{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","title":"In mediam hebdomadam jejuniorum","title_source":"In mediam hebdomadam jejuniorum","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":"2026-11-15T06:32:45Z","cost_usd":0.002687},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","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%20mediam%20hebdomadam%20jejuniorum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":962,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":3956,"commentary_units":24,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":6,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","abstract":"This homily, attributed to John Chrysostom, is assigned to the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent (Mediana Hebdomada Jejuniorum). It exhorts the congregation to persevere in the Lenten fast, using athletic imagery and the metaphor of a ladder to heaven. The text emphasizes spiritual refreshment and the empowerment of all believers, including the weak, in the ascetic contest. Its place in Chrysostom's corpus is fixed by the liturgical calendar, and it was read in the Byzantine Lenten Triodion, influencing the liturgical understanding of mid-Lent. The Greek text is preserved in the manuscript tradition of Chrysostom's homilies, but no single authoritative codex is identified, and the edition by khazarzar relies on a collation of several witnesses without a critical apparatus.","historical_context":"The homily is traditionally dated to the late 4th century, when John Chrysostom served as a presbyter in Antioch (c. 386–397) and later as bishop of Constantinople (398–404). Antioch was a major center of Greek Christianity, with a vibrant liturgical life and a strong ascetic tradition. The sermon reflects the Lenten practices of the Antiochene church, where the fast was a period of intensified spiritual discipline. The text was transmitted as part of the manuscript tradition of Chrysostom's homilies, often collected in liturgical cycles. Its inclusion in the Byzantine Triodion ensured its continued use in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Attribution to Chrysostom is traditional but not externally verified for this specific homily; some scholars question the authenticity of certain Lenten sermons in his corpus. The edition by khazarzar collates several witnesses but lacks a critical apparatus, making it difficult to assess textual decisions or stemmatic relationships.","significance":"This homily is significant for its role in shaping the liturgical understanding of mid-Lent as a time of spiritual refreshment and perseverance. It exemplifies Chrysostom's rhetorical style and ascetic theology, using athletic and ladder imagery to encourage the faithful. The text also illustrates the integration of patristic preaching into Byzantine liturgical practice, influencing later monastic and homiletic traditions.","timeline":[{"date":"4th c.","event":"Probable composition of the homily by John Chrysostom in Antioch or Constantinople."},{"date":"5th–10th c.","event":"Transmission of the Greek text in manuscript collections of Chrysostom's homilies."},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Inclusion of the homily in the Lenten Triodion for liturgical reading."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Edition by khazarzar based on collation of several manuscript witnesses."}],"relations":[{"work":"On the Statues","relation":"Parallel themes of ascetic perseverance and civic virtue in Chrysostom's corpus.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Against the Jews","relation":"Similar emphasis on spiritual rewards and angelic imitation.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ladder of Divine Ascent","relation":"Later monastic work that echoes the ladder imagery of spiritual ascent.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine Triodion","relation":"Liturgical book that preserves the homily for Lenten reading.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["Attribution to Chrysostom is traditional but not externally verified for this specific homily; some scholars question the authenticity of certain Lenten sermons in his corpus.","The edition by khazarzar does not provide a critical apparatus or variant readings, so textual decisions and stemmatic relationships cannot be assessed.","No single authoritative codex is identified for the Greek text; the edition relies on a collation of several witnesses."