{"slug":"pta0039.pta002","id":"greek:pta:pta0039.pta002","title":"In paralyticum","title_source":"In paralyticum","author":"Anonymus (Pseudo-John Chrysostom)","genre":"homily","date":"0401–0404","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":"2026-11-15T05:28:23Z","cost_usd":0.002616},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:pta:pta0039.pta002","work_id":"pta0039.pta002","edition":"pta","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://pta.bbaw.de/text/urn:cts:pta:pta0039.pta002.pta-grcBibex"},"stats":{"passages":4,"english_words":1032,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4024,"commentary_units":24,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":1,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":4,"external_links":3,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"pta0039.pta002","abstract":"This homily, attributed to John Chrysostom but now considered pseudonymous, recounts the healing of a paralytic as a demonstration of Christ's unique mercy. The author contrasts the paralytic's prolonged suffering—described as tomb-like and lasting three decades—with the sudden, miraculous restoration. The work employs common patristic tropes, such as the meadow metaphor for the Gospels, and references other Gospel miracles (Lazarus, the man born blind) to emphasize the abundance and variety of divine wonders. Surviving only in Greek manuscripts, the homily was used in Byzantine homiliaries for feasts of healing miracles, indicating its liturgical function.","historical_context":"The homily is dated conjecturally to the late 4th or early 5th century, based on style and content, but no firm date can be assigned. It survives only in Greek manuscripts under Chrysostom's name, though modern scholars doubt this attribution and classify it among the spuria. The work's liturgical opening ('εὐλόγησον, πάτερ') and its inclusion in medieval Greek homiliaries for feasts of healing miracles suggest it was used in Byzantine liturgical contexts. The author's rhetorical devices—such as the meadow metaphor and the psychological insight into the paralytic's despair—reflect common patristic homiletic techniques. The text's transmission is limited; this edition does not collate all known manuscripts, and variant readings from later witnesses are not systematically recorded.","significance":"The homily exemplifies the pseudonymous tradition of Chrysostom's corpus and illustrates how late antique Christian preachers adapted Gospel miracle stories for liturgical and moral instruction. Its focus on the paralytic's prolonged suffering and Christ's unique mercy offers insight into early Christian attitudes toward disability, healing, and divine compassion. The work also contributes to understanding the development of Byzantine homiliaries and the liturgical use of healing narratives.","timeline":[{"date":"Late 4th–early 5th c.","event":"Probable composition of the homily (conjectural)."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Attribution to John Chrysostom, later doubted by scholars."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Inclusion in Byzantine homiliaries for feasts of healing miracles."},{"date":"Modern era","event":"Classification among Chrysostom's spuria by critical scholarship."}],"relations":[{"work":"John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospels","relation":"Attributed to the same author but now considered pseudonymous.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Pseudo-Chrysostom, In paralyticum (other versions)","relation":"Part of a larger corpus of spurious homilies on healing miracles.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Gospel of John (John 11:1-44; John 9:1-41)","relation":"References the raising of Lazarus and the healing of the man born blind.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine homiliaries for healing feasts","relation":"Liturgical use of the homily in medieval Greek contexts.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:John Chrysostom","label":"John Chrysostom","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chrysostom","reason":"The homily is traditionally attributed to him."},{"key":"wikipedia:Pseudo-Chrysostom","label":"Pseudo-Chrysostom","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudo-Chrysostom","reason":"The work is now considered pseudonymous."},{"key":"wikipedia:Homily","label":"Homily","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homily","reason":"The genre of the work."