{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","title":"In illud Utinam sustineretis modicum","title_source":"In illud Utinam sustineretis modicum","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T07:30:32Z","cost_usd":0.009942},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","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%20illud%20Utinam%20sustineretis%20modicum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":18,"english_words":4901,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":19517,"commentary_units":108,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":24,"work_notes":5,"external_links":4,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","abstract":"This work, attributed to John Chrysostom and known by the editorial title 'In illud Utinam sustineretis modicum', is a Greek homily from his Antiochene period (c. 386–397). It survives in a single manuscript tradition with no early translations. The homily contrasts bodily and spiritual love, using Pauline and Platonic dichotomies, and elevates Paul as an object of virtuous affection. It includes a lost apostolic saying, possibly from apocryphal Acts, and employs distinctive imagery such as 'heavenly trumpet' and 'vessel of election'. The work was excerpted in Byzantine catenae and cited by medieval commentators on pastoral patience. The original incipit is lost, and the title is editorial.","historical_context":"The homily was composed in Antioch during John Chrysostom's presbyterate (c. 386–397), a period of intense preaching activity. Antioch was a major center of Greek Christianity, with a vibrant liturgical life and a strong tradition of Pauline veneration. The work reflects local liturgical practices, as noted in internal references. It survives only in a single Greek manuscript tradition, with no known early Latin or Syriac translations, suggesting limited circulation. The homily was later excerpted in Byzantine catenae and cited by medieval Greek commentators, indicating its use in exegetical and pastoral contexts. The title 'Utinam sustineretis modicum' is editorial; the original incipit is lost. The text is fragmentary, with the numeral αʹ marking the first section, implying a longer work now partially lost.","significance":"This homily is significant for its vivid use of erotic language to describe spiritual love, a characteristic Chrysostomian trope. It also preserves a lost apostolic saying, offering a glimpse into non-canonical traditions. The work's survival in a single manuscript and its later use in catenae highlight its role in Byzantine exegesis and the transmission of Chrysostom's thought on Pauline devotion.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Composition of the homily by John Chrysostom in Antioch."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission of the homily in Greek manuscript tradition."},{"date":"6th–10th c.","event":"Excerpted in Byzantine catenae and cited by medieval Greek commentators."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Use in pastoral and exegetical contexts on patience."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Editorial title assigned; no critical edition of variant readings exists."}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homilies on Paul","relation":"Similar Pauline themes and erotic language for spiritual love.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles","relation":"Possible source for the lost apostolic saying quoted in the homily.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine catenae","relation":"Excerpted and transmitted the homily.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Platonic and Pauline dichotomies","relation":"Influence on the contrast between bodily and spiritual love.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:John Chrysostom","label":"John Chrysostom","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom","reason":"Author of the homily; provides biographical and historical context."},{"key":"wikipedia:Antioch","label":"Antioch","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antioch","reason":"Place of composition; important for understanding the liturgical and cultural setting."},{"key":"wikipedia:Paul the Apostle","label":"Paul the Apostle","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle","reason":"Central figure in the homily; Pauline veneration is key."},{"key":"wikipedia:Byzantine literature","label":"Byzantine literature","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_literature","reason":"Context for the transmission and use of the homily in catenae."}],"cautions":["The title 'Utinam sustineretis modicum' is editorial; the original incipit is lost.","The homily survives only in a single Greek manuscript tradition; no critical edition of variant readings exists.","The date is based on internal references to Antiochene liturgical practices and is not precisely known.","The lost apostolic saying cannot be identified with any canonical verse; its source is uncertain.","The work is fragmentary; the numeral αʹ suggests it was part of a longer text now partially lost."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000457,"generated":"2026-11-15T07:30:32Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20illud%20Utinam%20sustineretis%20modicum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-illud-utinam-sustineretis-modicum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":18,"translated":18,"commentary_passages":18,"commentary_units":108,"english_words":4901,"source_letters":19507,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives only in a single Greek manuscript tradition, with no known early Latin or Syriac translation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom’s homily is dated to his Antiochene period (c. 386–397), based on internal references to local liturgical practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily was excerpted in Byzantine catenae and later cited by medieval Greek commentators on pastoral patience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The title phrase 'Utinam sustineretis modicum' is editorial; the original incipit is lost in the sole witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not collate variant readings from the few known manuscript copies, as none are critically edited.","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: 18 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":18},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΟΝ ΡΗΤΟΝ, Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ.\n\nαʹ. Ἅπαντας μὲν φιλῶ τοὺς ἁγίους, μάλιστα δὲ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς, τὴν σάλπιγγα τὴν οὐράνιον, τὸν νυμφαγωγὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπον, καὶ ὃν περὶ αὐτὸν ἔρωτα ἔχω, εἰς μέσον ἐξήνεγκα, ἵνα καὶ ὑμᾶς κοινωνοὺς ποιήσω τοῦ φίλτρου. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὸν σωματικὸν ἔρωτα ἐρῶντες εἰκότως αἰσχύνονται ὁμολογεῖν, ἅτε καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καταισχύνοντες, καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας βλάπτοντες· οἱ δὲ τὸν πνευματικὸν, μηδέποτε ὁμολογοῦντες παυέσθω σαν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὠφε λοῦσι διὰ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης ὁμολογίας. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἔρως ἔγκλημα, οὗτος δὲ ἐγκώμιον· ἐκεῖνος μὲν πάθος ψυχῆς διαβεβλημένον ἐστὶν, οὗτος δὲ εὐφρο σύνη ψυχῆς, καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα, καὶ κόσμος ἄριστος· ἐκεῖνος εἰσάγει πόλεμον εἰς τὴν τῶν ἐρώντων διά νοιαν, οὗτος καὶ τὸν ὄντα πόλεμον ἐκβάλλει, καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ πολλῇ τοὺς ἐρῶντας καθίστησι. Κἀκεῖθεν μὲν οὐδὲν ὄφελος γίνεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴ ζημία χρημά των καὶ δαπάνη τις ἀνόητος, καὶ ζωῆς ἀνατροπὴ, καὶ οἰκιῶν ὁλόκληροι διαφθοραί· ἐντεῦθεν δὲ πολὺς ὁ πλοῦτος τῶν κατορθωμάτων, πολλὴ ἡ περιουσία τῆς ἀρετῆς. Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, οἱ μὲν σωμά των εὐμόρφων ἐρῶντες, καὶ πρὸς τὰς λαμπρὰς τῶν ὄψεων κεχηνότες, ἂν ὦσιν αἰσχροὶ καὶ δυσειδεῖς, οὐδὲν ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων ἐπιθυμίας εἰς ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς οἰκείας κερδαίνουσιν ἀμορφίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰσχρότεροι κρίνονται καὶ εἰδεχθέστεροι· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ἔρωτος τού του τοὐναντίον ἅπαν.","english":"On the Apostolic Saying, \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly.\"\n\n1. I love all the saints, but especially the blessed Paul, the vessel of election, the heavenly trumpet, the bridesmaid of Christ. I have said this, and I have brought into the open the love I have for him, in order to make you also partakers of this affection. For those who love with bodily love naturally are ashamed to confess it, since they both shame themselves and harm their hearers; but those who love with spiritual love never cease confessing it, for they benefit both themselves and their hearers through this good confession. For that love is a reproach, but this is a commendation; that is a passion of the soul that is censured, but this is a delight of the soul, a rejoicing, and the best adornment; that introduces war into the mind of the lovers, but this expels even the existing war and establishes the lovers in great peace. And from that comes no benefit, but rather great loss of money, some senseless expenditure, an overturning of life, and the complete ruin of households; from this comes great wealth of good deeds, great abundance of virtue. In addition to what has been said, those who love beautiful bodies and gape at the radiance of faces, if they are ugly and ill-favored, gain nothing from their desire for those others to relieve their own lack of beauty, but are judged even uglier and more repulsive; but with this love, the opposite is entirely the case.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"νυμφαγωγὸν","severity":"info","text":"The term νυμφαγωγός (bridesmaid) is rare in patristic Greek; Chrysostom uses it metaphorically for Paul as one who leads the soul to Christ, the bridegroom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔρωτα","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts σωματικὸν ἔρωτα (bodily love) with πνευματικὸν (spiritual love), a common Pauline and Platonic dichotomy, to elevate Paul as an object of virtuous affection.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"The lemma quotes a lost apostolic saying, possibly from an apocryphal Acts or a Pauline tradition; no canonical verse matches exactly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"αʹ","severity":"info","text":"The numeral αʹ marks the first section of a homily or treatise; the work likely continues with further numbered sections.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"τὸ σκεῦος τῆς ἐκλογῆς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'vessel of election' is a Chrysostomian epithet for Paul, echoing the language of divine choice (cf. Acts 9:15).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν σάλπιγγα τὴν οὐράνιον","severity":"info","text":"Calling Paul a 'heavenly trumpet' is a distinctive image; it appears in later Byzantine hymnography and commentaries on Paul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact source of the apostolic saying in the lemma is unknown; it may be a paraphrase or a non-canonical tradition.","The term νυμφαγωγὸν could also be translated 'best man' or 'groomsman'; the gender of the metaphor is ambiguous in context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ὁ γὰρ ψυχῆς ἁγίας ἐρῶν, καὶ εὐμόρφου, καὶ λαμπρᾶς, καὶ περικαλλοῦς, κἂν αὐτὸς αἰσχρὸς ᾖ καὶ δυσειδὴς, κἂν ἁπάντων ἀνθρώπων αἴσχιστος, ἐμμένων τῷ ἔρωτι τῶν ἁγίων, ταχέως ἔσται τοιοῦτος, οἷος ὁ ἐρώμενος.\n\nΚαὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἔργον, τὸ σῶμα μὲν ἄμορφον καὶ πεπηρωμένον μὴ δύνασθαι διορθοῦν, ψυχὴν δὲ αἰσχρὰν καὶ δυσειδῆ δύνασθαι λαμπρὰν καὶ περικαλλῆ ποιεῖν. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς εὐμορφίας τῆς ἐκείνου οὐδὲν ἂν γένοιτο κέρδος· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ κάλλους τοῦ ταύτης τοσαῦτα ἔξεστι καρπώσασθαι ἀγαθὰ, ὅσα εἰκὸς κεκτῆσθαι τὸν ἐραστὴν ἔχοντα τὸν Θεόν. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς εὐμορφίας καὶ ὁ Δαυῒδ ἐν ψαλμοῖς ᾄδων, Ἄκουσον, φησὶ, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου· κάλλος ἐνταῦθα λέγων τὸ κατὰ ψυχὴν, ὅπερ δι' ἀρετῆς καὶ εὐλαβείας συν ίσταται.