{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","title":"In Jordanem fluvium","title_source":"In Jordanem fluvium","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:40:03Z","cost_usd":0.003915},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","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%20Jordanem%20fluvium.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":6,"english_words":1650,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":6483,"commentary_units":36,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":11,"work_notes":5,"external_links":6,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","abstract":"This homily on Christ's baptism in the Jordan River, attributed to John Chrysostom, was likely delivered at Epiphany in Antioch (c. 386–397). It employs liturgical and exhortatory language, treating the river's physical features as a typological mystery. Chrysostom draws on ancient toponymic traditions, offering a folk etymology of 'Jordan' from 'Ior' and 'Dan', and contrasts the river's living waters with the Dead Sea to prefigure human mortality. The text survives in multiple Greek manuscripts but its authenticity is disputed; some scholars consider it spurious. It was used in Byzantine Theophany liturgy and influenced later hymnography and iconography of Christ's baptism.","historical_context":"The homily is set in late 4th-century Antioch, a major center of Antiochene Christianity where John Chrysostom preached as a presbyter (c. 386–397). The community was Greek-speaking, with a strong liturgical focus on Epiphany (Theophany), celebrating Christ's baptism. The genre is a liturgical homily, typical of Chrysostom's exegetical and moral style. The text survives in multiple Greek manuscripts, but its attribution to Chrysostom is uncertain; some scholars deem it spurious due to stylistic or doctrinal anomalies. No external evidence securely dates it, so the dating relies on internal parallels to Chrysostom's authentic works. The homily was later incorporated into Byzantine liturgical books for Theophany, indicating its transmission through monastic and cathedral traditions.","significance":"This homily matters for understanding late antique baptismal theology and the development of Epiphany liturgy. It exemplifies typological exegesis linking natural features to salvation history, and its folk etymology of 'Jordan' influenced medieval and Byzantine interpretations. The disputed authorship highlights the challenges of Chrysostom's corpus, while its liturgical use shows how such texts shaped Byzantine hymnography and iconography of Christ's baptism.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Probable composition in Antioch if authentic, during Chrysostom's presbyterate."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscripts; attribution to Chrysostom becomes standard in Byzantine tradition."},{"date":"6th–10th c.","event":"Incorporation into Byzantine liturgical books for Theophany (Epiphany)."},{"date":"19th–20th c.","event":"Modern critical scholarship questions authenticity; text included in spuria lists."},{"date":"Undated","event":"No external evidence securely places the homily; dating relies on stylistic parallels."}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homily on the Baptism of Christ (CPG 4547)","relation":"Similar theme and style; possibly authentic or related spuria.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homilies on Matthew","relation":"Parallel exegetical methods and liturgical context.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine Theophany liturgy","relation":"Liturgical use; influenced hymnography and iconography.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Eusebius of Caesarea, Onomasticon","relation":"Source for toponymic traditions about the Jordan.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Dead Sea traditions in early Christian literature","relation":"Contrast between living and dead waters used typologically.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:John Chrysostom","label":"John Chrysostom","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom","reason":"Background on the author and his Antiochene period."},{"key":"wikipedia:Epiphany (holiday)","label":"Epiphany (holiday)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphany_%28holiday%29","reason":"Liturgical context of the homily."},{"key":"wikipedia:Jordan River","label":"Jordan River","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River","reason":"Geographical and toponymic background."},{"key":"wikipedia:Dead Sea","label":"Dead Sea","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea","reason":"Contrast used in the homily."},{"key":"wikipedia:Typology (theology)","label":"Typology (theology)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typology_%28theology%29","reason":"Exegetical method employed."},{"key":"wikipedia:Caesarea Philippi","label":"Paneas (Caesarea Philippi)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banias","reason":"Source of the Jordan mentioned in the homily."