}],"cautions":["The homily's date is conjectural; no firm evidence places it precisely in the late 4th or early 5th century.","Authorship is disputed; the work is pseudonymous, but all manuscripts attribute it to Chrysostom.","The edition does not collate all known manuscripts; variant readings from later witnesses are not systematically recorded.","The homily's survival is limited to Greek manuscripts; no other language versions are attested."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000428,"generated":"2026-11-15T05:00:01Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patristic Text Archive","url":"https://pta.bbaw.de/text/urn:cts:pta:pta0039.pta002.pta-grcBibex"}],"checks":{"work":"pta0039.pta002","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":4,"translated":4,"commentary_passages":4,"commentary_units":24,"english_words":1032,"source_letters":4024,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily survives only in Greek manuscripts under Chrysostom’s name, but its attribution is doubted by modern scholars; it is classed among the spuria.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"No firm date can be assigned; the homily is often placed in the late 4th or early 5th century based on style and content, but this remains conjectural.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily was included in some medieval Greek homiliaries for feasts of healing miracles, indicating its liturgical use in Byzantine contexts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This edition does not collate all known manuscripts; variant readings from later witnesses are not systematically recorded.","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: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 4 narrative."},{"kind":"caution","severity":"caution","text":"1 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: pta — CC BY-SA 4.0"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":4},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου λόγος εἰς τὸν παράλυτον· εὐλόγησον, πάτερ.\n\nὍπουπερ ἂν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς λειμῶσι περιενέγκω τὸ βλέμμα, ποικίλων μοι θαυμάτων ὑπαντῶσιν εὐθὺς πηγαὶ καὶ τῆς δεσποτικῆς φιλανθρωπίας κυμαίνοντα βλέπω τὰ ῥεῖθρα. καὶ πολύτροπος θαυμάτων ἀναφύεται πλοῦτος· οὐ γὰρ μόνον σωμάτων ἐξελαύνονται πάθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψυχαὶ νοσοῦσαι θεραπείαν πορίζονται· ἀφανεῖς νόσοι φαινομένοις ἐλαύνονται θαύμασι. διὰ τοῦτο Λάζαρον ἐκ τάφου πρὸς βίον ὑποστρέφει καλούμενος· διὰ τοῦτο τυφλὸς μετὰ τὴν φύσιν ἀνέβλεπεν, ἵνα αἰσχυνθέντες Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ θαῦμα πρὸς τὸν θαυματουργὸν ἀναβλέψωσι. διὰ τοῦτο παράλυτος τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πάθους τὸν τάφον μιμούμενος ὑγιὴς παρ’ ἐλπίδα μετὰ τῆς κλίνης ἐχόρευε. καὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἰσόχρονον τὸ πάθος τοῦ πάσχοντος.\n\nΛυθεῖσαι γὰρ τῶν μελῶν αἱ ἁρμονίαι καὶ χαλασθεῖσαι τῶν νεύρων αἱ διατάσεις ἀκίνητον προσέρριψαν φυλάττειν τῇ κλίνῃ τὸν κύριον· ὁ δὲ τοῖς ἀλύτοις τῆς φύσεως δεσμοῖς πιεζόμενος ἔμενεν ἐν τῷ πάθει τὴν ζωὴν καταλύων· οὐκ ἤρκεσε μία δωδεκὰς ἐτῶν τῷ νοσήματι οὐδὲ εἰκοστὸν ἔτος ἀναλῶσαν ἐκορέσθη τὸ πάθος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρίτη δεκαετηρὶς ἐνικήθη, πρὸς γῆρας ὁ πάσχων ἀφίκετο καὶ προϊὸν τὸ πάθος ἐνέαζεν· οὐκ ἦν θεραπείας ἐλπίς, οὐκ ἦν λύσιν προσδοκῆσαι τῆς παραλύσεως. καὶ οὐκ ἄχρι τούτων ἡ συμφορὰ τῷ νοσοῦντι, ἀλλ’ ἐδιπλασίαζεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἡ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρρώστων θεραπεία.","english":"A discourse of our father among the saints John Chrysostom on the paralytic: bless, father.\n\nWherever I direct my gaze in the meadows of the Gospels, springs of manifold wonders immediately meet me, and I see the streams of the Lord’s philanthropy surging. A rich variety of wonders springs forth; for not only are ailments of bodies driven out, but sick souls also obtain healing; unseen diseases are expelled by visible wonders. For this reason Lazarus is called back from the tomb to life; for this reason a blind man regained sight contrary to nature, so that the Jews, put to shame, might look up to the wonder-worker. For this reason a paralytic, imitating the tomb by the duration of his affliction, unexpectedly danced healthy with his bed. And the sufferer’s affliction was almost equal in length to his life.