ τοῦ χρόνου τὴν τροφὴν ἀπετίθετο. Πρὸς ταύτην ἀπῆλθεν Ἠλίας ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ λιμοῦ, ὅτε πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἐκ τῆς ἀβροχίας σχεδὸν διεθρύπτετο· ὅτε οὐρανὸς ἐπεπύρωτο, καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐχαλκοῦτο, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ἐχαλινοῦντο· ὅτε οὐ βοτάνη, οὐκ ἄνθος, οὐκ ἀκροδρύων βλαστὸς, οὐκ αὔρα ἔνδροσος, οὐ στάχυος ἀκμὴ ἐσαλεύετο· ὅτε ποταμοὶ ἐλεπτύνθησαν, καὶ πηγαὶ τοὺς μαζοὺς τῶν ὑδάτων τῷ καύσωνι ἔσφιγξαν, καὶ θάλασσα ἐξηλμίσθη, μὴ ἐπεισερχομένων αὐτῇ γλυκέων ὑδάτων καὶ ὄμβρων ἀνασταλέντων. Τότε ἀπῆλθεν Ἠλίας πρὸς τὴν πενιχρὰν καὶ τὴν χήραν. Οἷα δὲ πάσχει χήρα καὶ ἐν καιρῷ εὐθηνίας, οἴδατε. Καὶ ἀφῆκε τοὺς πλουσίους ὁ προφήτης, τοὺς ἔχοντας δαψιλῶς ἄρτους, καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους, ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτήν. Διὰ τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ὁ πῦρ οὐρανόθεν ῥήμασι κατενέγκας, ἄρτους ἑαυτῷ οὐ κατήνεγκε; μὴ οὐκ ἠδύνατο; Ναὶ, ἠδύνατο· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησε. Διὰ τί; Ἵνα μὴ τῆς φιλοξενίας τοὺς καρποὺς στερήσῃ τὴν χήραν· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ τὴν δράκα τοῦ ἀλεύρου καὶ τὸ ὀλιγοστὸν ἔλαιον διὰ τῆς εὐλογίας πληθύνει. Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἀπῆλθεν ὁ προφήτης τραφῆναι, ὅσον θρέψαι τὴν πενιχρὰν, καὶ ἐλέγξαι κρυπτομένην καρδίαν καὶ εὐπροαίρετον. Τοῦτο ποιεῖ ὁ Θεὸς δυνάμενος πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κόσμῳ, δι' ἑαυτοῦ θρέψαι· ἐπέχει τὴν δόσιν, ἵνα τὰς εὐπροαιρέτους καρδίας ἐν τῷ τῆς φιλοξενίας καιρῷ ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν διακρίνῃ.","english":"but always at harvest time, walking bent over in the fields, gathering the fallen ears of grain with the hands of the reapers, she stored up food measured to the yearly cycle of the year. To her Elijah went in the time of famine, when nearly the whole earth was crumbling from drought; when the sky was fired, the air was bronzed, and the clouds were bridled; when no herb, no flower, no shoot of fruit trees, no dewy breeze, no ripe ear of grain was stirred; when rivers were thinned, and springs tightened the breasts of their waters in the heat, and the sea was salted, since sweet waters did not enter it and rains were withheld. Then Elijah went to the poor woman and the widow. What a widow suffers even in a time of plenty, you know. And the prophet left the rich, those who had bread in abundance, and coming down from the mountain, he went to her. For why did he, who brought down fire from heaven with words, not bring down bread for himself? Could he not? Yes, he could; but he did not do this. Why? So that he might not deprive the widow of the fruits of hospitality; and also so that he might multiply the handful of flour and the scant oil through blessing. For the prophet did not go so much to be fed as to feed the poor woman, and to expose a hidden heart and a generous disposition. God does this, being able to feed all the saints who are in the world by himself; he withholds the gift so that he may distinguish generous hearts by their fruits at the time of hospitality.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ἠλίας","severity":"info","text":"Elijah's visit to the widow of Zarephath is a well-known narrative from 1 Kings 17. Chrysostom here expands the story with vivid natural imagery to highlight the severity of the famine.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"κυρτοβατοῦσα","severity":"info","text":"The participle κυρτοβατοῦσα, 'walking bent over,' vividly depicts the widow's posture as she gleans, emphasizing her poverty and labor.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠλίας","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Elijah bringing down fire from heaven with words alludes to the contest with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). Chrysostom contrasts this miracle with Elijah's humble request for bread.