Homilies on Jeremiah (selected; omitting 8) · §19.14

Tomorrow he is led out; friends fall by the sword

'And it came to be on the next day, and Pashhur led Jeremiah out of the fall-pit.' O Lord Jesus, come again; make these things clear also to me and to those who have come upon the spiritual food. How on 'the next day' does he himself lead 'Jeremiah out of the fall-pit'? For as long as today’s day stands—and today is this whole age—the sinner throws the prophet down into the fall-pit; but if the present day ceases and tomorrow comes, then having repented he leads him out from the fall-pit.

Then Jeremiah says to him what Pashhur will suffer. What does he say to him? 'Not Pashhur did he call your name, but Migrant. For thus says the Lord.' This Pashhur is about to be migrated according to the worth of the sins into Babylon—not alone, but also with his friends. For he is handed over to Nebuchadnezzar and goes away into Confusion and is punished for his sins, since 'he threw the prophet into the fall-pit.' Who then are the friends of Pashhur, the namesake of Blackness of mouth? All who have received his words, who have been blackened together with his blackened mouth, who have received doctrines of blackness. 'And they will fall by a sword of their enemies.' Those appointed over punishments—these are the ones who have the swords and make them fall; concerning whom the word prophesies and says: 'And your eyes will see.' These prophesied things, he says, 'your eyes will see.'

'And you and all Judah I will give into the hands of the king of Babylon.' Whoever of Judah is caught so sinful as to be worthy of the king of Babylon, of Confusion, will be handed over to him. And the king of Babylon receives those who sin. And the king of Babylon according to the history is Nebuchadnezzar, but according to the ascent is the evil one. And to this one the sinner is handed over, since he is both enemy and avenger. And that the sinner is handed over to him, let Paul teach you, where on the one hand he says about Hymenaeus and Alexander: 'whom I handed over to Satan,' and about the one who has fornicated: 'when you are gathered and my spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus, I have judged to hand over such a one to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.'

Greek

(18,) «Καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἐπαύριον καὶ ἐξήγαγε Πασχὼρ τὸν Ἱερεμίαν ἐκ τοῦ καταρράκτου.

ὦ κύριε Ἰησοῦ, πάλιν ἧκε, σαφήνιζέ μοι καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἐληλυθόσιν ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν τροφήν. πῶς «τῇ ἐπαύριον« ἐξάγει αὐτὸς «τὸν Ἱερεμίαν ἐκ τοῦ καταρράκτου«; ὅσον μὲν γὰρ ἐνέστηκεν ἡ σήμερον ἡμέρα (σήμερον δὲ ἐστι πᾶς οὗτος ὁ αἱών), [ἐὰν] εἰς τὸν καταρράκτην κάτω βάλλει τὸν προφήτην ὁ ἁμαρτωλός· ἐὰν δὲ παύσηται ἡ ἐνεστῶσα ἡμέρα καὶ ἡ αὔριον ἔλθῃ, τότε αὐτὸν ἐξάγει μετανοήσας ἀπὸ τοῦ καταρράκτου. εἶτα λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰερεμίας, ἃ πείσεται ὁ Πασχώρ. τί λέγει αὐτῷ; «οὐ Πασχὼρ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομά σου ἀλλ᾿ ἢ Μέτοικον. διότι τάδε λέγει κύριος. μέλλει μετοικίζεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ Πασχὼρ οὗτος εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, οὐ μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ. παραδίδοται γὰρ τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ καὶ εἰς τὴν Σύγχυσιν ἄπεισι καὶ κολάζεται ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀμαρτήμαμσιν αὐτοῦ, ἐπεὶ «ἔβαλε τὸν προφήτην εἰς τὸν καταρράκτην. τίνες οὖν οἱ φίλοι τοῦ Πασχὼρ τοῦ ἐπώνύμου τῆς Μελανίας τοῦ στόματος; πάντες οἱ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ παραδεξάμενοι, οἱ συμμελανωθέντες τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ τῷ μεμελανωμένῳ, οἱ δόγματα μελανότητος παραδεξάμενοι. «καὶ πεσοῦνται μαχαίρᾳ ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν. οἱ ἐπὶ τῶν κολάσεων τεταγμένοι, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τὰς μαχαίρας ἔχοντες καὶ πιοῦντες πίπτειν αὐτούς· περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος προφητεύει καί φησι· «καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὄψονται. ταῦτα, φησί, τὰ προφητευόμενα «ὄψονταί σου οἱ ὀφθαλμοί. «Καὶ σὲ καὶ πάντα Ἰούσαν δώσω εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος.

