God “repents” as one speaking to children
'At the end I will speak upon a nation or also upon a kingdom.' It will seem that the end has been spoken simply. But such a thing has been said. In 'I will speak upon a nation or kingdom,' the end is of this sort: 'I will tear down' is said as the end to the former nation; to the second: 'I will rebuild you.' And again 'I will uproot' is said to the former, and 'I will plant' to the second. Since then the end has been spoken, must the end come to be? God who does not repent is said according to Scripture to repent. And let us attend to the wording, that if we can make a defense how these things are said, we may accept the word.
'At the end I will speak,' he says, 'upon a nation or upon a kingdom to lift them away and destroy; and if that nation turns from their evils of which I spoke upon it, I will also repent concerning the evils which I planned to do to them. And at the end I will speak upon a nation or upon 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.' Concerning the repentance of God we are required to make a defense; for it seems blameworthy and unworthy not only of God but even of the wise man to repent. For I do not conceive a wise man repenting; but the one who repents, as far as the custom of the word goes, repents over not having planned well. But God, being foreknower of the things to come, cannot have planned badly and for that reason repent. How then did Scripture introduce him saying 'I will repent'—and in the Kingdoms: 'I have regretted that I anointed Saul as king,' and generally: 'and repenting over the evils'?
But see what we are taught generally about God. On the one hand: 'God is not as a man to be deceived, nor as a son of man to be threatened,' and we learn that God is not as a man; and through another wording that God is as a man, when his economy is intertwined with human affairs. For 'of his greatness there will be no end,' and countless other things from the holy writings fit 'God is not as a man.' But when the divine economy is intertwined with human affairs, it bears the human mind and manner and wording.
And just as we, if we converse with a two-year-old child, babble because of the child—for keeping the dignity of perfect adult age without coming down to their dialect we cannot make the children understand—conceive something such also about God, whenever he manages the race of humans, and especially those still infants. See how we perfect men also change the names toward infants. Are we then imperfect? Or is it granted that one speaking to a child by accommodation speak a child’s dialect? And God indeed speaks to children; 'Behold,' says the Savior also, 'I and the children whom God has given me.' So then conceive also the Scripture saying: 'The Lord your God bore your manners, as if a man should bear the manners of his son.' Since then we repent, whenever God converses with us who repent he says: I repent; and threatening us he does not pretend to be a foreknower, but as speaking to infants he threatens.
Greek
«Πέρας λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνος ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείαν. δόξει ἁπλῶς τὸ πέρας εἰρῆσθαι. εἴρηται δὲ τοιοῦτον.
ἐν τῷ >λαλήσω ἐπ᾿ ἔθνος ἢ βασιλείαν<, τὸ πέρας τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· κατασκάψω λέγεται τῷ προτέρῳ ἔθνει τὸ πέρας, τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔθνει· ἀνοικοδομήσω ὑμᾶς. καὶ πάλιν ἐκριζώσω τοῖς προτέροις λέγεται, καὶ καταφυτεύσω τοῖς δευτέροις. ἆρ᾿ οὖν ἐπεὶ εἴρηται τὸ πέρας, δεῖ γενέσθαι τὸ πέρας; ὁ θεὸς μὴ μετανοῶν μετανοεῖν λέγεται κατὰ τὴν γραφήν. καὶ πρόσχωμεν τῇ λέξει, ἵνα ἐὰν δυνηθῶμεν ἀπολογήσασθαι, πῶς ταῦτα λέγεται, [εἰ] παραδεξώμεθα τὸν λόγον. «πέρας λαλήσω« φησὶν «ἐπὶ ἔθνος ἢ ἐπὶ βασιλείαν τοῦ ἐξᾶραι αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπολλύειν, καὶ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ τὸ ἔθνος ἐκεῖνο ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν αὐτῶν ὧν ἐλάλησα ἐπ᾿ αὐτό, καὶ μετανοήσω περὶ τῶν κακῶν, ὧν ἐλογισάμην τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς. καὶ πέρας λαλήσω ἐπὶ ἔθνος ἢ ἐπὶ βασιλείαν τοῦ ἀνοικοδομεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ καταφυτεύεσθαι, καὶ ποιήσουσι τὰ πονηρὰ ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς μου, καὶ μετανοήσω περὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὧν ἐλάλησα τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτοῖς. περὶ τῆς μετανοίας τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπαιτούμεθα ἀπολογήσασθαι· δοκεῖ γὰρ ἐπίληπτον εἶναι καὶ ἀνάξιον, οὐ μόνον τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ, τὸ μετανοεῖν. οὐκ ἐπινοῶ γὰρ σοφὸν μετανοοῦντα, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ μετανοῶν, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῆς χρήσεως τῆς λέξεως, ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι μετανοεῖ.