}],"cautions":["Attribution to Chrysostom is disputed; some scholars consider the homily spurious.","No external evidence securely dates the work; dating to c. 386–397 is conjectural based on style.","The folk etymology 'Ior' + 'Dan' is historically inaccurate; the name likely derives from Semitic roots.","The exact source of the contrast between the Jordan and the Dead Sea is unclear."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000488,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:40:03Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20Jordanem%20fluvium.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-jordanem-fluvium","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":6,"translated":6,"commentary_passages":6,"commentary_units":36,"english_words":1650,"source_letters":6483,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a homily on the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, likely delivered at Epiphany. Its register is liturgical and exhortatory, typical of Chrysostom's Antiochene preaching.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in multiple Greek manuscripts, but its attribution to Chrysostom is not universally accepted; some scholars consider it spurious or of uncertain origin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"If authentic, the homily dates to Chrysostom's Antiochene period (c. 386–397). However, no external evidence securely places it; the dating rests on stylistic and thematic parallels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily was used in Byzantine liturgical contexts for the feast of Theophany, influencing later hymnography and iconography of Christ's baptism.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not provide a critical apparatus for manuscript variants, nor does it adjudicate the authenticity debate beyond noting scholarly uncertainty.","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: 6 narrative."},{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","text":"1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: John 4:10."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":6},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ποταμόν.\n\nΔιὰ τί παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς ποταμοὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου ποταμοῦ ἐπιτελεῖ Χριστὸς τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ βαπτίσματος; Ἀναγκαῖον ἱστορῆσαι τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὴν φύσιν, ἵνα ἐξ αὐτοῦ μάθῃς τὴν τῆς μυσταγωγίας ἀκολουθίαν. Ὁ Ἰορδάνης παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ποταμοὺς δύο ῥίζας ἔχει πηγῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ μιᾶς πηγῆς προέρχεται ὁ Ἰορδάνης. Ἔχει δὲ τὴν μὲν μίαν πηγὴν εἰς τὴν Πανιάδα, τὴν δὲ ἄλλην πλησίον τῆς Πανιάδος· καὶ ἡ μὲν μία πηγὴ καλεῖται Ἰὸρ, ἡ δὲ ἄλλη Δάν· καὶ κατ' ὀλίγον προερχόμεναι καὶ μεριζόμεναι ἀπ' ἀλλήλων αἱ πηγαὶ, κατά τινα τόπον συνέρχονται ἀλλήλαις, καὶ ἕνα ἀποτελοῦσι ποταμόν.\n\nἈπέδωκαν δὲ αὐτῷ οἱ ἀρχαῖοι ὄνομα πρὸς τὰς ῥίζας, Ἰορδάνης, ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰὸρ καὶ τοῦ Δὰν τεχθεὶς ποταμὸς, παρὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς σχιζομένας ἔχων τὰς ῥίζας, καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει συναπτομένας. Παρὰ πάντας πάλιν τοὺς ποταμοὺς οὗτος εἰς ζῶσαν θάλασσαν οὐ τρέχει, καὶ ὕδωρ αὐτὸν θαλάσσης ζῶν οὐ δέχεται, ἀλλὰ δέχεται αὐτὸν ἡ νεκρὰ θάλασσα. Οὗτος μόνος παρὰ πάντας τοὺς ποταμοὺς νεκροῖς καὶ ἀργοῖς ὕδασι συνάπτεται. Ἔστι δὲ ὁ Ἰορδάνης τοῦ ἡμετέρου θνητοῦ γένους τύπος, καὶ ὅπως ἄκουε. Ἀπ' ἀρχῆς τὸ γένος τὸ ἡμέτερον δύο ἔχει ῥίζας, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐκ γῆς πλασθέντα, τὴν Εὔαν ἀπὸ πλευρᾶς προελθοῦσαν· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εἷς τόπος καὶ εἷς τρόπος τῆς καταστάσεως. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ γῆς ἐπλάσθη, πηγὴν ἔχων τὴν γῆν· ἡ δὲ ἀπὸ πλευρᾶς ἐγένετο, ῥίζαν ἔχουσα τὴν πλευράν· ἄλλη ἀρχὴ ἐκείνου, καὶ ἄλλη ταύτης. Καὶ ἦσαν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων τέως μεριζόμενοι κατὰ τὸν τρόπον τῆς διαπλάσεως·","english":"On the River Jordan.\n\nWhy, among all the rivers on earth, does Christ perform the mystery of baptism on the River Jordan? It is necessary to examine the nature of the river, so that from it you may learn the sequence of the initiation. The Jordan, more than all rivers, has two roots of springs; for the Jordan does not come from a single spring. It has one spring at Paneas, and the other near Paneas; and one spring is called Ior, the other Dan; and as they gradually proceed and are separated from each other, the springs, at a certain place, come together with each other, and form one river.\n\nThe ancients gave it a name based on its roots, Jordan, the river born from Ior and Dan, having its roots split at the beginnings and joined at the end. Again, more than all rivers, this one does not run into a living sea, and living sea water does not receive it, but the Dead Sea receives it. This one alone, more than all rivers, joins with dead and stagnant waters. Now the Jordan is a type of our mortal race, and hear how. From the beginning, our race has two roots: Adam, formed from earth, and Eve, who came from a rib; and there is not one place and one manner of their constitution. For one was formed from earth, having the earth as his spring; the other came from a rib, having the rib as her root; a different origin for him, and a different one for her. And they were for a time separated from each other according to the manner of their formation.