Cyril of Alexandria: Fragments on Matthew · §258

Matthew 26:24

Not as if some good or base thing somehow belonged to those not yet born, who are outside sensation (it is still utterly silly to think thus), but that for those about to fall into all misery, if they should be brought into being by God, non-existence is surely much and incomparably better.

Greek

Ἀπαιτεῖτε, φησίν; ὦ Φαρι σαῖοι, τὰς δεκάτας τάχα που καὶ λαχάνων λεπτῶν παρέντες τὰς ἐντο λάς, ἐφ' αἷς ἐστιν μείζων ἡ παρά βασις. καὶ ποῖα ταῦτά ἐστιν τὰ ἐντάλματα; ἡ κρίσις, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸ κρίνειν ὀρθὰ καὶ ἀμώμητα, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ εἰς θεὸν γνησιότης· ἄμεινον γὰρ κρίσις καὶ ἔλεος καὶ πίστις ἡ εἰς θεὸν δεκάτης καὶ ἀπαρχῆς. διὸ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός· καὶ νῦν, Ἰσραήλ, "τί κύριος" ὁ θεὸς "ζητεῖ παρὰ σοῦ ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ ἀγαπᾶν" καὶ ζη τεῖν "ἔλεον καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ κυρίου" τοῦ "θεοῦ σου". ἐν γὰρ τῷ λίαν ἑτοίμῳ πρὸς ἀκολούθησιν τὸ εἰς πίστιν γνησίαν ὁρᾶται σῳζόμενον. Ὅρα τὴν ἐπίπληξιν· ἀπαιτεῖτε, φησίν, ὦ Φαρισαῖοι, τὰς δεκάτας τάχα που καὶ λαχάνων λεπτῶν παρ έντες τὰς ἐντολάς, ἐφ' αἷς ἐστι μείζων ἡ παράβασις. ποῖαι δὲ αὗται αἱ ἐντολαί; ἡ κρίσις, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸ κρίνειν ὀρθὰ καὶ τὸ ἔλεος καὶ ἡ πίστις εἰς θεόν· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀμείνω δεκάτης καὶ ἀπαρχῆς. διὸ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός· καὶ νῦν, Ἰσραήλ, "τί κύριος" ὁ θεὸς "ζητεῖ παρὰ σοῦ ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ ἀγα πᾶν" καὶ ζητεῖν "ἔλεον καὶ ἕτοιμον εἶναι τοῦ πορεύεσθαι μετὰ κυρίου" τοῦ "θεοῦ σου".

About this text

Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.

English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.

Witnesses

English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.