Origen of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

2 Corinthians 8:9

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

But in this the truth is also shown to be what was written, that Jesus Christ, “although he was rich, became a poor man.” Therefore, for this reason, he chose both a poor mother, from whom he was born, and a poor homeland, about which it is said, “And you, Bethlehem, you are the least among the tribes of Judah” and the rest.

2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

The apostle Paul says, “But I want you all to present yourselves as a pure virgin to one man, Christ. For I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ.” Therefore, Paul wants “all the Corinthians” to present themselves as a pure “virgin to Christ”; certainly he would never want that unless it would seem possible. Whence also it would appear wonderful how these, who although corrupted by diverse sins, came to the faith of Christ, all at once are called “a pure virgin”; a virgin which is so holy and so pure that she is worthy also to be joined in marriage to Christ. However, since we cannot refer these things to the chastity of the flesh, it is sure that they refer to the chastity of the soul, whose “simplicity of the faith which is in Christ,” according to the understanding of Paul himself, was called his virginity.

2 Corinthians 12:4

How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

This means that they cannot be expressed in a human language.

2 John 1:12

Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

Because of the incapacity of his hearers, John did not think it right to entrust the solutions of secrets of this kind to paper and ink.

2 Kings 2:8-9

And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

We must note in addition that when Elijah was about to be taken up in a whirlwind as into heaven, he took his sheepskin and rolled it up and struck the water, and it was divided on this side and that, and both crossed, that is to say, himself and Elisha. He was better prepared to be taken up after he was baptized in the Jordan, since Paul, as we explained previously, called the more incredible passage through water a baptism. It is because of this same Jordan that Elisha is capable of receiving the gift that he has desired through Elijah, for he said, “Let a double portion come on me in your spirit.” Perhaps he received the gift in the spirit of Elijah in a double measure on himself because he crossed the Jordan twice, once with Elijah, and a second time when he took the sheepskin of Elijah and struck the water and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And he struck the waters, and they divided on this side and that.”

2 Kings 2:11

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

But do not marvel in regard to what is said about Elijah, if, just as something strange happened to him different from all the saints who are recorded, in respect of his having been caught up by a whirlwind into heaven, so his spirit had something of choice excellence, so that not only did it rest on Elisha but also descended along with John at his birth; and that John, separately, "was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb," and separately "came before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah." For it is possible for several spirits not only worse, but also better, to be in the same person. David accordingly asks to be established by a free spirit and that a right spirit be renewed in his inward parts. But if, in order that the Savior may impart to us of the "spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and reverence," he was filled also with the spirit of the fear of the Lord; it is possible also that these several good spirits may be conceived as being in the person. And this also we have brought forward, because of…

But do not marvel in regard to what is said about Elijah, if, just as something strange happened to him different from all the saints who are recorded, in respect of his having been caught up by a whirlwind into heaven, so his spirit had something of choice excellence, so that not only did it rest on Elisha but also descended along with John at his birth; and that John, separately, "was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb," and separately "came before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah." For it is possible for several spirits not only worse, but also better, to be in the same person. David accordingly asks to be established by a free spirit and that a right spirit be renewed in his inward parts. But if, in order that the Savior may impart to us of the "spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and reverence," he was filled also with the spirit of the fear of the Lord; it is possible also that these several good spirits may be conceived as being in the person. And this also we have brought forward, because of John having come before Christ "in the spirit and power of Elijah," in order that the saying "Elijah has already come" may be referred to the spirit of Elijah that was in John; as also the three disciples who had gone up with him understood that he spoke to them about John the Baptist. On Elisha, then, only the spirit of Elijah rested, but John came before, not only in the spirit but also in the power of Elijah. Wherefore, also, Elisha could not have been called Elijah, but John was Elijah himself. But if it is necessary to adduce the Scripture from which the scribes said that Elijah must first come, listen to Malachi, who says, "And behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite," down to the words "Lest I come and strike the earth utterly." And it seems to be indicated by these words that Elijah was to prepare for the glorious coming of Christ by certain holy words and dispositions in their souls, those who had been made fittest for this, which those on earth could not have endured, because of the excellence of the glory, unless they had been prepared beforehand by Elijah. And likewise, by Elijah, in this place, I do not understand the soul of that prophet but his spirit and his power; for these it is by which all things shall be restored, so that when they have been restored, and, as a result of that restoration, become capable of receiving the glory of Christ, the Son of God who shall appear in glory may sojourn with them. But if also Elijah is in some sort a word inferior to "the word who was in the beginning with God, God the Word," this word also might come as a preparatory discipline to the people prepared by it, that they might be trained for the reception of the perfect Word.