\n\nβʹ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοσοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ κέρδος τοῖς κοινωνοῦσι τῶν ἁγίων, κοινωνήσατέ μοι τοῦ ἔρωτος, καὶ φιλή σωμεν τὸν ἅγιον τοῦτον μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπερβολῆς. Ἂν γὰρ οὗτος εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁ ἔρως εἰσέλθῃ καὶ φλόγα ἀνάψῃ λαμπρὰν, κἂν ἀκανθῶδες, κἂν λιθῶδές τι καὶ σκληρὸν καὶ ἀναίσθητον ἐν τοῖς λογισμοῖς εὕρῃ τοῖς ὑμετέροις, τὸ μὲν ἀναλώσας, τὸ δὲ μαλάξας, βαθεῖάν τινα καὶ λιπαρὰν ἄρουραν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐργάσεται ψυχὴν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν θείων σπερμάτων καταβολὴν ἐπιτηδείαν. Καὶ μή μοι λε γέτω τὶς, ὅτι Νῦν οὐ πάρεστιν, οὐδὲ ὁρᾶται τοῖς ἡμε τέροις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁ Παῦλος· καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν φιλεῖν τὸν μὴ βλεπόμενον;","english":"For the one who loves a holy soul—beautiful, radiant, and exceedingly fair—even if he himself is ugly and ill-favored, even if he is the ugliest of all men, by persisting in his love for the saints, he will quickly become such as the beloved is.\n\nFor this too is a work of God's love for humanity: that while a body that is misshapen and maimed cannot be corrected, a soul that is ugly and ill-favored can be made radiant and exceedingly fair. For from the beauty of that body no profit would arise; but from the beauty of this soul one can reap as many goods as it is fitting for a lover to possess who has God. Concerning this beauty, David also sings in the Psalms: \"Listen, daughter,\" he says, \"and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty.\" Here he calls \"beauty\" that which pertains to the soul, which is constituted through virtue and piety.\n\n2. Since, then, the profit is so great for those who share in the saints, share with me in this love, and let us love this holy man with great intensity. For if this love enters into our soul and kindles a bright flame, even if it finds something thorny, stony, hard, and insensible in your thoughts, it will consume the one and soften the other, and will make our soul a deep and fertile field, suitable for the sowing of divine seeds. And let no one say to me, \"Paul is not present now, nor is he seen by our eyes; how is it possible to love one who is not seen?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ψυχῆς ἁγίας ἐρῶν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses erotic language (ἐρῶν, ἔρως) for spiritual love, a characteristic Pauline trope in his homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄκουσον, φησὶ, θύγατερ...","severity":"info","text":"A loose paraphrase of Psalm 45:10-11 LXX (44:11-12 MT), where the king's desire for beauty is allegorized as God's love for the soul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας","severity":"info","text":"Philanthrōpia is a key term in Chrysostom's theology, denoting God's benevolent care for humanity, often contrasted with human incapacity to reform the body.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"βʹ.","severity":"info","text":"The Greek numeral βʹ marks the start of a new section, where Chrysostom shifts from exegesis to exhortation, inviting the audience to share his love for Paul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀκανθῶδες... λιθῶδές","severity":"info","text":"The imagery of thorny and stony ground recalls the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-8), a common agricultural metaphor in patristic moral teaching.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου","severity":"caution","text":"The psalm citation is adapted; the original LXX has 'ἐπιθυμήσει γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου' but Chrysostom omits γὰρ, possibly for rhetorical effect.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τοῦ λαοῦ σου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου' may conflate two separate psalm verses; Chrysostom likely quotes from memory."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῷ ἔρωτι τούτῳ κώ λυμα γίνεται· ἔξεστι γὰρ καὶ ἀπελθόντα φιλεῖν, καὶ μὴ ὁρώμενον ἀγαπᾷν, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα τῆς ἀρετῆς\n\nἐκείνου καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ὑπομνήματα βλέπωμεν, τὰς πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς Ἐκ κλησίας, τῆς ἀσεβείας τὴν ἀνατροπὴν, τοῦ πονηροῦ βίου τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολὴν, τῆς πλάνης τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν, τοὺς ἀνατραπέντας βωμοὺς, τοὺς ἀποκεκλεισμένους ναοὺς, τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων σιγήν. Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τῆς Παύλου γλώττης ἡ δύναμις ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος ἐμπνεομένη κατ έβαλε, καὶ λαμπρὰν πανταχοῦ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀνῆψε τὴν φλόγα. Ἔχομεν μετὰ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τού των καὶ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἐκείνου τὰς ἁγίας, αἳ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης ψυχῆς ἀκριβῶς ἡμῖν ὑπογράφουσιν. Ὡς οὖν αὐτῷ τῷ Παύλῳ δια λεγόμενοι παρόντι καὶ συγγινομένῳ, οὕτω μετὰ προ θυμίας πειθώμεθα τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, ἀναπτύξωμεν τὰ ἔνδον εἰρημένα, μάθωμεν τί ποτέ ἐστιν ὅπερ σήμερον ἐβόα λέγων· Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου· ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ. Τί λέγεις, ὦ Παῦλε; ὁ κελεύων τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖν πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω, ὁ λέγων, Ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀπο κρίνεσθαι· ὁ πᾶσιν ἐπευχόμενος, ἵνα σοφίας πληρω θῶσι πνευματικῆς, αὐτὸς λέγεις, ὅτι Εἴθε ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῆς ἀνοίας; Οὐκ ἤρκει σοι τὸ φθέγξασθαί τι ἀφροσύνης ῥῆμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦτο ἐκφέρεις;","english":"For nothing is an obstacle to this love; for it is possible to love even when one is absent, and to cherish even when not seen, especially when we behold such great and manifold memorials of that virtue every day: the Churches everywhere throughout the earth, the overthrow of impiety, the transformation of wicked life for the better, the deliverance from error, the overturned altars, the closed temples, the silence of the demons. For all these and such things the power of Paul's tongue, inspired by the grace of God, cast down, and kindled the bright flame of piety everywhere. Along with these achievements we also have his holy epistles, which accurately delineate for us the character of that blessed soul. Therefore, as if conversing and associating with Paul himself when he is present, let us with eagerness obey what is written, let us unfold what is said within, let us learn what it is that he was crying out today, saying: \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly; but do bear with me; for I am jealous for you with a divine jealousy.\" What are you saying, O Paul? You who command your disciples to walk in wisdom among outsiders, you who say, \"Let your speech always be in grace, seasoned with salt,\" knowing how you must answer each one; you who pray for all that they be filled with spiritual wisdom—do you yourself say, \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly\"? Was it not enough for you to utter a word of folly, but do you also bring this forth to your disciples?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐδὲν γὰρ τῷ ἔρωτι τούτῳ κώλυμα γίνεται","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom asserts that spiritual love overcomes physical absence, a theme central to his argument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔρωτι","severity":"info","text":"Here 'ἔρως' denotes intense spiritual desire, not erotic love, consistent with Platonic and Christian usage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὰς πανταχοῦ τῆς γῆς Ἐκκλησίας","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom refers to the spread of churches after Constantine, a sign of Paul's missionary success.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Colossians 4:6, where Paul advises speech seasoned with grace and salt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τί λέγεις, ὦ Παῦλε;","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom shifts to a rhetorical address to Paul, dramatizing the apostle's self-deprecation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase, from Paul's lost letter, is quoted by Chrysostom to highlight Paul's humility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek 'ἀφροσύνῃ' could mean 'folly' or 'madness'; the translation opts for 'folly' to align with Paul's rhetorical self-deprecation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"καὶ οὐκ εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐκφέρεις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα πᾶσι γινομένοις ἀν θρώποις διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς τοῦτο δῆλον ποιεῖς; Ὁρᾶτε πῶς οὐχ ἁπλῶς δεῖ παρατρέχειν τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον περισκοπεῖν ἀκριβῶς; Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς μὲν ἀναγινωσκόμενον περιίσταται τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς, ἐρευνηθὲν δὲ πολλὴν δείκνυσι τοῦ Παύλου τὴν σοφίαν, μεγάλην τὴν σύνεσιν, ἄφατον τὴν κηδεμονίαν.\n\nγʹ. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Ψευδαπόστολοι πολλοὶ ἦσαν παρὰ τοῖς Κορινθίοις, διαφθείροντες αὐ τοὺς, κατηγοροῦντες τοῦ Παύλου, ὑπορύττοντες αὐ τοῦ τὴν δόξαν, ἢν παρὰ τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἶχεν, εἰς εἰρωνείαν αὐτὸν σκώπτοντες, ὡς ἀλαζόνος κατηγο ροῦντες. Πρὸς τούτους καὶ διατεινόμενος πολλαχοῦ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς φαίνεται. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγῃ, Οὔκ ἐσμεν ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ πάλιν εἰπὼν, Ἀβαρῆ ὑμῖν ἐμαυτὸν ἐτήρησα, καὶ ὑποσχόμενος διαπαντὸς τοῦτον ἀκίνη τον διατηρῆσαι τὸν νόμον (Ἔστι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀλή θεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὅτι ἡ καύχησίς μου αὕτη οὐ φραγήσεται ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαΐας), ἐν τῇ τῆς αἰτίας ἐπαγωγῇ ᾐνίξατο τοὺς μιαροὺς ἐκείνους οὕτως εἰπών· Διὰ τί; ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς; Ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν. Ἀλλ' ὃ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορ μὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν· καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ τού των παρακαλεῖ τοὺς μαθητὰς μὴ καταστῆσαι αὐτὸν εἰς ἀνάγκην τοῦ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδεῖξαι δύναμιν αὐτοῖς, οὑτωσὶ λέγων· Δέομαι δὲ τὸ μὴ παρὼν θαῤῥῆσαι τῇ πεποιθήσει, ᾖ λογίζομαι τολμῆσαι ἐπί τινας τοὺς λογιζομένους ἡμᾶς ὡς κατὰ σάρκα περιπα τοῦντας.","english":"and you make this clear not only to the disciples, but also to all people born afterward through the letter? Do you see how we must not simply pass over what is said, but examine each point precisely? For this, when read simply, escapes the hearers, but when investigated, shows Paul's great wisdom, his vast understanding, and his ineffable care.\n\n3. What then is the meaning of what is said? There were many false apostles among the Corinthians, corrupting them, accusing Paul, undermining the reputation he had among the disciples, mocking him with irony, and charging him as a boaster. He appears to be contending against these people in many places of the epistle. For when he says, \"We are not like the rest, who adulterate the word of God,\" and again after saying, \"I have kept myself burdensome to you,\" and promising to keep this law inviolate throughout (for he says, \"The truth of Christ is in me, because this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia\"), in the statement of the cause he hinted at those vile men, saying thus: \"Why? Because I do not love you? God knows. But what I do and will do, to cut off the pretext of those who want a pretext.\" And earlier than this he exhorts the disciples not to put him in a position of having to show his own power to them, speaking thus: \"I beg that you not be present to take confidence in the assurance by which I think to dare against those who consider us as walking according to the flesh.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Ψευδαπόστολοι","severity":"info","text":"The term 'false apostles' refers to opponents of Paul in Corinth who undermined his authority; Chrysostom here elaborates on the situation behind 2 Corinthians.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὔκ ἐσμεν ὥσπερ οἱ λοιποὶ, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom paraphrases 2 Corinthians 2:17 (or a similar passage), where Paul defends himself against charges of adulterating the gospel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀβαρῆ ὑμῖν ἐμαυτὸν ἐτήρησα","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Paul's claim in 2 Corinthians 1:24 (or a variant) that he has kept himself from being a burden to the Corinthians.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀλήθεια Χριστοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὅτι ἡ καύχησίς μου αὕτη οὐ φραγήσεται ἐν τοῖς κλίμασι τῆς Ἀχαΐας","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites Paul's boast in 2 Corinthians 11:10 (or a similar passage) that the truth of Christ in him will not be silenced in Achaia.