The linen belt: Israel cast off, the church girded on
After these things let us look at what concerns the belt. For 'thus says the Lord: Go and get yourself a linen belt, and put it around your waist, and you shall not pass it through water.' And I got a belt according to the word of the Lord and put it around my waist. And the word of the Lord came to me saying: 'Take the belt that is around your waist, and rise and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in the cleft of the rock.' After days he goes there and finds this belt rotten. And the Lord adds, giving the occasion for interpreting the belt, saying: 'As the belt is glued to a man's waist, so I glued to myself the house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the Lord, to become for me a people named and a boast and a glory—and they did not listen to me.' So the prophet is taken in God's place, girding the linen belt around his waist, as God girded the people: 'For I glued this people to myself,' he says—as if the people becomes God's belt.
But why does it become God's belt around his waist? Let the one able, reading Ezekiel and seeing God as it were embodied by the word—and how what is from the waist downward is fire, and what is from the waist is electrum—search out the word, why what is below God is fire. The matters from the waist and from generation—these are fire. For everything in generation needs the cleansing that comes from fire; everything in generation needs chastisement. But what is above the waist and has gone beyond generation—these are matter as in what is purest and most precious; for electrum is said to be more valuable than gold.
Since then Scripture uses examples in order to teach that God's body above is more honorable and the body below is lesser, for this reason it introduced God composed of fire and electrum. And each of us in generation is fire; we are not the electrum. But if we ascend and make progress—for it is possible to move from being today among the things below, so as to become God's body above—we will be, having crossed the fire, the electrum around God's higher body. So he glues around his waist the linen belt.
To what end? That it may be shown that the people is as it were a covering of God. For against those who want to accuse God the people stands and as it were shields him and does not allow anything out of place to be said about God. But when we sin, just as the prophet puts this belt away and condemns it to the Euphrates river so that it may be destroyed there, so the one who sins is cast away from God's waist, and having been cast out is thrown into the Euphrates river—the river of Mesopotamia, where the Assyrians are enemies to Israel, where the Babylonians are—and there he is destroyed. For though there are so many rivers, the prophet is sent from Judea to the Euphrates river to deal with and lead away a linen belt.
And why also 'linen'? Because it has its origin from earth; for it is a plant rising from earth, then after being cultivated it is carded and washed and scrubbed and made with much working, so that it may become such as to be a belt or whatever else. We too then all have our origin as God's belt, and having our origin from earth we need much preparation, that we may be carded, that we may be washed, that we may put away the color of the earth. For the color of linen's origin is one thing, and that from the working another. The color of linen's origin is rather black, but from the working it becomes most bright. Something of this kind also reaches us who are in generation. We are black according to the beginning in believing; therefore at the beginning of the Song of Songs it is said: 'I am black and beautiful.' And we at the start resemble Ethiopians in the soul. Then we are scrubbed clean, that we may become brighter according to 'Who is this who comes up whitened?' And we become 'bright and clean linen,' then also we are woven onto God's belt when we are worthy to be glued to God. God does not put us away. He put away the first people—'the whole house of Judah' and 'the house of Israel.'
It came to be so as not to be used any longer; for he no longer girds them around himself. In their place God has girded us; for having cast off the belt he did not remain naked, but wove another belt for himself. This belt is the church from the nations—which should know that 'if God did not spare the former, how much more will he not spare her either if she sins,' unless she is worthy of God's waist. 'But the one glued to the Lord is one spirit' in Christ Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever. Amen.
Greek
Μετὰ ταῦτα ἴδωμεν τὰ περὶ τοῦ περιζώματος. «Τάδε« γὰρ «λέγει κύριος· βάδιζε καὶ κτῆσαι σεαυτῷ περίζωμα λινοῦν, καὶ περίθου περὶ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, καὶ έν ὕδατι οὐ διελεύσῃ. καὶ ἐκτησάμην περίζωμα κατὰ τὸν λόγον κυρίου καὶ περιέθηκα περὶ τὴν ὀσφύν μου. καὶ ἐγενήθη λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων. λάβε τὸ περίζωμα τὸ περὶ τὴν ὁσφύν σου, καὶ ἀνάστηθι καὶ βάδισον ἐπὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην, καὶ κατάχρυψον αὐτὸ ἐκεῖ ἐν τῇ τρυμαλιᾷ τῆς πέτρας.« μετὰ ἡμέρας ἔρχεται ἐκεῖ, εὑρίσκει διασεσηπὸς τοῦτο τὸ περίζωμα. καὶ ἐπιφέρει ὁ κύριος διδοὺς ἀφορμὴν τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ περιζώματος λέγων. «καθαπερ κολλᾶται τὸ περίζωμα πρὸς τὴν ὀσφὺν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, οὕτως ἐκόλλησα πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ πάντα τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα, φησὶν ὁ κύριος, τοῦ γενέσθαι μοι εἰς λαὸν ὀνομαστὸν καὶ εἰς καύχημα καὶ εἰς δόξαν, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσάν μου. οὐκοῦν ὁ προφήτης ἀντὶ τοῦ θεοῦ παραλαμβάνεται περιζωννὺς περὶ τὴν ὁσφὴν αὐτοῦ τὸ περίζωμα τὸ λινοῦν, ὡς ὁ θεὸς τὸν λαόν· ἐκόλλησα γὰρ πρὸς ἐμαυτόν< φησιν >τοῦτον τὸν λαόν, φησὶν οἱονεὶ περίζωμα ὁ λαὸς μίνεται τοῦ θεοῦ.
