Origen of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

Jeremiah 15:15

The wonderful apostles who were insulted many times for the truth say, "I am content with weaknesses, with insults and hardships, persecutions and calamities for the sake of Christ." I know that the basis of hardships is Christ when I am insulted if I know that I am insulted only for nothing other than for Christ, when I am in hardships, when I am abused if I know that the cause of abuse is none other than that I am a champion for truth and an ambassador for the Scriptures so that everything happens according to the Word of God. For this I am blasphemed. And thus let all of us, as far as our ability allows, strive for the prophetic life, for the apostolic life, not avoiding what is troublesome. For if the athlete avoids what is troublesome about the contest, the sweetness of the crown will never be his.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 14:14.4-5

Jeremiah 16:16

He who was caught by the fishers of Jesus and who comes up from the sea, he also dies, but he dies to the world. He dies to sin, and after having died to the world and to sin, he is made to live by the Word of God and receives another life. If you could apprehend hypothetically when the soul of the fish changed, after coming out from the fishly body, it became something better than the fish.… Having come up from the sea, falling into the nets of the disciples of Jesus, after you come out, you change the soul. You are no longer a fish that struggles in the salty waves of the sea, but your soul immediately changes and transforms itself and becomes better and more godly than what it was formerly. But that it does transform itself and change, hear Paul, who says, “And we all with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of God, are being transformed to the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” And this transformed fish that was caught by the fishers of Jesus, after it has abandoned the way of life in the sea, makes his way in the mountains so that he no longer…

He who was caught by the fishers of Jesus and who comes up from the sea, he also dies, but he dies to the world. He dies to sin, and after having died to the world and to sin, he is made to live by the Word of God and receives another life. If you could apprehend hypothetically when the soul of the fish changed, after coming out from the fishly body, it became something better than the fish.… Having come up from the sea, falling into the nets of the disciples of Jesus, after you come out, you change the soul. You are no longer a fish that struggles in the salty waves of the sea, but your soul immediately changes and transforms itself and becomes better and more godly than what it was formerly. But that it does transform itself and change, hear Paul, who says, “And we all with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of God, are being transformed to the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” And this transformed fish that was caught by the fishers of Jesus, after it has abandoned the way of life in the sea, makes his way in the mountains so that he no longer needs the fishers who brought him.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 16:1.2

Jeremiah 16:20

“If a person will make gods for himself.” Not only do people make gods for themselves from statues, but you will also find people making gods for themselves from their imaginations. Such people can imagine another god and creator of the world other than the divine plan of the world recorded by the Spirit, other than the true world. These all have made gods for themselves, and they have worshiped the works of the hands. So, too, I believe is the case either among the Greeks, who generate opinions, so to speak, of this philosophy or that, or among the heretics, the first who generate opinions. These have made idols for themselves and figments of the soul, and by turning to them they worship the works of their hands, since they accept as truth their own fabrications.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 16:9.1

Jeremiah 17:5

From this statement we will refute those who suppose that the Savior was a man but not also the Son of God. For they dared with many human evils to say even this, that the Only-begotten, the firstborn of all creation, could not be God. For “cursed is one who has hope in humankind.” It is evident that cursed are those who have hope in humankind. I may say that I do not have hope in people.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 15:6.1

Jeremiah 17:13

The “endurance of Israel” is our next subject. Just as the Savior is righteousness, truth, sanctification, so is he endurance. And there can be no way to be just without Christ, or to be holy without him or to endure without having Christ, for he is the endurance of Israel. And even if you apply these words to God, you will not in this way be impious.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 17:4.2

Jeremiah 17:16

“Behold, they say to me, ‘Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come.’ But I have not been weary of following you.” Jesus says to you, “Take up your cross, and follow me,” and, “Leave everything, and follow me,” and, “He who does not leave behind father and mother and follow me is not worthy to be my disciple.” If, then, you become such a person so as to follow Jesus in every way, and you will follow, and to the extent you do follow, you will not be weary. “For there is no hardship in Jacob, nor will distress be seen in Israel.” There is no toil in following Jesus. The following itself takes away the toil. In order that we may no longer be weary, since we are weary before beginning to follow him, that is why he says, “Come to me, all who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 17:6.1

