{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","title":"In Psalmum 139","title_source":"In Psalmum 139","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"commentary","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":"2026-11-15T06:45:10Z","cost_usd":0.004737},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","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%20Psalmum%20139.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":8,"english_words":1913,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":8236,"commentary_units":48,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":10,"work_notes":5,"external_links":2,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","abstract":"In this homily on Psalm 139 (LXX), John Chrysostom marvels that the psalmist prays for deliverance from a wicked man rather than from demons or beasts, establishing the theme that human malice surpasses animal ferocity. He contrasts the behavior of animals—such as lions sparing Daniel, ravens feeding Elijah, and wild bees nourishing John the Baptist—with the cruelty of humans like the Jews who crucified Christ, Joseph's brothers, and Herodias. The homily frames these antithetical examples with the repeated psalm verse, emphasizing the paradox of human wickedness exceeding that of venomous creatures. Chrysostom's rhetorical style and exegetical method reflect his Antiochene training, focusing on literal and moral interpretation.","historical_context":"This homily belongs to Chrysostom's series on the 'gradual' psalms (119–133 in LXX numbering), composed during his Antiochene period (c. 386–397). The work was delivered in Greek to a Christian community in Antioch, a major center of early Christianity and biblical exegesis. The genre is a commentary-homily, blending liturgical exposition with moral exhortation. The text survives through Byzantine monastic transmission, as Psalm 139 was recited at weekday Vespers, reflecting Chrysostom's enduring liturgical influence. The only available edition is a digital transcription of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (19th c.), which lacks a critical apparatus and collation of manuscript witnesses. No specific manuscript basis is provided, and variant readings from other witnesses remain unexamined. The critical edition (Sources Chrétiennes, 2017–) should be consulted for verification.","significance":"This homily illustrates Chrysostom's exegetical method of contrasting biblical exempla to highlight moral lessons, a hallmark of Antiochene interpretation. It also reveals the persistence of anti-Jewish rhetoric in patristic literature and the integration of psalm commentary into Byzantine liturgical practice. The work's transmission history underscores the reliance on non-critical editions for patristic texts.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Composition of Chrysostom's homilies on the Psalms during his Antiochene period."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission of the homily in Greek manuscripts within Byzantine monastic circles."},{"date":"19th c.","event":"Publication of the text in Migne's Patrologia Graeca, based on earlier printed editions."},{"date":"2017–","event":"Ongoing publication of critical edition in Sources Chrétiennes series."},{"date":"21st c.","event":"Digital transcription of PG text by khazarzar, without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Homilies on the Psalms (Chrysostom)","relation":"Part of the same series on gradual psalms (119–133 LXX).","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Daniel 6","relation":"Alluded to in reference to Daniel and the lions.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"1 Kings 17:6","relation":"Alluded to in reference to ravens feeding Elijah.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Genesis 37","relation":"Alluded to in reference to Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29","relation":"Alluded to in reference to John the Baptist's beheading by Herodias.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:John Chrysostom","label":"John Chrysostom","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom","reason":"Provides background on the author and his Antiochene period."},{"key":"wikipedia:Patrologia Graeca","label":"Patrologia Graeca","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrologia_Graeca","reason":"Describes the edition used for the digital transcription."}],"cautions":["The date of composition is uncertain; only a range (c. 386–397) is inferred from Chrysostom's Antiochene period.","The text's transmission is based on a non-critical 19th-century edition; no manuscript witnesses are collated.","Variant readings from other witnesses are not accounted for in the available digital transcription.","The homily's liturgical use is inferred from later Byzantine practice, not directly attested in the text itself."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000499,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:45:10Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20Psalmum%20139.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-psalmum-139","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":8,"translated":8,"commentary_passages":8,"commentary_units":48,"english_words":1913,"source_letters":8234,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The source edition (khazarzar) is a digital transcription of Migne's Patrologia Graeca, not a critical edition. No manuscript witnesses are collated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's homilies on the Psalms are dated to his Antiochene period (c. 386–397). Psalm 139 is part of a series on the 'gradual' psalms (119–133 in LXX numbering).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was used in Byzantine monastic prayer cycles. Psalm 139 (LXX) is recited at Vespers on weekdays, reflecting Chrysostom's liturgical influence.