Διὰ τί δὲ περίζωμα γίνεται τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ; ὁ δυνάμενος ἀναγινώσκων τὸν Ἰεξεκιὴλ καὶ ὁρῶν τὸν θεὸν τῷ λόγῳ οἱονεὶ σωματοποιούμενον, καὶ τίνα μὲν τρόπον αὐτοῦ πὰ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος κάτω < ἐστὶν πῦρ, > τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος ἤλεκτρον, ἐρευνησάτω τὸν λόγον, διὰ τί τὸ κάτω τοῦ θεοῦ πῦρ ἐστιν. τὰ ἀπὸ ὀσφύος καὶ γενέσεως πράγματα, ταῦτα πῦρ ἐστιν. πάντα γὰρ τὰ ἐν γενέσει χρᾐξει τοῦ καθαρσίου τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρός, τάντα τὰ ἐν γενέσει χρῄζει τῆς κολάσεως. τὰ δὲ ἀνωτέρω τῆς ὀσφύος καὶ ὑπερβεβηκότα τὴν γένεσιν, ταῦτά ἐστιν ὕλη ὡς ἐν καθαριωτάτη καὶ τιμιωτάτη· λέγεται γὰρ τὸ ἤλεκτρον χρυσοῦ εἶναι τιμαλφέστερον.
ἐπεὶ οὖν παραδείγμασιν χρῆται ἡ γραφή, ἴνα διδάξῃ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀνωτέρω εἶναι τιμιώτερον καὶ τὸ σῶμα τὸ κατωτέρω εἶναι ὑποδεέστερον, διὰ τοῦτο εἰσήγαγεν τὸν θεὸν ἐκ πυρὸς καὶ ἠλέκτρου συνεστηκότα. [καὶ καὶ ἔστιν σῶμα τοῦ θεοῦ † καὶ αὐτὸς] ἐν γενέσει πῦρ ἐστιν ἕκαστος ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἐσμὲν τὸ ἤλεκτρον, ἐὰν δὲ ἀναβαίνωμεν Ι καὶ προκόπτωμεν (δυνατὸν γὰρ μεταβῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ σήμερον εἶναι ἐν τοῖς κατωτέρω, ὥστε γενέσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ σῶμα τὸ ἀνωτέρω), ἐσόμεθα διαβάντες τὸ πῦρ ἤλεκτρον τὸ περὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ὑψηλότερον. 6. κολλᾷ οὖν περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ τὸ περίζωμα τὸ λινοῦν.
ἵνα τί; ἕνα δηλωθῇ ὅτι ὁ λαὸς οἱονεὶ σκέπη ἐστὶ τοῦ θεοῦ· πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς βουλομένους κατηγορεῖν τοῦ θεοῦ ἵσταται ὁ λαὸς καὶ ὡσπερεὶ ὑπερασπίζει αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐᾷ τι ἄτοπον λέγεσθαι έν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ. ἐπὰν δὲ ἁμαρτήσωμεν, τὸ περίζωμα τοῦτο ὡς ἀποτίθεται ὁ προφήτης καὶ καταδικάζει αὐτὸ εἰς τὸν Εὐφράτην ποταμόν, ἵνα ἔκεῖ διαφθαρῇ, οὕτως ὁ ἀμαρτάνων ἀποβάλλεται ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐκβληθεὶς ἐκβάλλεται εἰς τὸν Εὐφράτην ποταμόν, τὸν τῆς Μεσοποταμίας ποταμόν, ὅπου οἱ Ἀσσύριοι ἐχθροὶ τῷ Ἰσραήλ, ὅπου οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι, καὶ ἐκεῖ διαφθείρεται. ὄντων γὰρ τοσούτων ποταμῶν πέμπεται ὁ προφήτης ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὸν Εὐφράτην ποταμὸν πραγματεύσασθαι καὶ ἀπαγαγεῖν περιζωμάτιον λινοῦν.
