Three kinds of eunuchs — two false readings first
On the difference among eunuchs. From there are eunuchs who were born so from the mother’s womb through let the one who can receive this receive it. Before the reading that seems true to us, we set out two false takes on the place and overturn them, so we may live better once we grasp the sense. Some, treating a third castration as bodily because the first two look bodily, rashly mutilated themselves from fear of God and drew shame even among outsiders to the faith. Others — not many — kept the first two bodily but took the third as cutting desire by the Word for the sake of the kingdom of the heavens, scorning the body’s insults once the Word had cut desire.
Greek
Περὶ διαφορᾶς εὐνούχων. «Εἰσὶ γὰρ εὐνοῦχοι οἵτινες ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἐγεννήθησαν οὕτως» ἕως τοῦ «Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω.» Δύο ἐσομένας περὶ τὸν τόπον τοῦτον παρεκδοχὰς πρὸ τῆς φαινομένης ἡμῖν ἀληθοῦς εἰς τὸν τόπον διηγήσεως ἐκθέμενοι, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὡς δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἀνατρέψαντες αὐτάς, ἵν’ ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς λεχθησομένοις πᾶν σφάλμα φυλαξάμενοι τὸ ἀληθὲς βούλημα χωρῶμεν, οὕτως ἥκωμεν ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον. Τινὲς μὲν γάρ, ὡς ἀκόλουθον τοῖς κατὰ τὸ σωματικὸν ὁρωμένοις δύο εὐνουχισμοῖς καὶ τὸν τρίτον σωματικὸν νομίσαντες, ἐτόλμησαν ἑαυτοὺς παρασχεῖν ὑπὸ φόβου μὲν τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀνεπιστημόνως δὲ εὐνουχισμῷ ὁμογενεῖ τοῖς δύο προτέροις, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ὑποβεβλήκασιν ὀνειδισμῷ τάχα δὲ καὶ αἰσχύνῃ οὐ παρὰ μόνοις τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τῆς πίστεως. Ἕτεροι δὲ οὐ πολλοὶ τοὺς μὲν προτέρους δύο αὐτόθεν καὶ σωματικῶς ἐξειλήφασιν εἰρῆσθαι τῷ Σωτῆρι, τὸν δὲ τρίτον οὐκέτι κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ἀλλ’ εὐνουχισμὸν ἡγήσαντο τὸν ἀπὸ λόγου σημαίνεσθαι, ὅτε προθέσει τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας τῷ τμητικωτάτῳ λόγῳ ἐκτεμόντες τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν καταπεφρονήκασι τῶν ὕβρεων τοῦ σώματος.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on Matthew, Tomus XV (Greek). Complete on this page: §§1–4.
English follows PG 13 (Migne) Greek. Heine was not used as wording. This page is Tomus XV §§1–4 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 13 (Migne) — Greek (Greek · Tomus XV §§1–4)
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.