{"slug":"tlg2042.tlg055","id":"greek:tlg2042.tlg055","title":"Selecta in Judices","author":"Origen","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":"2026-11-15T04:54:10Z","cost_usd":0.002108},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:tlg2042.tlg055","work_id":"tlg2042.tlg055","edition":"first1k","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":705,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":18,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":6,"work_notes":4,"external_links":5,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"tlg2042.tlg055","abstract":"The Selecta in Judices is a Greek commentary on the Book of Judges attributed to Origen but likely composed in the 4th or 5th century. It survives in a single manuscript tradition with lacunae in several chapters. The work was used in catenae and cited by later Byzantine exegetes, indicating its value as a compendium. The commentary includes allegorical interpretations, textual clarifications (e.g., the password σέβηλα meaning 'without ears of grain'), and observations on motifs such as hair in the Samson narrative. The edition lacks a critical apparatus for variant readings, and the text may contain corruptions or rely on lost traditions.","historical_context":"The Selecta in Judices is transmitted in Greek and belongs to the genre of exegetical commentary (selecta). Its attribution to Origen (c. 185–254) is contested; the work likely dates from the 4th or 5th century, possibly originating in a monastic or scholarly community in the Eastern Mediterranean. The text survives in a single manuscript tradition, with lacunae in several chapters, and was used in catenae (chains of patristic excerpts) by Byzantine exegetes. The commentary reflects Alexandrian allegorical methods but also shows signs of later compilation. The password σέβηλα and the obscure dog anecdote suggest reliance on lost traditions or textual corruption. The work's transmission history is obscure, and no critical edition exists.","significance":"The Selecta in Judices is significant as a witness to the reception of Origen's exegetical methods in later centuries, even if not by Origen himself. It preserves allegorical interpretations and textual notes that influenced Byzantine catenae. The work's treatment of motifs like hair in the Samson narrative and its clarifications of obscure terms (e.g., σέβηλα) offer insights into late antique biblical scholarship.","timeline":[{"date":"3rd c.","event":"Origen active; possible original composition of Selecta in Judices (disputed)."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Likely date of composition if not by Origen; text used in catenae."},{"date":"6th–10th c.","event":"Byzantine exegetes cite the Selecta in catenae."},{"date":"Medieval","event":"Single manuscript tradition preserved, with lacunae."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Edition published without critical apparatus; attribution remains contested."}],"relations":[{"work":"Origen's other exegetical works (e.g., on Genesis, Exodus)","relation":"Similar allegorical method and textual clarifications","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Catenae on Judges","relation":"Selecta used as source in Byzantine catenae","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Samson narrative (Judges 13–16)","relation":"Origen's commentary on hair motif echoes Nazirite vow","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Jephthah narrative (Judges 11)","relation":"Origen questions Jephthah's prayer despite the Spirit","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"wikipedia:Origen","label":"Origen","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen","reason":"Author to whom the work is attributed"},{"key":"wikipedia:Book of Judges","label":"Book of Judges","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Judges","reason":"Biblical book commented upon"},{"key":"wikipedia:Samson","label":"Samson","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson","reason":"Figure discussed in the commentary"},{"key":"wikipedia:Jephthah","label":"Jephthah","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jephthah","reason":"Figure discussed in the commentary"},{"key":"wikipedia:Catenae","label":"Catenae","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catena","reason":"Genre in which the work was used"}],"cautions":["Attribution to Origen is contested; the work may date from the 4th or 5th century.","The text survives only in a single manuscript tradition with lacunae.","The edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings are not recorded.","The dog anecdote and the term Κυφίῳ may indicate textual corruption or lost traditions."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.00044,"generated":"2026-11-15T01:49:01Z"},"checks":{"work":"tlg2042.tlg055","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":18,"english_words":705,"source_letters":2707,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives only in a single manuscript tradition, with lacunae in several chapters.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Attribution to Origen is contested; the work may date from the 4th or 5th century, not Origen's lifetime.