You deceived me, Lord—and the fire in the bones
And indeed the one section has been completed, and already let us begin also the second; for it has matters straightway from the first reading that are not ordinary. And attending to the wording again we will ask Jesus to come, and we will beg him to come more manifestly and more brightly, that coming he may teach all of us whether the prophet spoke truly—as it befits one to think about a prophet—in what follows, or lying, which it is not lawful to say about a holy prophet.
And he says toward God: 'You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you prevailed and were strong; I became a laugh; all the day I continued being sneered at… for the word of the Lord became a reproach to me and a jeer all day. And I said: I will by no means name the name of the Lord, and I will by no means speak still upon his name. And it became in my heart as a fire burning, burning in my bones, and I am exhausted from every side and cannot bear it, because I heard the blame of many gathered around,' saying: 'Conspire, and let us conspire against him…' But while those say these things the prophet says: 'And the Lord is with me as a strong fighter; therefore they pursued and could not understand; they were greatly ashamed…' This is the second section of the reading.
How then does the prophet say: 'You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived'? Does God deceive? How I will manage the word, I am at a loss. Ceasing from being deceived the prophet says: 'You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived,' as of an elementary schooling and introduction having come to be for him in a deception, and he being unable to be schooled and introduced into piety unless first he is deceived, that later he may come to perceive the deception. And it is enough only to say a useful example for what lies before us. We speak to children leading the children, and we do not speak as to perfect ones, but as to children needing education we speak to them, and we deceive the children, frightening them, that the lack of education among children may cease.
Greek
(18,) Καὶ δὴ τετέλεσται ἡ μία περικοπή, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τῆς δευτέρας ἀρξώμεθα· καὶ γὰρ ἔχει πράγματα εὐθέως ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης λέγεως οὐ τὰ τυχόντα. καὶ προσέχοντες τῇ λέξει πάλιν αἰτήσωμεν ἥκειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἐπιφανέστερόν γε καὶ λαμπρότερον ἥκειν αὐτὸν παρακαλῶμεν, ἵνα ἐλθὼν διδάξῃ πάνταες ἡμᾶς, πότερον ἀληθεύων ἔλεγεν ὁ πρόφήτης, ὡς πρέπει νοεῖν περὶ προφήτου, τὰ ἑξῆς ἢ ψευδόμενος, ὃ οὐ θε\μιτὸν λέγειν περὶ προφήτου ἁγίου. λέγει δὲ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· «ἠπάτησάς με, κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην, ἐκράτησας καὶ ἠδυνάσθης· ἐγενόμην εἰς γέλωτα, πᾶσαν τὴν ἡμέραν διετέλεσα μυκτηριζόμενος· ὅτι πικρῷ λόγῳ μου γελάσομαι, ἀθεσίαν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἐπικαλέσομαι· ὅτι ἐγενήθη ὁ λόγος κυρίου εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν ἐμοὶ καὶ χλευασμὸν πᾶσαν ἡμέραν. καὶ εἶπα· οὐ μὴ ὀνομάσω τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου, καὶ οὐ μὴ λαλήσω ἔτι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ὡς πῦρ φλεγόμενον καῖον ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις μου, καὶ παρεῖμαι πάντοθεν καὶ οὐ δύναμαι φέρειν, ὅτι ἤκουσα ψόγον πολλῶν συναθροιζομένων κυκλόθεν«, καὶ «λεγόντων« δηλονότι· «ἐπισύστητε, καὶ ἐπισυστῶμεν αὐτῷ ἄνδρες φίλοι αὐτοῦ· τηρήσατε τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ εἰ ἀπατηθήσεται, καὶ δυνησόμεθα αὐτῷ καὶ ληψόμεθα τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἡμῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐκείνων λεγόντων φησὶν ὁ προφήτης· «καὶ κύριος μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ καθὼς μαχητὴς ἰσχύων· διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωξαν καὶ νοῆσαι οὐκ ἠδύναντο· ᾐσχύνθησαν σφόδρα, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνόησαν ἀτιμίας αὐτῶν, αἳ δι᾿ αἰῶνος οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσονται. αὕτη ἡ περικοπὴ ἡ δευτέρα τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος.
Πῶς οὖν λέγει ὁ προφήτης· «ἠπάτησάς με, κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην«; θεὸς ἀπατᾷ; πῶς οἰκονομήσω τὸν λόγον, ἀπορῶ.