2 Kings 2:15

And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

I have thought it necessary to dwell some time on the examination of the doctrine of transmigration, because of the suspicion of some who suppose that the soul under consideration was the same in Elijah and in John, being called in the former case Elijah and in the second case John; and that, not apart from God, had he been called John, as is plain from the saying of the angel who appeared to Zacharias, "Fear not, Zacharias, for your supplication is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John"; and from the fact that Zacharias regained his speech after he had written in the tablet, that he who had been born should be called John." But if it were the soul of Elijah, then, when he was begotten a second time, he should have been called Elijah; or for the change of name some reason should have been assigned, as in the case of Abram and Abraham, Sarah and Sarai, Jacob and Israel, Simon and Peter. And yet not even thus would their argument in the case be tenable; for … the changes of name took place in one and the same life. But someone might ask…

I have thought it necessary to dwell some time on the examination of the doctrine of transmigration, because of the suspicion of some who suppose that the soul under consideration was the same in Elijah and in John, being called in the former case Elijah and in the second case John; and that, not apart from God, had he been called John, as is plain from the saying of the angel who appeared to Zacharias, "Fear not, Zacharias, for your supplication is heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John"; and from the fact that Zacharias regained his speech after he had written in the tablet, that he who had been born should be called John." But if it were the soul of Elijah, then, when he was begotten a second time, he should have been called Elijah; or for the change of name some reason should have been assigned, as in the case of Abram and Abraham, Sarah and Sarai, Jacob and Israel, Simon and Peter. And yet not even thus would their argument in the case be tenable; for … the changes of name took place in one and the same life. But someone might ask, if the soul of Elijah was not first in the Tishbite and second in John, what might that be in both which the Savior called Elijah? And I say that Gabriel in his words to Zacharias suggested what the substance was in Elijah and John that was the same; for he says, "Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah." For, observe, he did not say in the soul of Elijah, in which case the doctrine might have some ground, but "in the spirit and power of Elijah." For the Scripture well knows the distinction spirit and soul, as, "May God sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"; and the passage, "Bless the Lord, you spirits and souls of the righteous" as it stands in the book of Daniel, according to the Septuagint, represents the difference between spirit and soul. Elijah, therefore, was not called John because of the soul but because of the spirit and the power, which in no way conflicts with the teaching of the church, though they were formerly in Elijah and afterwards in John; and "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," but the souls of the prophets are not subject to the prophets, and "the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha."

2 Kings 5:10-12

And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

But in addition, that we may accept the interpretation of the Jordan, that river that is so fresh and grants so much grace, it is useful to present both Naaman the Syrian, who was cleansed from leprosy, and the comments made about the rivers by the enemies of religion. It is written of Naaman, therefore: "He came with his horse and chariot and stood at the doors of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will return to you, and you will be cleansed.' " Then Naaman becomes angry because he does not perceive that it is our Jordan, and not the prophet, that removes the uncleanness of those who are unclean because of leprosy and heals them. For the work of a prophet is to send one to that which heals.Since, therefore, Naaman does not understand the great mystery of the Jordan, he says, "Behold, I said that he will assuredly come out to me and will stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and will place his hand on the place and the leprosy will recover," for placing the hand on leprosy and cleansing it…

But in addition, that we may accept the interpretation of the Jordan, that river that is so fresh and grants so much grace, it is useful to present both Naaman the Syrian, who was cleansed from leprosy, and the comments made about the rivers by the enemies of religion. It is written of Naaman, therefore: "He came with his horse and chariot and stood at the doors of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, 'Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will return to you, and you will be cleansed.' " Then Naaman becomes angry because he does not perceive that it is our Jordan, and not the prophet, that removes the uncleanness of those who are unclean because of leprosy and heals them. For the work of a prophet is to send one to that which heals.Since, therefore, Naaman does not understand the great mystery of the Jordan, he says, "Behold, I said that he will assuredly come out to me and will stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and will place his hand on the place and the leprosy will recover," for placing the hand on leprosy and cleansing it was the work of my Lord Jesus alone. To the man who asked with faith, "If you will, you can make me clean, he not only said "I will, be made clean," but in addition to the word that he spoke, he also touched him, and he was cleansed from leprosy.
Naaman, who is still in error and does not see how inferior the other rivers are to the Jordan for healing the suffering, praises the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharphar, saying, "Are not the Abana and the Pharphar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Shall I not go and wash in them and be cleansed?"

2 Kings 7:1

Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

You will also find similar things in the times of Elisha, when the son of Jader, king of Syria, came up against Samaria and besieged it. “And there was a great famine in Samaria for so long,” Scripture says, “that a donkey’s head became worth fifty shekels of silver and a quarter of pigeon dung five pieces of silver.” But suddenly an amazing change occurs through the word of the prophet, who says, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow, at this hour a measure of the finest wheat flour shall be one shekel and two measure of barley shall be one shekel, in the gates of Samaria.’ ”Notice, therefore, what is inferred from all these texts: when famine prevails over a land, not only does it not prevail over the just, but rather through them, a remedy is brought to the threatened destruction.