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000446,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:32:45Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20mediam%20hebdomadam%20jejuniorum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-mediam-hebdomadam-jejuniorum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":24,"english_words":962,"source_letters":3956,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sermon is assigned to the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent (Mediana Hebdomada Jejuniorum). Its place in Chrysostom’s corpus is fixed by the liturgical calendar, not by external documentary evidence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text is preserved in the manuscript tradition of Chrysostom’s homilies, but no single authoritative codex is identified. The edition by khazarzar relies on a collation of several witnesses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was read in the Byzantine Lenten Triodion, influencing the liturgical understanding of mid-Lent as a time of spiritual refreshment and perseverance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition does not provide a critical apparatus or variant readings; the user cannot assess textual decisions or the stemmatic relationships among manuscripts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Chrysostom is traditional but not externally verified for this specific homily; some scholars question the authenticity of certain Lenten sermons in his corpus.","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: 4 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":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Εἰς τὴν μέσην ἑβδομάδα τῶν νηστειῶν.\n\nΕὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς ὁ χαρισάμενος τοῖς ἀγωνισταῖς τῆς νηστείας καὶ τὸ μέσον ἆθλον τῆς ἐγκρατείας θεάσασθαι. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐπὶ ταῖς θύραις ἑστήκαμεν τῶν μέσων τῆς νηστείας σκαμμάτων· ἰδοὺ τὸ μέσον τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἡμῖν πρόκειται. Δεῦρο γοῦν θαῤῥοῦντες τῷ ἀγωνοθέτῃ Χριστῷ, κατατολμήσωμεν καὶ τῶν δευτέρων τῆς νηστείας παλαισμάτων. Ἐμεσάσαμεν χάριτι Κυρίου ἤδη τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάγουσαν κλίμακα· ἀναλώσωμεν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μὴ τὸ ἥμισυ μόνον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὅλον. Πλησίον γεγόναμεν λοιπὸν τῶν ἐπάθλων· ἐπιμείνωμεν τοίνυν τοῖς σκάμμασι. Λάμπουσι γὰρ ἤδη τῶν τῆς ἐγκρατείας σκαμμάτων τὰ χαρίσματα, στίλβουσι τῶν ἀθλητικῶν ἱδρώτων οἱ στέφανοι, οὐρανόθεν πρόκεινται τῶν ἀγώνων τὰ βραδεῖα, ἃ βραβεύει ὁ ἀγωνοθέτης Χριστὸς τῇ νίκῃ τῶν σκαμματιζόντων. Οὐρανόθεν ἡμᾶς νευροῖ πρὸς τὴν τῆς νηστείας εὐτονίαν, καὶ οὐρανόθεν ἐπαγγέλλεται διδόναι χαρίσματα τοῖς ἀθληταῖς τῆς νηστείας. Μὴ τοίνυν ὀλιγωρήσωμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας, ἵνα καταλάβωμεν τῶν τῆς νηστείας στεφανιτῶν τὴν πόλιν. Οὐρανὸν γὰρ περιπολοῦσιν οἱ τῆς νηστείας τρόφιμοι, οὐρανὸς ἀγκαλίζεται τοὺς μιμητὰς τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἐπειδὴ οὐράνιον τῶν νηστευόντων τὸ πολίτευμα. Νηστεία γὰρ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς μεθίστησιν, εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀνάγει τάξιν, εὔκολον τὴν ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς πορείαν καθίστησι, καὶ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν ἐπουράνιον βασιλέα παρίστησι, τῶν ἀθανάτων ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν χορηγοῦσα. Ξένον γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, τοῦ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀγῶνος τὸ θαῦμα.","english":"On the Middle Week of the Fasts.