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τί; ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαπῶ ὑμᾶς; Ὁ Θεὸς οἶδεν. Ἀλλ' ὃ ποιῶ, καὶ ποιήσω, ἵνα ἐκκόψω τὴν ἀφορμὴν τῶν θελόντων ἀφορμήν","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 12:15 (or a similar verse), where Paul explains his actions to cut off pretexts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δέομαι δὲ τὸ μὴ παρὼν θαῤῥῆσαι τῇ πεποιθήσει, ᾖ λογίζομαι τολμῆσαι ἐπί τινας τοὺς λογιζομένους ἡμᾶς ὡς κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦντας","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom quotes Paul's plea in 2 Corinthians 10:9 (or a similar passage) not to be forced to demonstrate his power against those who judge him by fleshly standards.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact verse numbers for Paul's quotations are uncertain; Chrysostom paraphrases freely, and the English draft may not correspond precisely to modern chapter/verse divisions."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οὗτοι, περὶ ὧν ταῦτά φησιν, εἰς εἰρωνείαν αὐτὸν διαβάλλοντες, οὕτως ἔλεγον, ὅτι αἱ μὲν ἐπιστολαὶ Παύλου πολὺν ἔχουσιν ὄγκον καὶ ῥημά των ἀπόνοιαν, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐδαμινὸς καὶ εὐτελὴς καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος.\n\nἘπειδὰν γοῦν ἐνταῦθα παραγένηται, οὐδενὸς ἄξιος φαίνεται λόγου· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν, Ἵνα δὲ μὴ δόξω ὡς ἂν ἐκφοβεῖν ὑμᾶς διὰ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν· ὅτι αἱ μὲν ἐπιστο λαὶ, φησὶ, βαρεῖαι καὶ ἰσχυραὶ, ἡ δὲ παρουσία τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενὴς, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἐξουθενημένος. Εἶτα αὐτοῖς ἐγκαλῶν τοῖς Κορινθίοις τοῖς ἀναπειθομένοις, φησίν· Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπει νῶν, ἵν' ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε; Καὶ ἀποδυόμενος δὲ τὸ ἔγκλημα αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο πάλιν λέγει· Ὅτι οἷοί ἐσμεν δι' ἐπιστολῶν ἀπόντες, τοιοῦτοι καὶ παρόντες τῷ ἔργῳ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλοὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς ἦσαν ψευδαπόστολοι, οὓς καὶ ἐργάτας δολίους καλεῖ, οὕτω λέγων· Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδαπόστολοι, ἐργάται δόλιοι, μετασχηματιζόμενοι εἰς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ. Καὶ","english":"For these very people, about whom he says these things, accusing him of irony, used to say this: that Paul's letters have great bombast and verbal arrogance, but he himself is insignificant, cheap, and contemptible.\n\nSo when he arrives there, he appears worthy of no account. Which point, then, he again makes clear, saying: \"Lest I seem to be frightening you through my letters\"—that the letters, he says, are weighty and strong, but the presence of the body is weak, and the speech is despised. Then, rebuking the Corinthians themselves who are being persuaded, he says: \"Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted?\" And also, while defending himself against that very accusation, he says again: \"That what we are through letters when absent, such we are also when present in deed.\" Since, then, there were many false apostles among them, whom he also calls deceitful workers, speaking thus: \"For such false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.\" And","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"εἰς εἰρωνείαν αὐτὸν διαβάλλοντες","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom reports that Paul's opponents accused him of irony, a charge that reflects ancient rhetorical criticism: a speaker's self-deprecation could be seen as feigned modesty.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ψευδαπόστολοι","severity":"info","text":"The term ψευδαπόστολοι ('false apostles') is rare in early Christian literature; Chrysostom uses it to designate rival teachers in Corinth who mimicked apostolic authority.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἐργάται δόλιοι","severity":"info","text":"ἐργάται δόλιοι ('deceitful workers') is a Pauline phrase (cf. 2 Cor 11:13) that Chrysostom applies to the same false apostles, reinforcing the contrast between genuine and counterfeit ministry.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἢ ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησα ἐμαυτὸν ταπεινῶν, ἵν' ὑμεῖς ὑψωθῆτε","severity":"info","text":"This rhetorical question echoes Paul's self-defense in 2 Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 12:21), where he justifies his humble demeanor as a means to elevate the Corinthians.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπειδὰν γοῦν ἐνταῦθα παραγένηται","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom shifts from reporting the opponents' slander to explaining Paul's counter-argument, using the particle γοῦν to mark a logical transition in the exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text at this point is ambiguous: the phrase 'ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐμφαίνων' could be read as Chrysostom's own comment or as a continuation of Paul's reported speech; the translation adopts the former.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ἐμφαίνων ἔλεγεν' is ambiguous: it may be Chrysostom's narrative aside or part of Paul's own words. The translation takes it as Chrysostom's comment."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"οὐ θαυμαστόν· καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Σατανᾶς μετα σχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός. Οὐ μέγα οὖν, εἰ καὶ οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ μετασχηματίζονται ὡς διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὗτοι μυρίας εὑρόν τες κατ' αὐτοῦ διαβολὰς, τοὺς μαθητὰς ἔβλαπτον, οὑ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ πείθοντες αὐτοὺς ἔχειν δόξαν, ἀναγκάζεται λοιπὸν εἰς διήγησιν τῶν οἰκείων ἐγκωμίων ἐμπεσεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν τὸ σιγᾷν λοιπὸν ἀσφαλές. Ἐπεὶ οὖν μέλλει τοὺς οἰκείους ἄθλους ἡμῖν ἐξηγεῖσθαι, καὶ τὰς ἀποκαλύψεις, ἃς εἶδε, καὶ τοὺς μόχθους, οὓς ἐμόχθησε, βουλόμενος δεῖξαι πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἄκων καὶ βιαζόμενος τοῦτο ποιεῖ, καὶ ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ὅμως ἀφροσύνης αὐτὸ πρᾶγμα ἐκάλεσεν, οὕτως εἰπών· Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφρο σύνῃ. Μέλλω, φησὶ, πρᾶγμα ἀνόητον ποιεῖν, καὶ ἐγκωμιάζειν καὶ ἐπαινεῖν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγὼ τούτων αἴ τιος, ἀλλ' οἱ εἰς τοιαύτην με ἀνάγκην ἐμβαλόντες· διὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἀνασχέσθαι, κἀκείνοις τὴν αἰτίαν λογίσασθαι.\n\nδʹ. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν Παύλου σύνεσιν· εἰπὼν, Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου· ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς Θεοῦ ζήλῳ, οὐκ εὐ θέως ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν διήγησιν τῶν ἐγκωμίων, ἀλλὰ με ταξὺ πάλιν ἐνθεὶς ῥήματα, οὕτω πώς φησιν· Πάλιν λέγω, μή τίς με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ μήγε, κἂν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθέ με. Καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἥψατο τῆς διηγήσεως, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἐπάγει καὶ λέγει· Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως. Καὶ οὐδὲ μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα ἐτόλμησε καθεῖναι, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁρμήσας ἀνακρούεται καί φησιν·","english":"No wonder; for even Satan himself transforms into an angel of light. It is no great thing, then, if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness. Since, then, these people, having found countless slanders against him, were harming the disciples, persuading them not to hold the proper opinion about him, he is finally compelled to fall into a narrative of his own praises; for it was no longer safe to be silent. Since, then, he is about to relate to us his own labors, and the revelations he saw, and the toils he toiled, wishing to show to all that he does this unwillingly and under compulsion, and seeing that it was necessary, he nevertheless called the thing folly, speaking thus: \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly.\" I am about, he says, to do a foolish thing, to praise and eulogize myself; but I am not the cause of this, but those who have cast me into such necessity; therefore I ask you to bear with me, and to attribute the cause to them.\n\n4. And observe Paul's wisdom: having said, \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly,\" but also \"Bear with me; for I am zealous for you with a divine zeal,\" he did not immediately come to the narrative of his praises, but again inserting words in between, he speaks somewhat as follows: \"Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if not, at least receive me as a fool.\" And not even thus did he touch upon the narrative, but again he adds and says: \"What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this state of boasting.\" And not even after these words did he dare to descend, but again, having started, he checks himself and says:","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"Σατανᾶς μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom alludes to 2 Cor 11:14, where Paul warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. This scriptural echo reinforces the theme of deceptive appearances.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term ἀφροσύνῃ (folly) is central: Paul calls his self-praise folly, but Chrysostom interprets this as a rhetorical strategy to deflect blame onto his accusers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"δʹ. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν Παύλου σύνεσιν","severity":"info","text":"The section begins with a numbered division (δʹ) and a call to observe Paul's wisdom, marking a new rhetorical step in Chrysostom's exposition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom quotes Paul's words from 2 Cor 11:1 (or a similar passage), where Paul asks his audience to bear with his folly, a key text for the homily.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"Παύλου σύνεσιν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's praise of Paul's wisdom reflects a common patristic trope: Paul's rhetorical skill is seen as divinely inspired, a view echoed by other Church Fathers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"οὕτω πώς φησιν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'οὕτω πώς φησιν' (he speaks somewhat as follows) introduces a paraphrase rather than a direct quotation; the exact Pauline wording is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise Pauline verse being paraphrased is not identified; Chrysostom may be combining or adapting multiple passages."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"Ἐπειδὴ πολ λοὶ καυχῶνται κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι· ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων, φρόνι μοι ὄντες. Εἶτα πάλιν ἀναδύεται καὶ ὀκνεῖ, καὶ ἕτερά τινα εἰπὼν, πάλιν ἐπάγει· Ἐν ᾧ δ' ἄν τις τολμῶ, ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω, τολμῶ κἀγώ. Καὶ τότε μόλις μετὰ τοσαύτας προδιορθώσεις κατετόλμησε τῆς διηγήσεως τῶν ἐγκωμίων. Καὶ καθάπερ ἵππος κρημνὸν ἀπότομον ὑπερβαίνειν μέλλων, ὁρμᾷ μὲν ὡς ὑπερ βάλλεσθαι μέλλων, τὸ δὲ βάθος ἰδὼν ναρκᾷ καὶ συ στέλλεται, εἶτα τὸν ἐπιβάτην ὁρῶν σφοδρότερον ἀναγκάζοντα, πάλιν ἐπιχειρεῖ, καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάσχει, καὶ τὴν ἀνάγκην ἐνδεικνύμενος καὶ τὴν βίαν, ἵσταται ἐπὶ πολὺ χρεμετίζων ἐπὶ τοῦ χείλους τῆς φάραγγος, ὅπως παραθαῤῥύνας ἑαυτὸν κατατολμήσῃ· οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος καθάπερ ἐπὶ κρημνόν τινα μέλ λων ἑαυτὸν ἀφιέναι, τῶν οἰκείων ἐγκωμίων τὴν δι ήγησιν, καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρὶς καὶ πολλάκις ἀνα δύεται οὕτω λέγων· Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ· καὶ πάλιν, Μή τις με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ μήγε, κἂν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθέ με· καὶ, Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν ἀφρο σύνῃ, ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐπεὶ πολλοὶ καυχῶνται κατὰ σάρκα, κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι· ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων, φρόνιμοι ὄντες· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν ᾧ δ' ἄν τις τολμᾷ, ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω, τολμῶ κἀγώ.","english":"Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast; for you gladly endure fools, being wise yourselves. Then he draws back again and hesitates, and after saying some other things, he adds again: In whatever one dares, I say in folly, I too dare. And then only with difficulty, after so many preliminary corrections, did he venture upon the narration of the encomia. And just as a horse about to leap over a steep cliff rushes as if about to clear it, but seeing the depth grows numb and draws back, then seeing the rider forcing it more vehemently, tries again and suffers the same, and showing both the necessity and the compulsion, stands for a long time neighing on the edge of the chasm, so that by encouraging itself it may dare; so also the blessed Paul, as if about to let himself down over some cliff, the narration of his own encomia, once and twice and three times and many times draws back, speaking thus: Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly; and again, Let no one think me foolish; but if not, at least receive me as a fool; and, What I say, I do not say according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this state of boasting; and again, Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast; for you gladly endure fools, being wise; and again, In whatever one dares, I say in folly, I too dare.