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Selecta were used in catenae and cited by later Byzantine exegetes, indicating their value as a compendium.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The edition does not include a critical apparatus for variant readings; only the base manuscript is transcribed.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"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: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: first1k — CC BY-SA 4.0"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{"ed:tlg2042.tlg055":{"label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΡΙΤΛΣ. Καὶ εῦξατο Ἱεμθάε τῷ Κυφίῳ. Εἰ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν, πῶς εὔχεται ἃ μὴ\nπροσήκει; Ἐνῆν γὰρ καὶ κύνα ἀπαντῆσαι ἐπανιόντι τῷ Ἰεφθάε. Ἆῤ οὖν ἐσφάλη\nτὸ Πνεῦμα; οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Πνεῦμα βοηθεῖν παραγέγονεν, οὐχ\nὑποβάλλειν τὴν ἄτοπον εὐχήν· αὐτὸς δὲ σφάλλεται ἀπερισκέπτως\nὑποσχόμενος.\n\nΚαὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Εἰπὸν δὴ στάχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον στάχυς· σημαίνει σέβηλα,\nὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄσταχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον σεβήλω καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο τρανῶς εἰπεῖν\nσέδηλα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ Ἑβραῖοι ἐτύγχανον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμμετρίαν βραχύτητι\nπαρήλλασσον ἐν τῇ τῆς διαλέξεως προφορᾷ. Τὸ οὖν σύνθεμα ἦν σέβηλα, ὅπερ\nοἱ ἐπερωτώμενοι λέγοντες σεδήλω, ἠλέγχοντο οὐκ ὄντες τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ\nἸεφθάε, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπαναστάντων.\n\nΚαὶ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ στεῖρα καὶ οὐκ ἔτεκεν. Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τῆς\nδιακονίας ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος στείραν καλεῖ.\n\nΣίδηρος οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ὅτι Ναζιραῖος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγώ εἰμι. Δι᾿ ὅλης τῆς περὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν ἱστορίας αἱ τρίχες φαίνονται τὴν πᾶσαν αὐτῷ\nπεριποιεῖν ἰσχύν.","english":"Origen's Selections on the Book of Judges. And Jephthah prayed to the Lord. If the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, how does he pray things that are not fitting? For it was possible that a dog met Jephthah as he was returning. Did the Spirit then err? By no means; but the Spirit was present to help, not to suggest the improper prayer; he himself errs by making a rash promise.\n\nAnd they said to him: Say now \"ears of grain.\" Some said \"ears of grain\" [στάχυς]; it signifies \"sebela,\" which is \"without ears of grain.\" Others said \"sebelo\" and could not pronounce \"sedela\" clearly. For even if they were Hebrews, yet by a slight difference in brevity they varied in the pronunciation of the dialect. So the password was \"sebela,\" which those being questioned, saying \"sedelo,\" were proven not to be Jephthah's own men, but those of the rebels.\n\nAnd his wife was barren and did not bear. Not from nature, but from the service at the present time he calls her barren.\n\nIron has not come upon my head because I am a Nazirite of God. Throughout the entire narrative concerning Samson, the hair appears to provide him all his strength.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ εὔξατο Ἱεμθάε τῷ Κυφίῳ","severity":"info","text":"Origen questions how Jephthah could pray improperly if the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, concluding the Spirit helps but does not dictate the prayer.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"σέβηλα","severity":"info","text":"The password σέβηλα (sebela) means 'without ears of grain' (ἄσταχυς), and the rebels' mispronunciation as σεδήλω reveals their identity.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"στείρα","severity":"info","text":"Origen clarifies that 'barren' (στείρα) here refers not to a natural condition but to the wife's current service, indicating a contextual rather than literal meaning.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σίδηρος οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ὅτι Ναζιραῖος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγώ εἰμι","severity":"info","text":"This echoes Samson's Nazirite vow (Judges 13–16), where hair symbolizes strength; Origen notes the hair motif throughout the Samson narrative.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Δι' ὅλης τῆς περὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν ἱστορίας","severity":"info","text":"Origen observes a structural motif: hair consistently provides Samson's strength across the entire narrative, linking the Nazirite vow to physical power.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"Καὶ εὔξατο Ἱεμθάε τῷ Κυφίῳ","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text has 'Κυφίῳ' (possibly a misspelling of Κυρίῳ, 'Lord'), and the dog anecdote is obscure; the passage may be textually corrupt or rely on a lost tradition.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the dog in Jephthah's story is unclear; the text may be corrupt or allude to an unknown tradition.","The spelling 'Κυφίῳ' may be a scribal error for 'Κυρίῳ'."