Jeremiah 18:10

God, who does not repent, is said to repent according to the Scripture.… Concerning the repentance of God, we are demanded to defend ourselves. To repent seems to be culpable and unworthy not only of God but also of the wise person. For I cannot conceive of a wise person repenting. Rather, when a person repents, supposing the customary use of the word, he repents for not having decided to be good. But God, who knows in advance what happens in the future, is unable not to have decided to be good and to repent for this. How, then, has the Scripture brought forth this phrase that says, “I will repent”?… Whenever the Scriptures speak theologically about God in relation to himself and do not involve his plan for human matters, they say that he is “not as a human.” … But whenever the divine plan involves human matters, it carries the human intellect and manners and way of speaking. If we are talking with a two-year-old child, we speak inarticulately because of the child.… Something of this sort also seems to me the case with God, whenever he manages the race of humankind and especially tho…

God, who does not repent, is said to repent according to the Scripture.… Concerning the repentance of God, we are demanded to defend ourselves. To repent seems to be culpable and unworthy not only of God but also of the wise person. For I cannot conceive of a wise person repenting. Rather, when a person repents, supposing the customary use of the word, he repents for not having decided to be good. But God, who knows in advance what happens in the future, is unable not to have decided to be good and to repent for this. How, then, has the Scripture brought forth this phrase that says, “I will repent”?… Whenever the Scriptures speak theologically about God in relation to himself and do not involve his plan for human matters, they say that he is “not as a human.” … But whenever the divine plan involves human matters, it carries the human intellect and manners and way of speaking. If we are talking with a two-year-old child, we speak inarticulately because of the child.… Something of this sort also seems to me the case with God, whenever he manages the race of humankind and especially those still infants.… If any of us should hear those who talk to children, will he say that this old person has become senseless, this man has forgotten his beard, the age of a person? Or is it granted that out of consideration when he converses with the child he does not speak in an elderly or adult language but in a childlike language?

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 18:6.2-4

Jeremiah 18:10

Since we really do repent, when he talks with us who repent God says, “I repent,” and when he threatens us, he does not pretend to know in advance, but he threatens as one speaking to babes. He does not pretend that he knows all things before their generation, but as one who, so to speak, plays the part of a babe, he pretends not to know the future. And he threatens the nation on account of its sins and says, “If the nation repents, I will repent.” O God, when you were threatening, did you not know in advance whether the nation will or will not repent? When you were promising, did you not know whether the person or the nation to whom the word is directed does not remain worthy of the promises? Yes, of course, but he pretends.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 18:6.5

Jeremiah 19:11

The apostle also knows vessels of wrath “made for destruction so that he might make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy.” God has divided all people into these two vessels, those of wrath, those of mercy, those like Pharaoh and the Egyptians, those like Paul and those who have believed. But what is the treasury of the Lord in which are the vessels of wrath? Perhaps it is the church, in which such often go unnoticed. But there will be a time when he opens the church. For now they have been shut up, and the vessels of wrath share space with the vessels of mercy, and the chaff are with the wheat. In one net are the worthless and the chosen fish. The Lord opens up his treasury in the time of the judgment, when the vessels of wrath are thrown out. He who is a vessel of mercy may reasonably say, “They have gone out from us, for they were not from us.” Outside the treasury the vessels who sin are not yet the vessels of wrath, but inferior. For they are servants who did not know the will of their Lord and did not do it. So they are vessels who are simply kept for other purpose…

The apostle also knows vessels of wrath “made for destruction so that he might make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy.” God has divided all people into these two vessels, those of wrath, those of mercy, those like Pharaoh and the Egyptians, those like Paul and those who have believed. But what is the treasury of the Lord in which are the vessels of wrath? Perhaps it is the church, in which such often go unnoticed. But there will be a time when he opens the church. For now they have been shut up, and the vessels of wrath share space with the vessels of mercy, and the chaff are with the wheat. In one net are the worthless and the chosen fish. The Lord opens up his treasury in the time of the judgment, when the vessels of wrath are thrown out. He who is a vessel of mercy may reasonably say, “They have gone out from us, for they were not from us.” Outside the treasury the vessels who sin are not yet the vessels of wrath, but inferior. For they are servants who did not know the will of their Lord and did not do it. So they are vessels who are simply kept for other purposes.

