Ep. Afr. 6–10: Susanna’s Greek wordplay; elders; Spirit in the story
The story’s Greek plays on names and trees are not a decisive strike against it; translation and retelling can carry such features. The Spirit’s work in exposing the elders and vindicating Susanna fits the God who rescues the innocent and judges false witness.
Greek
Γραφαῖς δεδωκυῖα πάσαις ταῖς (41) Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις οἰκοδομὴν, οὐκ ἐφρόντισε « τῶν τιμῆς ἀγορασθέντων, ὑπὲρ ὦν Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν· » οὗ Υἱοῦ ὄντος « οὐκ ἐφείσατο ὁ Θεὸς, » ἡ ἀγάπη, « ἀλλʼ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν, ἵνα σὺν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσηται; »
Καὶ ἕτερον δὲ οἷδα Ἑβραῖον, περὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τούτων τοιαύτας παραδόσεις φέροντα (55), ὅτι τοῖς ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἐλπίζουσιν διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπὸ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς δουλείας προσεποιοῦντο οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οὗτοι ὡς εἰδότες τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ σαφηνίζειν· καὶ ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν ἀνὰ μέρος ᾗ περιετύγχανε γυναικὶ, καὶ ἥν διαφθεῖραι ἐβούλετο, ἐν ἀποῤῥήτῳ δῆθεν ἔφασκεν, ὡς ἅρα δέδοται αὐτῷ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν Χριστόν· εἶτ᾿ ἀπατωμένη (56) τῇ ἐλπίδι τοῦ γεννῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἡ γυνὴ, ἐπεδίδου ἑαυτὴν τῷ ἀπατῶντι· καὶ οὕτως ἐμοιχῶντο τὰς γυναῖκας τῶν πολιτῶν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ἀχιὰβ καὶ Σεδεκίας. Διὸ καλῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Δανιὴλ ὁ μὲν εἴρηται « πεπαλαιωμένος ἡμερῶν κακῶν· » ὁ δὲ ἤκουσε τό· « Οὕτ…
About this text
Origen’s Letter to Africanus and Letter to Gregory (Greek). SERIES CLOSEOUT on this page.
English follows Greek copy-text (PG 11 Africanus; Philocalia 13 Gregory). ANF 4 Crombie was not used as wording. Letters SERIES CLOSEOUT.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 11 / TLG Letter to Africanus Greek (Greek)
- Copy-text Philocalia 13 (Robinson) — Letter to Gregory Greek (Greek)
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.