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text in khazarzar lacks a critical apparatus. Readers should verify against the critical edition of the Homilies on the Psalms (Sources Chrétiennes, 2017–).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"No information is provided on the manuscript basis of the PG text, nor on variant readings from other witnesses. The edition is a reprint of a 19th-century print.","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: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 8 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":8},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΕΙΣ ΤΟ Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ. αʹ. Θαυμάζω τί δήποτε ὁ προφήτης οὐκ ηὔξατο ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ δαιμόνων, ἢ λεόντων, ἢ δρακόντων, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀνθρώ που πονηροῦ. Δῆλον οὖν ὅτι χείρονές εἰσιν οἱ πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι τῶν λεόντων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ λέοντες τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐνετράπησαν, Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἐσταύρωσαν· οἱ κόρακες τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει διέτρεφον, τὸν δὲ Ἰωσὴφ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ πιπράσκοντες ἔτρωγον, ὃν καὶ δεόμενον ὑπερ εῖδον. Ἐδέετο γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ παῖς τοῦ μὴ πραθῆναι τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις· οἱ δὲ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς ὠμότητος τὴν ἱκεσίαν αὐτοῦ ὑπερεῖδον, καὶ οὔτε νεαρὰν ἡλικίαν ἠλέησαν, οὔτε σπλάγχνα ἀδελφικὰ ᾐδέσθησαν, οὐχ ὅτι σπορεὺς αὐτοῖς εἰσέσπειρε, καὶ μία σχεδὸν χώρα ἐβλάστησεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς ὠμότητος τὸν εὐγενέστατον καὶ ἀδελφὸν ὡς δοῦλον ἐπίπρασκον.\n\nἘξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώ που πονηροῦ. Μέλισσαι ἄγριαι τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἔτρεφον, Ἡρωδιὰς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν ἀρίστῳ ἀπέτεμε. Δράκοντες καὶ κεράσται καὶ ἀσπίδες τὸν ἄνδρα ᾐσχύνοντο, γύναιον δὲ πονηρὸν τὸν προφήτην οὐκ ἔφριττε. Δανιὴλ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι τὸν δράκοντα ἔκτεινε, Δαυῒδ δὲ τοῦ Σαοὺλ τὸν φθόνον νικῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. Ὁ ὄφις τὴν Εὔαν μόνον ἠπάτησεν· ὁ δὲ Κάϊν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ δόλῳ ἐφό νευσεν. Ὁ κύων Κάϊν μαστιζόμενος, τῷ Δεσπότῃ ὑπο τάσσεται· Ἰούδας δὲ καὶ τρεφόμενος τὸν Δεσπότην παρέδωκεν. Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ. οὐκ ἀπὸ θηρίων· τὰ μὲν γὰρ θηρία προφανῆ τὴν πονη ρίαν κέκτηνται, οἱ δέ γε πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι κρύπτουσι τὴν πονηρίαν τῷ σχήματι τῆς ἐπιεικείας.","english":"On Psalm 139: \"Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.\" 1. I marvel why the prophet did not pray to be delivered from demons, or lions, or dragons, but from a wicked man. It is clear, then, that wicked men are worse than lions. For lions respected Daniel, but Jews crucified the Lord; ravens fed Elijah on the mountain, but Joseph's brothers, while selling him, devoured him, and even when he begged they disregarded him. For the boy entreated them not to be sold to foreigners; but they, with an excess of cruelty, disregarded his supplication, and neither pitied his tender age, nor respected brotherly bonds, not that the same sower had sown them and nearly the same land had sprouted them, but with an excess of cruelty they sold the most noble and their brother as a slave.\n\n\"Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.\" Wild bees fed John in the desert, but Herodias beheaded him at a banquet. Dragons, horned vipers, and asps were ashamed before the man, but a wicked woman did not shudder at the prophet. Daniel in Babylon killed the dragon, but David could not overcome Saul's envy. The serpent only deceived Eve; but Cain murdered his brother by guile. The dog Cain, when beaten, submits to its master; but Judas, even while being fed, betrayed his master. \"Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man.\" Not from wild beasts; for wild beasts possess their wickedness openly, but wicked men conceal their wickedness under the guise of gentleness.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom opens by marveling that the psalmist prays for deliverance from a wicked man rather than from demons or beasts, establishing the theme that human malice surpasses animal ferocity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δανιὴλ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Daniel and the lions alludes to Daniel 6, where Daniel is preserved in the lions' den. Chrysostom contrasts this with the Jews who crucified Christ, a common anti-Jewish trope in patristic literature.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἠλίαν","severity":"info","text":"The mention of ravens feeding Elijah recalls 1 Kings 17:6, where ravens bring him food. Chrysostom juxtaposes this with Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery (Genesis 37).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰωάννην","severity":"info","text":"The reference to John the Baptist being fed by wild bees and beheaded by Herodias alludes to the Gospels (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29). Chrysostom contrasts the reverence of beasts with the cruelty of a wicked woman.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἡρωδιὰς","severity":"info","text":"Herodias, wife of Herod Antipas, is traditionally blamed for instigating the beheading of John the Baptist. Chrysostom uses her as an exemplar of human wickedness surpassing that of venomous creatures.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ","severity":"info","text":"The psalm verse is repeated twice in this passage (once at the beginning and once near the end), framing a series of antithetical examples that contrast the behavior of animals with that of wicked humans.