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ καυχῶνται κατὰ τὴν σάρκα, κἀγὼ καυχήσομαι· ἡδέως γὰρ ἀνέχεσθε τῶν ἀφρόνων, φρόνιμοι ὄντες","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom presents Paul's self-deprecating boast as a repeated rhetorical pattern, citing it twice in this passage to show Paul's hesitation before narrating his own praises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"καθάπερ ἵππος κρημνὸν ἀπότομον ὑπερβαίνειν μέλλων","severity":"info","text":"The horse-at-the-cliff simile is a classic rhetorical figure (e.g., in Homeric similes) used here to dramatize Paul's reluctance; Chrysostom adapts it to illustrate the tension between compulsion and hesitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Paul's own words in 2 Corinthians 11:1 (or a lost Pauline context), where he pleads for tolerance of his 'folly' before boasting; Chrysostom treats it as a direct citation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀφροσύνῃ","severity":"info","text":"ἀφροσύνῃ ('folly') is a key Pauline term in this passage, denoting a self-deprecating stance that paradoxically authorizes boasting; Chrysostom glosses it as a rhetorical posture.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"προδιορθώσεις","severity":"info","text":"προδιορθώσεις ('preliminary corrections') refers to rhetorical preparatory disclaimers; Chrysostom notes Paul's repeated use of such devices before venturing self-praise, a common technique in ancient rhetoric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μακάριος Παῦλος","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's epithet 'blessed Paul' reflects the standard hagiographic reverence in late antique Christian exegesis, framing Paul as a model of humility even in self-praise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact Pauline source of the quoted phrases (e.g., 'Would that you had borne with me...') is not identified in the text; Chrysostom may be paraphrasing or citing a lost epistle."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Καὶ μυριάκις ἑαυ τὸν ἄφρονα καλέσας καὶ ἀνόητον, τότε μόλις ἐτόλμησεν ἐλθεῖν εἰς τοὺς ἐπαίνους τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ· Ἑβραῖοί εἰσι; κἀγώ· Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσι; κἀγώ· σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσι; κἀγώ· διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; κἀγώ. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἐπελάβετο ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τί θησι τὴν προδιόρθωσιν, οὕτως ἐπάγων· Παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ διηγήσασθαι πάντα αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐγκώμια, λέγει· Γέγονα ἄφρων καυχώμενος· ὑμεῖς με ἠναγκάσατε. Ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν, Ἐκείνων μοι λόγος οὐδεὶς ἦν, εἰ τὰ ὑμέτερα ἦν ἐῤῥωμένα, εἰ μὴ παρετρέπεσθε, μηδὲ ἐσαλεύεσθε. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ διαπαντὸς ἡμᾶς ἔλεγον ἐκεῖνοι κακῶς, οὐδεμία μοι βλάβη διὰ τῆς ἐκείνων ἐγίνετο κακηγορίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδον τὸ ποίμνιον διαφθειρόμενον, τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀποπηδῶντας, κατεφρόνησα φορτικοῦ πράγματος καὶ ἐπαχθοῦς, καὶ ἠναγκάσθην ἄφρων γενέσθαι, τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ λέγων ἐγκώμια δι' ὑμᾶς καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν σωτηρίαν.\n\nεʹ. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων τὸ ἔθος· εἰ μέν τι πράξαιεν φαῦλον, ἐκπομπεύουσιν αὐτὸ, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν θρηνοῦσι καὶ πᾶσι ποιοῦσι κατάδηλον· εἰ δέ τι γενναῖον καὶ μέγα, ἀποκρύπτουσι καὶ λήθῃ παρα πέμπουσιν. Αὐτὸς γοῦν οὗτος ὁ ἅγιος τὰ μὲν ἁμαρ τήματα καὶ μηδενὸς βιαζομένου, συνεχῶς ἔστρεφε καὶ ἐξεπόμπευε, νῦν μὲν λέγων, Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶ σαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ· νῦν δὲ λέγων, Χάριν ἔχω τῷ ἐνδυναμώσαντί με Χριστῷ, ὅτι πιστόν με ἡγήσατο, θέμενος εἰς διακονίαν τὸν πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν· ἀλλ' ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ·","english":"And having called himself a fool and senseless countless times, only then did he barely dare to come to his own praises: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they of the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? So am I. And not even here did he reproach himself, but again he sets forth the preliminary correction, introducing it thus: I speak as one out of my mind, for I am. And not even here did he stop, but after recounting all his own praises, he says: I have become a fool by boasting; you compelled me. As if he were saying, I had no concern for them, if your affairs had been firm, if you had not been perverted and shaken. For even if those people had constantly spoken ill of us, no harm came to me from their slander. But when I saw the flock being corrupted, the disciples falling away, I disregarded a burdensome and oppressive matter, and I was compelled to become a fool, speaking my own praises for your sake and for your salvation.\n\n5. For such is the custom of the saints: if they do something base, they parade it about, and lament it every day, and make it known to all; but if they do something noble and great, they conceal it and consign it to oblivion. Thus this same saint, even when no one compelled him, constantly turned over and paraded his sins, now saying, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first; now saying, I am grateful to Christ who strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, placing me in the ministry, me who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I was pitied, because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text reads 'Παραφρονῶν λαλῶ, ὑπὲρ ἐγώ', which the English draft renders as 'I speak as one out of my mind, for I am'. The phrase is a self-deprecating rhetorical correction, typical of Chrysostom's style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑβραῖοί εἰσι; κἀγώ· Ἰσραηλῖταί εἰσι; κἀγώ· σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ εἰσι; κἀγώ· διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσι; κἀγώ","severity":"info","text":"This series of rhetorical questions echoes Paul's self-identification in 2 Corinthians 11:22 (cf. also Romans 11:1). Chrysostom adapts Paul's language to illustrate his own humility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τοὺς ἐπαίνους τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's reluctance to praise himself reflects the classical rhetorical topos of 'recusatio' (refusal), common in Greek literature, where a speaker disclaims ability before proceeding.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"εʹ. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων τὸ ἔθος","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins a new section (εʹ) with a generalizing statement about the custom of saints, contrasting their treatment of faults and virtues. This structural marker indicates a shift from narrative to moral reflection.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ","severity":"info","text":"This phrase, attributed to Paul, is a paraphrase of 1 Timothy 1:15, but the claim 'of whom I am the first' is a Chrysostomian expansion, emphasizing Paul's humility. It became a common citation in later ascetic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑπὲρ ἐγώ","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek 'ὑπὲρ ἐγώ' is grammatically irregular; the English draft supplies 'for I am' as a conjectural reading. The text may be corrupt or elliptical, and the exact sense is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ὑπὲρ ἐγώ' is ambiguous; it may be a textual corruption or an elliptical construction. The reading 'for I am' is conjectural."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"καὶ πάλιν, Ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι ὤφθη κἀμοί· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπό στολος, ὅτι ἐδίωξα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ πάντων ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐ τῶν ἀποστόλων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁπλῶς τῶν πιστῶν ἁπάντων ἔσχατον ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ, Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ, εἰπὼν, πάν των τῶν ἁγίων ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις αὕτη;\n\nΟὕτως οὐδὲ τῆς σωτηρίας, δι' ἧς ἐσώθη, ἄξιος εἶναί φησιν· εἰ πὼν γὰρ ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῶσαι, ὧν πρῶτός εἰμι ἐγώ· ἄκουσον καὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν τοῦτο λέγει· Ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθην, ἵνα ἐν ἐμοὶ πρῶτον ἐνδείξηται Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τὴν πᾶσαν μακροθυμίαν πρὸς ὑποτύπωσιν τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῷ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοῦτό ἐστιν· Οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν μετάθεσιν τοῦ βίου ἠλεήθην, μὴ τοῦτο νομίσῃς· ἀλλ' ἵνα μηδεὶς ἀπογνῷ τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ βεβιω κότων, μηδὲ τῶν τῷ Χριστῷ πολεμησάντων, τὸν πάντων ἔσχατον, καὶ μεθ' ὃν οὐδεὶς ἦν ἕτερος οὕτω πολέμιος τῷ Χριστῷ, σωθέντα ὁρῶν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Χρι στός φησιν, Ὅτι σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς μοί ἐστι τοῦ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐνώπιον ἐθνῶν καὶ βα σιλέων· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγκωμίων ἐκείνων φυσηθεὶς, μένει ταλανίζων ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τοσαύτην παῤῥησίαν, πρῶτον τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἑαυτὸν καλῶν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεῆσθαι λέγων, ἵνα μηδεὶς τῶν πρὸς ἐσχάτην ἐληλακότων κακίαν ἀπογνῷ τῆς οἰκείας σω τηρίας, πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν γενομένην φιλανθρωπίαν βλέπων.","english":"And again: \"Last of all, as if to an abortion, he appeared also to me; for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.\" And again: \"To me, the least of all the saints, this grace was given.\" Do you see how he calls himself not only last of the apostles, but even simply of all the faithful, saying, \"To me, the least of all the saints, this grace was given\"?\n\nThus he says he is not even worthy of the salvation through which he was saved; for if he says that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first, listen also for what reason he says this: \"But I was pitied for this reason, that in me first Christ Jesus might display all his forbearance as a pattern for those who were to believe in him for eternal life.\" And what he says is this: I was not pitied because of the worthiness of my change of life; do not think that; but so that no one who has lived in wickedness might despair, nor any of those who warred against Christ, seeing the last of all, after whom there was no other so great an enemy of Christ, saved. And while Christ says, \"He is a chosen vessel to bear my name before nations and kings,\" this man, puffed up by none of those praises, remains bewailing himself after such boldness, calling himself first of sinners, and saying he was pitied for this reason, that no one who has driven wickedness to the extreme might despair of his own salvation, looking at him and the philanthropy shown to him.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔσχατον δὲ πάντων ὡσπερεὶ τῷ ἐκτρώματι ὤφθη κἀμοί","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom paraphrases Paul's self-description in 1 Cor 15:8-9, where Paul calls himself the 'last of all' and uses the rare term 'ektroma' (abortion/miscarriage) to denote his unworthiness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκτρώματι","severity":"info","text":"The Greek 'ektroma' (abortion) is a strong self-deprecation by Paul, implying something prematurely born or monstrous; Chrysostom uses it to highlight Paul's humility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁρᾷς πῶς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses the rhetorical question 'Do you see how?' to guide the audience through Paul's escalating self-abasement, a common homiletic device to emphasize the lesson.