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ποταμόν","severity":"info","text":"The title introduces the river Jordan as the setting for Christ's baptism, which Chrysostom treats as a mystery requiring explanation through the river's natural features.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Πανιάδα","severity":"info","text":"Paneas (Caesarea Philippi) was a known source of the Jordan; Chrysostom's etymology of 'Ior' and 'Dan' reflects ancient toponymic traditions, though the exact derivation is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"μυσταγωγίας","severity":"info","text":"Mystagogy refers to the initiation into sacred rites; here it denotes the sequence of baptismal symbolism that Chrysostom will draw from the Jordan's physical properties.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"τύπος","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom explicitly calls the Jordan a 'type' (typos) of the human race, establishing a typological parallel between the river's two springs and the dual origins of Adam and Eve.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"νεκρὰ θάλασσα","severity":"info","text":"The Dead Sea, described as 'dead' and 'stagnant', contrasts with living seas; Chrysostom uses this to prefigure the mortal condition, though the exact source of this contrast is unclear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰὸρ καὶ Δάν","severity":"caution","text":"The etymology 'Ior' + 'Dan' = 'Jordan' is folk etymology, not historically accurate; the name likely derives from Semitic roots meaning 'descender' or 'flowing'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact location of the second spring 'near Paneas' is unspecified; Chrysostom's source for the names Ior and Dan is unknown."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"συνῆλθον δὲ εἰς συνάφειαν γαμικὴν, ἀπετελέσθη τὸ ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἓν σῶμα, καὶ οὐκέτι οἱ τικτόμενοι ἢ ἀπὸ πλευρᾶς ἢ ἀπὸ γῆς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ συνουσίας ἐτίκτοντο. Ἔσονται γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν.\n\nΤοῦτο γοῦν τὸ ἡμέτερον πλάσμα, δραμὸν εἰς ἀκολουθίαν φύσεως, τέλος ἔσχε τὸν θάνατον. Ἤρξατο μὲν ἡμῶν τὸ πλάσμα ἀπὸ γῆς, καὶ ἔληγεν εἰς θάνατον· καὶ ἐδέξατο τὸ πλάσμα τοῦτο ἡ νεκρὰ θάλασσα, ὁ βαθὺς, ὁ καταχθόνιος, ἡ ἄβυσσος τῶν νεκρῶν. Ὃ γάρ ἐστι νεκρὰ θάλασσα τοῖς ζῶσιν ὕδασι, τοῦτό ἐστιν ὁ ᾅδης τοῖς ἀποθνήσκουσι. Διὸ λέγει Παῦλος· Μὴ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, Τίς καταβήσεται εἰς τὸν ᾅδην; τουτέστι, Χριστὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναγαγεῖν. Περὶ τοῦτον οὖν τὸν Ἰορδάνην τὸν ἀπὸ ζωσῶν πηγῶν προερχόμενον, καὶ εἰς νεκρὰν θάλασσαν καταλήγοντα, πᾶσα ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπετελεῖτο θαυματουργία, ἵνα μηκέτι τὸ ζῶν ὕδωρ τρέχῃ πρὸς θάνατον. Τρίτον αὐτὸν τὸν Ἰορδάνην διέκοψεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μηκέτι αὐτῷ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν εἶναι εἰς τὴν νεκρὰν θάλασσαν, ἀλλ' ἀνατρέχειν ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχαίας ῥίζας τὰς ζώσας. Ἐτμήθη ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ· ἐτμήθη καὶ ἐπὶ Ἠλία, ὅτε τῇ μηλωτῇ αὐτὸν ἔτεμεν· ἐτμήθη ὑπὸ Ἑλισσαίου, ὅτε ὑποστρέφων ἔτεμεν αὐτόν. Πρῶτος Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἔτεμε τὸν Ἰορδάνην· καὶ ὅπως ἔτεμεν, ἄκουε. Οὐκ ἔστητε τὰ ῥεῖθρα τῶν πηγῶν, ἀλλ' ἀπέστρεψε τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς λέγων· Τί σοί ἐστι, θάλασσα, ὅτι ἔφυγες; καὶ σὺ, Ἰορδάνη, ὅτι ἐστράφης εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω; Τὰ δὲ ὀπίσω ἦσαν αἱ πηγαί.","english":"They came together in marriage, and the one body from both was completed, and those who were born were no longer from a rib or from the earth, but from intercourse they were born. For, it says, the two shall be one flesh.\n\nSo this our formation, running in the course of nature, had death as its end. Our formation began from earth, and ended in death; and this formation was received by the dead sea, the deep, the subterranean, the abyss of the dead. For what the dead sea is to the living waters, that Hades is to the dying. Therefore Paul says: Do not say in your heart, Who will descend into Hades? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. Around this Jordan, then, which flows from living springs and ends in a dead sea, all the miracle-working of God was accomplished, so that the living water might no longer run toward death. A third time God cut the Jordan itself, so that it might no longer have its course into the dead sea, but run back to its ancient living sources. It was cut in the time of Joshua son of Nun; it was cut also in the time of Elijah, when he cut it with his sheepskin; it was cut by Elisha, when he cut it on his return. First Joshua son of Nun cut the Jordan; and how he cut it, listen. He did not stop the streams of the springs, but turned the water backward, as the psalmist bears witness saying: What is it to you, sea, that you fled? and you, Jordan, that you turned backward? And the backward was the springs.