\n\nFor the joints of his limbs were loosened, the tensions of his sinews relaxed, and they cast him prostrate, motionless, to keep him bound to his bed; he, oppressed by the indissoluble bonds of nature, remained in his affliction, ending his life. One dozen years did not suffice for the disease, nor was the affliction sated after consuming a twentieth year, but a third decade was also overcome; the sufferer reached old age, and the advancing affliction grew young. There was no hope of a cure, no expectation of release from the paralysis. And not even to this extent was the calamity for the sick man, but the healing of other invalids doubled his despondency.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου λόγος εἰς τὸν παράλυτον· εὐλόγησον, πάτερ.","severity":"info","text":"The title attributes the homily to John Chrysostom, but the work is pseudonymous (Pseudo-John Chrysostom). The phrase 'εὐλόγησον, πάτερ' is a liturgical opening, typical of homilies in the Byzantine tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ποικίλων μοι θαυμάτων ὑπαντῶσιν εὐθὺς πηγαὶ","severity":"info","text":"The author uses a meadow metaphor for the Gospels, a common patristic trope, to introduce the theme of manifold wonders. The phrase emphasizes the abundance of miracles in the Gospel narratives.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Λάζαρον ἐκ τάφου πρὸς βίον ὑποστρέφει καλούμενος","severity":"info","text":"This refers to the raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44), a key miracle in the Gospels. The author uses it as an example of visible wonders that heal unseen diseases.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τυφλὸς μετὰ τὴν φύσιν ἀνέβλεπεν","severity":"info","text":"This alludes to the healing of the blind man, likely the man born blind (John 9:1-41). The phrase 'contrary to nature' underscores the miraculous restoration of sight.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"παράλυτος τῷ χρόνῳ τοῦ πάθους τὸν τάφον μιμούμενος","severity":"info","text":"The paralytic's condition is described as tomb-like due to its duration, a rhetorical device emphasizing hopelessness. The mention of three decades (τρίτη δεκαετηρὶς) highlights the chronic nature of the illness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐδιπλασίαζεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἡ τῶν ἄλλων ἀρρώστων θεραπεία","severity":"info","text":"The healing of other invalids paradoxically increases the paralytic's despair, a psychological insight that sets up the homily's argument about the uniqueness of Christ's mercy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text is clear, but the attribution to John Chrysostom is pseudepigraphal; the homily's actual author is unknown.","The phrase 'εὐλόγησον, πάτερ' may be a later liturgical addition, but the text does not indicate interpolation."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"γείτων γάρ τις ὑπῆρχεν ἡ κολυμβήθρα μίαν τοῦ ἔτους ἡμέραν πρὸς ἰατρείαν ἡπλωμένη τοῖς πάσχουσι, σπανίζον δι’ ἔτους καρποφοροῦσα τὸ δῶρον, ἕνα μόνον τοῖς δρεπομένοις ἀναδιδοῦσα τὴν χάριν τὸν πρῶτον εἰσδραμόντα θεραπεύσασα κενοὺς ἐλπίδων τοὺς ἄλλους ἀπέπεμπεν. καὶ τῇ περὶ τὴν θεραπείαν πλεονεξίᾳ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν διέβαλλον· θατέρων δὲ τὸν ἕτερον προαρπάζειν φιλονεικοῦντες πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν ἐπτεροῦντο μὲν ἅπαντες, εἷς δὲ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς κολυμβήθρας καρπὸν ἐλάμβανε· μόνον δὲ οὗτος τῷ πάθει τούτους πάντας νικῶν, μόνος ἐξ ἁπάντων τῆς θεραπείας ἐκβέβλητο ἀεὶ μὲν ὀξυδορκῶν πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν, ἀμώμητον δὲ φέρων δι’ ἀτονίαν τὴν αἴσθησιν· καὶ τῷ μὲν πόθῳ τῆς ὑγιείας τὸν χρόνον θηρεύων, βραδυτῆτι δὲ μένων ἄλλοις μηνυτὴς τῆς θεραπείας ἐγίνετο· καὶ ἦν αὐτῷ ὀδύνη προσθετὴ τῶν θεραπευομένων ἡ θέα.