Two nations in the potter’s hands
But let us hear the Lord himself narrating and saying: 'If as the potter I will not be able to do to you, house of Israel? says the Lord. Behold, as the clay of the potter, so you are in my hands. At the end I will speak upon a nation and a kingdom to lift them away and to destroy; and that nation will turn from their evils of which I spoke toward it, and I will repent of the evils which I planned to do to them. And at the end I will speak upon a nation and a kingdom to be built up and planted; and they will do the evil things before me so as not to hear my voice, and I will repent concerning the goods which I spoke to do to them, says the Lord.'
We see this according to the house of the potter referred not to some one by one, but to two nations; for beginning he says that he is about to speak about nations, that he may suggest something to those able to hear unspeakable mysteries: 'At the end I will speak upon a nation.' Seek also the end and the former nation, upon which he speaks the things of destruction because of their sins; and having spoken the things of destruction because of the sins, he no less promises that if they repent, he will repent concerning the evils which he spoke to do to them. And again he speaks upon another, second nation 'to be built up and to be planted'—a whole nation; and since this nation being built and planted has a good promise, yet can sin, he says after speaking these things, if they stand away from the good works: 'I will repent concerning the goods which I spoke to do to them.'
What then are the two nations—the former named which the word threatens, and the second to which it promises? Yet it threatens so that, if it should repent, he may not do the things of the threat. It promises so that, if it should fall away and the second nation should not become worthy of the promises, it may not attain them. Concerning two nations especially the whole economy of God toward humans in the world is set forth. That former nation was Israel; this second is from the sojourn of Christ. God threatened the former with what he threatened, and we see the things of the threat upon the former nation: it has come to be in captivity, it has been cast down.
And it is possible for this nation also, having sinned, that the same things happen which were said to those because of sins, and they will suffer if they do not repent. Search all Scripture, and you will find most things said about these two nations. God chose the fathers, gave them a promise, led a people out from the race of the fathers from Egypt, was long-suffering upon them when they sinned, disciplined them as a father, led them in, gave them a land of promise, sent them prophets at times, disciplined and turned them from their sins. He was always long-suffering, sending those who heal, until the chief physician should come—the prophet differing from prophets, the physician differing from physicians. When this one had come they betrayed him and killed him, saying 'Away, away with such a one from the earth; crucify, crucify him.' At once a visitation came upon the nation; the place where my Jesus was crucified was made desolate; God chose another nation.
'The harvest, you see how great it is, even if the workers are few.' And otherwise God manages that the net always be cast upon the sea of this life, and fishes of all kinds are gathered; he sends 'the many fishers'; he sends 'the many hunters'; they hunt from 'every mountain,' they hunt from 'every hill.' See how much economy there is about the salvation of the nations. 'See then the kindness and the severity of God: upon' the former nation that also fell 'severity; but upon you' the second nation promises and 'kindness, if you continue in the kindness; since you too will be cut off.' For the axe was not then only lying toward the root of the trees. The axe is ready to come again; 'and the axe lies toward the root of the trees,' my Jesus was saying then, prophesying about Israel beside whom the axe was. He himself was the axe of the unfruitful tree and said: 'Already the axe lies toward the root of the trees.' As many trees as were there not making fruit were cut out and cast into the fire and have been punished.
But now another farm has come to be analogous to the former, concerning which it has been said: 'Leading them in, plant them into the mountain of your inheritance, into your prepared dwelling.' God led his nation into the mountain of his inheritance. I seek the mountain not as Jews do in soulless materials. The mountain is Christ. In this we were planted; upon him we were kept. See then, even if he is long-suffering, lest the master of the house come and say: 'Already three years I come upon this fig tree and it has not borne fruit; cut it out; why does it also make the ground idle?' For the one who comes upon a synagogue and does not bear fruit makes idle the good ground—Christ, the mystery of the church.
Greek
αὐτοῦ δὲ ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ κυρίου διηγουμένου καὶ λέγοντος· «εἰ καθὼς ὁ κεραμεὺς οὕτως οὐ δυνήσομαι τοῦ ποιῆσαι ὑμᾶς, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; φησὶ κύριος.