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text uses 'Ἰουδαῖοι' (Jews) in a polemical sense typical of Chrysostom; the English draft retains this without comment. The identity of 'γύναιον πονηρόν' (wicked woman) is clearly Herodias, though not named in the Greek at that point."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ τὰ δηλητήρια φάρμακα διδόντες, μέλιτι πολλάκις περιχρίουσι τὴν πικρίαν τῇ γλυκύτητι· οὕτω καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι τὸ μὲν γλυκὺ τῶν λόγων ἐν τῷ στό ματι φέρουσι, τὸ δὲ πικρὸν τῶν τρόπων ἐν καρδίᾳ κατ έχουσι· τὸ μέλι ἐν τῇ γλώττῃ βαστάζουσι, καὶ τὸ ξίφος ἐν τῇ γνώμῃ χαλκεύουσιν, ἄλλοι ἔξωθεν φαινόμενοι, καὶ ἄλλοι ἔνδοθεν κρυπτόμενοι. Οὕτως οὖν χαλεπώτερός ἐστιν ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦ θηρίου· καὶ πῶς, ἄκουε. Τὸ μὲν θηρίον οὐκ ἔχον φρόνησιν, οὐχ εὑρίσκει κακὰ κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· οὐδὲ γὰρ λογίζεται, οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ὑπαγορεύουσαν αὐτῷ φρόνησιν καὶ τὸν δόλον· ὁ δέ γε πονη ρὸς ἄνθρωπος κεκτημένος τὴν φρόνησιν, καὶ χρῆται αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν πονηρίαν, καὶ ὅταν δὲ βούληται, θήρα τρα διὰ τῆς φρονήσεως ἐξευρίσκει. Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· οὐκ ἀπ' ἀγγέλου πονηροῦ Εἰσὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄγγελοι πονηροί· ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ Δαυΐδ· Ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ θλίψιν, ἀποστολὴν δι' ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν.","english":"And just as those who give deadly poisons often smear the bitterness with honey for sweetness, so also wicked men carry the sweetness of words in their mouth, but hold the bitterness of their ways in their heart; they bear honey on their tongue and forge a sword in their mind, appearing one way outwardly and concealing another inwardly. Thus, then, the wicked man is more dangerous than a wild beast; and how, listen. A wild beast, lacking reason, does not devise evils against man; for it does not reason, nor does it possess the reason and deceit that dictate such things. But the wicked man, possessing reason, uses it for wickedness, and whenever he wishes, he devises traps through his reasoning. \"Deliver me, O Lord, from the wicked man,\" not from a wicked angel. For there are also wicked angels, as when David says, \"He sent against them the anger of his wrath, wrath and anger and affliction, a sending through wicked angels.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸ μὲν γλυκὺ τῶν λόγων ... τὸ δὲ πικρὸν τῶν τρόπων","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts sweet words with bitter ways, a moral-psychological dichotomy typical of his homiletic style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"φρόνησις","severity":"info","text":"Here φρόνησις means 'practical reason' or 'cleverness', which the wicked man perverts for evil, unlike beasts lacking it.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom quotes Psalm 139:1 (LXX) as the lemma, then glosses it by contrasting wicked men with wicked angels.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites David (likely Psalm 78:49 LXX) to support the existence of wicked angels, a rare reference in his corpus.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"ἄγγελοι πονηροί","severity":"info","text":"The concept of 'wicked angels' appears in early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic (e.g., 1 Enoch), but Chrysostom typically downplays demonic agency, making this mention notable.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ ὥσπερ ... οὕτω","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom uses a simile (poisoners smearing honey) to introduce the contrast between appearance and reality, a rhetorical pattern in this passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the Davidic quotation (Ἐξαπέστειλεν ...) is not precisely identified; it may conflate Psalm 78:49 with other passages."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Ὡδοποίησε τρίβον τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ. Χείρων δὲ ὁ πονη ρὸς ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ἀγγέλου τοῦ πονηροῦ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πονηρὸς ἄγγελος τὰ προστεταγμένα φυλάττει· ὁ δὲ πονη ρὸς ἄνθρωπος τὰ προστεταγμένα παραχαράσσει. Τί πονηρότερον τοῦ διαβόλου; Ἀλλ' ὅμως φθονήσας τῷ Ἰὼβ, οὐκ ἐτόλμησεν αὐτῷ προσελθεῖν δίχα προστάγματος θεϊκοῦ. Ὁ δὲ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἀκούων τὸ, Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀλλά γε καὶ τοὺς εὐεργετοῦντας μισεῖ, καὶ τούτους φο νεύει, ὡς καὶ ὁ Σαοὺλ ἐποίει τῷ Δαυΐδ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὸν ἀντίδικον αὐτοῦ Γολιὰθ σφενδονίσας ἀπέκτεινε, καὶ τοῦ φόβου ἀπήλασεν· ὁ δὲ τὴν δολοφονίαν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀνέπνει. Τὸν δαίμονα αὐτοῦ πάλιν τῇ ψαλμῳδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀπήλαυνεν, ὁ δὲ τὸ ξίφος κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀκονήσας ἠκόντιζε. Τοιοῦτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ πονηρός· ὅσον εὐεργετεῖται, τοσοῦ τον μᾶλλον πρὸς φθόνον ἐκκαίεται. Ὕλη γὰρ φθόνου ἰσχὺς τῷ\n\nεὐεργετουμένῳ πονηρῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τυγχάνει. Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· οὐκ ἀπὸ δαιμόνων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δαίμονες τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀπελαύνονται, ὁ δὲ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος αὐτῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀντιτάσσεται. Ὁ μέντοι Παῦλος ῥήματι τοὺς δαίμονας ἐξεδίωκεν, Ἀλεξάνδρου δὲ τοῦ χαλκέως τὴν πονηρίαν νικῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσε· φησὶ γὰρ, Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλὰ κα κά μοι ἐνεδείξατο· ἀποδῴη αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος. Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου ἀγαθοῦ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας προφέρει τὰ ἀγαθά· ὁ δέ γε πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ προ φέρει τὰ πονηρά·","english":"He made a path for his wrath. The wicked man is worse than the evil angel. For the evil angel keeps the commands given to him; but the wicked man corrupts the commands given to him. What is more wicked than the devil? Yet, having envied Job, he did not dare to approach him without a divine command. But the wicked man, hearing, \"Love your enemies,\" not only does not love his enemies, but even hates his benefactors, and kills them, as Saul did to David. For David, having slain his adversary Goliath with a sling, drove away fear; but Saul breathed murder against him. David drove away his demon with his psalmody, but Saul, having sharpened his sword, hurled it against him. For such is the wicked man: the more he is benefited, the more he is inflamed with envy. For the strength of envy serves as fuel for the wicked man who is benefited. Deliver me, Lord, from a wicked man; not from demons. For demons are driven away by the sign of the cross, but the wicked man opposes the Lord Himself. Paul, indeed, drove out demons with a word, but he was not able to overcome the wickedness of Alexander the coppersmith; for he says, \"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; may the Lord repay him.\" Deliver me, Lord, from a wicked man; not from a good man. For the good man brings forth good things from the good treasure of his heart; but the wicked man brings forth evil things from the evil treasure.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom alludes to the command to love enemies, likely referencing Matthew 5:44 or a similar gospel injunction, though the exact verse is not cited.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Alexander the coppersmith is from 2 Timothy 4:14, where Paul mentions his harm and prays for the Lord's repayment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Σαοὺλ ... Δαυΐδ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom contrasts David and Saul from 1 Samuel, highlighting David's victory over Goliath and Saul's envy, a common typological pairing in patristic exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰώβ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of the devil's envy of Job and his restraint by divine command parallels Chrysostom's own homilies on Job, where he emphasizes demonic limitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"τρίβον τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'made a path for his wrath' is a literal rendering of the Greek, likely echoing Psalm 139 (LXX) verse, though the exact source is unclear; it may be a citation or Chrysostom's paraphrase.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ","severity":"info","text":"The sign of the cross as a means to drive away demons reflects common late antique Christian practice, often cited in Chrysostom's catechetical and homiletic works.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text has minor orthographic variations (e.g., πονη ρὸς for πονηρός) that do not affect meaning but may reflect scribal practice.","The phrase 'τρίβον τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ' is not a direct quotation from the LXX of Psalm 139; it may be Chrysostom's own paraphrase or a conflation with another passage."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"καὶ ὥσπερ ἀπό τινος ῥίζης, τῆς καρδίας ἕκαστος αὐτῶν προφέρει τὰ βλαστήματα, ὁ ἀγαθὸς τὴν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς τὴν πονηρίαν. Καὶ ὥσπερ τῆς πικρᾶς ῥίζης καὶ οἱ κλάδοι καὶ τὰ φύλλα καὶ τὰ ἄνθη καὶ ὁ καρπός ἐστι πικρός· οὕτω καὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ βάδισμα καὶ τὸ βλέμμα καὶ τὸ σχῆμα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες πονηραί εἰσι. Περὶ γὰρ ποδῶν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ ἡ σοφία· Ἔκκλινον δὲ ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ παράλλαξον· οἱ γὰρ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέ χουσι. Περὶ δὲ χειρῶν, ὡς ὅταν εὐχόμενος λέγῃ ὁ προ φήτης· Ῥῦσαί με, Κύριε, ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἐκ χειρὸς παρανομοῦντος καὶ ἀδικοῦντος.\n\nΠερὶ δὲ ὀφθαλμοῦ πονηροῦ, ὡς ὅταν ὁ Κύριος βοᾷ· Εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐστὶ πονηρὸς, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι; Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ. Ὁ τοιοῦτος δόλους πλέκει, ὑποκρίσεις μελετᾷ, τὸν φθόνον ἐν καρδίᾳ χαλκεύει. Ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· οὐκ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου δικαίου. Δίκαιος μὲν γὰρ οἰκτείρει ψυχὰς κτηνῶν, καθὼς γέ γραπται· ἄδικοι δὲ καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀφαιροῦνται. Δίκαιος οἰκτείρει ψυχὰς κτηνῶν, ὡς ὁ Μωϋσῆς εἰς τὸ ὅρος ἀναδραμὼν τὰ πρόβατα Ἰωθὸρ διψῶντα ἐπότισεν· ὁ δὲ ἄδικος Φαραὼ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν Ἑβραίων εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ἔπνιγε· καὶ ὁ μὲν δι' ὕδατος πρόβατα ἐπότιζεν· ὁ δὲ δι' ὕδατος ἀνθρώπους ἀπέκτεινε. βʹ Χρὴ οὖν φεύγειν τὴν πονηρίαν καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν, ὡς ἡ δύναμις· μὴ μόνον δὲ φεύγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀδικουμένους ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀδικούντων ῥύεσθαι, ὡς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐῤῥύσατο τὸν Λὼτ αἰχμαλωτισθέντα ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Λὼτ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ τῆς τῶν Σοδομιτῶν παρανομίας.","english":"And just as from some root, each of them brings forth the shoots from the heart, the good man his goodness, and the wicked man his wickedness. And just as from a bitter root the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit are also bitter, so also the walk, the glance, the bearing, and the hands of a wicked man are wicked. Concerning feet, as when Wisdom says, \"Turn aside from them and deviate, for their feet run toward wickedness.