\n\nδιὰ τοῦτο πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἀρρώστων τῷ παραλύτῳ παρέστη ὁ σωτὴρ· καὶ πρότερον αὐτῷ περὶ θεραπείας λόγον κινεῖ, πρότερον αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐλπίδας σφίγγει λυθείσας καὶ τότε τὰ μέλη συναρμόζει λυθέντα· θέλεις ὑγιῶν γενέσθαι; ἐκκαίει πρὸς πόθον ὑγιείας τὸν κάμνοντα. τί οὖν ὁ παράλυτος· οὐκ ἐτραχύνθη πρὸς τὴν φωνὴν, οὐκ ἠγανάκτησε πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν, οὐκ εἶπε πεπικραμένως· βλέπεις, ἄνθρωπε, τοσοῦτον ὄντα τὸν χρόνον τῆς νόσου καὶ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας ἐρωτᾷς; εἰρωνεύῃ τὸ πάθος γελῶν, ὃ ποθῶ; γελᾷς μοι τὴν νόσον; οὐκ ἀκαίρως τῷ θέλειν ἐπιζητῶ; οὐκ εἶπε ταῦτα ὁ παράλυτος, ἀλλ’ εὐθέως ὡς ῥαθυμίαν ἐγκαλούμενος πρὸς τὸν παρόντα δεσπότην ἀπολογεῖται·","english":"A neighbor was the pool, open for healing to those who suffered only one day of the year, bearing its gift sparingly through the year, yielding its grace to only one of those who gathered, healing the first to rush in and sending the others away empty of hopes. And the greed concerning the healing slandered the benefaction; while the others, striving to snatch the one from the other, were all winged toward the movement of the water, but only one received the fruit from the pool. But this man, alone surpassing all these in his affliction, alone of all was cast out of healing, always sharp-sighted toward the movement of the water, yet bearing his perception blameless through weakness. And while hunting the time with desire for health, remaining in slowness, he became a herald of healing to others. And the sight of those being healed was an additional pain to him.\n\nFor this reason, before all other sick, the Savior stood by the paralytic. And first he initiates a word about healing with him, first he tightens his hopes, which had been loosened, and then he fits together his limbs, which had been loosened. Do you wish to become healthy? He kindles the sufferer toward desire for health. What then did the paralytic? He was not harsh at the voice, he did not resent the question, he did not say bitterly: Do you see, man, the time of my illness being so long, and you ask about health? Are you mocking my suffering, laughing at what I desire? Do you laugh at my illness? Do I seek unseasonably with my will? The paralytic did not say these things, but immediately, as if accused of negligence, he defends himself before the present master.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"κολυμβήθρα","severity":"info","text":"The pool (κολυμβήθρα) is the Pool of Bethesda, known from John 5:2–4. The description of it opening only one day a year for healing is a legendary embellishment not in the canonical Gospel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"θέλεις ὑγιῶν γενέσθαι","severity":"info","text":"The question 'Do you wish to become healthy?' echoes Jesus’ question to the paralytic in John 5:6, though the exact wording differs. The homily expands the dialogue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"διὰ τοῦτο πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'For this reason, before all other sick' marks a structural pivot from the description of the pool’s limitations to the specific encounter between Christ and the paralytic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"προαρπάζειν","severity":"info","text":"The verb προαρπάζειν ('snatch before') conveys the competitive rush to the water, highlighting the greed that 'slandered the benefaction'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Pseudo-John Chrysostom","severity":"info","text":"This homily is attributed to John Chrysostom in the manuscript tradition but is considered spurious. It reflects later legendary expansions of the Bethesda story.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀμώμητον δὲ φέρων δι’ ἀτονίαν τὴν αἴσθησιν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'bearing his perception blameless through weakness' is ambiguous: it may mean the paralytic’s senses were unimpaired despite his physical weakness, or that his perception was faultless due to his debility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'neighbor' (γείτων) is unclear; it may refer to the pool itself or to a personified entity.","The phrase 'ἀμώμητον δὲ φέρων δι’ ἀτονίαν τὴν αἴσθησιν' is syntactically ambiguous, as noted above."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"κύριε, ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω, ἵνα, ὅταν ταραχθῇ τὸ ὕδωρ, βάλλῃ με εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν. ἐλεεινολογεῖται πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα τάχα που νομίσας ὑπηρέτην εὑρηκέναι τοῦ πάθους, ἀγνοῶν δὲ ἄρα ὡς ἰατροῦ παρόντος κολυμβήθρας εἰς θεραπείαν οὐ δεηθήσεται. τί οὖν ὁ κύριος; ἔγειρε, ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ περιπάτει· ἀπόφασις ἐξῄει δεσπότου καὶ συνεξῄει τοῦ παραλύτου τὸ πάθος· ἀντίδος, ὦ παράλυτε, τῇ κλίνῃ τοῦ καμάτου τὴν χάριν. ἐπιμαρτυρείτω τῇ μεταστάσει τοῦ πάθους μεταστάσα τὸν τόπον ἡ κλίνη, μᾶλλον δὲ βοάτω μετέωρος τὴν θεραπείαν τοῦ φέροντος, καὶ παρὰ σοῦ φερομένη κήρυξ γενέσθω τοῦ θαύματος· συνοικιζέσθω σοι πάλιν ἡ κλίνη, ἵνα τῇ ταύτης θέᾳ ὑπόμνημα ἔχεις τοῦ θεραπεύσαντος.