ἰδοὺ ὡς ὁ πηλὸς τοῦ κεραμέως οὕτως ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐν χερσί μου. πέρας λαλήσω ἐπ᾿ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλείαν τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτοὺς καὶ τοῦ ἀπολλύειν, καὶ ἐπιστρέψει τὸ ἔθνος ἐκεῖνο ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν αὐτῶν ὧν ἐλάλησα πρὸς αὐτό, καὶ μετανοήσω ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν ὧν ἐλογισάμην τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς. καὶ πέρας λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλείαν τοῦ ἀνοικοδομεῖσθαι καὶ καταφυτεύειν, καὶ ποιήσουσι τὰ πονηρὰ ἐναντίον μου τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς μου, καὶ μετανοήσω περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὧν ἐλάλησα τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς, φησὶ κύριος. τοῦτο τὸ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κεραμέως ὁρῶμεν ἀναφέρεσθαι οὐκ ἐπὶ τινα τῶν καθ᾿ ἕνα, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ δύο ἔθνη· λέγει γὰρ ἀρξάμενος ὅτι μέλλει λέγειν περὶ ἐθνῶν, ἵνα τι ὑποβάλῃ τοῖς δυναμένοις ἀκούειν ἀπορρήτων μυστηρίων· «πέρας λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνος. ζήτει καὶ τὸ πέρας καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἔθνος, ἐξ᾿ ὃ λαλεῖ τὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν· καὶ λαλήσας τὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπαγγέλλεται ὅτι ἐὰν μετανοήσωσι, μετανοήσει περὶ τῶν κακῶν ὧν ἐλάλησε τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς. καὶ πάλιν λαλεῖ ἐπ᾿ ἄλλο ἔθνος δεύτερον «τοῦ ἀνοικοδομεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ καταφυτεύεσθαι« ὅλον ἔθνος· καὶ ἐπεὶ τοῦτο <τὸ> ἀνοικοδομούμενον καὶ καταφυτευόμενον ἔθνος ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχει καλήν, | δύναται δὲ ἁμαρτάνειν, φησὶ μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι ταῦτα, ἐὰν ἀποστῶσι τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἀγαθῶν· «μετανοήσω περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὧν ἐλάλησα τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς.
Τίνα οὖν τὰ δύο ἔθνη, τὸ πρότερον ὀνομασθὲν ᾧ ἀπειλεῖ ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ᾧ ἐπαγγέλλεται; ἀπειλεῖ μέντοιγε ὥστε, εἰ μετανοήσαι, μὴ ποιῆσαι τὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς. ἐπαλλέλλεται ὥστε, εἰ μεταπέσοι καὶ ἄξιον μὴ γένοιτο τὸ δεύτερον ἔθνος τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν, μὴ τεύξεσθαι αὐτῶν. περὶ δύο μάλιστα ἐθνῶν πρόκειται πᾶσα ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ θεοῦ τοῖς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἀνθρώποις. γέγονε πρῶτον ἔθνος ἐκεῖνο ὁ Ἰσραήλ, δεύτερον ἀπὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος. τῷ προτέρῳ ἠπείλησεν ὁ θεὸς ἃ ἠπείλησε, καὶ βλέπομεν τὰ τῆς ἀπειλῆς τοῦ προτέρου ἔθνους· ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ γεγένηται, κατεσκάφη αὐτῶν ἡ πόλις, καθῃρέθη τὸ ἁγίασμα, τὸ θυσιαστήριον καταβέβληται, οὐδὲν ἔτι σῴζεται τῶν πάλαι σεμνῶν παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς.
ἔλεγε γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἔθνει ὁ θεός· μετανοήσατε, καὶ οὐ μετενόησαν. μετὰ τὸ ἐκείνοις εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτα, λέγει τούτῳ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔθνει ὁ θεὸς τὰ περὶ τοῦ ἀνοικοδομεῖσθαι αὐτό. ὁρᾷ δὲ ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος ἄνθρωποί εἰσι δυνάμενοι πάλιν παραπεσεῖν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τούτῳ ἀπειλεῖ καὶ φησιν· εἰ καὶ προεῖπον τὰ περὶ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς καταφυτεύσεως καὶ τῆς γεωργίας, μέλλει δὲ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ τούτῳ ἁμαρτήσαντι συμβήσεται ταὐτὰ ἅπερ εἴρηται ἐκείνοις διὰ τὸ ἁμαρτήματα, καὶ πείσονται ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσι. πᾶσαν ἐρεύνησον τὴν γραφήν, καὶ εὑρήσεις τὰ πλεῖστα περὶ τῶν δύο τούτων τῶν ἐθνῶν λεγόμενα.
ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς τοὺς πατέρας, ἐπαγγελίαν δέδωκεν αὐτοῖς, ἐξήγαγε λαὸν ἐκ τοῦ γένους τῶν πατέρων ἀπὸ Αἰγύπτου, ἐμακροθύμησεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν, ἐπαίδευσεν αὐτοὺς ὡς πατήρ, εἰσήγαγεν αὐτούς, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς γῆν ἐπαγγελίας, ἔπεμψεν αὐτοῖς προφήτας κατὰ καιρούς, ἐπαίδευσε καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. ἐμακροθύμησεν ἀεὶ πέμπων τοὺς θεραπεύοντας, μέχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ ὁ ἀρχιατρός. ὁ διαφέρων προφητῶν προφήτης, ὁ διαφέρων ἰατρῶν ἰατρός. ἐληλυθότα τοῦτον προέδωκαν καὶ ἀπέκτειναν «αἶρε, αἶρε« λέγοντες «ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον· σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτόν. εὐθέως ἦλθεν ἐπισκοπὴ ἐπὶ τὸ ἔθνος, ἠρημώθη ὁ τόπος ἔνθα ἐσταύρωταί μου ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς ἄλλο ἔθνος.
ὁ> θερισμὸς ὁρᾶτε πῶς πολύς ἐστιν, εἰ καὶ οἱ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι εἰσί<. καὶ ἄλλως δὲ οἰκονομεῖ ὁ θεὸς τὴν σαγήνην ἀεὶ βάλλεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τοῦ βίου τούτου καὶ συνάγονται ἰχθύες παντοδαποί· ἀποστέλλει «τοὺς ἁλιεῖς τοὺς πολλούς«· ἀποστέλλει «τοὺς θηρευτὰς τοὺς πολλούς«, θηρεύουσιν ἀπὸ «παντὸς ὄρους«, θηρεύουσιν ἀπὸ «παντὸς βουνοῦ. ὅρα πόση οἰκονομία περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐστι σωτηρίας. «Ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν θεοῦ· ἐπὶ μὲν« τὸ πρότερον ἔθνος καὶ πεσὸν «ἀποτομία, ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ« τὸ δεύτερον ἔθνος ἐπαγγελίαι καὶ «χρηστότης, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃς τῇ χρηστότητι· ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ. οὐ γὰρ ἡ ἀξίνη· τότε μόνον πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων ἔκειτο.
ἑτοίμη πάλιν ἐστὶν ἐλθεῖν ἡ ἀξίνη· «ἡ« δὲ «ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται« ἔλεγέ μου ὁ Ἰησοῦς τότε προφητεύων περὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ παρ᾿ ὃν ἡ ἀξίνη ἦν. αὐτὸς ἦν ἡ ἀξίνη τοῦ ἀκάρπου δένδρου καὶ ἔλεγεν· «ἤδη ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται. ὅσα ἦν ἐκεῖ δένδρα μὴ ποιοῦντα καρπὸν ἐξεκόπη καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐβλήθη καὶ κεκόλασται. νῦν δὲ ἄλλο γεώργιον γεγένηται ἀνάλογον τῷ προτέρῳ, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «εἰσαγαγὼν καταφύτευσον αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος κληρονομίας σου, εἰς ἕτοιμον κατοικητήριόν σου. εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔθνος ὁ θεὸς εἰς ὄρος κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ. τὸ ὄρος ἐγὼ ζητῶ οὐχ ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι οὕτως ἐν ἀψύχοις ὕλαις. τὸ ὄρος ὁ Χριστός ἐστιν. ἐν τούτῳ κατεφυτεύθημεν, ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἐτηρήθημεν.
ὁρᾶτε οὖν, ἐὰν καὶ μακροθυμήσῃ, μήποτε ἐλθὼν ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης εἴπῃ· >ἤδη τρία ἔτη ἔρχομαι ἐπὶ τὴν συκῆν ταύτην καὶ καρπὸν οὐκ ἤνεγκεν· ἔκκοψον αὐτήν· ἵνα τί καὶ τὴν γῆν καταργεῖ<; καταργεῖ γὰρ τὴν καλὴν γῆν, τὸν Χριστόν, τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐπὶ συναγωγὴν καὶ μὴ καρποφορῶν.
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.