Διὰ τί δὲ καὶ «λινοῦν«; ὅτι τὴν γένεσιν ἔχει ἀπὸ γῆς· φυτὸν γάρ ἐστιν ἀνατέλλον ἀπὸ γῆς, εἶτα μετὰ τὸ γεωργηθῆναι ξαινόμενον καὶ πλυνόμενον καὶ σμηχόμενον καὶ πολλῇ πολλῇ γινόμενον, ἵνα γένηται τοιοῦτον ὥστε γενέσθαι περίζωμα ἢ ὁτιδήποτε. καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐν πάντες τὴν γένεσιν ἔχομεν ὡς τὸ περίζωμα τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἔχοντες τὴν γενεσιν ἀπὸ γῆς, πολλῆς κατασκευῆς χρᾐζομεν, ἴνα ξανθῶμεν, ἵνα πλυνθῶμεν, ἵνα τὸ χρῶμα τῆς γῆς ἀποβάλωμεν· ἄλλο γὰρ τὸ 255r τῆς γενέσεως τοῦ λινοῦ χρῶμα, ἄλλο τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐργα\σίας. τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς γενέσεως τοῦ λινοῦ χρῶμα μελανώτερόν έστιν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς ἐργασίας γίνεται λαμπρότατον. τοιοῦτον τοιοῦτον οὑν τι καὶ ἐπὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐν γενέσει φθάνει. μέλανές ἐσμεν κατὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν ἀρχήν, διὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ Ἄισματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων. λέγεται· «μέλαινά εἰμι καὶ καλή. καὶ Αἰθίοψιν ἡμεῖς κατ' ἀρχὰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἐοίκαμεν. εἶτα ἀποσμηχόμεθα, ἵνα λαμπρότεροι γενώμεθα κατὰ τὸ «τίς αὕτη ἡ ἀναβαίνουσα λελυκανθισμένη«; καὶ γινόμεθα «λινοῦν λαμπρὸν καὶ καθαρόν« εἶτα καὶ πλεκόμεθα ἐπὶ τὸ περίζωμα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅταν ἄξιοι ὠμεν κολλᾶσθαι τῷ θεῷ. οὐκ ἀποτίθεται ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός. ἀπέθετο τὸν πρῶτον λαόν, «πάντα τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα« καὶ «τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραήλ.
ἐγένετο εἰς τὸ μὴ χρησθῆναι ἔτι οὐκέτι γὰρ αὐτοὺς περιζώννυται. ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ ἐκείνων περιεζώσατο ὁ θεός· οὐ γὰρ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ περίζωμα ἔμεινε γυμνός, ἀλλὰ ἄλλο περίζωμα ἑαυτῷ ὕφανεν. τοῦτο τὸ περίζωμα ἡ ἐκκλησία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν· ἥτις ἵστω ὅτι >εἰ τῶν προτέρων οὐκ ἐφείσατο ὁ θεός, πόσῳ πλέον οὐδὲ αὐτῆς ἁμαρτανούσης φείσεται<, ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ ἀξία τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ θεοῦ· «ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν« έν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾠ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.
About this text
Origen on Jeremiah. Twenty Greek homilies survive. This page publishes the Pass B English for Homilies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Homily 8 remains a machine draft and is not shipped yet. The rest of the volume is still being translated.
English follows Erich Klostermann, Origenes Werke III (GCS, 1901). A second transcription of that same edition (First1KGreek TEI) was checked; where the TEI drops or garbles a line, the page image wins. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek. Homilies that survive only in Jerome’s Latin are not on this page yet. When they are, they will be marked at those homilies.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Klostermann, Origenes Werke III (GCS, 1901) (Greek · Homilies 1–20 Greek (this page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20))
- Checked print Archive.org page image and DjVu of GCS III (Greek · Same print as the copy-text)
- Checked print First1KGreek TEI of GCS III (Greek · Same print; encoding errors deferred to the page image)
Where the prints differ
- Homily 1.1 — The TEI omits Ἑβραῖον. English follows the GCS page image: Jonah is “a Hebrew prophet.”
- Homily 1.5 — The TEI dropped Ἰσαάκ. English follows the GCS page image: Isaac born of promise.
- Homily 1.11 — The TEI/OCR of this line is garbled. English follows the GCS page image and the quoted verse: “I have sanctified you.”
- Homily 3.2 — The TEI gaps Matthew 5:45 (sun on the evil and [gap]; rain on [gap] and the unjust). English follows the Gospel wording.
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.