{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-jejuniorum","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-jejuniorum","title":"In principium jejuniorum","title_source":"In principium 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":"2026-11-15T06:43:38Z","cost_usd":0.00421},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-jejuniorum","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-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%20principium%20jejuniorum.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":7,"english_words":1904,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":7779,"commentary_units":42,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":9,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-jejuniorum","abstract":"This homily, attributed to John Chrysostom and titled 'On the Beginning of the Fasts,' is a catechetical sermon likely delivered in Antioch during the late fourth century. It exhorts the congregation to embrace the Lenten fast as a spiritual discipline, using vivid metaphors such as a ship navigating dangers. The text survives in Greek manuscripts and was later incorporated into Byzantine monastic typika, shaping Eastern Orthodox teaching on fasting. The Khazarzar edition, based on Migne's Patrologia Graeca, lacks a critical apparatus, so textual variants remain unverified.","historical_context":"The sermon is traditionally placed in Chrysostom's early career in Antioch (c. 381–398), when he served as deacon or presbyter. Antioch was a major center of Greek Christianity, known for its exegetical and homiletic traditions. The work belongs to the genre of festal or catechetical homilies, addressing the pre-Lenten period. Its transmission through Byzantine monastic typika indicates its use as a spiritual guide. The Greek text survives in multiple manuscripts, but the Khazarzar edition, a modern compilation from Migne's Patrologia Graeca, does not provide a critical edition or stemma, limiting verification of textual decisions. The Latin incipit 'In principium jejuniorum' may not reflect the original Greek title, complicating identification across manuscript traditions.","significance":"This homily exemplifies Chrysostom's rhetorical skill in promoting ascetic discipline and his influence on Eastern Orthodox fasting practices. Its incorporation into Byzantine monastic typika underscores its lasting impact on liturgical and spiritual formation. The work also illustrates the use of nautical metaphors common in patristic preaching, linking it to broader Christian literary traditions.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 381–398","event":"Probable composition during Chrysostom's diaconate or presbyterate in Antioch."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission of Greek manuscripts of the homily."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Incorporation into Byzantine monastic typika as a pre-Lenten catechetical text."},{"date":"19th c.","event":"Publication in Migne's Patrologia Graeca, forming the basis of the Khazarzar edition."},{"date":"20th–21st c.","event":"Modern digital editions, including Khazarzar, without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homiliae in Genesim","relation":"Similar exegetical and exhortative style, also from Antioch period.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"John Chrysostom, De statuis","relation":"Another series of homilies from Antioch, addressing moral reform.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine monastic typika (e.g., Typikon of the Great Church)","relation":"Used as a catechetical text for pre-Lenten period.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"New Testament (Acts 2:38-39)","relation":"Echoed in the phrase 'precious cross' as a symbol of salvation.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The date is uncertain; only a range of c. 381–398 is traditionally assigned, with no external witness fixing it precisely.","The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus, so variant readings and manuscript stemma cannot be verified.","The Latin incipit 'In principium jejuniorum' may not match the original Greek title, complicating identification across manuscript traditions.","Authorship is traditionally assigned to Chrysostom but is not independently confirmed for this specific homily."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000444,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:43:38Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20principium%20jejuniorum.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-principium-jejuniorum","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":7,"translated":7,"commentary_passages":7,"commentary_units":42,"english_words":1904,"source_letters":7779,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The sermon is traditionally assigned to the early years of Chrysostom’s diaconate or presbyterate in Antioch (c. 381–398), but no external witness fixes the date more precisely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text survives in multiple manuscripts; the Khazarzar edition is a modern compilation based on Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, not a critical edition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was read in Byzantine monastic typika as a catechetical text for the pre-Lenten period, influencing later Eastern Orthodox teaching on fasting.