2 Kings 13:21

And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

After this, another law is published. It says, “Whatever soul touches anything unclean, or the carcass of unclean beasts, and conceals it and is defiled, or if he touches the uncleanness of [a person] or anything unclean by which he is defiled,” and so forth. These, to be sure, are observed by the Jews indecently and uselessly enough. And why should one who, for example, touches a dead animal or the body of a dead person be held to be impure? What if it is the body of a prophet? What if it is the body of a patriarch or even the body of Abraham himself? What if he touches the bones, will he be unclean? What if he should touch the bones of Elisha, which raise a dead person? Will that one be unclean who touches the bones of the prophets and likewise do they make that one himself unclean whom they raise from the dead? See how unsuitable the Jewish interpretation is.

2 Kings 16:10-14

And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

“And when you say, ‘Why did the Lord God do all of these bad things to us?’ And you will say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served other gods in your land, so you shall serve in a land not your own.’ ” Let one consider the literal sense, and it will suffice at the present to refresh the memory from the literal sense for those who can understand. Surely then, the people of Israel possessed the holy land, the temple, the house of prayer. They ought to have served God, but when they transgressed the divine commandments they served idols, both the idols acquired from Damascus, as it is written in Kings, and the other idols brought from other pagan nations into the holy land. Due to the fact that they received these pagan idols, they made themselves worthy to be rejected to the land of the idols, to dwell there where they worship the idols.

2 Kings 17:20-28 · 2 passages

And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.

“Faithless Israel has shown itself less guilty than false Judah.” The letter of the text just read has something unclear that we need to understand first. Then, after this, if God wills, we shall know his mystical plan. He wants us then to know in these words, just as it is written in Kings, that the people were divided in those times into the kingdom of ten tribes under Jeroboam and the kingdom of two tribes under Roboam. And those under Jeroboam were called Israel, and those under Roboam Judah. And the division of the people persisted, according to the history, until today. For we know of nothing in the history that united Israel and Judah “into the same nation.” Then Israel first, under Jeroboam and under his successors, sinned excessively, and Israel sinned so much beyond Judah that they were sentenced by providence to become captives “to the Assyrians until the sign,” as the Scripture says. After this, the people of Judah also sinned, and as captives they were sentenced to Babylon, not until a sign, as Israel, but for “seventy years,” as Jeremiah prophesied and Daniel also menti…

“Faithless Israel has shown itself less guilty than false Judah.” The letter of the text just read has something unclear that we need to understand first. Then, after this, if God wills, we shall know his mystical plan. He wants us then to know in these words, just as it is written in Kings, that the people were divided in those times into the kingdom of ten tribes under Jeroboam and the kingdom of two tribes under Roboam. And those under Jeroboam were called Israel, and those under Roboam Judah. And the division of the people persisted, according to the history, until today. For we know of nothing in the history that united Israel and Judah “into the same nation.” Then Israel first, under Jeroboam and under his successors, sinned excessively, and Israel sinned so much beyond Judah that they were sentenced by providence to become captives “to the Assyrians until the sign,” as the Scripture says. After this, the people of Judah also sinned, and as captives they were sentenced to Babylon, not until a sign, as Israel, but for “seventy years,” as Jeremiah prophesied and Daniel also mentioned.

[The Lord] takes hold of two principal lions, the Assyrians and the Babylonians. According to the history in the fourth book of Kings, there are two. For Assyria removed the sons of Israel to Assyria “until today,” but Babylon removed the sons of Judah “to Babylon.” Except he did not say here first and second, but first and last. For the first lion is the antagonistic devil; he is a murderer. The very last lion at the completion of the age is “the man of sin, the son of perdition, who exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship.”

2 Kings 17:24

And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.

The Hebrews, however, call a guard somer, and thus they also hand on in their tradition that the Samaritans first received this name because the king of the Assyrians sent them to be guards of the land of Israel after the captivity, that is, that other Israel besides Judah, which was taken captive into Assyria because of their many sins.