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 31

Jeremiah 20:7

Perhaps then, as a father wishes to deceive a son in his own interest while he is still a boy, since he cannot be helped any other way unless the boy is deceived, as a healer makes it his business to deceive the patient who cannot be cured unless he receives words of deceit, so it is also for the God of the universe, since what is prescribed has to help the human race. Let the healer say to the patient, “It is necessary that you have surgery, you must be cauterized, but you must suffer severely,” and that patient would not continue. But sometimes he says another thing, and he hides that surgery, the cutting knife, under the sponge, and again he conceals, as I shall call it, under the honey, the nature of the bitter and annoying drug, wanting not to mislead but to heal the one who is cured. With such remedies the whole divine Scripture is filled, and some of what is concealed is pleasant, but some of what is concealed is bitter. If you see a father who threatens as if he hates the son, and who says to the son frightful things and who does not show affection but who conceals love for t…

Perhaps then, as a father wishes to deceive a son in his own interest while he is still a boy, since he cannot be helped any other way unless the boy is deceived, as a healer makes it his business to deceive the patient who cannot be cured unless he receives words of deceit, so it is also for the God of the universe, since what is prescribed has to help the human race. Let the healer say to the patient, “It is necessary that you have surgery, you must be cauterized, but you must suffer severely,” and that patient would not continue. But sometimes he says another thing, and he hides that surgery, the cutting knife, under the sponge, and again he conceals, as I shall call it, under the honey, the nature of the bitter and annoying drug, wanting not to mislead but to heal the one who is cured. With such remedies the whole divine Scripture is filled, and some of what is concealed is pleasant, but some of what is concealed is bitter. If you see a father who threatens as if he hates the son, and who says to the son frightful things and who does not show affection but who conceals love for the son, one knows that he wants to deceive the child. For it is not fitting for the son to be assured of the love of the father, the goodwill of his devotion. For he will be set free and will not be disciplined. That is why he hides the sweetness of the affection and exhibits the bitterness of deceit.By analogy to the father and the healer, such is something of what God does. There are certain bitter things with which he cures the most righteous and wise. For it is necessary to punish every sinner for his sins. “Do not be misled, God is not mocked,” “neither the immoral nor the adulterer nor homosexual nor thief nor drunkard nor reviler nor robber will inherit the kingdom of God.” If this was understood and viewed carefully by those who cannot see the surgical knife beneath the sponge, by those who are unable to understand the bitter medicine beneath the honey, a person would become faint-hearted. For who among us has not been conscious of himself drinking without purpose and getting drunk? Who among us is pure from theft and from the desire to take what is necessary, not as one ought? But see what the Word says, “Do not be misled, for these persons will not inherit the kingdom of God.” It is necessary that the mystery in this passage be concealed, so that most people may not become faint-hearted lest when learning the facts they may expect the final departure not as a rest but as a punishment.… For I know that if I leave, it is necessary that my “wood” be burned in me, and I have reviler wood, and I have the wood of drunkenness, the wood of theft and many other woods built up in my building. You know that all of these things escape the notice of many of those who have believed, and it is good it escapes the notice. And each of us thinks, since he has not been an idolater, since he has not been immoral—would that we were pure in such areas—that after he has been set free from this life, he will be saved. We do not see that “all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive either good or evil according to what he has done in the body.”

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 20:3.2-3

Jeremiah 20:7

How then does the prophet say, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived”? Can God deceive? I am at a loss how I can accommodate the word. For if through God and his Word I do see something in it, what will be said requires suitable accommodation.…It suffices to express a single useful example for what has been presented. When guiding children, we speak to children; and we do not speak to them as we do to mature people, but we speak to them as children who need training, and we deceive children when we frighten children in order that it may halt the lack of education in youth. And we frighten children when we speak through words of deceit on account of what is basic to their infancy, in order that through the deceit we may cause them to be afraid and to resort to teachers both to declare and to do what is applicable for the progress of children. We are all children to God, and we need the discipline of children. Because of this, God, since he cares about us, deceives us, even if we do not perceive the deceit beforehand, lest as those who have gone beyond the infant we may no longer…

How then does the prophet say, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived”? Can God deceive? I am at a loss how I can accommodate the word. For if through God and his Word I do see something in it, what will be said requires suitable accommodation.…It suffices to express a single useful example for what has been presented. When guiding children, we speak to children; and we do not speak to them as we do to mature people, but we speak to them as children who need training, and we deceive children when we frighten children in order that it may halt the lack of education in youth. And we frighten children when we speak through words of deceit on account of what is basic to their infancy, in order that through the deceit we may cause them to be afraid and to resort to teachers both to declare and to do what is applicable for the progress of children.
We are all children to God, and we need the discipline of children. Because of this, God, since he cares about us, deceives us, even if we do not perceive the deceit beforehand, lest as those who have gone beyond the infant we may no longer be trained through deceit but through acts. In one way the child is led into fear, in another way into progressing in age and crossing beyond the age of childhood.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 19:15.3-5