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings and manuscript stemma are not provided, so textual decisions cannot be verified.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The title In principium jejuniorum is a Latin incipit; the original Greek title may differ in manuscript traditions, affecting identification of the work.","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: 7 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":7},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν νηστειῶν, καὶ περὶ νηστείας. Τὸ πνευματικὸν ἡμῖν σήμερον, ἀγαπητοὶ, τῆς νηστείας ἔλαμψεν ἔαρ, καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐγκρατείας λειμῶνες τοῖς ἐμπόροις τῆς εὐσεβείας ἠνεῴχθησαν· οἱ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ναῦται πρὸς τὴν οὐράνιον ἡμᾶς ἐμπορίαν καλοῦσι, καὶ τὸν πλοῦν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμῖν εὐτρεπίζουσι, τὰς προφητικὰς ἡμῖν ἀναπετάζοντες διφθέρας, καὶ τοὺς οἴακας τοῦ νόμου μεταχειρίζονται· τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ τὸν ἱστὸν ἐξαρτῶσι, καὶ τὴν ἄγκυραν τῆς πίστεως περισφίγγουσι· τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τὴν ὁλκάδα ταύτην μηνύει, καὶ ὁ τοῦ παντὸς ποιητὴς αὐτὴν περιέπει. Δεῦτε τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς σήμερον, ἀγαπητοὶ, τῆς νηστείας τὴν ἁγνείαν πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἑστῶσαν χαίροντες ὑποδεξώμεθα, καὶ τοῖς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀσπασμοῖς βοήσωμεν πρὸς αὐτήν· Δεῦρο, ὦ μῆτερ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν, τῆς ἐπουρανίου πλήρωσον ἡμᾶς εὐωδίας, ἄνοιξον ἡμῖν τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διαγωγῆς τὸν παράδεισον, ἀπολαύσωμεν τῶν πνευματικῶν καρπῶν τῆς ἐγκρατείας, ἅγνισον ἡμᾶς τῷ διαδήματι τῆς σωφροσύνης, βίον ἀθόλωτον ἡμῖν ἐπιχορήγησον, τὰ ἐκ τῆς τρυφῆς τῶν ψυχῶν θεράπευσον τραύματα, τὰ ἐκ τῆς οἰνοφλυγίας κατάσβεσον ὑπεκκαύματα, τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἀθυμίας πυρέττοντας νοσηροὺς λογισμούς·","english":"On the Beginning of the Fasts, and concerning Fasting. The spiritual spring of fasting has shone upon us today, beloved, and the meadows of temperance have been opened for the merchants of piety. The sailors of the Church summon us to heavenly commerce and prepare for us the voyage of righteousness, unfurling before us the prophetic scrolls and handling the tillers of the law. They hoist the mast of the precious cross and tighten the anchor of faith. The Holy Spirit guides this ship, and the Creator of all tends it. Come then, beloved, let us today joyfully welcome the purity of fasting standing before the gates, and with spiritual embraces let us cry out to her: Come, O mother of goods and of virtues, fill us with heavenly fragrance, open to us the paradise of evangelical conduct, let us enjoy the spiritual fruits of temperance, purify us with the diadem of sobriety, grant us an unclouded life, heal the wounds of souls caused by indulgence, quench the embers kindled by drunkenness, and cure the sickly thoughts fevered by despondency.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν νηστειῶν","severity":"info","text":"The title 'On the Beginning of the Fasts' likely refers to the start of the Lenten fast, a major season in the Greek Christian calendar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"νηστεία","severity":"info","text":"νηστεία (nēsteia) means 'fasting' or 'abstinence from food,' a key ascetic practice in Greek Christianity, often associated with spiritual purification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'precious cross' echoes New Testament references to the cross as a symbol of salvation, e.g., Acts 2:38-39, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ναῦται","severity":"info","text":"The extended nautical metaphor (sailors, ship, mast, anchor) is a common rhetorical device in Chrysostom's homilies, drawing on the image of the Church as a ship navigating spiritual dangers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Δεῦτε τοίνυν","severity":"info","text":"The shift from declarative description to an exhortative call ('Come then') marks a structural transition, typical of Chrysostom's homiletic style to engage the audience directly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τῆς νηστείας τὴν ἁγνείαν","severity":"info","text":"This passage was influential in later Byzantine ascetic literature, where fasting is personified as a mother of virtues, a motif found in monastic writings.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῆς νηστείας' could refer to a specific fast (e.g., Lent) or fasting in general; the context suggests the beginning of the Lenten season."