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ναζιραῖον τὸ πεφυλαγμένον κατὰ τὴν Σύρων φωνὴν ὀνομάζει. Μὴ\nἐξακολουθεῖν δὲ τῇ τάξει τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τὸν Σαμψὼν ὁ Θεὸς προστάσσει,\nκατ᾿ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν ξυρωμένων διὰ τὸ εὐσήμους εἶναι πρὸς\nπάντας.\n\nΚαὶ ἐποίησεν Ἐφὼδ καὶ Θεραφείν. Ἐφὼδ ὕφασμα ἦν ἱερατικὸν, ὅπερ\nπερικειμένῳ τῷ ἱερεῖ ἐφοίτα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις. Τὸ δὲ Θεραφεὶν\nτοιοῦτο μέντοι, οὐ θεῖκὸν δὲ, ἀλλʼ εἰδωλικὸν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις\nδείκνυται.\n\nΚαὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμίν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἡττῶνται δικαίως ἐπελθόντες; Ἥ\nδῆλον ὅτι διὰ προλαβούσης αἰτίας. Καὶ ὁ ψαλμός φησιν· « Ὅταν λάβω\nκαιρὸν, ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ. » Εἶτα καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἡττηθῆναι, καὶ μίαν καὶ\nδευτέραν, μετῆλθεν ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἠδικηκότας, καὶ νικῶσι δίκαιαν\nνίκην. 54 Jud. xi, 30. 55 Jud. xii, 6. 56 Jud. xiii, 2. 57\nJud. xvi, 17. 58 Jud. xvii, 5. 59 Jud. xx, 34. 60 Psal. lxxiv, 3. Καὶ εῦξατο Ἱεμθάε τῷ Κυφίῳ. Εἰ Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν, πῶς εὔχεται ἃ μὴ\nπροσήκει; Ἐνῆν γὰρ καὶ κύνα ἀπαντῆσαι ἐπανιόντι τῷ Ἰεφθάε. Ἆῤ οὖν ἐσφάλη\nτὸ Πνεῦμα; οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Πνεῦμα βοηθεῖν παραγέγονεν, οὐχ\nὑποβάλλειν τὴν ἄτοπον εὐχήν· αὐτὸς δὲ σφάλλεται ἀπερισκέπτως\nὑποσχόμενος. Καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Εἰπὸν δὴ στάχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον στάχυς· σημαίνει σέβηλα,\nὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄσταχυς. Οἱ δὲ ἔλεγον σεβήλω καὶ οὐκ ἐδύναντο τρανῶς εἰπεῖν\nσέδηλα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ Ἑβραῖοι ἐτύγχανον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμμετρίαν βραχύτητι\nπαρήλλασσον ἐν τῇ τῆς διαλέξεως προφορᾷ.","english":"The same author. \"Nazirite\" designates the one who is guarded, according to the Syriac language. God commands that Samson not follow the order of the Israelites, who at that time shaved their heads in order to be conspicuous to all.\n\nAnd he made an Ephod and Teraphim. An Ephod was a priestly woven garment, which, when worn by the priest, the grace of the Holy Spirit attended. The Teraphim, however, is something of this sort, but not divine, but idolatrous, as is shown in the books of Kings.\n\nAnd the sons of Benjamin went out. Why are they defeated when they justly attacked? Is it not clear that it is because of a prior cause? And the Psalm says: \"When I take the opportunity, I will judge uprightnesses.\" Then also after being defeated, both the first and second time, wrath came upon those who had done wrong, and they win a just victory. And Jephthah prayed to the Lord. If the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, how does he pray things that are not fitting? For it was possible that a dog met Jephthah as he was returning. Did the Spirit err, then? Not at all; but the Spirit was present to help, not to suggest the improper prayer; but he himself errs by making a thoughtless vow. And they said to him: Say indeed \"stalks.\" But they said \"stalks\"; it signifies \"sebela,\" which is \"ear of grain.\" But they said \"sebelo\" and could not clearly say \"sedela.\" For even if they were Hebrews, yet by a slight measure they differed in the pronunciation of their speech.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Ναζιραῖον","severity":"info","text":"Origen glosses 'Nazirite' as 'the one who is guarded' according to the Syriac language, reflecting a philological interest in Semitic etymology.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἐφὼδ","severity":"info","text":"The ephod is described as a priestly woven garment that, when worn, attracted the grace of the Holy Spirit, indicating its sacred function in Israelite worship.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Θεραφείν","severity":"info","text":"Teraphim are distinguished as idolatrous objects, not divine, with a cross-reference to the books of Kings for further illustration.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Ὅταν λάβω καιρὸν, ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ","severity":"info","text":"This quotation from Psalm 74:3 (LXX) is used to support the argument that divine judgment follows a prior cause, even when the initial attack is just.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"στάχυς","severity":"info","text":"The discussion of the pronunciation of 'stalks' (στάχυς) and its Hebrew equivalents (σέβηλα, σεβήλω, σέδηλα) illustrates Origen's attention to dialectal variation among Hebrew speakers.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"σέδηλα","severity":"caution","text":"The textual transmission of the Hebrew terms for 'ear of grain' is uncertain; the Greek transliterations vary, and the exact reading is contested.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'Καὶ εῦξατο Ἱεμθάε τῷ Κυφίῳ' contains a variant spelling of Jephthah's name (Ἱεμθάε for Ἰεφθάε), possibly a scribal error or dialectal form.","The Hebrew terms σέβηλα, σεβήλω, σέδηλα are not clearly identified with a specific Hebrew word; their exact referent is ambiguous."