Matthew 27:21–26
These things are a great proof against the Jews, who chose a robber and murderer rather than Christ. So little did justice matter to them, and thus, for “piety,” they were accusing Christ. And though the one appointed to judge was freeing him, they urge a death verdict against the leader and teacher of all piety, <and>, so that they might undergo a still heavier punishment, they cried out, “Take this one; release Barabbas to us.” See clearly: they “denied the Holy and Righteous One,” as blessed Peter says, “and asked that a murderer be granted them,” so that they would be sharers of that man’s portion.
Greek
Ἔθος τῷ σωτῆρι Χριστῷ τοι οῦτόν τι δρᾶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μά λιστα μαθηταῖς, εἰ μὲν διαπυνθά νοιντό τι τῶν ὅσα ἐστὶ φιλομαθείας μὲν ἔχοντα δόξαν ὑψηλοτέρας γε μὴν ἐρεύνης ἀπηλλαγμένα, χαρί ζεσθαι 34 τὴν ἀφήγησιν καὶ ἐξακρι βοῦν ὅτι μάλιστα πειρᾶσθαι λεπτῶς. εἰ δὲ δή τι βούλοιντο τῶν ἐπέκεινα μέτρου τοῦ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς πε ριττῶς ἀναμαθεῖν, καταστέλλειν ἡσυχῆ καὶ μεταπείθειν εὖ μάλα πολυπραγμονεῖν ἑλέσθαι τὰ πρε πωδέστερα καὶ δρᾶν ἐπὶ τούτων τὰ δι' ὧν ἂν γένοιντο διαφανεῖς καὶ ἐκπρεπεστάτην ἔχοντες τὴν ἐξ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν φαιδρότητα παρὰ θεῷ. ἑλο μένους τοιγαροῦν οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τὰ ὑπὲρ μέτρον οἰκετικὸν ἐρέσθαι τε καὶ μαθεῖν, ἠρεμεῖν ἀναπείθει λογισμοῖς ἀναγκαίοις ἐκδυσωπῶν, ὅτι μηδὲ ἀγγέλοις ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ πατὴρ μηδ' αὐτῷ τῷ υἱῷ καθί στησιν γνώριμον, εἴπερ τις εἴη ψι λὸς καὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐκ ἔχων φύσει τὸ εἶναι θεός. Ἔθος ἦν τῷ σωτῆρι Χριστῷ τοιοῦτόν τι δρᾶν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μά λιστα μαθηταῖς, εἰ διαπυνθάνοιντό τι τῶν ὅσα ἦν φιλομαθείας μὲν ἔχοντα δόξαν, ὑψηλοτέρας γε μὴν ἐρεύνης ἀπηλλαγμένα, χαρίζεσθαι τὴν ἀφήγησιν καὶ ἐξακριβοῦν ὅτι μάλιστα πειρᾶσθαι λεπτῶς. εἰ δὲ δή τι βούλοιντο τῶν ἐπέκεινα μέ τρου τοῦ κατὰ σφᾶς αὐτοὺς περιτ τῶς ἀναμαθεῖν, περιστέλλειν ἡσυχῆ καὶ μεταπείθειν εὖ μάλα πολυπραγ μονεῖν ἑλέσθαι τὰ πρεπωδέστερα. ἐπειδὴ οὖν τὰ ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἤθελον μανθάνειν οἱ μαθηταί, σκήπτεται χρησίμως τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι καθὸ ἄν θρωπος καί φησι μηδὲ αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι τοὺς κατὰ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἁγίους ἀγγέλους, ἵνα μὴ λυπῶνται ὡς μὴ θαρρηθέντες τὸ μέτριον. καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἠρεμεῖν ἀναπείθει λογι σμοῖς οἰκείοις καὶ ἐκδυσωπεῖ, ὅτι μηδὲ ἀγγέλοις ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ πατὴρ μηδὲ αὐτῷ τῷ υἱῷ καθίστατο γνώ ριμον.
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
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
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.