ἐὰν γὰρ διὰ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ βλέπω τι εἰς αὐόν, οἰκονομίας δεῖται γενναίας τὰ λεχθησόμενα. παυσάμενος τοῦ ἀπατᾶσθαι λέγει ὁ προφήτης· «ἠπάτησάς με κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην«, ὡς τῆς στοιχειώσεως καὶ εἰσαγωγῆς γεγενημένης αὐτῷ ἐν ἀπάτῃ καὶ μὴ δυναμένῳ αὐτῷ στοιχειωθῆναι καὶ εἰσαχθῆναι εἰς θεοσέβειαν, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον ἀπατηθῇ, ἵνα ἥκῃ ὕστερον ἐπὶ τὸ συναισθηθῆναι τῆς ἀπάτης. ἀρκεῖ δὲ μόνον παράδειγμά τι εἰπεῖν χρήσιμον εἰς τὰ προκείμενα. παιδίοις λαλοῦμεν ἄγοντες τὰ παιδία, καὶ οὐχ ὡς τελείοις λαλοῦμεν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς παιδίοις δεομένοις [διὰ] τῆς παιδεύσεως λαλοῦμεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἀπατῶμεν τὰ παιδία φοβοῦντες [τὰ παιδία], ἵνα παύσηται τῆς ἐν παισὶν ἀπαιδευσίας, καὶ φοβοῦμεν τὰ παιδία ἀπάτης λόγους λέγοντες διὰ τὸ ὑποκείμενον τῇ νηπιότητι αὐτῶν, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἀπάτης ποιήσωμεν αὐτὰ φοβηθῆναι καὶ διδασκάλοις φοιτῆσαι καὶ ἀπαγγεῖλαι καὶ ποιῆσαι τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα προκοπῇ παιδίων. πάντες ἐσμὲν παιδία τῷ θεῷ καὶ δεόμεθα ἀγωγῆς παιδίων. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς φειδόμενος ἡμῶν ἀπατᾷ ἡμᾶς (καὶ εἰ μὴ αἰσθανόμεθα τῆς ἀπάτης πρὸ καιροῦ), ἵνα μὴ ὡς ὑπερβεβηκότες τὸ νήπιον, μηκέτι δι᾿ ἀπάτης παιδευώμεθα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων. ἄλλως τὸ παιδίον εἰς φόβον ἄγεται, ἄλλως τὸ προκόψαν τῇ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ διαβεβηκὸς τὴν παιδικὴν ἡλικίαν. εἰ γὰρ δύναμαι δι᾿ ἀπάτης αὐτὸ παιδαγωγῶν †, ἵνα εἴπῃ ὁ ἀπατῶν θεός· «παι δεύσω αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀκοῇ τῆς θλίψεως αὐτῶν.
Ἱστορίας παραθήσομαι, πῶς ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἀπατᾷ καὶ λέγει τινά, ἵνα παύσηται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τοῦ ποιεῖν, ἃ ἐποίησεν ἄν, εἰ μὴ ἠκηκόει τῶνδε τινῶν τῶν λόγων. ὁ λέγων· «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται« ἀληθεύων ἔλεγεν, ἢ οὐκ ἀληθεύων καὶ ἀπατῶν ἀπάτην ἐπιστρέφουσαν; ἥτις ἐπιστροφὴ εἰ μὴ γεγόνει, οὐκέτι ἀπάτη ἦν ἀλλ᾿ ἤδη ἀλήθεια τὸ λεγόμενον, καὶ ἦν ἂν ἀκολουθήσασα καταστροφὴ τῇ Νινευῇ. ἦν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, ἤτοι ἀπατηθεῖσι καὶ πιστεύσασι τοῖς λεγομένοις ὡς ἀληθέσιν εὐεργετηθῆναι καὶ μὴ καταστραφῆναι.
ἢ μὴ γινομένου ἀληθοῦς τοῦ εἰρημένου καὶ μὴ ἀπατηθεῖσιν, ἀλλὰ καταλαβοῦσιν ὅτι τὰ εἰρημένα οὐκ ἔσται, καταφρονῆσαι τῶν εἰρημένων ὡς ἀπάτης καὶ παθεῖν οὐχὶ τὸ «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται«, ἀλλὰ τολμῶ καὶ λέγω πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα τοῦ «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ κατστραφήσεται. τῇ γὰρ ὑποθέσει ἡμαρτηκότες [εἰ μὴ μετανοήκεισαν] Νινευῖται εἰ μὴ μετα<νε<νοήκεισαν, τάχα μὲν «ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται« ἐγίνετο· ἀλλ᾿ ἔστω ὅτι οὐκ ἐγίνετο τόδε, τούτου χεῖρον ἐγίνετο, πυρὶ αἰωνίῳ παρεδίδοντο.
