His left hand under my head; his right hand embraces me
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand will embrace me. The Word of God has both a left hand and a right. Wisdom, when she offers herself according to the variety of understanding, is called now left, now right. The left is care for temporal and bodily things; the right is the gift of eternal and spiritual things. The left under the head: lest the mind wander about temporal things, but be subject. The right embraces: it clasps and keeps eternal things.
Latin
Sinistra eius sub capite meo, et dextera eius complexabitur me. Habet et sinistram et dexteram Sermo Dei. Sapientia, cum pro intellectus varietate se praebet, nunc sinistra, nunc dextera dicitur. Sinistra temporalium et corporalium cura; dextera aeternorum et spiritalium donatio. Sub capite sinistra: ne mens circa temporalia evagetur, sed subiecta sit. Dextera complexatur: aeterna amplectitur et custodit.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia II on the Song of Songs (Jerome’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–13.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII (GCS 33, 1925), Jerome’s Latin of Homilia II. Lawson ACW 26 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia II §§1–13 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII = GCS 33 (1925) (Latin · Homilia II §§1–13)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.