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ἀπόκλεισον τὰ θέατρα τοῦ διαβόλου, ἄνελε τὴν λύσσαν, τὸ τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας θηροτρόφον συμπόδισον ἐργαστήριον, ἐπιτίμησον ἀνέμοις τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων, μεταῤῥύθμισον εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀσωμάτων διαγωγὴν τοὺς νηστεύοντας, δεῖξον αἰδέσιμον πολιὰν πρεσβύτου, τῷ τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἕλκυσον ἀρότρῳ, φαίδρυνον ἄνδρας ἐν ἀσωτίᾳ διημερεύοντας, κόσμησον γύναια τὸ τῆς σεμνότητος στάδιον διερχόμενα, τὴν νεότητα πρὸς τὸν ἀγγελικὸν μεταῤῥύθμισον βίον· ἀναπνεύσωσι τῶν ματαίων πόνων οἱ κεκμηκότες ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις, τὸν τοῦ παντὸς ἔτους τῇ Τεσσαρακοστῇ τῶν ἡμερῶν τῆς νηστείας ἀποῤῥίψωνται ῥύπον· σὺ γὰρ πληροῖς οὐ μόνον τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν ἤδη τὸν παράδεισον. Νῦν γὰρ αἱ ὑπερκόσμιοι δυνάμεις ἀγάλλονται, τὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τάγματα πνευματικῶς πανηγυρίζει· Θρόνοι, Κυριότητες, Ἀρχαὶ καὶ Ἐξουσίαι τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐφραίνονται σωτηρίᾳ· μόνος ὁ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐκπεσὼν διάβολος ἐπιστυγνάζων λέγει· Ποῦ μοι νῦν ἡ κατὰ τῶν ἐξ ἀδδηφαγίας ἐκτραχηλισθέντων μεγαλαυχία; ποῦ μοι τὸ διὰ τῆς βρώσεως κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχοφθόρον μηχάνημα; ποῦ μοι νῦν ἡ λιχνὴ τοῦ ξύλου γεῦσις, δι' ἧς τὸν Ἀδὰμ μετὰ τῆς Εὔας ἀπατήσας ἐγύμνωσα; Οἴχεται νῦν μοι τὰ τῆς πονηρίας μηχανήματα τῆς νηστείας φανείσης. Πόθεν ἡ λεγομένη μοι νηστεία κατεφάνη; τίς ταύτην νῦν κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐστράτευσεν; Οὐκέτι Ἀδὰμ μετὰ τῆς Εὔας ἀπατηθεὶς Θεοῦ γυμνοῦται, οὐκέτι συμβουλῇ πείθεται ψυχοφθόρῳ, οὐκέτι λαιμαργεῖ, οὐκέτι τῷ τῆς γαστριμαργίας συνέχεται βρόχῳ.","english":"Shut the theaters of the devil, remove the madness, bind up the beast-breeding workshop of inhumanity, rebuke the winds of the evil spirits, refashion the fasting into the conduct of the incorporeal, show the gray hair of an elder to be venerable, draw with the plow of temperance, brighten men who spend their days in profligacy, adorn women who traverse the stadium of modesty, refashion youth to the angelic life; let those wearied by sins breathe again from vain labors, let them cast off the filth of the whole year by the forty days of fasting; for you fill not only the earth, but already paradise itself. For now the supramundane powers rejoice, the ranks of angels celebrate spiritually; Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers delight in the salvation of men; only the devil, fallen from the heavens, scowling says: Where now is my boast over those who have been thrown headlong by gluttony? Where now is my soul-destroying device against men through food? Where now is the greedy taste of the tree, by which I deceived Adam together with Eve and stripped him? My devices of wickedness are now gone, now that fasting has appeared. Whence has this so-called fasting appeared against me? Who has now marshaled it against me? No longer is Adam, deceived together with Eve, stripped of God, no longer does he obey soul-destroying counsel, no longer does he gorge himself, no longer is he held by the snare of gluttony.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπόκλεισον τὰ θέατρα τοῦ διαβόλου","severity":"info","text":"The opening imperatives form a rhetorical crescendo, calling for the suppression of worldly entertainments associated with demonic influence, a common theme in Chrysostom's ascetic exhortations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"Τεσσαρακοστῇ","severity":"info","text":"Τεσσαρακοστῇ (the Forty Days) refers to the Lenten fast, a fixed period of forty days before Easter, central to Chrysostom's homily on fasting.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Θρόνοι, Κυριότητες, Ἀρχαὶ καὶ Ἐξουσίαι","severity":"info","text":"The listing of angelic orders (Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers) echoes Colossians 1:16 and later Christian angelological tradition, though not a direct quotation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν Ἀδὰμ μετὰ τῆς Εὔας ἀπατήσας","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Adam and Eve's deception by the devil through the tree's fruit alludes to Genesis 3, a foundational narrative for Chrysostom's argument that fasting counteracts the original sin of gluttony.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ποῦ μοι νῦν ... ποῦ μοι ... ποῦ μοι νῦν","severity":"info","text":"The devil's threefold anaphora (Where now ...) creates a dramatic monologue, contrasting his former boast with his current defeat, a rhetorical device common in Chrysostom's homilies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"νηστείας φανείσης","severity":"info","text":"The personification of fasting as a victorious force that defeats the devil's machinations reflects a later ascetic reception, where fasting is seen as a spiritual weapon in the battle against evil.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is generally clear, but the phrase 'τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας θηροτρόφον ἐργαστήριον' (beast-breeding workshop of inhumanity) is ambiguous: it may refer to the theater as a place that fosters bestial behavior, or to gluttony itself as a workshop of inhumanity."