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔσονται γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom alludes to Genesis 2:24 LXX, where the phrase 'two shall be one flesh' is not verbatim but reflects the union of Adam and Eve; the exact wording is a paraphrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μὴ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, Τίς καταβήσεται εἰς τὸν ᾅδην;","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom attributes this to Paul; it echoes Romans 10:19 or a similar admonition, but the precise phrase is not a direct Pauline quotation; it may be a loose citation or a lost variant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"νεκρὰ θάλασσα","severity":"info","text":"The 'dead sea' here refers to the Dead Sea, into which the Jordan River flows; Chrysostom uses it as a symbol of death and the underworld, contrasting with the 'living waters' of the Jordan's springs.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τρίτον αὐτὸν τὸν Ἰορδάνην διέκοψεν ὁ Θεὸς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom structures the passage around three miraculous cuttings of the Jordan: by Joshua, Elijah, and Elisha, with a fourth implied by Christ's baptism; this triadic pattern emphasizes divine intervention.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τί σοί ἐστι, θάλασσα, ὅτι ἔφυγες; καὶ σὺ, Ἰορδάνη, ὅτι ἐστράφης εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω;","severity":"info","text":"This is a paraphrase of Psalm 114:3-5 LXX (113:3-5), where the psalmist addresses the sea and the Jordan; Chrysostom uses it to illustrate the river's reversal during Joshua's crossing.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐτμήθη ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ· ἐτμήθη καὶ ἐπὶ Ἠλία, ὅτε τῇ μηλωτῇ αὐτὸν ἔτεμεν· ἐτμήθη ὑπὸ Ἑλισσαίου","severity":"caution","text":"The cutting of the Jordan by Elijah with a sheepskin and by Elisha is not attested in the biblical narrative; Chrysostom may be drawing on apocryphal or hagiographic traditions, or using allegorical language.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῇ μηλωτῇ' (with the sheepskin) for Elijah's cutting is obscure; it may refer to a cloak or mantle used as a tool, but the exact tradition is unclear.","The identity of the 'psalmist' quoted is not specified; the paraphrase does not match any single psalm verse exactly, suggesting a composite or loose citation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"scripture","severity":"info","ref":"John 4:10","text":"The English carries the scriptural phrase “living water”, which matches John 4:10. The match is on the English draft; check the Coptic before quoting the verse."}]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ἀναχαιτίζων τοίνυν ὁ Σωτὴρ τὸ γένος τὸ ἡμέτερον τὸ τρέχον εἰς θάνατον, ποιεῖ μηκέτι τρέχειν εἰς θάνατον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰς ἀρχαίας ῥίζας τὰς ζώσας ἐπανιέναι, οὐκ εἰς τὴν νεκρὰν θάλασσαν καταλήγειν. Ἀποκαθίσταται τοίνυν ἡ θνητὴ φύσις εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον σχῆμα.\n\nΟὔτε εἷς δὲ φαίνεται τεμὼν τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἄνευ τινὸς συμβόλου. Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἔχων κιβωτὸν ἔτεμεν. Ἠλίας ἔχων μηλωτήν. Ἑλισσαῖος ἔχων πάλιν τὴν\n\nμηλωτὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου ἔτεμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ θνητὴ φύσις οὐκ ἤρκει καθ' ἑαυτὴν στῆσαι τὸ ῥεῖθρον, εἰσέρχεται Ἰησοῦς πρῶτος φέρων μὲν τοῦ Δεσπότου τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἐπαγόμενος δὲ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν κιβωτὸν, τὸ σύμβολον τοῦ δεσποτικοῦ σώματος. Καὶ φαίνεται ὁ Ἰορδάνης οὔτε τὸν Ἰησοῦν τιμήσας, τὸν ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον, λέγω τὸν τοῦ Ναυῆ, οὔτε τοὺς Ἰουδαίους αἰδεσθεὶς, οὔτε τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐντραπείς. Καὶ ἵνα δειχθῇ ὅτι οὐ τῷ λαῷ ὑποχωρεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν κιβωτὸν αἰδεῖται, λέγει Ἰησοῦς· Ἰδοὺ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ κυριεύοντος πάσης τῆς γῆς διέρχεται τὸν Ἰορδάνην. Καὶ ἔσται, ὅταν εἰσέλθωσιν οἱ πόδες τῶν ἱερέων τῶν βασταζόντων τὴν κιβωτὸν, ὁ Ἰορδάνης ἐκλείψει, οὐ τοὺς ἱερεῖς αἰδούμενος, ἀλλὰ τὴν κιβωτόν. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο, ἄκουε. Ἐρωτᾷ αὐτὸν ὁ Δαυῒδ λέγων· Τί σοί ἐστι, θάλασσα, ὅτι ἔφυγες; καὶ σὺ, Ἰορδάνη, ὅτι ἐστράφης εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω; Πρὸς ταῦτα ἀποκρίνεται ἡ δημιουργία λέγουσα· Ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ. Πρόσωπον δὲ Κυρίου ἦν τὸ σχῆμα τῆς κιβωτοῦ.","english":"Therefore, the Savior, checking our race which was rushing toward death, makes it no longer rush toward death, but to return to the ancient living roots, not to end in the dead sea. So the mortal nature is restored to its ancient form.