\" Concerning hands, as when the prophet prays, \"Deliver me, Lord, from the hand of a sinner, from the hand of one who transgresses and does injustice.\"\n\nConcerning the evil eye, as when the Lord cries out, \"Is your eye evil because I am good? Deliver me, Lord, from a wicked man.\" Such a man weaves deceits, practices hypocrisies, forges envy in his heart. \"From a wicked man,\" not from a righteous man. For a righteous man has pity even on the souls of beasts, as it is written; but unjust men even take away the lives of men. A righteous man has pity on the souls of beasts, as Moses, running up the mountain, watered the thirsty sheep of Jethro; but the unjust Pharaoh drowned the firstborn of the Hebrews in the river. And one watered sheep with water, while the other killed men with water. Therefore one must flee wickedness and injustice as much as possible; and not only flee, but also rescue those who are wronged from the hand of those who do wrong, as Abraham rescued Lot when he was taken captive from the hand of the foreigners, and as Lot himself rescued the angels from the lawlessness of the Sodomites.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἔκκλινον δὲ ἀπ' αὐτῶν καὶ παράλλαξον· οἱ γὰρ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσι","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites a wisdom saying about feet running toward wickedness; the source is likely Proverbs or a similar sapiential book, but the exact verse is not identified in the allowed keys.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ῥῦσαί με, Κύριε, ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἐκ χειρὸς παρανομοῦντος καὶ ἀδικοῦντος","severity":"info","text":"This prayer for deliverance from the hand of a sinner echoes Psalm 17:14 (LXX) or similar petitions; Chrysostom attributes it to the prophet, likely David.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Εἰ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐστὶ πονηρὸς, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἀγαθός εἰμι;","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom presents a rhetorical question from the Lord about the evil eye; this may be a paraphrase of a biblical passage, but the exact source is not identified in the allowed keys.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Μωϋσῆς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom recounts Moses watering Jethro's sheep on the mountain, a tradition from Exodus 2:16-21 (LXX) or later haggadic elaboration, illustrating the righteous man's compassion for animals.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Φαραὼ","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Pharaoh drowning Hebrew firstborns alludes to Exodus 1:22 (LXX) or later tradition, contrasting Moses' life-giving act with Pharaoh's murderous use of water.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀβραὰμ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom cites Abraham rescuing Lot from captivity (Genesis 14:14-16, LXX) and Lot rescuing angels from Sodomites (Genesis 19:1-11, LXX) as models of rescuing the wronged.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact biblical sources for the wisdom saying about feet, the prayer for deliverance, and the Lord's question about the evil eye are not specified in the allowed citation keys; they may be paraphrases or conflations."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἡ φύσις τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀνεπίδεκτος, ἀλλ' ἠτμάτων (φορτε ἡ τόλμα τῶν) ἀνθρώπων πρόχειρος. Ὡς ὁ Μωϋσῆς τὸν τῶν Ἑβραίων λαὸν ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων· ὡς ὁ Δαυῒδ τὸν Σαοὺλ ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ τῆς βίας τοῦ δαίμονος· ὡς τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἐκ τῆς καμίνου τῆς καιομένης ὁ συγκαταβὰς αὐτοῖς ἄγγελος· ὡς τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου τῶν λεόντων ἡ πίστις· ὡς τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους ἡ μετάνοια· ὡς τὸν Ἱερεμίαν ἐκ λάκκου βορβόρου Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ εὐνοῦχος· ὡς Δανιὴλ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ἐκ τῆς κρίσεως τῶν παρανόμων τὴν Σωσάνναν· ὡς ὁ Κύριος πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου· ὡς οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοὺς ἐχομένους ἀπὸ πνευμάτων καὶ νόσων. Ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον ὁ λόγος ἄνδρας νομοθετεῖ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκας διδάσκει. Πολλαὶ γὰρ γυναῖκες ἐῤῥύσαντο πολλοὺς ἐκ θανάτου καὶ κινδύνων ὡς Σάῤῥα τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ χειρὸς Ἀβιμέλεχ, ἀδελφὸν αὐτῆς εἶναι σοφισαμένη· ὡς Ῥεβέκκα τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς Ἰακὼβ ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἡσαῦ, τὴν φυγὴν αὐτῷ συμβουλεύουσα· ὡς Ῥαχὴλ τὸν πατέρα ἐκ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἐῤῥύσατο, ἄψυχα εἴδωλα κλέψασα· ἔκλεψε γὰρ οὐ δι' ἄλλο, ἢ ἵνα τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ῥύσηται τὸν πατέρα· ὡς Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη τοὺς κατασκόπους ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, εἰς τὴν λινοκαλάμην αὐτοὺς κατακρύψασα· ὡς Μελχὸλ τὸν Δαυῒδ ἐκ χειρὸς Σαοὺλ, τὸ μυστήριον αὐτῷ ἀπαγγείλασα· ὡς Ἀβιγαῒλ τὸν Νάβαλ ἐκ θανάτου, τῷ Δαυῒδ προσπεσοῦσα· ὡς ἡ τοῦ Μωϋσέως μήτηρ ἐκ χειρὸς Φαραὼ τὸ νήπιον εἰς θήβην ἐμβαλοῦσα· ὡς Μάρθα καὶ Μαρία τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτῶν Λάζαρον ἐξ ᾄδου, τῷ Κυρίῳ προσκλαύσασαι·","english":"For even if the nature of angels is incapable of receiving such things, yet the audacity (or rather the boldness) of human