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Πάλιν διὰ νηστείας Ἀδὰμ εἰς παράδεισον, πάλιν μεγαλαυχεῖ, πάλιν τῇ θείᾳ εἰκόνι ἐναβρύνεται, πάλιν πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἐπανάγεται κάλλος· καὶ τὸ δὴ τούτου δεινότερον, ὅτι παράδεισον διὰ παραβάσεως ἀπολέσας, τῷ τῆς νηστείας ἅρματι εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεπήδησεν. Ἐγὼ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἐῤῥίφην, καὶ ὁ ἀπεῤῥιμμένος πάλιν ταῖς οὐρανίαις ἐποχεῖται δυνάμεσι. Γέλως γέγονα ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἡττώμενος, ὑπὸ νηστευτῶν καταβαλλόμενος, ὑπὸ φύσεως ἀνθρωπίνης ἐλαυνόμενος. Ἀλλὰ τούτας μὲν ὁ πονηρὸς τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἀποτυχίας θρηνωδείτω βαλλόμενος· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς φαρέτρας εὔστοχον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἁρπάσαντες βέλος, αὐτῷ τῆς πλεονεξίας τὰς ἡδονὰς κατατρώσωμεν, μετὰ Παύλου τὰ τοῦ Παύλου βοῶντες· Οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον· δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Ἀλλ' εἴθε\n\nἡμῶν ἡ εἴσοδος μιμεῖται τὴν ἔξοδον· εἴθε γυμνός τις ἀπῄει καὶ τιμωρίας ἐλεύθερος· εἴθε πένης τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀκατάκριτος· εἴθε πτωχὸς καὶ ἀνέγκλητος, εἴθε ἄπορος καὶ ἀνώδυνος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πάνυ δεινὸν, ἐνταῦθα καταλιμπάνων τις ἃ συνήγαγε, τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνων ἁμαρτίαν βαστάζων ἀπέρχεται· καὶ τοῦ μὲν κέρδους ἐστέρηται, τῆς δὲ δι' αὐτὰ καταδίκης οὐκ ἠλλοτρίωται· ἀλλ' ἕτερος μὲν τῶν ἐκείνου διαδέχεται τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ μόνος τὴν κόλασιν ὑπομένει· καὶ ὁ μὴ κτησάμενος, ἔχων τρυφᾷ, ὁ κτησάμενος δὲ οὐδὲν ἔχων βασανίζεται, ἓν μόνον, τὸ δοῦναι δίκην ἀπὸ τοῦ πλουτῆσαι κερδάνας. Ἀνάνηψον τῆς βιω τικῆς θαλάσσης, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, καὶ μέρισον τὸν πλοῦτον ἑκὼν πτωχοῖς· μὴ τοῦτον καταλείψῃς ἐχθροῖς· πρόλαβε τῶν εἰς σὲ κεχηνότων τὰ στόματα·","english":"Again through fasting Adam is in paradise, again he boasts, again he exults in the divine image, again he is led back to the archetypal beauty; and what is more terrible than this, that having lost paradise through transgression, he leaped up to the heavens on the chariot of fasting. I was cast out from there, and the outcast one is again borne upon the heavenly powers. I have become a laughingstock, defeated by men, overthrown by fasters, driven out by human nature. But let the Evil One lament these failures of his, being struck down; we, however, snatching a well-aimed arrow from the apostolic quiver for the present, let us wound the pleasures of his greed, crying out with Paul the words of Paul: We brought nothing into the world; clearly, we can carry nothing out. But would that\n\nour entrance imitated our exit; would that one departed naked and free from punishment; would that one were poor in nature and uncensured in soul; would that one were destitute and blameless, would that one were without resources and without pain. But the most terrible thing is this: someone, leaving behind here what he has gathered, departs bearing the sin from those things; and he is deprived of the profit, yet not alienated from the condemnation on account of them; but another succeeds to the enjoyment of his goods, while he alone endures the punishment; and the one who did not acquire them, having them, revels, while the one who acquired them, having nothing, is tormented, having gained only one thing: the penalty for having grown rich. Awake from the sea of worldly life, O man, and willingly distribute your wealth to the poor; do not leave it to enemies; anticipate the mouths gaping at you.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Πάλιν διὰ νηστείας Ἀδὰμ εἰς παράδεισον","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom presents a paradoxical reversal: Adam, who lost paradise through transgression, regains it through fasting, now ascending to heaven. This rhetorical device underscores fasting's redemptive power.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον· δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Paul's teaching on human poverty before God, likely from 1 Timothy 6:7 or a similar Pauline exhortation on detachment from worldly goods.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπὸ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς φαρέτρας εὔστοχον βέλος","severity":"info","text":"The 'apostolic quiver' metaphorically refers to Paul's epistles as a source of spiritual weapons. This reflects Chrysostom's frequent use of Pauline authority in moral exhortation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πάνυ δεινὸν","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a rhetorical climax, intensifying the argument about the futility of wealth: the sinner loses both profit and enjoyment, bearing only punishment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Γέλως γέγονα ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων ἡττώμενος","severity":"info","text":"The personification of the devil as a laughingstock defeated by fasters parallels Chrysostom's homiletic trope of demonic humiliation through ascetic practice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"εἴθε γυμνός τις ἀπῄει καὶ τιμωρίας ἐλεύθερος","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has a lacuna or ambiguous syntax after 'εἴθε', but the sense is clear: a wish for a death free from punishment, contrasting with the actual burden of sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'εἴθε' introduces a series of optative wishes, but the exact grammatical subject shifts between 'τις' and implied 'ἡμῶν', leaving the referent slightly ambiguous. The reading takes it as a general human condition."