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Τὸ οὖν σύνθεμα ἦν σέβηλα, ὅπερ\nοἱ ἐπερωτώμενοι λέγοντες σεδήλω, ἠλέγχοντο οὐκ ὄντες τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ\nἸεφθάε, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπαναστάντων. Καὶ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ στεῖρα καὶ οὐκ ἔτεκεν. Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τῆς\nδιακονίας ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος στείραν καλεῖ. Σίδηρος οὐκ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν μου ὅτι Ναζιραῖος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐγώ εἰμι. Δι᾿ ὅλης τῆς περὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν ἱστορίας αἱ τρίχες φαίνονται τὴν πᾶσαν αὐτῷ\nπεριποιεῖν ἰσχύν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ναζιραῖον τὸ πεφυλαγμένον κατὰ τὴν Σύρων φωνὴν ὀνομάζει. Μὴ\nἐξακολουθεῖν δὲ τῇ τάξει τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τὸν Σαμψὼν ὁ Θεὸς προστάσσει,\nκατ᾿ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν ξυρωμένων διὰ τὸ εὐσήμους εἶναι πρὸς\nπάντας. Καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἐφὼδ καὶ Θεραφείν. Ἐφὼδ ὕφασμα ἦν ἱερατικὸν, ὅπερ\nπερικειμένῳ τῷ ἱερεῖ ἐφοίτα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἡ χάρις. Τὸ δὲ Θεραφεὶν\nτοιοῦτο μέντοι, οὐ θεῖκὸν δὲ, ἀλλʼ εἰδωλικὸν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις\nδείκνυται. Καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμίν. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἡττῶνται δικαίως ἐπελθόντες; Ἥ\nδῆλον ὅτι διὰ προλαβούσης αἰτίας. Καὶ ὁ ψαλμός φησιν· « Ὅταν λάβω\nκαιρὸν, ἐγὼ εὐθύτητας κρινῶ. » Εἶτα καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἡττηθῆναι, καὶ μίαν καὶ\nδευτέραν, μετῆλθεν ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἠδικηκότας, καὶ νικῶσι δίκαιαν\nνίκην. 54 Jud. xi, 30. 55 Jud. xii, 6. 56 Jud. xiii, 2. 57\nJud. xvi, 17. 58 Jud. xvii, 5. 59 Jud. xx, 34. 60 Psal. lxxiv, 3.","english":"The sign, then, was *sebela*, which those who were questioned, saying *sedelo*, were proven not to be of Jephthah's own men but of the rebels. And his wife was barren and did not bear. He calls her barren not from nature but from her service at the present time. Iron has not come upon my head because I am a Nazirite of God. Throughout the entire history concerning Samson, the hair appears to provide him all his strength. The same author. \"Nazirite\" designates the one who is guarded, according to the Syriac language. God commands that Samson not follow the order of the Israelites, who at that time shaved their heads in order to be conspicuous to all. And he made an Ephod and Teraphim. An Ephod was a priestly woven garment, which, when worn by the priest, the grace of the Holy Spirit attended. The Teraphim, however, was of such a kind, not divine but idolatrous, as is shown in the books of Kings. And the sons of Benjamin went out. For what reason are they defeated, having attacked justly? Is it not clear that it is because of a prior cause? And the Psalm says: \"When I take the time, I will judge uprightnesses.\" Then also after being defeated, both the first and second time, wrath came upon those who had done wrong, and they win a just victory.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"σέβηλα","severity":"info","text":"The Greek σέβηλα (sebela) is a transliteration of a Semitic word, likely Hebrew or Aramaic, used as a password or sign among Jephthah's men.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"σεδήλω","severity":"info","text":"The variant σεδήλω (sedelo) appears as a mispronunciation that identifies the speaker as an enemy, not one of Jephthah's men.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Psalm 74:3 (LXX)","severity":"info","text":"The citation 'When I take the time, I will judge uprightnesses' is from Psalm 74:3 (LXX), used here to explain the delayed justice in the Benjaminite war.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Teraphim","severity":"info","text":"The Teraphim are described as idolatrous objects, not divine, with a cross-reference to the books of Kings (likely 1 Sam 19:13 or 2 Kings 23:24).","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"narrative sequence","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from Jephthah's sign to Samson's Nazirite vow, then to the Ephod and Teraphim, and finally to the Benjaminite war, linking disparate episodes through thematic commentary.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"barrenness","severity":"info","text":"The author interprets 'barren' not as a physical condition but as a temporary state due to service, reflecting an allegorical reading common in patristic exegesis.","cites":[{"key":"ed:tlg2042.tlg055","label":"source edition: Selecta in Judices","url":"https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2042.tlg055.1st1K-grc1:1"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact meaning of σέβηλα and σεδήλω is uncertain; they may be corruptions or variant transliterations of a Hebrew or Aramaic original.","The phrase 'his wife' (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ) is ambiguous in reference—possibly Jephthah's wife or another figure in the narrative."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}