beings is ready. As Moses delivered the people of the Hebrews from the hand of the Egyptians; as David delivered Saul from the violence of the demon; as the angel who descended with the three youths delivered them from the burning furnace; as faith delivered Daniel from the lions' den; as repentance delivered Jonah from the belly of the whale; as Abimelech the eunuch delivered Jeremiah from the pit of mire; as in Babylon, Susanna was delivered from the judgment of the lawless by Daniel; as the Lord delivered all humanity from the hand of the devil; as the apostles delivered those possessed by spirits and diseases. But not only does the word command men to do this, but it also teaches women. For many women delivered many from death and dangers: as Sarah delivered Abraham from the hand of Abimelech, having cunningly claimed he was her brother; as Rebecca delivered her son Jacob from the hand of his brother Esau, advising him to flee; as Rachel delivered her father from idolatry, having stolen the lifeless idols—for she stole them for no other reason than to deliver her father from idolatry; as Rahab the harlot delivered the spies from the hand of the foreigners, having hidden them in the flax; as Michal delivered David from the hand of Saul, having reported the secret to him; as Abigail delivered Nabal from death, having fallen at David's feet; as the mother of Moses delivered the infant from the hand of Pharaoh, having placed him in a basket; as Martha and Mary delivered their brother Lazarus from Hades, having wept before the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἠτμάτων (φορτε ἡ τόλμα τῶν) ἀνθρώπων πρόχειρος","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text is corrupt here; the editor's conjecture 'φορτε' (or rather) attempts to restore a contrast between angelic incapacity and human audacity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς ὁ Μωϋσῆς τὸν τῶν Ἑβραίων λαὸν ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to Exodus 14:30, where Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς ὁ Δαυῒδ τὸν Σαοὺλ ἐῤῥύσατο ἐκ τῆς βίας τοῦ δαίμονος","severity":"info","text":"Refers to 1 Samuel 16:14-23, where David drives an evil spirit from Saul by playing the harp.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἐκ τῆς καμίνου ... ὁ συγκαταβὰς αὐτοῖς ἄγγελος","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to Daniel 3:49-50 (LXX), where an angel descends into the furnace with the three youths.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς τὸν Δανιὴλ ἐκ τοῦ λάκκου τῶν λεόντων ἡ πίστις","severity":"info","text":"Refers to Daniel 6:16-23, where Daniel is saved from the lions' den by his faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὡς τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας τοῦ κήτους ἡ μετάνοια","severity":"info","text":"Alludes to Jonah 2:1-10, where Jonah's repentance leads to his deliverance from the whale.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text at 'ἠτμάτων (φορτε ἡ τόλμα τῶν) ἀνθρώπων' is corrupt; the reading follows the editor's conjecture."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"ὡς αἱ χῆραι τὴν Ταβιθὰ ἐκ θανάτου ἐῤῥύσαντο, δυσωπήσασαι Πέτρον· ὡς ἡ πίστις τὴν αἱμόῤῥουν, καὶ νηστεία τοὺς Νινευίτας.\n\nἘξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με. Ἴδωμεν ἀπὸ τίνων ὁ προφήτης εὔχεται ἰδικῶς ῥυσθῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος πονηρὸς ὁ Δωὴκ, καὶ ἀνὴρ ἄδικος ὁ Σαούλ.\n\nὉ γοῦν Δαυῒδ ἀπὸ προσώπου Σαοὺλ ἦν φεύγων εἰς Νομβᾶ τὴν πόλιν τῶν ἱερέων, κἀκεῖ ὁ Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ ἱερεὺς ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ τὸ δόρυ τοῦ Γολιὰθ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου καὶ ἐπισιτισμόν. Τότε Δωὴκ ὁ Ἰδουμαῖος, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμιόνων τοῦ Σαοὺλ, παρὼν καὶ ὁρῶν τὰ γινόμενα, ἀπελθὼν διέβαλε τὸν Δαυῒδ καὶ Ἀβιμέλεχ τὸν ἱερέα, λέγων· χθὲς ἤμην εἰς Νομβᾶ τὴν πόλιν, κἀκεῖ Δαυΐδ· καὶ Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ ἱερεὺς ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ἐπισιτισμὸν, καὶ τὸ δόρυ Γολιὰθ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου. Τότε Σαοὺλ θυμωθεὶς καὶ ὅλος τῆς ὀργῆς γινόμενος, λέγει τοῖς πα-ρατρέχουσιν αὐτῷ στρατιώταις· Σφάξατε τοὺς ἐν τῇ Νομβᾷ τῇ πόλει ἱερεῖς. Οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἐτόλμησαν χεῖρας ἐπενεγκεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς, φόβῳ Θεοῦ χαλινωθέντες τὰς χεῖρας, πρὸ δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τὰς γνώμας. Τότε πρὸς τὸν Δωὴκ ὁ Σαοὺλ ἀποστρέφων φησί· σὺ ἅπαντας τοὺς ἱερεῖς Κυρίου θανάτωσον, καὶ μὴ φείσῃ, μὴ πρεσβυτέρου, μὴ νεωτέρου, μὴ γυναικὸς, μὴ παρθένου, μὴ νηπίου, μὴ θηλάζοντος· ἕως ὄνου καὶ προβάτου καὶ μόσχου πάντας ἀπόκτεινον εἰς ἐξάλειψιν. Τότε ἀποστρέψας ὁ Δωὴκ, καὶ διελὼν τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀρχόμενον λαὸν τρέχει, καὶ τοὺς μὲν τὴν πόλιν κυκλῶσαι παρεσκεύασεν, ἐπὶ τὸ μηδένα φεύγειν, καὶ σωτηρίαν πορίσασθαι, τοὺς δὲ εἰς τὴν πόλιν πῦρ βάλλειν παρεκέλευσεν·","english":"as the widows rescued Tabitha from death, having shamed Peter; as faith rescued the woman with the issue of blood, and fasting the Ninevites.\n\n\"Deliver me, O Lord, from a wicked man, and rescue me from an unjust man.\" Let us see from whom the prophet specifically prays to be rescued. For the wicked man is Doeg, and the unjust man is Saul.\n\nThus David was fleeing from the face of Saul to Nob, the city of the priests, and there Ahimelech the priest gave him the spear of Goliath the Philistine and provisions. Then Doeg the Edomite, who was over Saul's mules, being present and seeing what was happening, went and informed against David and Ahimelech the priest, saying: \"Yesterday I was in Nob the city, and there was David; and Ahimelech the priest gave him provisions and the spear of Goliath the Philistine.\" Then Saul, enraged and filled with wrath, says to the soldiers running beside him: \"Slay the priests in the city of Nob.