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"μὴ γένῃ θήρα τῶν τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἀνιχνευόντων οὐσίας.\n\nΤέκνων ὑπάρχεις πατήρ; τούτων τὴν ψυχὴν ἀδελφὴν καταρίθμησον, μέρος καὶ αὐτῇ τῆς οὐσίας ἀφόρισον. Φιλόπαις εἶ; γενοῦ καὶ φιλόθεος, δι' οὗ τὸ φιλόπαις ἐκτήσω. Ἀλλ' ἀπαιδίαν ἐνόσησας; μὴ ἐμπέσῃς εἰς υἱοὺς οὓς ἡ φύσις οὐ δέδωκέ σοι· σαυτὸν εὖ ποιῶν κληρονόμησον· μὴ γυμνὸς ἐλεημοσύνης ὀφθῇς τῷ Κριτῇ· φεῦγε τὴν ἀπειλουμένην πυράν· πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν τοῦ γένους ἔξοδον εὐτρεπίσθητι· ἐκείνην σου τὴν τελευταίαν ἡμέραν τῆς ζωῆς περισκόπησον. Ὅταν σου τὴν ψυχὴν οἱ παριόντες ἄγγελοι ἀθρόον ἐφιστῶνται λαβεῖν, τί δράσεις ὑπὸ τοῦ κλέπτου θανάτου ἑλκόμενος; ὅταν μέλλῃς ἀθυμεῖν ἐκ τοῦ συνέχοντός σε κινδύνου, ὅταν ἀμυδρὸν, ὅταν ἄσημα φθέγγῃ ὅταν ἀδρανὲς καὶ πυκνὸν πνῇς, ὅταν ἔνδοθεν ἐπικέηται φλὸξ καταγωνιζομένη τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅτε σύμμαχος οὐδεὶς παρίσταται τοῦ δεινοῦ κατεπείγοντος, ὅτε ἀδελφὸς οὐ λυτροῦται, λυτρώσεται ἄνθρωπος; ὅτε χρήματα ἀποῤῥέει, ὅτε εἰς τὸ φρικτὸν ἐκεῖνο ἡ ψυχὴ συνελαύνεται δικαστήριον, ὅτε τῶν σαυτοῦ κύριος οὐκέτι γενήσῃ, ὅταν μεταμεληθῇς ἐφ' οἷς ἔπραξας, τῆς μεταμελείας χώραν οὐκ ἐχούσης λοιπὸν, ὅτε κλείεται τῆς μετανοίας ἡ θύρα, καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου ἡ εἴσοδος ἀποτειχίζεται, ὅταν στενάξῃς μὲν ἐκ καρδίας βάθους, τὸν δὲ ἐξαιρούμενον οὐχ εὑρήσῃς, ἆρα οὐ πρὸς τοιαύτας κατὰ σαυτὸν ἀπαντήσῃς τῷ λογισμῷ ἀπορίας; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ πικρὸν στενάξεις κατὰ ψυχὴν καὶ ἐρεῖς ἄφωνος, Οἴμοι, οἴμοι ὁ τάλας ἐγώ· ὠθοῦμαι πρὸς ἔξοδον ὁ ταλαίπωρος, ἕλκομαι πρὸς βίαν καταλῦσαι τὸν βίον, ἄγομαι δέσμιος ὅθεν ὑποστρέφειν οὐκ ἔστι.","english":"Do not become prey for those who track the property of others.\n\nAre you a father of children? Count the soul of these as a sister, and set aside a portion of the property for it as well. Are you fond of children? Become also fond of God, through whom you acquired your fondness for children. But have you suffered from childlessness? Do not fall into sons whom nature has not given you; do good to yourself and make yourself your heir; do not appear naked of almsgiving before the Judge; flee the threatened fire; prepare yourself for the common departure of the race; keep that last day of your life in view. When the passing angels suddenly stand ready to take your soul, what will you do, dragged by the thief death? When you are about to be disheartened by the danger that constrains you, when you speak faintly, when you utter indistinct sounds, when you breathe weakly and rapidly, when a flame from within presses hard, contending against the soul, when no ally stands by as the calamity presses, when a brother does not ransom you—will a man ransom you? When wealth flows away, when the soul is driven into that dread tribunal, when you are no longer master of yourself, when you repent of what you have done, but there is no longer room for repentance, when the door of repentance is closed and the entrance to paradise is walled off, when you groan from the depth of your heart but find no one to deliver you, will you not then confront yourself with such perplexities in your reasoning? By no means; but you will groan bitterly in your soul and say, speechless, \"Alas, alas, wretched me! I am thrust toward the exit, miserable; I am dragged to end my life by force; I am led as a captive from whence there is no return.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"μὴ γένῃ θήρα τῶν τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἀνιχνευόντων οὐσίας","severity":"info","text":"The opening metaphor warns against becoming prey for those who track others' property, likely referring to inheritance hunters or those who covet another's wealth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀδελφὴν καταρίθμησον","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'count the soul as a sister' personifies the soul as a sibling, urging the father to treat the soul as an equal heir alongside his children.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ Κριτῇ","severity":"info","text":"The 'Judge' (Κριτῇ) alludes to the Last Judgment, a common theme in Chrysostom's homilies, echoing Matthew 25:31-46.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"πυράν","severity":"info","text":"The 'threatened fire' (πυράν) refers to hellfire, a standard eschatological warning in early Christian preaching, especially in Lenten contexts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ὅταν ... ὅταν ...","severity":"info","text":"A series of anaphoric 'when' clauses builds a vivid, escalating description of death and judgment, a rhetorical device typical of Chrysostom's homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Οἴμοι, οἴμοι ὁ τάλας ἐγώ","severity":"info","text":"The exclamation 'Alas, alas, wretched me!' echoes a lament formula found in Greek tragedy and later Christian penitential literature, emphasizing the soul's despair.