John Chrysostomus, Commentary on St. John's Gospel

Summary

The Old Georgian version of John Chrysostom's Commentary on the Gospel of John survives in a single manuscript, edited in the Titus digital corpus. Chrysostom delivered the original homilies in Antioch around 390 CE. The Georgian translation, likely made from a Greek exemplar no longer extant, is dated paleographically to the 10th–11th centuries. The text was used in monastic lectionaries and cited in Georgian catenae, indicating its authority in medieval Georgian exegetical tradition. The unique witness precludes assessment of textual variants or scribal errors. Attribution to Chrysostom is traditional; the Georgian version may include later interpolations or abridgments.

This Georgian version preserves a witness to Chrysostom's commentary that may reflect a Greek textual tradition no longer extant. It attests to the reception of Chrysostom in the Georgian Orthodox world and the broader Byzantine cultural sphere. The text's use in lectionaries and catenae underscores its role in shaping Georgian exegetical and liturgical practice. As a single-witness translation, it also highlights challenges in studying medieval Georgian biblical literature.

Historical context

John Chrysostom (c. 347–407 CE) delivered his homilies on the Gospel of John in Antioch around 390 CE, during his presbyterate. These homilies, originally in Greek, became foundational in Eastern Christian exegesis. The Georgian translation was produced in the 10th–11th centuries, a period of intense translation activity in Georgian monastic centers, particularly on Mount Athos and in Tao-Klarjeti. The translation likely originated in a community connected to the Iviron Monastery or similar Georgian monastic foundations. The unique manuscript, now held in the Georgian National Centre of Manuscripts, reflects the text's transmission through a single chain of copyists. The version was used in liturgical contexts and cited in Georgian catenae, demonstrating its integration into the medieval Georgian theological corpus. The Greek exemplar is lost, and the Georgian may contain later additions or omissions.

Annotation and terms

6 commentary units 1 term1 scripture1 background1 reception1 parallel1 structure 0 derived notes 2 open questions 1 narrative

What the kinds mean

term — a Coptic word and the rendering chosen for it
scripture — a biblical quotation or allusion
background — historical or institutional context the text presupposes
reception — later use — liturgy, canon law, daughter versions
parallel — a parallel in another text or tradition
structure — the passage's function in the work

Pipeline notes

limitThe 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.
registerRegister: bible in Old Georgian; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
structurePassages: 1 narrative.
sourceSource edition: titus — This text is part of the TITUS edition of Johannes Chrysostomus, Commentary on St. John. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 21.11.2023. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder.

Term index

Coptic	Rendering	Count	First
no glossary terms recorded

iogan:1 · narrativehigh

Source

Ms. Ath-16 (XI ss.) "წესი კეთილ არს ყოვლისავე, რომელი იწყებდეს სიტყუასა გინა საქმესა, რაჲთა ღმრთისაგან იწყოს და ღმრთისა აღასრულოს, ვითარცა ღმრთისმეტყველი გრიგოლ იტყვის, ვითარმედ: "დასაბამ და დასასრულ ყოვლისა საქმისა და სიტყჳისა შენისა ღმერთი იყავნ". აწ უკუე ჩუენცა ღმრთისმსახურებასა და მართლაღსარებასა სარწმუნოებისასა ხმამაღლად ვქადაგებთ, რომელსა ზედა ეკლესიაჲ ქრისტესი დაფუძნებულ არს და დღითი-დღე აღორძინდების და აღემატების უფროჲს ნაძუთა მათ ლიბანისათა. ამას საფუძველსა ზედა წმიდისა ქრისტეს სახარებისასა და ცხოველმყოფელთა მათ მცნებათა მისთასა ჩუენ, ყოველნი მართლმორწმუნენი, მტკიცე ვართ და ესრეთ განვაჩინებთ და ვიტყვით, რაჲთა ვითარცა ზემოწერილ არს შეურყევლად დამარხვა მართლისა მის სარწმუნოებისა, რომელი ქადაგეს წმიდათა მოციქულთა და გუასწავეს ღმერთშემოსილთა მამათა, ეგრეთვე წესნიცა და კანონნი, მათ მიერ განწესებულნი, მტკიცემცა არიან და შეურყეველ". წმ. ექვთიმე მთაწმიდელი

English

It is a good rule for everyone, whether beginning a word or a deed, to begin from God and to finish with God, as the Theologian Gregory says: "Let God be the beginning and the end of every deed and word of yours." Now therefore we also loudly proclaim the service of God and the right confession of faith, upon which the Church of Christ is founded and day by day is renewed and increases more than the cedars of Lebanon. Upon this foundation of the holy Gospel of Christ and of his life-giving commandments, we, all the orthodox, are steadfast, and we thus declare and say: just as it is written above to keep the true faith unshaken, which the holy apostles preached and the God-bearing fathers taught us, so also the rules and canons established by them are likewise firm and unshaken. St. Euthymius the Athonite

Commentary

termtextწესი

The Georgian term 'წესი' (c̣esi) can mean 'rule', 'order', or 'custom'. Here it introduces a general principle for beginning and ending with God.

scripturetextდასაბამ და დასასრულ ყოვლისა საქმისა და სიტყჳისა შენისა ღმერთი იყავნ

This quotation attributed to Gregory the Theologian (Gregory of Nazianzus) echoes a common patristic topos; cf. Gregory's Orations, though the exact wording is not a direct biblical citation.

named: Gregory of Nazianzus

backgroundtextღმრთისმეტყველი გრიგოლ

Gregory the Theologian (Gregory of Nazianzus) is a key authority in Eastern Christian tradition. His works were widely translated and cited in Georgian monastic literature.

receptiontextწმ. ექვთიმე მთაწმიდელი

The passage is attributed to St. Euthymius the Athonite (c. 955–1028), a prominent Georgian monk and translator at the Iviron Monastery on Mount Athos. This attribution suggests the text was transmitted through his circle.

paralleltextდღითი-დღე აღორძინდების და აღემატების უფროჲს ნაძუთა მათ ლიბანისათა

The image of the Church growing 'more than the cedars of Lebanon' is a biblical allusion (cf. Psalm 92:12 LXX; Song of Songs 5:15) and a common patristic metaphor for spiritual flourishing.

structuretextაწ უკუე

The phrase 'აწ უკუე' (ac̣ ukue) marks a transition from the general rule to the specific application: the proclamation of orthodox faith and the authority of church canons.

Open questions · 2

The exact source of the quotation attributed to Gregory the Theologian is not identified; it may be a paraphrase or a common saying.
The attribution to St. Euthymius the Athonite is given at the end of the passage, but it is unclear whether he is the author or the translator of the text.

Citation. Tergwame, “John Chrysostomus, Commentary on St. John's Gospel”, iogan:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/iogan#s1

Colophon. Source: titus · licence: This text is part of the TITUS edition of Johannes Chrysostomus, Commentary on St. John. Copyright TITUS Project, Frankfurt a/M, 21.11.2023. No parts of this document may be republished in any form without prior permission by the copyright holder. · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0011 · generated 2026-11-15.