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ... Διὰ τί;","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses a rhetorical question (Διὰ τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ...) and its answer to highlight the moral lesson: God withholds direct provision to allow hospitality to flourish.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"χήρα","severity":"info","text":"The figure of the poor widow as a model of hospitality and faith was a common topos in early Christian preaching, often linked to the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"συμμεμετρημένην τῷ ἐνιαυσιαίῳ κύκλῳ τοῦ χρόνου","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'measured to the yearly cycle of the year' is somewhat redundant (ἐνιαυσιαίῳ κύκλῳ τοῦ χρόνου). It may reflect Chrysostom's rhetorical amplification rather than a textual corruption.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the widow is not explicitly named in this passage, but the context strongly suggests the widow of Zarephath from 1 Kings 17."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Ἐπειδὰν δὲ μὴ ὦσί τινες οἱ ὀφείλοντες αὐτοὺς ὑποδέξασθαι, ἢ δι' ὀρνέων τρέφει, ὡς τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει, ἢ διὰ προφήτου ξένου, ὡς τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ, ἢ διὰ θαλαττίου ζώου, ὡς τὸν Ἰωνᾶν διὰ τοῦ κήτους, ἢ αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν τροφὴν ἐπώμβρισεν, ὡς τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐν ἐρήμῳ· οὐκ ὄντων γὰρ τῶν ὀφειλόντων αὐτοὺς ὑποδέξασθαι, οὐρανόθεν τὸ μάννα ἐπώμβρισε, καὶ ἐκ πέτρας ὕδωρ ἐπήγαζεν· ὅταν δὲ ὦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι ἐν κόσμῳ συναναστρεφόμενοι τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἀναστέλλει αὐτοῦ τὴν δεξιὰν χεῖρα· κἂν ὁρᾷ αὐτοὺς θλιβομένους, ἀφίησιν, ἵνα δῷ χάριν διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς γινομένης εὐποιίας πολλῆς τοῖς βουλομένοις τὴν σωτηρίαν καρπώσασθαι. Ἀπῆλθεν οὖν Ἠλίας πρὸς τὴν χήραν, ᾗ οὐδὲν παρῆν, εἰ μὴ δρὰξ ἀλεύρου, ὅπερ μετὰ καμάτου αὐτῇ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἀρίστου\n\nἐπήρκει. Καὶ τί πρὸς αὐτήν; Λάβε μοι ὀλίγον ὕδωρ εἰς ἄγγος, καὶ πίομαι. Αὐτῆς δὲ πορευομένης, ἐβόησεν ὀπίσω αὐτῆς· Λήψῃ δέ μοι καὶ ψωμὸν ἄρτου ἐν τῇ χειρί σου. Ἡ δὲ, ὃ μὲν οὐκ εἶχεν, εἶπεν· ὃ δὲ εἶχεν, ὡμολόγησε. Τί γάρ; Ζῇ Κύριος, εἰ ἔσται μοι ἐγκρυφίας, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅσον δρὰξ ἀλεύρου, καὶ ὀλίγον ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ καμψάκῃ. Θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἐν τοιαύτῃ σπάνει τροφῶν τὸ παρὸν αὐτῇ τῆς πενίας λείψανον οὐκ ἠρνήσατο. Πόσοι νῦν χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον ὡς πηλὸν ἔχοντες, παρακαλούμενοι τὰς εὐεργεσίας τῶν φίλων ἀνανεύουσι, καὶ κολακευόμενοι ἀρνοῦνται τὸ ἔχειν; κἂν παρακλήσει καμφθῶσι πρὸς τὴν ἐπίδοσιν, γράμματα συντάττουσι σιδήρου ἰσχυρότερα, καὶ τὴν δεχομένην χεῖρα πρῶτον τοῖς γραμματείοις δεσμεύουσιν, ἱκανοδότας καὶ μεσίτας τοῦ χρυσίου λαμβάνοντες.","english":"When there are no people to receive them, He either feeds them through birds, as Elijah on the mountain, or through a foreign prophet, as Daniel in the den, or through a sea creature, as Jonah through the whale, or He Himself rains down food from above, as for our fathers in the desert: for when there were no people to receive them, He rained down manna from heaven and made water flow from a rock. But when the saints are in the world mingling with others, He restrains His right hand; and even if He sees them distressed, He allows it, so that He may grant grace through the great beneficence shown to them to those who wish to reap salvation. So Elijah went to the widow, who had nothing but a handful of flour, which sufficed with effort for her and her children at the time of the midday meal. And what did he say to her? \"Take a little water for me in a vessel, and I will drink.