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῶν τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἀνιχνευόντων οὐσίας' could refer to inheritance hunters or more broadly to those who covet others' possessions; the translation opts for the latter.","The identity of the 'passing angels' (οἱ παριόντες ἄγγελοι) is ambiguous: they may be guardian angels or angels of death; the translation assumes the latter."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Λοιπὸν οὐ βοηθοῦσιν οἰκέται, οὐ παραφαίνονται φίλοι, οἱ κόλακες ἀνεχώρησαν, οἱ δορυφόροι οὐ παρίστανται· οὐ συμπράττει μοι ζώνη, οὐ συμβάλλεταί μοι χρυσὸς, οὐκ ἐξαιρεῖταί με στρατὸς, οὐ λυτροῦταί με χρήματα, περιφανεῖς οὐ διασώζουσιν· οἴκους μάτην ᾠκοδόμουν, ἐδαπάνησα ἀκαίρως τοσαῦτα χρήματα, ἐσώρευσα τάλαντα. Ἐμοὶ τὰ τῆς δόξης ἐκπίπτει· οὐκέτι κελεύω, καὶ παρίστανται παῖδες· οὐ προστάττω, καὶ κυκλοῖ με στρατός· οὐκ ἐπιτάττω, καὶ πόλεις πᾶσαι τὸ κελευσθὲν ἐκπληροῦσι. Τί δράσω ὁ δείλαιος ἐγώ; τί πράξω τῶν ἀνενδότων ἐπικειμένων; Δυσωπήσω, ἱκετεύσω πάλιν τὸν ἕλκοντα θάνατον, εἰ καὶ γνώμην ἐλέου οὐκ ἔχει. Ἐξαιτῶ σε, ὦ θάνατε, ὀλίγον μοι καιρὸν ζωῆς φιλοτίμησαι. Οὐ φοβῇ βασιλικὸν ἀξίωμα; οὐκ εἶδές μου πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ηὐτρεπισμένον ὄχημα; αἰδέσθητι παρακαλοῦσαν εὐγένειαν, ἐντράπηθι πολιὰν δυσωποῦσαν, φεῖσαι δακρυούσης νεότητος. Οὐκ ἀφέσεως, ὦ θάνατε, ὁλοτελοῦς, ἀλλ' ὑπερθέσεως χρῄζω μικρᾶς. Ἔτι μου περιλέλοιπα τὸν οἶκον ἀτέλεστον, ἔτι μερίσαι κληρονόμοις ὡς ὤφειλον, τὸν κλῆρον οὐκ ἔφθασα. Λήθη με μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος μὴ νῆψαι πεποίηκε, βιωτικαῖς φροντίσιν ἀπασχολούμενον· τὸν νοῦν εἴασά μου τὸ καιριώτερον ἀπρονόητον. Ἄφνω πρὸς δίκην ἕλκεις με· ποίοις εἰσαγόμενος χρήσομαι ῥήμασι; ποίαν καλέσω συνεργὸν εὐπραξίαν; ποῖόν μοι συνηγορήσει κρινομένῳ κατόρθωμα; τί πράξας ἀπολογήσομαι τῷ Κριτῇ; τί εἴπω, ἢ τί φθέγξωμαι, κάτω νεύειν ὑπὸ τοῦ βάρους τῶν πταισμάτων ἀναγκαζόμενος; Μακροθύμησον ἐπ' ἐμοὶ μικρὸν, παρακαλῶ. Ποῦ με ἀνέτοιμον","english":"Therefore, servants do not help, friends do not appear, flatterers have withdrawn, bodyguards do not stand by; my belt does not assist me, gold does not contribute to me, an army does not rescue me, money does not ransom me, illustrious connections do not save me. I built houses in vain, I spent so much money untimely, I amassed talents. My glory falls away; I no longer command, and attendants stand by; I do not give orders, and an army surrounds me; I do not issue commands, and all cities fulfill what is ordered. What shall I do, wretched I? What shall I do, with relentless things pressing upon me? Shall I entreat, shall I supplicate again the death that drags me, even if it has no inclination for mercy? I beg you, O Death, grant me a little time of life as a favor. Do you not fear royal rank? Did you not see my chariot prepared before my doors? Respect the entreating nobility, be ashamed of the gray hair that beseeches you, spare the weeping youth. I do not need, O Death, complete release, but a small postponement. My house still remains unfinished, I have not yet divided the inheritance to the heirs as I ought, I have not reached the allotment. Forgetfulness has made me not wake up until now, occupied with worldly cares; I left my mind unprovided for in the most critical matter. Suddenly you drag me to judgment; what words shall I use when I am brought in? What good deed shall I call as my ally? What achievement will plead for me when I am judged? Having done what shall I defend myself before the Judge? What shall I say, or what shall I utter, forced to look down by the weight of my transgressions? Be patient with me a little, I beg. Where am I, unprepared","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Λοιπὸν οὐ βοηθοῦσιν οἰκέται","severity":"info","text":"The speaker lists the failure of worldly supports (servants, friends, flatterers, bodyguards, wealth, armies) in a rhetorical crescendo, emphasizing the futility of earthly resources in the face of death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ζώνη","severity":"info","text":"ζώνη (belt) here likely refers to a money belt or purse, symbolizing wealth; the phrase 'οὐ συμπράττει μοι ζώνη' means 'my belt does not assist me,' i.e., money is useless.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ Κριτῇ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'the Judge' (τῷ Κριτῇ) alludes to the Last Judgment, a common theme in Chrysostom's homilies, drawing on Matthew 25:31-46 and similar eschatological passages.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"πολιὰν δυσωποῦσαν","severity":"info","text":"The appeal to gray hair (πολιά) as a plea for mercy reflects the ancient cultural respect for old age, a rhetorical trope in Greek literature and early Christian preaching.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τί δράσω ... τί πράξω","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from declarative lament to a series of rhetorical questions (τί δράσω, τί πράξω, ποίοις ῥήμασι, etc.), intensifying the dramatic portrayal of the soul's desperation before death.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"οὐκέτι κελεύω, καὶ παρίστανται παῖδες","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'I no longer command, and attendants stand by' is paradoxical; it may be a textual corruption or a rhetorical inversion meaning that even without commanding, attendants still appear (as a mockery of former power).