\n\nἀλλ’ ἑώρα τὸ γενόμενον θαῦμα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ δῆμος, ἑώρα τοῖς ὄμμασι τοῦ φθόνου τὸ θαῦμα, ἑώρα τὴν θεραπείαν ὡς τιμωρίαν οἰκείαν· εἶδεν γοῦν τὸν παράλυτον σὺν ξένῳ θαύματι μετὰ τῆς κλίνης χορεύοντα· καὶ ὃ δέον προσκυνεῖν τὸν ἐργασάμενον, τὴν τοῦ σαββάτου φυλακὴν προβάλλεται λέγων· τίς ἐστιν ὁ εἰπών σοι· ἔγειρε ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ περιπάτει; ἀλλ’ ὅρα τοῦ παραλύτου ῥητορείαν ἀκατάγνωστον· ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ, ἐκεῖνος μοι εἶπεν ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ περιπάτει· ὑπήκουσα προστάττοντι, ᾧ καὶ τὸ πάθος ὑπήκουσεν· εἶδον τὴν νόσον κελευομένην καὶ φεύγουσαν κἀγὼ κελευσθεὶς ἐπειθόμην· πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἂν ἐπείσθην, ᾧ μηδὲ τὸ πάθος ἀντεῖπεν;","english":"Lord, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed.\" He pleads piteously with the Savior, perhaps thinking he has found a servant for his affliction, but not knowing that when a physician is present, he will have no need of pools for healing. What then does the Lord do? \"Rise, take up your stretcher, and walk.\" A command went forth from the master, and the paralytic's affliction went forth with it. Give back, O paralytic, to the bed of your labor the grace you have received. Let the bed bear witness to the removal of the affliction by changing its place; rather, let it, borne aloft, proclaim the healing of the one who carries it, and let it, carried by you, become a herald of the miracle. Let the bed be joined to you again, so that by the sight of it you may have a reminder of the one who healed you.\n\nBut the crowd of Jews saw the miracle that had taken place; they saw the miracle with the eyes of envy; they saw the healing as a punishment to themselves. At any rate, they saw the paralytic, with a strange miracle, dancing together with his stretcher. And what they ought to have done was to worship the one who performed it, but they instead put forward the observance of the Sabbath, saying, \"Who is it that said to you, 'Rise, take up your stretcher, and walk'?\" But observe the irreproachable rhetoric of the paralytic: \"The one who made me healthy, that one told me, 'Take up your stretcher and walk.' I obeyed the one who commanded, to whom even my affliction obeyed. I saw the disease commanded and fleeing, and I, being commanded, obeyed. For how could I not have obeyed, when not even my affliction spoke against him?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐλεεινολογεῖται","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἐλεεινολογεῖται means 'he pleads piteously' or 'he speaks in a pitiful manner'. It underscores the paralytic's rhetorical appeal to Christ's compassion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ἔγειρε, ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ περιπάτει","severity":"info","text":"This command echoes the healing narrative in Mark 2:11-12 and John 5:8-9, where Jesus tells the paralytic to rise and take up his mat. The phrase is a direct quotation from the Gospel accounts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν τοῦ σαββάτου φυλακὴν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'observance of the Sabbath' refers to Jewish legal scruples about carrying objects on the Sabbath. The crowd's objection reflects contemporary Jewish-Christian debates about Sabbath law.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"χορεύοντα","severity":"info","text":"The image of the paralytic 'dancing' with his stretcher is a vivid rhetorical flourish. It parallels the motif of miraculous healing leading to joyful movement, found also in Acts 3:8 and in early Christian miracle accounts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀλλ’ ἑώρα τὸ γενόμενον θαῦμα","severity":"info","text":"This sentence marks a shift from the healing narrative to the crowd's reaction. The repeated ἑώρα ('saw') emphasizes the visual witness of the miracle and the envy of the Jewish onlookers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ῥητορείαν ἀκατάγνωστον","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'irreproachable rhetoric' praises the paralytic's logical defense. This reflects the homilist's rhetorical training and the late antique appreciation for eloquent speech in Christian contexts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'neighbor' in the previous passage is unclear; it may refer to a personified pool or a literal neighbor. The Greek text does not specify.","The phrase 'σὺν ξένῳ θαύματι' could mean 'with a strange miracle' or 'with a foreign miracle'; the translation adopts 'strange' as more natural."