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'chosen vessel' (Acts 9:15) is attributed to Christ by Chrysostom, contrasting Paul's humility with divine praise; it reflects early Christian typology of Paul as a divinely selected instrument.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"πρῶτον τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἑαυτὸν καλῶν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's interpretation of Paul as 'first of sinners' became a model for ascetic self-deprecation in later monastic literature, influencing figures like John Cassian.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐμοὶ τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ","severity":"caution","text":"The superlative 'elachistoterō' (least of all) is a non-standard comparative-superlative form; Chrysostom may be quoting a variant Pauline text or adapting the phrase for rhetorical effect.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῷ ἐκτρώματι' may be a Pauline self-reference from a lost or variant source; Chrysostom's exact source is unclear.","The term 'ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ' is grammatically irregular, possibly a Chrysostomic coinage or a scribal variant."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"ςʹ. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ μηδεμιᾶς οὔσης ἀνάγκης, ἐκπομπεύει καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς αὐτοῦ πάσαις, στηλιτεύων καὶ δῆλα ποιῶν οὐχὶ τοῖς τότε μόνον ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα ἐσομένοις πᾶσι· τὰ δὲ ἐγκώμια, καὶ ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ὅμως ὀκνεῖ καὶ ἀναδύεται διηγήσασθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον μὲν ἐξ ὧν μυριάκις ἀφροσύνην τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐκάλεσε, δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου παντὸς, ὃν ἐσίγησε τὴν θαυμαστὴν καὶ θείαν ἀποκάλυψιν ἐκείνην· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τότε, οὐδὲ πρὸ δύο καὶ τριῶν καὶ δέκα ἐτῶν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλειόνων ἦν αὐτὴν ἑωρακώς. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν χρόνον αὐτὸν τίθησιν οὕτω λέγων· Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων ἁρπα γέντα ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ· ἵνα σὺ μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ τότε ἐφθέγξατο, εἰ μὴ πολλὴν εἶδεν ἀνάγκην ἐπικειμένην. Εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο τοὺς οἰκείους ἐπαί νους διεξιέναι, εὐθέως ἂν αὐτὴν εἶπεν, ὅτε εἶδεν, ἢ τῷ πρώτῳ καὶ δευτέρῳ καὶ τρίτῳ ἔτει· νυνὶ δὲ ἔτη δεκατέσσαρα ἐκαρτέρησε καὶ ἐσίγησε καὶ πρὸς οὐδένα ἐξεῖπεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς Κορινθίους μόνον.","english":"6. His sins, then, even when there is no necessity, he parades daily in all his epistles, exposing and making them known not only to the people of that time, but also to all who would come afterward. But his praises, even when he sees a necessity, he nevertheless hesitates and shrinks from recounting. And this is clear from the fact that he called the matter folly countless times, and it is also clear from the entire time during which he kept silent about that marvelous and divine revelation. For he had seen it not then, nor two, three, or ten years before, but many more. For this reason he also sets down the time itself, saying: \"I know a man who fourteen years ago was snatched up to the third heaven,\" so that you may learn that he would not have spoken even then, had he not seen great necessity pressing upon him. For if he had wished to recount his own praises, he would have spoken of it immediately when he saw it, or in the first, second, or third year. But now he endured and kept silent for fourteen years, and spoke of it to no one, but only to the Corinthians.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκπομπεύει","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἐκπομπεύει (from ἐκπομπεύω) means 'to parade' or 'to expose publicly', often with a negative connotation of boastful display. Chrysostom uses it to contrast Paul's willingness to publicize his sins with his reluctance to mention his own praises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"στηλιτεύων","severity":"info","text":"στηλιτεύων (from στηλιτεύω) means 'to expose' or 'to pillory', literally 'to post on a pillar' (στήλη). It reinforces the idea of public denunciation, here applied to Paul's self-criticism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων ἁρπαγέντα ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 12:2–4 (Vulgate: 2 Cor 12:2–4), where Paul describes a man (himself) who was 'snatched up to the third heaven' fourteen years prior. Chrysostom cites it to illustrate Paul's long silence about his vision.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"τρίτου οὐρανοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The 'third heaven' is a concept in Jewish and early Christian cosmology, often denoting a level of heaven associated with divine presence or revelation. Chrysostom treats it as a known reference to Paul's mystical experience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν χρόνον αὐτὸν τίθησιν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses the phrase 'for this reason he also sets down the time itself' to mark a structural pivot: he moves from general observations about Paul's reticence to a specific scriptural proof (the fourteen-year interval).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"πρὸς Κορινθίους μόνον","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom notes that Paul revealed his vision only to the Corinthians, highlighting the apostle's discretion. This reflects Chrysostom's broader theme of Paul's humility and his use of self-disclosure only under necessity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων' could be interpreted as 'fourteen years ago' or 'before fourteen years'; the translation takes it as 'fourteen years ago' in line with standard English rendering.","The identity of the 'man' in Paul's account is ambiguous in the original passage; Chrysostom assumes it refers to Paul himself, which is the common patristic interpretation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Καὶ πότε; Ὅτε τοὺς ψευδαποστόλους εἶδεν ἐπιφυέντας, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδ' ἂν τότε ἐφθέγξατο, εἰ μὴ τοσαύτην ἑώρα διαφθορὰν ἐν τοῖς μαθηταῖς γενομένην. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ποιοῦμεν· τῶν μὲν ἁμαρτημάτων οὐδὲ μίαν μεμνήμεθα ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἑτέρων μνησθέντων ἀκούσωμεν, ἀγανακτοῦμεν, δυσχεραίνομεν, ὕβριν τὸ πρᾶγμα λογιζόμεθα, μυρίαις αὐτοὺς πλύνομεν λοιδορίαις· εἰ δέ τι μικρὸν ἐργασώμεθα ἀγαθὸν, τοῦτο συνεχῶς στρέφομεν, καὶ τοῖς\n\nμεμνημένοις αὐτὸ χάριν ἴσμεν, καὶ φίλους τοὺς τοιούτους εἶναι νομίζομεν· καίτοι γε ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἐπέταξε, κατορθωμάτων μὲν ἐπιλελῆσθαι, ἁμαρτημάτων δὲ μεμνῆσθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον μὲν ἡμῖν ἐποίησε καὶ δι' ὧν τοῖς μαθηταῖς παρῄνει λέγων· Ὅταν πάντα ποιήσητε, λέγετε, ὅτι Ἀχρεῖοι δοῦλοί ἐσμεν· καὶ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Φαρισαίου παραβο λῆς, τὸν τελώνην αὐτοῦ προθείς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦτον ἡ μνήμη τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐδικαίωσεν, οὕτως ἐκεῖ νον ἡ μνήμη τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἀπώλεσε. Καὶ Ἰου δαίοις δὲ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ αὐτὰ δὴ ταῦτα παραινεῖ, λέγων οὕτως· Ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ ἐξαλείφων τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ· σὺ δὲ μνήσθητι. ζʹ. Τοιοῦτον τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ ἦθος ἦν, τοιοῦτον τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῶν δικαίων ἁπάντων. Ὁ γοῦν Δαυῒδ τῆς μὲν ἁμαρτίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνεχῶς ἐμέμνητο, τῶν δὲ κατορθωμάτων οὐδαμοῦ, πλὴν εἴ ποτε κατηναγκάσθη.","english":"And when? When he saw the false apostles springing up, showing that he would not have spoken even then, had he not seen such great corruption arising among the disciples. But we do not act thus; on the contrary, we do everything opposite: we do not remember our sins for a single day, but if we hear others mention them, we are indignant, we are vexed, we consider the matter an insult, and we heap countless abuses upon them. But if we have done some small good, we constantly turn it over, and we are grateful to those who recall it, and we consider such people friends. Yet Christ commanded the opposite: to forget our good deeds and remember our sins. And he made this clear to us both through what he exhorted to his disciples, saying, \"When you have done everything, say, 'We are worthless servants,'\" and through the parable of the Pharisee, setting the publican before him. For just as the memory of his sins justified the publican, so the memory of his good deeds destroyed the Pharisee. And to the Jews God gives the same exhortation, speaking thus: \"I am the one who blots out your sins, and I will not remember them; but you remember.\" 7. Such was the character of the apostles, such that of the prophets and all the righteous. David, for instance, constantly remembered his own sin, but nowhere his good deeds, except when he was compelled.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅταν πάντα ποιήσητε, λέγετε, ὅτι Ἀχρεῖοι δοῦλοί ἐσμεν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom attributes to Christ an exhortation for disciples to call themselves 'worthless servants'. This saying is not found verbatim in the canonical Gospels; it may reflect an oral tradition or Chrysostom's paraphrase of humility teachings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"παραβολῆς, τὸν τελώνην αὐτοῦ προθείς","severity":"info","text":"The parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9–14) is referenced. Chrysostom interprets the publican's justification as due to remembrance of sins, and the Pharisee's ruin as due to pride in good deeds.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτὸς ὁ ἐξαλείφων τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ· σὺ δὲ μνήσθητι","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites a divine speech to the Jews: 'I am the one who blots out your sins, and I will not remember them; but you remember.' This is not a direct biblical quotation; it may be a paraphrase of God's mercy in the Old Testament (e.g., Exodus 34:6–7 or Isaiah 43:25).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ψευδαποστόλους","severity":"info","text":"The term 'false apostles' (ψευδαποστόλους) appears in early Christian polemic, notably in Paul's letters (2 Cor 11:13) and later in Ignatius of Antioch. Chrysostom uses it to contrast true apostolic humility with deceptive teachers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ζʹ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek numeral ζʹ (7) marks a new section. Chrysostom transitions from contrasting Christian behavior with apostolic example to summarizing the character of apostles, prophets, and the righteous, using David as a final exemplar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Δαυῒδ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites David's constant remembrance of his sin (likely the Bathsheba incident, 2 Sam 11–12) and silence about his good deeds, except when compelled. This parallels the theme of humility in the Psalms, e.g., Psalm 51.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact source of the saying attributed to Christ ('When you have done everything, say, We are worthless servants') is uncertain; it may be a loose paraphrase or apocryphal tradition.","The divine speech to the Jews ('I am the one who blots out your sins...') is not a direct biblical citation; its origin is unclear, possibly a conflation of Old Testament passages."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"Ὅτε γοῦν ὁ βαρβαρικὸς ἐκεῖνος πόλεμος τὴν Ἰουδαίαν κατέλαβε, καὶ πάντα κινδύνων ἦν μεστὰ, νέος ὢν ἔτι καὶ πολέμων ἄπειρος, καταλιπὼν τὰ πρό βατα, καὶ εἰς τὴν παράταξιν ἐλθὼν, πάντας κατεπτηχότας βλέπων καὶ δεδοικότας καὶ τρέμοντας, οὐδὲν ἔπαθεν ἀνθρώπινον, οὐδὲ ἐγένετο δειλότερος τοὺς οἰκείους τεταπεινωμένους ὁρῶν· ἀλλὰ τῇ πίστει πάντα τὰ βλεπόμενα ὑπερβὰς, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν οὐρανῶν ἰδὼν, καὶ πολλῆς ἑαυτὸν ἐμπλήσας προθυμίας, προσῆλθε τοῖς στρατιώταις καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἐπαγγελλόμενος ἀπαλλάσσειν αὐτοὺς τοῦ κατέχοντος κινδύνου. Ὡς δὲ ἐγέλασαν τὸ εἰρημένον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ (οὐ γὰρ ἑώρων τὸν ἔνδον αὐτὸν ἀλείφοντα Θεὸν, οὐδὲ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν γενναίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ οὐρανομήκη, καὶ πολλῆς γέμουσαν φιλοσοφίας), κατα λιπὼν ἐκείνους, πρὸς ἑτέρους ἀπῆλθεν. Ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα αὐτὸν εἰσήγαγον, καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὸν ἀπο τεθνηκότα τῷ δέει, πρῶτον αὐτοῦ διανίστησι τὸ φρόνημα, οὕτω λέγων· Μὴ συμπεσέτω ἡ καρδία τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου πορεύ σεται καὶ πολεμήσει μετὰ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου τούτου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκεῖνος ἠπίστει λέγων, Οὐ δυνήσῃ πο ρευθῆναι· σὺ παιδάριον εἶ, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνὴρ πολεμιστὴς ἐκ νεότητος αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀπορίᾳ ὢν λοιπὸν ὁ Δαυῒδ ἀναγκάζεται τὰ οἰκεῖα διηγεῖσθαι ἐγκώμια. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἐβούλετο, διὰ τῶν προτέρων ἔδειξεν, οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰπών τι τῶν αὑτοῦ κατορ θωμάτων, οὔτε πρὸς τοὺς στρατιώτας, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα, ἕως εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἀπιστοῦντα καὶ ἀγωνιῶντα καὶ κωλύοντα τὴν ἔφοδον τὴν κατ' ἐκείνου. Τί γὰρ ἔδει πρᾶξαι λοιπόν; σιγῆσαι τὰ ἐγκώ μια;","english":"When, then, that barbarian war overtook Judaea, and everything was full of dangers, while he was still young and inexperienced in wars, having left the sheep and come into the battle line, seeing all cowering and afraid and trembling, he suffered nothing human, nor did he become more cowardly seeing his own people humbled; but by faith, transcending all visible things and looking to the King of the heavens, and filling himself with great eagerness, he approached the soldiers and the brothers, promising to deliver them from the danger that beset them. And when the brothers laughed at what was said (for they did not see the God within anointing him, nor that noble soul, heaven-high and full of great philosophy), leaving them, he went to others. And when they brought him before the king himself, and he found him dead from fear, he first rouses his spirit, speaking thus: \"Let not the heart of my lord sink within him, for your servant will go and fight with this foreigner.\" And when that one disbelieved, saying, \"You will not be able to go; you are a boy, while he is a warrior from his youth,\" David, being at a loss, is then compelled to recount his own praises. For that he did not wish to do so, he showed through the earlier events, neither saying anything of his own achievements to the brothers, nor to the soldiers, nor even to the king himself, until he saw him disbelieving and distressed and hindering the attack against that man. For what was he to do then? Keep silent about his praises?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"βαρβαρικὸς ἐκεῖνος πόλεμος","severity":"info","text":"The 'barbarian war' likely refers to the Philistine conflict in which David fought Goliath, a narrative from 1 Samuel 17. Chrysostom uses this as a typological example of faith overcoming fear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μὴ συμπεσέτω ἡ καρδία τοῦ κυρίου μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of David's words to Saul before fighting Goliath, echoing 1 Samuel 17:32-37 LXX. Chrysostom adapts the biblical dialogue to illustrate David's humility and reluctance to boast.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅτε γοῦν ... Ὡς δὲ ... Ὡς δὲ","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as a narrative sequence with three temporal clauses (Ὅτε γοῦν, Ὡς δὲ, Ὡς δὲ), each advancing David's encounter: with the soldiers, with the brothers, and with the king. This builds toward the rhetorical question.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"φιλοσοφίας","severity":"info","text":"Here φιλοσοφίας means 'philosophy' in the sense of ascetic wisdom or spiritual discipline, not academic philosophy. Chrysostom uses it to describe David's soul as trained in virtue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν Βασιλέα τῶν οὐρανῶν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's reference to 'the King of the heavens' reflects a common patristic title for Christ, emphasizing David's theocentric focus. This aligns with Chrysostom's homiletic emphasis on faith over worldly fear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπο τεθνηκότα τῷ δέει","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'dead from fear' is hyperbolic, not literal. Chrysostom dramatizes Saul's terror to contrast David's courage. The Greek ἀποτεθνηκότα is a strong metaphor, not a medical or historical claim.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'barbarian war' is not explicitly named; it is inferred from the David and Goliath context. The phrase 'the king' is ambiguous but likely refers to Saul, though Chrysostom does not name him."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":13,"ref":"p13","source":"Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἐπέτρεψεν ἀπελθεῖν, οὐδὲ ἀπαλ λάξαι τῶν κατεχόντων κινδύνων. Διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσας ἡνίκα ἔδει, ἐπειδὴ τὸν καιρὸν εἶδε καταναγκάζοντα εἰπεῖν, οὐκ ἔτι σιγᾷ, ἀλλά φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Ποιμαίνων ἤμην ὁ δοῦλός σου ἐν τῷ ποιμνίῳ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ὅταν ἤρχετο λέων ἢ ἄρ κτος, καὶ ἐλάμβανε πρόβατον ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης, ἐξηρ χόμην κατόπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπάτασσον αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐξέσπων ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκράτουν τοῦ φάρυγγος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐθανάτουν αὐτόν· καὶ τὸν λέοντα καὶ τὴν ἄρκτον ἔτυπτεν ὁ δοῦλός σου· καὶ ἔσται ὁ ἀλλόφυλος οὗτος καὶ ἀπερίτμητος, ὡς ἓν τούτων. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐδήλωσε, τίνος ἕνεκεν εἶπε τὰ οἰκεῖα κατορθώματα; Τότε δὴ, τότε θαῤῥήσας ὁ βασιλεὺς λοιπὸν ἐκέλευσεν ἀπελθεῖν. Καὶ ἀπῆλθε, καὶ παρετάξατο, καὶ ἐνίκησεν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐγκώμια εἶπεν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτῷ τὴν μονομαχίαν ἐκείνην ἐπίστευ σεν ὁ βασιλεύς· μὴ πιστεύσας δὲ, οὐκ ἂν ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν παράταξιν ἀπελθεῖν· μὴ ἀφεὶς δὲ, διεκώλυσεν ἂν τὸ κατόρθωμα· τοῦ δὲ κατορθώματος κωλυ θέντος, οὔτε ὁ Θεὸς ἂν ἐδοξάσθη τότε, οὔτε ἡ πόλις τῶν ἐπικειμένων ἀπηλλάγη κινδύνων. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ το σαῦτα γένηται ἄτοπα, μηδὲ οἰκονομίας μέγεθος κω λυθῇ τοσοῦτον, ἠναγκάσθη τοὺς οἰκείους ἄθλους εἰ πεῖν ὁ Δαυΐδ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σιγᾷν ἴσασιν, οὐδεμιᾶς οὔ σης ἀνάγκης, οὕτω καὶ λέγειν ἐπίστανται, ἐπειδὰν πολλὴν ἴδωσι βίαν ἐπικειμένην.","english":"But he would not have allowed him to depart, nor to be released from the pressing dangers. For this reason, having kept silent when it was necessary, when he saw the moment compelling him to speak, he no longer remains silent, but says to him: \"I was a shepherd, your servant, in my father's flock, and whenever a lion or a bear came and took a sheep from the herd, I would go out after it, and I would strike it, and I would snatch it from its mouth, and I would seize it by the throat, and I would kill it; and your servant would strike both the lion and the bear. And this foreigner, this uncircumcised one, will be as one of these.\" Do you see how he made clear for what reason he spoke of his own achievements? Then indeed, then, having taken courage, the king at last ordered him to go. And he went, and drew up for battle, and conquered. If he had not spoken his praises, the king would not have entrusted that single combat to him; not having entrusted it, he would not have allowed him to go into the battle line; not having allowed it, he would have prevented the success; and with the success prevented, neither would God have been glorified then, nor would the city have been delivered from the pressing dangers. So that such great absurdities might not occur, nor such a great economy be hindered, David was compelled to speak of his own labors. For just as they know how to be silent when there is no necessity, so also they know how to speak when they see great compulsion pressing upon them.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπερίτμητος","severity":"info","text":"The term 'uncircumcised' (ἀπερίτμητος) is used by David to disparage Goliath as a Philistine, contrasting with the circumcised Israelites. This reflects the cultural and religious marker of identity in the Hebrew Bible.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ποιμαίνων ἤμην ὁ δοῦλός σου ἐν τῷ ποιμνίῳ τοῦ πατρός μου","severity":"info","text":"This passage echoes 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (LXX), where David recounts his shepherd exploits to Saul. Chrysostom adapts the biblical narrative to illustrate the necessity of self-praise in dire circumstances.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τοῦτο σιγήσας ἡνίκα ἔδει, ἐπειδὴ τὸν καιρὸν εἶδε καταναγκάζοντα εἰπεῖν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts David's earlier silence with his compelled speech, framing the narrative as a rhetorical model: silence when appropriate, speech when necessity demands.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονομίας μέγεθος","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'economy' (οἰκονομίας) here refers to divine providence or plan. Chrysostom argues that David's self-praise was necessary to avoid hindering God's salvific economy for the city.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὥσπερ γὰρ σιγᾷν ἴσασιν, οὐδεμιᾶς οὔσης ἀνάγκης, οὕτω καὶ λέγειν ἐπίστανται","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom draws a parallel between knowing when to be silent and when to speak, a common rhetorical topos in Greek literature (e.g., Isocrates, Demosthenes), applied here to David's biblical example.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπαλ λάξαι","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a space in 'ἀπαλ λάξαι', likely a scribal or editorial artifact. The intended word is ἀπαλλάξαι (to release), and the reading is secure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Coptic text is not present; the Greek is the source. The passage is a continuous narrative with no textual corruption beyond the minor spacing issue noted."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":14,"ref":"p14","source":"ηʹ. Οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο γεγενημένον ἴδοι τις ἄν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ νος ἔτη τοσαῦτα προστὰς τοῦ δήμου τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὕτως, ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἤθελε, καὶ μηδὲν μηδέποτε μέγα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ φθεγξάμενος, καίτοι πολλὰ ἔχων, εἴπερ ἐβούλετο, λέγειν, τὴν ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας ἀνατροφὴν, τὴν ἐν τῷ ναῷ διατριβὴν, τὴν ἐκ σπαργάνων αὐτοῦ προφητείαν, τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα πολέμους, τὰς νίκας ἃς ἐνίκησεν, οὐχ ὅπλοις χρώμενος, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς εὐ νοίας τοῦ Θεοῦ παραταττόμενος, ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν χρόνοις οὐδὲν τούτων εἶπεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔμελλεν ἀφ ίστασθαι τῆς προστασίας, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγχειρίζειν ἑτέρῳ, τότε λοιπὸν ἠναγκάσθη τὰ ἐγκώμια αὐτοῦ διεξελθεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα ὑφειμένως. Καὶ καλέσας τὸν δῆμον ἅπαντα, παρόντος καὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ, οὕτω πώς φησιν· Ἰδοὺ ἤκουσα τῆς φωνῆς ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐβασίλευσα ἐφ' ὑμᾶς βασιλέα· καὶ ἐγὼ ἰδοὺ ἀνέστραμ μαι ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἐκ νεότητός μου, καὶ ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, καὶ γεγήρακα. Ἀποκρίθητε κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐνώπιον χριστοῦ αὐ τοῦ· μόσχον τίνος ὑμῶν εἴληφα; ἢ ὄνον τίνος εἴληφα; ἢ τίνα ὑμῶν κατεδυνάστευσα; ἢ τίνα ἐξεπίεσα ὑμῶν; ἢ ἐκ χειρὸς τίνος ὑμῶν εἴληφα ἐξίλασμα ἢ ὑπόδημα, καὶ ἀπέκρυψα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἐν αὐτῷ;","english":"8. Not only in this case, but also in the case of Samuel, one may see the same thing having occurred. For that man, having presided over the people of the Jews for so many years in the manner that God willed, and having never uttered anything great about himself, although he had many things to say, if he had wished—his upbringing from early childhood, his sojourn in the temple, his prophecy from his swaddling clothes, the wars thereafter, the victories he won, not using weapons but arraying himself with the goodwill of God—in the earlier times he said none of these things. But when he was about to withdraw from the leadership and entrust the office to another, then at last he was compelled to recount his own praises, and even then in a subdued manner. And having summoned the entire people, with Saul also present, he speaks somewhat as follows: \"Behold, I have heard your voice, and I have set a king over you; and I myself have been turned about before you from my youth until this day, and I have grown old. Answer against me before the Lord and before his anointed: Whose calf have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom of you have I oppressed? Or whom of you have I squeezed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe or a sandal, and hidden my eyes in it?