\n\nBlessed is God, who has granted to the contestants of the fast even to behold the middle prize of continence. For behold, we stand at the gates of the middle contests of the fast; behold, the midpoint of the struggle lies before us. Come then, taking courage in Christ the umpire, let us dare even the second wrestling-matches of the fast. We have already, by the grace of the Lord, ascended halfway up the ladder that leads to heaven; let us consume not only half of our sins, but the whole. We have now drawn near to the prizes; let us therefore persevere in the contests. For the rewards of the contests of continence already shine, the crowns of the athletic sweats gleam, the prizes of the struggles are set forth from heaven, which Christ the umpire awards to the victory of the contestants. From heaven he nerves us for the vigor of the fast, and from heaven he promises to give gifts to the athletes of the fast. Let us not, then, be faint-hearted toward the struggles, so that we may reach the city of the crowned victors of the fast. For the nurslings of the fast traverse heaven, heaven embraces the imitators of the angels, since the polity of those who fast is heavenly. For fasting transfers men from earth to heaven, leads them up to the order of the angels, makes easy the journey from earth to heaven, and sets them before the heavenly king himself, supplying the enjoyment of immortal goods. For the marvel of our contest, brothers, is strange.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Εἰς τὴν μέσην ἑβδομάδα τῶν νηστειῶν","severity":"info","text":"The title refers to the middle week of Lent, a time of spiritual and ascetic intensification in the Greek Christian tradition, often associated with the theme of perseverance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀγωνοθέτῃ","severity":"info","text":"Ἀγωνοθέτης (umpire) is a term from athletic contests, here applied to Christ, emphasizing the metaphor of the Christian life as a struggle with divine oversight and reward.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"κλίμακα","severity":"info","text":"The ladder to heaven echoes the imagery of Jacob's ladder (Gen 28:12) and the ascetic ladder of virtues, common in patristic literature, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐρανόθεν","severity":"info","text":"The repeated emphasis on heavenly rewards and angelic imitation parallels themes in Chrysostom's other Lenten homilies, such as 'On the Statues' and 'Against the Jews'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Δεῦρο γοῦν θαῤῤροῦντες","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from declarative praise to exhortation, using imperatives and hortatory subjunctives to engage the audience in the athletic metaphor of the fast.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"νηστεία","severity":"info","text":"This homily was likely read during Lent in Byzantine liturgical settings, reinforcing the ascetic ideal of fasting as a means of spiritual ascent, a theme echoed in later monastic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'μέσην ἑβδομάδα' could refer to either the middle week of Lent or a specific Wednesday, but the context of 'midpoint of the struggle' supports the former reading."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Παῖδες γὰρ μετὰ ἀνδρῶν ἀλείφονται, γυναῖκες ἀνδράσιν ἁμιλλῶνται, ἡ ἀσθενὴς τῶν θηλειῶν πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀνδρίζεται φύσις.\n\nἘλεύθερον τοῖς ἐθέλουσι τὸ σκάμμα τῆς νηστείας. Χριστὸς γὰρ ἄφθονος ἀγωνοθέτης κάθηται. Σπεύσωμεν καὶ πρὸς τὸν μέσον ἀγῶνα τῆς νηστείας· μηδεὶς καταισχύνῃ τὸν πνευματικὸν τοῦτον ἀγῶνα· μηδεὶς λειποτακτήσῃ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀγώνων τούτων. Λέλειπται γὰρ ὁ ἐχθρὸς τοῦ θράσους, ἀφῄρηται τὸ πλέον τῆς μάχης, νενίκηται τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσει, δεδούλωται ἡττηθεὶς, ἐλήλαται διὰ νηστείας, ἐπ' ἐδάφους ὑπὸ νηπίων γελώμενος ἔῤῥιπται, ἐπιτάφιον αἰσχύνης ὑπ' αὐτῶν δεχόμενος ὄνειδος. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ὀκλάσῃ, ἀγαπητοὶ, περὶ τὸ μέσον τῆς νηστείας γενόμενος· μηδεὶς ὀλιγωρήσῃ τῶν μέσων σκαμμάτων· ἡ γὰρ ἡμετέρα γενναιότης ἐκείνου κατάπτωσις. Εἴ τις ἀθλεῖ νωθρῶς, ἐκεῖνον ῥώννυσιν· εἴ τις ὑμῶν ἀσθενῶς ἀγωνίζεται, ἐκεῖνον νευροῖ. Στῶμεν τοιγαροῦν πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα γενναίως, ἵνα ὁ ἀντίπαλος πέσῃ μειζόνως. Βρωμάτων φύγωμεν πόθον· καρτερήσωμεν πρὸς ὀλίγον, ἵνα ἀθάνατον λάβωμεν χάριν. Ἔφαγε γὰρ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ θανάτῳ κατεδικάσθη· ἐνήστευσεν Ἠλίας, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰς κλεῖς ἐπιστεύθη· ἔπιε Νῶε, καὶ τὸν νοῦν μετεβλήθη· ἤσκησεν Ἐνὼχ, καὶ ὑπ' ἀγγέλων μετετέθη· ἐχορτάσθη Φαραὼ, καὶ ἐν θαλάσσῃ σὺν ἅρμασι κατεποντίσθη· ἐνήστευσε Μωϋσῆς, καὶ θάλατταν κατεπέβη, καινοτέρων τειχῶν ἐκ τῆς ὑγρᾶς τῶν ὑδάτων οὐσίας γενόμενος οἰκοδόμος, καὶ ξένην γῆν τὸν λαὸν ὁδοιπορεῖν παρασκευάσας, κεκονιαμένῳ ποδὶ τὴν θάλασσαν παρήγαγε.","english":"For children are anointed alongside men, women contend with men, and the weak nature of females is emboldened for the contest.