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὁ θεραπευθεὶς τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐπεστόμησε λύσσαν, ἴδωμεν δὲ οἷα ὁ θεραπεύσας ἐγκαλούμενος φθέγγεται· ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι· μία λέξις καὶ Ἰουδαίων τὴν βασκανίαν καὶ αἱρετικῶν τὴν βλασφημίαν ἀνέκοψεν. ἔδειξεν οὖν τὸν υἱὸν συνθαυματουργοῦντα τῷ φύσαντι· εἰ γὰρ ἐμέ, φησί, τῶν ἔργων ἐπέχεις, θὲς ὅρους ἐργαζομένῳ πνεύματι· ἔπεχε αὐτοῦ τὰ περὶ τὴν κτίσιν ἐν σαββάτῳ προστάγματα, παῦσον ἡλίου τὸν ἐν σαββάτῳ δρόμον, στῆσον σελήνης μαρμαρυγὰς οὐκ αἰσχυνομένας τὸν νόμον, ἐπίσχες ἀστέρων ἐπιστολάς, κώλυσον ἀστέρων τροπὰς, στῆσον καρπῶν ἀνατολάς, ἀνάσχε ποταμῶν ὁρμάς, στῆσον τὴν τῶν στοιχέων ἐνέργειαν· πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ προσταγμάτων γνωρίσματα. εἰ δὲ δεσπότης ἐκεῖνο μετὰ τοῦ νόμου τῆς κτίσεως […], γνωρίζετε καὶ νῦν τῷ γεγεννηκότι ὁμοούσιον· αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀμήν.","english":"Thus the healed man silenced the madness of the Jews. But let us see what the healer says when he is accused: \"My father works until now, and I work.\" One word cut off both the envy of the Jews and the blasphemy of the heretics. He showed, then, that the Son works miracles together with the one who begot him. For if, he says, you hinder me from the works, set limits to the working Spirit: restrain his commands concerning creation on the Sabbath, stop the course of the sun on the Sabbath, halt the gleam of the moon that is not ashamed of the law, check the messages of the stars, prevent the turnings of the stars, stop the growth of fruits, hold back the rush of rivers, stop the activity of the elements. For all these are signs of God's commands. But if the master does that together with the law of creation, you recognize now that he is consubstantial with the one who begot him. Glory to him forever, amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐπεστόμισε λύσσαν","severity":"info","text":"The verb ἐπιστομίζω means 'to stop the mouth' or 'silence'; λύσσα is 'madness' or 'rage'. The phrase vividly depicts the healed man silencing Jewish hostility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι","severity":"info","text":"This saying of Jesus is not a direct Gospel quotation but a paraphrase of John 5:17, where Jesus defends his healing on the Sabbath by noting that his Father works continuously.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἰουδαίων τὴν βασκανίαν","severity":"info","text":"Βασκανία means 'envy' or 'malicious gossip'. In patristic polemic, it often refers to Jewish opposition to Christian claims about Jesus' divine agency.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁμοούσιον","severity":"info","text":"Ὁμοούσιος, 'consubstantial', is the Nicene Creed's term for the Son's sharing the same substance as the Father. Its use here anchors the homily in post-Nicene Trinitarian orthodoxy.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"αἱρετικῶν τὴν βλασφημίαν","severity":"info","text":"The 'blasphemy of heretics' likely refers to Arian or Eunomian claims that the Son is subordinate to the Father. The homily counters this by asserting the Son's co-agency in creation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"εἰ γὰρ ἐμέ, φησί, τῶν ἔργων ἐπέχεις","severity":"info","text":"The homilist shifts into a rhetorical prosopopoeia, putting a speech in Christ's mouth that challenges the Sabbath restrictions by listing cosmic activities that continue on the Sabbath.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Greek text at the end is lacunose: 'εἰ δὲ δεσπότης ἐκεῖνο μετὰ τοῦ νόμου τῆς κτίσεως […]' — the missing words obscure the exact conclusion of the argument, though the sense of consubstantiality is clear."],"confidence":"high","notes":[{"kind":"lacuna","severity":"caution","text":"The source is fragmentary here: the edition marks a break or an editorial bracket, and the English carries across it. Treat the bridge as supplied, not translated."}]}]}