Διὰ τοῦτο ἄλλη κόλασις κατὰ τὸν νόμον εἴρηται τοῖς ὡς παιδίοις παιδαγωγουμένοις· οἷς «δὲ ἦλθε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου [οὗ]«, ἄλλαι κολάσεις ἀναγεγραμμέναι εἰσίν. σύγκρινε τὰς κατὰ τὸν νόμον κολά- σεις ἁμαρτωλῶν ταῖς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον κολάσεσιν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὄψει ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ὡς νήπιοι ἤκουσαν κολάσεω ἐκε΄νοις νηπίοις ἁρμοζουσῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς τέλειοι τὴν ἡλικίαν ἀκούομεν κολάσεων χαλεπωτέρων. μοιχὸς εἰ τότε γεγένηται ὴ μοιχαλίς, ἡ ἀπειλὴ οὐ γέεννα, οὐ πῦρ αἰώνιον, ἀλλά· λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται· «λιθοβολείτω τω αὐτὸν πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγή.
ἐρεῖ ἀπελθὼν ὁ ἐν τούτοις εὑρεθεὶς μοιχός, ἡ ἐν τούτοις εὑρεθεῖσα μοιχαλίς· εἴθε καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ὁ λόγος ἐρεῖ, ὁ λαὸς λίθοις με ἔβαλλε καὶ μὴ τετηρημένος ἤμην εἰς τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ. «ἔνοχος« γὰρ «εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρὸς« οὐ μόνον ὁ μοιχός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ εἰπὼν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ «μωρέ. εἰ δὲ ὁ εἰπὼν τῲ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ «μωρέ«, «ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός«, ὁ μοιχὸς τίνι ἔνοχος ἔσται; μεῖζόν τι ζητῶ κολαστήριον τῆς γεέννης τοῦ πυρός. καὶ τάχα εἴποιμι ἂν ὅτι ἡ γέεννα τῶν ἀπουσίων, τῶν δυναμένων καθαρθῆναί ἐστιν.
ὤσπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τῶν δικαίων, «ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν«, οὕτως ἃ ἡτοίμασε τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς τῷ πορνεύειν, τῷ μοιχεύειν, «ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη. εἰ γὰρ ἀνάβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ᾧ ἔνοχος γίνεται ὁ εἰπὼν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ· «μωρέ«, δῆλον ὅτι μεῖζόν ἐστι τοῦ ἀναβαίνοντος ἐπὶ καρδίαν τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τοῖς τὰ χείρονα ἡμαρτηκόσιν. οὐ σύναμαι δὲ νοῆσαι μεῖζόν τι γεέννης, ἀλλὰ μόνον πιστεύω ὅτι μεῖζόν τι ἔστι γεέννης, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τοῖς μοιχεύουσιν.
Οὕτως ἔρχομαι καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς λοιπὰς τὰς κατὰ τὸν νόμον καλάσεις, καὶ λαμβάνω λέξιν ἀποστολικὴν συνᾴδουσαν τούτοις καὶ σιωπήσασάν μου τὴν κόλασιν ἐὰν ἁμάρτω, ἐπειδὴ οὐ θέλω τὸ «ἠπάτησάς με κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην« παραδεξάμενος ἀπατηθῆναι καλῶς. τί δὲ λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος; «ἀθετήσας τις νόμον Μωσέως χωρὶς οἰκτιρμῶν ἐπὶ δυσὶ καὶ τρισὶ μάρτυσιν ἀποθνῄσκει· πόσῳ σοκεῖτε χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας ὁ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καταπατήσας«; ὀνόμασον, ὦ Παῦλε, τὴν τιμωρίαν· εἶπον αὐτήν. ἀλλ᾿ οὐ λέγω αὐτήν, φησί· μεῖζόν ἐστι τῶν λεγομένων τὸ τῆς κολάσεως τῶν ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ ἁμαρτανόντων, μεῖζον τῶν ἀκουομένον, μεῖζον τῶν νοουμένων. διὰ τοῦτο εἰσήχθη ὡς παιδίον ὁ προφήτης, ἀκούσας καὶ φοβηθεὶς καὶ παιδευθεὶς καὶ μετἂ τοῦτο τελειωθεὶς λέγων· «ἠπάτησάς με κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην. καὶ σὺ ὅσον εἶ παιδίον, φοβήθητι τὰς , ἵνα μὴ πάθῃς τὰ ὑπὲρ τὸς ἀπειλάς, τὰς κολάσεις τὰς αἰωνίους, τὸ ἄσβεστον πῦρ, ἢ τάχα τι τούτου μεῖζον τὸ ἀποκείμενον τοῖς παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον ἐπὶ πλεῖον βεβιωκόσιν.
ὧν πάντων μηδαμῶς πειραθείημεν, ἀλλὰ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τελειούμενοι δικαιωθείημεν ἀξίως τῶν ἑορτῶν τῶν ἐπουρανίων καὶ τοῦ πάσχα τοῦ ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀναγωγὴν ἐν χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ᾧ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. 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.