2 Kings 25:27-30

And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon in the year that he began to reign did lift up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison;

Jeremiah calls this son of Jehoiakim Jeconiah, and the Pharaoh Neco called the father of this man, though named Eliakim, Jehoiakim, whom Babylon, having carried off, cast forth before the gate, as the present prophet and Josephus in the tenth book of his Antiquities says. And the other editions have given the signet ring as a seal. And every person who through repentance makes shine again what is according to the image becomes a seal, a ring on the "right hand of God." For good works are understood as the part on the right of God, who places "the sheep at the right." The father gave this kind of seal to the profligate son who returned. If Jeconiah had become this way, he would have been a model for those who are subjects of devotion. But that did not happen. Yet he seemed to be persuaded by what the prophet said: "He who goes out to surrender to the Chaldeans who besieged you shall live." For after he brought with him his mother and the mighty men, he left, deserting to the Babylonians. But if he also displays mature repentance, so that he becomes "a seal of righteousness in circumci…

Jeremiah calls this son of Jehoiakim Jeconiah, and the Pharaoh Neco called the father of this man, though named Eliakim, Jehoiakim, whom Babylon, having carried off, cast forth before the gate, as the present prophet and Josephus in the tenth book of his Antiquities says. And the other editions have given the signet ring as a seal. And every person who through repentance makes shine again what is according to the image becomes a seal, a ring on the "right hand of God." For good works are understood as the part on the right of God, who places "the sheep at the right." The father gave this kind of seal to the profligate son who returned. If Jeconiah had become this way, he would have been a model for those who are subjects of devotion. But that did not happen. Yet he seemed to be persuaded by what the prophet said: "He who goes out to surrender to the Chaldeans who besieged you shall live." For after he brought with him his mother and the mighty men, he left, deserting to the Babylonians. But if he also displays mature repentance, so that he becomes "a seal of righteousness in circumcision." So that, according to this, he seems to be on the right hand of God, he would be delivered, since he did pay a penalty for his recent sins, though one more moderate. For in Babylon, after he chastised in prison and in chains, due to Evil-merodach, he was then set free, becoming one who ate with the king, and thus in a foreign land he finished life.

2 Peter 1:4

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

What is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit? Peter describes this by calling it “sharing in the divine nature.”

2 Samuel 6:4-5

And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them.” Strictly speaking, the word symphony is used by musicians for the voices of harmony. For among musical tones, some harmonize with each other and others do not. But the Gospel is also familiar with this term as applied to music where it says, “He heard music [symphōnias] and dancing.” For it was fitting that, at the harmony that resulted between the father and his son who had been lost but was now found through his repentance, a symphony should be heard on the occasion of the rejoicing of the house.… Akin to this kind of symphony is what is written in the second book of Kings [Samuel] when the brothers of Aminadab “went before the ark, and David and the sons of Israel were playing before the face of the Lord on well-tuned instruments and in power and in songs.” For the “well-tuned instruments in power and in song” have in them that harmony of tones which is of such power that if only two people bring before the Father in heaven any request with that symphony which is found in divine a…

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them.” Strictly speaking, the word symphony is used by musicians for the voices of harmony. For among musical tones, some harmonize with each other and others do not. But the Gospel is also familiar with this term as applied to music where it says, “He heard music [symphōnias] and dancing.” For it was fitting that, at the harmony that resulted between the father and his son who had been lost but was now found through his repentance, a symphony should be heard on the occasion of the rejoicing of the house.… Akin to this kind of symphony is what is written in the second book of Kings [Samuel] when the brothers of Aminadab “went before the ark, and David and the sons of Israel were playing before the face of the Lord on well-tuned instruments and in power and in songs.” For the “well-tuned instruments in power and in song” have in them that harmony of tones which is of such power that if only two people bring before the Father in heaven any request with that symphony which is found in divine and spiritual music, the Father grants it to them—which is most remarkable.

2 Samuel 22:1-2

And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

The fifth song is in Second Samuel, when “David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” He said, “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God will be my protector.” If, then, you prove able to examine who are the enemies David defeats and overthrows in First and Second Samuel and how he was made worthy of deserving the Lord’s help and of being delivered from enemies of this kind, then you will be able to sing this fifth song yourself.

2 Samuel 22:44-45

Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

“Did Jesus come into the world for this purpose, that we [the Jews] should not believe him?” To which we immediately answer that he did not come with the object of producing unbelief among the Jews; but knowing beforehand that such would be the result, he foretold it and made use of their unbelief for the calling of the Gentiles. For through their sin salvation came to the Gentiles, respecting whom the Christ who speaks in the prophecies says, “A people whom I did not know became subject to me: they were obedient to the hearing of my ear”; and, “I was found by those who did not seek me; I became manifest to those who did not inquire after me.”

2 Thessalonians 2:1

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

At least, when the apostles were preaching and the eyewitnesses of Jesus were teaching his precepts, no minor dispute in the church took place among Jewish believers about those of the Gentiles who were converted to the faith; the question was whether they ought to keep the Jewish customs or if the burden of clean or unclean meats ought to be taken away so that it would not be a load upon those Gentiles who abandoned their traditional customs and believed in Jesus. Furthermore, in the epistles of Paul, who was contemporary with those who had seen Jesus, there are some statements to be found which concern certain disputes about the resurrection, and about the view that it had already occurred, and about the question whether the day of the Lord was already present or not.