\n\nThe arena of the fast is free for all who wish. For Christ sits as a bountiful judge of the contest. Let us hasten also to the middle contest of the fast; let no one disgrace this spiritual contest; let no one desert these spiritual contests. For the enemy has been stripped of his boldness, the greater part of the battle has been taken away, he has been conquered by the judgment of God, he has been enslaved in defeat, he has been driven out through fasting, he has been cast to the ground, laughed at by infants, receiving from them a reproach as a funeral song of shame. Therefore, let no one falter, beloved, upon reaching the middle of the fast; let no one be negligent of the middle contests; for our valor is his downfall. If anyone competes sluggishly, he strengthens that enemy; if any of you fights weakly, he gives nerve to that enemy. Let us therefore stand for the contest bravely, so that the adversary may fall more greatly. Let us flee the desire for foods; let us endure for a short time, so that we may receive an immortal grace. For Adam ate, and was condemned to death; Elijah fasted, and was entrusted with the keys of heaven; Noah drank, and his mind was changed; Enoch exercised, and was translated by angels; Pharaoh was sated, and was drowned in the sea with his chariots; Moses fasted, and crossed the sea, becoming a builder of new walls from the liquid substance of the waters, and having prepared the people to travel on a strange land, he led them across the sea with a plastered foot.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Παῖδες γὰρ μετὰ ἀνδρῶν ἀλείφονται, γυναῖκες ἀνδράσιν ἁμιλλῶνται, ἡ ἀσθενὴς τῶν θηλειῶν πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα ἀνδρίζεται φύσις.","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses athletic imagery (anointing, contending) to emphasize that even the weak (women, children) are empowered in the spiritual contest of fasting.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀγωνοθέτης","severity":"info","text":"ἀγωνοθέτης (umpire/judge of games) is a key term: Christ is the generous judge of the fast, contrasting with a harsh earthly judge.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔφαγε γὰρ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ θανάτῳ κατεδικάσθη· ἐνήστευσεν Ἠλίας, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰς κλεῖς ἐπιστεύθη· ἔπιε Νῶε, καὶ τὸν νοῦν μετεβλήθη· ἤσκησεν Ἐνὼχ, καὶ ὑπ' ἀγγέλων μ","severity":"info","text":"This series of biblical exempla (Adam, Elijah, Noah, Enoch, Pharaoh, Moses) contrasts fasting with indulgence, drawing on Genesis, 1 Kings, Exodus, and traditions about Enoch.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπ' ἐδάφους ὑπὸ νηπίων γελώμενος ἔῤῥιπται, ἐπιτάφιον αἰσχύνης ὑπ' αὐτῶν δεχόμενος ὄνειδος.","severity":"info","text":"The image of the enemy (the devil) being laughed at by infants and receiving a funeral song of shame reflects early Christian mockery of demonic forces, common in ascetic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Σπεύσωμεν καὶ πρὸς τὸν μέσον ἀγῶνα τῆς νηστείας· μηδεὶς καταισχύνῃ τὸν πνευματικὸν τοῦτον ἀγῶνα· μηδεὶς λειποτακτήσῃ","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured as an exhortation: after the opening athletic metaphor, Chrysostom calls for perseverance, warns against desertion, and concludes with biblical examples.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπ' ἐδάφους ὑπὸ νηπίων γελώμενος ἔῤῥιπται","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'laughed at by infants' is unusual; the Greek νηπίων could mean 'infants' or 'fools' (as a metaphor for the spiritually immature). The translation takes it literally.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'ὑπὸ νηπίων' may be interpreted as 'by infants' (literal) or 'by the foolish' (metaphorical); the English draft adopts the literal sense.","The reference to 'keys of heaven' for Elijah is not biblical but from later tradition (e.g., 2 Kings 2:11-12 and Jewish/Christian legend)."