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'οὐκέτι κελεύω, καὶ παρίστανται παῖδες' is ambiguous: it could mean 'I no longer command, yet attendants stand by' (ironic) or 'I no longer command, and attendants stand by' (contradictory). The English draft takes the latter, but the Greek syntax allows either.","The identity of 'the Judge' (τῷ Κριτῇ) is not explicitly named as Christ or God, though context implies the divine judge of the Last Judgment."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"ἕλκεις; τί με γυμνὸν τῷ Κριτῇ παραστῆσαι σπουδάζεις; ἔασον, παρακαλῶ, εἴπω τι· λογίσομαι τὸ πλημμέλημα, ἐξομολογήσεως ἀφήσω φωνὴν, θρηνήσω μικρὸν, στενάξω βραχὺ, δακρύσω πρὸς ὀλίγον, ἀσπάσομαι φίλους, περιπτύξομαι γαμετήν· κἂν ἑνὶ περιβολαίῳ μετανοίας σκεπάσω μου τὴν ψυχήν. Μισθώσομαι δικολόγους ἐντεῦθεν τοὺς πένητας, περινοήσω μου τοῖς τραύμασι πρὸ τῆς ἐξόδου τὴν ἴασιν, ἢν ἔχω περιουσίαν πᾶσαν ὑπὲρ ὀλίγης ὑπερθέσεως δίδωμι. Καὶ τούτων, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, λέγων σοφώτερα, τοῦ παρεστῶτος θανάτου οὐ κωλύσεις τὴν βίαν. Θάνατος γὰρ ἀκολάκευτος δήμιος, θάνατος ἀνυπόκριτον διάταγμα, θάνατος ἐκβιβαστὴς τοῦ γένους ἀπροσωπόληπτος, θάνατος φονεὺς ἀνυπόκριτος, θάνατος ὁδοιπόρος τῆς φύσεως, θάνατος ἀμηνυτὶ πρὸς βασιλεῖς εἰσιὼν παρίσταται, θάνατος κλέπτης καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ τὴν ὁμοίαν τῆς κλοπῆς ἐργαζόμενος τέχνην, θάνατος ἁρπάζων, δικαιότητος ἅρπαξ, θάνατος δικαίοις μόνοις περιπόθητον κτῆ μα. Ταῦτα ἀκούοντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, διαναστῶμεν ἐκνήψαντες· μὴ πάλιν ὕπνῳ ἁμαρτίας καθεύδωμεν· ἐξιλασώμεθα τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ φθάσαντα. Ἀδίκως συνέλεξας; δικαίως ἀνάλωσον· ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ πάθους ἀφορμῶν τῷ πάθει κατάστησον φάρμακα. Ἠδίκησάς ποτε; πρῶτον ὧν ἠδίκησας φεῖσαι· πρῶτον δίκαιος. καὶ τότε φιλάνθρωπος· πρῶτον ἀπόδος, εἶθ' οὕτω μετάδος· πρῶτον ἔκκλινον τοῦ κακοῦ, εἶθ' οὕτω ποίησον ἀγαθόν. Μὴ φαίνου φιλόδωρος ἀφ' ὧν οὐκ ἐγένου φιλάδελφος. Ὅταν ἐλεήσῃς οὓς ἐποίησας πένητας, τότε πένησιν ἄλλοις ἀφ' ὧν οὐχ ἥρπασας χάρισαι·","english":"you drag me? Why are you eager to set me naked before the Judge? Let me, I beg, say something: I will consider the offense, I will utter a voice of confession, I will lament a little, I will groan briefly, I will weep for a short while, I will greet friends, I will embrace my wife; even with a single garment of repentance I will cover my soul. I will hire poor advocates from here, I will devise healing for my wounds before the departure, I give all the wealth I have for a brief postponement. And even with these words, O man, wiser than these, you will not prevent the violence of impending death. For death is a flatterer-free executioner, death is an unfeigned decree, death is an evictor of the race without regard to person, death is an unfeigned murderer, death is a traveler of nature, death enters unannounced to kings and stands by, death is a thief working the same art of theft both by day and by night, death is a snatcher, a snatcher of righteousness, death is a possession longed for only by the righteous. Hearing these things, beloved, let us arise, having awakened; let us not again sleep the sleep of sin; let us propitiate with second things what has gone before. Did you collect unjustly? Spend justly; from the very sources of the passion, set remedies for the passion. Did you once do injustice? First spare those whom you wronged; first be just, and then be philanthropic; first give back, and then give; first turn away from evil, and then do good. Do not appear generous from things for which you were not brotherly. When you have shown mercy to those whom you made poor, then give to other poor from what you did not seize.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"γυμνὸν τῷ Κριτῇ παραστῆσαι","severity":"info","text":"The image of being stripped before the Judge (Christ) is a common eschatological trope in Chrysostom, emphasizing the futility of worldly possessions at the final judgment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"δικολόγους","severity":"info","text":"δικολόγους (dikologous) means 'advocates' or 'pleaders,' but here with a pejorative sense of hired rhetoricians, contrasting with true repentance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Θάνατος γὰρ ...","severity":"info","text":"A series of anaphoric definitions of death (θάνατος ... θάνατος ...) builds rhetorical intensity, a hallmark of Chrysostom's homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐξιλασώμεθα τοῖς δευτέροις τὰ φθάσαντα","severity":"info","text":"The call to 'propitiate with second things what has gone before' echoes the biblical theme of repentance and atonement, possibly alluding to 2 Corinthians 7:10 or similar penitential passages.