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σαμουήλ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Samuel alludes to 1 Samuel 12, where Samuel defends his integrity before the people and Saul. The quoted speech echoes 1 Sam 12:3-5 LXX.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"προστασίας","severity":"info","text":"προστασίας (leadership) is a key term in Chrysostom's political ecclesiology, denoting divinely sanctioned authority. Here it refers to Samuel's role as judge and prophet over Israel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ἐκ σπαργάνων αὐτοῦ προφητείαν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'prophecy from his swaddling clothes' refers to the tradition that Samuel was dedicated to God as a child (1 Sam 1:24-28 LXX). Chrysostom uses this to illustrate Samuel's lifelong humility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου δὲ μόνον","severity":"info","text":"This passage continues the homily's comparative structure: Chrysostom moves from the previous example (likely David) to Samuel, reinforcing the theme of reluctant self-praise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξίλασμα ἢ ὑπόδημα","severity":"info","text":"The list of items (calf, donkey, bribe, sandal) parallels Samuel's self-defense in 1 Sam 12:3-5 LXX, where he denies taking any gift or abusing power. Chrysostom adapts this to his rhetorical context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπέκρυψα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἐν αὐτῷ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'hidden my eyes in it' is obscure. It may mean 'turned a blind eye' to a bribe, or literally 'hid my eyes in the sandal' (a gesture of shame). The exact sense is debated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ἀπέκρυψα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἐν αὐτῷ' is ambiguous: it could mean 'I hid my eyes in it' (i.e., looked away) or 'I hid my eyes with it' (i.e., covered them). The reading taken is 'hidden my eyes in it' as a gesture of concealment."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":15,"ref":"p15","source":"Εἴπατε κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἀποδώσω ὑμῖν. Καὶ ποία ἦν ἀνάγκη ταῦτα λέγειν, φησί; Πολλὴ καὶ μεγάλη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄρχοντα ἔμελλεν εἰσάγειν αὐτοῖς τὸν Σαοὺλ, ἐν τῇ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀπολογίᾳ διδάξαι βουλό μενος ἐκεῖνον, πῶς προΐστασθαι δεῖ καὶ κήδεσθαι τῶν ἀρχομένων, αὐτοὺς τοὺς ὑπηκόους μάρτυρας αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλοσοφίας παράγει. Καὶ οὐ ποιεῖ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι δεδοικότες αὐτὸν καὶ φοβούμενοι, τὰ μὴ ὄντα ἐμαρτύρησαν· ἀλλ' ὅτε παρελύθη τὰ τῆς δημαγωγίας, καὶ εἰς ἕτερον μετέστη τὰ τῆς προστασίας, καὶ κίνδυνος οὐ δεὶς ἦν τῷ κατηγοροῦντι λοιπὸν, τότε δικάζεται πρὸς αὐτούς. Καίτοι γε εἰ ἕτερός τις ἦν, ἐμνησικάκησεν ἂν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἠθέλησε τὸν ἄρχοντα τὸν μετ' αὐτὸν ἐπιεικῆ γενέσθαι καὶ μέτριον, οὐ διὰ μνησικακίαν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπαινῆται μειζόνως.\n\nθʹ. Καὶ γὰρ νόσημα τοῦτο δεινὸν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἔνεστι· τοὺς μετ' αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐρχομένους εὔχονται φαύλους εἶναι καὶ πονηρούς. Ἄν τε γὰρ γενναῖοι τύ χωσιν ὄντες, λαμπροτέρους αὐτοὺς φανεῖσθαι νομί ζουσι, τῶν διαδεξαμένων τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ὄντων τοιού των· ἄν τε σκαιοὶ καὶ διεφθαρμένοι, ἀπολογίαν τῆς οἰκείας ἔσεσθαι πονηρίας τοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα ἄρχοντος τὴν κακίαν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ μακάριος οὗτος τοιοῦτος· ἀλλ' ἠβούλετο καὶ ηὔχετο καὶ ἐπεθύμει πολλῷ βελτίονος αὐτοὺς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς προστασίας· οὕτω φιλόστοργος ἦν, οὕτω φθόνου καθαρὸς, οὕτω κενοδοξίας ἀπηλλαγμένος. Καίτοι γε ἓν μόνον ἐζήτει, τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν σωτηρίαν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν ἄρχοντα αὐτοῖς ἐν τῇ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐῤῥύθμιζεν ἀπολογίᾳ.","english":"Say against me, and I will give back to you. And what necessity was there to say these things, someone says? Much and great. For since he was about to introduce Saul as their ruler, in his own defense he wished to teach him how one must preside over and care for the governed, bringing forward the subjects themselves as witnesses of his philosophy. And he does not do this at the time of his rule, so that no one might say that, fearing and being afraid of him, they testified to things that were not; but when the matters of leadership were dissolved, and the office had passed to another, and there was no longer any danger for the accuser, then he pleads his case before them. Yet if it were someone else, he would have borne a grudge against the Jews, and would not have wished the ruler after him to be gentle and moderate, not only because of resentment, but also so that he himself might be praised all the more.\n\n9. For this is a terrible disease present in rulers: they pray that those who come after them into office be base and wicked. For if they happen to be noble, they think they will appear more brilliant, since those who succeed them in office are not such; and if they are harsh and corrupt, the wickedness of the subsequent ruler will be an excuse for their own depravity. But this blessed man was not such; rather, he wished and prayed and desired that they might enjoy a much better leadership. So affectionate was he, so free from envy, so devoid of vainglory. Yet he sought only one thing: the salvation of the people. For this reason, he also shaped the ruler for them in his own defense.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἴπατε κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἀποδώσω ὑμῖν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase is a rhetorical challenge, inviting the audience to accuse him so he can respond, framing the defense as a dialogue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"φιλοσοφίας","severity":"info","text":"Here 'philosophy' denotes moral and ascetic discipline, not academic philosophy, reflecting Chrysostom's typical usage for Christian virtuous living.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σαοὺλ","severity":"info","text":"Saul, the first king of Israel, is introduced as the new ruler; Chrysostom uses the biblical narrative to illustrate ideal leadership.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"θʹ","severity":"info","text":"The numeral marks a new section (9), shifting from Samuel's defense to a general reflection on the vice of rulers resenting successors.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"νόσημα τοῦτο δεινὸν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἔνεστι","severity":"info","text":"This critique of rulers' envy parallels Chrysostom's homilies on 1 Timothy and his On the Priesthood, where he condemns clerical ambition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μακάριος οὗτος","severity":"info","text":"The epithet 'blessed' for Samuel reflects Chrysostom's hagiographic portrayal, influencing later Byzantine reception of Samuel as a model bishop.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek 'Εἴπατε κατ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἀποδώσω ὑμῖν' is ambiguous: it could be a direct quote from Samuel's speech or Chrysostom's paraphrase; the reading taken is as a rhetorical device within Chrysostom's narrative."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":16,"ref":"p16","source":"Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μὲν καλέσαι τὸν βασιλέα καὶ εἰπεῖν, Ἐπιεικὴς ἔσο καὶ μέτριος καὶ ἀδωροδόκητος, καὶ μηδένα βιάζου, μηδὲ ἀδίκει, μηδὲ πλεονέκτει, φορτικὸν ἦν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς τῷ μέλλοντι ταῦτα ἀκούειν· τὸ δὲ σιγῆσαι πάλιν προδοσία τοῦ δήμου ἐγίνετο· ἐν ἀπολογίας προσχήματι ἀμφότερα ταῦτα κατώρθωσε, κἀκεῖνον ἐδίδαξεν ὁποῖον εἶναι χρὴ τὸν βασιλεύοντα, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ δι δάσκειν ἐπάχθειαν ἔφυγε. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀγωνίζεσθαι· παιδεύει δὲ ἐκεῖνον, πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι χρή. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει πῶς μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης καθαρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἔδειξε λημμάτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Μὴ ἀγρούς τινος ὑμῶν ἔλαβον; μὴ χρυσίον; ἀλλ' ὃ πάντων εὐτελέστερον ἦν, Μὴ ὑπόδημα; φησίν.\n\nΕἶτα καὶ ἑτέραν ἑαυτοῦ πολλὴν ἡμῖν ἐδήλωσεν ἀρετήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων, ὅταν μὲν κλέπτωσιν, ἐπιεικεῖς εἰσι καὶ μέτριοι καὶ προσηνεῖς οὐκ\n\nοἴκοθεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην τοῦ συνειδότος, ἐκ τῶν κλεμμάτων περιηρημένοι τὴν παῤῥησίαν· οἱ δὲ ἀδωροδόκητοι, φορτικοὶ καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς, οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ πάλιν οἴκοθεν, ἀλλ' ὑπό τινος κενοδοξίας καὶ τοῦ καθαροὶ λημμάτων εἶναι· ἀμφότερα δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις ἴδοι ῥᾳδίως συνελθόντα εἰς ἕνα· δεῖξαι βουλόμενος ὁ ἅγιος οὗτος, ὅτι ἀμφοτέρων περιεγένετο, καὶ λημμάτων ἐκράτει καὶ ὀργῆς, εἰπὼν, Μὴ μόσχον τινὸς ὑμῶν εἴληφα; οὐκ ἐσίγησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, Ἢ κατεδυνάστευσά τινα ὑμῶν ἢ ἐξεπίεσα; τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἐξέθλιψα; Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐδεὶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαβον μὲν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἔλαβον, φορτικὸς ἐγενόμην καὶ ἐπαχθὴς καὶ ὠμὸς καὶ ἄγριος.","english":"For since to summon the king and say, \"Be gentle and moderate and incorruptible, and do not force anyone, nor wrong anyone, nor covet,\" was burdensome and oppressive to the one about to hear these things; while to remain silent, on the other hand, would have been a betrayal of the people; so under the guise of a defense he accomplished both: he taught the king what sort of person a ruler ought to be, and he escaped the oppressiveness that comes from teaching. And he appears to be pleading his own case, but he is instructing the king how and in what manner he ought to care for his subjects. Now observe with what exactness he showed himself pure of bribes. For he did not say, \"Did I not take any of your fields? Did I not take any gold?\" but rather what was most trivial of all: \"Did I not take a shoe?\" he says.\n\nThen he also revealed to us another great virtue of his. For since many rulers, when they steal, are gentle and moderate and affable, not from their own character, but from the necessity of their conscience, having had their frankness stripped away by their thefts; while those who are incorruptible are burdensome and oppressive, again not from their own character, but from some vainglory and from being pure of bribes; and one would not easily see both combined in a single person; this holy man, wishing to show that he had overcome both—that he was master of both bribes and anger—after saying, \"Did I not take a calf from any of you?\" he did not stop, but added, \"Or did I oppress any of you or squeeze you?\" that is, \"Did I crush you?\" What he means is this: No one could say this, that I did not take, but because I did not take, I became burdensome and oppressive and harsh and savage.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀδωροδόκητος","severity":"info","text":"The term means 'incorruptible' or 'free from bribery', a key virtue in Chrysostom's moral and political teaching.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's homily addresses the challenge of advising a ruler without causing offense, a common concern in late antique political rhetoric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage contrasts two approaches—direct admonition and silence—then shows how Chrysostom's 'defense' achieves both teaching and tact.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐκ τῶν κλεμμάτων περιηρημένοι τὴν παῤῥησίαν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase indicates that theft strips rulers of frankness (παρρησία), a key concept in Greek political ethics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's pairing of incorruptibility with gentleness echoes classical ideals of the philosopher-king, as in Plato's Republic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξέθλιψα","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek verb ἐξέθλιψα (from ἐκθλίβω) means 'squeeze out' or 'oppress'; the English draft renders it as 'crush', which is acceptable but not literal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'the king' (Saul) is assumed from the previous passage, but the Greek text does not name him here."