\" And as she was going, he called after her: \"You will also take for me a morsel of bread in your hand.\" She, what she did not have, she said; what she had, she acknowledged. For what? \"By the Lord, if I have a hearth cake, it is only a handful of flour and a little oil in the flask.\" It is remarkable that in such a scarcity of food she did not deny the remnant of her poverty that was present. How many now, having gold and silver like mud, when asked, refuse the benefactions of friends, and when flattered, deny that they have it? And even if they are bent by entreaty to give, they draw up documents stronger than iron, and first bind the receiving hand with writings, taking guarantors and intermediaries for the gold.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει","severity":"info","text":"Elijah fed by ravens at the brook Chith is narrated in 1 Kings 17:2–6 (LXX 3 Kings 17:2–6). Chrysostom here condenses the episode to a single phrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ","severity":"info","text":"Daniel in the lions’ den fed by the prophet Habakkuk is from the deuterocanonical Bel and the Dragon 1:33–39 (LXX Daniel 14:33–39).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν Ἰωνᾶν διὰ τοῦ κήτους","severity":"info","text":"Jonah swallowed by the whale is from the book of Jonah (LXX Jonah 2:1). Chrysostom adds the detail of being fed by the sea creature, which is not explicit in the biblical text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐρανόθεν τὸ μάννα ἐπώμβρισε","severity":"info","text":"The manna from heaven and water from a rock refer to Exodus 16:4–15 and Exodus 17:6 (LXX).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐγκρυφίας","severity":"info","text":"An ἐγκρυφίας is a hearth-cake baked in the embers, a common bread in antiquity. The widow’s mention of it underscores her extreme poverty.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"καμψάκῃ","severity":"info","text":"A καμψάκη is a small flask or vessel for oil, typical of domestic use. Its presence alongside a handful of flour completes the inventory of the widow’s meager resources.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ζῇ Κύριος' (By the Lord) is an oath formula; its precise force in context is asseverative rather than a direct invocation.","The widow's statement 'εἰ ἔσται μοι ἐγκρυφίας' is ambiguous: it may be a conditional ('if I have a hearth-cake') or a concessive ('even if I have a hearth-cake'). The translation adopts the conditional reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"Ἐκείνη δὲ ἀπὸ μιᾶς φωνῆς οὐκ ἠρνήσατο τὴν δράκα τοῦ ἀλεύρου. Καὶ τί πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ προφήτης; Σπεῦσον, καὶ ποίησόν μοι ἐγκρυφίας, ἐν πρώτοις ἐμοὶ, ἐπ' ἐσχάτῳ δὲ σεαυτῇ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις σου. Πειρασμὸς ἦν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ προφήτου, δοκιμὴ καρδίας, προαιρέσεως βάσανος· καὶ ἦν ὥσπερ ὑπὸ ζυγοῦ κειμένη ἡ καρδία τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης, καὶ δοκιμαζομένη. Ποῦ ἆρα ῥέπει; Πρὸς τὴν τῶν τέκνων ἑαυτῆς εὔ νοιαν, ἢ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ προφήτου φιλοξενίαν; Ἡ δὲ εἵλετο μᾶλλον αὐτὴν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς στενοχωρῆσαι, καὶ τὸν προφήτην ὑποδέξασθαι.\n\nἬδει γὰρ, ὅτι Ὁ δεχόμενος προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται· καὶ ὁ ποτίζων ποτήριον ψυχροῦ εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὃ εἶπεν ὁ προφήτης, Σπεῦσον; ἆρά γε τοσοῦτον ἐπείνα, ὡς δεῖσθαι σπουδῆς; Οὐ πάντως, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς εὐποιίας σπουδαῖον καὶ ἱλαρὸν καὶ θερμὸν, μὴ μετὰ λύπης, ἢ μετὰ ἀνάγκης· Ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός. Σπεῦσον καὶ ποίησον ἐν πρώτοις ἐμοὶ, ἐπ' ἐσχάτῳ δὲ σεαυτῇ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις σου. Σπεῦσον, ὡς Ἀβραὰμ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπιδημίᾳ ἔσπευσεν ἐπὶ τοὺς βόας, ἐπὶ τὸν μόσχον, ἵνα λάβῃ τὸν ἀμνόν· καὶ ὡς Σάῤῥα ἔσπευσεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐγκρυφίας, ἵνα λάβῃ τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς κρυπτόμενον ἄρτον. Σπεῦσον, καὶ ποίησον ὡς Ἀβραὰμ τὰς θυσίας τῷ Θεῷ· μὴ πρότερον σαυτῇ, καὶ τότε ἐμοὶ, ὡς Κάϊν, καὶ Ὀφνὶ, καὶ Φινεὲς, υἱοὶ Ἠλὶ τοῦ ἱερέως, οἵτινες τὸν Θεὸν παρύβριζον, πρῶτοι τὰς ἀπαρχὰς λαμβάνοντες τῶν τῷ Θεῷ προσφερομένων δώρων. Ἡ δὲ τὸ προστεταγμένον σπουδαίως ἐποίει.","english":"She did not deny the handful of flour because of a single word. And what does the prophet say to her? \"Hasten, and make me hearth cakes, first for me, and last for yourself and your children.\" The prophet's word was a test, an examination of her heart, a trial of her choice; and the heart of that blessed woman was as if placed under a yoke, being tested. Which way would it incline? Toward her own children's welfare, or toward hospitality to the prophet? She chose rather to deprive herself and her children and to receive the prophet.\n\nFor she knew that he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and he who gives a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple will not lose his reward. And what is it that the prophet said, \"Hasten\"? Was he so hungry as to need haste? Not at all, but rather the zeal, cheerfulness, and warmth of the good deed, not with grief or necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. \"Hasten and make first for me, and last for yourself and your children.\" Hasten, as Abraham hastened at the visit of the angels to the cattle, to the calf, that he might take the lamb; and as Sarah hastened to the hearth cakes, that she might take the bread hidden in the heavens. Hasten, and make as Abraham made sacrifices to God; not first for yourself, and then for me, as Cain, and Hophni, and Phinehas, the sons of Eli the priest, who insulted God by taking first the firstfruits of the gifts offered to God. And she did what was commanded with zeal.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐγκρυφίας","severity":"info","text":"Hearth cakes (ἐγκρυφίας) were loaves baked in hot ashes, a common rustic bread. The term evokes domestic simplicity and urgency in the narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σπεῦσον, καὶ ποίησόν μοι ἐγκρυφίας","severity":"info","text":"The prophet's command echoes the hospitality narrative of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18, where Sarah hastily prepares bread for the angelic visitors.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Κάϊν, καὶ Ὀφνὶ, καὶ Φινεὲς","severity":"info","text":"Cain, Hophni, and Phinehas are negative exemplars: Cain for his offering rejected by God (Genesis 4), and Hophni and Phinehas for corrupt priesthood (1 Samuel 2–4).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς Ἀβραὰμ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπιδημίᾳ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom draws a parallel between the widow's hospitality and Abraham's reception of the three angels (Genesis 18), a common typology for generous reception of divine messengers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Πειρασμὸς ἦν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ προφήτου","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a shift from narrative to moral interpretation: the prophet's command is reframed as a test of the widow's virtue, structuring the passage as a didactic exemplum.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ Θεός","severity":"info","text":"This maxim, adapted from Proverbs (cf. Sir 35:11), became a patristic commonplace on cheerful giving, cited by Chrysostom and others to encourage almsgiving without reluctance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the prophet is not specified in this passage; context suggests Elijah, but the text does not name him here."