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"πρῶτον ἀπόδος, εἶθ' οὕτω μετάδος","severity":"info","text":"This ethical sequence—first restore, then give—reflects Chrysostom's social teaching that charity must be preceded by justice, a common theme in his homilies on wealth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"θάνατος δικαίοις μόνοις περιπόθητον κτῆμα","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'death is a possession longed for only by the righteous' is paradoxical; it may be a scribal error or a deliberate rhetorical twist, as death is typically feared, not desired, even by the righteous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'θάνατος δικαίοις μόνοις περιπόθητον κτῆμα' is ambiguous: it could mean death is desired only by the righteous (as a release) or that only the righteous possess death (i.e., die well). The reading taken is the former, but the syntax allows both."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"ὅτε στήσεις τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ ἀδικηθέντων τὸ δάκρυον, τότε πένησιν ἑτέροις συμπάθησον κλαίουσι. Τίμα τὸν Κύριον, εἶπεν ἡ Γραφὴ, ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων. Μὴ γὰρ ἀπατᾶσθε, Θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. Οὐ δέχεται δωρεὰν ἑτέρου στενάζοντος· οὐκ ἀνέχεται τὴν ἁρπαγὴν ὁ πλάστης μετὰ σοῦ μερίσασθαι. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ παροφθῆναι τὸ δίκαιον, οὐκ ἔνι τὸν ἐλεγχόμενον ἐκφυγεῖν· ἀλλ' εἴ τι σύνοιδας σαυτῷ, ἄνθρωπε, ἄτοπον πεπραχὼς, μετανόησον. Ἐξεκυλίσθης ποτὲ, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, πρὸς ἀλόγους ὀρέξεις, τῇ ἀθεμίτῳ δουλεύσας ἀνάγκῃ; ὑπόχρεως γέγονας πολλῶν ἀνομημάτων; μὴ φοβηθῇς τὸν Κριτὴν, καὶ ἀπογνῷς τῆς σεαυτοῦ σωτηρίας· ἐλέῳ οἶδεν ἐξαγοράζεσθαι, εὐποιίαις πενήτων πέφυκε δυσωπεῖσθαι, δωροδοκεῖται πτωχῶν παραμυθίαις.\n\nἌκουσον αὐτοῦ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις βοῶντος· Δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ πάντα πεπλήρωται. Δότε μοι, κράζει ὁ πάντας πλουτίζων· δότε μοι, κράζει ὁ πᾶσι δεδωκὼς εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἀνέχεται καὶ δύο ὀβολοὺς παρὰ χήρας δεχόμενος· οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ καὶ εἰς ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ὕδατος κατερχόμενος· οἶδε καὶ πρόθεσιν ἀπόρου ἐλεήμονος ἀποδέξασθαι· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν δανείζει Θεῷ· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ κράτος πάντοτε, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"When you stop the tears of those you have wronged, then have compassion on other poor people who weep. Honor the Lord, Scripture says, from your own righteous labors. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. He does not accept a gift from one who makes another groan; the Creator does not consent to share with you what has been seized. There justice cannot be overlooked, nor can the one convicted escape. But if you are aware, O man, that you have done something wrong, repent. Have you ever, O man, slipped into irrational desires, serving lawless compulsion? Have you become liable for many lawless deeds? Do not fear the Judge and despair of your own salvation. He knows how to be bought off by mercy; He is naturally appeased by good deeds to the poor; He is bribed by consolations of the needy.\n\nHear Him crying out in the Gospels: Give alms, and all is fulfilled. Give to me, cries the one who enriches all; give to me, cries the one who has given everything to all for enjoyment. He deigns to accept even two obols from a widow; He does not blush to come down even for a cup of cold water; He knows how to accept the intention of a poor but merciful person. For He Himself said, He who pities the poor lends to God. To Him is due glory and power always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Τίμα τὸν Κύριον ... ἀπὸ σῶν δικαίων πόνων","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom adapts the Septuagintal phrase (cf. Prov 3:9) 'Honor the Lord from your own righteous labors,' urging that almsgiving must come from justly acquired goods.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ πάντα πεπλήρωται","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Give alms, and all is fulfilled' is not a direct Gospel verse but a Chrysostomic summary of sayings like Matt 25:34-36, emphasizing almsgiving as comprehensive virtue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν δανείζει Θεῷ","severity":"info","text":"This maxim, 'He who pities the poor lends to God,' echoes Prov 19:17 LXX and is a common patristic trope; Chrysostom uses it to frame charity as a loan to the divine.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"δωροδοκεῖται","severity":"info","text":"The verb δωροδοκεῖται ('is bribed') is deliberately provocative: Chrysostom paradoxically says God is 'bribed' by alms, meaning divine mercy responds to human generosity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"δύο ὀβολοὺς","severity":"info","text":"Two obols (δύο ὀβολοὺς) was a tiny sum; Chrysostom stresses that even a widow's meager offering is accepted, reflecting early Christian practice of modest almsgiving.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις βοῶντος","severity":"info","text":"This phrase marks a rhetorical shift from admonition to direct scriptural appeal, introducing a series of imperatives ('Give to me') that personify Christ as the beggar.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ πάντα πεπλήρωται' is not a verbatim Gospel citation; Chrysostom may be paraphrasing or conflating several verses. The exact source is uncertain."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}