From the Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews · §1 · Origen of Alexandria

The polished style of Hebrews compared with Paul's plain speech

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Origen opens his homily on Hebrews by comparing the epistle's Greek style with Paul's admitted plainness of speech.

The Epistle to the Hebrews does not have the untrained-in-speech quality of the Apostle in its style, even though he confessed that he was untrained in speech—that is, in wording. Rather, anyone who knows how to judge differences in wording would agree that the epistle is more Greek in the composition of its wording. And again, anyone who attends to the apostolic reading would also agree that this is true: the thoughts of the epistle are wonderful and not second to the acknowledged apostolic writings.

Greek

‹14.1308› Ὁ χαρακτὴρ τῆς λέξεως τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἐπιγεγραμμένης Ἐπιστολῆς οὐκ

ἔχει τὸ ἐν λόγῳ ἰδιωτι ‹14.1309› κὸν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, ὁμολογήσαντος ἑαυτὸν ἰδιώτην

εἶναι τῷ λόγῳ, τουτέστι, τῇ φράσει. Ἀλλὰ ἐστὶν ἡ Ἐπιστολὴ συνθέσει τῆς λέξεως

ἑλληνικωτέρα, πᾶς ὁ ἐπιστάμενος κρίνειν φράσεων διαφορὰς, ὁμολογήσαι ἄν· πάλιν

τε αὖ ὅτι τὰ νοήματα τῆς ἐπιστολῆς θαυμάσιά ἐστι, καὶ οὐ δεύτερα τῶν ἀποστολικῶν

ὁμολογουμένων γραμμάτων, καὶ τοῦτο ἂν συμφήσαι εἶναι ἀληθὲς πᾶς ὁ προσέχων

τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῇ ἀποστολικῇ.

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About this text

Origen judges that Hebrews holds Paul's thoughts in another's polished wording, notes claims for Clement and Luke, and says only God knows who wrote it.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) wrote this homily as part of a series commenting on the Epistle to the Hebrews. He addresses the question of the epistle's authorship, since it was traditionally attributed to Paul but differs from his usual manner of writing.

Origen observes that the Greek style of the Epistle to the Hebrews is more polished than Paul's admitted plainness of speech, though its thoughts are worthy of an apostle. He therefore suggests that the ideas are Paul's, but the wording and composition belong to someone who recorded the apostle's teaching and as it were made notes on what was said by the teacher.

Origen reports that some tradition says Clement of Rome wrote it, while others say Luke, the author of the Gospel and Acts. The epistle is referred to as Hebrews, and the Gospel and Acts are those of Luke.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 14 (Greek)

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