Matthew 27:51–54
The earth was also shaken, signifying the transfer toward what is better — or also showing indignation against those who had outraged him. The splitting of the rocks is a sign that the nations’ “stony heart” was opened to receive the gospel seed. The holy who rose and appeared to many did not alone receive the gift of resurrection ahead of time; it became a sign that death was abolished through Christ’s death. I think the law was also looking toward this when it commanded that one who killed unwillingly and fled should run back again to the homeland after the high priest’s death; for Christ’s death gave us who were liable the ascent into the Jerusalem above.
The earth was shaken, signifying the transfer of things toward what is better, even if it shows God’s indignation against those who outraged him. The splitting of the rocks makes clear that gentile souls were opened to receive the faith of Christ. The holy who rose and appeared to many signify that death was abolished through Christ’s death.
Greek
Ἄνθρωπος μὲν οἰκοδεσπό της ὁ τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς δημιουργός τε καὶ κύριος. ἀποδημίᾳ δὲ παρει κάζει τῆς παραβολῆς ὁ λόγος ἤτοι τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάβασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἤγουν τὸ ἀφανές τε καὶ ἄποπτον τῆς θείας φύσεως. ὑπάρ χοντα δὲ νοητέον θεοῦ τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ τε καὶ πόλει πιστεύ σαντας εἰς αὐτόν. δούλους δὲ αὐτοῦ καλεῖ οὓς κατὰ καιροὺς ὁ Χριστὸς στεφανοῖ τῷ τῆς ἱερωσύνης καυ χήματι· ὁ γὰρ θεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος· "οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλ' ὁ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ". τούτοις παραδίδωσιν τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ γεγονότας χάρισμα πνευματικὸν ἑκάστῳ διδούς, ὡς ἂν ἔχῃ γνώμης καὶ ἐπιτηδειότητος. ταύτην εἶναί φαμεν τὴν τῶν τα λάντων διανομὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ μέ τρῳ τοῖς οἰκέταις χορηγουμένων διὰ τὸ τῆς διανοίας ἐξηλλαγμένον. εὐθὺς δὲ ἀπελθόντες εἰργάσαντο, φησίν, τοῦ εὐθὺς ἡμῖν ἐνθάδε ση μαίνοντος, ὅτι μελλησμοῦ τινος δίχα πρέποι ἂν ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ θεοῦ. οἵ γε μὴν ὄκνῳ καὶ ἀργίᾳ κατεσχη μένοι ἐν ἐσχάτοις ἔσονται κακοῖς. κατέχωσε γάρ, φησίν, τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῷ τάλαντον ἐν τῇ γῇ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἄπρακτόν τε καὶ ἑτέροις ἀνωφελὲς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐτήρησεν τὸ χάρισμα. ἀφαιρεῖται τοιγαροῦν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ τάλαντον καὶ τῷ πλουτοῦντι δοθήσεται· ἀπαναστήσεται γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἡ δόσις, τοῖς δὲ φιλεργήσασι πλουσιωτέρα τις ἔσται χαρισμάτων ἐπίδοσις. Οἰκοδεσπότης ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ὡς δημιουργὸς πάντων καὶ κύριος. ἀποδημία δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάβασις. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως εἰπεῖν· ὡς γὰρ ἀόρατος τῇ κτίσει ὑπάρχων καὶ ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἁμαρτανόντων μὴ ὁρώ μενος ἀποδημῶν λέγεται παρὰ τῇ γραφῇ. ὑπάρχοντα δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ πιστοί.
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.