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Fragmenta in Matthaeum

Theofilus Alexandrinus · khazarzar

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JSON Dossier
machine-draft · no human review 1 passages · 258 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The Fragmenta in Matthaeum of Theophilus of Alexandria survive only in catenae and florilegia, with no continuous manuscript extant. Theophilus, patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 412, likely composed this commentary on Matthew in the late 4th or early 5th century. The fragments, preserved in Greek, were cited by later exegetes but not translated into Latin or Syriac in antiquity. The work reflects Theophilus’ exegetical methods, possibly shaped by his role in the Origenist crisis. The edition by khazarzar lacks critical apparatus, hindering verification of fragment sources.

The fragments provide rare insight into Theophilus’ exegetical approach, which may have been shaped by his involvement in the Origenist crisis. They illustrate how a late 4th-century Alexandrian patriarch interpreted Matthew, possibly in dialogue with contemporary theological debates. The work’s fragmentary survival and lack of translation highlight the selective transmission of patristic commentaries.

Historical context

Theophilus was patriarch of Alexandria from 385 to 412, a period marked by the Origenist crisis, in which he initially supported Origen’s theology but later condemned it. His commentary on Matthew likely dates to the late 4th or early 5th century, composed in Greek for a Greek-speaking Christian community in Egypt. The work survives only in fragments embedded in catenae and florilegia, a common fate for many patristic commentaries. It was not translated into Latin or Syriac, limiting its influence to the Greek tradition. The fragments were cited by later Greek exegetes, but the lack of a continuous manuscript and the absence of critical apparatus in modern editions complicate reconstruction. Theophilus’ exegetical choices may reflect anti-Origenist polemic, as he sought to distance himself from Origen’s allegorical methods while still employing allegory himself.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

6 commentary units 1 structure1 term1 scripture1 background1 parallel1 caution 0 derived notes 2 open questions 1 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • coverageNo 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.
  • 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: commentary in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 1 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
khazarzar-theofilus-alexandrinus-fragmenta-in-matthaeum:1 · narrativehigh
Source
1 Τοῖς δολεροῖς μὴ προσιοῦσιν εἰς τὸ μαθεῖν ἄκαιρον ἀναπτύσσειν τὰ βαθύτερα. 2 μτ 21, 28–32 Ἄνθρωπός τις εἶχεν δύο υἱοὺς καὶ ὁ μὲν πρῶτός ἐστιν τὰ ἔθνη, οὓς ὁ θεὸς ὁ κοινὸς πατὴρ πρώτους ἐκάλεσεν· τὸν γὰρ διδακτὸν καὶ φυσικὸν νόμον ταῖς διανοίαις ἐγκατασπείρας ἔδωκε κήρυκας τὰ ὁρώμενα, ἀλλ' ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν εὐταξία συνεχύθη ἐπὶ ξύλα καὶ λίθους· «εἶπαν «, γὰρ «τῷ ξύλῳ· πατήρ μου εἶ σύ «. διὸ οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο κωλυόμενοι· εἶπον γὰρ οὐκ οἴδαμεν τὸν κύριον. οὗτοι οὖν μεταμεληθέντες ὕστερον ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. τοῦ δὲ πρώτου παραιτησαμένου προσῆλθεν ὁ πατὴρ τῷ δευτέρῳ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τῷ Ἰσραήλ, ὅστις καλούμενος διὰ Μωυσέως εἶπεν· «πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν « ὁ θεὸς καὶ «ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα «. οἵτινες οὔτε ἐποίησαν οὔτε ἤκουσαν οὔτε μετεμελήθησαν ὕστερον. οὓς κατέκριναν αἱ πόρναι καὶ οἱ τελῶναι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὰ ἔθνη. μτ 21, 28–32 Τοῦτο βούλεται εἰπεῖν ἡ παραβολή, ὅτι οἱ μὲν τελῶναι καὶ αἱ πόρναι μετανοήσαντες καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ τῷ θεῷ ποιήσαντες δικαιοῦνται Ἰωάννῃ πεισθέντες, εἰ καὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς ἠπείθουν τῷ νόμῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ τῷ θεῷ. οἱ δὲ λέγοντες τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον Φαρισαῖοι ἐν μόνοις ῥήμασιν ψιλοῖς ἀπόβλητοί εἰσιν παρὰ θεῷ· «οὐ γὰρ ἐν λόγοις ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἔργοις «· «οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἀκροατὴς τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιητὴς « δίκαιος. καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ παρὰ τῷ θεῷ οὗτοι ὅμοιοί εἰσιν τοῖς ὑποσχο-μένοις ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐπὶ τῷ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἀπελθοῦσιν.
English
To those who are deceitful and do not approach for the sake of learning, it is untimely to unfold the deeper matters. Matthew 21:28–32: A certain man had two sons. The first represents the nations, whom God, the common father, first called. For he sowed the teachable and natural law in their minds and gave them visible heralds, but the good order of their soul was confused over wood and stones. For they said to the wood, "You are my father." Therefore they did not endure being restrained; for they said, "We do not know the Lord." These, then, repenting later, went into the vineyard. When the first refused, the father approached the second, that is, Israel, who, being called through Moses, said, "All that God has spoken, we will both do and hear." But they neither did nor heard nor repented later. The prostitutes and tax collectors, that is, the nations, condemned them. Matthew 21:28–32: This is what the parable means: that the tax collectors and prostitutes, having repented and done what is pleasing to God, are justified, having been persuaded by John, even if at first they disobeyed the law, or rather God. But the Pharisees, who claim to keep the law, are rejected by God in mere empty words. "For the kingdom of heaven is not in words, but in deeds." "For it is not the hearer of the law, but the doer," who is righteous. And the rest are like those who promised to go into the vineyard to work but did not go.
Citation. Tergwame, “Fragmenta in Matthaeum”, khazarzar-theofilus-alexandrinus-fragmenta-in-matthaeum:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/khazarzar-theofilus-alexandrinus-fragmenta-in-matthaeum#s1
Colophon. Source: khazarzar · licence: Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0011 · generated 2026-11-15.