ὃς ἐὰν καταληφθῇ τοῦ Ἰούδα οὕτως ἁμαρτωλός ὡς ἄξιος εἶναι τοῦ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος, τῆς Συγχύσεως, παραδοθήσεται αὐτῷ. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος παραλαμβάνει τοὺς ἀμαρτάνοντας. βασιλεὺς δὲ Βαβυλῶνος κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν Ναβουχοδονόσορ, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν ὁ πονηρός. τούτῳ δὲ παραδίδοται ὁ ἁμαρτωλός, ἐπεί ἐστιν ἀμφότερα καὶ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐκδικητής.

ὅτι δὲ αὐτῷ παραδίδοται ὁ ἁμαρτωλός, Παῦλός σε διδαξάτω, ὅπου μὲν λέγων περὶ Φυγέλου καὶ Ἑρμογένου· «οὓς παρέδωκα τῷ πεπορνευκότος· «συναχθέντων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος σὺν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, κέκρικα παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ στόματος Μελανία, εἰς χεῖρας τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς Βαβυλῶνος καὶ μετοικίζουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. «Καὶ κατακόψουσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν μαχαίρᾳ. καὶ δώσω τὴν ἰσχὺν πᾶσαν τῆς πόλεως ταύτης. εὐχερὲς εἰπεῖν ὅτι προφητεύεται περὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ταῦτα· παραδέδοται γὰρ πᾶσα ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα τότε τῷ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων βασιλεῖ. εὐχερὲς εἰπεῖν ὅτι προφητεύεται ταῦτα παρὶ «τῆς πόλεως ταύτης«, ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν σωτῆρα χρόνοις παραδοθείσης τοῖς πολεμίοις. καὶ εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ἀπεληλύθασιν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ κατεσκάφη ἡ πόλις.

ἐὰν δὲ ἐξετάσῃς τὰ πράγματα καὶ πόλιν βλέπῃς μὴ τοὺς λίθους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὄψει ὅτι κἀκείνη ἡ Ἰερουσαλήμ, οἱ ἄνθρωποι, παρεδόθησαν «εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος« διὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἁμαρτίαν. καὶ σὺ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἶ νῦν.

ἐὰν οὖν ἀπειλῇ τῷ Ἱερουσαλὴμ νῦν ὁ λόγος, φοβήθητι μήποτε σύ, ἐὰν ἁμαρτάνῃς, Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἶ ἁμαρτωλός καὶ παραδίδοσαι, ἵνα μηκέτι ῃς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀλλὰ Βαβυλὼν γίνῃ καὶ Σύγχυσις, παραλαβόντος σε Ναβουχοδονόσορ τοῦ Βαβυλώνων βασιλέως. «Καὶ πάντας τοὺς πόνους« Ἱερουσαλὴμ παραδίδωσι. πῶς «πάντας τοὺς πόνους« παραδίδωσιν; ἐὰν μετὰ τὸ ἀθλῆσαι καὶ ἀγωνίσασθαι πααπέσῃς καὶ ἁμάρτῃς, πάντες οἱ πόνοι σου ἐληλύθασιν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας Ναβουχοδονόσορ. πῶς πάντες οἱ πόνοι σου; λεχθήσεταί σοι, ἐὰν πέσῃς μετὰ τὸ πολλὰ καμεῖν ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας· «τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ. μάλιστα οἱ συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς πολλοὺς πόνους ἀνηντληκέναι ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς, ὀφείλουσι φοβεῖσθαι, μήποτε τοὺς πόνυς αὐτῶν [ἢ] γενομένων Ἱερουσαλὴμ παραλάλῃ ἁμαρτίας τινὸς γενομένης Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ τῆς Βαβυλῶνος βασιλεύς.