\" But they did not dare to lay hands on the priests, their hands restrained by fear of God, and before their hands, their minds. Then Saul, turning to Doeg, says: \"You put to death all the priests of the Lord, and spare none, neither elder, nor younger, nor woman, nor virgin, nor infant, nor suckling; even the donkey, the sheep, and the calf, kill all for extermination.\" Then Doeg, turning back and dividing the people under his command, runs, and he prepared some to surround the city so that none might flee and procure safety, and he ordered others to set fire to the city.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Δωὴκ ὁ Ἰδουμαῖος","severity":"info","text":"Doeg the Edomite is a figure from 1 Samuel 21–22, where he reports David's visit to Ahimelech, leading to the massacre of the priests of Nob. Chrysostom here expands the biblical narrative with dramatic detail.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ","severity":"info","text":"This is a direct quotation of Psalm 139:2 (LXX 138:2). Chrysostom interprets the 'wicked man' as Doeg and the 'unjust man' as Saul, applying the psalm to David's historical context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Νομβᾶ","severity":"info","text":"Nob (Νομβᾶ) is the city of the priests in 1 Samuel 21–22. Chrysostom's spelling reflects the LXX tradition (Codex Vaticanus reads Νομβᾶ). The city was a cultic center before its destruction by Saul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὁ γοῦν Δαυῒδ ... Τότε Δωὴκ ... Τότε Σαοὺλ ... Τότε πρὸς τὸν Δωὴκ ... Τότε ἀποστρέψας ὁ Δωὴκ","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom structures the narrative with a series of 'then' (τότε) clauses, creating a dramatic, sequential account of the events at Nob. This rhetorical device heightens the sense of unfolding tragedy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Σφάξατε τοὺς ἐν τῇ Νομβᾷ τῇ πόλει ἱερεῖς","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's version of Saul's command to kill the priests includes details not in the biblical text (e.g., 'spare none, neither elder, nor younger...'). This reflects a haggadic expansion common in early Christian exegesis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἕως ὄνου καὶ προβάτου καὶ μόσχου πάντας ἀπόκτεινον","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'even the donkey, the sheep, and the calf' is an extreme embellishment not found in 1 Samuel 22. Chrysostom may be drawing on a lost source or rhetorical hyperbole to emphasize Saul's impiety.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text uses 'ἐῤῥύσαντο' (rescued) with a variant spelling; the standard form is 'ἐρρύσαντο'. This does not affect the sense.","The phrase 'ἀπὸ προσώπου Σαοὺλ' could mean 'from the presence of Saul' or 'from the face of Saul'; the translation 'from the face of Saul' is retained."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"αὐτός τε, καθάπερ λέων πρόθυμος εἰς βορὰν, ὥρμησε κατ' αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει, καθάπερ κατὰ μεμανδρευμένων προβάτων, καὶ ἔσφαξε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τριακοσίους πεντήκοντα ἱερεῖς αἴροντας Ἐφοὺδ, καὶ οὐκ ἐφείσατο οὐ πρεσβυτέρου, οὐ νεωτέρου, οὐ παρθένου, οὐ γυναικὸς, οὐ νηπίου θηλάζοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ προβάτου καὶ μόσχου καὶ ὄνου, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησε πυρί. Τότε Δαυῒδ θεωρήσας τοῦτο, φεύγων ἔλεγεν· Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με. Ἦν γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἰδεῖν ὠμότατα πράγματα, τὰ τῶν νέων αἵματα καὶ τῶν νηπίων συμπεφυρμένα, καὶ νηπίων στομάτων ἄκρα τοῖς τῶν μητέρων μαστοῖς προσηρτημένα, καὶ ἄωρον κήραν ( κουρὰν) πρὸ καιροῦ τεμνομένην, καὶ στάχυας πρὸ καιροῦ θεριζομένους, καὶ βότρυας μήπω περκάσαντας, θυμῷ χαλάζης φονευομένους. γυναικείων πλοκάμων, ὧν ἔδει κρύπτεσθαι, τὸ σεμνὸν μυστήριον πομπεῦον. Τοῦ γὰρ λινέου ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς χιτωνίσκου περιῤῥιπτομένου, γυμνὸν τὸ κρανίον τῆς κόμης διεδείκνυτο, καὶ στέρνα γυμνούμενα, τὰ καὶ ὄψιν ἡλίου ἰδεῖν αἰσχυνόμενα, καὶ παιδογόνα, ἃ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ φύσις καλύπτειν ἐδίδασκε. Καὶ τίς ἂν τὴν τότε γενομένην ἀνάγκην εἰπεῖν ἐξισχύσειεν; Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοιαῦτα ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὁ ἄοικος ἀνὴρ διαπράτ-τονται, μὴ παυσώμεθα πάντοτε ἐκτενῶς δέεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ καὶ λέγειν· Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ, ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με. Μὴ μόνον δὲ στόματι ταῦτα προσευχώμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν ἑαυτοὺς ἀξίους πρὸς τὸ εἰσακούεσθαι τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν εὐτρεπίσωμεν.","english":"He himself, like a lion eager for prey, rushed against them in the city, as against penned-up sheep, and on that day slaughtered three hundred and fifty priests bearing the Ephod, and spared neither elder, nor younger, nor virgin, nor woman, nor nursing infant, nor even sheep, calf, and donkey, and set the city ablaze with fire. Then David, seeing this, said as he fled: \"Deliver me, O Lord, from a wicked man; rescue me from an unjust man.\" For truly one could see the most savage things: the blood of the young and of infants mingled together, and the tips of infants' mouths still attached to their mothers' breasts, and untimely hair cut before its time, and ears of grain reaped before their season, and grapes not yet ripened destroyed by the fury of hail. Women's tresses, which ought to be hidden, paraded as a shameful spectacle. For when the linen head-covering was torn away, the bare skull was exposed, stripped of its hair, and breasts laid bare, which are ashamed even to see the light of the sun, and the organs of childbirth, which nature itself taught to conceal. And who could be strong enough to describe the calamity that occurred then? Since, therefore, the wicked man and the unjust man do such things, let us never cease earnestly beseeching God and saying: \"Deliver me, O Lord, from a wicked man; rescue me from an unjust man.