Fragments on Lamentations · §44

Gleaning after vintage; enemies cleaned like vines

And “to glean” is after vintage to gather the small things of what was left, which the poor do. Just as, then, when you were overseeing carefully, you were cleansing my branches, taking away all the worse things even unto the smallest—of the grape and of the cluster of bitterness—so do this to my enemies; for this profits me, if after they have been completely saved I too according to your judgment, O Lord, will obtain salvation; whom seeing I have both been greatly pained and condemned myself, needing the oversight from you.

Greek

Klagel. Jerem. 1, 22. Ἐπιφυλλίσαι δὲ τὸ μετὰ τρυγητὸν τὰ βραχέα τῶν καταλειφθέντων ἐπιτρυγᾶν, ὃπερ ποιοῦσιν οἱ πένητες. ὥσπερ οὖν ὃτε μὲν ἐπεσκόπεις ἐπιμελῶς, ἐκάθαιρες τὰ κλήματά μου, πάντα τὰ χείρονα μέχρι τῶν σμικροτάτων περιαιρῶν >τῆς σταφυλῆς τῆς καὶ τοῦ βότρυος τῆς πικρίας<, οὕτω τοὺς ἐμοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦτο γάρ μοι λυσιτελές, εἴγε μετ' αὐτοὺς τελείως σωθέντας κἀγὼ κατὰ τὴν σήν, ὦ κύριε, κρίσιν τεύξομαι σωτηρίας· οὒς ὁρὼσα λελύπημαί τε σφόδρα καὶ κατέγνων ἐμαυτῆς, τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς τῆς παρὰ σοῦ δεομένη.

About this text

Origen, Fragments on Lamentations. Original English Translation from the Greek (Klostermann).

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.