\n\nBut no one appears to have cut the Jordan without some symbol. Joshua the son of Nun cut it, bearing the ark. Elijah cut it, bearing the sheepskin. Elisha cut it, again bearing the sheepskin of his teacher. For since the mortal nature was not sufficient by itself to stop the stream, Jesus enters first, bearing the name of the Lord, and bringing with him the ark, the symbol of the Lord's body. And the Jordan appears to have honored neither that Jesus—I mean the mere man, the son of Nun—nor to have respected the Jews, nor to have regarded the priests. And to show that it does not yield to the people, but respects the ark, Jesus says: Behold, the ark of the Lord who rules the whole earth passes through the Jordan. And it will be that when the feet of the priests carrying the ark enter, the Jordan will recede, not respecting the priests, but the ark. And how is this? Listen. David asks him, saying: What is it to you, sea, that you fled? And you, Jordan, that you turned back? To this, creation answers, saying: The earth was shaken from the face of the Lord. And the face of the Lord was the form of the ark.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀναχαιτίζων","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἀναχαιτίζω, literally 'to check a horse by pulling back the reins,' is used metaphorically: the Savior halts humanity's headlong rush toward death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ","severity":"info","text":"Joshua son of Nun (Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ) is the Old Testament figure who led the Israelites across the Jordan River (Joshua 3–4). Chrysostom contrasts him with Jesus Christ, who bears the same name.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠλίας ... Ἑλισσαῖος","severity":"info","text":"Elijah and Elisha are prophets who crossed the Jordan; the 'sheepskin' (μηλωτή) likely refers to Elijah's mantle, a symbol of prophetic authority passed to Elisha (2 Kings 2:8, 13–14).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπὸ προσώπου Κυρίου ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ","severity":"info","text":"This quotation echoes Psalm 114:7 (LXX): 'the earth was shaken from the face of the Lord.' Chrysostom interprets 'face of the Lord' as the form of the ark.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κιβωτός","severity":"info","text":"The ark (κιβωτός) of the covenant is here interpreted as a type of Christ's body, a common patristic typology. Chrysostom emphasizes that the Jordan recedes not for the people but for the ark.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a general soteriological statement (the Savior restores mortal nature) to a series of biblical examples (Joshua, Elijah, Elisha) that illustrate the power of symbols over nature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ἰησοῦς πρῶτος' could be read as 'Jesus first' (i.e., Christ) or 'Joshua first'; the context suggests Joshua, but Chrysostom plays on the name's double reference.","The source of the dialogue between David and the Jordan is unclear; it may be from an apocryphal or liturgical tradition not preserved in canonical scripture."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ὃ γὰρ ἦν ἡ κιβωτὸς τῷ νόμῳ καὶ ταῖς πλαξὶ καὶ τῇ στάμνῳ καὶ τῇ ῥάβδῳ, τοῦτο ἦν τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου θεότητος ἡ σὰρξ ἡ δεσποτικὴ, ὡς ἐν κιβωτῷ φέρουσα τὴν θεότητα. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς ἁγίας κιβωτοῦ ἔλεγεν ὁ μακάριος Δαυΐδ· Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, σὺ καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ ἁγιάσματός σου. Καὶ ὅρα τί ποιεῖ· ὅτι ἐξηράνθη ὁ Ἰορδάνης, οὐκ ἀπολέσας τὰ ῥεῖθρα, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰς ἀρχαίας ῥίζας ἀναποδήσας, Ἐπῆρε, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνουδώδεκα λίθους μεγάλους, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτοὺς πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ· ἔθηκε δὲ ἀντ' αὐτῶν ἄλλους δώδεκα λίθους ἐν τῷ ποταμῷ. Τί βούλεται τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ περιαιρεθῆναι δώδεκα λίθους, καὶ τεθῆναι ἀντ' αὐτῶν ἄλλους δώδεκα; Ἐπειδὴ, ὡς ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τὴν θνητὴν φύσιν ἀνεχαίτιζε· μᾶλλον δὲ βούλεται δεῖξαι ὅτι ἀνασπᾷ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἐκ τῶν βυθῶν, καὶ ἀνάγει εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Τοὺς γὰρ λίθους τοὺς μηδέποτε θεασαμένους ἡλιακὴν ἀκτῖνα, μήτε φωτὸς δεξαμένους ὄψιν, ἥπλωσεν εἰς φῶς, καὶ ἦσαν εἰς γῆν ἐκ βυθοῦ ἀνασπασθέντες. Διὰ τί δὲ δώδεκα λίθους ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν; Ἐπειδὴ διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων ἔμελλεν ἀνασπᾷν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἀπὸ τῆς θνητῆς φύσεως. Ἔστω δὲ, τοὺς ὄντας κάτω λίθους περιεῖλεν, ἵνα δείξῃ τῷ ἡλίῳ καὶ τῷ φωτὶ καὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀνθρώποις ἐναργῆ ὄψιν, πῶς διέβησαν τὸν Ἰορδάνην· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐσήμανεν· Ἐὰν ἐρωτήσῃ σε, φησὶν, ὁ υἱός σου, λέγων· Τί εἰσιν οἱ λίθοι οὗτοι; εἰπὲ αὐτῷ, ὅτι, Ἐπὶ ξηρᾶς διέβημεν τὸν Ἰορδάνην, κωλύσαντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ὕδωρ πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' ἔστω, οἱ ἀνενεχθέντες λίθοι ἐτέθησαν, ἵνα φανῶσι τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα·","english":"What the ark was for the Law, for the tablets, for the jar, and for the rod, that the flesh of the Lord was for the incomprehensible divinity, bearing the divinity as in an ark. Concerning this holy ark, the blessed David said: \"Arise, Lord, to your rest, you and the ark of your sanctification.