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Μετέλαβεν Εὔα παρανόμου βρώσεως, καὶ πάντες ἐξ ἐκείνης θανάτῳ παραδίδονται· ἀπέσχετο ὁ ἐκ Μαρίας τεχθεὶς Δεσπότης ἐννόμου βρώσεως, καὶ πάντας τῆς καταδίκης τοῦ θανάτου ἠλευθέρωσε. Γεῦσις θανάτου τὸ ἐν παραδείσῳ δένδρον. Ἧ δὲ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς, φάγησθε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ\n\nἀποθανεῖσθε. Φυγὴ θανάτου, σταυροῦ τὸ δένδρον· ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ ἐπήγα ζεν ἡ ζωὴ ἡ ἀθάνατος. Ἀπὸ σταυροῦ πρὸς παράδεισον ὁ λῃστὴς μεταβέβηκεν, ἀντὶ θανάτου ζωὴν ἀνταλλαξάμενος. Καρπὸς τοῦ φθόνου τοῦ ἐν παραδείσῳ φυτοῦ ἡ βρῶσις· καὶ ἀναίρεσις τοῦ φθόνου ἡ ἐκ τοῦ καρποῦ τοῦ σταυροῦ μετάληψις. Εἰ ἐνήστευσεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, οὐκ ἂν θανάτῳ κατεδικάσθη, οὐκ ἂν τῆς ἀκαμάτου τρυφῆς ἐξόριστος γέγονεν, οὐκ ἂν τῇ φθορᾷ ὑπεβλήθη. Φησὶ γὰρ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ, ὅτι Ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἔκτισεν ἐπ' ἀφθαρσίᾳ· φθόνῳ δὲ διαβόλου θάνατος εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθεν. Ἀλλ' ἦλθε Χριστὸς, Ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, προσήλωσε τὸ γραμματεῖον τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ σταυρῷ, ἀκυρώσας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῦ θανάτου. Καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος· Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα. Ἀμειψώμεθα τοίνυν κατὰ δύναμιν τὸν εὐεργέτην, ἀγαπητοί· μικροῖς ὀβολοῖς θεραπεύσωμεν τὸν πλούσιον ἐν ἐλέει.","english":"Eve partook of forbidden food, and all from her are handed over to death. The Lord born of Mary abstained from lawful food, and freed all from the condemnation of death. The tree in paradise was a taste of death. For on the day you eat from it, God says, you will die by death. The tree of the cross is a flight from death; for from there immortal life flowed. From the cross to paradise the thief passed, exchanging death for life. The fruit of the tree of envy in paradise was the eating; and the abolition of envy is the partaking of the fruit of the cross. If Adam had fasted, he would not have been condemned to death, he would not have been exiled from untiring delight, he would not have been subjected to corruption. For divine Scripture says that God created man for incorruption; but through the envy of the devil death entered the world. But Christ came, our peace, and having dissolved the partition wall of the fence, he nailed the enmity in his flesh, the record of sin, to the cross, invalidating the death warrant against us. And Paul cries out: Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us. Let us therefore, as far as we are able, repay the benefactor, beloved; let us serve the one rich in mercy with small coins.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡ δὲ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς, φάγησθε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom paraphrases God's warning in Genesis 2:17 (LXX: θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε), emphasizing the immediate consequence of eating the forbidden fruit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου, γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Paul's statement in Galatians 3:13, where Christ's self-sacrifice redeems humanity from the curse of the law.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The 'partition wall of the fence' metaphorically represents the barrier of sin and enmity between humanity and God, a common image in Chrysostom's homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ ἐνήστευσεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses a conditional counterfactual (if Adam had fasted) to contrast the consequences of disobedience with the benefits of fasting, reinforcing the homily's exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀπὸ σταυροῦ πρὸς παράδεισον ὁ λῃστὴς μεταβέβηκεν","severity":"info","text":"The reference to the 'thief' (λῃστής) alludes to the penitent thief in Luke 23:39-43, who gained paradise through Christ's cross, paralleling the theme of redemption.