ὁ θεὸς δέ, προγνώστης ὢν τῶν μελλόντων, οὐ δύναται μὴ καλῶς βεβουλεῦσθαι, καὶ παρὰ τοῦτο μετανοεῖν. πῶς οὖν ἡ γραφὴ αὐτὸν εἰσήγαγε λέγοντα «μετανοήσω«, οὔπω λέγω, καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις εἴρηται ἐν τῷ «μεταμεμέλημαι ὅτι ἔχρισα τὸν Σαοὺλ εἰς βασιλέα«, καὶ καθολικῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ λέλεκται· «καὶ μετανοῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς κακίαις. Ἀλλ᾿ ὅρα τί περὶ θεοῦ διδασκόμεθα καθολικῶς.
ὅπου μὲν «οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεὸς διαρτηθῆναι, οὐδὲ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀπειληθῆναι«, καὶ μανθάνομεν διὰ ταύτης τῆς λέξεως ὅτι ὁ θεὸς οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος· διὰ δὲ ἄλλης ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ὡς ἄνθρωπος φασκούσης· «ὅτι ἐπαίδευσέ σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ὡς εἴ τις παιδεύσαι ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ« καὶ πάλιν >ἐτροποφόρησεν ὡς ἀνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ<. οὐκοῦν ὅταν μὲν αἱ γραφαὶ θεολογῶσι τὸν θεὸν καθ᾿ αὑτὸν καὶ μὴ ἐπιπλέκωσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμασι, λέγουσιν αὐτὸν εἶναι οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος. «τῆς« γὰρ «μεγαλωσύνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται πέρας«, καὶ «φοβερός ἐστιν ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς θεούς«, καὶ «αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη· αἰνεῖτε αὐτόν, πάντα τὰ ἄστρα καὶ τὸ φῶς. καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ἀναλεγόμενος ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων εὕροις ἄν, οἷς ἐφαρμόσεις τὸ «οὐχ ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεός.
ὅταν δὲ ἐπιπλέκηται ἀνθρωπίνοις πράγμασιν ἡ θεία οἰκονομία, φέρει τὸν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν καὶ τρόπον καὶ λέξιν. καὶ ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς ἐὰν διετεῖ παιδίῳ διαλεγώμεθα, ψελλίζομεν διὰ τὸ παιδίον· οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τέ ἐστι τηροῦντας ἡμᾶς τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς τελείου ἀνδρὸς ἡλικίας καὶ λαλοῦντας τοῖς παιδίοις μὴ συγκαταβαίνοντας αὐ- τῶν τῇ διαλέκτῳ νοῆσαι τὰ παιδία — τοιοῦτόν τί μοι νόει καὶ περὶ τὸν θεόν, ὅταν τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, καὶ μάλιστα τὸ τῶν ἔτι νηπίων οἰκονομῇ.
ὅρα πῶς καὶ μεταποιοῦμεν τὰ ὀνόματα οἱ τέλειοι ἄνδρες πρὸς τὰ βρέφη, καὶ τὸν μὲν ἄρτον ἰδίως ὀνομάζομεν αὐτοῖς, τὸ δὲ πιεῖν ἄλλῃ λέξει ὀνομάζομεν, τελείων οὐ χρώμενοι διαλέκτῳ ᾗ χρώμεθα πρὸς τοὺς τελείους ὁμήλικας, ἀλλὰ ἄλλῃ λέξει τινὶ παιδικῇ καὶ βρεφώδει. καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματα ἐὰν ὀνομάζωμεν τοῖς παιδίοις, ἄλλα ὀνόματα ἐπιτίθεμεν αὐτοῖς, οἱονεὶ ὄνομα παιδικὸν πλάσσοντες. ἆρ᾿ οὖν τότε ἀτελεῖς ἐσμεν; καὶ εἴ τις ἡμῶν ἀκούοι παιδίοις διαλεγομένων, ἐρεῖ ὅτι ἀνόητος γέγονεν ὁ γέρων οὗτος, ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος ἐπιλέλησται τοῦ γενείου αὐτοῦ, τῆς ἡλικίας τοῦ ἀνδρός; ἢ δέδοται κατὰ συμπεριφορὰν παιδίῳ ὁμιλοῦντα μὴ λαλῆσαι διαλέκτῳ πρεσβυτικῇ μηδὲ ἐντελεῖ, ἀλλὰ παιδικῇ; Καὶ ὁ θεὸς δὴ λαλεῖ παιδίοις· «ἰδού« φησὶ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ «ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός. λέγοιτο ἂν τῷ γέροντι τῷ λαλοῦντι πρὸς τὸ παιδίον παιδικῶς, ἢ ἵνα ἐμφατικώτερον εἴπω βρεφωδῶς, ὅτι ἐτροποφόρησας τὸν υἱόν σου καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἐφόρεσας τοῦ βρέφους καὶ τὴν κατάστασιν αὐτοῦ ἀνείληφας. οὕτως οὖν νόει μοι καὶ τὴν γραφὴν λέγουσαν· «ἐτροποφόρησέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου, ὡς εἴ τις τροποφορήσει ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐοίκασιν οἱ ἀπὸ ἑβραϊσμοῦ ἑρμηνεύσαντες, μὴ εὑρόντες τὴν λέξιν κειμένην παρ᾿ Ἕλλησιν, ἀναπεπλακέναι ὡς ἐπ᾿ ἄλλων πολλῶν καὶ ταύτην καὶ πεποιηκέναι τὴν «ἐτροποφόρησέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου (τουτέστι τοὺς τρόπους σου ἐφόρεσεν), ὡς εἴ τις τροποφορήσει ἄνθρωπος (κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα τοῦτο ὃ εἴρηκα) τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ.
ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡμεῖς μετανοοῦμεν, ὅταν ἡμῖν διαλέγηται μετανοοῦσιν ὁ θεὸς λέγει· μετανοῶ, καὶ ἀπειλῶν ἡμῖν οὐ προσποιεῖται προγνώστης εἶναι, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς βρέφεσι λαλῶν ἀπειλεῖ. οὐ προσποιεῖται ὅτι προέγνω «τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν«, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς, ἵν᾿ οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ὑποκρινόμενος τὸ βρέφος προσποιεῖται μηδὲ εἰδέναι τὰ μέλλοντα. καὶ ἀπειλεῖ γοῦν ἔθνει διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει· «ἐὰν μετανοήσῃ τὸ ἔθνος, κἀγὼ μετανοήσω. ὦ θεέ· ἆρα ὅτε ἠπείλεις, οὐκ ᾔδεις πότερον μετανοήσει τὸ ἔθνος ἢ οὐ μετανοήσει; τί δέ; ὅτε ἐπηγγείλω, οὐκ ᾔδεις πότερον μενεῖ ἄξιος τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἢ τὸ ἔθνος, πρὸς ὃν ὁ λόγος, ἢ οὐ μενεῖ; ἀλλ᾿ οὐ προσποιεῖται.
Καὶ τοιαῦτα πολλὰ εὕροις ἂν ἀνθρωπικὰ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ, ὡς καὶ τὸ «λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· ἴσως ἀκούσονται καὶ μετανοήσουσι. τοῦτο οὐχ ὡς διστάζωνὁ θεὸς εἴρηκε τὸ «ἴσως ἀκούσονται«· οὐ γὰρ διστάζει ὁ θεός, ἵνα λέγῃ τὸ «ἴσως ἀκούσονται καὶ μετανοήσουσιν«, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα ἐπὶ πολὺ ἐμφήνῃ σου τὸ αὐτεξούσιον καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς· εἰ προέγνωμε ἀπολλύμενον ἀπολέσθαι με δεῖ, εἰ προέγνω με σωθησόμενον σωθήσεσθαι πάντων με χρή. οὐ προσποιεῖται οὖν τὸ περὶ τοῦ ἐπὶ σοὶ μέλλοντος εἰδέναι, ἵνα τηρήσῃ σου τὸ αὐτεξούσιον τῷ μὴ προειληφέναι μηδὲ προεγνωκέναι, πότερον μετανοήσεις ἢ μή. καὶ λέγει πρὸς τὸν προφήτην· «λάλησον, ἴσως μετανοήσουσι. τοιαῦτα γὰρ ἄλλα μυρία εὑρήσεις λεγόμενα περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τροποφοροῦντος τὸν ἄνθρωπον.
ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς θυμὸν θεοῦ καὶ ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ, μὴ νόμιζε τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὸν θυμὸν πάθη εἶναι θεοῦ. οἰκονομίαι χρήσεως λέξεών εἰσι πρὸς τὸ τὸ βρέφος ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ βελτιωθῆναι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῖς παιδίοις πρόσωπον ποιοῦμεν οὐκ ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ἀλλὰ κατ᾿ οἰκονομίαν φοβερόν.
ἐὰν τηρήσωμεν τὸ ἵλεων τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῷ προσώπῳ ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν φιλοστορλίαν ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτὸ ἐμφή- νωμεν, μὴ διαστρέψαντες ἑαυτοὺς μηδὲ οἱονεὶ μεταβαλόντες πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ἐπιστροφήν, ἀπόλλυμεν αὐτὸ καὶ χεῖρον ποιοῦμεν. οὕτως οὖν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ὀργίζεσθαι λέγεται καὶ θυμοῦσθαί φησιν, ἵνα ἐπιστρέψῃς καὶ βελτιωθῇς. καὶ ἀληθῶς οὐκ ὀργίζεται μὲν οὐδὲ θυμοῦται· σὺ δὲ πείσῃ τὰ τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ τὰ τοῦ θυμοῦ, γενόμενος ἐν δυσυπομονήτοις διὰ τὴν κακίαν πόνοις, ἐπὰν παιδεύῃ τῇ λεγομένῃ ὀργῇ τοῦ θεοῦ.
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.