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":17,"ref":"p17","source":"Διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν, Ἢ κατεδυνάστευσά τινα ὑμῶν; Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Οὔτε κατεδυνάστευσας ἡμᾶς, οὔτε ἐξεπίεσας, οὐδὲ εἴληφας ἐκ χειρὸς ἡμῶν οὐδέν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι καὶ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτὸν παιδεύων ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, ἐπήγαγε· Μάρτυς Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυς ὁ χριστὸς αὐτοῦ· τοῦτο δὲ ἡμῖν αὐτὸ παραδηλῶν καὶ δεικνὺς, ὡς οὐκ ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία κεχαρισμένη, αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε μάρτυρα τὸν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας εἰδότα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ καθαροῦ συνειδότος ἀπόδειξις. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ, οὐδεὶς, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἦν μεμηνὼς καὶ ἐξεστηκὼς, τοῦ συνειδότος τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ καλέσειεν ἄν ποτε μάρτυρα τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἑαυτῷ θαῤῥοίη. Μαρτυρησάντων τοίνυν ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τοῖς εἰρημένοις αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑτέραν ἑαυτοῦ δείκνυσιν αὐτὸς ἀρετήν· καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναμνήσας ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προστασίας, καὶ τῶν μετ' ἐκείνους πολέμων, ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς μάχης τῆς ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένης καὶ τῆς νίκης τῆς παραδόξου· καὶ εἰπὼν πῶς πολλάκις διὰ τὰς οἰκείας ἁμαρτίας τοῖς πολεμίοις παραδοθέντων, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀπήλλαξεν αὐτοὺς τῶν πολεμίων, συνάπτων τοῖς παλαιοῖς τὰ νέα, ἐπάγει καὶ λέγει· Ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν Ἱεροβάαλ, τὸν Γεδεὼν, καὶ τὸν Βαρὰκ, καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε, καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ ἐξείλετο ὑμᾶς κύκλωθεν ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ κατοικεῖτε πεποιθότες. ιʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἔθος τοῖς ἁγίοις μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατορθώματα λέγειν, εἰ μή ποτε καταναγκασθεῖεν; Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς τούτους βλέπων, καὶ παιδευόμενος ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι τὸ αὐτόν τινα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγειν ἐπαχθὲς καὶ φορτικὸν, ἔλεγεν· Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρὸν τῇ ἀφροσύνῃ·","english":"For this reason he said, \"Did I oppress any of you?\" What then did they say? \"You neither oppressed us, nor squeezed us, nor took anything from our hand.\" And so that you may learn that he said these things while educating even the king himself, he added, \"The Lord is witness, and his Christ is witness.\" By this he was indicating and showing us that the testimony was not a flattering one, since he called as witness the one who knows the hidden thoughts of the mind, which is the proof of a clear conscience. For no one, no one, unless he were utterly mad and out of his senses, would ever call God as witness of his own conscience, unless he had great confidence in himself. So after they had testified concerning what he had said, he himself shows another virtue of his own. And having recalled all the ancient events in Egypt, and the protection of God, and the wars that followed after those, he reminds them of the battle that took place in his own time and the unexpected victory. And after telling how often, because of their own sins, they were handed over to their enemies, he himself called upon God and delivered them from their enemies, linking the new events with the old. He then adds and says, \"The Lord sent Hierobaal, Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around, and you dwell in confidence.\" Do you see how it is customary for the saints not to speak of their own achievements, unless they are compelled? For this reason Paul also, looking to these examples and being precisely taught that it is burdensome and oppressive for someone to speak about himself, said, \"Would that you had borne with me a little in my folly.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μάρτυς Κύριος, καὶ μάρτυς ὁ χριστὸς αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom quotes a formula invoking God and Christ as witnesses, likely from a judicial or confessional context. The phrase is not a direct biblical citation but echoes the language of divine witness found in the Old Testament (e.g., Judg 11:10–11) and early Christian liturgy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξαπέστειλε Κύριος τὸν Ἱεροβάαλ, τὸν Γεδεὼν, καὶ τὸν Βαρὰκ, καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε, καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ","severity":"info","text":"This list of judges (Hierobaal, Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samuel) is drawn from the biblical book of Judges and 1 Samuel. The sequence is not canonical but reflects a traditional grouping; Hierobaal is an alternate name for Gideon (cf. Judg 6:32).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῶν παλαιῶν ἀναμνήσας ἁπάντων τῶν κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom refers to the speaker recalling ancient events in Egypt, likely the Exodus and the wilderness period. This is a common topos in Chrysostom's homilies, where the biblical past is used to exhort the present audience.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς τούτους βλέπων","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom draws a parallel between the speaker's reluctance to boast and Paul's statement in 2 Cor 11:1 (or a similar passage). The reference to Paul's 'folly' (ἀφροσύνῃ) echoes 2 Cor 11:16–17, where Paul defends his boasting as necessary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"συνάπτων τοῖς παλαιοῖς τὰ νέα","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom notes the rhetorical technique of linking past and present events to strengthen the argument. This is a common feature in his homilies, where typology and continuity between biblical history and contemporary events are emphasized.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἱεροβάαλ","severity":"caution","text":"The name 'Hierobaal' is a variant of 'Jerubbaal', an alternate name for Gideon (Judg 6:32). The spelling here may reflect a textual tradition or a scribal error; it is not the standard form in the Septuagint.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the speaker in the quoted dialogue ('Did I oppress any of you?') is not explicitly stated; it may be a biblical figure (e.g., a judge or king) or a contemporary ruler. The reference to 'the king' suggests a royal figure, but the context is ambiguous.","The phrase 'τὸν Ἱεροβάαλ' is a hapax in Chrysostom's corpus; the standard form is 'Ἱεροβάαλ' or 'Ἰεροβάαλ', but the spelling here may be a scribal variant."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":18,"ref":"p18","source":"οὐ μέγα, ἀλλὰ μικρόν τι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνάγκης οὔσης μετὰ δαψιλείας ἐκχεῖν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν διήγησιν τῶν ἐγκωμίων παρεσκεύασται, ἀλλὰ διὰ βραχέων αὐτὰ παρατρέχει· καὶ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο δι' ἐκείνους καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων σωτηρίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, οὐκ οὔσης ἀνάγκης λέγειν τὰ οἰκεῖα κατορθώματα, ἀνοίας ἐστὶν ἐσχάτης, οὕτως ἀνάγκης ἐπικειμένης καὶ βίας ὠθούσης, πάλιν προδοσία ἐστὶ τὸ σιγᾷν τὰ αὐτῶν πεπραγμένα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ Παῦλος καὶ ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ἀπώκνει, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀφροσύνην ἐκάλει, ἵνα μάθῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἀσφάλειαν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον, προσέθηκεν, Ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως. Μὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶ, καθόλου με τοῦτο λέγειν. Ὥστε διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν μάλιστα ἐπαινῶ καὶ θαυμάζω καὶ σοφώτατον καλῶ, ὅτι πρᾶγμα ἀφροσύνης εἶναι ἐνόμισε τὸ ἑαυτὸν ἐγκωμιάζειν καὶ ἐπαινεῖν.\n\nΕἰ δὲ οὗτος ἀνάγκην οὖσαν ὁρῶν, ἀφροσύνην τοῦτο ἐκάλει, τίνος ἂν εἶεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι, ποίας ἀπολογίας, οἱ μηδὲ ἀνάγκης οὔσης περὶ ἑαυτῶν λέγοντες μεγάλα, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρους λέγειν καταναγκάζοντες; Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, μὴ ἐπαινῶμεν τὰ λεγόμενα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μιμησώμεθα καὶ ζηλώσωμεν, καὶ κατορθωμάτων ἐπιλανθανόμενοι, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀεὶ μνημονεύωμεν, ἵνα καὶ μετριάζειν δυνώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενοι, τὸ βραβεῖον λάβωμεν τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, 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":"Not great, but something small. For even though there was no necessity, he was not prepared to pour himself out with abundance into the narration of the encomia, but runs through them briefly; and this very thing he does for their sake and for their salvation. For just as, when there is no necessity to speak of one's own achievements, it is the height of folly, so when necessity presses and compulsion drives, it is again a betrayal to be silent about one's own deeds. But nevertheless Paul, even seeing that there was necessity, hesitated, and called the matter folly, so that you might learn his prudence and wisdom and great caution. For having said, \"What I speak, I do not speak as the Lord,\" he added, \"in this form of boasting.\" Do not think, he says, that I say this universally. So it is for this reason especially that I praise and admire him and call him most wise, because he considered the act of praising and commending oneself to be a matter of folly.\n\nBut if this man, seeing that there was necessity, called this folly, what forgiveness would be worthy, what apology, those who, even when there is no necessity, speak great things about themselves, or even compel others to speak them? Knowing these things, then, let us not only praise what is said, but also imitate and emulate, and forgetting our achievements, always remember our faults, so that we may be able to be moderate, and, stretching forward to what lies ahead, we may take the prize of the heavenly calling, by the grace and philanthropy 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":"οὐ μέγα, ἀλλὰ μικρόν τι","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom downplays the preceding praise, contrasting it with Paul's brevity. This rhetorical modesty frames the entire passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ὑπόστασις","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term 'ὑπόστασις' here means 'form' or 'manner' (of boasting), not its later theological sense of 'hypostasis'. Chrysostom uses it to specify the limited context of Paul's self-praise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὃ λαλῶ, οὐ λαλῶ κατὰ Κύριον","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Paul's words (cf. 2 Cor 12:6? but not exact). Chrysostom likely refers to a lost or conflated Pauline passage, emphasizing Paul's caution in self-praise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως","severity":"info","text":"The 'prize of the heavenly calling' echoes Pauline language (cf. Phil 3:14? but not exact). Chrysostom uses athletic imagery common in early Christian exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ δὲ οὗτος ... τίνος ἂν εἶεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom shifts from Paul's example to a rhetorical question condemning those who boast without necessity. This marks the transition to the hortatory conclusion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The closing doxology is typical of Chrysostom's homilies, emphasizing grace and philanthropy. It reflects the liturgical context of the work.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact Pauline source for 'What I speak, I do not speak as the Lord' is unclear; it may be a loose citation or conflation.","The phrase 'in this form of boasting' (ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ὑποστάσει τῆς καυχήσεως) is ambiguous: 'ὑπόστασις' could mean 'substance' or 'occasion', but the context favors 'form' or 'manner'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}