\" And see what it does: that the Jordan dried up, not by losing its streams, but by returning to its ancient roots. \"Joshua,\" it says, \"took from the Jordan twelve great stones, and set them on the other side of the river; and he placed twelve other stones in their place in the river.\" What does this mean—that twelve stones were removed, and twelve others put in their place? Because, as I said earlier, he was checking the mortal nature; rather, he wishes to show that he draws humanity up from the depths and leads it to heaven. For the stones that had never seen a ray of the sun, nor received the sight of light, he spread out into the light, and they were drawn up from the deep to the land. Why did he take twelve stones from there? Because through the twelve apostles he was about to draw humanity up from mortal nature. Granted, he removed the stones that were below, in order to show to the sun, to the light, and to the people after this a clear sight of how they crossed the Jordan; for he also indicated the reason: \"If your son asks you,\" he says, \"saying, 'What are these stones?' tell him, 'We crossed the Jordan on dry land, God having held back the water before our faces.'\" But granted, the stones that were brought up were placed so that they might be visible to those after this.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, σὺ καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς τοῦ ἁγιάσματός σου","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom attributes to David a quotation that does not correspond verbatim to any known biblical verse; it may be a conflation of Psalm 132:8 LXX and 1 Chronicles 28:2 LXX, or a liturgical adaptation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Joshua 4:5, 4:8-9","severity":"info","text":"The narrative of Joshua taking twelve stones from the Jordan and setting them on the opposite bank is not found in the biblical text; Chrysostom likely draws on an extra-biblical tradition or a midrashic expansion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"κιβωτός","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom compares Christ's flesh to the ark of the covenant, which contained the tablets, the jar of manna, and Aaron's rod; this typology is common in patristic exegesis, linking the incarnate Word to the salvific instruments of the Old Law.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"δώδεκα λίθοι","severity":"info","text":"The twelve stones removed from the Jordan and replaced by twelve others are interpreted as a type of the twelve apostles, who draw humanity from mortal nature to heaven; this chiastic substitution underscores the transition from old to new covenant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ξηρᾶς διέβημεν τὸν Ἰορδάνην","severity":"info","text":"The motif of crossing the Jordan on dry land recurs in later Christian literature and iconography as a symbol of baptism and the passage from death to life; Chrysostom here uses it to illustrate divine intervention halting the flow of mortality.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπῆρε, φησὶν, Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου δώδεκα λίθους","severity":"caution","text":"The source of the Joshua episode is uncertain; it may derive from a lost apocryphon or a homiletic embellishment. The Greek text is not corrupt, but the referent of φησίν is ambiguous—possibly Scripture, a tradition, or the speaker's own earlier statement.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the source for the Joshua stone episode is unclear; φησίν may refer to an unspecified biblical or extra-biblical text.","The quotation attributed to David does not match any known Septuagint verse exactly, leaving its origin ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"οἱ ἀντιτεθέντες διὰ τί ἀντετέθησαν; Ἔλαβεν ἐκ τῶν βυθῶν τοὺς βεβυθισμένους, καὶ ἔδωκε τῷ βυθῷ πάλιν ἐνέχυρα σωτηρίας. Οἱ τεθέντες λίθοι ἐνέχυρα, οἱ ληφθέντες ἀσφάλεια.\n\nΚαὶ πολλὴ ἡ περὶ τούτων θεωρία, καὶ διὰ τί ἐτέθησαν λίθοι, καὶ διὰ τί περιῃρέθησαν λίθοι. Χριστὸς καὶ λαμβάνει, καὶ δίδωσιν. Ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ἀνέλαβε τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἡμέτερον, δεδωκὼς ἡμῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν. Διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀντιτίθησι τῷ ποταμῷ δώδεκα λίθους, ἐνέχυρον σωτηρίας, καὶ ἀῤῥαβῶνα τῶν μελλόντων. Ὁ γὰρ δεδωκώς τινί τι εἴς τι πρᾶγμα, ἐνεχυριάζει αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ μέλλον. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἔμελλε τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα πάλιν αὐτῷ τηρεῖσθαι, ὅτε ἔμελλε βαπτίζεσθαι ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου, προλαβὼν ἀπέθετο τὰ ἐνέχυρα τῆς ἐπιφανείας, καὶ ἔστησε τοὺς λίθους, οὓς μὲν ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν, τοὺς πατριάρχας, οὓς ἤγειρε τότε· οὓς δὲ ἀντέθηκε, τοὺς ἀποστόλους, οὓς ἔδωκεν ἀντ' ἐκείνων. Ἀντὶ γὰρ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγεννήθησάν σοι υἱοί. Οὕτω διέβη τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ γίνεται ὁ Ἰορδάνης Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ ἀρχὴ τῆς κατασχέσεως τῆς γῆς. Ἕως ὅτε παρῆλθε τὸν Ἰορδάνην, οὐκ ἐκληρονόμησε τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην γῆν· ἕως ὅτε Χριστὸς παρῆλθε τὸν Ἰορδάνην, οὐκ ἤρξατο κηρύσσειν τὴν βασιλείαν. Ἀρχὴ τῆς κατασχέσεως τῆς γῆς ὁ Ἰορδάνης, ἀρχὴ τῆς κατασχέσεως τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁ Ἰορδάνης. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης","english":"Why were those set in opposition placed there? He took from the depths those who had been sunk, and gave back to the depth pledges of salvation. The stones placed were pledges, those taken were security.\n\nAnd there is much contemplation about these things: why stones were placed, and why stones were removed. Christ both takes and gives. He came into the world and took up our body, giving us his own power. Through the apostles he sets twelve stones in opposition to the river, a pledge of salvation and a down payment of things to come. For he who has given someone something for a certain matter gives him a pledge for the future. Since this name was to be preserved for him again, when he was to be baptized by John, he anticipated and deposited the pledges of his manifestation, and set up the stones: those he took from there, the patriarchs whom he raised at that time; and those he set in opposition, the apostles, whom he gave in exchange for them. For in place of your fathers, sons were born to you. Thus he crossed the Jordan, and the Jordan becomes for Joshua son of Nun the beginning of the possession of the land. Until he crossed the Jordan, he did not inherit the promised land; until Christ crossed the Jordan, he did not begin to proclaim the kingdom. The Jordan is the beginning of the possession of the land; the Jordan is the beginning of the possession of the kingdom of heaven. For this reason the prophet","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἐνέχυρα","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term enekhura means 'pledges' or 'securities' in a legal/commercial sense. Chrysostom uses it to frame the stones (patriarchs and apostles) as collateral for salvation, a metaphor of exchange and guarantee.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰορδάνης","severity":"info","text":"The crossing of the Jordan alludes to Joshua 3–4, where Joshua (Ἰησοῦς) leads Israel into the promised land. Chrysostom parallels this with Christ's baptism and the beginning of his public ministry.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀντιτίθησι","severity":"info","text":"The verb antitithēmi ('set in opposition') is a structural keyword: it links the placement of the twelve stones (apostles) as a counterbalance to the patriarchs taken from the depths, forming a typological exchange.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"δώδεκα λίθους","severity":"info","text":"The twelve stones represent the apostles, a common patristic typology. Chrysostom contrasts them with the patriarchs (the 'stones taken'), showing a transfer of covenantal leadership from the Old to the New Testament.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom draws a parallel between Joshua (Ἰησοῦς τοῦ Ναυῆ) and Jesus Christ (Ἰησοῦς Χριστός), both crossing the Jordan as a threshold to a promised inheritance—land for Joshua, the kingdom of heaven for Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀῤῥαβῶνα","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek arrhabōn ('down payment') is a rare commercial term in patristic Greek. Its use here may reflect Chrysostom's rhetorical training in Antioch, but the exact nuance (earnest money vs. symbolic pledge) is debated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'those set in opposition' (οἱ ἀντιτεθέντες) is not explicitly named in this passage; context suggests the apostles, but the antecedent is ambiguous without the previous passage.","The phrase 'this name was to be preserved for him again' (τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα πάλιν αὐτῷ τηρεῖσθαι) is unclear: it may refer to the name 'Jesus' (shared with Joshua) or to the title 'Christ'."