Gerizim and Zion: Samaritans as figure of the heterodox
Even now, if Samaritans and Jews enter debate, each will press the other. The Samaritan will use this woman’s words: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain” — pointing to Gerizim — “but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.”
Jews — for salvation is from them — figure those who hold sound teaching; Samaritans figure the heterodox. So they treat Gerizim as divine. The name means Cutting-apart or Division, matching the historical split of the ten tribes from the two in Jeroboam’s days — and Jeroboam’s own name means Splitting of a people. Jews, by contrast, hold to Zion, which means Watchtower.
Greek
Καὶ εἴ ποτε δὲ μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο συγκαταβαίνοιεν ἀλλήλοις εἰς λόγον Σαμαρεῖται καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἑκάτερος πρὸς τὸν λοιπὸν ἐπαπορήσει. ἐρεῖ ὁ Σαμαρεὺς τῷ Ἰουδαίῳ τὸν τῆς ἐνθάδε γυναικὸς λόγον · Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν, δεικνὺς τὸ Γαριζείν · ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου προσκυνεῖν δεῖ.
ἀλλ’ ἐπεὶ Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν — ἀπ’ αὐτῶν γὰρ ἡ σωτηρία — εἰκόνες εἰσὶ τῶν τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας λόγους φρονούντων, Σαμαρεῖται δὲ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων, ἀκολούθως τὸ μὲν Γαριζεὶν θεοποιοῦσιν, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται Διατομὴ ἢ Διαίρεσις, τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν διατομῆς τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ἀπὸ τῶν δύο γεγενημένης κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Ἱεροβοὰμ χρόνους, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἑρμηνεύεται Διχασμὸς λαοῦ · Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ τὸ Σιών, ὅπερ ἐστὶ Σκοπευτήριον.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on John, Book 13 (later tomoi). Complete on this page: §§1–64.
English follows Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV (GCS 10, 1903). Heine FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Book 13 §§1–64 of the later books (13, 19, 20, 28, 32).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV = GCS 10 (1903) (Greek · Book 13 §§1–64)
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.