Jeremiah 20:7

We must understand that the deceit of God is of another kind from our deceit with which we deceive.… God does not tyrannize but rules, and when he rules, he does not coerce but encourages, and he wishes that those under him yield themselves willingly to his direction so that the good of someone may not be according to compulsion but according to his free will.… In sum, God seeks a way, in a manner of speaking, whereby one would want to do with free will what God wishes. The tradition then also was saying to me something like this: He wants to send Jeremiah who prophesies to all of the nations and before all of the nations to the people, but since the prophecies have had something quite gloomy—for they imparted punishments with which each according to his deserts will be punished—and he knew the choice of the prophet, who does not want to prophesy to the people Israel what is bad, for this reason he arranged to say, “Take this cup, and make all the nations to whom I commissioned you drink.” God then ordered Jeremiah to take the cup, but when he urged him in taking the cup of unmixed w…

We must understand that the deceit of God is of another kind from our deceit with which we deceive.… God does not tyrannize but rules, and when he rules, he does not coerce but encourages, and he wishes that those under him yield themselves willingly to his direction so that the good of someone may not be according to compulsion but according to his free will.… In sum, God seeks a way, in a manner of speaking, whereby one would want to do with free will what God wishes. The tradition then also was saying to me something like this: He wants to send Jeremiah who prophesies to all of the nations and before all of the nations to the people, but since the prophecies have had something quite gloomy—for they imparted punishments with which each according to his deserts will be punished—and he knew the choice of the prophet, who does not want to prophesy to the people Israel what is bad, for this reason he arranged to say, “Take this cup, and make all the nations to whom I commissioned you drink.” God then ordered Jeremiah to take the cup, but when he urged him in taking the cup of unmixed wine, he says, “And I commission you to all of the nations with this cup of unmixed wine.” But after Jeremiah heard that he was sent to all of the nations as one who supplied them a cup of anger, a cup of punishments, since he did not guess that also Israel was about to drink from the cup of punishment, since he was deceived, he took the cup from which all of the nations drink. After he took the cup, he heard, “And cause Jerusalem to drink first.” Since then it seemed to be one way and happened to him in another, for this reason he then said, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.”

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 20:2.1-2

Jeremiah 20:7

So since the healer sometimes keeps hidden the surgical knife under the tender and soft sponge, and also the father conceals the affection through the appearance of threat, and the deceits—some of which take away the tumors and varicose veins and whatever else weakens the condition of the body … something then such as this is what the prophet has understood that God does in mystery, and he says, when he sees in what ways he was deceived for good reason by God, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.” It brought him to so great a grace that he prayed and said to God, “Deceive me, if this is beneficial.” For the deceit from God is one thing, the deceit from the Serpent another. See what the woman says to God, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate,” and the deceit from the serpent caused Adam and his woman to leave the paradise of God. But the deceit that happened to the prophet, who said, “You have deceived me, and I was deceived,” brought him to a very great grace of prophecy, by increasing in him power, by bringing him maturity and by being able to serve the will of the word of God…

So since the healer sometimes keeps hidden the surgical knife under the tender and soft sponge, and also the father conceals the affection through the appearance of threat, and the deceits—some of which take away the tumors and varicose veins and whatever else weakens the condition of the body … something then such as this is what the prophet has understood that God does in mystery, and he says, when he sees in what ways he was deceived for good reason by God, “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.” It brought him to so great a grace that he prayed and said to God, “Deceive me, if this is beneficial.” For the deceit from God is one thing, the deceit from the Serpent another. See what the woman says to God, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate,” and the deceit from the serpent caused Adam and his woman to leave the paradise of God. But the deceit that happened to the prophet, who said, “You have deceived me, and I was deceived,” brought him to a very great grace of prophecy, by increasing in him power, by bringing him maturity and by being able to serve the will of the word of God without fearing people.Thus, when we also consider these things, for the present and for the future, let us also pray to be deceived by God, and let not the serpent deceive us.

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 20:3.4-5

Jeremiah 20:8-9

And so far as the literal truth is concerned, it is useful to recount what things Jeremiah suffered among the people, with respect to which he said, "And I said, I will not speak, nor will I call on the name of the Lord." And again, elsewhere, "I was continually being mocked." And how great sufferings he endured from the then king of Israel are written in his prophecy. And it is also written that some of the people often came to stone Moses to death. His homeland was not the stones of any place but was instead the people who followed him, among whom also he was dishonored.

COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 10:18

Jeremiah 20:9

That people then were sick. There were all kinds of diseases among those who had the name of the people of God. God sent to them the prophets as healers. One of the healers was Jeremiah. He reproved the sinners, since he wanted those who do evil to return. Yet, though needing to hear what was said, they accused the prophet, and they accused before judges similar to themselves. And always the prophet was judged by those who, with respect to his prophecy, had been cured but were not cured because of their own disobedience. It is due to them that he says, "And I said, 'I will no longer speak nor name the name of the Lord.' But it happened as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am weakened on all sides, and I cannot bear it." He said, seeing himself as one who always is judged, abused, accused and falsely testified against, "Woe is me, mother. What kind of man did you bear me?" He was not speaking as a man who judges but as one who is judged, and not as one who disputes but one who is disputed over all of the earth. Since those who are sick do not hear him when he advises for their…

That people then were sick. There were all kinds of diseases among those who had the name of the people of God. God sent to them the prophets as healers. One of the healers was Jeremiah. He reproved the sinners, since he wanted those who do evil to return. Yet, though needing to hear what was said, they accused the prophet, and they accused before judges similar to themselves. And always the prophet was judged by those who, with respect to his prophecy, had been cured but were not cured because of their own disobedience. It is due to them that he says, "And I said, 'I will no longer speak nor name the name of the Lord.' But it happened as a burning fire flaming in my bones, and I am weakened on all sides, and I cannot bear it." He said, seeing himself as one who always is judged, abused, accused and falsely testified against, "Woe is me, mother. What kind of man did you bear me?" He was not speaking as a man who judges but as one who is judged, and not as one who disputes but one who is disputed over all of the earth. Since those who are sick do not hear him when he advises for their good and well being, he says, "I have not helped."

HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 14:2

Jeremiah 22:13

The apostle indicated the one who builds a house with righteousness when he said, “You are a field of God, a building of God.” But he also says that no one can lay another foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds, and so on. Therefore, through the one who taught him, the believer has Christ Jesus as a foundation. And if any person builds well, it is with gold, the teachings of truth; silver, the saving word; precious stones, a structure built from virtues. And if anyone builds in an evil way by building what is bad for Jesus—I mean wood, hay and stubble—how is he not impious? It is for him that the threat comes: Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness! The one who makes a structure up high, yet not according to reason and truth of God, does not make the upper chambers in judgment. And similarly one can also view those who teach either a true or a falsely called knowledge. Paul builds the house, the church, with righteousness, he builds the upper chambers; Timothy and Luke and those such as them, in judgment.

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 12

Jeremiah 23:20

It is the custom in Scripture, after what is bitter, to say kind things for encouragement, and after what is good to say more bitter words. Scripture does this in order that, when they have disdained the wealth of the goodness of God, they may not store up for themselves anger in a day of anger. Hence God said, “If anger comes, it will not withdraw unless God has accomplished what he wants.” And if God wants, anger also occurs, in order that what God wants does occur. For if anyone does not want to be in the will of the Word of God, the anger is unleashed on him. Thus let us not show a need for an anger or wrath that disciplines.

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 52

Jeremiah 23:23

The closer our mind approaches Christ in a more exalted and lofty way and presents itself nearer the splendor of his light, the more it will it be made to shine more magnificently and clearly in his light as also he says through the prophet: “Draw near to me, and I shall draw near to you, says the Lord.” And again he says, “I am a God who draws near and not a God afar off.”

HOMILIES ON GENESIS 1

Jeremiah 23:24

And how will it be possible to set the text, “Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord,” side by side with the whole world understood as Jesus’ shoe? It is worthwhile, however, to give attention to whether we must understand the words in relation to the fact that the Word and Wisdom have permeated the whole world, and the Father is in the Son, as we presented it, or he who first girded himself with all creation, because the Son was in him, granted to the Savior, since he was second after him and God the Word, to pervade the whole creation.

COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6:202

Jeremiah 23:30

Since the false prophets also avail themselves of the phrase “thus says the Lord,” pretending to be the true prophets, there is need of signs that distinguish each of them. Therefore there was, according to the apostle, a gift of distinguishing spirits, and one who possessed this gift distinguished spirits, both the divine and the bad ones, just as a moneychanger distinguishes genuine currency from counterfeit. But aside from this general knowledge, what was just said also suffices for distinguishing. For, my word, he says, is not empty and a nourishment for what is irrational, but it is like wheat and nourishment for what is rational.

FRAGMENTS ON JEREMIAH 19