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"μικροῖς ὀβολοῖς θεραπεύσωμεν τὸν πλούσιον ἐν ἐλέει","severity":"info","text":"The call to serve Christ with 'small coins' reflects Chrysostom's frequent exhortation to almsgiving, a key practice in Lenten spirituality.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Ἡ δὲ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ' is a minor textual variant; the standard LXX reads 'ᾗ δ' ἂν ἡμέρᾳ'.","The identity of the 'thief' (λῃστής) is assumed to be the penitent thief of Luke, but Chrysostom does not name him explicitly."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"Ὁ Δεσπότης ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐσταυρώθη· ἡμεῖς δὲ θρέψωμεν τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ κτισθέντα πένητα· ἐκεῖνος θανάτῳ προσωμίλησεν, ἵνα ἡμᾶς θανάτου ἐλευθερώσῃ· ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτὸν μικροῖς ὀβολοῖς τοῦ θανατικοῦ λιμοῦ τοὺς ὁμογενεῖς ἐξαρπάσωμεν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ, αὐτός ἐστιν, ὁ διὰ τῶν πενήτων δεχόμενος τὸ παρεχόμενον. Μὴ τοίνυν παραδράμῃς, ἄνθρωπε, ἐκτείνοντος τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ πένητος, ἀφορῶν εἰς τὸν δι' ἐκείνου δεχόμενον Δεσπότην· ἀλλὰ γενέσθω σοι ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ πένητος θυμιατήριον ἐν ἀγορᾷ προκείμενον. Ἔχει γὰρ ἀντὶ πυρὸς, τοῦ λιμοῦ τοὺς ἄνθρακας κατατήκοντας. Ἐπιβάλλωμεν οὖν ἀντὶ θυμιάματος ὀβολοὺς δύο, καὶ τῆς εὐωδίας πληρώσωμεν τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἵνα ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἀκούσωμεν· Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν μικρῶν, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε, βοῶντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.","english":"Our Master was crucified for us; let us nourish the poor man created in his image. He communed with death to free us from death; let us, for his sake, snatch our fellow men from deadly famine with small coins. For it is he, he himself, who receives what is given through the poor. Do not, then, O man, pass by the poor man stretching out his hand, looking away to the Master who receives through him; but let the poor man's hand be for you a censer set out in the marketplace. For it has, instead of fire, the coals of famine that melt away. Let us therefore throw in two obols instead of incense, and fill heaven with fragrance, so that we may hear from the heavens: \"Inasmuch as you did to one of these little ones, you did to me,\" Christ crying out. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"θρέψωμεν","severity":"info","text":"The hortatory subjunctive 'let us nourish' frames the passage as an ethical appeal, linking the community's action to Christ's sacrifice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ὀβολοῖς","severity":"info","text":"'Obols' were small Greek coins; here they symbolize modest alms, contrasting with the spiritual wealth gained.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν μικρῶν, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Matthew 25:40, where Christ says 'inasmuch as you did to one of these little ones, you did to me,' reinforcing the identification of the poor with Christ.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"θυμιατήριον","severity":"info","text":"A censer (θυμιατήριον) was used in liturgical incense offerings; Chrysostom metaphorically transforms the poor man's hand into a censer, elevating almsgiving to a sacred act.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Αὐτὸς γὰρ, αὐτός ἐστιν","severity":"info","text":"The repetition 'he himself, he himself' emphasizes Christ's direct presence in the poor, a rhetorical climax urging immediate action.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"πενήτων","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's teaching on almsgiving as Christ-encounter was widely cited in Byzantine and later Orthodox social ethics, influencing monastic and lay practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τοῦ θανατικοῦ λιμοῦ' could mean 'deadly famine' or 'death-bringing hunger'; the translation takes it as 'deadly famine' in line with the context of almsgiving."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}