\" And let us not only pray these words with our mouth, but also through good works make ourselves worthy of having our petition heard.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τριακοσίους πεντήκοντα ἱερεῖς","severity":"info","text":"The slaughter of 350 priests at Nob is a narrative expansion of 1 Sam 22:18-19, where Doeg kills 85 priests. Chrysostom's number may derive from a variant tradition or rhetorical amplification.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐξελοῦ με, Κύριε, ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ· ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥῦσαί με","severity":"info","text":"This verse is not from the canonical Psalter but appears in some Septuagint manuscripts as Psalm 139 (140). Chrysostom treats it as David's prayer during his flight from Saul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄωρον κήραν (κουρὰν)","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text has 'κήραν' corrected to 'κουρὰν' (haircut). The phrase 'untimely haircut' refers to forcible tonsure of women, a detail not in the biblical account but added for pathos.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"γυναικείων πλοκάμων ... πομπεῦον","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom's graphic description of violated women's bodies reflects his homiletic emphasis on modesty and the sanctity of the female body, a theme frequent in his moral exhortations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐπεὶ οὖν ... μὴ παυσώμεθα","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from historical narrative to direct exhortation, using the example of David's prayer to urge the congregation to pray and act righteously.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἄωρον κήραν (κουρὰν)","severity":"caution","text":"The manuscript reading 'κήραν' (widowhood) is likely a scribal error for 'κουρὰν' (haircut). The sense of forced tonsure fits the context of violation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'wicked man' and 'unjust man' is explicitly given as Doeg and Saul, but the text does not clarify whether Chrysostom reads the psalm as David's literal prayer or as a typological model for all believers."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"Οὕτω γὰρ παρακαλοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν εἰσακουσθησόμεθα, καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐξ ἀνθρώπου πονηροῦ καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ἐξελεῖται καὶ ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀοράτων ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν λυτρώσεται ἡμᾶς, καὶ σὺν τοῖς ἐπιγείοις ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τῶν αἰωνίων αὐτοῦ ἀξιώσει ἀγαθῶν. Ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους ἀγάπην ἄδολον καὶ εἰλικρινῆ φυλάξωμεν, καὶ οἰκεῖον κέρδος τὴν εἰς πλησίον γινομένην προκοπὴν λογισώμεθα.\n\nἘν τούτῳ γὰρ μιμηταὶ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἀνθρώποις γινόμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἀγάπη ἐστί τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"For thus, when we entreat God, we shall be heard, and not only will he deliver and rescue us from a wicked man and from an unjust man, but he will also redeem us from our unseen enemies, and together with earthly goods, he will deem us worthy of his eternal goods. Above all, let us preserve guileless and sincere love for one another, and consider the progress of our neighbor as our own gain.\n\nFor in this we become imitators of God, as far as is possible for humans. For our God is and is called love. Glory and power to him, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Οὕτω γὰρ παρακαλοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν εἰσακουσθησόμεθα","severity":"info","text":"Chrysostom concludes the homily by shifting from the historical narrative of David to a moral exhortation: prayer with proper disposition ensures divine hearing and deliverance from both visible and invisible enemies.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ἀγάπη","severity":"info","text":"The Greek term ἀγάπη (love) is central: Chrysostom asserts that God both is and is called love, and that mutual, guileless love makes humans imitators of God. This echoes 1 John 4:8 and patristic theology of theosis.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'from an unjust man' recalls the psalm's superscription (Psalm 139 LXX: 'Deliver me from an unjust man'), which Chrysostom interprets as David's plea during Absalom's rebellion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ μιμηταὶ Θεοῦ","severity":"info","text":"This sentence serves as the homily's peroration: it transitions from specific petition to universal imitation of God through love, capped by a trinitarian doxology. The structure mirrors Chrysostom's typical homiletic conclusion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι","severity":"info","text":"The trinitarian doxology reflects late fourth-century Nicene orthodoxy, consistent with Chrysostom's Antiochene context. It may have been added for liturgical use, as homilies often concluded with such formulas.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμήν","severity":"caution","text":"The final 'Amen' may be a scribal or liturgical addition rather than Chrysostom's original words. Such conclusions are common in manuscript transmission and do not necessarily reflect the preached text.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear; no significant ambiguities. The doxology's originality is uncertain but does not affect the homily's argument."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}