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"λέγει· Μνησθήσομαί σου, Κύριε, ἐκ γῆς Ἰορδάνου. Μνήμη γάρ ἐστιν ἀνεξάλειπτος. Ὁ μὲν Ἰησοῦς οὕτω διαβὰς ἔτεμε τὸν Ἰορδάνην, τὴν κιβωτὸν αὐτῷ δείξας· Ἠλίας δὲ τῇ μηλωτῇ ἔτεμε, δέρματι νεκρῷ, καὶ τὰ ζῶντα ὕδατα τῇ νεκρώσει τῆς μηλωτῆς ὑπήκουσεν. Ἔτεμεν Ἠλίας τῇ μηλωτῇ τὸν Ἰορδάνην· καὶ οὕτω διέβη ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τοὺς οὐρανούς. Ὑπέστρεψεν ὁ μακάριος Ἑλισσαῖος λαβὼν τὴν μηλωτὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου, ὡς ἠξίου αὐτὸν λέγων· Τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐπὶ σοὶ γενέσθω διπλοῦν ἐπ' ἐμοί. Λέγει αὐτῷ, Σκληρῶς ᾔτησας· πλὴν ἐὰν ἴδῃς με ἀναλαμβανόμενον, ἔσται σοι. Ἀντὶ τοῦ καταξιωθῆναι διπλῆν ἔχειν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ἐνέργειαν. Εἶτα ἀνελήφθη. Ἐμετεωρίσθη ἡ μηλωτὴ, καὶ ἐπέπεσε τῷ μαθητῇ· ἔλαβεν ἐνέχυρον, καὶ ἔφθασεν ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμόν· ἐπείρασε τεμεῖν τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσε τὸ ὕδωρ. Ἀπορίᾳ ληφθεὶς ὁ Ἑλισσαῖος λέγει· Ποῦ ὁ Θεὸς Ἠλία ἀπφώ; καὶ μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν, ἐπάταξεν ἐκ δευτέρου τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ ἐμερίσθη ὁ Ἰορδάνης. Διὰ τί δὲ οὐχ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ ἐν πρώτοις τὸ ὕδωρ; Ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ, ὅτι διὰ τὴν προτέραν αὐτοῦ ἀξίαν, ἣν εἶχε, διὰ τοῦτο ὑπήκουσεν· ὅτι μέντοι ἐκάλεσε τὸν Θεὸν καὶ λέγει· Ποῦ ὁ Θεὸς Ἠλία ἀπφώ; Διὰ τί δὲ εἶπε, Ποῦ ὁ Θεός; οὐκ ᾔδει ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ πανταχοῦ ἐστιν; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἠλίας· Ἐὰν ἴδῃς με ἀναλαμβανόμενον, ἔσται σοι οὕτως.","english":"He says: \"I will remember you, Lord, from the land of the Jordan.\" For memory is indelible. Joshua, crossing in this way, cut the Jordan, showing the ark to it. Elijah cut it with his sheepskin, with a dead hide, and the living waters obeyed the deadness of the sheepskin. Elijah cut the Jordan with the sheepskin, and thus crossed over to ascend into the heavens. The blessed Elisha returned, taking his teacher's sheepskin, as he had asked him, saying: \"Let the spirit that is upon you be double upon me.\" He says to him: \"You have asked a hard thing; but if you see me being taken up, it will be yours.\" That is, to be deemed worthy to have a double operation of the Holy Spirit. Then he was taken up. The sheepskin was lifted and fell upon the disciple. He took a pledge and came to the river. He tried to cut the Jordan, and the water did not obey. Elisha, seized with perplexity, says: \"Where is the God of Elijah, father?\" And after saying this, he struck the water a second time, and the Jordan was divided. Why did the water not obey him at first? So that he might not think that it obeyed because of his former worth, which he had; but when he called upon God and says: \"Where is the God of Elijah, father?\" Why did he say, \"Where is God?\" Did the prophet not know that God is in heaven and on earth and everywhere? But because Elijah had said to him: \"If you see me being taken up, it will be so for you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Μνησθήσομαί σου, Κύριε, ἐκ γῆς Ἰορδάνου","severity":"info","text":"This is a citation of Psalm 42(41):2 LXX: 'I will remember you, Lord, from the land of the Jordan.' Chrysostom uses it as a proof-text for the theme of indelible memory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠλίας ... τῇ μηλωτῇ","severity":"info","text":"The sheepskin (μηλωτή) is a traditional attribute of Elijah, associated with his prophetic mantle. The story of Elijah crossing the Jordan with his sheepskin is not in the canonical Old Testament but appears in later Jewish and Christian hagiographic traditions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἑλισσαῖος ... Ποῦ ὁ Θεὸς Ἠλία ἀπφώ","severity":"info","text":"Elisha's exclamation 'Where is the God of Elijah, father?' echoes the biblical narrative of 2 Kings 2, where Elisha witnesses Elijah's ascension and receives his mantle. The phrase 'ἀπφώ' (father) is a colloquial address, reflecting the intimate teacher-disciple relationship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τί ... ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom employs a rhetorical question-and-answer structure ('Why...? So that...') to explain the water's initial disobedience to Elisha, emphasizing that the miracle was not due to Elisha's own merit but to his invocation of God.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀνεξάλειπτος","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term ἀνεξάλειπτος means 'indelible' or 'ineradicable.' Chrysostom uses it to characterize memory as permanent, reinforcing the theological point that the Jordan's memory of God's acts is eternal.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐμετεωρίσθη ἡ μηλωτὴ","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'the sheepskin was lifted' is ambiguous: it could mean it was taken up into heaven with Elijah or simply raised in the air. The Greek verb ἐμετεωρίσθη suggests suspension, but the exact mechanism is unclear from the text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ἐμετεωρίσθη ἡ μηλωτὴ' is ambiguous: it may mean the sheepskin was taken up to heaven with Elijah or merely lifted in the air before falling on Elisha.","The identity of 'Ἰησοῦς' in the first sentence is ambiguous: it could refer to Joshua (as in the LXX) or Jesus, but the context of crossing the Jordan and showing the ark suggests Joshua."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}