ἵνα δὲ σαφέστερον ἴδῃς πῶς τοὺς πόνους Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἁμαρτούσης παραλαμβάνει Ναβουχοδονόσορ, συγχρήσομαι τοῖς ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ γεγραμμένοις οὕτως ὔχουσιν· «ὁ δίκαιος ἐὰν ἀποστρέψῃ ἀπὸ τῶν δικαιοσυνῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ παράπτωμα, οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι τῶν δικαιοσυνῶν αὐτοῦ ὧν ἐποίησε. διὰ τί; τὰς γὰρ δικαιοσύνας τὰς μετὰ πόνου γενομένας παραλαμβάνει Ναβουχοδονόσορ καὶ ἀφανίζει Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ βασιλεὺς Βαβυλῶνος. «Καὶ πᾶσαν τιμὴν« τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ παραλαμβάνει, ὅτε ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος ἐν τιμῇ ὑπὸ θεοῦ καὶ «ἐν τιμῇ ὤν« «οὐ συνῆκε« καὶ ἥμαρτεν.

ἐὰν οὖν εἰδῇς ἐν τιμῇ ὢν καὶ κληθεὶς εἰς τὴν τιμὴν πάλιν σεαυτὸν διὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὑβρίσῃς, τὴν τιμὴν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ παραλαμβάνει ὁ βαβυλώνιος βασιλεύς. «καὶ πάντας τοὺς θησαυροὺς βασιλέως Ίούδα. πλουτεῖ ἡ Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἀλλ᾿ ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ, τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῆς λαμβάνει ὁ βαβυλώνιος. «καὶ διαρπῶνται αὐτοὺς καὶ λήψονται αὐτοὺς καὶ ἄξουσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. καὶ σύ, Πασχώρ, καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου πορεύεσθε ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα, κἀκεῖ ἀποθανῇ, κἀκεῖ ταφήσῃ. ὁ ἐν Συγχύσει καταλαμβανόμενος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι ἀποθνῄσκει· καὶ ὀ ἐναντίως διακείμενος τῷσυνθάπτεσθαι τῷ Χριστῷ, οὗτος ἐν Βαβυλῶνι θάπτεται.

ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ταφῆναι μετὰ Χριστοῦ καλῶς διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος κατὰ τὸ «συνετάφημεν τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ συνανέστημεν αὐτῷ. ὡς μυστήριόν ἐστι τὸ συνταφῆναι τῷ Χριστῷ, οὕτω μυστήριόν ἐστι κατὰ ἀνομίαν γενόμενον [ἐπὶ] τὸ ἁμαρτωλὸν ὄντα ταφῆναι εἰς Βαβυλῶνα. «καὶ πάντες« φησὶν «οἱ φίλοι σου ἐκεῖ ἀπελεύσεσθε οἷς ἐπροφήτευσας αὐτοῖς ψευδῆ. ὁ διηγούμενος κακῶς τὰ λόγια τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς προφητικοὺς λόγους βάλλων εἰς καταρράκτην, προφητεύει μὲν οὗτος, προφητεύει δὲ ψευδῆ· διηγούμενος γάρ τις τοὺς προφητικοὺς λόγους, ἐὰν μὲν ἀληθεύῃ, καὶ αὐτὸς προφητεύει καὶ προφητεύει ἀληθῆ, εἰ δὲ ψεύδεται, ψευδοπροφήτης ἐστὶ καταψευδόμενος τῶν λόγων τῶν προφητικῶν.

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.