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"Ὁ δὲ τὸν ἄρτον ἐγκρυφίαν πλούσιον θεασάμενος ἐδέξατο, ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς ἐνέπλησεν ἀγαθῶν. Οὐκ ἐκλείψει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ δρὰξ τοῦ ἀλεύρου ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας, καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον ἐκ τοῦ καμψάκου, ἕως τοῦ δοῦναι τὸν Κύριον ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Διὰ τί ἕως τότε; Καὶ ἀναγκαίως. Ἔδει γὰρ τῆς καινῆς χάριτος ὡς ὑετοῦ ἐλθόντος, τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον λαβεῖν τέλος. Καὶ ἠκολούθει τὸ ἔργον τῷ λόγῳ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τῆς φιλοξενίας τοὺς καρποὺς ἐτρύγησαν αἱ ἀγαθαί; Ἀγαθῶν γὰρ πόνων καρποὶ εὐκλεεῖς, καὶ ἀδιάπτωτος ἡ ῥίζα τῆς φρονήσεως.\n\nἨκούσατε, γυναῖκες, τὰς τῶν πονηρῶν γυναικῶν πράξεις, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρετάς. Τὰς μὲν οὖν ἀγαπήσατε, τὰς δὲ μὴ ποθήσατε· καὶ τὰς μὲν μιμήσασθε, τὰς δὲ μισήσατε, ἵνα τὸν αὐτῶν δρόμον, τῶν καλῶν λέγω, ἰχνηλατήσαντες, εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν ἀριθμηθῆτε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"He, seeing the rich hearth cake, accepted it, spoke, and filled her house with good things. For the handful of flour from the jar and the oil from the flask will not fail, he says, until the Lord gives rain upon the earth. Why until then? And necessarily. For it was necessary that when the new grace came like rain, the old law should come to an end. And the deed followed the word. Do you see how the good women reaped the fruits of hospitality? For from good labors come glorious fruits, and the root of prudence is unshaken.\n\nYou have heard, women, the deeds of wicked women and the virtues of good women. Love the latter, then, and do not desire the former; imitate the latter and hate the former, so that, tracing their course—I mean the good ones—you may be numbered in the same chorus of saints in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom are glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐγκρυφίαν","severity":"info","text":"The term ἐγκρυφίαν (hearth cake) refers to bread baked in hot ashes, a common ancient method. Chrysostom uses it to contrast the widow's simple offering with the prophet's miraculous response.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἡ δρὰξ τοῦ ἀλεύρου ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας, καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον ἐκ τοῦ καμψάκου","severity":"info","text":"This echoes the story of the widow of Sarepta (1 Kings 17:8–16), where Elijah multiplies the widow's flour and oil. Chrysostom adapts the narrative to illustrate divine reward for hospitality.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς καινῆς χάριτος ὡς ὑετοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The metaphor of new grace as rain likely refers to the coming of Christ and the supersession of the Old Law, a common typological theme in patristic exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠκούσατε, γυναῖκες","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from narrative to direct exhortation, a homiletic conclusion typical of Chrysostom's sermons, addressing female listeners and urging moral imitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν τῶν ἁγίων χορὸν ἀριθμηθῆτε","severity":"info","text":"The closing wish for the audience to be numbered among the saints reflects Chrysostom's pastoral concern and the liturgical context of the sermon, likely delivered at a feast of John the Baptist.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'prophet' in the preceding passage is not explicitly named in this excerpt; context suggests Elijah, but the text does not confirm.","The phrase 'until the Lord gives rain upon the earth' may be a direct quotation from the biblical narrative or Chrysostom's paraphrase; the source is not cited."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}